Tension between two groups on campus is getting thicker and soon may escalate to a more hostile situation.

Some NIU student athletes make up a good portion of one group, while the other side is a mix of NIU students and their friends who do not attend NIU, said Larry Bolles, director of the University Judicial Office.

There have been reports of negative relations between the two groups as far back as three semesters ago, Bolles said.

This past week, the situation has gotten worse.

“It could get ugly,” said one student athlete who requested to remain anonymous. “But the worst part is they are going to look at us, and say it’s our fault. We are human, too, and if people jump on us, what are we going to do?”

The two groups feuding confronted each other early Saturday morning at the parking lot of The Dungeon, 1027 W. Hillcrest Drive An officer counted six fights that broke out involving about 200 people. A group that kicked and punched an individual was dismembered after a police officer used pepper spray on the group, according to DeKalb police reports.

The party, which was hosted by several students, including football players, went all night without any problems. At about 2 a.m., football players James Johnson and Al Chaires walked outside and saw about 10 individuals, with bottles in hand, who showed up just as the club was closing. Chaires was part of the group that threw the party, according to several sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“At first it was just Chaires and Johnson who walked out there before the club closed, and they were outnumbered by about 10 [individuals],” a source said. “Chaires and Johnson were trying to break it up. They tried to keep it civil. Then, the guys out there started swinging bottles at them.”

According to sources, a few girls who were outside witnessed Johnson getting hit with a bottle. They ran back inside the club and began to scream. About 200 people responded to the screaming and ran outside, and that’s when the six reported fights broke out. Some of the individuals who were fighting with the group inside The Dungeon got into their cars, sources said.

When police responded to the incident, an officer noticed a vehicle at The Dungeon parking lot chasing a subject at a high speed, and proceeded to arrest Ademola Adesokan, an NIU student, for reckless driving. Attempts to reach Adesokan were unsuccessful.

According to several students who witnessed the incident, and contrary to police reports, the fighting did not stop after the pepper spray was used. One individual present said police rushed into The Dungeon, where Chaires retreated, took him outside and arrested him.

“It’s an ongoing feud between several individuals that’s been escalating the last three semesters, and it needs to stop,” Bolles said. “Allegedly, it was a large, mostly non-NIU student group of people waiting outside of The Dungeon early Saturday morning when the party was finished.

“They were allegedly all holding bats and bottles and didn’t enter the party, but were waiting in the parking lot. At least 13 [of the individuals waiting outside] were NIU students from what I heard.”

No sources cited said they saw the individuals outside the club with bats, but the stitches on Johnson’s face attest to the bottles being used, sources said.

The fights at The Dungeon parking lot stemmed from an incident that happened outside of Otto’s Niteclub the night before, Bolles said.

The reason for the feuding between the two groups is unknown.

“It’s not normal, but it’s a problem between two different groups of people who don’t see eye to eye,” said Robert Collins, NIU associate athletics director. “Through the judicial department and ours, because some athletes are involved, we are trying to straighten this out. Whether it’s over social or current issues, or whatever, I’ve talked to both sides, and I think both groups kind of want to let it get behind them.”