We gotta get out of this sorry ass conference. It's like a job. Somebody gives you the opportunity and you take the job. Then when a better job comes along you take it. There is no loyalty between an employee and employer anymore. The same goes for NCAA football. Just look at all the conference moves lately. We won't be at the top of the MAC forever. Now is the time to try to jump ship. I don't know where, but we need to push now.

Mighty BG looked good today.

....nobody is offering NIU this "job" you're talking about.

(09-20-2014 04:01 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  ....nobody is offering NIU this "job" you're talking about.

This ^^^

We need to hire a job recruiter.

(09-20-2014 04:12 PM)oilgasusa Wrote:  We need to hire a recruiter.

What?

(09-20-2014 04:12 PM)oilgasusa Wrote:  We need to hire a recruiter.

Lets see what this master plan looks like. And also, if we get crushed by Arkansas we dont have room to talk. Lets win tonight.

(09-20-2014 04:12 PM)oilgasusa Wrote:  We need to hire a recruiter.

OK. Make that check payable to the NIU Foundation.

Absolutely, NIU should do what they can to jump to the AAC. There may not be a standing invitation but you have to think NIU would be on their short list if they decide to expand to 14 or if Cincy or UConn jump ship. The MAC gets no respect and is horrible 9 out of 10 years, and everything NIU does is characterized as an embarrassment to its opponents. I've heard several times, "Northwestern lost to a MAC team." Nobody ever says "Northwestern lost to an AAC (or "American") team. It's so bad, NIU can conceivably go undefeated and lose the access bowl bid to a 1 loss ECU team.

Better, more recognizable opponents leads to better attendance; better TV contracts in terms of more $$$ and better start times (trading Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Thursdays and Fridays) also lead to better attendance; more media coverage; more respect nationally; and an easier time recruiting. If the long term goal is to join the B12, the MWC or AAC is the first step.

I'm pretty sure most wouldn't argue with a move to the AAC...but there's no offer there. I don't see why they'd want to go to 14, they'll have to lose someone first.

(09-20-2014 04:23 PM)Max Power Wrote:  It's so bad, NIU can conceivably go undefeated and lose the access bowl bid to a 1 loss ECU team.

Conceivably? It would almost be a certainty. And it has much less to do with conference affiliation than it does with OOC schedule. ECU has played 3 P5 teams that were ranked when they played them.

we just need to keep beating our out of conference opponents, and winning titles. Running the table only to lose in the MACC and the bowl game does nothing for this argument....

these semi-weekly "conference change" discussions are getting old.

(09-20-2014 04:27 PM)17Huskies Wrote:  I'm pretty sure most wouldn't argue with a move to the AAC...but there's no offer there. I don't see why they'd want to go to 14, they'll have to lose someone first.

I'm not saying that they want to, but reasons to go to 14:

1. Helps their TV contract
2. Hurts their competition's (MAC) TV contract
3. Add a program that can challenge for the access bowl, which brings in $$$, while removing such a threat from its competition
4. Add a program that wins its non con games and thus helps your computer numbers, so you can get your undefeated team in over an undefeated MWC team, or 1 loss team over a 1 loss MWC team

In order to expand they'd want to bring in another program though. Maybe Toledo?

(09-20-2014 04:28 PM)niubrad00 Wrote:  

(09-20-2014 04:23 PM)Max Power Wrote:  It's so bad, NIU can conceivably go undefeated and lose the access bowl bid to a 1 loss ECU team.

Conceivably? It would almost be a certainty. And it has much less to do with conference affiliation than it does with OOC schedule. ECU has played 3 P5 teams that were ranked when they played them.

VA Tech won't finish close to ranked and I'd wager the same for UNC. I doubt the committee will look at where they were ranked "when they played them." It's probably more likely than not though and playing in the AAC will help.

Watching ECU-UNC, the Pirates' stadium is packed. And it holds 50,000. Wow.

(09-20-2014 04:18 PM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(09-20-2014 04:12 PM)oilgasusa Wrote:  We need to hire a recruiter.

Lets see what this master plan looks like. And also, if we get crushed by Arkansas we dont have room to talk. Lets win tonight.

Plenty of room to talk still. One loss wouldn't change what we've done/built over the last ten years.

Lets put some miles between us and EMU.

NIU has improved OOC scheduling significantly with BYU, Utah State & San Diego State. That will bring in many more casual fans. A move to the MWC and continuing to schedule BYU OOC would maximize NIU home attendance by providing casual (and diehard) fans with more teams that are a known quantity nationally and the MWC has more teams that draw better (than MAC programs)

A home schedule of

Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
Hawaii
Nevada
New Mexico
San Diego State
San Jose State
UNLV
Utah State
Wyoming

Sounds more appealing than Ball State, Akron, EMU, CMU, WMU, Toledo, BGSU, OHio, Miami (OH) Kent State & Buffalo

Not only that, there is abundant talent in the West with only 23 football programs there to take it in. Further, NIU might do better recruiting both locally and regionally with a schedule that includes games in warmer weather climates especially later in the season

(09-20-2014 04:43 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  Watching ECU-UNC, the Pirates' stadium is packed. And it holds 50,000. Wow.

10 Years of great OOC home scheduling and winning several of those will do wonders to build a fanbase.

"As far as taking offers from other conferences, that’s not on the table at this point." - Frazier

http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/illin...azier.html

(09-21-2014 08:14 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(09-20-2014 04:43 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  Watching ECU-UNC, the Pirates' stadium is packed. And it holds 50,000. Wow.

10 Years of great OOC home scheduling and winning several of those will do wonders to build a fanbase.

Plus they're playing an in-state P5 rival who had a decent year last year and the beginning of this year. We might get a good crowd at Huskie stadium for Illini if they would play us at home and if they were good.