A typical student’s mentality can be defined very simply.

After Summer Break, most students are enthralled for the fall semester to begin and can’t wait to catch up on old times with friends until Christmas break comes and everyone wants a little time off. The spring is the same way from start to end.

At times it seems NIU athletics are similar. The different semesters bring different teams.

The fall semester is powered by NIU’s football and volleyball teams. Huskies football is a perennial power that is always in the hunt for at least a MAC championship, if not a bowl berth.

The volleyball team has seen two winning seasons in three years. The only losing season was 2002-03, the year after the team won the MAC championship and lost three seniors.

This shows that fall typically boasts good teams that are always competitive and fun to watch.

The spring term doesn’t offer quite the same hopes. Men’s and women’s hoops, baseball and softball comprise the athletic face of the second term – a face not quite the same as the fall’s.

Men’s basketball has seen two losing seasons in a row after a surprise 2002-03 campaign. This includes being tabbed as MAC favorites in 2003-04, returning most of its starters.

The women’s team has seen three straight losing seasons since 2001-02, when the team found its way into the third round of the MAC tourney.

In four seasons, from 2001-04, the Huskies softball team had only one winning season. It’s currently above .500 but has lost four of its last five games.

Baseball is in the midst of facing its first losing season under the helms of head coach Ed Mathey’s three-year stint. Yet the team’s record has been downgrading every year since 2003.

The ability and mentality of the respective teams are not in question. These are all Division I athletes and play with the same passion and love for the game as everyone else does.

But one can’t overlook the facts. For some reason the change of season and semester brings different fortunes and outcomes among the different seasonal sports.

For most schools, a quality basketball team can help bring attention and favor for football recruits who are looking for a more all-around experience. This theory also works in reverse for other sports as well.

Maybe it’s the weather that causes the difference. Or possibly it’s that the other teams haven’t quite caught up with the football teams’ success. If you are a betting man, place your wager on the latter.