Maddawgz if you think playing the Wisconsin game at Huskie Stadium and getting beat by 6 TDs would have done anything for the fan base on a long term basis, you're certifiably insane. Just nuts.

(03-11-2013 03:22 PM)7 Wrote:  Seriously, we haven't lost a home game since Chandler Harnish was making his 13th career start at NIU. Anybody who has gone to a game at Huskie Stadium since September 27th, 2009 has left seeing NIU win. Somehow, you think playing a BCS team every year is going to draw in fans and build a fan base more than that? Are you kidding?

Im not saying it makes sense, but at some point you have to look at the reality of a situation. We can say whatever we want that fans should come to support a winner, but when they dont come and have dropped off in numbers as sharply as they have, it points to a bigger picture. You need a combination of both, its all about a balance between the money game and the games that help you grow. We have been so heavy on one side of that equation that we are starting to see severe impacts from the years of neglect. My fear is that during this decade we have probably missed a generation of Huskie fans in the process. Granted the poor scheduling is not the only factor, the ESPN deal is also huge, but in my opinion the ESPN deal is what makes scheduling even more critical, you basically have to write off 2 home games as it is now, so you have to do everything you can to make season tickets marketable.

(03-11-2013 03:25 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:22 PM)7 Wrote:  Seriously, we haven't lost a home game since Chandler Harnish was making his 13th career start at NIU. Anybody who has gone to a game at Huskie Stadium since September 27th, 2009 has left seeing NIU win. Somehow, you think playing a BCS team every year is going to draw in fans and build a fan base more than that? Are you kidding?

Well it's pretty apparent that winning 11 games a year against the current schedule is not enough to attract fans.

And neither would be one game against a BCS a year. It's not an AD problem, it's a fan problem.

(03-11-2013 03:25 PM)7 Wrote:  Maddawgz if you think playing the Wisconsin game at Huskie Stadium and getting beat by 6 TDs would have done anything for the fan base on a long term basis, you're certifiably insane. Just nuts.

Haven't we already established this?

(03-11-2013 03:25 PM)7 Wrote:  Maddawgz if you think playing the Wisconsin game at Huskie Stadium and getting beat by 6 TDs would have done anything for the fan base on a long term basis, you're certifiably insane. Just nuts.

Who knows what would have happened if it was at Huskie Stadium, maybe not a win but who knows. You would have had a sold out stadium and many first time attendees, many many many of them would have remained season ticket holders for years to come. I dont go as far back as many on this board but my first NIU football was in the mid 90s when a ranked K-State team came into Huskie Stadium. That was my first major collegiate football game and the excitement around that night (even though it was a thumping) is something that stuck with me forever and got me into college football.

(03-11-2013 03:22 PM)7 Wrote:  Seriously, we haven't lost a home game since Chandler Harnish was making his 13th career start at NIU. Anybody who has gone to a game at Huskie Stadium since September 27th, 2009 has left seeing NIU win. Somehow, you think playing a BCS team every year is going to draw in fans and build a fan base more than that? Are you kidding?

we are talking about 1 non com home game. We can't not play our MAC games. If we paly a BCS gane In HS, they will sell it out, now my question has not been answered as to whetehr they stadium will be filled up the next week vs EMU because qwe palyed a BCS team the week before.

Ah yes, Huskie Stadium would have made the 6 TD difference in that one and made that game a barn burner causing many fans to come back and purchase season tickets for years to come! Makes perfect sense. And no, the getting them to Huskie Stadium argument is crap when you consider everybody who has gone to a game there since Septemeber 09 has seen a win and still nobody goes.

Not to mention the fact you continue to ignore Wisconsin was never going to come to Huskie Stadium.

(03-11-2013 03:34 PM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:22 PM)7 Wrote:  Seriously, we haven't lost a home game since Chandler Harnish was making his 13th career start at NIU. Anybody who has gone to a game at Huskie Stadium since September 27th, 2009 has left seeing NIU win. Somehow, you think playing a BCS team every year is going to draw in fans and build a fan base more than that? Are you kidding?

we are talking about 1 non com home game. We can't not play our MAC games. If we paly a BCS gane In HS, they will sell it out, now my question has not been answered as to whetehr they stadium will be filled up the next week vs EMU because qwe palyed a BCS team the week before.

Oh really? It'll sell out? Just like Kansas sold it out last year?

(03-11-2013 03:26 PM)7 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:25 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:22 PM)7 Wrote:  Seriously, we haven't lost a home game since Chandler Harnish was making his 13th career start at NIU. Anybody who has gone to a game at Huskie Stadium since September 27th, 2009 has left seeing NIU win. Somehow, you think playing a BCS team every year is going to draw in fans and build a fan base more than that? Are you kidding?

Well it's pretty apparent that winning 11 games a year against the current schedule is not enough to attract fans.

And neither would be one game against a BCS a year. It's not an AD problem, it's a fan problem.

We might have just needed ONE big game against a good school to get fans back to Huskie stadium. Even when we weren't good, the games with high attendance were either Illinois FCS schools, or Louisville or Kansas State. After the Maryland game, people went to games for 2-3 years after that. We were a little lucky that they were ranked. Not saying that would happen now, but we'd get more people, and if they won, it would carry over to more games.

(03-11-2013 03:39 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  We might have just needed ONE big game against a good school to get fans back to Huskie stadium. Even when we weren't good, the games with high attendance were either Illinois FCS schools, or Louisville or Kansas State. After the Maryland game, people went to games for 2-3 years after that. We were a little lucky that they were ranked. Not saying that would happen now, but we'd get more people, and if they won, it would carry over to more games.

2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.


How about at a minimum we just stop scheduling FCS teams.

(03-11-2013 03:39 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:26 PM)7 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:25 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:22 PM)7 Wrote:  Seriously, we haven't lost a home game since Chandler Harnish was making his 13th career start at NIU. Anybody who has gone to a game at Huskie Stadium since September 27th, 2009 has left seeing NIU win. Somehow, you think playing a BCS team every year is going to draw in fans and build a fan base more than that? Are you kidding?

Well it's pretty apparent that winning 11 games a year against the current schedule is not enough to attract fans.

And neither would be one game against a BCS a year. It's not an AD problem, it's a fan problem.

We might have just needed ONE big game against a good school to get fans back to Huskie stadium. Even when we weren't good, the games with high attendance were either Illinois FCS schools, or Louisville or Kansas State. After the Maryland game, people went to games for 2-3 years after that. We were a little lucky that they were ranked. Not saying that would happen now, but we'd get more people, and if they won, it would carry over to more games.

I honestly think thats almost all it would take, I think you nailed it. If you can follow up Kansas-Wake Forests-Iowa State on an every other year basis that would do the trick too, or like you say, you bring in that one big opponent, and that alone would bring people back.

And 7, your argument about winning is only solidifying my argument, I agree our fans kinda suck and need more than winning games vs in state FCS schools and MAC opponents to keep them happy. That is exactly why the schedule is everything.

This year's schedule is OK every once in awhile, to me though this is becoming the norm. If there was that big game to look forward to next year or even the year after that, people might be more prone to get season tickets now. Instead we have Idaho to look forward to next year, and Wyoming the year after that.

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:39 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  We might have just needed ONE big game against a good school to get fans back to Huskie stadium. Even when we weren't good, the games with high attendance were either Illinois FCS schools, or Louisville or Kansas State. After the Maryland game, people went to games for 2-3 years after that. We were a little lucky that they were ranked. Not saying that would happen now, but we'd get more people, and if they won, it would carry over to more games.

2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.


How about at a minimum we just stop scheduling FCS teams.

We were just getting good then. I think if we schedule FCS teams they should be Illinois teams. They do tend to bring some fans.

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:39 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  We might have just needed ONE big game against a good school to get fans back to Huskie stadium. Even when we weren't good, the games with high attendance were either Illinois FCS schools, or Louisville or Kansas State. After the Maryland game, people went to games for 2-3 years after that. We were a little lucky that they were ranked. Not saying that would happen now, but we'd get more people, and if they won, it would carry over to more games.

2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.


How about at a minimum we just stop scheduling FCS teams.

That is why its imprtant to follow the WF games up on something more frequent than a once per 10 year basis, if you do, thats when people come. Just every other year is fine, that would do the trick.

(03-11-2013 03:50 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:39 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  We might have just needed ONE big game against a good school to get fans back to Huskie stadium. Even when we weren't good, the games with high attendance were either Illinois FCS schools, or Louisville or Kansas State. After the Maryland game, people went to games for 2-3 years after that. We were a little lucky that they were ranked. Not saying that would happen now, but we'd get more people, and if they won, it would carry over to more games.

2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.


How about at a minimum we just stop scheduling FCS teams.

We were just getting good then. I think if we schedule FCS teams they should be Illinois teams. They do tend to bring some fans.

I am fine with that every few years.

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.

Only on paper. The "announced" attendance for Kansas was the same, but from my seats (even with coach Charlie Wideass in the way) there were more people for the Wake Forest game. Or at least I was fooled into thinking that because the fans that year got off their seats.

Not to sound funny, but this began as a thread on the AD search and like so many other topics, it unravels into an attendance debate. All the more reason I hope the search for a new AD is not a secretive one and there's some sort of forum where we can hear what the candidates offer in the way of a vision, marketing plan, etc. for NIU athletics in terms of football, plus men's and women's basketball.

(03-11-2013 04:49 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.

Only on paper. The "announced" attendance for Kansas was the same, but from my seats (even with coach Charlie Wideass in the way) there were more people for the Wake Forest game. Or at least I was fooled into thinking that because the fans that year got off their seats.

Not to sound funny, but this began as a thread on the AD search and like so many other topics, it unravels into an attendance debate. All the more reason I hope the search for a new AD is not a secretive one and there's some sort of forum where we can hear what the candidates offer in the way of a vision, marketing plan, etc. for NIU athletics in terms of football, plus men's and women's basketball.

There were many more NIU fans in the stands in 2002. Kansas had one of the best visiting draws that I have ever seen at Huskie Stadium.

(03-11-2013 04:49 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.

Only on paper. The "announced" attendance for Kansas was the same, but from my seats (even with coach Charlie Wideass in the way) there were more people for the Wake Forest game. Or at least I was fooled into thinking that because the fans that year got off their seats.

Not to sound funny, but this began as a thread on the AD search and like so many other topics, it unravels into an attendance debate. All the more reason I hope the search for a new AD is not a secretive one and there's some sort of forum where we can hear what the candidates offer in the way of a vision, marketing plan, etc. for NIU athletics in terms of football, plus men's and women's basketball.

I think its inevitable it will come down to that discussion because thats where the two previous ADs have failed, so it should be a huge topic.

(03-11-2013 10:04 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 09:26 AM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Interesting thoughts from Mike as always:

http://www.huskiewire.com/articles/2013/.../index.xml

you get the best person period. Being an NIU grad is minimal. The job of AD is mauch harder then the old days when it consisted of a retired football coach playing in golf outing all the time.

I agree, I think Korcek sometimes is "too close" to his alma mater and that sometimes clouds his judgement. His assessment that an AD is overrated is dumb! And his list of candidates is a little rediculous. Here are some flaws to hire that group. I think they fail in many of these categories.

1. Would they be able to focus on all aspects of the job including maintaining our academic achievements of our Athletics programs?

2. What type of connections do they have in the sports world? Do they know anyone on Bowl selection committees who can broker a deal for us to get to a better bowl?

3. How connected are they to the media? Can they maintain and secure our teams TV access?

4. What types of negotiation skills do they have to get us these deals?

5. What types of skills do they have for raising money by getting "others" to donate.

Compher and Phillips were much better at all of these than Groth.

What's Jerry O'dell doing these days? (just kidding!)

(03-11-2013 05:03 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 04:49 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.

Only on paper. The "announced" attendance for Kansas was the same, but from my seats (even with coach Charlie Wideass in the way) there were more people for the Wake Forest game. Or at least I was fooled into thinking that because the fans that year got off their seats.

Not to sound funny, but this began as a thread on the AD search and like so many other topics, it unravels into an attendance debate. All the more reason I hope the search for a new AD is not a secretive one and there's some sort of forum where we can hear what the candidates offer in the way of a vision, marketing plan, etc. for NIU athletics in terms of football, plus men's and women's basketball.

There were many more NIU fans in the stands in 2002. Kansas had one of the best visiting draws that I have ever seen at Huskie Stadium.

Much better visitor attendance than Kansas:

SIU (2004)
Navy (2008)

(03-12-2013 06:46 AM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 05:03 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 04:49 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-11-2013 03:47 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  2002 vs WF OT win...around the same number were in attendance as our 2012 Kansas game.

Only on paper. The "announced" attendance for Kansas was the same, but from my seats (even with coach Charlie Wideass in the way) there were more people for the Wake Forest game. Or at least I was fooled into thinking that because the fans that year got off their seats.

Not to sound funny, but this began as a thread on the AD search and like so many other topics, it unravels into an attendance debate. All the more reason I hope the search for a new AD is not a secretive one and there's some sort of forum where we can hear what the candidates offer in the way of a vision, marketing plan, etc. for NIU athletics in terms of football, plus men's and women's basketball.

There were many more NIU fans in the stands in 2002. Kansas had one of the best visiting draws that I have ever seen at Huskie Stadium.

Much better visitor attendance than Kansas:

SIU (2004)
Navy (2008)

Kansas has a larger alumni base in the Chicagoland area then most think. I work with a KU grad who has the stats and he went to the game with a large group.