TOLEDO, Ohio – It’s official: NIU will not play in the MAC Championship Game this year.

With the Huskies’ loss to Toledo on Saturday, the best they can hope for is to tie for the MAC West title for the third year in a row. NIU would lose the tie-breaker to both Toledo and Bowling Green.

The possibility of NIU receiving a bowl game invitation is not out of question, though.

“I’m not sure [if hopes for a bowl bid are] completely over,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “If we are 10-2 and a 6-6 Big Ten team goes to a bowl, that’s wrong. If a team is in this league or any other league and they go 10-2, they should go to a bowl.

However, history shows that the Huskies should get ready for next season.

In 1998 Miami-Ohio went 10-1, and in 2000 Toledo went 10-1. Neither team received a bowl invitation.

“That’s the one thing people don’t realize; we have to fight and claw for everything in this conference,” NIU quarterback Josh Haldi said. “We can go 10-2 and not go to a bowl game, and that’s frustrating.”

“With the way things are, honestly we probably still won’t get a bowl bid,” NIU tight end Keith Perry said.

Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said NIU deserves to be ranked and go to a bowl.

“They are a good football team,” Amstutz said. “I think they are bowl-worthy and they’ve had a special season.”

Amstutz’s Rockets and Bowling Green are the two teams left fighting for the MAC West’s spot in the MAC Championship Game against Miami-Ohio, which already has clinched the MAC East. The MAC West winner will host the championship game this year.

NIU will play its regular-season finale against Eastern Michigan at home Saturday.

On Saturday, Toledo will host Western Michigan and Bowling Green will play at Ball State. On Nov. 28, Toledo will travel to play Bowling Green in a game that will determine the MAC West winner.

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