When the Huskies are winning, tons of smashed cans and bottles are left behind by game-going fans, said Merle Mister, who has worked for the NIU Grounds Department for 27 years. Mister, as well as everyone else in his department, is responsible for cleaning...

Kayte Kettler is ready to yell like hell. Kettler, an NIU cheerleader and sociology-criminology major, will join her squad in preparing for this year’s Homecoming festivities, including the annual “Yell Like Hell” event. Every year, the NIU cheerleaders...

The state of Illinois has a dispute over which school, NIU or the University of Illinois, started the tradition of homecoming. Homecoming now is celebrated by almost all high schools and universities in the nation. The NCAA officially gives the title...

Joe Novak is a patient man. Being turned down twice to coach one’s alma mater and enduring a 23-game losing streak will do that to a person. The NIU football coach also spent 16 consecutive years as a defensive coordinator before getting the NIU job...

With all of the activities planned and the Homecoming football game against Central Michigan this Saturday, local business owners are anticipating an increase in business this weekend. Jeff Dobie, owner of Fatty’s Pub and Grille, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway,...

NIU did not always have the Huskie as its mascot. In the early days of the university, NIU really didn’t have a mascot at all. According to the 2004 Football Media Guide, NIU teams were known by several nicknames - the first being the “Profs,” as...

Five former NIU athletes will be inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame as part of NIU’s 98th Homecoming weekend, beginning Friday in the Duke Ellington Ballroom. T.C. Dantzler, E.C. Hill, Julie Sexton, Ernie Wickstrom and John Wrenn make...

Like any other school, NIU has had its fair share of fantastic games that went down in gridiron history. So here it is, the top five moments in the past 10 years of Huskie football history. With no disrespect to Huskies legends like former Heisman candidate...

They’re both sophomore running backs that stand atop the MAC in rushing. However, on the football field, their size and stature could be considered comparable to Gary Coleman’s on the television screen. Central Michigan’s Jerry Seymour, who stands...

It’s safe to say that anything less than a bowl game will be a disappointment for the NIU football team this season. The Huskies have been on a roll lately, and with Homecoming and Toledo on the horizon, the team should have plenty of motivation to...

Chris Nendick’s game-winning field goal as time expired not only won the game Saturday for NIU; it also helped the freshman add another award to his quickly growing list of achievements. On Monday, Nendick was named the MAC special teams Player of the...

The MAC could have a third bowl tie-in starting in 2005. The tentatively-titled International Bowl would take place in the Toronto SkyDome and feature teams from the MAC and the Big East conferences, according to published reports. The game would be played...