General | August 20

Hello Huskie Nation!

The beginning of the school year is truly the most exciting time of year on a college campus. The renewed energy of students arriving back on campus and the thrills of starting off another season of Huskie Athletics!

This year begins with tremendous momentum from the accomplishments of the 2025-26 school year. Coach Copeland and our baseball team provided an outstanding sendoff to our time in the Mid-American Conference by winning the tournament championship before winning our first NCAA Tournament game, knocking off Coastal Carolina (a CWS finalist the previous season) in the regional at Florida State. Men's soccer also won a regular season Missouri Valley Conference championship and we had five individuals, Markel Baker (wrestling), Arianna Calloway (track and field), Devon Dawson (wrestling), Jocelyn Harbeck (gymnastics) and Dawsyn Sallee (gymnastics), also win conference championships. 

In the current climate of college athletics, revenue generation is as important as ever and our Huskie Athletic Fund and extended revenue generation team, led by Chris Barker and TJ Feuerbach, continue to do a tremendous job. Our total number of donors during FY26 hit an all-time record, topping 1,800 for the first time. We also set a new record in sport specific giving and reached a 10-year high for total donation dollars. 

It is also important to highlight the excellent job that our student-athletes continue to do in the classroom. For the seventh consecutive year, NIU student-athletes had a cumulative GPA above 3.3, with all 16 programs posting a cumulative GPA above 3.0. Huskie student-athletes also completed more than 3,300 hours of community service and we were a top-three finalist for the NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl. 

For more information on the accomplishments of Huskie Athletics during the 2025-26 school year, I have included documents highlighting our year in review, campus and community partnerships and collaborations as well as more in-depth academic and revenue generation overview.

As we look ahead, the 2026-27 school year brings a unique excitement for us at NIU as we begin a new era in the Mountain West, Horizon League and Pac-12. The NIU brand will be seen over five U.S. time zones! Since the initial announcement of our move to the Mountain West in January 2025, we have been building toward this moment and now it has arrived. 

Soccer season has already begun for our women's team while our men's team kicks off its regular season today at Butler. Huskie volleyball plays one more exhibition here in the Convocation Center on Saturday before opening its regular season next weekend. 

Huskie golf season gets off to an early start as the men's team will be in competition on August 29 and our cross country program will compete on campus on the North 40 Course on Friday, September 4.

There has been a palpable sense of excitement around football camp this month. It has been great to see the Huskies practicing on the grass just outside of Huskie Stadium and we are grateful to everyone who has made that possible. We look forward to seeing a large number of Huskies make the short trip to Iowa City for the opener on September 5.

A week later, we welcome Illinois State to DeKalb for the first of five Saturday home games in Huskie Stadium! Many exciting events will surround the home opener, including a recognition of Jordan Lynch for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame and the dedication of George Bork Way, to name just two. 

If you haven't already purchased your Huskie football and volleyball season tickets, don't wait another day, get them now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).

Along with season tickets, MW+ will be the other must-have item for Huskie fans this season. This new streaming platform provides great content, including five live Huskie football games this fall and gymnastics during the winter, and is an excellent way to follow the latest from across the conference. Most importantly, subscriptions to MW+ by Huskie fans will directly support NIU Athletics as a majority of each subscription purchased through a school's dedicated page will support that institution, so be sure to subscribe directly on the NIU page linked here.

There is so much to be excited about surrounding our fall sports, but basketball season is also right around the corner, schedules and season tickets will be available soon as we look forward to a great second season under Coach Brooks on the women's side and a new era under the leadership of Coach Majkrzak on the men's side.  

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the passing of Joe Novak. Coach Novak represented all that is good in college football, and all that is good in college athletics. He embodied everything that it means to be a Huskie and his impact on NIU is still felt to this day. 


GO HUSKIES!

Sean T. Frazier
Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation