NIU has never won a national championship in basketball or football. And the baseball program is on its second year after an eight-year hiatus.

So why would some of the top athletes in the country want to play at NIU?

They play at NIU by choice. Actually, they play at NIU by second choice.

Three highly-talented athletes currently on NIU rosters are there because of circumstances beyond their control.

Stacey McKinney (football), David Mitchell (basketball), and Tom O’Neill (baseball) all attend NIU, but all were committed to programs at other colleges. They came to play at NIU as a kind of second choice when problems arose at the other schools.

McKinney, a junior quarterback, spent his first two years at a junior college in California. At the end of his second season, he became a hot commodity for the powerhouse universities.

“Arkansas and Tennessee were the two schools that really came after me,” McKinney explained. “I really wanted to sign with Arkansas, but things didn’t work out at the last minute.

“So one of their coaches put me in contact with NIU’s coaches and the next thing I knew, I was going to Northern.”

Mitchell’s problem came about after an entire coaching staff was terminated by the school he intended to sign with.

“The day before I was to sign my letter of intent, San Jose State fired the whole staff. That left me with some thinking to do,” said Mitchell.

“I still considered a lot of schools nearer to my home,” said the Californian, “but then I remembered talking with coach Molinari when he was at DePaul. He told me that he might be taking the job at NIU and was curious if I was interested.”

O’Neill, a transfer from Wisconsin, comes from quite a different situation. After playing three seasons for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, O’Neill was informed that the program was being eliminated.

It was head baseball coach Joe “Spanky” McFarland that brought O’Neill to NIU.

“I really liked what Spanky could teach me as a ball player,” said O’Neill. “Once I saw the school, the choice was an easy one to make.”

McKinney, Mitchell, and O’Neill all attend NIU because three other schools made moves that allowed the players to make a second choice. Each one of them is very happy with the decision they made.

“I love it here,” said O’Neill. “I don’t intend on moving again.”

Mitchell had the chance to move last season, upon the departure of former coach Jim Molinari.

“I contemplated transferring back to California,” claimed Mitchell. “Then I realized how much I wanted to stay here. My friends and teammates were here, and my studies were going well. I don’t anticipate wanting to transfer ever again.”