‘We are definitely in the age of the mega-conference:’ 5 takeaways from NIU’s media day

DeKALB – Northern Illinois University athletic director Sean Frazier said at the NIU fall sports media day Tuesday that if you’re not moving forward, you’re going backward.

But what does it mean to be a stable conference in, as Frazier himself called it Tuesday, the “age of the mega-conferenece.”

Frazier talked about that and other things Tuesday. Here are five topics he and football coach Thomas Hammock talked about that stood out.

Conference realignment

Frazier said the MAC is very stable sitting at 12 teams, and he compared it to the Ivy League in terms of stability. The MAC hasn’t changed in football since UMass left the conference after 2015.

Frazier said the key for the MAC is to embrace its strengths, which in this case is that stability.

“People are worried about their jobs, worried about media rights because [of] what is going on,” Frazier said. “We are in a good place because of our stability. We know who we are. We don’t try to pretend we can do this, that and the other thing. The other part of that is the type of kid who comes to our schools gets it. They like conference championships. They like their regional component around us. They want to dabble with some of the larger schools and some of the smaller schools. There’s a certain type of kid that we get that understands that, and you play at the national level.”

Name, image and likeness

Frazier said NIL rights – which allows athletes to profit from sponsorship-type agreements with businesses – now are a big part of the college landscape. He said the school is hosting a seminar later this month for local businesses to teach them the dos and don’ts of NIL deals and said it’s a good learning experience for students as well.

“It’s important for us to be able to help our young people. Our students understand what they have relative to their individual brand,” Hammock said. “It’s important for us to make sure they understand the dos and the dont’s from an education standpoint. We don’t want them to have our student-athletes get caught in deals that in perpetuity, where they get a T-shirt at age 23 and at age 73 they’re getting the same type of T-shirt. It’s a great opportunity for students to understand financial, contractual, tax-related – all the things that are necessary in life. It’s a great teachable moment.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion

In January, the NIU athletic department was the recipient of the NCAA and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association award winner for diversity and inclusion, the first school to win the award twice – having won in 2016.

“I pride myself,” Frazier said. “We still have a long way to go, we’re not perfect by any means. But I also think it’s really special to see that happen not only in athletics but across campus. It means a lot to us because we have a culture that understands that.”

High on running backs

NIU was one of the top running teams in the country last year, and while MAC Freshman of the Year Jay Ducker transferred to Memphis, Harrison Waylee, Antario Brown and Mason Blakemore return.

Throw in a bunch of true freshmen and Billy Dozier, who moved from wide receiver, and Hammock said the group can accomplish even more than last season.

“I think we have a chance to be better that we were last year,” Hammock said. “I wouldn’t trade this group for last year’s group, and I think [running backs coach Nic] McKissic-Luke would say the same thing.”

Nuggets

Hammock was asked about players who may have surprised during camp so far, and he answered that he knows “you’re looking for nuggets, so I’ll give you some nuggets. There’s a lot of people.”

He then listed off more than a dozen players, adding that all 17 or so returning starters have done great as well.

The players he mentioned were Shemar Thornton, Fabian McCray, Jalen Johnson, George Gumbs, Pete Nygra, Mason Blakemore, Izayah Green-May, Nick Alvarado, R.J. Myles, Roy Williams, Jordan White, Muhammad Jammeh and Louis Frye.