Football returns to Northern Illinois University this fall. Officials with the Mid-American Conference announced games will start Nov. 4. The MAC was the first major college football league to postpone its season because of COVID-19 and the last to jump back in.
The six-game season will conclude in a championship game Dec. 18 or 19. Pre-season practices can start Oct. 5.
NIU Director of Athletics Sean Frazier says advancements and the availability of testing plus “increased protocols” for cardiac screening contributed to the decision by university presidents to return to the field.