Kowal granted release

Northern Illinois Director of Athletics Jeff Compher told the Daily Chronicle on Wednesday morning that NIU had granted former center Sean Kowal a release from his scholarship.

"We were provided with the information that we needed," Compher said. "Interestingly enough, had we been given this from the start, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation right now. But we did grant a release to him yesterday, in the late evening.

"Some of it was timing. Initially we didn't know the program nor the universities that he was interested in going to. In this particular situation, with him being a graduate, in order for the waiver from our perspective to work, it kind of had to be a unique program to the university that we did not offer here at NIU."

Kowal, who has one year left of eligibility provided now that he is granted a waiver by the NCAA, will transfer to another school to get a master’s degree in theology, which is not offered at NIU.

"This whole process was new to me and it seems like it was new to everyone at NIU," Kowal said. "I obviously was working with the NCAA through the entire thing. They advised me what I was doing was the correct way. I suppose I could have given more detail, but the NCAA advised me that I was doing it the correct way."

Kowal said felt "relieved" that the process was over. He will be granted a release to five schools from a list of schools that offer the theology program he plans to enter. Kowal said he had to narrow down his list of potential schools to five to provide to NIU to send out his release. Kowal confirmed that none of the five schools are in the Mid-American Conference.

Come back tomorrow to HuskieWire.com or pick up Thursday's Daily Chronicle for the full story.