General | September 27

Hello Huskie Fans, 
 
I'm happy to use this month's edition of Frazier's Corner to present the 2016-17 NIU Athletics Annual Report, posted today on NIUHuskies.com.  I hope all of Huskie Nation will take a few moments to read this important publication.
 
Producing and sharing the Annual Report is an important exercise as it provides a comprehensive and transparent look at 2016-17 – from the accomplishments of every NIU sport program to our academic success stories, community service projects and much, much more.
 
Of course the Jacoby Trophy, captured by our women's sports teams as the best all-around program in the Mid-American Conference in 2016-17, dominates the cover of this year's Annual Report.  We continue to celebrate that historic achievement and hope you have joined in the events of the Jacoby Trophy Tour.
 
We also highlight the 2017 NCAA Men's and Women's NCAA Golf Championships held last May at Rich Harvest Farms, the beautiful home of our men's and women's golf programs. That two-week event brought tremendous national exposure, attracted record crowds and saw hundreds of volunteers, as well as the staffs of NIU and Rich Harvest Farms, come together to host what was universally recognized as a stellar event.    
 
Some of the most important information in this year's Annual Report can be found in the section on Revenues and Expenses, as well as the pages on the Huskie Athletic Fund and Campaign to Sustain. The mandate to become more financially sustainable, which came through the university's Program Prioritization process, is one of the most important challenges to our department going forward. We must generate increased revenue to support our 400 student-athletes in 17 sports programs, through efforts like the Campaign To Sustain, Victor E. Ball, the Forever Huskies program and more.
 
Although some of the budgetary uncertainty of the last two years has abated due to the existence of a state budget, Athletics contributed by cutting $2 million from an already lean budget last year. The success of the Campaign to Sustain is critical to NIU Athletics' ability to continue to build on the tradition of success built by generations of previous Huskies, and demonstrated in 2016-17 by the Jacoby Trophy victory, and most recently by the football team's 21-17 win at Nebraska.
 
That "Boneyard Victory" over one of the blue blood programs of college football exemplified the value NIU Athletics brings to the university. I felt – and continue to feel – the Huskie Pride generated by that victory. From the social media reaction to the messages flooding my e-mail inbox to the media attention in Chicago and across the nation, alumni and fans were talking, tweeting and puffing out their chests thanks to NIU Football.        
 
As the information in the Annual Report demonstrates, Athletics makes up a small fraction of the overall university operating expenses.  I firmly believe that our department serving as the front porch for NIU can bring together in an effective way alumni, students, faculty, staff and the community!
 
One of those unifying occasions occurs every year at Homecoming.  Next week, NIU celebrates its 111^th Homecoming and I hope to see many of you back on campus.  Join us Friday night at the Holmes Student Center as we honor our tradition by inducting the newest class – among them Huskie football greats Garrett Wolfe and Steve Azar, Angela Lockett of women's basketball and long-time coach and administrator Dee Abrahamson - into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame. The ceremony is free to attend and features the return of many additional Hall of Famers.
 
Then on Saturday, October 7, the Huskie football team opens MAC play versus Kent State at 2:30 p.m. on Brigham Field.
 
Still need Homecoming tickets?  We've got a special promotion called "Carey You to Homecoming." From now until October 6, purchase a ticket to the Homecoming game and your next ticket to that game is on Coach! Call 815-753-PACK (7225) or visit NIUHuskies.com to order today. Mention or use the Promo Code "CoachCarey" to receive this great deal.
 
We also are still offering the "Pick 6" promotion featuring six tickets, in any combination, to ANY of the Huskies remaining games for as low as $65. Inspired by the school-record two interception returns for touchdowns that sparked the upset win at Nebraska, the Pick 6 promotion allows you to choose your games and the number of tickets to each game.
 
I love the creativity of these promotions and urge you to check them out on NIUHuskies.com. While there, be sure to order your 2017-18 basketball season tickets.
 
Basketball is on its way and we've already seen a great start to the fall sports seasons.  Women's soccer won its first two MAC games of the year, men's soccer opens league play next week, and cross country is off to another good start. 
 
Keep up with all of our teams at NIUHuskies.com, and make plans now to come out and support our student-athletes throughout this fall and winter! Don't forget to check out the Annual Report!
 
Go Huskies!
 
 
 Sean Frazier
Associate Vice-President & Director of Athletics