Early years Before the 1965 season, the Huskies played at
Glidden Field, a 5,500-seat facility on the east end of campus. However, after quarterback
George Bork led the team to an AP small college national championship in
1963, they began the construction of Huskie Stadium. Marred by construction setbacks that put the opening day two months behind schedule, the stadium played host to its first official NIU football game on November 6, when the Huskies defeated the
Illinois State Redbirds, 48–6. Through
1968, the playing surface was natural grass. In
1969, the home opener against
Idaho on September 20 marked the state's first major college gridiron contest played on
artificial turf, and the Huskies won the night game, 47–30. The field was re-carpeted in
1980 and
1990 before the introduction of infilled
FieldTurf in
2001. A new AstroTurf surface was installed in 2024. The stadium originally consisted of the main concrete west stands (which used to contain practice facilities for the gymnastics and wrestling teams) and much smaller temporary stands on the east side. The east side was completely redone in 1995, creating a steel structure to mirror the concrete one. The university has maintained and enhanced the institution's all-around athletics facility, updating the scoreboard and video display system in both 2000 and 2001, and creating the South End Zone berm in 2002. In
2003, the field was renamed "Brigham Field" in honor of Robert J. Brigham, a former NIU player, coach, and athletic director. The stadium was also the site of a few NCAA records. Against
Fresno State in 1990, quarterback Stacey Robinson rushed for 287 yards in the first half, and finished with 308 overall, as NIU upset the 24th-ranked Bulldogs 73–18. In that game on October 6, the Huskies established school records for rushing yards (733), total offense (806), and first downs (36). It was also the first victory over a ranked opponent at the stadium. In
2013,
Jordan Lynch rushed for 321 yards on November 26, setting an
FBS record for most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback.
21st century In the 21st century, the football program has generated national headlines for the institution. With seven consecutive winning seasons (best in the MAC), NIU has the 25th best record in the nation since 2000 (53–30)---including triumphs over Bowl Championship Series programs such as Wake Forest, Minnesota, University of Alabama, Kansas, University of Maryland, Purdue University (2009, 2013), Iowa, and Iowa State University among others. The Huskies finished ranked in the Top 30 during the 2003 and 2004 seasons and defeated Troy University, 34–21, in the 2004
Silicon Valley Football Classic. In 2006, NIU faced off against
TCU in the
Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, California making it the second time in three years NIU had gone to a postseason bowl game. The Huskies made it four bowls in six years with a trip to the
International Bowl in 2010 against the
University of South Florida. Later, in 2012, they became the first non-AQ team with one loss to go to a BCS bowl game (
Orange Bowl). With the addition of the Yordon Athletic Center, the total capacity for the stadium has decreased to 23,595. In 2013, Huskie Stadium in its current seating format recorded two sellouts in the year. This was the first time since 2003 the Huskies recorded a sellout at the stadium. ==2014 plans for renovation==