Northern Illinois

FBS

Mountain West · DeKalb (IL), Chicago, Illinois

324-352-4

All-time

0.476

Win %

National titles

Conf titles

Major bowls

Playoff apps

Weeks at #1

Heismans

Greatest games

Northern Illinois's top games of all time by Game Score.

#	Date	Season	Bowl	Match	Designation	Game Score
1	Nov 30, 2012	2012	MAC Championship Game	#19 Northern Illinois 44-37 #18 Kent State Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Conf Title	Conf Title	0.72
2	Jan 1, 2013	2012	Orange Bowl	#16 Northern Illinois 10-31 #13 Florida State Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida Major Bowl	Major Bowl	0.60
3	Sep 19, 2015	2015		Northern Illinois 13-20 #1 Ohio State Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio		0.57
4	Nov 13, 2013	2013		#20 Northern Illinois 48-27 Ball State Huskie Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	0.52
5	Dec 6, 2013	2013	MAC Championship Game	#16 Northern Illinois 27-47 Bowling Green Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Conf Title	Conf Title	0.52
6	Nov 6, 1971	1971		Northern Illinois 8-23 #14 Toledo Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois		0.50
7	Nov 9, 2002	2002		Northern Illinois 26-17 #20 Bowling Green Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	0.49
8	Dec 3, 2010	2010	MAC Championship Game	#24 Northern Illinois 21-26 Miami (OH) Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Conf Title	Conf Title	0.48
9	Jan 8, 2012	2011	GoDaddy.com Bowl	Northern Illinois 38-20 Arkansas State Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama		0.47
10	Oct 25, 2003	2003		#12 Northern Illinois 18-34 #23 Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium, Toledo, Ohio Conf Game	Conf Game	0.47

Season by season (major seasons)

Year	School	Record	Conference	Div	Conf	Champ App	Conf Champ	AP	Coach	High	Bowl
2026	Northern Illinois	0-0	Mountain West
2025	Northern Illinois	3-9	Mid-American		2-6
2024	Northern Illinois	8-5	Mid-American		4-4					#23	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
2023	Northern Illinois	7-6	Mid-American	West	5-3						Camellia Bowl (W)
2022	Northern Illinois	3-9	Mid-American	West	2-6
2021	Northern Illinois	9-5	Mid-American	West	7-2	✓	★				Cure Bowl (L)
2020	Northern Illinois	0-6	Mid-American	West	0-6
2019	Northern Illinois	5-7	Mid-American	West	4-4
2018	Northern Illinois	8-6	Mid-American	West	6-2	✓	★				Boca Raton Bowl (L)
2017	Northern Illinois	8-5	Mid-American	West	6-2						Quick Lane Bowl (L)
2016	Northern Illinois	5-7	Mid-American	West	5-3
2015	Northern Illinois	8-6	Mid-American	West	6-2	✓					Poinsettia Bowl (L)
2014	Northern Illinois	11-3	Mid-American	West	8-1	✓	★				Boca Raton Bowl (L)
2013	Northern Illinois	12-2	Mid-American	West	8-0	✓				#16	Poinsettia Bowl (L)
2012	Northern Illinois	12-2	Mid-American	West	8-0	✓	★	#22	#24	#16	Orange Bowl (L)MajorBCS
2011	Northern Illinois	11-3	Mid-American	West	7-1	✓	★				GoDaddy.com Bowl (W)
2010	Northern Illinois	11-3	Mid-American	West	8-0	✓				#24	Humanitarian Bowl (W)
2009	Northern Illinois	7-6	Mid-American	West	5-3						International Bowl (L)
2008	Northern Illinois	6-7	Mid-American	West	5-3						Independence Bowl (L)
2007	Northern Illinois	2-10	Mid-American	West	1-6
2006	Northern Illinois	7-6	Mid-American	West	5-3						Poinsettia Bowl (L)
2005	Northern Illinois	7-5	Mid-American	West	6-2	✓
2004	Northern Illinois	9-3	Mid-American	West	7-1						Silicon Valley Classic (W)
2003	Northern Illinois	10-2	Mid-American	West	6-2					#12
2002	Northern Illinois	8-4	Mid-American	West	7-1
2001	Northern Illinois	6-5	Mid-American	West	4-3
2000	Northern Illinois	6-5	Mid-American	West	4-3
1999	Northern Illinois	5-6	Mid-American	West	5-3
1998	Northern Illinois	2-9	Mid-American	West	2-6
1997	Northern Illinois	0-11	Mid-American	West	0-8
1996	Northern Illinois	1-10	Independent
1995	Northern Illinois	3-8	Big West		3-3
1994	Northern Illinois	4-7	Big West		3-3
1993	Northern Illinois	4-7	Big West		3-3
1992	Northern Illinois	5-6	Independent
1991	Northern Illinois	2-9	Independent
1990	Northern Illinois	6-5	Independent
1989	Northern Illinois	9-2	Independent
1988	Northern Illinois	7-4	Independent
1987	Northern Illinois	5-5-1	Independent
1986	Northern Illinois	2-9	Independent
1985	Northern Illinois	4-7	Mid-American		4-4
1984	Northern Illinois	4-6-1	Mid-American		3-5-1
1983	Northern Illinois	10-2	Mid-American		8-1		★				California Bowl (W)
1982	Northern Illinois	5-5	Mid-American		5-4
1981	Northern Illinois	3-8	Mid-American		2-7
1980	Northern Illinois	7-4	Mid-American		4-3
1979	Northern Illinois	5-5-1	Mid-American		3-3-1
1978	Northern Illinois	5-6	Mid-American		2-4
1977	Northern Illinois	3-8	Mid-American		2-5
1976	Northern Illinois	1-10	Mid-American		0-6
1975	Northern Illinois	3-8	Mid-American		2-3
1974	Northern Illinois	4-7	Independent
1973	Northern Illinois	6-5	Independent
1972	Northern Illinois	7-4	Independent
1971	Northern Illinois	5-5-1	Independent
1970	Northern Illinois	3-7	Independent
1969	Northern Illinois	3-7	Independent
1968	Northern Illinois	2-8	Independent

Award winners

3 major award winners and consensus All-Americans.

Year	Player	Pos	Award
2017	Sutton Smith	DL	Consensus All-American
2013	Jordan Lynch	RB	Heisman Finalist
1993	LeShon Johnson	RB	Consensus All-American