The Northern Illinois University Huskies officially began preparations for the 123rd season of Huskie football on Wednesday morning with a split squad workout in shorts and helmets to open 2024 preseason camp.

NIU returns 18 starters on offense and defense off the 2023 Huskie team that ended the season on a three-game winning streak, including a Camellia Bowl victory. The Huskies will open the 2024 campaign on Saturday, August 31 versus in-state foe Western Illinois.

With the team split into two parts for the first three days of practice, Head Coach Thomas Hammock were on Brigham Field at 7 a.m. with both groups overlapping for special teams periods. With threatening rain clouds overhead, the special teams and second group practiced inside the Chessick Practice Center.

Hammock, who enters his sixth season at the helm of the Huskie program in 2024, saw an experienced team take advantage of the strides made during offseason workouts.

“I really like how our guys came out [this morning],” Hammock said. “There were a bunch of reps [with the split session] and you could see the guys start to understand football shape is a little bit different than summer [workouts]. They pushed through well.  I thought they did a good job staying off the ground, doing the things necessary from a fundamental and technique standpoint to give themselves a chance to be successful.”

The Huskies opened preseason camp with 119 players on the roster. NIU roster lists 32 seniors, which is tied for sixth-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with that group offset by the 35 true freshmen.

“The coaches did a great job this offseason, teaching, installing and getting everyone prepared for the first practice,” Hammock said. “The energy is different when you only have half the team out there and I think the energy will continue to increase but I’m pleased with where they’re at.  The summer was good; we saw a lot of retention from a football standpoint [today]. They were able to go out and start executing right away.”

NIU season, single game and mini-plan tickets are on sale now. Check out all of the ticket options and buy tickets anytime online at NIUHuskies.com/myhuskies. To request more information and connect with a member of the NIU ticket staff, call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225). Calls received outside of business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm CT) will be returned the next business day.