Football | July 30

DeKALB, IL – By 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, the Chessick Practice Center was with abuzz with whistles blowing, footballs in the air and the Northern Illinois University Huskies going through drills signifying the start of preseason training camp.
 
The Huskies began preparing for the 124^th season of NIU football indoors due to a forecast for inclement weather. The team was split into two groups, with one group starting at 7 a.m. and another at 9 a.m. with an overlapping special teams period. Head Coach Thomas Hammock was happy with what he saw on the first day of practice.
 
"We've got a lot of guys with a lot of skill and a lot of talent, and we've got to give them as many reps as possible to give them a chance to compete," Hammock said. "The wide receiver group and running back group stepped up in the second session today, as did our young tight ends."
 
"Coach Sanders and the offensive staff has done a good job of getting on the same page and gelling quickly," said Hammock. "The one thing about our offense is it's very versatile. We're going to use the pieces we have available and not be pigeonholed to one particular style. That allows us to be more dynamic week to week, day to day, practice to practice. What I saw today was a lot of guys we can use to exploit what the defense gives us."
 
Wide Receiver Gary Givens (Tampa, Fla./Valparaiso), who transferred to NIU from Valparaiso during spring semester, was ready to get out on the practice field and get to work again.
 
"Football season is back and I've been waiting for this since January," said Givens. "We've been working for months, getting up at 5 a.m. every day, to get to this point. Now it's time to go and put everything we worked on over the summer and talked about for the last four, five months on the field and make it come true."
 
For a veteran on defense like cornerback Jacob Finley (Birmingham, Ala./Hoover), Wednesday marked another opportunity to provided a start to helping guide his side of the ball and pay it forward to the newcomers.
 
"When I came in as a freshman and saw the older guys lead and make plays, it helped me build into the role of being a leader," Finley said. "I have to step us this year because I'm older and have been here and help them follow in my footsteps like the guys before me."
 
The Huskies will be in split-squad practices tomorrow morning and Friday morning as they start their first week of camp.
 
NIU opens the 2025 season exactly one month from today, Saturday, August 30 against Holy Cross at Huskie Stadium. Season ticket prices for NIU's six 2025 home games begin at as little as $110 each for a general admission ticket. With the purchase of the Huskie 4-Pack (four or more tickets), pay $110 each for a reserved seat in sections A, B or F on the West Side. Reserved west side seats are priced at $152 or $170 with discounts available for NIU alumni, NIU faculty/staff, DeKalb County residents, seniors (62+) and members of the Varsity Club (former student-athletes). 
  
Renew or purchase tickets for the 2025 NIU Football season anytime online at NIUHuskies.com/tickets. For more information, call the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225) weekdays between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or email huskiestickets@niu.edu. 
 
--NIU--