The difference between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti is as stark as the differnce (traditionally) between UM football and EMU football.

And of this I totally agree

"but there are people at EMU and other MAC schools that wonder with our location, why we're not more competitive in more sports."

I would place this squarely at the local, Chicago area, disrespect/dislike/call it what you want of NIU.

(10-02-2014 08:30 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 08:38 PM)Policiious Wrote:  Lest you forget that back in the 70's and 90's NIU was a big a football joke as EMU is now. EMU can turn themselves around

We cant even get 24k to show on a Saturday after a 7-0 start, the team being ranked and an orange bowl appearance the year before.

No EMU football can not turn themselves around in a short time frame as far as fans go....which is the point/suggestion of the OP.

+1000. In the last 12 years, we have had teams and players that should have sold out Huskie stadium. But every time I think we will have a sell out, I am disappointed by the turnout. Unless a ranked team comes to HS and we have a good team, we will not sell out. When was our last true sell out?

(10-02-2014 10:11 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 08:30 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 08:38 PM)Policiious Wrote:  Lest you forget that back in the 70's and 90's NIU was a big a football joke as EMU is now. EMU can turn themselves around

We cant even get 24k to show on a Saturday after a 7-0 start, the team being ranked and an orange bowl appearance the year before.

No EMU football can not turn themselves around in a short time frame as far as fans go....which is the point/suggestion of the OP.

+1000. In the last 12 years, we have had teams and players that should have sold out Huskie stadium. But every time I think we will have a sell out, I am disappointed by the turnout. Unless a ranked team comes to HS and we have a good team, we will not sell out. When was our last true sell out?

my whole point of this post is that it would be cool to have UM fans fill up EMU as a protest move against UM. EMU just has no hope of turning this around. I've said this before, when you go to EMU and the ticket taker has a UM jacket on, there is no hope

(10-02-2014 10:13 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:11 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 08:30 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 08:38 PM)Policiious Wrote:  Lest you forget that back in the 70's and 90's NIU was a big a football joke as EMU is now. EMU can turn themselves around

We cant even get 24k to show on a Saturday after a 7-0 start, the team being ranked and an orange bowl appearance the year before.

No EMU football can not turn themselves around in a short time frame as far as fans go....which is the point/suggestion of the OP.

+1000. In the last 12 years, we have had teams and players that should have sold out Huskie stadium. But every time I think we will have a sell out, I am disappointed by the turnout. Unless a ranked team comes to HS and we have a good team, we will not sell out. When was our last true sell out?

my whole point of this post is that it would be cool to have UM fans fill up EMU as a protest move against UM. EMU just has no hope of turning this around. I've said this before, when you go to EMU and the ticket taker has a UM jacket on, there is no hope

That's true. But what would their attendance be if they had our success the last 4 to 12 years?

(10-02-2014 10:13 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:11 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 08:30 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 08:38 PM)Policiious Wrote:  Lest you forget that back in the 70's and 90's NIU was a big a football joke as EMU is now. EMU can turn themselves around

We cant even get 24k to show on a Saturday after a 7-0 start, the team being ranked and an orange bowl appearance the year before.

No EMU football can not turn themselves around in a short time frame as far as fans go....which is the point/suggestion of the OP.

+1000. In the last 12 years, we have had teams and players that should have sold out Huskie stadium. But every time I think we will have a sell out, I am disappointed by the turnout. Unless a ranked team comes to HS and we have a good team, we will not sell out. When was our last true sell out?

my whole point of this post is that it would be cool to have UM fans fill up EMU as a protest move against UM. EMU just has no hope of turning this around. I've said this before, when you go to EMU and the ticket taker has a UM jacket on, there is no hope

At best they will protest by either not showing up in the stands...or showing up with signs that they want the AD fired.

(10-02-2014 10:21 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:13 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:11 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 08:30 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 08:38 PM)Policiious Wrote:  Lest you forget that back in the 70's and 90's NIU was a big a football joke as EMU is now. EMU can turn themselves around

We cant even get 24k to show on a Saturday after a 7-0 start, the team being ranked and an orange bowl appearance the year before.

No EMU football can not turn themselves around in a short time frame as far as fans go....which is the point/suggestion of the OP.

+1000. In the last 12 years, we have had teams and players that should have sold out Huskie stadium. But every time I think we will have a sell out, I am disappointed by the turnout. Unless a ranked team comes to HS and we have a good team, we will not sell out. When was our last true sell out?

my whole point of this post is that it would be cool to have UM fans fill up EMU as a protest move against UM. EMU just has no hope of turning this around. I've said this before, when you go to EMU and the ticket taker has a UM jacket on, there is no hope

That's true. But what would their attendance be if they had our success the last 4 to 12 years?

you miss the point, it would just be a fun thing

(10-02-2014 07:16 AM)Big_Man Wrote:  Maddawgz "I Root For:" should say "Any Big Ten Opponent".

I enjoy Big 10 football, but I just don't get why people are so tough on the MAC when there is equal level football being played in CUSA, MWC, Sunbelt, American, etc. Granted the Big 10 is probably better than the MAC just because of 2 or 3 teams at the top, but the bottom half of the Big 10 and MAC offer essentially no difference right now. I just wish people would use the same grading scale for the MAC that they use for everyone else. That article the other day on how MACtion dominates the bottom 25 is a prime example of an ill-informed writer running with a preconceived idea and being completely wrong.

(10-02-2014 10:55 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:21 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:13 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:11 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 08:30 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  We cant even get 24k to show on a Saturday after a 7-0 start, the team being ranked and an orange bowl appearance the year before.

No EMU football can not turn themselves around in a short time frame as far as fans go....which is the point/suggestion of the OP.

+1000. In the last 12 years, we have had teams and players that should have sold out Huskie stadium. But every time I think we will have a sell out, I am disappointed by the turnout. Unless a ranked team comes to HS and we have a good team, we will not sell out. When was our last true sell out?

my whole point of this post is that it would be cool to have UM fans fill up EMU as a protest move against UM. EMU just has no hope of turning this around. I've said this before, when you go to EMU and the ticket taker has a UM jacket on, there is no hope

That's true. But what would their attendance be if they had our success the last 4 to 12 years?

you miss the point, it would just be a fun thing

You don't go to an EMU football game to look for a fun thing to do...unless you are a visiting fan I guess.

(10-02-2014 11:10 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I enjoy Big 10 football, but I just don't get why people are so tough on the MAC when there is equal level football being played in CUSA, MWC, Sunbelt, American, etc. Granted the Big 10 is probably better than the MAC just because of 2 or 3 teams at the top, but the bottom half of the Big 10 and MAC offer essentially no difference right now. I just wish people would use the same grading scale for the MAC that they use for everyone else. That article the other day on how MACtion dominates the bottom 25 is a prime example of an ill-informed writer running with a preconceived idea and being completely wrong.

This is too easy...

(10-02-2014 11:19 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 11:10 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I enjoy Big 10 football, but I just don't get why people are so tough on the MAC when there is equal level football being played in CUSA, MWC, Sunbelt, American, etc. Granted the Big 10 is probably better than the MAC just because of 2 or 3 teams at the top, but the bottom half of the Big 10 and MAC offer essentially no difference right now. I just wish people would use the same grading scale for the MAC that they use for everyone else. That article the other day on how MACtion dominates the bottom 25 is a prime example of an ill-informed writer running with a preconceived idea and being completely wrong.

This is too easy...

I was thinking what might be the cause of this mindset and I think it has a lot to do with the image of the conference. The almost exclusive weeknight nature of the bigger conference games creates this sub-standard feel for many people, kind of like the minor leagues of FBS. Things like "MACtion" always have irritated me too and especially how the MAC actually embraced this term. It is like we do not even know we are being made fun of. If people could get over that perception, I think they would see on the field there is no difference between the MAC, CUSA, MWC and in the MAC's better years definitely on track with the American and lower 75 percent of the Big 10.

(10-02-2014 10:55 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:21 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:13 AM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 10:11 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 08:30 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  We cant even get 24k to show on a Saturday after a 7-0 start, the team being ranked and an orange bowl appearance the year before.

No EMU football can not turn themselves around in a short time frame as far as fans go....which is the point/suggestion of the OP.

+1000. In the last 12 years, we have had teams and players that should have sold out Huskie stadium. But every time I think we will have a sell out, I am disappointed by the turnout. Unless a ranked team comes to HS and we have a good team, we will not sell out. When was our last true sell out?

my whole point of this post is that it would be cool to have UM fans fill up EMU as a protest move against UM. EMU just has no hope of turning this around. I've said this before, when you go to EMU and the ticket taker has a UM jacket on, there is no hope

That's true. But what would their attendance be if they had our success the last 4 to 12 years?

you miss the point, it would just be a fun thing

I got your point. I guess my question is for a different thread. What would a team's, like EMU, attendance be if their team had the same success that NIU has had for the last decade. I just don't think we draw very well considering how good we have been. Much has to do with being in the MAC, home schedule, weeknight games, weather, games available on tv/internet, Chicago is a professional sports city, etc.

(10-02-2014 11:44 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 11:19 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(10-02-2014 11:10 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  I enjoy Big 10 football, but I just don't get why people are so tough on the MAC when there is equal level football being played in CUSA, MWC, Sunbelt, American, etc. Granted the Big 10 is probably better than the MAC just because of 2 or 3 teams at the top, but the bottom half of the Big 10 and MAC offer essentially no difference right now. I just wish people would use the same grading scale for the MAC that they use for everyone else. That article the other day on how MACtion dominates the bottom 25 is a prime example of an ill-informed writer running with a preconceived idea and being completely wrong.

This is too easy...

I was thinking what might be the cause of this mindset and I think it has a lot to do with the image of the conference. The almost exclusive weeknight nature of the bigger conference games creates this sub-standard feel for many people, kind of like the minor leagues of FBS. Things like "MACtion" always have irritated me too and especially how the MAC actually embraced this term. It is like we do not even know we are being made fun of. If people could get over that perception, I think they would see on the field there is no difference between the MAC, CUSA, MWC and in the MAC's better years definitely on track with the American and lower 75 percent of the Big 10.

The top half of the MAC can beat the bottom half of the Big 10, most years (not every game but some of them). That's about all you can say. EMU, UMass, Miami (in recent years) aren't beating anybody in the Big 10, and nobody in the MAC would beat Michigan State this year. They would win more games if they could play the Big Whatever schools at home, obviously.