NIU heading to Orlando to play in Cure Bowl

The MAC champion Huskies will face a 10-2 Coastal Carolina squad

Wes Sanderson

Junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi winds up to throw a pass in NIU’s 41-23 victory over Kent State in the MAC Championship Game on Dec. 4 in Detroit. (Wes Sanderson | Northern Star)

By Northern Star Staff
December 5, 2021

DeKALB — After capturing the Mid-American Conference championship, the Huskies will head to Orlando to face Coastal Carolina University in the Cure Bowl on Dec. 17.

NIU won the MAC Championship Game in Detroit on Saturday, beating the Kent State Golden Flashes 41-23. Their record entering the game will be 9-4 overall.

“We are excited about the opportunity to play in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl in Orlando,” NIU head coach Thomas Hammock said in an NIU Athletics press release Sunday. “The exposure, the experience and the ability to put NIU on a national stage is tremendous for our university, tremendous for our team and tremendous for our program.”

The CCU Chanticleers from the Sun Belt Conference are 10-2 this season after winning the conference championship in 2020. Losses to Appalachian State University and Georgia State University, both by three points or fewer, prevented them from playing in the conference title game this past weekend.

The Chanticleers played in the Cure Bowl last season, losing to the Liberty University Flames 37-34.

The bowl is hosted by the Orlando Sports Foundation at Exploria Stadium, the home stadium for the Orlando City Soccer Club of Major League Soccer and the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on Dec. 17.

The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2. Tickets and information on the game are available at curebowl.com.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.