Quote:I'm glad you realize you're a meatball asking this question. I'm not entirely sure when it started, but for at least the last year I've heard people who believe the Big 12 is honestly interested in adding Northern Illinois. I feel confident that this is a rumor that started amongst Huskies fans who don't quite understand how conference realignment and expansion works.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/eye-on-college-football/25210786/tweetbag-which-coaches-are-on-the-hot-seat-in-2015

(06-10-2015 10:54 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  You are really spiteful your school is gonna be left in the MAC while we move on to bigger and better things... aren't you? I'm not saying B12 is a slam dunk, far from it. I'd say NIU is a serious dark horse behind quite a few teams. However i do think they'll be outta the MAC sooner than later and you can enjoy watching us further our ascension while you scramble with CMU and Ball St for relevancy there.

(06-10-2015 11:22 PM)bullet Wrote:  NIU DID leave the MAC once. They ended up returning.

(06-10-2015 10:49 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

Quote:I'm glad you realize you're a meatball asking this question. I'm not entirely sure when it started, but for at least the last year I've heard people who believe the Big 12 is honestly interested in adding Northern Illinois. I feel confident that this is a rumor that started amongst Huskies fans who don't quite understand how conference realignment and expansion works.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/eye-on-college-football/25210786/tweetbag-which-coaches-are-on-the-hot-seat-in-2015

(06-10-2015 11:27 PM)HuskieAlumnus03 Wrote:  

(06-10-2015 10:49 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

Quote:I'm glad you realize you're a meatball asking this question. I'm not entirely sure when it started, but for at least the last year I've heard people who believe the Big 12 is honestly interested in adding Northern Illinois. I feel confident that this is a rumor that started amongst Huskies fans who don't quite understand how conference realignment and expansion works.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/eye-on-college-football/25210786/tweetbag-which-coaches-are-on-the-hot-seat-in-2015

You get the biggest boner for bringing up NIU. LOL

(06-10-2015 11:22 PM)bullet Wrote:  NIU DID leave the MAC once. They ended up returning.

(06-10-2015 11:26 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  

(06-10-2015 11:22 PM)bullet Wrote:  NIU DID leave the MAC once. They ended up returning.

Jumping to independent at that point was dumb. The school is in a far better position now. I feel like this year with the scheduling and the changes made in organizing you'll all be surprised with what NIU shows for attendance. The UNLV game will be the showcase of that. Sat game opener against a well known team in Sept and on national tv? Sounds good to me

Quote:DE KALB — Northern Illinois University, a school with big dreams, has half of the "Big" part right. However, the other half requires a number, not a direction.

The Huskies begin play this year in the expanded Big West Conference football alliance. With schools like Northern Illinois, Arkansas State and Southwestern Louisiana being added to the conference, the West Coast now must begin at the Tennessee border.

Geography aside, all parties at Northern see the Big West arrangement as temporary, a step in a process that will end in Northern Illinois being the easternmost stop in a Midwestern league. Specifically, the Big Eight.

Nebraska and Northern Illinois playing for a trip to the Orange Bowl? Snicker if you will. So what if the required jump rivals anything achieved by Super.man

At Northern Illinois, with its enrollment of 25,000 students, university PresidentJohn E. La Tourette gets paid to dream such dreams.

"This institution always had high aspirations," La Tourette said. "We've added a law school, we've added an engineering school. We've added a campus in Hoffman Estates. We've had a lot of dreams at this institution, and in the last 20 years, many of them have been realized."

La Tourette then cautioned, "This one may be tougher."

Indeed, there are dreams, and there are pipe dreams. At this point, Northern Illinois still seems to be at the magic genie stage.

For starters, this is a program that has failed to average 15,000 fans a game over a season since 1985, hardly numbers the Big Eight wants to see.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-08-09/sports/9308090184_1_niu-dreams-bottom-line

(06-10-2015 11:41 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

Quote:DE KALB — Northern Illinois University, a school with big dreams, has half of the "Big" part right. However, the other half requires a number, not a direction.

The Huskies begin play this year in the expanded Big West Conference football alliance. With schools like Northern Illinois, Arkansas State and Southwestern Louisiana being added to the conference, the West Coast now must begin at the Tennessee border.

Geography aside, all parties at Northern see the Big West arrangement as temporary, a step in a process that will end in Northern Illinois being the easternmost stop in a Midwestern league. Specifically, the Big Eight.

Nebraska and Northern Illinois playing for a trip to the Orange Bowl? Snicker if you will. So what if the required jump rivals anything achieved by Super.man

At Northern Illinois, with its enrollment of 25,000 students, university PresidentJohn E. La Tourette gets paid to dream such dreams.

"This institution always had high aspirations," La Tourette said. "We've added a law school, we've added an engineering school. We've added a campus in Hoffman Estates. We've had a lot of dreams at this institution, and in the last 20 years, many of them have been realized."

La Tourette then cautioned, "This one may be tougher."

Indeed, there are dreams, and there are pipe dreams. At this point, Northern Illinois still seems to be at the magic genie stage.

For starters, this is a program that has failed to average 15,000 fans a game over a season since 1985, hardly numbers the Big Eight wants to see.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-08-09/sports/9308090184_1_niu-dreams-bottom-line

(06-10-2015 11:52 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  Northern didn't beat Nebraska in its Orange Bowl season but it did take out Kansas 30-23.

All the Huskies need is to go on a Boise State type run in the Top 10 and they instantly are one of the top candidates for the B12.

(06-11-2015 12:48 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  NIU? Dream about being in the future 20 team AAC. The big 12 isn't happening for you but rejoice because it isn't happening for Cincy or BYU or ECU or Memphis or UConn.