(08-16-2015 03:45 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:Marshall will never be in the AAC

Why not? Assuming of course their football program comes back (they've had a few good years in football after going to CUSA; will need to show some continuance, sure). What about Marshall turns off other conferences that other G5s don't?

Basketball. Batteries being thrown at their fans. Inbreeding. The list goes on

(08-16-2015 04:10 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  

(08-16-2015 03:45 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:Marshall will never be in the AAC

Why not? Assuming of course their football program comes back (they've had a few good years in football after going to CUSA; will need to show some continuance, sure). What about Marshall turns off other conferences that other G5s don't?

Basketball. Batteries being thrown at their fans. Inbreeding. The list goes on

All good points but I think the their market is the biggest factor for them not moving to the AAC.

(08-16-2015 05:10 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(08-16-2015 04:10 PM)Stay Cool Wrote:  

(08-16-2015 03:45 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:Marshall will never be in the AAC

Why not? Assuming of course their football program comes back (they've had a few good years in football after going to CUSA; will need to show some continuance, sure). What about Marshall turns off other conferences that other G5s don't?

Basketball. Batteries being thrown at their fans. Inbreeding. The list goes on

All good points but I think the their market is the biggest factor for them not moving to the AAC.

Well that too. But man does the AAC board (and a lot of people) hate Marshall fans.

(08-15-2015 10:47 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(08-15-2015 12:08 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  We 100% know we are currently stagnant as a member of the MAC, a succulent and delicious black and cardinal fruit rotting away on the Mid-American vine.
A move to the AAC, with a few more TV bucks coming is a risk worth taking. The worst case scenario is we hover at the same level in the sports landscape with a few extra dollars in our pocket. Perhaps during future conference shakeups we look like one of the mobile/upwardly mobile teams for having made the move.

We've won three of the last four MAC titles in football and you say "we are currently stagnant as a member of the MAC."
No. 1, that says you don't care about anything other than football because NIU's "stagnation" in the MAC is better characterized as mediocre outside of football. Note Sean Frazier's latest mission statement
No. 2, doesn't say much about your knowledge of the MAC and its cyclical history. For the first six years of its existence Cincinnati won four MAC titles while Miami won two. Then Miami won four in a five-year span; there was a seven-year stretch during which Bowling Green won four; Marshall won four straight and gained a fifth in a six-year span before leaving. So by your way of thinking, consistent success in football should only be viewed as stagnation and a reason to leave......brilliant, way to enjoy the Golden Age of NIU Football.
A few extra TV bucks make the move worth it -- even though NIU joining the AAC would most likely happen because others leave, which would probably devalue the league so the few extra bucks will disappear. Once again, since you don't care about the overall Huskie athletic program, the additional costs for travel in all men's and women's sports are not enough of a concern relative to the (most likely temporary) "few extra bucks."
And even for football, you assume we'll "hover at the same level" so you're assuming we'll continue to win AAC championships as easily as we can win MAC titles. Obviously you have no concerns about losing and what that could do to our attendance or reputation. Thank God someone like SF is steering this ship and not you.

Thanks for lashing out at me, your a super-fun guy to have in the conversation...

My point is is we have won the crap out of the MAC in football for an impressively long stretch, but perhaps have already realized most of the fruits that will come, even with continued success, if we stay in the MAC. Did our success bring with it more TV money for NIU? More butts in the seats? Did our weekday football games go away? A move has risks but our fans, future students, etc.., may be happier to see conference games with teams other than Michigan directionals.

We are averaging 18-20k in football attendance currently, I doubt highly that number drops if we are 8-4 in the AAC instead of 10-2 in your much-cherished MAC.

(08-16-2015 03:45 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:Marshall will never be in the AAC

Why not? Assuming of course their football program comes back (they've had a few good years in football after going to CUSA; will need to show some continuance, sure). What about Marshall turns off other conferences that other G5s don't?

Because it's a junior college masquerading as a university.

Oh snap you said what I wanted to say

(08-17-2015 08:49 PM)JHG722 Wrote:  

(08-16-2015 03:45 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:Marshall will never be in the AAC

Why not? Assuming of course their football program comes back (they've had a few good years in football after going to CUSA; will need to show some continuance, sure). What about Marshall turns off other conferences that other G5s don't?

Because it's a junior college masquerading as a university.

LOL

Niufilmmaker, we averaged under 14k last year. 18-20k was probably our highest game last year.

(08-17-2015 09:05 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Niufilmmaker, we averaged under 14k last year. 18-20k was probably our highest game last year.

I knew we were off last year because of the weather and everything, but wow.

Good news is dropping below 14k in the AAC is unlikely

(08-17-2015 02:33 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Thanks for lashing out at me, your a super-fun guy to have in the conversation...
My point is is we have won the crap out of the MAC in football for an impressively long stretch, but perhaps have already realized most of the fruits that will come, even with continued success, if we stay in the MAC. Did our success bring with it more TV money for NIU? More butts in the seats? Did our weekday football games go away? A move has risks but our fans, future students, etc.., may be happier to see conference games with teams other than Michigan directionals.
We are averaging 18-20k in football attendance currently, I doubt highly that number drops if we are 8-4 in the AAC instead of 10-2 in your much-cherished MAC.

Just love the fact that any time someone disagrees with some people (like you), right away the other person's opinion is "lashing out."
My point is saying "we 100% know we are currently stagnant as a member of the MAC" is a questionable statement considering that outside of football, we're not having much success as a member of the league.
The idea that you define a four-year period -- assuming red-shirt possibilities, not even the length of an entire recruiting class -- as "an impressively long stretch," is a stretch. Reading various posts, at least some on here said they'd prefer to see "continued success (in the MAC)" versus becoming just another middle of the pack member in another league, so some fans, maybe "future students" (since neither you or I can really speak for them) would prefer to witness a streak growing to 20 straight years of beating EMU, BSU, or whatever MU. Sorry to say, the law of averages goes against that happening, and being an older Huskie fan (yes, some have now stopped reading), I recall when some schools touted their lop-sided series records over NIU. I'm just thrilled to see those days ended.
Another point, which you failed to address, is whether or not football is the one and only way to judge the value of a school's membership in any conference?
Finally, there is no possible way NIU averaged 18-20k in attendance last year. dekalb222 notes the average was "under 14k;" that figure is also more than likely above actual fans in the stands. Quite frankly it was disappointing not to have more people seated near me when Kansas -- a member of a league many believe we should join -- came to town, so I'll wait before believing interest will surge that much more for Tulane, Houston, Tulsa, Memphis, SMU, or even the anti-Compher (ECU), which have never come to DeKalb. I saw Cincinnati, UCF, USF, Temple, and Navy come to Huskie Stadium and the attendance was in the ballpark or less than Toledo and some other MAC schools on an occasional roll. Actually considering if Maddawgz anti-AAC comments may have some merit made me wonder if I'm going crazy, I guess at the least it's just not "super fun."

i think the very underlying thing that would be better in the AAC would be quality of teams. i dont know if ive seen that discussed much as to why we should or should not join AAC. i believe the competition is much better in football (UCF, Houston, ECU, Cincy, Memphis, Navy, SMU.....even Tulane Tulsa UConn Temple and USF aree MUCH better than EMU, Miami, Akron, UMass....

not to mention basketball. AAC puts what like 2-4 teams in the tourney each year? national champions. if we joined AAC we would have national champions playing in dekalb!!!

with better opponents i think that would lead to better fan experience.

i would love to see teams that arent directional come to huskie stadium. teams from florida, texas, louisiana!!!!!

gameday experiencce is what we need to continually improve upon....which includes the tues/wed night games.they must end at some point if we want to be in a legit position.

Yeah tues wed night games KILL our attendance... im all for abolishing them

(08-17-2015 02:33 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(08-15-2015 10:47 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(08-15-2015 12:08 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  We 100% know we are currently stagnant as a member of the MAC, a succulent and delicious black and cardinal fruit rotting away on the Mid-American vine.
A move to the AAC, with a few more TV bucks coming is a risk worth taking. The worst case scenario is we hover at the same level in the sports landscape with a few extra dollars in our pocket. Perhaps during future conference shakeups we look like one of the mobile/upwardly mobile teams for having made the move.

We've won three of the last four MAC titles in football and you say "we are currently stagnant as a member of the MAC."
No. 1, that says you don't care about anything other than football because NIU's "stagnation" in the MAC is better characterized as mediocre outside of football. Note Sean Frazier's latest mission statement
No. 2, doesn't say much about your knowledge of the MAC and its cyclical history. For the first six years of its existence Cincinnati won four MAC titles while Miami won two. Then Miami won four in a five-year span; there was a seven-year stretch during which Bowling Green won four; Marshall won four straight and gained a fifth in a six-year span before leaving. So by your way of thinking, consistent success in football should only be viewed as stagnation and a reason to leave......brilliant, way to enjoy the Golden Age of NIU Football.
A few extra TV bucks make the move worth it -- even though NIU joining the AAC would most likely happen because others leave, which would probably devalue the league so the few extra bucks will disappear. Once again, since you don't care about the overall Huskie athletic program, the additional costs for travel in all men's and women's sports are not enough of a concern relative to the (most likely temporary) "few extra bucks."
And even for football, you assume we'll "hover at the same level" so you're assuming we'll continue to win AAC championships as easily as we can win MAC titles. Obviously you have no concerns about losing and what that could do to our attendance or reputation. Thank God someone like SF is steering this ship and not you.

Thanks for lashing out at me, your a super-fun guy to have in the conversation...

My point is is we have won the crap out of the MAC in football for an impressively long stretch, but perhaps have already realized most of the fruits that will come, even with continued success, if we stay in the MAC. Did our success bring with it more TV money for NIU? More butts in the seats? Did our weekday football games go away? A move has risks but our fans, future students, etc.., may be happier to see conference games with teams other than Michigan directionals.

We are averaging 18-20k in football attendance currently, I doubt highly that number drops if we are 8-4 in the AAC instead of 10-2 in your much-cherished MAC.

I agree with all your points and answer "yes" to all your questions. AAC may not be a jump to P5, but I'm all for finding a new set of teams to beat up on and to hear the lamentation of their women.

It's hard to get all fired up for our annual game against EMU.