Northern Illinois University Athletics will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day on Wednesday, February 7 with a Women’s Excellence Panel Discussion featuring former NIU Director of Athletics Cary Groth, ESPN Sportscenter Anchor Nicole Briscoe and Dr. Tonya Davis, as well as a pregame Youth Sports Clinic for girls. The public is invited to register for the free events, which will both begin at 5 p.m. prior to the Huskies’ women’s basketball game versus Ball State at 6 p.m. in the NIU Convocation Center.
Click Here to Register for the Women’s Excellence Panel Discussion (General Public)
Click Here to Register for the Girls Sports Clinic
The free sports clinic for girls ages 6-12 will take place from 5-5:45 p.m. inside Victor E. Court in the NIU Convocation Center, while the Women’s Excellence Panel Discussion will be held at the same time in the South Lobby of the Convo. Registered participants for the Girls Youth Clinic will receive two tickets to the Huskie women’s basketball game (one for the participant, one for a parent or guardian) and attendees who register in advance for the panel discussion will also be admitted to the game free.
The Women’s Excellence Panel will be moderated by Courtney Vinson, NIU senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator, and brings together three dynamic women with NIU affiliations who will discuss female empowerment and their paths to success in and out of athletics. The panel is open to fans and alumni as well as current NIU and high school students. High school and youth coaches (grades 7-12) can register to bring their teams to the panel discussion and women’s basketball game HERE.
“National Girls & Women in Sports Day holds immense significance for NIU, reflecting our proud history of women in sports and emphasizing the empowerment and accessibility of sports for young girls,” Vinson said. “This event allows us to showcase the strength of our NIU female student-athletes, inspiring local young girls by demonstrating the potential they hold. The esteemed panel featuring Cary Groth, Nicole Briscoe and Dr. Tonya Davis exemplifies the incredible achievements that define what it means to be a Huskie. Our ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for women at NIU and in the broader community remains unwavering.”
Groth, a member of the NIU Athletics and Mid-American Conference Halls of Fame who capped a 23-year career at NIU as the Huskies’ director of athletics from 1994-2004, then went on to success in the same role at the University of Nevada, now serves as director of the sports management program in Nevada’s College of Business. Last fall, she was one of 50 women named a “2023 Game Changer” by Sports Business Journal for her work in that role. Groth’s association with NIU goes back to her days as a Huskie student-athlete (tennis and basketball, 1974-78). She served as women’s tennis head coach from 1982-84 before moving into athletics administration.
Briscoe, a Roscoe, Illinois native who attended NIU, recently signed a new, multi-year contract with ESPN to continue her work as a SportsCenter anchor, host of Baseball Tonight and as a host and reporter on ESPN’s Formula 1 coverage. She joined the network in 2008 before adding SportsCenter duties in 2015 and can now be seen regularly on the 10 p.m. (CT) edition. Prior to joining ESPN, Briscoe was co-host of a motorsports news program on the SPEED Channel and was previously a sports reporter at WISH-TV, the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis. She started her career as a reporter at WREX-TV in Rockford.
Davis, a mental health clinician, DEI consultant and counselor educator, is a triple Huskie who earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate from NIU. In addition to her time as a professional counselor and clinician, she has more than 15 years of university teaching experience. Davis’ wide-ranging expertise covers a full spectrum of counseling and DEI issues; she has also presented at conferences and workshops and authored articles.
Registered participants at the sports clinic – ages 6-12 only – will interact and play with student-athletes from the Huskie women’s sports programs at different stations in Victor E. Court. Each attendee will receive a T-shirt (while supplies last) in addition to the two free tickets to the NIU-Ball State women’s basketball game which tips off at 6 p.m. following the clinic.
In order to satisfy NCAA compliance and eligibility requirements, junior and high school aged individuals in grades seven through 12 who wish to attend the panel discussion and basketball game should contact Mike Kunigonis in the NIU Athletics Development Office via email at mkunigonis@niu.edu.
