Forty years ago, the NIU football team was on top of the country.

A 10-0 record and a Mineral Water Bowl victory secured a National Championship for the Huskies.

Yes, that’s right, a National Championship.

Albeit a national title in the College Division, as it was referred to, it is still one of only three national titles NIU ever had. Women’s badminton in 1982 and men’s cross-country in 1958 were the others.

This Saturday, the football team will be acknowledged during halftime of the Huskies’ 3:05 p.m. game against Iowa State.

The 1983 California Bowl championship team also will be honored during halftime.

Led by quarterback George Bork, the 1963 Huskies swept through the season with relative ease, beating their opponents by an average of 24 points.

“The first game, my freshman year, I was sitting in the stands and on the first play they threw a 64-yard touchdown,” NIU Sports Information Director Mike Korcek said. “Coach Howard Fletcher was a genius, and that was their style of play.”

The Huskies mainly used a passing offense, as evidenced in the passing records held by Bork.

Despite averaging more than 37 points a game, the Huskies defense also carried much of the load. Holding opposing offenses to under 10 points a game, the Huskies defense posted three shutouts, including back-to-back blankings against Illinois State and Eastern Illinois.

Two seasons after the win, Huskie Stadium was erected.

“That team built this stadium,” Korcek said. “That team is the reason we’re Division I.”