Even if the MAC isn’t known for having a lot of prestigious college football programs, the Northern Illinois Huskies might be one of the few exceptions. The Huskies have slowly worked their way up the college football hierarchy, with cheap Northern Illinois football tickets being harder to find over time. While there have been down seasons along the way, the Huskies have become a MAC powerhouse and a perennial bowl team during the 21st century. As a result, last-minute Northern Illinois football tickets are often in high demand, with the Huskies becoming one of the MAC’s most prominent members.

Little Cubs

While Northern Illinois began playing football in the late 1800s, some of the program’s best moments came during the 1960s. Between 1963 and 1965, head coach Howard Fletcher led the Huskies to three straight titles in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. That includes a perfect 10-0 season and an NCAA College Division national championship in 1963. While it happened at a lower level, it was a sign of things to come for NIU.

Kings of the MAC

After finding a permanent home in the MAC in 1997, Northern Illinois quickly became one of the league’s best football teams. The Huskies won a share of their division title for the first time in 2001 and reached the MAC Championship Game for the first time in 2005. That set the stage for a magical season in 2012 when the Huskies won their second straight MAC championship while going 12-2. NIU’s only losses that year were a one-point loss in the season opener to Iowa and a loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Of course, just getting to the Orange Bowl was an unprecedented success for the Huskies. The Huskies didn’t stop there, winning MAC titles in 2014, 2018, and 2021, building one of the most consistent programs in the conference and one that is set to be competitive for many years to come.