Northern Michigan University celebrating 50th anniversary of 1975 NCAA Division II championship football team

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Northern Michigan University is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1975 NCAA Division II championship football team this weekend!

Festivities kick off with a welcome party at Blackrocks Brewery tonight from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Friday, Steve Mariucci will moderate a former players panel at Vandament Arena from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

Later, the current and alumni teams will meet with the public at a celebratory dinner. Tickets are sold out, but it will be livestreamed here.

Saturday, you can attend a 1975 championship game viewing party and a filmmakers panel with the production crew of the upcoming feature-length film ‘Northern Boys’ at Vandament Arena from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

A pre-game tailgate will be held behind the Superior Dome from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Northern Michigan University will play Grand Valley State University at 7:00!

You can check out the full schedule at nmu.edu/alumni/footballreunion.

Upper Michigan Today visited the Superior Dome for Thursday’s episode to chat with NMU football players of the past and present, and the Northern Boys production crew, about the celebrations.

Former players Bob Tuma, Kurt Albrecht, and Dan Stencil join Tia Trudgeon and John Redfield to reminisce about the season.

NMU Football Head Coach Shane Richardson and players Trevor Leigh and Mike Karlen join the conversation.

Jack Hirn, the executive producer for Northern Boys, was a member of the 1975 championship team. The film is currently in development before moving into the pre-production stage. Filming will take place in Marquette over a few weeks.

Brandy Derrick and Keyun Parker are also key players in making that film.

They say there are opportunities to get involved in the production.

You can learn more at northernboys1975.com.

The Northern Boys production crew members share why they want to tell this story.

Former player Steve Mariucci joins the conversation to share fond memories with his championship teammates.

Put her in, coach! The crew has fun on the field to end the show!

The team went 13 and 1 on the season, after going winless the previous year.

The 1975 season culminated in a 16 to 14 championship win against Western Kentucky.

You can watch Upper Michigan Today on weekdays at 9:00 a.m. ET on FOX UP or stream the show on your smart device with TV6+.