The 1979 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by Pat Culpepper in his fourth and final season as head coach, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 5–5–1 with a mark of 3–3–1 in conference play, placing sixth in the MAC. Northern Illinois played home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois.