General | June 30
Hello Huskies & Happy Summer!
Just like that, my ninth year leading the Huskie Athletics program has come to a close with the end of the 2021-22 seasons for our 17 sports programs and 450 student-athletes earlier this month. What a year it was – academically, athletically and socially – as our teams and student-athletes continue to impress and amaze with what they accomplish across all three realms.
Academically, we sound like a broken record – but it’s a song we want to hear on repeat! This spring marked the 18th straight semester NIU student-athletes posted a term grade point average above 3.0 and the Huskies’ cumulative GPA came in at 3.345. We saw 74 student-athletes graduate this spring with every sport represented. In addition, three Huskies – Enrique Banuelos of men’s soccer, softball’s Katie Keller and wrestling’s Mason Kauffman – were named Academic All-Americans by CoSIDA, representing the best of the best in academics AND athletics.
In competition, the list of highlights starts with the MAC Championships won by Men’s Soccer and Football this fall. Behind the two highest Major League Soccer SuperDraft choices in NIU history in Anthony and Nick Markanich, soccer advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Football completed one of the top turnaround seasons in the Football Bowl Subdivision with seven one possession wins before comfortably defeating Kent State in Detroit to win NIU’s sixth MAC football title.
NIU Volleyball and Women’s Basketball each qualified for their respective MAC Tournaments as did Men’s Tennis, while Gymnastics (2nd), Women’s Golf (2nd), Wrestling (3rd), Men’s Golf (3rd), Indoor Track & Field (3rd) and Outdoor Track & Field (4th) all recorded top team finishes in their MAC Championships. Those Huskie teams combined to send 12 individuals to NCAA appearances with nine MAC Champions in the group, including the first MAC women’s golf champion in NIU history in sophomore Jasmine Ly.
Huskie coaches Ryan Swan (men’s soccer), Thomas Hammock (football) and women’s golf (Kim Kester) earned MAC Coach of the Year honors; meanwhile a pair of first year NIU head coaches in Rashon Burno of men’s basketball and Jamie Moreno of women’s cross country began the process of building their programs during the 2021-22 season. In March, we welcomed Michael O’Neill as the sixth head coach in NIU women’s soccer history.
The Huskies’ athletics success extended to our fundraising efforts with supporters stepping up to make 2021-22 a banner year. In November, Huskies Invest: A Week of Giving saw more than 500 gifts totaling more than $1 million, enabling NIU to make significant progress and even complete several facility projects. The Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House opened in April, providing the Huskie tennis teams with an on-campus home in which to compete and practice. A pair of turf projects are set to get underway in July as the new surface for the Soccer/Track & Field will be installed prior to the 2022 season, followed immediately by the infield turf installation at Ralph McKinzie Field, the first phase of Walt & Janice Owens Park. Smaller projects, including addition of a weight room in the Convocation Center and new LED lighting in the arena and Victor E. Court, are also in stages of completion. All are significant steps that will directly impact the experience of NIU student-athletes in 2022-23 and moving forward.
With the 2021-22 sports seasons concluded, June’s Victor E. Bash provided an excellent backdrop to celebrate our success. We thoroughly enjoyed getting back on the road with our head coaches to see many of you in person at Summer Circuit stops in St. Charles and Rockford, and hope you had a chance to check out the Victor E. Bash videos on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel, including a look back at the 2012 Orange Bowl season with some of the most well-known members of that team. Of course, the biggest impact was the record-breaking $251,725 donated in support of NIU student-athletes. We are so thankful to everyone who contributed in any way to the success of this year’s Victor E. Bash.
Thanks to the success of the Bash, and the ongoing support of our university administration, we will be able to address one of the biggest issues facing student-athletes and young people across the country this fall. Based on feedback we received from NIU student-athletes, we will be expanding the available mental health support, including having a dedicated staff member in the Yordon Center three days a week. While we have had a counselor available to work with student-athletes for the past several years and still have access to campus mental health resources, we are committed to making this area a priority in the coming year and moving forward.
In terms of moving forward, recent partnerships with Paciolan, Opendorse and new flagship radio station 94-9 WDKB represent significant steps in that direction for NIU fans as well as student-athletes. Paciolan is the leading mobile ticketing, marketing and fundraising solution provider for college athletics and this partnership is designed to making the ticket buying experience easier, while connecting our marketing, ticketing and fundraising processes.
Similarly, the partnership with Opendorse, now possible due to changes in the Illinois law regarding Name, Image and Likeness which allow universities in the state to assist and support student-athletes, provides a platform that will connect Huskies to NIL opportunities while also offering education, content and ensuring compliance. We are excited to work with Opendorse to help NIU student-athletes expand their knowledge and build their personal brands.
In 94-9 WDKB, we have a new local radio home for football and basketball game broadcasts and coaches shows and a true partner that is already spreading the word of Huskie Athletics throughout the region. In addition to the broadcasts, WDKB will 
work with us on promotional campaigns and more to increase ticket sales and attendance at Huskie games.
Excitement is already in the air for the 2022 Huskie Football season! Seventeen different players have been named to one of the two preseason All-MAC teams released so far and NIU returns 54 letterwinners and 22 starters from the team that went 9-5 a year ago. Like many of you, I can’t wait to see what Rocky Lombardi, Cole Tucker, Jordan Gandy, James Ester and the rest of the pack can do to build on last year’s success, and to see which of the outstanding newcomers will make an impact.
It’s going to be a season of celebration at Huskie Stadium, beginning with the season opener on September 1 and continuing with the Vanderbilt game (Sept. 17) when we welcome back members of the 2012 team on the 10th anniversary of that historic run to the Orange Bowl. Then, be sure to circle the weekend of October 7-8 when we celebrate NIU’s 115th Homecoming along with Hall of Fame Weekend and a Title IX 50th Anniversary gathering!
The 2022 fall sports seasons will be here sooner than you think, and you will not want to miss a game, whether it’s football, volleyball, basketball or any of our home events! Season tickets are on sale now and are BY FAR the most economical way to watch the Huskies from the best seats.
I look forward to seeing many of you in the stands in 2022-23. Until then, have a great summer!
Go Huskies!
Sean T. Frazier
Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation