Inaugural Victor E. Ball to Benefit NIU Student-Athletes

Fans, friends, alumni and members of the community are invited to join Northern Illinois University dignitaries, Huskie head coaches and current student-athletes at the inaugural Victor E. Ball, NIU Athletics’ new signature fund-raising event benefitting NIU student-athletes.

The first event of its kind ever presented by NIU Athletics, the Victor E. Ball will be an evening of entertainment, inspiration and celebration. The Pavilion at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois, the “Home of the Huskies,” will host the dinner and program on Saturday, November 7, 2015.

“I’m extremely excited to announce the first Victor E. Ball at Rich Harvest Farms,” said NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier. “This is going to be an outstanding event that our fans will not want to miss. Rich Harvest Farms will provide a fantastic setting. I cannot thank the Rich Family and the staff at Rich Harvest Farms enough for everything they do to support NIU Athletics and our student-athletes.”

Guests at the Victor E. Ball will have the opportunity to meet NIU student-athletes and hear their stories first-hand, while also mingling with Huskie head coaches, distinguished alumni and administrators at a world-renowned and exclusive venue.

Following dinner and a silent auction featuring a variety of items and experiences, emcee David Kaplan of Comcast SportsNet Chicago will host an entertaining program centered around inspiring stories of NIU student-athletes. Tom Izzo, the head men’s basketball coach at Michigan State University and an eight-time national coach of the year whose Spartan teams have made six Final Four appearances and 17 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in his 19 seasons as head coach, is the featured speaker for the event. Several unique items and/or experiences also will be auctioned live during the evening.

Rich Harvest Farms, the “Home of the Huskies” men’s and women’s golf programs, is annually named one of Golf Digest’s Top 100 golf courses. The exclusive, private course designed by NIU alumnus Jerry Rich in Sugar Grove was the site of the 2009 Solheim Cup and will play host to the 2016 UL International Crown. Last January, Rich Harvest Farms and NIU were awarded the 2017 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships. The NIU men’s golf team annually plays the Northern Intercollegiate at Rich Harvest Farms in September with this year’s tournament set for Sept. 11-13, 2015.

Tickets for the Victor E. Ball are now available for purchase online at www.NIUHuskies.com/victor-e-ball or by calling the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923. Seating in The Pavilion at Rich Harvest Farms is limited. Several different sponsorship packages are also available with all proceeds assisting NIU Athletics in its continuing commitment to providing the best possible experience for its student-athletes.

“I firmly believe NIU Athletics is positioned for greatness thanks to the more than 400 student-athletes whose successes in competition, in the classroom and in the community have lifted Huskie Athletics to new heights,” Frazier said. “At the same time, financial challenges on the state budgetary level, as well as our commitment to provide cost-of-attendance scholarships and additional meals now allowed by the NCAA, have made increasing the revenues we generate more important than ever before. The Victor E. Ball is another way we can address the needs of our student-athletes and make sure we remain competitive at the highest levels.”

For more information on the Victor E. Ball, the Huskie Athletic Fund and additional ways you can support NIU student-athletes, go to www.NIUHuskies.com or www.HuskieAthleticFund.com.

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