When NIU closed out its regular season with a 16-0 loss to Navy Nov. 25, it was widely assumed the Huskies season was over.

NIU was bowl eligible at 6-6, but the idea of the Huskies getting an at-large bowl bid seemed like a long shot. At the press conference after the game, NIU head coach Jerry Kill talked about how the NIU seniors put the Huskies in position to get better in the future.

NIU defensive end Larry English figured he had played his last game in a Huskie uniform.

“I guess we can wait and see what will happen,” English said after the loss. “We are bowl eligible so we can hope for the best.”

English and the rest of the Huskies got what they hoped for. It was announced Sunday night that the Huskies would play in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN.

“We felt like we had a chance [of going to a bowl game], we really did,” Kill said. “It’s certainly exciting to know we’re going now, there’s no question about that.”

The Huskies will take on Louisiana Tech (7-5) of the Western Athletic Conference. Louisiana Tech’s campus in Ruston, La. is roughly an hour from Shreveport, giving the Bulldogs a virtual home game.

“I think there’s no better place that you can have your first bowl game in quite some time than in a city that boasts your largest alumni base,” said Derek Dooley, Louisiana Tech head coach. “I don’t think there could be a better venue than Shreveport.”

Kill said the possibility of a virtual road game isn’t really that big of a deal.

“That’s OK, we’re glad to be playing,” Kill said. “You can’t put a price tag on what [a bowl game] does for your university, what it does for you in recruiting.”

NIU’s appearance in the Independence Bowl gives the MAC five bowl teams. The Huskies join Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Buffalo.