DETROIT – The NIU football team’s shot at a post-season bowl game just got a lot hotter, even if the location could be well below freezing.

MAC commissioner Rick Chryst announced Monday at the annual MAC media day that the conference will now have three guaranteed bowl tie-ins. In addition to the previous tie-ins – the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which was moved to Jan. 7, and the Motor City Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit. The MAC will now face a Big East opponent in the first-ever International Bowl, held Jan. 6, 2007 at the SkyDome in Toronto.

The International Bowl will mark only the second time in college football history that a bowl game will be played outside of the United States. The last bowl game held on foreign soil was in 1937, when Auburn played Villanova in Havana, Cuba.

The GMAC Bowl’s new date has made an impact on the MAC and could offer exposure for the conference.

“To play in prime time the night before the BCS National Championship Game offers the City of Mobile, and the GMAC Bowl unbelievable exposure. The new date presented an opportunity that we could not afford to pass up,” said GMAC Bowl President Jerry Silverstein.

Seven prominent preseason forecasts – Blue Ribbon, The Sporting News, Street & Smith’s, CBS Sportsline, Phil Steele’s, Lindy’s and Athlon – picked NIU to repeat as MAC West champs. All seven publications listed NIU offensive lineman Doug Free and running back Garrett Wolfe as preseason All-MAC selections. Of the four that listed an Offensive Player of the Year award, each picked Wolfe. Free was also picked as the MAC’s top NFL prospect by Street & Smith’s.

“There aren’t many more established brand names in college football publications than Street & Smith’s,” said NIU coach Joe Novak. “Again, the national notoriety for our program and, particularly, the individual honors for Garrett and Doug are certainly flattering. But as of Sept. 2 against Ohio State in our opener, those preseason All-America honors are history.”

Although NIU was picked as the unanimous favorite in the MAC West, the MAC East saw more speculation. Five publications picked Akron to repeat as MAC East champions, but Athlon picked Miami-Ohio and Phil Steele’s picked Kent State.

Akron, led by quarterback Luke Getsy, beat NIU twice last season: once, a 31-30 overtime victory, and later, in the MAC Championship game, which propelled Akron to the Motor City Bowl.

NIU won the MAC West outright for the first time in the school’s history in 2005, but has yet to win the MAC Championship. The MAC title has proved to be an elusive goal for 11th-year NIU coach Novak, who has just two years remaining in his contract.