Nov. 7, 2012

DeKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois and Toledo will once again play their annual Mid-American Conference rivalry game in front of a national television audience as the Wednesday, Nov. 14 NIU-Toledo game at Huskie Stadium will be televised on ESPN2, the network and Mid-American Conference Office announced Wednesday.

The game, which kicks off at 8 p.m. (CT), is the final home contest of the season for Northern Illinois. The Huskies will honor its 2012 seniors, the winningest class in school history, and hold their annual "BLACK OUT" game with all fans encouraged to wear black.

With a victory over Toledo, which saw its eight-game winning streak snapped by Ball State on ESPN2 Tuesday night, NIU (9-1, 6-0 MAC) will clinch its third straight MAC West title and will travel to Detroit for the Mid-American Conference Championship game for the third straight season. The Rockets dropped to 8-2 overall, 5-1 in the MAC, with the 34-27 loss.

NIU will play its third game this season on national television and has had six games on TV, with another four produced as an online telecast for ESPN3. The Huskies' contest versus Iowa was shown on ESPNU while the CBS Sports Network carried the NIU-Army game from West Point.

Northern Illinois' match-up with Toledo will air on ESPN2 for the sixth time all-time, and for the third consecutive year. The Huskies defeated the Rockets 63-60 in Toledo last year when Chandler Harnish completed his sixth touchdown pass of the evening, a four-yarder, to Perez Ashford with 19 seconds on the clock.

Northern Illinois, winners of nine straight since a one-point setback to Iowa in the 2012 season opener, own the nation's longest home winning streak at 20 games and have won more consecutive conference games - 14 - than any other school in the Football Bowl Subdivision. NIU's home winning streak dates back to a 2009 loss to Idaho, while the Mid-American Conference streak includes a 6-0 mark this season.

Go to www.NIUHuskies.com, or "Like" NIU Huskies on Facebook to see NIU's Top 10 countdown of reasons to attend the NIU-Toledo game series. Check back each day to see that day's reason. The countdown continues through next Wednesday.

To purchase tickets to the game in advance, go online to www.NIUHuskies.com or Ticketmaster.com, call the NIU Ticket Office at 815-752-6800 or stop by the Ticket Office in the NIU Convocation Center Monday-Friday between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. NIU is also offering a coupon good for a $10 ticket with a donation of cash or canned goods to the Salvation Army at the red kettles and boxes located on the West Side of Huskie Stadium. For more information on the Salvation Army coupon promotion, see the release on NIUHuskies.com, or call the NIU Athletics External Office at 815-753-1923.

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