Last year, Chad Vandiver redshirted his first year as five other wrestlers competed for the 125-pound starting lineup spot. This season, the NIU freshman has started every dual meet and has compiled an 18-9 record, including a defeat of Central Michigan’s...

It wasn’t very complicated. And it wasn’t flashy either. It was just two simple words: fast and athletic. That is the mold NIU football coach Joe Novak and recruiting coordinator Mike Sabock were looking for in this year’s recruits. All in all,...

The NFC title game momentum could have been tied up in one play. The Eagles were in there fourth conference championship in four years. After losing the previous three games, the Eagles found themselves against a wall. This one play represented all of...

MAC this and MAC that. It seems like every time you open up Sports Illustrated or tune into SportsCenter somebody is talking about the MAC. Five MAC football teams received bowl bids. Former Miami-Ohio quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was the ‘it’ guy...

A special edition of the "Coaches Corner" radio show with football coach Joe Novak will be held (correction) Thursday at the Blackhawk Food Court at NIU’s Holmes Student Center. The show will air at 12:15 p.m. on WLBK 1360 AM and focus mainly on the...

And the award goes to... After the annual NIU football banquet Sunday, the question was answered. Sophomore running back Garrett Wolfe got to walk up and shake coach Joe Novak’s hand after being named the offensive player of the year. "What a great...

Beginning in the 2005-06 school year NIU and all NCAA teams could lose scholarships and even Division I status if they don’t graduate enough student athletes. Calculated yearly, each school must comply with the NCAA to show the school graduates at least...

It goes without saying. College football rankings often seem a bit skewed. Sometimes, even dead wrong. Take for instance, a Bowling Green team that, like NIU, went 9-3 this season. BG finished the season ranked No. 27 - ahead of the No. 29 Huskies. But...

DeAndre Smith realizes NIU football coach Joe Novak gave him a great chance when he hired him in 2001. But because of a greater opportunity, Smith accepted a similar position at Miami-Ohio on Jan. 21. In his four-year career as running backs coach for...

NIU football players have enjoyed time off since their victory over Troy, but team meetings will begin this week and training starts next Monday. "Right now, we just train on our own," receiver Sam Hurd said. "Some of us get together and go to the Rec....

After blowing a 16-9 lead, the NIU wrestling team found itself trailing Kent State 16-18 going into the final weight class Jan. 14. All the pressure was on freshman Derek Hunsinger. “It was nerve-wracking,” Hunsinger said. “Danny got beat and Tyler...

This past year was one of change for NIU graduate and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver P.J. Fleck. The Kaneland native spent much of the year on the 49ers practice squad before being activated for the team’s season finale at New England. In the game,...