Already has an offer from NIU

Jason Schepler hopes his absence from the San Francisco 49ers is just temporary.

Just thinking out loud (and in print):

The San Francisco 49ers announced they have signed fullback Jason Schepler to a three-year deal.

After almost five years at Northern Illinois, Jeff Compher will take over as East Carolina’s athletic director today. Before leaving DeKalb, Compher talked with Daily Chronicle sports writer Steve Nitz about his tenure in DeKalb and the future of the athletic department.

Ashford, Baxter and Moore also agree to free-agent deals

Issues? You know I always have issues.

Jason Schepler is ready do whatever an NFL team may ask of him.

Rashaan Melvin didn’t waste any time.

Conference bought out school's Orange Bowl ticket allotment.

Harnish, English and more on the list

Players in favor of continuing Huskie Bowl tradition

DeKALB – Juwan Brescacin leaped and fought two defenders for the ball.

Rod Carey made his head coaching debut in Northern Illinois’ Orange Bowl appearance in January. Now he’s settled into getting the Huskies prepared for the next step. Carey, who is also relatively new to Twitter (@niucoachcarey), will take center stage at Wrigley Field when he throws out the ceremonial first pitch and sings “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch of Wednesday’s Cubs-Rangers game.

Since 2005, Northern Illinois has had its football games broadcast on WSCR-670 AM, The Score.

DeKALB – As Northern Illinois' offensive line coach, it's Joe Tripodi's job to make sure his group of linemen show improvements throughout spring practice.

And hits a halfcourt shot

DeKALB – One player who has been impressing the coaching staff during spring practice has been junior linebacker Jamaal Bass, the lone returning starter in the Huskies' linebacking corps.

One of the inevitable questions heading into the 2013 season will be, can Northern Illinois do it again?

Players receive bowl rings, look to 2013 season

DeKALB – When Michael Turner was at Northern Illinois, the Huskies would talk about winning the Mid-American Conference and going to what previously was known as the Motor City Bowl.

DeKALB – It started as a chant that came out of nowhere during Joe Novak's first season at Northern Illinois.

DALLAS – Former NFL and Northern Illinois receiver Sam Hurd pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to buy cocaine and marijuana to set up a drug-distribution network, leaving a once-promising career in tatters as he faces a prison sentence of at least 10 years.

DeKALB – Following Northern Illinois' 31-10 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl, Huskies safety Jimmie Ward went back to his hometown of Mobile, Ala. to spend some time with his family.

DeKALB – Mario Jones has been playing football since he was in third grade.

Christian Spears will start as NIU's interim athletics director on April 15.

DEKALB – By now, you've all seen the video of since-fired Rutgers men's basketball coach verbally and physically abusing players.

DeKALB – In January, Kelvin Sigler arrived in Miami right when Northern Illinois left.

DeKALB – To Northern Illinois head coach Rod Carey, even if you have a top-flight running back, there’s always the need for more.

Northern Illinois was back at practice Wednesday afternoon.

DeKALB – Following Northern Illinois' 31-10 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl, Jordan Lynch finally got a chance to get a break.

For the first time since its final practice of the 2012 season at Barry University in Miami, Northern Illinois was back practicing Wednesday afternoon.

Top 5 story lines

New book worth your time

Even before the official word arrived by phone, Alex Kube sensed what was coming.

NIU pushes spring practice back week, add Huskie Bowl

Huskies will take the field Wednesday, March 27

Ashford, Moore, Melvin hold private workout on campus for two NFL teams

DeKALB – Rashaan Melvin wanted to show he could run.

DeKALB – Sean Progar had attended previous Northern Illinois pro days as an underclassman.

After Northern Illinois’ 31-10 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl, senior Nabal Jefferson’s plans were up in the air.

Spent five previous years at NIU

Alex Kube knows the odds are not in his favor. But he continues to work toward his dream of reaching the NFL.

Came to NIU in 2008.

Huskies have five home games in 2013

Former Northern Illinois running back Michael Turner was released by the Atlanta Falcons on Friday.

There are still six months until college football season kicks off, but Northern Illinois fans got a little taste of it when the Huskies’ 2013 schedule was released Friday.

Northern Illinois' 2013 schedule will include just one home game the first seven weeks of the season.

Big Ten Conference schools play an important part of Northern Illinois’ nonconference football schedule.

The Daily Chronicle, HuskieWire.com and Shaw Media took four of the top 10 places in the 2012 Associated Press Sports Editors contest Multimedia division. Results were released on Monday afternoon.

DeKalb senior Danielle Dlabal was on the fence a couple weeks ago about continuing her running career in college. But after seeing the Northern Illinois cross country team running together through a rain storm recently, Dlabal decided to give it a go.

Brandon Mayes solidified his Northern Illinois football future by sending in his national letter of intent Wednesday, but Mayes already has been a staunch proponent for the Huskies.

DeKALB – Northern Illinois learned it was in the Orange Bowl the night of Sunday, Dec. 2.

It took less than 10 seconds for Northern Illinois head coach Rod Carey to shoot down the idea that the Class of 2013 was "his class."

9:30 p.m.: Both Rivals and Scout have NIU's 2013 recruiting class ranked eighth in the Mid-American Conference.

11:30 a.m.: One late steal for NIU was Alpharetta (Ga.) wideout Malik Mitchell.

The Northern Illinois football team just completed its best season in recent memory, winning its second consecutive Mid-American Conference championship and ending the 2012 season with a berth in the Orange Bowl.

Blake Holder was never committed to Dave Doeren, or the old Northern Illinois coaching staff.

DeKALB – Early on in his senior year, Sean Folliard had a meeting with his guidance counselor at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake.

NIU's 2013 class to be revealed Wednesday

Random Northern Illinois thoughts on a cold, winter day:

Relevant observations, pertinent notes, questions, minutiae and Huskie Trivial Pursuit from your local, retired sports information director:

A Daily Chronicle special edition magazine commemorating Northern Illinois' 2012-13 Orange Bowl season will be in the Saturday, January 19 edition of the newspaper, and is also available for purchase.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops still has a little bit of a sour taste in his mouth when it comes to how the BCS selections played out.

School distributed 15,550 tickets from its allotment of 17,500

Random thoughts to ponder after Northern Illinois’ historic appearance in the Discover Orange Bowl:

Huskies No. 22 in AP poll, 24th in the Coaches poll

We asked our Twitter followers @HuskieWire what Northern Illinois should focus on most in recruiting. Signing day is a month away, and here are some of the best answers to our question.

Can Huskies repeat 2012 success in 2013?

Unprecidented journey ends for NIU

Orange Bowl ratings were up this year, according to an ESPN news release.

Huskies fell, 31-10, to Florida St.

Lynch, Northern Illinois
 hemmed in by Florida State

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Northern Illinois pulled out all the stops.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Jordan Lynch has rewritten many Northern Illinois and national records this season, and he finished the Orange Bowl with a couple more milestones to add to his name.