Jan. 8, 2015
DeKALB, Ill. - With the beginning of a new year and a new semester for Northern Illinois University and Huskie Athletics, NIUHuskies.com, with the help of Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier, took a moment to select the Top 10 NIU Athletics "feats" of 2014.
The dictionary defines a feat as "a noteworthy or extraordinary act or achievement, usually displaying boldness, skill" and our 2014 Top 10 accomplishments - both on the field and off - certainly meet the definition. From individual student-athlete to team achievements to major announcements and steps that moved NIU Athletics forward in 2014, we'll unveil the 2014 NIU Athletics Top 10 one at a time beginning today, with No. 1 revealed on Wednesday, January 21st.
We'll start our countdown with No. 10 right here on NIUHuskies.com, and also announce each day's entry on Facebook (like NIU Huskies), Instagram (niuhuskies) and Twitter (@NIUAthletics). We'll feature photos, video, links to social media and media coverage, photo galleries and more to describe our version of the 2014 Top 10, but feel free to send us your ideas, suggestions and even your version of the Top 10.
Should be a fun way to start 2015! Hope you follow along.
NIU ATHLETICS TOP 10 FEATS OF 2014
1. MAC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS, AGAIN!!
They said NIU had lost too much; that the run of success was over; that the Huskies would be overtaken by another contender in the MAC West. After five straight 11-win seasons, five consecutive MAC title games, seven straight bowl appearances and three, count 'em, three MAC Championships in the last four years, what can they say? Watch, remember and enjoy these highlights from No. 1 on our Top 10 of 2014.
2. Academic Success!
As the graphs above illustrate, some of the Huskies' biggest victories in 2014 came in the classroom. NIU's school-record Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 89 percent, led the Mid-American Conference and ranked seven percentage points higher than the national Division I average. While the NIU football team's GSR of 91 percent ranked as the eighth-best mark in the country among ALL FBS schools, even more impressive was its No. 1 ranking among bowl teams from public institutions (second chart above). And it didn't stop with the GSR, the Huskie gymnastics team led the way among NIU programs in the Academic Progress Rate (APR), with all 17 sports programs once again surpassing NCAA standards. In terms of grade point average (or GPA, to add another three-letter acronym), NIU student-athletes rocked it again, posting a cumulative GPA above 3.0 in both the spring and fall 2014 semesters. Academic success on multiple fronts - national, regional and right here on campus - is a strong No. 2 on our Top 10 of 2014 countdown.
3. The NIU Athletics Facilities Master Plan
On October 30, NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier unveiled the Athletics Facilities Master Plan, a document that will play a major role in plotting the future of Huskie Athletics. The plan, which calls for the creation of three new athletics facilities, upgrades to three facilities and major improvements to Huskie Stadium, was developed in consultation with AECOM Sport + Venue after a comprehensive review of NIU's existing facilities. The Athletics Facilities Master Plan is the first introduced at NIU since 1991 and was developed in concert with the University's Master Plan Thesis.
4. Men's Tennis Wins MAC Championship
There’s nothing like a championship, and that’s why the NIU men’s tennis team’s 2014 Mid-American Conference regular season title comes in at No. 4 on this list. Patrick Fisher’s squad clinched the crown, the first MAC regular season title for the Huskies in men’s tennis, with a 5-2 win over Buffalo on Friday, April 18 in DeKalb. The Huskies finished the season undefeated in conference play and earned the No. 1 seed in the league tournament. Fittingly (and coincidentally), NIU opened its 2015 dual match season today at Drake. Here’s to going back-to-back guys!
5. #SchedulePalooza
NIU AD Sean T. Frazier promised fans he was working to upgrade NIU's future non-conference football schedules and in 2014, he delivered. Between July 29 and August 1, 2014, NIU announced a new home-and-home football series every day in what we dubbed #SchedulePalooza. Fans were given clues to that day's opponent on the Huskies' social media channels throughout the day and more times than not, had it figured out by the time the series' - versus San Diego State, Utah, BYU and Maryland - were announced. If those four announcements weren't enough, #SchedulePaloozaEncore returned in September with home-and-home matchups versus USF, Tulsa and Vanderbilt. Add in an opportunity to schedule Boston College beginning in 2015 and it's easy to see why #SchedulePalooza was a big hit with Huskie fans and is No. 5 on our list of top feats of 2014.
6. Claudette Day Becomes the Second Huskie Ever to Qualify for the NCAA Track & Field Championships
Last spring, Claudette Day made NIU history by becoming just the second Huskie ever to advance to the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. - accomplishing the feat as a freshman no less. Competing in the high jump at the NCAA West Regionals, Day cleared 5-feet, 9.75 inches (1.77m) in a jump off to claim a berth to nationals in the most dramatic way possible. A few weeks later, Day, a native of Belleville, Ill., finished tied for 21st at the NCAA Championships in the high jump to cap an impressive debut season that also saw her break the school record in the outdoor high jump.
7. NEW! NEW! NEW! Partnerships, Milestones, Initiatives and More
Away from the fields of play, 2014 was a year of creating new partnerships, surpassing key milestones and introducing new initiatives developed with our tremendous Huskie fans in mind. It was difficult to combine all of these great advancements into one, so allow us to cheat a little below.
a. New Multimedia Partnership with Learfield Sports - Through a new 10-year agreement with Learfield Sports, the pre-eminent multimedia rights-holder in intercollegiate athletics will manage NIU's rights and sponsorship opportunities for the next 10 years, providing Huskie Athletics with a multi-million dollar guarantee. Through this partnership, new radio agreements with 560 AM WIND in Chicago and WLBK in DeKalb were finalized. Read more about Huskie Sports Properties.
b. The Huskie Athletic Fund Enjoys Record-Breaking Year - Thanks to the support of NIU's generous donors, the newly-branded Huskie Athletic Fund surpassed the $1 million mark in cash donations for the first time in school history in 2014. The success of NIU Athletics' efforts to get fans, alumni and members of the community to #Commit2NIU, resulted in the Huskies being able to directly support student-athletes in greater numbers than ever before.
c. Premium Seating Options Introduced for Football and Basketball - At both Huskie Stadium and the NIU Convocation Center, premium seating options were created and the fan experience enhanced in the new Coaches Club, the Terrace Club, the Nelson Club and the Sky Club. Hundreds of fans enjoyed these new amenities in 2014.
d. Creation of The Yard - For the first time, NIU fans had a gathering place just outside of Huskie Stadium to watch the big screen TV, hear great music, purchase food and drink, meet the Team of the Week and Huskie Legends, and more. The Yard provided a great gathering place and it's only going to get better in 2015!
8. NIU Volleyball Wins the MAC West
Thanks to a balanced offense and stingy defense, the NIU volleyball team claimed the 2014 Mid-American Conference West Division title - doing so for the second time in four years and the sixth time since 1997. With a 14-2 record in the conference and a 9-1 mark against their division rivals, the Huskies advanced to the MAC Tournament semifinals for the fifth consecutive season. In addition, NIU's 21 wins on the year marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Huskies eclipsed the 20-win plateau.
9. Dusty Page of NIU Men's Soccer at Forefront of NCAA Change
In December, NIU men's soccer senior Dusty Page was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council, joining Duquesne women's soccer player Devon Tabata as the first two student-athletes that will vote on NCAA legislation. A vice chair of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Page completed his eligibility with the Huskies in the fall, capping his career by earning Capital One Academic All-America Second Team honors. Last spring, Page was one of three student-athletes in the country that had the opportunity to meet directly with NCAA President Dr. Mark Emmert in a sit-down that was profiled in the NCAA's Champions Magazine. Page plans to go on to law school.
10. NIU Men's Basketball Posts 10-Win Improvement
During the 2013-14 season, the NIU men's basketball team posted the largest single-season win improvement in school history, and the 10th-largest nationally for the season, as the Huskies recorded a 10-win improvement, going 15-17, NIU's most victories since the 2005-06 season. NIU earned the No. 7 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, earning a first round home game for the first time since 2003, and advanced to Cleveland for the second time in three seasons. (Pictured: The Huskies celebrated with their fans after beating Eastern Michigan in double overtime on Feb. 20, 2014)
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