Football | August 27
DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University football team opens its 2025 season against the Holy Cross Crusaders at Huskie Stadium on Saturday, August 30 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+. The radio call can be found on 94-9 WDKB with coverage beginning at 2 p.m.
Season and single game tickets are on sale now for the 2025 NIU Football season. 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). Tickets are also on sale for NIU's road games at Maryland and Mississippi State though the NIU Athletics Ticket Office.
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.
Head Coach
Thomas Hammock's seventh season with Northern Illinois will field plenty of new faces on the depth chart, returning only five starters from 2024. Redshirt-Sophomore quarterback
Josh Holst (Marengo, Ill./Marengo Community) started three games in 2024, passing for 593 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 230 rushing yards. Holst comes into the season with momentum after leading the Huskies to a win in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over Fresno State.
Sophomore running back
Telly Johnson Jr. (Augusta, Ga./Hephzibah) is the team's returning leading rusher, recording 495 yards and four touchdowns last season. Johnson topped 100 yards rushing twice last season including a career-high 141 yards and two rushing touchdowns at Western Michigan. Redshirt-Senior
Chavon Wright (Opa Locka, Fla./Charleston) followed new offensive coordinator
Quinn Sanders from the University of Charleston (West Virginia), where he tallied 4,926 career rushing yards and 75 career rushing touchdowns. Wright led Division II with 2,233 rushing yards (2,233) and a single-season record 38 rushing touchdowns.
Redshirt-Junior offensive lineman
Evan Malcore (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) has established himself as a leader for the line after starting all 13 games last season. Malcore was selected to Preseason All-Mid-American Conference team by both Athlon (second team) and Phil Steele (first team).
The defensive end pairing of redshirt senior
Jalonnie Williams (Milwaukee, Wis./Greenfield) and senior
Roy Williams (Crestwood, Ill./Shepard) will set the tone for the Huskies defense in 2025.
Roy Williams is the team's returning leader in tackles with 38 and sacks with 6.5. Jalonnie Wlliams started all 12 games he played last season and set career-highs with 28 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss (4.5).
NIU aims to continue its high-level play on the defensive side of the ball after finishing top five in the FBS in total defense (4th, 284.6 yards per game), passing yards allowed (5th, 172.5) and third down conversions percentage (2nd, .267).
Malcore wasn't the only Huskie to be named to a preseason all-conference team. Cornerback
Jacob Finley (Birmingham, Ala./Hoover), redshirt-senior kicker
Andrew Glass (Wheeling, W. Va./Kent State), Johnson, J. Williams, R. Williams and redshirt-senior linebacker
Quinn Urwiler (Mooseheart, Ill./North Dakota) all earned recognition from both Athlon and Phil Steele.
Holy Cross comes to Huskies Stadium following a season in which they won a share of the Patriot League, their sixth-straight league championship. Led by second-year head coach Dan Curran, the Crusaders return four all-conference players in junior running back Jayden Clerveaux, senior wide receiver Max Mosey, senior guard Cam Nolan and junior defensive back Cam Jones.
Saturday marks the Huskies' first-ever game against a Patriot League member and is Holy Cross' lone FBS opponent in 2025.
NIU travels the following week with a trip to College Park, Md. to face off against the Maryland Terrapins on Friday, Sept. 5.
--NIU--
