Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Huskies Ascend 2025

Huskies Ascend: From the Moment to the Movement to the Mountaintop

February 21

DeKALB, Ill. – On January 7, 2025, Northern Illinois University took the first formal step to position its athletic programs and student-athletes for future success and sustainability in a new era of college athletics with the announcement that NIU Football will compete in the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026.
 
Now, NIU is calling on its fans, alumni, former student-athletes and community to be a part of continuing NIU's legacy and building on its tradition through "Huskies Ascend: From the Moment to the Movement to the Mountaintop." This multi-pronged revenue generation approach aims to elevate NIU Football, and by extension, all Huskie programs, amidst the ongoing changes to the college football landscape.
 
"With revenue sharing and roster limits (as a result of the House Case settlement), the importance of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities in building a roster, and the expansion of the College Football Playoff, only by maximizing every aspect of our revenue generation efforts can we maintain and elevate the level of excellence we have seen from NIU Football this century," said NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier. "Huskies Ascend encompasses all of these fundraising initiatives – from naming rights and capital projects like the 1899 Club to major gifts, sponsorships and more. We've made a great start since the Mountain West announcement, but there is a lot of work to do."
 
Elements of Huskies Ascend include, but are not limited to:
  • The launch of the Huskie Athletic Fund's new membership structure and football season ticket sales earlier this week which prioritizes gifts to the HAF general fund and enhances the donor benefits package.
  • Building the "Huskie Circle" membership levels, targeting major gifts of at least $25,000 whose donors receive exclusive benefits and access.
  • Intensifying efforts toward entering into naming rights agreements for NIU facilities, including the Convocation Center and Huskie Stadium.
  • Continuing to solicit gifts to fund capital projects, beginning with the 1899 Club and the renovation of the NIU Football locker room.
  • Supporting the efforts of the Boneyard Victor E. Collective, which works with NIU student-athletes to provide NIL opportunities.
Huskies Ascend is intended to ensure that NIU student-athletes have the resources, facilities and opportunities to compete for championships while achieving their academic goals. All Huskie fans, friends and supporters are invited to be a part of NIU Football's "movement to the mountaintop."
 
"There is so much energy and excitement around our 2026 move to the Mountain West," said NIU football head coach and Huskie Hall of Famer Thomas Hammock. "Our team can't wait to take on a new challenge in a new league and continue to build on what we've done here ever since my playing days. It's going to take all of us – including our alumni, donors and former players – to make sure we have everything we need to compete for a championship."
 
Find more information on how to get involved in the 2025 Huskie Athletic Fund Membership Guide, now available online at HuskieAthleticFund.com, email the HAF at huskieathleticfund@niu.edu or call the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923 to arrange a meeting or talk to a staff member in person.  
 
-- NIU --
 
Twitter: @NIUAthletics
Facebook: NIU Huskies
Instagram: niuhuskies
YouTube: NIU Athletics Official
 
Print Friendly Version