General | October 26

DeKALB, Ill. – As NIU's fall starts approach the finish line of the regular season, NIU men's and women's basketball teams begin the 2026-27 campaign in earnest at the end of the week for This Week In Huskie Athletics.
 
Football
Saturday, Oct. 31: at UNLV, 9:30 PM – TV: CBS Sports Network | Live Audio | Live Stats
 
NIU Football goes out on the road this week to take on the UNLV Rebels Saturday night on CBS Sports Network. The Huskies look to bounce back from a loss to Hawai'I last Saturday at Huskie Stadium. Senior wide receiver DeAree Rogers had eight receptions for a season-high 115 yards and two touchdowns against the Rainbow Warriors. He is the first Huskie since Trayvon Rudolph in 2021 to have at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in a single game.
 
UNLV is 4-3 on the year after a loss at Air Force on Oct. 17. NIU is 5-0 all time against the Rebels. The Huskies won the last meeting 38-30 in 2015 as running back Joel Bouagnon rushed for 152 yards and scored three touchdowns in the second half.
 
Volleyball
Friday, Oct. 30: Robert Morris, 6 PM – Tickets | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, Oct. 31: Robert Morris, 2 PM – Tickets | ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
The Huskies volleyball team returns to Victor E. Court as four of the last six games of the regular season will be at home. The Huskies are set to welcome Robert Morris in what will be the first meeting between the programs.
 
Freshman Viktoria Djukic recorded back-to-back double-doubles last week against Youngstown State, recording 16 assists and 13 digs on Oct. 23 before a season-best 33 assists 16 digs the next day. Ava Grevengoed added her 30th career double-double on Oct. 24 while freshman Katie Pahl claimed her second.
 
Men's Basketball
Monday, Nov. 2: vs. Grambling State (Rock Hill, S.C.), 2 AM – TV: Field of 68 YouTube | Live Audio
 
The NIU men's basketball team will get an early start to the 2026-27 regular season as it takes on Grambling next Monday (Nov. 2) at 2 a.m. CT at the Rock Hill (S.C.) Sports & Event Center as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon. The contest will mark the official beginning of the Matt Majkrzak era as the first-year Huskie head coach leads the Huskies against the Tigers. NIU earned a pair of exhibition victories prior to the start of the regular season, topping Northern Michigan, 78-43, and Toledo, 79-66.
 
Women's Basketball
Monday, Nov. 2: Indiana State, 6 PM – Tickets | ESPN+ | Live Audio | Live Stats
 
NIU Women's Basketball opens its 2026-27 season at the Convocation Center against Indiana State at 6 p.m. on Nov. 2. Senior forward Nevaeh Wingate was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team after leading the Huskies in scoring and rebounding last season. Wingate averaged 13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and found her stride in the final 10 games of the year, where she averaged 17.4 points per game.
 
This is the fourth straight season the Huskies and Sycamores will face each other on the court. NIU has won four of its last five home openers.
 
Women's Soccer
Friday, Oct. 30: at IU Indy, 1 PM – ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
The final match of the regular season takes the NIU women's soccer team on the road to face IU Indy on Friday afternoon (Oct. 30). The Jaguars hold the sixth, and final, spot in the Horizon League Tournament heading into the match with 15 points. NIU is three points behind and can catch IU Indy with a victory on Friday night. Cleveland State is also in the mix for the final tournament spot as the Vikings have 13 points and will face Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday.
 
NIU is unbeaten in its last three matches having posted back-to-back draws on the road against Youngstown State, 1-1, and Robert Morris, 2-2, this past weekend. Monica Correa scored in both matches and leads the Huskies with four goals. 
 
Men's Soccer
Friday, Oct: 30: at Purdue Fort Wayne, 6 PM – ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
The NIU men's soccer team has sole possession of first place in the Horizon League standings with two matches to go after topping Cleveland State, 2-1, on Sunday. The visiting Vikings scored first but a 55th minute goal from Stevan Ljubicic and a 70th minute penalty from Jaziel Alonso helped turnaround the result for NIU. Huskie goalkeeper Cayden Crawford made six saves in the victory over Cleveland State.
 
NIU has 17 points to lead the Horizon League standings, three ahead of Cleveland State and four in front of Wright State, Milwaukee and Robert Morris. Purdue Fort Wayne is currently tied with Green Bay with 12 points.
 
Cross Country
Saturday, Oct. 31: Horizon League Championship (Clinton, Pa.), 10 AM – Championship Central
 
Huskie cross country will take part in the Horizon League Championship for the first time this Saturday (Oct. 31) at Youthtowne Fields in Clinton, Pa., hosted by Robert Morris. Amelie Ojeda leads the way for NIU, having run the fifth-fastest six-kilometer time in program history last time out at the Bradley Pink Classic (21:01.6). The Huskies finished second of the four Horizon League schools that competed at Bradley, finishing behind Oakland and head of Green Bay and Milwaukee. The six-kilometer women's conference championship race is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT.
 
Wrestling
Friday, Oct. 30: Red-Black Dual, 6 PM
 
The NIU wrestling program will take to the mat for the first time this season in the annual Red-Black dual on Friday night. The Huskies return MAC champion Markel Baker at 133 pounds who made a deep run in the NCAA tournament last season and previous NCAA qualifiers in Jacob Brya and Landen Johnson. NIU brings a mix of transfers and newcomers to a deep roster as they prepare for their inaugural season in the Pac-12.
 
Women's Tennis
Friday, Oct. 30 – Sunday, Nov. 1: Huskie Fall Indoor Championship
 
The final fall team competition for NIU women's tennis is this weekend at home in the NIU Huskie Indoor Invitational at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Fieldhouse. Last time out, Paulina Masherava won the Flight 5 in singles competition at the Marquette Indoor Invitational while Rebeca Garcia Miralles and Iben Storkaas each finished as runners-up. 
 
Lucia Yecora became the 20th member of the 100-Win Club with four wins at the Marquette Invite. Yecora is creeping into all-time singles and doubles victories list with 50 singles and 53 doubles career wins. 
 
--NIU--