Northern Illinois University acquired the colony complex in 1951, creating a field campus named after the colony’s founder, sculptor Lorado Taft.

Northern Illinois University recorded a $31.8 million deficit for fiscal year 2024, the latest state university to plunge into the red as smaller colleges grapple with declining enrollment.

Northern Illinois University officially announced its decision to leave the Mid-American Conference behind to become a football-only member of the Mountain West Conference, effective July 1, 2026.

Northern Illinois has been a member of the MAC from 1975-86 and 1997-2025. The Huskies played football in the Big West from 1992-95, overlapping with Nevada during that period.