NIU much more attractive than BG, Regarding a California Bowl

There are several reasons to pick NIU over BG for a Californian Bowl.

1) NIU has much more Alumni in California. Contrary to what a BG fan said, NIU has several thousand graduates of Computer Science alone in California. IBM has for many years recruited heavily out of NIU. The NIU computer science program has been for a long time one of the few Assembler based Comp. Sci. programs in the nation and is heavily funded by IBM. IBM is big in California. The $30 million (NIU) Barsema business school was funded almost entirely by California Alums.

BG does not have an engineering program, or a nationally recognized Computer. Sci. program.

2) NIU has plenty of Business graduates in California as well. Clearly NIU has more clout than BG in California. NIU fans are more likely to be present in much larger numbers than BG fans in California and have allot more financial clout.(In the past 10 years NIU has had at least 2 Fortune 500 CEO's BG has had none). Clearly NIU has a much more recognized Business school than BG.
Yes NIU has some large financial clout outside the Chicago area.

3) NIU is a much bigger school than BG. (with a much larger minority representation)

4) NIU last Bowl appearance was a very successful 1983 Bowl appearance in California.

5) NIU beat BG (with Omar Jacobs) this year. (A fact that should hardly go unnoticed!!)

6) NIU Cinderella story last year received allot of press down South. Especially beating Alabama in Alabama.

7) Illinois and Northwestern fans in Pasadena are more likely to support NIU over BG.

8) NIU is more of a Cinderella team than BG. (Would make far better press coverage than BG who have been Bowling recently). NIU has a larger average attendance than BG.

9) An NIU Silicon bowl is far more likely to be a financial success than a BG Silicon Bowl.

10) Payback for last year. (Where NIU were 10-2)


Factors in favor of BG are Omar Jacobs star power (NIU has Garret Wolfe).
BG has a much more consistent Offence that can put points on the board allot quicker than NIU.
BG can also put away lowly ranked teams allot more convincingly than NIU has, in the past two years. However Bowls are usually against good teams. The last two years NIU has performed extremely well against many good teams (with the exception of Toledo).

Good analysis.

NIU should have been in a bowl last yr. The NIU program has earned a bid. They beat us straight up and Novak has built a solid program.

SterlingMan...

You should have a job working in the NIU admissions department. Nice comparison.

I mentioned this on the other board, but I don't want to get in a whose better at what argument, but I'm bored and I can't help myself, especially since I am a BG business and MBA grad! US News and World report has BG as a school (third tier) ranked ahead of NIU (4th tier if Im not mistaken) and as a nationally ranked undergrad business program. The business program is good and their are quite a few business grads in executive positions not only in business, but across the board (i.e. CFO of Yukos, Russian Oil Giant, and the Israeli Ambassador to the US, to name a few distinguished people from BGSU). I could list more but I really don't feel like it right now Also, the Supply Chain program is in the top 5 in some publications and top 20 in other publications. With all due respect, NIU is only pretty much known only for its Accounting program when it comes to business. I'm sure they have a solid business program too, but do not belittle BG's program when you don't know the facts about it I don't want to start any fuss over this, but just wanted to put in my 2 cents. Just pick up the latest copy of the US News & World Report college rankings and see for yourself.

NIU's MIS Masters Management Information Systems, was ranked in 2001 in the top 25 in its category by US News and World Report. (Due to the publicity of the opening of the Barsema School of Business)

Realistically the US News and world report does its ranking by sending 400 Deans of the approx 400 US college of Businesses a list with all the US Schools on. Naturally almost all the deans are not familiar with the vast majority of programs on the list and rank them according to their incomplete knowledge. Clearly the process US news uses is not scientific or objective in any way shape or form. The success achieved by business school graduates, program content, percentage of graduates employed in their qualified field, average income of first, second year etc graduates as well as number of published articles are far more tangible and objective ways of measuring a Business school.

The fact that NIU engineering school which is less than 10 years old is ranked in the top 35, while the far more recognized NIU College of Business is ranked over 100 is ridiculous and is more of a reflection of the fact that the outgoing NIU COB Dean David Graf does not pay much attention rightly/wrongly to the rating system. The fact is that NIU has a much larger and more successful Business program than BG as well as Loyola (Chicago) and even DePaul Chicago when it comes to successful alumni. Only University of Chicago, Northwestern and University of Illinois are more successful in this critical regard. NIU business graduates get jobs and are very influential.

Regarding the Israeli ambassador that is very impressive. Congratulations on your Supply chain MBA program.(I have not seen the latest US news. ) Regarding Yukos, it is bankrupt. Its assets are being auctioned off. NIU has several alumni in foreign services namely in South East Asia and Denis Hastert the current congressional speaker of the House is an NIU alumni. Can any MAC school compete against that?

Regarding getting a Bowl NIU is far more likely than BG to buy 7000 tickets in California. Look at BG’s annual home game attendance record. Only 17300 fans a game, compared to NIU’s over 27000 fans a game. Which fans are hungrier for a Bowl NIU or BG.? If home game attendance is anything to goby it is clearly NIU.
Our Wolfe pack offense may not contain the genius of Omar Jacobs, but we have much better fans. If BG fans do not come in numbers to support the Magnificent Omar Jacobs why should non BG fans. It makes a lot more economic, financial and marketing sense to give the third bowl to NIU over BG. We have much better and more loyal fans and are a lot more hungry for a Bowl this year than BG. Non MAC Fans will enjoy watching Wolfe just as much as Jacobs.

It is time that NIU got a Bowl bid. Certainly over BG (Who certainly deserve a Bowl as well this year.) I hope we both get Bowl bids and both win.

Good points in all my man! I hope we both get bowl bids somewhere. Both schools are great schools and wasn't trying to bash NIU. Just sticking up for my school, like you are for yours

One more interesting ranking I found on the US News website is BGSU's learning community. At BGSU it is called 'Impact' I believe. They group high caliber students together and have them live in special dorms etc. to foster creative and critical thinking. BGSU is in good company in these rankings:


Alverno College (WI)
Appalachian State University (NC)*
Bowling Green State University (OH)*
Colorado College
Elon University (NC)
Evergreen State College (WA)*
Georgia State University *
Indiana University–Bloomington *
Indiana U.-Purdue U.–Indianapolis *
Iowa State University *
Miami University–Oxford (OH)*
Michigan State University *
Portland State University (OR)*
Santa Clara University (CA)
St. John's College (MD)
St. Lawrence University (NY)
Syracuse University (NY)
Temple University (PA)*
Univ. of Maryland–College Park *
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor *
Univ. of Missouri–Columbia *
University of Texas–Austin *
University of Washington *
Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison *
Wagner College (NY)
Yale University (CT)