HuskieAlumnus03
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RE: Television Ratings: ANY Doubt Why the MAC Plays Mid-week Games???
NIU playing mid week has nothing to do w/ enrollment. Being the second most expensive state school when you factor in FCOA has everything to do w/ it, as evident being the most expensive FCOA in comparison to MAC schools, does. On top of the "student come to you attitude" when NIU was riding itself as the second largest university in the state and poor to no recruitment because of that mentality. NIU priced itself out of competition w/ neighboring state schools (who are providing discounts to Illinoisians) and in state private schools, and the other state schools.
Since the new president and many of this culture is changing due to these significant drops and because it has to. NIU has completely changed their budget model this fall. The pre recession model is no longer relevant. It has capped enrollment increases, even if the university has to increase revenue it can't by raising tuition because it will completely place itself out of competition. They hope this will bring students back. Demographically it's impossible, as there will be less and less HS students graduating moving forward, but drastic drops are avoidable.
Here is where exposure matters, NIU's recruitment mindset has completely changed. Out of state students are now a focus and have set up regional resident recruiters in neighboring states such as in STL, like every other university in the region does in Chicagoland. Recognizability because of FBS play helps. I've seen more coverage of NIU football over the last years at St. Louis Post Dispatch than i've ever seen about MO's state schools (U Central M, NW Missouri State, Missouri Western, SEMO... recognize any of those?)
*my close buddy is admin at NIU for Admissions, so we talk. He also served as a recruiter.
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11-19-2015 10:12 PM |
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BruceMcF
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RE: Television Ratings: ANY Doubt Why the MAC Plays Mid-week Games???
(11-19-2015 10:12 PM)HuskieAlumnus03 Wrote: NIU playing mid week has nothing to do w/ enrollment drops. Being the second most expensive state school when you factor in FCOA has everything to do w/ it, as evident being the most expensive FCOA in comparison to MAC schools.
Even irrespective of the point below, that rings a lot more plausible, because of the timing of the start of the drop in the figure, previously posted:
2007/2008 ... seems like there was something going on in 2007/2008 that were independent of NIU football exposure.
Quote: On top of the "student come to you attitude" when NIU was riding itself as the second largest university in the state and poor to no recruitment because of that mentality. NIU priced itself out of competition w/ neighboring state schools (who are providing discounts to Illinoisians) and in state private schools, and the other state schools.
These are all factors can can readily explain an average 3% enrollment drop per year over six years.
Quote: ... Here is where exposure matters, NIU's recruitment mindset has completely changed. Out of state students are now a focus and have set up regional resident recruiters in neighboring states such as in STL, like every other university in the region does in Chicagoland. ...
So rather than NIU being in a different position to other MAC schools, they are in the same position, post-2007, but only recently started to act like it.
Quote: *my close buddy is admin at NIU for Admissions, so we talk. He also served as a recruiter.
Well, there you go. "The more you known ..."
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11-20-2015 12:36 AM |
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NIU007
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RE: Television Ratings: ANY Doubt Why the MAC Plays Mid-week Games???
(11-19-2015 10:12 PM)HuskieAlumnus03 Wrote: NIU playing mid week has nothing to do w/ enrollment. Being the second most expensive state school when you factor in FCOA has everything to do w/ it, as evident being the most expensive FCOA in comparison to MAC schools, does. On top of the "student come to you attitude" when NIU was riding itself as the second largest university in the state and poor to no recruitment because of that mentality. NIU priced itself out of competition w/ neighboring state schools (who are providing discounts to Illinoisians) and in state private schools, and the other state schools.
Since the new president and many of this culture is changing due to these significant drops and because it has to. NIU has completely changed their budget model this fall. The pre recession model is no longer relevant. It has capped enrollment increases, even if the university has to increase revenue it can't by raising tuition because it will completely place itself out of competition. They hope this will bring students back. Demographically it's impossible, as there will be less and less HS students graduating moving forward, but drastic drops are avoidable.
Here is where exposure matters, NIU's recruitment mindset has completely changed. Out of state students are now a focus and have set up regional resident recruiters in neighboring states such as in STL, like every other university in the region does in Chicagoland. Recognizability because of FBS play helps. I've seen more coverage of NIU football over the last years at St. Louis Post Dispatch than i've ever seen about MO's state schools (U Central M, NW Missouri State, Missouri Western, SEMO... recognize any of those?)
*my close buddy is admin at NIU for Admissions, so we talk. He also served as a recruiter.
Yes, we've had more exposure. That isn't questioned. The question is, has it done any good? Where are the numbers? There is a cost to mid-week games, so we need to know if it's worth it.
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11-20-2015 12:35 PM |
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HuskieAlumnus03
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RE: Television Ratings: ANY Doubt Why the MAC Plays Mid-week Games???
(11-20-2015 12:36 AM)BruceMcF Wrote: (11-19-2015 10:12 PM)HuskieAlumnus03 Wrote: NIU playing mid week has nothing to do w/ enrollment drops. Being the second most expensive state school when you factor in FCOA has everything to do w/ it, as evident being the most expensive FCOA in comparison to MAC schools.
Even irrespective of the point below, that rings a lot more plausible, because of the timing of the start of the drop in the figure, previously posted:
2007/2008 ... seems like there was something going on in 2007/2008 that were independent of NIU football exposure.
Quote: On top of the "student come to you attitude" when NIU was riding itself as the second largest university in the state and poor to no recruitment because of that mentality. NIU priced itself out of competition w/ neighboring state schools (who are providing discounts to Illinoisians) and in state private schools, and the other state schools.
These are all factors can can readily explain an average 3% enrollment drop per year over six years.
Quote: ... Here is where exposure matters, NIU's recruitment mindset has completely changed. Out of state students are now a focus and have set up regional resident recruiters in neighboring states such as in STL, like every other university in the region does in Chicagoland. ...
So rather than NIU being in a different position to other MAC schools, they are in the same position, post-2007, but only recently started to act like it.
Quote: *my close buddy is admin at NIU for Admissions, so we talk. He also served as a recruiter.
Well, there you go. "The more you known ..."
2007-2008 was the great recession. Since the great recession state funding has been cut to 35%, which follows the national trend. While tuition in Illinois' public universities has increased to 22.8% in inflation adjusted dollars. For NIU the cuts goes further back close to 50% reduction since 2002 in inflation adjusted dollars. The state provides 20% support for NIU's total revenue, which 90% of that is used to pay administrators. Major cuts to thin out a fat pre recession admin levels didn't occur until a year ago, re prioritization of programs are occurring as we speak.
At the very least, NIU commercials and NIU branding airing on prime time, as NIU does well in TV ratings, helps to advertise and fulfill the new recruitment goals of the university. Which gives it a slight advantage over illinois FCS schools.
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11-20-2015 12:37 PM |
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