Huskie fans still can pick up free tickets for Saturday’s football game against Southern Illinois University – if you’re an NIU student.

Students with a valid NIU OneCard can get one free ticket and purchase up to four additional tickets for the student section at a reduced price of $10 each. Otherwise, general admission price stands at $17.

Less than 2,000 tickets of the 6,000 reserved for students have been given away, said Beth Calder, assistant ticket manager for athletics.

“We had a good crowd today,” Calder said. All reserved tickets are for the east side of the stadium.

Students can pick up tickets at Box Office 2 at the Convocation Center, the booth outside the main floor computer lab in the Holmes Student Center or on game day at the stadium ticket booth.

Tailgating parking passes also are available for purchase, but only if you are member of the Student Huskie Club.

“We still have a pretty large number of the Huskie Club tickets left,” said Darian Westerfield, assistant director of development for athletics. Huskie Club tailgating passes cost $25, on top of the $25 for club membership.

Passes allow holders to park in the east and west sides of the stadium, the area near the soccer field and the Northern Television Center lot. Otherwise, tailgaters must pay $5 to park near the Convocation Center and the Chick Evans Field House.

The Student Association will host a bonfire to get students pumped up about NIU athletics from 6:30 to 9 p.m. today in the tailgating area by Huskie Stadium.

The event is free and open to all, and members of the NIU football team and other athletic teams will be in attendance.

Allison Thompson, director of public affairs for the SA, said the event is meant to encourage pride in NIU sports teams.

“Everyone’s trying to get students to come out and get excited about student athletics,” she said.

Thompson said the bonfire is a social event to let new students learn about the athletics program and to meet each other.

Tickets for Saturday’s game against SIU can still be picked up through game day at the Convocation Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at the Holmes Student Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Source: NIU athletics ticket office