Seven home games on NIU football schedule
DeKALB — Seven home games, including non-conference tilts versus Iowa and Kansas and six Saturday contests, highlight the Northern Illinois University football 2012 schedule.
Northern Illinois, the defending Mid-American Conference Champions, will play six games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb and one at Chicago’s Soldier Field for the second consecutive season.
Northern Illinois will play four consecutive non-conference games to open the season beginning with the Sept. 1 opener versus Iowa at Soldier Field.
NIU opens its Huskie Stadium home slate a week later versus Tennessee-Martin on Sept. 8 before playing its first road game Sept. 15 at Army in the second half of a home-and-home series. Northern Illinois carries a 15-game home winning streak at Huskie Stadium into the UT-Martin contest as the Huskies have not lost at their primary home venue since Sept. 26, 2009.
Northern Illinois closes out its non-conference slate by welcoming Kansas to Huskie Stadium for the first time in school history on Sept. 22. The Jayhawks are the first automatic qualifying conference school to play in DeKalb since Iowa State on Sept. 27, 2003. A year ago, Kansas claimed a 45-42 win over NIU by scoring a touchdown with nine seconds to play.
“This is an exciting schedule for our fans,” said Jeff Compher, NIU associate vice-president and director of athletics Jeff Compher. “Obviously there will be a lot of attention on the fact we have a Big 12 team at Huskie Stadium, which is something our fans have been looking forward to, and I am really hoping some of our fans will plan to make the trip to the Army game. I’m looking forward to being able to experience all the traditions of a game at West Point.”
The Huskies open defense of their MAC title versus the only league school to defeat NIU a year ago as Central Michigan visits Huskie Stadium on Sept. 29. The series with the Chippewas is the oldest on Northern Illinois 2012 schedule as the teams meet for the 48th time.
After playing four home games in five weeks in September, Northern Illinois is on the road three times in four weeks in October, beginning Oct. 6 at Ball State. Northern Illinois will play host to MAC East foe Buffalo for the annual Homecoming contest Oct. 13 in their lone October home appearance. NIU visits Akron and new head coach Terry Bowden Oct. 20 and travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. to face MAC West rival Western Michigan Oct. 27.
Northern Illinois takes on MAC newcomer Massachusetts on Nov. 3. NIU will then have 11 days to prepare for their nationally televised (ESPN2 or ESPNU) matchup versus Toledo on Nov. 14 and will wait nine days before traveling to Ypsilanti, Mich. for the regular season finale versus Eastern Michigan on Nov. 23.
“I think if you look at the home schedule, we have two BCS teams, including one in Huskie Stadium, we have a rivalry game against Toledo, and we have Central Michigan, the team that beat us a year ago,” said NIU Head Coach Dave Doeren. “We get to play at home in November, which is the month when champions are crowned.”
Northern Illinois 2012 football season tickets are on sale now through the NIU Athletics External Office for $120 for the full six-game Huskie Stadium season. Mini-plans, featuring any three Huskie Stadium games, can be purchased for $60. Season ticket holders can now order tickets to Soldier Field Showdown III — the Huskies’ 2012 season opening game versus Iowa at Soldier Field on Sept. 1 — through the NIU Athletics Ticket Office in the Convocation Center or by calling 815-752-6800.