The yard is lifeless now. But once, the voices of Ron Johnson and his three sons echoed in that same lawn outside their Des Plaines home. Johnson, a 1969 NIU graduate and former Huskie basketball player, would play sports with his boys every afternoon....

Justin McCareins has been trying to focus on school, but it's been hard. The former NIU receiver, along with other players from the graduating class, is turning his eyes to this weekend's NFL draft in hopes of fulfilling a lifelong quest. "You think about...

The Mid-American Conference finally is getting the respect it is looking for. MAC commissioner Rick Chryst will announce an agreement today at noon to send a member of the conference to the GMAC Bowl, formerly the Mobile Alabama Bowl. According to the...

I know many students like yourself hate the idea of having to fund NIU's new $36 million project through student fees, but our athletic programs will never get any respect if we don't have the presentation to back it up. With all the gripes students have...

When NIU fullback Alan Rood starts vocalizing his frustration, head coach Joe Novak smiles. He doesn't mind when players like Chris Finlen, Trent Clemen and Eric Didesch do it, either. Novak believes overcoming a tendency to keep quiet is just one of...

When is the Mid-American Conference going to get some respect? Is it going to be when the MAC has a team ranked in the Top 25? Will it happen when a MAC basketball program beats a big-name team? Oh, wait, those things already happened. The Toledo football...

NIU football coach Joe Novak doesn't really mind that his team has to wrap up spring practice at the DeKalb Recreation Center. True, finishing the last two of 15 allotted practices away from Huskie Stadium means there won't be the traditional scrimmage...

As sports go on year-round, fans can't afford to continuously buy tickets to see their favorite players or teams. However, there is another alternative: fantasy leagues. Fantasy leagues allow people to make their own teams and take a crack at being a...

During last season's spring practice, Thomas Hammock made a huge impact. With running backs Ivory Bryant and William Andrews' academic status in limbo, Hammock was practicing with the first-team offense and looked good. As the starting running back last...

Success follows Dan Urban. Named Mid-American Conference Player of the Week for his 8-of-18 baseball hitting performance over spring break, Urban is starting to leave his mark on his second sport at NIU. After playing back-up quarterback to Chris Finlen...

The Green Bay Packers' Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing." But the Hall of Fame football coach failed to mention that even in a losing effort, a team can shine. Such was the case for the NIU women's gymnastics team,...

Rushing for 1,000 yards in the Mid-American Conference is tough. Entertaining grade school children for two hours may be even tougher. Michael Turner and other members of the NIU football team were thrown that challenge, among others, when they participated...