July 8, 2009

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois athletics department is inviting all area Huskie fans and golfers to join NIU head coach Jerry Kill, members of his coaching staff, and former players and coaches at the 14th Annual Brigham-Novak Gridiron Golf Classic on Friday, July 24. The event will be held at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodbridge.

All proceeds from the event directly benefit the NIU football program. Participants will have the opportunity to share stories with NIU football alums, get the latest news on the 2009 team and preview the upcoming season with Kill and his coaching staff.

Registration and a continental breakfast will kick off the festivities beginning at 7:45 a.m, with the shotgun start set for 8:45 a.m. Following the round, lunch will be served, and awards will be distributed, at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Prospective registrants can sign-up as a single for just $160, or gather a foursome for a discounted price of $600. Young alumni can register for the event for $130, and if a fan wants to pay for just lunch following the golf, the price is $40.

Over the last 60 years, former NIU coach and administrator Bob Brigham and his family have blazed a trail for Northern Illinois Athletics. The family's most recent donation was a $500,000 major gift, the Brigham Family Victory Plaza. Located between the new Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon Center and the north end zone of Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium, the Brigham Family Victory Plaza fittingly provides the pathway to success for hundreds of Huskie student-athletes every day.

Former NIU head football coach Joe Novak turned the Huskies into a consistent winner, won more games than any NIU coach in modern history and led the program to unprecedented success in his 12 seasons as mentor. He stepped down following the 2007 season.

From the middle of the 1999 campaign through the end of the 2006 season, Novak's Huskies won 58 of 90 (64.4 percent) of their games, won or shared the MAC West Division title four times, made two bowl appearances [2004 Silicon Valley Classic and 2006 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl] and played in the league's championship game in 2005.

For information on the Brigham-Novak Gridiron Classic, or to register over the phone, call the Huskie Athletic Scholarship Fund at 815-753-1923 for details.