1915 2002 2014 2019 Naming of “Huskies” In 1895, Northern Illinois University (NIU) establishes its first football team, known as the “Teachers.” In 1900, The team is renamed the “Cardinals.” In 1915, The team is renamed again, this time to the “Huskies.” See Full Story Northern Illinois Huskies win the MAC championship In 2002, the Northern Illinois Huskies football team …