DETROIT – The defending league champion Northern Illinois University Huskies, who return 15 starters for 2015, have been picked to finish third in the Mid-American Conference West Division by members of the league’s media in the poll released today during the 2015 MAC Football Media at Ford Field in Detroit.
NIU, which has won three of the last four MAC Championships and played in five consecutive league title games, garnered 113 points and four first-place votes in the 2015 poll. Toledo (121 points, 11 first-place votes) edged out Western Michigan (120 points, eight first-place votes) for the top two spots in the West Division, followed by NIU, Ball State (66 points), Central Michigan (56 points, one first-place vote) and Eastern Michigan (28 points).
Bowling Green garnered 18 of 24 first-place votes on the East side of the league, with Ohio (118 points, one first-place vote) and Akron (118 points, two first-place votes) tied for second, followed by UMass (113 points, three-first place votes), Buffalo (70 points), Miami (47 points) and Kent State (46 points). NIU will face Ohio, Buffalo and Miami from the East Division in 2015.
NIU opens its 2015 season on Sept. 5 in Huskie Stadium versus UNLV. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. (CT) and will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network. The game is the first of six home contests for the 2015 Huskies, who will also celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Huskie Stadium throughout the year. The Huskies will also play host to Murray State (Sept. 12), Ball State (Oct. 10), Eastern Michigan (Oct. 24), Western Michigan (Nov. 18) and Ohio (Nov. 24).