NIU Today

Northern Illinois’ 2012 football team made a little more history Tuesday when the Huskies were ranked in the final Associated Press and USA Today Top 25 polls for the first time. The Huskies finished the season ranked 22nd by the writers who vote in the AP poll, and came in at No. 24 in the...

Seniors Mike Mascitti (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) and Pat Sloan (Lisle, Ill./Benet Academy) of the Northern Illinois men’s soccer team were named to the Academic All-MAC Team. Sophomores Paul Hogan (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North), Jayson LeSeth (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) and Dusty Page (Germantown, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) each earned honorable mention recognition the...

Northern Illinois nearly overcame an 11-point first half deficit while not leading the entire game, but just missed on three shots in the final minute of the game to tie or take the lead in a 54-49 loss to Valparaiso. The Crusaders (5-8) earned only their second win in 21 all-time meetings over the Huskies...

College costs money. Lots of money. But those dollars are, of course, an investment – a down payment of sorts on the kind of prosperity that the achievement of a higher education can provide. NIU students who wonder whether it’s worth the financial strain can take this to the bank: It is. The university ranks...

At most hotels on New Year’s Eve, the big excitement takes place at midnight. At the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale, however, the party got started a little early when more than 300 NIU students invaded the lobby at about 5 p.m. Luckily for the hotel, these invaders, all clad in red and black, were...

Northern Illinois turned a good second half yesterday into a complete game Saturday evening in a 69-38 win over Norfolk State to take third place at the 2012 Cavalier Classic at Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena. The Huskies (5-7) used a season-high nine three-pointers to win their first all-time meeting with the Spartans (2-10). “I...

Trailing by 11 just past the midway point of the second half, Northern Illinois cut the deficit to just two, but was unable to complete the comeback, falling to Massachusetts, 64-59, on Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center. A 12-2 run by the Minutemen to close the first half proved to be just too...

Thad Ward, who has coached at the high school and collegiate level in Florida, spent six years coaching in Illinois and became familiar with the Mid-American Conference at Western Michigan in 2012, will join the Northern Illinois coaching staff after the Discover Orange Bowl. Ward, who played wide receiver at the University of Central Florida...

Sophomore Lauren Noonan, junior Amy Carr and senior Lauren Eberts were named to the Academic All-Mid American Conference team as voted by Faculty Athletic Representatives from schools around the conference. It is the first time since 2007 that three NIU players received distinction in the same season. “I’m so happy for Amy, Lauren and Eberts...

Northern Illinois’ Amanda Corral was named the Mid-American Conference Co-Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday. This marks the fifth time that a Huskie has won the honor this year, as MacKenzie Roddy (Oct. 4), Mike Mascitti (Nov. 15), Nabal Jefferson and Corral (Dec. 6) have all earned the award in 2012-13. Corral...

Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch (Chicago/Mt. Carmel) earned Associated Press’ All-America Team as the second team all-purpose player and an honorable mention quarterback on Sports Illustrated’s All-America Team. Lynch finished the regular season as the nation’s leader in rushing (1,771) and total offense (4,753). He becomes the first Huskie to be honored by the AP...

The Northern Illinois wrestling team dropped a tough 25-9 decision Saturday against Michigan State in the annual Showcase Meet. The loss puts NIU’s record at 5-2, while the Spartans improved to 2-2 in a match that was much closer than the final score indicated. “The way dual meet scores settle out, if you lose 10...