See if this script sounds familiar: A complete unknown steps up and helps his team win the big game. And just when life can’t get any better, he gets the girl. It’s boring, repetitive and describes many sports movies made in the past 10 years. But...

For the last three seasons, tight end Brad Cieslak was a staple in the NIU starting lineup. On Saturday, junior Jake Nordin will take over the reigns when the Red and Black face off in the NIU Spring Football Game. On Wednesday, the Northern Star caught...

Any NIU football fan knows the hot topic this spring is who is going to replace Josh Haldi as quarterback next year. "It’s a really tough decision," NIU football coach Joe Novak said. "We’ve got four guys out there right now who bring something different...

The playmaker. The X-factor. The third dimension. NIU football’s red-shirt freshman Britt Davis said the attribute that sets him apart from other Huskies quarterbacks is his running ability. "I believe I can get out of the pocket and make things happen,"...

NIU quarterback Dan Nicholson uses one word to describe himself: competitive. And it’s a good thing considering where he has found himself this spring. Nicholson is one of four NIU quarterbacks competing for the starting job in 2005. The 6-foot-2 187-pound...

Phil Horvath’s first appearance in a college football game was a bit overwhelming. The NIU junior quarterback spent the week of practice before NIU’s Sept. 4 season-opener at Maryland not knowing whether he’d be playing, starting or just sitting...

After the passage of Title IX 33 years ago, 59 percent of NIU athletes are male and 41 percent are female, official records show. "We take [gender equity] very seriously, and we very much believe in gender equity," Athletics Director Jim Phillips said....

The 2005 NIU football schedule is set, but the future still holds many questions for the Huskies. The 2006 season may allow teams to add a 12th game, potentially lowering NIU’s bowl opportunities. Also, one of the Huskies’ tentative opponents for...

NIU athletic department officials said they know of no NIU athletes using steroids, but are keeping an eye out for violations of their drug testing policy. NIU football coach Joe Novak said steroids are something the team would consider more seriously...

NIU football coach Joe Novak thinks there is a way to save universities’ money and increase their player rosters at the same time. Novak and The American Football Coaches Association are increasing their petitioning for players to have five years of...

A typical student’s mentality can be defined very simply. After Summer Break, most students are enthralled for the fall semester to begin and can’t wait to catch up on old times with friends until Christmas break comes and everyone wants a little...

Sit down and watch any live baseball game and you can’t help but smile. Perhaps it’s because, unlike baseball’s major-sport rivals, football and basketball, the outcome of the game isn’t always as important. Little League and tee-ball coaches...