The football program is coming off its most successful run in school history, repeating as MAC champions and earning the first BCS game in MAC history but the 2013 season schedule seems less than desirable, especially considering what happened over winter break.

Going back to the Orange Bowl, the nation reacted in three ways:

Disgust, as from Kirk Herbstreit and his disdain of a MAC school in the BCS.

Apathy, as many football fans may have never heard of the Huskies or knew very little and did not care much one way or the other.

Excitement, be it from NIU alumni or fans who simply appreciate an underdog, a good story and a change of pace from the regular BCS front-runners.

While the loss did little to prove the doubters wrong in the most literal sense of football, the effort and the closely played style for a large portion of the game made it stick out. It was the closest of all the BCS games, which says something, depending on how you look at it: either NIU showed its talent or FSU wasn’t much aside from a defensive team.

As we look at this year’s schedule, this is where disappointment for the NIU fanbase may settle in. I understand one BCS appearance is not going to change a schedule too much, as teams must negotiate their schedules with other schools. However, the decrease in home games for the Huskies and the scheduled competition is not too enticing for an already stingy home crowd.

The Huskies lose two home games from last season, playing just five this season, and will play against a slate of teams that have a combined record of 23-38, including a team from the FCS in Eastern Illinois.

The best matchup at home based off last year’s numbers would be Ball State, which finished with a 9-4 record and gave up only 35 points to NIU, with only three teams holding NIU to less than that number. This game does not take place until the second-to-last home game, in the third-to-last week of the season.

Other home visitors include Akron and Eastern Michigan, teams that combined to win just three games last season and who NIU outscored 86-14 in those two games combined.

While I’m sure the drunken college fans enjoy a blow-out at home, the fact is that closer competition makes for better viewing, and even that is no guarantee of a big draw. Last season, even Kansas failed to draw a sellout in what was probably the highest profile opponent for NIU all regular season.

The road schedule does not get much better for competition, as NIU takes on three teams that had a winning record last season: Kent State, Toledo and Central Michigan. The Huskies also face two other teams that were 1-11 last year in UMass and Purdue.

The good news out of all of this is the Huskies have a good chance to have another highly successful season if they can replicate the offensive and defensive prowess of last year, which is no guarantee given the senior losses.

While it will be an interesting story with it being the last season of the BCS rules in place that allowed NIU to get to the Orange Bowl last year, the fact remains that NIU is in for a problem to draw fans.

The marketing department has lowered the price of season tickets and given fans an opportunity to get $50 free off parking or at the concession stand.

Maybe the Orange Bowl berth will have a big carryover effect. How long will that last in the cold DeKalb air?

Miami Beach has much more to offer NIU students than corn and cannon shots, whether that’s fair to a good football team or not.