The Northern Illinois Huskie football team, one of the most improved teams in the country in 2008 under first-year head coach Jerry Kill, will take on Louisiana Tech in the 33rd Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
The Independence Bowl will be played Sunday, Dec. 28, at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. NIU will make its fourth postseason appearance, third bowl showing, in the last five years. It will mark the first time Northern Illinois will play a bowl in a state other than California.
Kill was excited that his 2008 Huskies will have the chance to extend their season at such a prestigious event as the bowl in Shreveport.
"I think for our team to play in the Independence Bowl is a tremendous opportunity and I want to thank all the hard work our administration did to help put us in this game as well as the Mid-American Conference and the bowl itself," Kill said. "It's great for our seniors, great for our team and great for our university, and I couldn't be more excited."
Northern Illinois completed a 6-6 regular season on November 25 to triple its win total of a year ago, while its 5-3 record in Mid-American Conference games represents a four-game improvement. The Huskies are led by senior defensive end Larry English, the two-time MAC Most Valuable Player and the NCAA's current active leader in quarterback sacks.
Louisiana Tech, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, will play in its first bowl game since 2001. The Bulldogs are 7-5 on the season after opening the season with a victory over Mississippi State.
NIU and Louisiana Tech will meet for the seventh time with Tech holding a 5-1 lead in the previous six meetings. The teams played as members of the Big West Conference from 1993-95 and the last game between the teams was in 1996, a 40-14 Bulldog victory.
Ticket Office in the Convocation Center by phone at 815-752-6800 and can be purchased online at the tickets link on www.niuhuskies.com beginning at 3 p.m. on Monday. Ticket prices range from $25 to $40 and Huskie fans are STRONGLY encouraged to purchase their bowl tickets through Northern Illinois in order to be seated in the NIU section. In addition, all Huskie Athletic Scholarship Fund donors or football season ticket holders who buy tickets will receive a $5 discount.
NIU Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeff Compher congratulated the 2008 squad while emphasizing the need for Huskie fans to purchase tickets through Northern Illinois.
"For the Huskies and our 21 great seniors to finish the season in the Independence Bowl is a tribute to the hard work they have put in all season long and I could not be happier for them and for our university," Compher said. "This is a great opportunity for our fans to support this team and the job that Coach Kill and his staff have done this season. I cannot stress how important it is for Northern Illinois fans to purchase their tickets through the NIU ticket office. This will definitely help us in the future when we are talking to potential bowl partners."
Compher also announced that NIU will offer one FREE ticket to the first 500 Northern Illinois students who will attend the game. To obtain their free ticket, students should come to the Convocation Center Ticket Office or call the office at 815-752-6800. Proper identification will be required before FREE student tickets are distributed.
Northern Illinois will post information for fans on the Independence Bowl, including ticket and stadium details, as well as travel information and packages at www.niuhuskies.com.
- NIU Sports Information Office
NIU Huskies vs.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Sunday, Dec. 28, 7 p.m.
Shreveport, La.
How to purchase tickets:
Ticket prices range from $25 to $40 and Huskie fans are STRONGLY encouraged to purchase their bowl tickets through NIU in order to be seated in the NIU section. In addition, all Huskie Athletic Scholarship Fund donors or football season ticket holders who buy tickets will receive a $5 discount.
NIU will offer one FREE ticket to the first 500 Northern Illinois students who will attend the game. To obtain their free ticket, students should come to the Convocation Center Ticket Office or call the office at 815-752-6800. Proper identification will be required before FREE student tickets are distributed.