“We have 18 new starters and seven new coaches. What are the realistic expectations?” It's an interesting question coach Thomas Hammock posed after a 6-3 loss San Diego State on Saturday. And it's not easy to answer at all.

Both the NIU and San Diego State offenses struggled throughout the game Saturday, but the Aztecs got a late field goal to knock off the Huskies, 6-3.

The NIU football team will square off with a top 20 defense for the third game in a row when San Diego State heads to Huskie Stadium.

The NIU offense has struggled against a pair of the best defensive teams in the country - and a winless FCS school. They face another top defense when San Diego State comes to town Saturday. Getting points on the board is going to be very telling.

Northern Illinois redshirt sophomore quarterback and Marengo graduate Josh Holst felt another opportunity slipped away at Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon, a 38-10 loss to the Bulldogs.

A pivotal third-quarter interception changed the flow of the game as a one-score game at halftime turned into a 38-10 loss for NIU at Mississippi State on Saturday.

The NIU football program seeks its second victory against an SEC school when it takes on Mississippi State. They offense is hoping to 'cut it loose' while going against three former Huskies on the Bulldogs' roster.

“I’m proud of the way the guys played,” NIU coach Thomas Hammock said after a 20-9 loss to Maryland. “I’m proud of the way they competed for four quarters against a Big Ten opponent with a lot more resources, and we showed we have a lot of heart.”

The NIU football team moved to 1-1 on the season with a 20-9 loss at Maryland on Friday.

NIU has its first road game of the year Friday, facing Maryland. Here are three things to know about the game.

Trailing to an FCS school in the fourth quarter at home in the season opener, Dev'ion Reynolds' kickoff return for a touchdown sparked a turnaround in all three phases as NIU held off Holy Cross 19-17.

NIU trailed Holy Cross in the fourth quarter, but Dev'ion Reynolds returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, had its offense wake up at the right time despite an injury to starting quarterback Josh Holst and beat the Crusaders 19-17.

NIU’s final season in the Mid-American Conference and quest for a third straight bowl win kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday against Holy Cross at Huskie Stadium.

NIU coach Thomas Hammock went viral with his thoughts on the transfer portal. His straightforward and honest answer showed how he has a handle on the modern state of college football.

NIU coaches previewed their season Wednesday at the university's fall media day. Here are some of the biggest takeways.

Northern Illinois University held their fall sports media day Wednesday where coaches from all fall sports talked about their teams and goals for the upcoming season.

Running back depth. Big plays from the defensive line. And an emerging starter quarterback. Here are five observations from NIU's practice on Saturday.

NIU AD Sean Frazier calls joining the Mountain West for football only the beach house. Joining the Horizon League for most non-football sports is the lake house. Those assets should help the university increase its revenue, a necessity in a post-House settlement world.

Northern Illinois University is navigating a seismic shift in college athletics, as athletic director Sean Frazier seeks to balance historic ideals with new revenue-sharing opportunities, following the House vs. NCAA settlement that permits athletes to be compensated directly.

As NIU prepares to compete in the Mountain West, athletic director Sean Frazier champions the resilience of smaller schools in college athletics, emphasizing unity among Group of 6 schools to navigate an increasingly competitive landscape shaped by evolving NCAA policies.

Developing young players while continuing to adapt to new offensive and defensive schemes were the focus of NIU's first fall practice on Wednesday.

The Northern Illinois football team held their first practice Wednesday in the Chessick Practice Center at NIU in DeKalb as they prepare for the upcoming season.

NIU was picked fifth Thursday in the MAC preseason coaches poll. Last week in Chicago, NIC coach Thomas Hammock talked about why he felt preseason polls are outdated in the current college football landscape.

As college football players navigate the evolving financial landscape, NIU linebacker Quinn Urwiler insists on prioritizing passion over profit, embodying a resilient mentality that fuels this season's quest for greatness.

The 2024 season was the first time Drew Hoth didn't play tackle football since the fifth grade. But he had a new passion to takes it places as he started student teaching. He's set to be a 5th grade teacher at Mitchell when the school opens in the fall.

"We’re going to open it up a little more, but we’re still going to be NIU." Faster, spread offense has sophomore RB Telly Johnson excited with new scheme.

NIU quarterback Josh Holst, Jalen Macon and Brady Davidson each led the Huskies on at least one of their five touchdown drives on Saturday at the school's annual Spring Showcase, plus other takeaways from the scrimmage.

NIU coach Thomas Hammock said the offense being installed by new coordinator Quinn Sanders will be different from what the Huskies have run in the past. Sanders said it will be a more spread out version of the Huskies' pro-style attack.

The Xs and Os won't look significantly different for the NIU football team under new coordinator Rob Harley, an Elmhurst native and York grad. He and the coaches are emphasizing takeaways during spring practice.

Tuesday's NIU spring football practice featured an emphasis on special teams and the ground game, but Josh Holst, Jalen Macon, DeAree Rogers and the passing game still managed some big plays.

Marengo grad Josh Holst enters NIU's spring practices as the presumptive starter for the Huskies in the fall. "Holst ended the year as the starter," coach Thomas Hammock said of the Famous Potato Bowl MVP. "It’s his job to hold on to it."

Former NIU running back LeShon Johnson was charged in connection to illegal dog fighting after federal authorities seized 190 dogs from his Oklahoma property, the U.S. Department of Justice announced this week.

After the first NIU spring football practice, here are five players that made some big statement plays.

The Northern Illinois University football team held its first spring practice Thursday inside the Chessick Practice Center as they prepare for the 2025 season.

Antario Brown, Devonte O'Malley and 15 other former NIU players worked out in front of scouts Monday at NIU's pro day.

A few former Northern Illinois University football players got the chance to try and make an impression on scouts from the NFL Monday during pro day in the Chessick Practice Center at NIU in DeKalb.

The NIU football team’s farewell tour in the Mid-American Conference will include a pair of trophy games against Miami (Ohio) and Ball State as well as a trip to Toledo.

NIU athletic director Sean Frazier is betting that having football and Olympic sports in separate conferences will set the university up well in an ever-changing landscape of college athletics. It seems like it's a good bet.

NIU athletic director Sean Frazier said the university's decision for a new home for most of its athletic programs came down to two conferences, with the Horizon League winning out.

Northern Illinois University is set to join the Horizon League for most of its non-football sports, according to the agenda of a Board of Trustees special session set for Thursday.

An Elmhurst native with experience as both a coordinator and position coach, Rob Harley has joined the Northern Illinois University football coaching staff as defensive coordinator.

Quinn Sanders has been named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Northern Illinois University, head coach Thomas Hammock announced Tuesday.

DeKalb has no mountains and is not in the west. MACtion is great. But neither are reasons to jeopardize the future. College football is about to change very quickly, and NIU administrators have taken a big swing to give the school's atlhetics the best chance to survive.

Thomas Hammock said it was better than beating Notre Dame. School and league officials talked in similar terms. The marriage between NIU football and the Mountain West conference was announced Tuesday. Here's what Hammock and others had to say.

The Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved a $2 million entry fee for the football team to join the Mountain West Conference, making the long-rumored move out of the MAC complete.

Northern Illinois University President Lisa Freeman, Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean Frazier and Head Football Coach Thomas Hammock spoke during a press conference Tuesday announcing NIU football will be entering the Mountain West Conference starting with the 2026 season.

NIU has accepted a formal offer to join the Mountain West as a football-only member, according to a Board of Trustees agenda item for a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

It's hard to argue a bowl win and a victory at Notre Dame don't comprise a successful season. But there's definitely a load of What If's hanging over the season.

It wasn't only high school champions. From NIU’s historic win at Notre Dame to local golf pro David Paeglow competing at the US Senior Open, there were plenty of national stories out of DeKalb County. Here's the 10 biggest of 2024.

With Northern Illinois dodging bullets all game long Saturday against Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the Huskies found some magic in their 28-20 double-overtime win—and used a little luck of the Irish, too.