I'm developing an idea / system for a 16 team Big East and want to know what the fan interest for a Big East invite would be. Share your thoughts please.

I'm for it.

Link to discussion article on Big East board

Can't work without our "rival" toledo.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice to see that we have earned some "mindshare" and that our name comes up in these kinds of discussions.

The biggest thing holding us back at this point is our small fanbase and low attendance at home games. Start selling out and expand the stadium and anything could happen.

I'd be very surprised if you found many NIU fans (on this board) that would say no to the Big East. That said, I don't think many of us here think we stand a chance at being invited (myself included).

Unless that Big 12 offer arrives first :)

The MAC wont exist in 3 or 4 years in college football so its important for NIU to go somewhere. Id really prefer not to be playing Illinois State every year, but I'm afraid thats where its headed.

(03-17-2012 06:14 PM)niuaccy1976 Wrote:  Unless that Big 12 offer arrives first :)

This.

Seriously, I read your thread and I like your thought process for including NIU into your plan. I'm not surprised by the resistance though, I don't think many of your conference mates have your foresight.

NIU would bring the #3 market to the Big East (which it doesn't have in its current football negotiations) and what gets lost a lot is the FERTILE Illinois/Chicago area recruiting grounds for both football, but especially, basketball. I'm sure having a connection to those Chicago basketball recruits during football season would only help bolster the Big East recruiting in the area.

(03-17-2012 04:54 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  Nice to see that we have earned some "mindshare" and that our name comes up in these kinds of discussions.

The biggest thing holding us back at this point is our small fanbase and low attendance at home games. Start selling out and expand the stadium and anything could happen.

Nice to see indeed, the first time I've seen us mentioned. And just wait until our basketball team starts winning more games than our football team!

I like the option as FB only...if we can get invited to the Horizon League or somehow stay in the MAC for all our other sports. If we have to join some crazy travel conference then no.

We would need to move on our media/suite box update asap along with an update to the West stands of HS after that is completed. If after these two projects attendance averages over 25k then we can add our South endzone stands that were in the 1993 plans. Our maximum capacity shouldn't need to be increased by more than 7500 total bringing the top end up to 35,500 with a sellout closer to 30k.

I think your rotation to play other teams is fair and actually would give national exposure at a regional level to each team. The money obviously would have to far outweigh the increase travel cost but even if the BE TV big gets cut big time I don't see that as a problem.

If the BE does this playoff though they are giving up on the big bowl system...which is fine by me but I don't see the current BE Commish doing anything like this.

Hosting Memphis, Cincinnati & Louisville regularly along with Boise St, Fresno St, Rutgers & UCONN would help attendance quite a bit.

Hosting Temple, Navy, SMU, Houston, AF, SDSU, UCF & USF would be like our Army game this year...without a huge storm we would have had 24k...with the marketing budget of a MAC team.

I think the PAC 10 is for us.

(03-18-2012 10:36 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  I like the option as FB only...

It should be ALL sports, if need be, the Big East can kick out DePaul and replace them with NIU instead of offering a football-only invitation.

DePaul has won maybe 3 conference games in the last 20 years (hyperbole).

(03-18-2012 02:29 PM)Howl-n-Prowl Wrote:  

(03-18-2012 10:36 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  I like the option as FB only...

It should be ALL sports, if need be, the Big East can kick out DePaul and replace them with NIU instead of offering a football-only invitation.

DePaul has won maybe 3 conference games in the last 20 years (hyperbole).

I agree. I would also like to know the reasons for the "no" votes.

Can someone informed on the matter detail the Administration support of the athletic department, the city / state support, budget, endowments, academics, etc?

Any way we can get in the Big East would be great. All sports would be best, but FB only works for me. Get in the MVC for all other sports. The MAC is tough to see long term. I'd love to be in Big East

Would love to be in the Big East. Travel wouldn't be that bad especially with the increase of funds we would be getting from the conference TV.

(03-18-2012 02:39 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(03-18-2012 02:29 PM)Howl-n-Prowl Wrote:  

(03-18-2012 10:36 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  I like the option as FB only...

It should be ALL sports, if need be, the Big East can kick out DePaul and replace them with NIU instead of offering a football-only invitation.

DePaul has won maybe 3 conference games in the last 20 years (hyperbole).

I agree. I would also like to know the reasons for the "no" votes.

+1 I can't even think of any reason why us as fans wouldn't want to see NIU play a well known school every weekend.

(03-18-2012 05:37 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  Would love to be in the Big East. Travel wouldn't be that bad especially with the increase of funds we would be getting from the conference TV.

Yep.

For Olympic sports: (Closer than Buffalo, farthest all-sports MAC school)
- Marquette
- DePaul
- Notre Dame
- Louisville
- Cincinnati
- Memphis

I want to take on the best all the time. It would be hard to be successful, but a lot more fun.