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As news about a football player boycott at Minnesota broke, Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier quickly realized his Huskies might have a chance to play in the Holiday Bowl.One problem: NIU was already on winter break.But in less than 24 hours of frantic work, Frazier and NIU coaches knew they had what they needed most to accept a postseason bid on short notice: a motivated team.With the Huskies having played in San Diego bowl games two of the last three seasons Frazier knew the logistics would fall into place for a game against Washington State on Dec. 27. Easy? No. But far from impossible.Because weve had a relationship with (Holiday Bowl organizers), we felt this was necessary to support the bowl and support our student athletes, Frazier told The Associated Press on Saturday in a phone interview. That was a major part of this. This bowl committee, which had been so nice to us, friends to us, that we would get ourselves together and mobilize.Earlier Saturday, Minnesota players announced they would end the boycott over the university suspension of 10 players accused of sexual assault. The Golden Gophers say they will make the trip to San Diego.Not even two days ago, that was in serious doubt.Frazier began getting text messages and email about what was happening at Minnesota on Thursday evening and immediately knew what that meant. It was time to start making calls.He informed his president and board of regents. Then he had to get his staff moving. Eight straight bowl appearances by NIU made Fraziers staff seasoned veterans when it came to bowl preparation.Most of all Frazier had to talk to coach Rod Carey to determine if NIU had a team that could play in 12 days -- in a top second-tier bowl, nonetheless.Picture me calling him up at 9, 10 oclock at night saying, `Rod, this is the scenario. Talk to me. Frazier said, He took a deep breath and said, `Sean, Ive got to get my guys back and some of them are training for the pros. Some of them are now on vacation. Some of them are here. As you could imagine he did a fantastic job. I definitely have to take him out to dinner.NIU finished its season the Saturday after Thanksgiving at 5-7, but having won four of five as it got healthy after early season injuries. NCAA rules allow bowls to select 5-7 to fill spots if there are not enough six-win teams. The teams are selected in order of their latest Academic Progress Rate scores. NIU was next on the list, but the team hadnt even met since Nov. 27. Fall commencement was Dec. 11. The players had dispersed.Carey told Frazier early Friday morning the players were onboard. Most could drive back to campus, but some would need flights. Frazier said it would have cost the university $15,000-$20,000 to pay for travel expenses.The first practice would likely have been held Monday, Frazier said. The coaches had already started breaking down film of Washington State.Wanting to play is one thing. Being eligible is another. Frazier said he had compliance staff working on whether players, who now had fall grades to consider, would be academically eligible. Also, they needed to determine which players with professional aspirations had signed with agents. That would make them ineligible.We were in the middle of going through those re-certifications as well as those appeal processes to make them eligible, Frazier said. We feel confident we would have ... been able to reverse anything that might have happened.Holiday Bowl officials were not commenting publicly, but they were working on backup plans Friday. Frazier assured them the Huskies were good to go if invited.The Huskies played in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium last year and in 2013, a game run by the same group that handles the Holiday Bowl.Frazier said the plan for NIU was mostly to step into whatever Minnesota had already arranged. The Huskies would have redirected the charter flights Minnesota had lined up to leave from Minneapolis to go out of Rockford, Illinois. They would have used the Gophers hotel reservations and practice facilities.As for costs, Frazier said conversations never made it money. The Holiday Bowl payout to its contracted teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12 was $2.8 million last year. NIU would not have been guaranteed that payout, but Frazier said he is confident all costs would have been covered.It would have been great exposure for the Holiday Bowl and NIU, Frazier said.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP Fake Cowboys Jerseys . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. Stitched Cowboys Jerseys . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. https://www.cowboysjerseysale.com/ . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Custom Dallas Cowboys Jerseys . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns confirmed that Josh McCown fractured his left clavicle Sunday in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.Though coach Hue Jackson talked around the injury Friday, the team confirmed the fracture after defensive coordinator Ray Horton said earlier in the day that McCown had a broken collarbone.I was probably most disappointed for Josh, Horton said of the 25-20 loss. He went out there and played with a broken collarbone [and] until the last throw had a chance to win. We talk about the heritage of Ronnie Lott getting a finger amputated to play the game and how precious this game is and what guys will do to play in this game.And so, for me, it was disappointing that we ddidnt win it for Josh.ddddddddddddJackson said the team considers McCown week-to-week. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter has reported that McCown likely will miss multiple games.Whats in there is in there, Jackson said.McCown left for the locker room late in the first quarter to have his shoulder examined. He returned and finished the game, completing 20 of 33 passes for 260 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He finished the game in obvious discomfort.He missed the final five games of the 2015 season after breaking the collarbone, also against Baltimore. ' ' '