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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media since 1899

 

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

A cartoon depicts a football player holding a football and running toward mountains. The Northern Star Editorial Board believes NIU's move to the Mountain West Conference has more pros than cons. (Georgie Fortuna | Northern Star)

Pros outweigh cons in football’s move to the Mountain West

By Northern Star Editorial Board | February 20, 2025

NIU’s Board of Trustees approved a $2 million entrance fee for NIU football to move from the Mid-American Conference to the Mountain West Conference on Jan. 7 after spending over two decades in the MAC.  While the move leaves the remainder of NIU’s...

NIU President Lisa Freeman (left), Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean Frazier and head football coach Thomas Hammock speak to the media during a Jan. 7 press conference announcing NIU football will join the Mountain West Conference in 2026. The move marks the second time in school history that NIU will leave the Mid-American Conference. (Edison Miller | Northern Star)

KISELLUS: NIU’s Mountain West move isn’t 1980s déjà vu

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | February 13, 2025

Once upon a time, NIU made the daring decision to leave the confines of the Mid-American Conference and venture out into the great unknown of independence. What followed was an embarrassing saga that eventually brought the Huskies back to where they started. Four...

NIU President Lisa Freeman (left), NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics Sean Frazier and NIU head football coach Thomas Hammock pose for a photo after a press conference held in the McCareins Auditorium inside the Yordon Center in DeKalb. NIU’s membership agreement with the Mountain West Conference, which the school will join as a football-only affiliate in 2026, was obtained by the Northern Star on Thursday. (Edison Miller | Northern Star)

Looking inside NIU’s membership agreement with Mountain West

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | January 17, 2025

DeKALB — The Northern Star has obtained a copy of NIU’s membership agreement with the Mountain West Conference through a Freedom of Information Act request to NIU.  However, the agreement has been heavily redacted. NIU cited Section 7(1)(g) of...

NIU football players run onto the field before the Huskies’ 117th Homecoming game against the University of Toledo on Oct. 19 at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb. NIU will play its final season in the Mid-American Conference in 2025 before joining the Mountain West Conference as a football-only affiliate. (Totus Tuus Keely | Northern Star)

BREAKING: NIU to join Mountain West as football affiliate in 2026

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | January 7, 2025

Editor’s note: This is an ongoing breaking news story. This story will be updated when more information becomes available. DeKALB – NIU will officially join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member starting in 2026, leaving the Mid-American...

NIU redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Holst (15) takes a snap during the Huskies’ 28-20 victory over Mountain West Conference foe Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Dec. 23 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. NIU is poised to join the Mountain West as a football-only member in 2026, pending approval from the NIU Board of Trustees at Tuesday’s special meeting. (Kenna Harbison | Boise State University Athletics)

NIU set to join Mountain West as football-only member

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter | January 3, 2025

DeKALB – After nearly four decades in the Mid-American Conference and months of speculation regarding its future, NIU appears poised to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member. According to the agenda for Tuesday’s special meeting...

Coach Rod Carey at the Sept. 6 game against Northwestern University.

NIU football’s Rod Carey set to get $70,000 in bonuses for MAC Championship win, bowl appearance and more

By Frank Gogola | December 10, 2014

Football head coach Rod Carey is in line to receive bonuses in the sum of $70,000 for the Huskies’ performance on and off the field.Carey is scheduled to make a base salary of $400,000 for the period beginning Jan. 1, 2014, and will get bonuses worth...

Costly Facility Master Plan will reward university in long term

By Northern Star Editorial Board | November 4, 2014

Athletic Director Sean Frazier’s Facility Master Plan may one day be seen as one of the catalysts in helping NIU make the jump to a bigger conference.Frazier’s Facility Master Plan, unveiled Thursday with a price tag of an estimated $138 million,...

RANT: TCU bucks Broncos

By Chris Dertz | November 29, 2010

Boise State has just pooped its proverbial brick. The Broncos are headed to a conference where no good teams will remain, when Boise State moves to the Mountain West Conference. Only problem is that TCU, Utah and BYU, or the best teams in the conference,...

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