DeKALB — NIU sports fans are set to experience slight changes in the fan experience with NIU Athletics’ recent switch to a new ticket provider.

NIU Athletics first announced its plans to switch from Ticketmaster to Paciolan in a June 29 news release. The transition to Paciolan became official as of July 1.

The partnership between NIU Athletics and Paciolan provides users with comprehensive ticketing, as well as marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) technology.

“This is an exciting development for NIU Athletics and Huskie fans, donors and everyone who attends an event at the NIU Convocation Center or Huskie Stadium,” said Sean T. Frazier, NIU’s  vice president and director of athletics and recreation. “Paciolan is a recognized leader in the collegiate athletics arena with proven products and technology that makes buying tickets easier for fans, and connects our marketing, ticketing and fundraising processes like never before.”

The partnership also gives Paciolan rights to ticketing and marketing solutions for events held at Huskie Stadium and the Convocation Center that are unrelated to NIU Athletics, according to Paciolan.

Frazier also acknowledged potential concerns about changes, such as the new ticket provider and the new flagship for Huskie Sports Radio Network, at NIU’s fall sports media day on Aug. 9.

“That’s going to be part of the growing pains to some people,” Frazier said. “We have to be able to make those changes so we can then supply and keep up on the different trends. It’s extremely important for us to experiment and beg for forgiveness from those individuals who don’t want the change.”

Fans who purchased 2022 season tickets for football and/or volleyball before the transition can also be assured by the fact that their orders can be found in their new Paciolan accounts upon activation. Those orders will be marked as paid.

The perks of attending NIU: Free home game admission

All NIU students receive free admission to all NIU Athletics home sporting events during the regular season.

Students can begin accessing their tickets by following this link or by downloading the NIU Huskie Athletics app, which can be downloaded for free on Google Play and the App Store.

Those who elect to access their tickets through the app will need to select the Tickets button on the home screen and then press the arrow next to NIU Students.

Both of the methods listed above will direct users to the Student Login screen. Returning users can access their account with their login information. New users will need to select Register Your Student Account near the bottom of the screen. They will then be led to a page instructing them to input their student ID number without the leading Z.

Users will then be required to either confirm the email address associated with the account or change it to a different address.Then, they will create a password between eight and 12 characters and add a mailing address. There will also be an option to add phone numbers on the same page. Once complete, users can simply log in and select the sport they wish to obtain tickets for.

Students who are unable to or do not wish to purchase tickets online can also enter these events by presenting a valid OneCard to security personnel, though admission is not guaranteed depending on capacity.

After claiming tickets

There is also an option to have tickets sent to users through text or added directly to their Apple/Google Wallet.

For those looking to bring guests to NIU sporting events, NIU Athletics offers guest discounts to those attending with NIU students. The pricing and quantity of these tickets will vary depending on the sport.

Fans who are not interested in using the latest technology to buy their tickets can continue to connect with ticket sales representatives by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) during normal business hours.

Fans can reserve tickets now ahead of NIU’s first ticketed home event of the season. The NIU volleyball team will begin hosting this year’s Huskie Invitational Friday, playing three matches in two days. The Huskies begin tournament play at noon Friday with a match against the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The game will be broadcast on NIU’s All-Access platform.