DeKALB – NIU has announced its plans for the 1899 Club, a project aimed at enhancing student-athlete nutrition with a new facility worth approximately $4 million. The new facility will make training table meals available to athletes of NIU football, basketball and volleyball with plans to expand to other programs.

The name for the 1899 Club represents the first year in which NIU competed in intercollegiate athletics. NIU hopes this project will help produce success in athletics, as well as increase nutritional education, according to an Athletics press release.

The facility will be built as an expansion of the Yordon Center. The 1899 Club will serve as an additional nutrition resource with the Northwestern Medicine Sports Performance Center and the Phi Sigma Kappa Alumni Association of NIU Nutrition Center.

Outside of team meal times, the new facility will also function as a space for academic resources, such as workshops, tutoring and academic coaching sessions.

Sean T. Frazier, NIU vice president and director of athletics and recreation, spoke about the project in an NIU Athletics press release.

“The time is now,” Frazier said. “Internally, we have talked about this project for a while. We are thrilled to unveil a plan to provide a training table space for many of our student-athletes, while also allowing for expansion to our Student-Athlete Academic Support Services area.”

NIU will seek donations to fund the 1899 Club, as well as other projects, during the Week of Giving from Oct. 23 to Oct. 27, 2023. Donations have amounted to just $610 at the time of this report.