Thanksgiving is only a few days away, meaning many students will flock home to spend time with family and friends and gorge themselves on turkey and stuffing.

We’re hoping a good number of those students stick around long enough to see the NIU football team take on Western Michigan at 12:35 p.m. Wednesday at Huskie Stadium. Nothing less than the MAC West crown and a possible bowl-game bid are at stake.

If the Huskies win, they would clinch the MAC West and a spot in the MAC championship game against the MAC East winner. They then would clinch a bowl bid if they won the MAC title game. If the Huskies lose, however, their season is over.

This could be the second year in a row NIU has played in a bowl game, having beaten Troy 34-21 in the 2004 Silicon Valley Football Classic.

NIU hasn’t played in back-to-back bowl games since 1962-63. This is a huge game, folks.

We’re not encouraging students to go to the game because we had a sudden surge of school spirit and want to act like boosters.

Rather, we’re sending out the call because students who attend the game wouldn’t just be supporting the football team, they would be doing a great service to the university as a whole.

We say that for a few reasons.

For one, the game will be broadcast across the nation on ESPN2, meaning tens of millions of people will have a chance to see Huskie Stadium and the NIU campus on live TV. People need to see a jam-packed stadium filled with loud, passionate fans.

What potential recruit would want to come to NIU if he turns on Wednesday’s game and sees people sitting on their hands in a half-filled stadium? Good recruits usually mean good football teams, and good football teams mean more exposure and more money for NIU. This in turn means a better school for you to attend.

A packed stadium also would give the Huskies a much-needed 12th man on a day that is sure to be cold and raw. The players will already be pumped up because of the implications of the game, but having a big crowd behind them would give them an extra edge.

So feel free to do whatever you will come Wednesday. This is a free country, after all. But if you have nothing special planned, think about making a date with the Huskies. They, and the university, need you.

Agree? Disagree? Contact us at

www.northernstar.info.