Dec. 3, 2012

DEKALB, Ill. -- The 2012 Mid-American Conference champion and Discover Orange Bowl bound Northern Illinois football team will be in attendance for a halftime pep rally on Wednesday night when the NIU men’s basketball team hosts SIU Edwardsville at 7 p.m., at the NIU Convocation Center. One student in attendance Wednesday night will also win a free trip to the Discover Orange Bowl.

A drawing will be held during the second half of the men’s basketball game in which one lucky student will win a four-day, three-night trip to the Discover Orange Bowl. The package includes game tickets, round trip air transportation and hotel for the student and one guest. Raffle tickets will be given to students sitting in the NIU student section (sections 106-109), a valid NIU OneCard must be presented to obtain a raffle ticket and students must be present at the time of the drawing to win.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance at the basketball game will receive a BCS t-shirt and candy orange slices. Orange pom-poms will also be distributed to fans in attendance.

At halftime of the basketball game, the Huskie football team will be introduced and address the crowd in attendance.

The NIU football team is 12-1 and defeated Kent State, 44-37, in double overtime last Friday to win its second consecutive MAC championship. The Huskies are ranked 15th in the Bowl Championship Series standings and will be the first MAC school to play in the BCS game when they face Florida State on Tuesday, Jan. 1, in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Tickets for the Orange Bowl range in price from $75 to $225 and are available through the NIU ticket office at (815) 752-6800 or by clicking here.