(10-09-2013 07:01 PM)HuskieJoe Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 06:42 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:56 PM)NIUHuskie Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:48 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:44 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I've read numerous times that when you regularly sell to 80% capacity of your stadium, its time for expansion. We should jump to 28k or 31k, no?

This surge in support is due almost exclusively to the Orange Bowl. It has legitimized this team in the eyes of fans and students. If there is no commitment to upgrade the schedule, stadium improvements and expansion are a waste of money because people will not come after this Orange Bowl push is over unless you give them a continued reason to feel like fans of a legitimate big time program. And that is done through scheduling. That quote from RedandBlackattack has really made me want to chew nails

I'm not sure if the sell outs would have happened if we didn't beat Iowa (for the first sell out) and then beat Purdue and come back home undefeated and ranked #23 (for the second sell out).

The 80% landmark means if we are doing 20,000 a few times a season, expansion is reasonable. We are close to that, now with recent sellouts...

I think the 5 game home stand, with only 2 home games the first 8 weeks of the season is just as significant as being 5-0 and coming off the Orange Bowl. If we had a game every other week, I don't think all games would have sold out. The fair weather fan has other things going on and won't come every other week, but 2 home games before the end of October is manageable for the fair weather fan. It will be interesting what happens for the EMU game. Two weeks after the previous game and it not being homecoming or band day, we probably will have a bit of a letdown in attendance. Ball State will undoubtedly sell out if we're undefeated, especially since Ball St should be 8-1 and possibly ranked in the Top 25 by then.

I just don't agree with that, you have the bulk of incoming freshman going to games just because of the Orange Bowl. I really hope Frazier is looking to improve our home schedule ASAP because this well will run dry faster than a beer nugget is consumed on DeKalb Saturday night. If the lessons of 2004-2007 teach us anything, let it be that success along cannot dictate attendance long term. You have to build the infrastructure to maintain it, and that's a good home schedule.

(10-09-2013 07:06 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 06:54 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:48 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:44 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I've read numerous times that when you regularly sell to 80% capacity of your stadium, its time for expansion. We should jump to 28k or 31k, no?

This surge in support is due almost exclusively to the Orange Bowl. It has legitimized this team in the eyes of fans and students. If there is no commitment to upgrade the schedule, stadium improvements and expansion are a waste of money because people will not come after this Orange Bowl push is over unless you give them a continued reason to feel like fans of a legitimate big time program. And that is done through scheduling. That quote from RedandBlackattack has really made me want to chew nails

Upgrade the capacity and it will help NIU to afford to pay more to visiting teams. They go hand in hand and expanding to 30K would be reasonable and not overdoing it.

I say do not upgrade unless you get good teams in first. If Toledo can do it, we can. I hate repeating this question but why accept that fact Toledo is light years ahead of our program, are they really that much better of a football program.

I sent you a PM.

(10-09-2013 05:44 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I've read numerous times that when you regularly sell to 80% capacity of your stadium, its time for expansion. We should jump to 28k or 31k, no?

No expansion necessary....Keep demand up..

Improvements would be better, even if you had to eliminate seats to create "suites, club seating, etc"

We keep up this kind of demand then we can raise ticket prices to help fund stadium improvements.

This is the first time in a while this has been an issue in a long time. We need to keep this up for a couple more years before we talk about adding more. The priority should be renovating the West grandstands to improve concessions, bathrooms, a store to buy Huskie gear, etc.

(10-09-2013 07:25 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  We keep up this kind of demand then we can raise ticket prices to help fund stadium improvements.

This is the first time in a while this has been an issue in a long time. We need to keep this up for a couple more years before we talk about adding more. The priority should be renovating the West grandstands to improve concessions, bathrooms, a store to buy Huskie gear, etc.

Can't even imagine the **** storm that would happen if you did that..

(10-09-2013 06:54 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:48 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:44 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I've read numerous times that when you regularly sell to 80% capacity of your stadium, its time for expansion. We should jump to 28k or 31k, no?

This surge in support is due almost exclusively to the Orange Bowl. It has legitimized this team in the eyes of fans and students. If there is no commitment to upgrade the schedule, stadium improvements and expansion are a waste of money because people will not come after this Orange Bowl push is over unless you give them a continued reason to feel like fans of a legitimate big time program. And that is done through scheduling. That quote from RedandBlackattack has really made me want to chew nails

Upgrade the capacity and it will help NIU to afford to pay more to visiting teams. They go hand in hand and expanding to 30K would be reasonable and not overdoing it.

Build a real skybox then we can have added capasity AND high dollar tickets/donations. Smaller than Akron but bigger than Ball St.

(10-09-2013 07:51 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 06:54 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:48 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:44 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I've read numerous times that when you regularly sell to 80% capacity of your stadium, its time for expansion. We should jump to 28k or 31k, no?

This surge in support is due almost exclusively to the Orange Bowl. It has legitimized this team in the eyes of fans and students. If there is no commitment to upgrade the schedule, stadium improvements and expansion are a waste of money because people will not come after this Orange Bowl push is over unless you give them a continued reason to feel like fans of a legitimate big time program. And that is done through scheduling. That quote from RedandBlackattack has really made me want to chew nails

Upgrade the capacity and it will help NIU to afford to pay more to visiting teams. They go hand in hand and expanding to 30K would be reasonable and not overdoing it.

Build a real skybox then we can have added capasity AND high dollar tickets/donations. Smaller than Akron but bigger than Ball St.

But again, don't waste the money if you are not willing to invest in upgrading the schedule. Once you get a few good teams into Huskie Stadium and start to build attendance, then worry about expansion.

(10-09-2013 07:53 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 07:51 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 06:54 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:48 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:44 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I've read numerous times that when you regularly sell to 80% capacity of your stadium, its time for expansion. We should jump to 28k or 31k, no?

This surge in support is due almost exclusively to the Orange Bowl. It has legitimized this team in the eyes of fans and students. If there is no commitment to upgrade the schedule, stadium improvements and expansion are a waste of money because people will not come after this Orange Bowl push is over unless you give them a continued reason to feel like fans of a legitimate big time program. And that is done through scheduling. That quote from RedandBlackattack has really made me want to chew nails

Upgrade the capacity and it will help NIU to afford to pay more to visiting teams. They go hand in hand and expanding to 30K would be reasonable and not overdoing it.

Build a real skybox then we can have added capasity AND high dollar tickets/donations. Smaller than Akron but bigger than Ball St.

But again, don't waste the money if you are not willing to invest in upgrading the schedule. Once you get a few good teams into Huskie Stadium and start to build attendance, then worry about expansion.

Upgrade schedule by stop scheduling FCS teams.
Schedule 2 G5 teams for 1-1 alternating years. The other 2 games would be for a paycheck or maybe a 2-1 vs a P5 team.

(10-09-2013 07:56 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 07:53 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 07:51 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 06:54 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 05:48 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  This surge in support is due almost exclusively to the Orange Bowl. It has legitimized this team in the eyes of fans and students. If there is no commitment to upgrade the schedule, stadium improvements and expansion are a waste of money because people will not come after this Orange Bowl push is over unless you give them a continued reason to feel like fans of a legitimate big time program. And that is done through scheduling. That quote from RedandBlackattack has really made me want to chew nails

Upgrade the capacity and it will help NIU to afford to pay more to visiting teams. They go hand in hand and expanding to 30K would be reasonable and not overdoing it.

Build a real skybox then we can have added capasity AND high dollar tickets/donations. Smaller than Akron but bigger than Ball St.

But again, don't waste the money if you are not willing to invest in upgrading the schedule. Once you get a few good teams into Huskie Stadium and start to build attendance, then worry about expansion.

Upgrade schedule by stop scheduling FCS teams.
Schedule 2 G5 teams for 1-1 alternating years. The other 2 games would be for a paycheck or maybe a 2-1 vs a P5 team.

NIU has no chance to head to a new conference if you do not get AQ teams into Huskie Stadium, follow that Toledo model to a T and we will be good, or as I always keep saying , just be 1/10th of what Toledo is. Not exactly the motto I want to live by about being 10 percent of what Toledo is, but at least it would be a start. There is no problem with an occasional FCS team as long as its not apart of a 5 game home schedule and as long as it is balanced by a good non-AQ FBS or AQ opponent.

(10-09-2013 07:08 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I just don't agree with that, you have the bulk of incoming freshman going to games just because of the Orange Bowl. I really hope Frazier is looking to improve our home schedule ASAP because this well will run dry faster than a beer nugget is consumed on DeKalb Saturday night. If the lessons of 2004-2007 teach us anything, let it be that success along cannot dictate attendance long term. You have to build the infrastructure to maintain it, and that's a good home schedule.

Maddawgz, my comment is in reference to the ~10,000 West side fans who are not season ticket holders. They are not students.

I agree, the Orange bowl has probably helped bring additional students to the game. Probably more important is the 5-0 start and Top 25 ranking.

While it would be nice to host BCS games in DeKalb, we probably only get 1 MAC game per year that is a good opponent. Akron, EMU, and WMU are not going to be as exciting for fans as EIU. Ball State ranked in the top 25 with the game on national TV during the school week, that does excite students.

(10-09-2013 07:59 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 07:56 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 07:53 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 07:51 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-09-2013 06:54 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  Upgrade the capacity and it will help NIU to afford to pay more to visiting teams. They go hand in hand and expanding to 30K would be reasonable and not overdoing it.

Build a real skybox then we can have added capasity AND high dollar tickets/donations. Smaller than Akron but bigger than Ball St.

But again, don't waste the money if you are not willing to invest in upgrading the schedule. Once you get a few good teams into Huskie Stadium and start to build attendance, then worry about expansion.

Upgrade schedule by stop scheduling FCS teams.
Schedule 2 G5 teams for 1-1 alternating years. The other 2 games would be for a paycheck or maybe a 2-1 vs a P5 team.

NIU has no chance to head to a new conference if you do not get AQ teams into Huskie Stadium, follow that Toledo model to a T and we will be good, or as I always keep saying , just be 1/10th of what Toledo is. Not exactly the motto I want to live by about being 10 percent of what Toledo is, but at least it would be a start. There is no problem with an occasional FCS team as long as its not apart of a 5 game home schedule and as long as it is balanced by a good non-AQ FBS or AQ opponent.

Fine then we need to build a skybox and get an extra mil in donations and another mil in ticket revenue.

Jesus, MD, what is your fixation with Toledo? They are not light years ahead of us.

(10-09-2013 09:21 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  Jesus, MD, what is your fixation with Toledo? They are not light years ahead of us.

Do you seriously have to ask? If everyone just could learn how to use the ignore feature...

NIU-Akron sold out


http://www.huskiewire.com/blogs/entries/.../index.xml

MD is crazy but he isn't wrong. But i think upgrades to the stadium need to happen before "real teams" will come here.

Toledo is the master of 1-1 and 1-2 games with top 25 opponents.

I would think we could set something up with lower end SEC/ACC teams..

I'm trying to figure out what Toledo does better than NIU at football. I've got nothing.

Again, people act like NIU has just blindly lucked into being the mid major football program right now. How they've scheduled and the money it brings into the athletic department has something to do with it whether you want to admit it or not.

No BCS team is going to want to come to Huskie Stadium and play. Nebraska didn't even want to come to Chicago and play. Playing at Huskie Stadium is the definition of a lose/lose for BCS teams. It's a hard place to win and you get very little from winning there if you do survive.

Toledo has a better stadium

Back to Stubhub, it seems this guy is getting a bit greedy price is now 50 each, 38 tickets remaining.

http://www.stubhub.com/northern-illinois...3-4275797/

(10-10-2013 07:53 AM)cartershaw Wrote:  Toledo has a better stadium

Have you been there before? No it's not. Pressbox is better, stadium is not.

(10-10-2013 03:58 AM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  NIU-Akron sold out


http://www.huskiewire.com/blogs/entries/.../index.xml

I really like the idea of having the season ticket option for these sellout games. I would think we would pick up a few hundred season ticket holders this way. The season ticket package is not that much more than the $40 dollar stub hub seats. Check that $50 dollar stubhub seats!