Sports

Illinois State Football Coach’s Wife Denied Field Access For Team Celebration After Tense Spat

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Illinois State football coach's wife denied field access.


The Illinois State football team beat Northern Illinois on the road in Dekalb on Saturday night. After the game, Aimee Spack was denied field access by a Huskies staffer.

Aimee, the wife of Redbirds head coach Brock Spack, was confronted as she attempted to meet her husband at midfield. The exchange looked tense. The staff member likely had no idea who Spack was.

That interaction followed an incredibly entertaining contest between last year’s FCS national runner-up and a former MAC program that recently transitioned to the Mountain West.

Illinois State football earns statement win.

The Redbirds travelled two hours north to face the Huskies in non-conference action over the weekend. Illinois State entered at 2-0 with a No. 4 ranking in the FCS polls. UNI, meanwhile, lost its opener to Iowa, 40-0.

It was all Illinois State in the first half. The Redbirds scored the first 21 points of the game. They then watched the Huskies battle all the way back to take a late lead.

Northern Illinois got the score to 21-17 before halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, the home team took a 24-21 lead with seven minutes left to play.

Illinois State didn’t back down. The Redbirds used an 11-play drive on their next possession to regain the advantage. A 16-yard touchdown pass to Alex Herrera proved to be the difference.

The Redbirds won the game 28-24. It wasn’t technically an upset as Illinois State was favored to win the game by a field goal. It was still a statement win given ISU’s status as an FCS affiliate.

After the game, the road team gathered on the field to celebrate. Aimee Spack was denied access.

Head coach’s wife involved in heated conversation.

A Northern Illinois staff member refused to let Spack on the field. He probably didn’t know who she was. Illinois State football fans knew right away.

As a result, the interaction went viral.

Redbirds claimed poor sportsmanship. Huskies say Spack didn’t have her credentials. Without firsthand knowledge of the conversation, it’s hard to say the motive behind the denial.

The optics were certainly poor given the UNI loss.