Northern Illinois loses first on-campus athletic event since shooting

DEKALB, Ill. (AP) — The message was impossible to miss: “Forward, Together Forward” read the banner hanging outside the arena.

A line in Northern Illinois’ fight song, it’s now a mantra for a school and community still recovering.

NIU took another small step Tuesday night, when it hosted Western Michigan in the first athletic event on campus since a gunman killed five students in a lecture hall before taking his own life on Feb. 14.

“It should serve as some therapy for all of us,” NIU coach Ricardo Patton said.

The teams gathered arm-in-arm in a circle at midcourt while observing a moment of silence before the game. Then they shook hands and stood at opposite foul lines as the NIU alma mater and “The Star-Spangled Banner” played.

Western Michigan (17-10, 10-3) is trying to capture the Mid-America Conference championship. NIU (6-18, 3-9) is simply seeking some semblance of normalcy.

Banners hanging from the arena’s rafters commemorate various championships and postseason appearances, but on some level, a more meaningful game has never been played by an NIU team — even if only 2,032 fans witnessed it.

Northern Illinois players and coaches wore ribbons, as did many in the crowd, while Western Michigan paid tribute with NIU patches.

“If we can use basketball as a medium to get back to normal and get things the way they were going before a terrible tragedy like this happened, then I think that’s really the only issue here,” said Western Michigan’s Joe Reitz. (ESPN)

This is a tremendous reminder that sports promotions are not always about jokes, playful fun, or team spirit. Sports play a role in building and enhancing a community, which NIU’s athletic department clearly understands.

This game presentation centered on healing, community and recovery and NIU deserves credit for carefully presenting their event as a tool to achieve those goals.

–Cudo