Happy Summer Huskie Fans!

NIU Athletics competitions for 2023-24 have officially wrapped up, and it will be a fast and furious 11 weeks before we start it all over again when the NIU women’s soccer team plays the first competition of 2024-25 on August 15.

While the competitive seasons have ended, the work certainly has not – from facilities to recruiting, planning, camps and next week, an opportunity to see our Huskie fans and friends at the annual Summer Circuit events.  The head coaches and I, along with members of our athletics staff, will be in Rockford, Oakbrook Terrace and St. Charles next week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, and we’d love to see you there.

The spring semester ended on a high note academically with another record-setting performance by NIU student-athletes who posted a combined cumulative grade point average of 3.408. Women’s basketball (3.873) and men’s golf (3.518) led the way, and I’m proud to say all 16 teams achieved a cumulative GPA of 2.93 or higher. We also saw one of the largest numbers of graduates in recent history with 112 student-athletes earning degrees this spring/summer.  Congratulations to our grads and to all of our student-athletes, along with the coaches and staff in SAASS (Student-Athlete Academic Support Services), for continuing to make education and graduation a priority.

On the field, the Huskie baseball team and first-year head coach Ryan Copeland finished strong with a sweep at home to finish seventh in the MAC, just one spot out of qualifying for the league tournament with a 14-16 league record. NIU’s 21 wins were 11 more than a season ago! The NIU golf teams continue to rank among the best in the MAC with both the men and women placing third this year.  Kim Kester has guided the women’s team to a top three finish in each of the last six MAC Championships, while John Carlson had his team in the top three for the fourth consecutive season.

Congratulations are also in order for all of the staff that played a role in successfully hosting the 2024 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the NIU Track & Field/Soccer Complex earlier this month. The three-day event involved 12 women’s and six men’s teams, 100s of student-athletes from across the MAC and hours of planning and preparation. Following the MAC Championships, freshman high jumper Arianna Calloway closed out the season for NIU Track & Field – and the Huskies’ sports year – at the NCAA First Round meet with her best outdoor mark.

While the action on the field is quiet right now, there is no shortage of news surrounding college athletics and its future and as a member of the executive board of NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics), tracking the latest developments and specifically, how they affect NIU, is part of my daily routine. Recently, you may have heard of a settlement in the House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit agreed to by the NCAA and the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and PAC 12 conferences. Through this settlement, the NCAA and its member conferences will pay current and former student-athletes from as far back as 2016, for the next 10 years as a repayment for lost potential NIL revenue.

As we continue to evaluate and review all the information on the House v. NCAA case settlement, we will make sure to communicate the specific impact that this will have on our department. This situation along with other changes to the landscape of college athletics continues to be a significant challenge that we will address directly. Please know that we deeply appreciate your continued support of NIU and NIU Athletics. Dealing with significant financial adversity is nothing new to us, as we have dealt with financial challenges in the past and will rise to the occasion and do what is necessary to protect the quality of experience for all our students, staff, alumni, and supporters.

Recently, I had a chance to sit down with long time sports director Scott Leber of WTVO in Rockford to discuss many of the issues surrounding college athletics, including the House case, NIL, the transfer portal, the College Football Playoff and more. This three-part conversation with Scott is available to view on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel.

Excitement continues to build for the 2024 NIU Football season featuring six home games, including five on Saturdays, as well as the road games at Notre Dame and N.C. State.  The process for Huskie Athletic Fund members and football season ticket members to purchase tickets for the Notre Dame game can be found with detailed information on specific priority dates also sent via email to HAF donors who qualify. For questions, feel free to contact the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923 or via email at huskieathleticfund@niu.edu.

At Huskie Stadium, installation of the new “wall to wall” turf on Brigham Field is complete, just in time for the veterans to report back to DeKalb for summer workouts. The Huskies are deep, experienced and hungry with 33 seniors and 18 returning starters on offense and defense. Don’t wait to get your 2024 season tickets to see this group in action this fall.

The team isn’t the only group preparing for fall as the staff continues to grind on multiple projects and initiatives. Stay tuned for information on events and promotions surrounding the 125th anniversary of NIU Athletics, volleyball tickets, community engagement and more as the summer rolls on. Look for a basketball update edition of NIU Weekly on our YouTube Channel. We also hope to share some exciting news on the fundraising/facilities front soon!

Thank you for your support of the Huskies. I hope you and your family have a wonderful summer.

GO HUSKIES!

Sean T. Frazier

Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation