DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University Athletics and Huskie Sports Properties, the multimedia partner of NIU Athletics, announced Northwestern Medicine as the presenting sponsor of the 2016 Huskie Chi-Town Showdown football game.

The historic contest, between the NIU Huskies and Toledo Rockets, will be the first ever played at the current home of the Chicago White Sox, Guaranteed Rate Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, November 9. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN2.

The announcement of Northwestern Medicine as the presenting sponsor for this marquee game of 2016 in Chicago coincides with a new agreement between Huskie Sports Properties and KishHealth System, a part of Northwestern Medicine, making that organization the exclusive health care provider for NIU Athletics.

“We are thrilled to have Northwestern Medicine on board as the presenting sponsor of the Huskie Chi-Town Showdown, this historic first football game at the home of the Chicago White Sox,” said NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier. “I could not imagine a better event than a Huskie football game in Chicago to showcase Northwestern Medicine’s long-standing record of service to this great city, and that organization’s affiliation with the group that has long served our DeKalb community so well, KishHealth System.”

Northern-Illinois“We are excited to expand our relationship with KishHealth System/Northwestern Medicine,” said Mike Shayotovich, General Manager of Huskie Sports Properties. ” ‘Kish’ has long been a great supporter of NIU Athletics, and with the addition of a heavyweight like Northwestern Medicine behind our marquee game at Guaranteed Rate Field, we’ve further solidified a great partnership.”

“Northwestern Medicine is proud to be this year’s exclusive health system sponsor for the NIU Huskie Chi-Town Showdown,” said Kevin Poorten, Senior Vice President, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and President, Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital. “As a member of Northwestern Medicine, KishHealth System has been a longtime supporter of the NIU Huskies and we look forward to continuing our support in the coming years.”

Tickets for the Huskie Chi-Town Showdown game between the Mid-American Conference’s two most successful teams this century, are now on sale through Ticketmaster.com, NIUHuskies.com at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225). For information on suites and other premium seating options, call the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923 or go online to huskieathleticfund.com.

Northwestern Medicine is the shared strategic vision of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to transform the future of healthcare and become one of the nation’s premier destinations for patient care. Each day, more than 27,500 clinical and administrative staff, medical and science faculty and medical students come together with a shared commitment to superior quality, academic excellence, scientific discovery and patient safety.

For more information about Northwestern Medicine, visit news.nm.org/about-northwestern-medicine.html.

Huskie Sports Properties, a property of Learfield, manages the multimedia rights for NIU Athletics. The local entity provides corporate partners both traditional and new media opportunities with NIU in which to bolster their own brand and garner maximum exposure through inventory such as venue signage; event sponsorships and promotion; corporate hospitality; television; digital engagement and visibility via the official athletics website (NIUHuskies.com) and radio game broadcasts and coaches’ shows on the Huskie Sports Network.

— NIU —