Quote:I'm glad you realize you're a meatball asking this question. I'm not entirely sure when it started, but for at least the last year I've heard people who believe the Big 12 is honestly interested in adding Northern Illinois. I feel confident that this is a rumor that started amongst Huskies fans who don't quite understand how conference realignment and expansion works.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/eye-on-c...at-in-2015

You are really spiteful your school is gonna be left in the MAC while we move on to bigger and better things... aren't you? I'm not saying B12 is a slam dunk, far from it. I'd say NIU is a serious dark horse behind quite a few teams. However i do think they'll be outta the MAC sooner than later and you can enjoy watching us further our ascension while you scramble with CMU and Ball St for relevancy there.

If/When the B12 is depleted enough Northern Illinois will be an attractive candidate.

1) B12 to 12 (Cincinnati/Rice)

2) Kansas to B1G (Memphis to B12)

3) Texas, TTech Oklahoma, OState to PAC.....

Here is where it could get interesting. TCU/Baylor/Rice decide to band together and not let anymore Texas schools into a P5 conference. P5 the B12 will still be since that is how they are defined in the NCAA governance structure.

That leaves for the B12......Tulane, New Mexico, Colorado State and yes of course Northern Illinois which makes sense if you have to dip as low as Tulane for schools.

If NIU could turn the corner like Boise State and become a legit Top 15 team and sell out that 42,000 seater that is planned they could pass over today's better prepared B12 candidates like Cincinnati and UCF.

(06-10-2015 10:54 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  You are really spiteful your school is gonna be left in the MAC while we move on to bigger and better things... aren't you? I'm not saying B12 is a slam dunk, far from it. I'd say NIU is a serious dark horse behind quite a few teams. However i do think they'll be outta the MAC sooner than later and you can enjoy watching us further our ascension while you scramble with CMU and Ball St for relevancy there.

All I'm saying is Northern Illinois due to its location and fit has a better shot at getting into the B12 than the AAC.

NIU will need to be equivalent to Boise both financially and performance wise but it is possible.

At the moment Cincinnati is way ahead with a 40,000 seat stadium opening this season while NIU is just dreaming about expansion.

Also this article probably had like 30 AAC fans flooding in here to ***** and moan then they read the content and instantly relaxed. That fear you felt? That's the reality that this isn't a pipe dream folks...

NIU DID leave the MAC once. They ended up returning.

(06-10-2015 11:22 PM)bullet Wrote:  NIU DID leave the MAC once. They ended up returning.

Jumping to independent at that point was dumb. The school is in a far better position now. I feel like this year with the scheduling and the changes made in organizing you'll all be surprised with what NIU shows for attendance. The UNLV game will be the showcase of that. Sat game opener against a well known team in Sept and on national tv? Sounds good to me

(06-10-2015 10:49 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

Quote:I'm glad you realize you're a meatball asking this question. I'm not entirely sure when it started, but for at least the last year I've heard people who believe the Big 12 is honestly interested in adding Northern Illinois. I feel confident that this is a rumor that started amongst Huskies fans who don't quite understand how conference realignment and expansion works.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/eye-on-c...at-in-2015

You get the biggest boner for bringing up NIU. LOL

(06-10-2015 11:27 PM)HuskieAlumnus03 Wrote:  

(06-10-2015 10:49 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

Quote:I'm glad you realize you're a meatball asking this question. I'm not entirely sure when it started, but for at least the last year I've heard people who believe the Big 12 is honestly interested in adding Northern Illinois. I feel confident that this is a rumor that started amongst Huskies fans who don't quite understand how conference realignment and expansion works.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/eye-on-c...at-in-2015

You get the biggest boner for bringing up NIU. LOL

(06-10-2015 11:22 PM)bullet Wrote:  NIU DID leave the MAC once. They ended up returning.

(06-10-2015 11:26 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  

(06-10-2015 11:22 PM)bullet Wrote:  NIU DID leave the MAC once. They ended up returning.

Jumping to independent at that point was dumb. The school is in a far better position now. I feel like this year with the scheduling and the changes made in organizing you'll all be surprised with what NIU shows for attendance. The UNLV game will be the showcase of that. Sat game opener against a well known team in Sept and on national tv? Sounds good to me

Northern left the MAC for Independence with the idea of playing a more national football schedule, building up attendance and to be prepared to join the Big 8 by the year 2000.

Instead it joined the Big West in 1993...

Quote:DE KALB — Northern Illinois University, a school with big dreams, has half of the "Big" part right. However, the other half requires a number, not a direction.

The Huskies begin play this year in the expanded Big West Conference football alliance. With schools like Northern Illinois, Arkansas State and Southwestern Louisiana being added to the conference, the West Coast now must begin at the Tennessee border.

Geography aside, all parties at Northern see the Big West arrangement as temporary, a step in a process that will end in Northern Illinois being the easternmost stop in a Midwestern league. Specifically, the Big Eight.

Nebraska and Northern Illinois playing for a trip to the Orange Bowl? Snicker if you will. So what if the required jump rivals anything achieved by Super.man

At Northern Illinois, with its enrollment of 25,000 students, university PresidentJohn E. La Tourette gets paid to dream such dreams.

"This institution always had high aspirations," La Tourette said. "We've added a law school, we've added an engineering school. We've added a campus in Hoffman Estates. We've had a lot of dreams at this institution, and in the last 20 years, many of them have been realized."

La Tourette then cautioned, "This one may be tougher."

Indeed, there are dreams, and there are pipe dreams. At this point, Northern Illinois still seems to be at the magic genie stage.

For starters, this is a program that has failed to average 15,000 fans a game over a season since 1985, hardly numbers the Big Eight wants to see.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-...ottom-line

(06-10-2015 11:41 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

Quote:DE KALB — Northern Illinois University, a school with big dreams, has half of the "Big" part right. However, the other half requires a number, not a direction.

The Huskies begin play this year in the expanded Big West Conference football alliance. With schools like Northern Illinois, Arkansas State and Southwestern Louisiana being added to the conference, the West Coast now must begin at the Tennessee border.

Geography aside, all parties at Northern see the Big West arrangement as temporary, a step in a process that will end in Northern Illinois being the easternmost stop in a Midwestern league. Specifically, the Big Eight.

Nebraska and Northern Illinois playing for a trip to the Orange Bowl? Snicker if you will. So what if the required jump rivals anything achieved by Super.man

At Northern Illinois, with its enrollment of 25,000 students, university PresidentJohn E. La Tourette gets paid to dream such dreams.

"This institution always had high aspirations," La Tourette said. "We've added a law school, we've added an engineering school. We've added a campus in Hoffman Estates. We've had a lot of dreams at this institution, and in the last 20 years, many of them have been realized."

La Tourette then cautioned, "This one may be tougher."

Indeed, there are dreams, and there are pipe dreams. At this point, Northern Illinois still seems to be at the magic genie stage.

For starters, this is a program that has failed to average 15,000 fans a game over a season since 1985, hardly numbers the Big Eight wants to see.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-...ottom-line

NIU will never make it to the Orange Bowl, they're all right.

Oh wait...

Northern didn't beat Nebraska in its Orange Bowl season but it did take out Kansas 30-23.

All the Huskies need is to go on a Boise State type run in the Top 10 and they instantly are one of the top candidates for the B12.

(06-10-2015 11:52 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  Northern didn't beat Nebraska in its Orange Bowl season but it did take out Kansas 30-23.

All the Huskies need is to go on a Boise State type run in the Top 10 and they instantly are one of the top candidates for the B12.

It was to be a Soldier Field game with Nebraska, then they switched conference, and we got stuck playing Presbyterian Blue Hose. How cool would it have been if both teams wore corn themed uniforms. Would have been a great game!

NIU? Dream about being in the future 20 team AAC. The big 12 isn't happening for you but rejoice because it isn't happening for Cincy or BYU or ECU or Memphis or UConn.

Rice facilities is way behind the others. They need new leaders to even dream to get their facilities ready for a P5 conference. Houston will get in before Rice since Houston is really serious.
Rice goals is to join the Big 10. They need to pick up the pace.

If the Texoma schools leave? I could see Houston and UTSA get in. Both big market teams and SMU would be blocked because TCU is close by.

Here is what I am seeing.

Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
TCU
Baylor
West Virginia

If they go to 16? They need 10 best schools.

Houston
UTSA
Cincinnati
Northern Illinois
Colorado State
Memphis
UCF
East Carolina
USF
North Dakota State

That is who I would see. It might help to see Kansas versus North Dakota State every year. The Bisons beat Kansas in football, and Kansas beats the Bisons in basketball.

(06-11-2015 12:48 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  NIU? Dream about being in the future 20 team AAC. The big 12 isn't happening for you but rejoice because it isn't happening for Cincy or BYU or ECU or Memphis or UConn.

Wait.......so UCF has a chance? I just know your posting this from some beach in Tahiti with your toes in the sand and a drink in your hand with one of those little umbrella thingies.........all made possible by your amazing powers of prognostication in predicting the winning lotto numbers, stock market winners, and B-12 conference realignment scenarios which earned you hundreds of millions of dollars and made your early retirement possible. It has been said before, everyone has an opinion and everyone has a rectum, and generally they both stink, yours are no different my friend. While you may in fact be correct, you come off as just another unentitled elitist Doophus.

5-year Attendance Average:

99,028 - Texas
85,005 - Oklahoma
57,306 - Texas Tech
55,797 - West Virginia
55,622 - Oklahoma State
52,375 - Iowa State
51,018 - Kansas State
43,053 - Baylor
42,103 - TCU
40,085 - Kansas
18,354 - NIU

Looks like a perfect fit!

47,092 - East Carolina
38,985 - South Florida
37,680 - UCF
33,596 - UConn
33,543 - Navy
31,424 - Cincinnati
28,655 - Houston
26,151 - Memphis
24,192 - Temple
21,191 - SMU
21,158 - Tulane
20,496 - Tulsa
18,354 - NIU

...closer...