The Chicago Tribune is reporting that NIU athletic director Jim Phillips will accept the same position at Northwestern University later this week.

Phillips became NIU’s athletic director in August 2004 and replaced former NIU athletic director Cary Groth. Groth left NIU to take the same position at Nevada.

The Huskies reached two bowl games during Phillips’ tenure at NIU.

The first was in 2004 when NIU beat Troy 34–21 in the San Jose Silicon Valley Football Classic Bowl. The Huskies returned to postseason play in 2006 when they lost to Texas Christian University, 37–7, in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

Phillips, who earned his doctorate earlier this year, also has many off-field accomplishments.

The athletics director has made academics a focus for his student–athletes. For the last five semesters the combined student–athlete GPA has been over 3.0.

Phillips was also able to broker a deal with WSCR-AM 670 AM, The Score, to air football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball games. He was also able to get a majority of the NIU football team’s games televised over the last couple years.

From 2005 to 2007, 30 of NIU’s 37 games were televised. Outlets including Comcast SportsNet, ESPNU, ESPN2 and ABC Regional aired Huskie football.

The athletic director also pushed a $14 million fundraising campaign in order to build the new Jeffery and Kimberly Yordon Academic and Athletic Center. Phillips brought in NIU’s second six–figure donation in history for the project.

As NIU’s athletics director, Phillips has served on multiple committees in the MAC and national level.

At the Mid–American Conference level, Phillips is the chairman of athletic directors, sits on the Executive Council and used to serve on the committees for compliance in women’s basketball, athletic directors and women’s track and field.

Nationally, Phillips is a member of the Women’s Basketball Committee, WBOC Advisory Board and National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics.

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