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Some off the field game day observations
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NIUfilmmaker Offline
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I Root For: NIU!
Location: Wicker Park, Chicago
Post: #19
RE: Some off the field game day observations
(09-11-2017 11:17 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  The tailgate lots (K, PS, Convo, Stevenson Grass, West & East lawns) looked like the best they have been in 2+ years. Unfortunately that did not mean all those people went into the stadium even for 10min. The Water Tower lot looked worse than it has for any Saturday game since that lot opened as a donor lot. Not sure what to make of that other than a lot of $100 donors didn't donate this year because of the schedule or other reasons.

2/3rds of the West side premium seats were empty, same as last week and based on pictures I saw same as last year. Are these seats sold and donor are just not showing up OR are these seats just not sold. If they are sold and I were on STF team I would contact the people not showing up to see why as this is one of those Saturday games that everyone says they can only show up to.

That being said, the sections to the sides and just above of the premium seats are relatively packed. Those are non-donor seats but full priced seats. The cheap discounted ticket areas are not as full so this is telling me that NIU fans a willing to pay a little more for a better seat but not donate at all or enough to get a chairback or benchback for their season ticket order.

Lots of visiting fans are sitting in section B. What happened with them just sitting in A? I wonder if those visiting fans are ordering their tickets thru NIU rather than their own school or if NIU is giving the visiting school tickets in section B.

Many non-students were sitting on the East side in-between the 30s. I know its family weekend and band day but it was maybe 50/50 with students in that area. One student passing by commented "isn't this supposed to be the student section"...I feel like there needs to be a more defined rowdy section of the East stands.

It seemed like HMB didn't play as much in the 1st half as they did in the 2nd half. It seemed like the speakers were always playing music in place of HMB...was that the case? The 2nd half seemed better but maybe I was just more conscious of it because I was next to the band rather than above them in the 1st half. Loved hearing HMB chants/comments/jokes that you can't hear sitting further away. I wonder if the students would get more involved if they surrounded the band rather then the opposite side of the East stands.

It seemed like for the 2nd week the Yordon endzone club section on the far left was not occupied...so I am guessing not sold. I wonder if they have any of these unsold by game week if they should send out a mass e-mail to donors for a discounted price just so they get some additional cash flowing. Maybe cut the donation portion in half?

Thanks to a board member who gave me the passes, my Wife and 3 kids got to escape the blazing heat of the East stands and escaped to the shade of the Endzone Club. Sorry if it killed anyone's drinking vibe but they had their best time at a NIU game ever. They all actually made it to the last 5min of the game compared to usually leaving for the car after the 3rd quarter after a fully quarter of "can we go yet". Ill have to see if I can get 2 more passes for HC for their last game of the year. Ill will now look into passes for all of us for next year.

I like the fireworks and am still ok with swapping the cannon for them. 05-duck I know many others disagree and I respect that.

The speakers/music sounded horrible. Turn down the treble! Not really attendance related but it being bad cant help attendance.

I was fine with the Neil Diamond song as the transition of holding up 5 at the end of the 3rd quarter. Much more tasteful transition then that "put your hands up in the air" party song they did a few years ago.

The sun angle in relation to the future skyboxes & club seats really is not going to be an issue....which got me thinking of the stadium upgrade vs reality of needs and the "optics" of it. I am still all for the building of the East side premium structure but I don't thing building the South bowl is a good idea...as part of phase 1. Athletics should build the Skybox & outdoor club but keep the East side bleachers 100% for the students and their 2 guest passes, not counting the handicap seating. IMO athletics would do better with spending the South bowl money on any of their other projects. I also think student attendance would drop even more. Better if the donors are surrounded by the student who then get a better atmosphere.

Would love to see the students stay on the East side as well, but also want the bowl built now, not later. The added seating, in addition to the suite facility, would hopefully combined make it harder for the Indiana's and Northwesterns of the world to say no to an away game in beautiful Dekalb.
09-11-2017 06:10 PM
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RE: Some off the field game day observations - NIUfilmmaker - 09-11-2017 06:10 PM



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