SI

Northern Illinois's 'Boneyard' Is One of the Coolest Traditions in College Football

Fresh off an upset of Notre Dame on the road, the college football world learned that the Huskies take their "boneyard wins" quite literally.

Tom Dierberger

Hammock owns a career 26–33 record since being hired by Northern Illinois ahead of the 2019 season.
Hammock owns a career 26–33 record since being hired by Northern Illinois ahead of the 2019 season. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

The Northern Illinois Huskies stole the spotlight in Week 2 of the college football season by upsetting No. 5 Notre Dame 16–14 on Saturday for their first win over a top-10 opponent in program history.

Huskies coach Thomas Hammock called it a "boneyard win" in an emotional interview on the NBC broadcast after the game, which is the term NIU uses for any victory over a Power Four program. On Tuesday, the college football world learned that Northern Illinois takes that "boneyard win" description quite literally.

WGN TV's Josh Frydman posted a picture to social media Tuesday of the Huskies' "boneyard" where each of those big wins are celebrated on a wall covered with bones. Each bone is hung in front of the logo of their opponent and is engraved with the date and score.

Among those "boneyard wins" in program history include victories over Nebraska in 2017, Iowa in '13 and Alabama in '03.

The program has kept a log of "boneyard wins" since 1983. Hammock, who played for the Huskies from 1999 to 2002, helped Northern Illinois to a boneyard victory by rushing for 172 yards in a win over Wake Forest in '02.

College football fans approve of the boneyard:

Northern Illinois, now 2–0 this season, will have a week off to enjoy its win over Notre Dame before retuning to action Sept. 21 against Buffalo.

More of the Latest Around College Football

Published
Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

Home/College Football