Fans, alumni, supporters and members of the community are invited to join Northern Illinois University Athletics in celebrating the Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2024 on Friday night, October 18, in the historic Duke Ellington Ballroom at the Holmes Student Center as part of NIU’s annual Homecoming week festivities.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. with a cocktail reception beginning at 5 p.m. Admission to the ceremony is free of charge.

NIU’s seven-person 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Class includes Matt Byrnes (Men’s Track and Field, 1975-76), Debbie Huston (Women’s Soccer, 1994-98), Jordan Lynch (Football, 2009-13), Kate McCullagh (Volleyball, 2003-06), Holly Reichard (Gymnastics, 2008-11), Pete Waite (Volleyball Head Coach, 1988-98) and Jimmie Ward (Football, 2009-13).

A full list of university-wide events planned during the 117th Homecoming is available online at NIU.edu/homecoming. The Homecoming festivities will culminate on Saturday, Oct. 19, when the NIU football team takes on MAC rival Toledo at 2:30 p.m. at Huskie Stadium.

About the Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Matt Byrnes (Men’s Track and Field, 1975-76)
Byrnes won the shot put title at the 1975 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships and was a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier in the shot put. He finished 11th in the shot put at the 1976 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Debbie Huston (Women’s Soccer, 1994-98)
Huston ranks in the top five in NIU women’s soccer program history in goals, assists and points, playing a key role in multiple championship teams for NIU. A three-time all-conference honoree, she helped the Huskies win Mid-American Conference championships in 1997 and 1998.

Jordan Lynch (Football, 2009-13)
In two seasons as NIU’s starting quarterback, Lynch set five NCAA and 25 school records while guiding the Huskies to a 24-4 record that included the 2012 MAC Championship and historic Orange Bowl appearance. Lynch, who was also a Heisman Trophy Finalist, was inducted into the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Kate McCullagh (Volleyball, 2003-06)
McCullagh finished her outstanding NIU career with a school record 1,936 kills, she also ranks fourth in program history with 496 total blocks and became the first player in NIU history to receive AVCA All-America honors when she was recognized as an honorable mention recipient as a senior in 2006.

Holly Reichard (Gymnastics, 2008-11)
Reichard became just the second Huskie to be named Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Year when she earned the honor in 2009. She was the first NIU gymnast to win individual MAC Championships on two different events, sharing the MAC titles on uneven parallel bars as a freshman in 2008 and on balance beam in 2009.

Pete Waite (Volleyball Head Coach, 1988-98)
Waite, who guided the NIU volleyball program for 11 seasons, led the Huskies to a 266-102 mark, which included four NCAA Tournaments (1993, ’96, ’97, ’98), six conference tournament titles and seven total postseason appearances. Waite’s .723 winning percentage is the highest in program history.

Jimmie Ward (Football, 2009-13)
The first defender ever to be named a first-team All-American at NIU, Ward was a two-time first team All Mid-American Conference selection and a semifinalist for the 2013 Jim Thorpe Award. He became the second Huskie player ever to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft when he was chosen with the 30th pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2014.