While students may have been far from DeKalb and NIU sports over the summer, by no means did Huskie athletics come to a stand-still.

The following are the top sports stories of the summer: more than enough to catch you up on your Huskie-sports expert status.

The Huskies are going national

With NIU inking a four-year deal with WSCR-AM, Huskie football and basketball can now be heard in 38 states and four Canadian provinces.

Known locally as “670 The Score,” WSCR-AM will broadcast all Huskie Sports Radio Network football broadcasts and 20 men’s basketball games annually through 2008-09.

Only the biggest and best

After months of rumors, it’s official that NIU will start its next three seasons off in stadiums that boast over 100 thousand capacity.

This season, it’s Michigan’s “Big House,” followed next season by another Big Ten school, Ohio State. The stadium doesn’t get any smaller in 2007 when the Huskies head south to Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium – capacity 104,079.

The crowds are not the only big thing. All three teams are consistently ranked in the top 25 in national polls, including this season as all three teams are ranked in the top 10 (Tennessee No. 3, Michigan No. 4, and Ohio State No. 6)

New assistant in place

Athletic Director Jim Phillips continued to revamp the NIU’s athletics staff when he hired Glen Krupica to be his assistant July 21.

The former Independence Bowl executive director returned to his alma mater as the new associate athletics director for External Affairs.

Paulsen going to UWM

After receiving a release from his scholarship obligations to NIU, forward Paige Paulsen is heading north to play for Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The forward from South Dakota averaged 7.5 points and 3.7 rebounds despite playing through a thumb injury and a concussion.

Because of NCAA transfer rules, Paulsen will have to wait until the 2006-07 season to play.

Off to the pros

Baseball players Jeremy Busch and Eric Sansouci used last season as a launching pad to get to the pros.

Right fielder Sansouci signed with the Gateway Grizzles in late June, and center fielder Jeremy Busch joined the Rockford Riverhawks. Both teams are in the Frontier League.

The pair were two of NIU’s top hitters last season. Busch lead the Huskies with a .340 average and also had 9 home runs and 39 RBI while Sansouci batted .280 last season with 18 doubles and 34 RBI.