The current student perspective on this one....

I've ALWAYS been PRO-GTFO the MAC haha.
My reality from when I joined this board to now is that it's possible but will take a miracle to happen. Every legit chance NIU has had to make a move, they've essentially stubbed their toe (Losing the MACC which would've given us back to back BCS births, not beating BC & CMU this season, etc...)... If NIU goes to btb BCS bowls, I think we essentially would have gotten the same look Boise State got from the Big East years back... The difference between us and Boise is literally the corrupt state were located in (It's a blessing in disguise). Being in Illinois, smack dab in the middle of B1G country, being closer to Chicago than the Illness is, being an actual WINNING program as of late (cause we all know NU has had these dream seasons and turned to straight **** the next)... all of this would/could get us a serious look from Big 12 (Cause I honestly could never see B1G allowing NIU to come close to joining at all).

Big 12 is a dream jump, and hopefully Frazier does have some sort of connections to make it a possible reality someday, but for now we have to make baby steps. This season the AAC is the best group of 5 conference, so the argument would be "How would NIU perform in the AAC" before we can even get in a convo about "How would NIU perform in the Big XII" ... NIU is highly capable of beating every AAC team (and a match up vs this years Navy team would be an absolute nail biter). It's also my belief that NIU could actually get a bowl eligible season our first year in the Big XII (if we somehow get Iowa State, Kansas, K-State and Texas Tech, in the conference realignment, and schedule Ball St. and another cupcake team or two for easy wins).

Now realistically, NIU will not make a direct jump to Big XII unless the conference is that desperate. We have a better shot of getting into the AAC, and more realistically C-USA (which I actually view as an equal conference to the MAC, honestly they're worse, but our teams would still find a way to lose to theirs). Attendance will always be what holds us back and I 1000% agree that if you slap "NIU - member of *insert P5 conference*" seats would fill instantly, but don't forget that you can be a team like Wake Forest, Purdue, Kansas, the Illness, Maryland, or Oregon State that hasn't done well in.... quite some time now, and end up with equal or worse attendance than we pull in regularly.

Students WILL show up for a NIU vs *Insert Big XII team* game, I can tell you that now. It would push Greek Life at NIU into a new tier (because honestly, majority of the students out there creating that memorable tailgate atmosphere are the Greeks). My fraternity brothers traveled down to Arkansas, Ohio State, Iowa, etc... and they've all gone for the TAILGATE experience at a P5 school, it's soooo much more than what we offer. I think if a conference like the Big XII actually challenged NIU, and Frazier pushed HARD to the student body what a P5 invite would mean for them, they'd get to those games, even the ones where its freezing, if they knew a major college experience upgrade was on the line, students would show. Until that day comes, students will always have poor attendance during the week night games.[/align]

As a young donor who parks in the east lawn lot, Id be happy to share all that unused space with students/general admission fans to bring back the early 2000s type experience. I attended 01-05 and it was great. I think NIU should ask the donors to vote on that in the offseason. Tailgating experience means a lot to a lot of people and if it helps attendance and/or game day experience then I'm all for it

Also something has to be done about basketball for a P5 move as well. We get 1000 or so per game. Right now, it'd be extremely hard to say the BIG12 would take us over Cincinnati based on all of their sports and attendance.


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(11-24-2015 02:27 AM)4PhaseDelta Wrote:  The current student perspective on this one....

I've ALWAYS been PRO-GTFO the MAC haha.
My reality from when I joined this board to now is that it's possible but will take a miracle to happen. Every legit chance NIU has had to make a move, they've essentially stubbed their toe (Losing the MACC which would've given us back to back BCS births, not beating BC & CMU this season, etc...)... If NIU goes to btb BCS bowls, I think we essentially would have gotten the same look Boise State got from the Big East years back... The difference between us and Boise is literally the corrupt state were located in (It's a blessing in disguise). Being in Illinois, smack dab in the middle of B1G country, being closer to Chicago than the Illness is, being an actual WINNING program as of late (cause we all know NU has had these dream seasons and turned to straight **** the next)... all of this would/could get us a serious look from Big 12 (Cause I honestly could never see B1G allowing NIU to come close to joining at all).

Big 12 is a dream jump, and hopefully Frazier does have some sort of connections to make it a possible reality someday, but for now we have to make baby steps. This season the AAC is the best group of 5 conference, so the argument would be "How would NIU perform in the AAC" before we can even get in a convo about "How would NIU perform in the Big XII" ... NIU is highly capable of beating every AAC team (and a match up vs this years Navy team would be an absolute nail biter). It's also my belief that NIU could actually get a bowl eligible season our first year in the Big XII (if we somehow get Iowa State, Kansas, K-State and Texas Tech, in the conference realignment, and schedule Ball St. and another cupcake team or two for easy wins).

Now realistically, NIU will not make a direct jump to Big XII unless the conference is that desperate. We have a better shot of getting into the AAC, and more realistically C-USA (which I actually view as an equal conference to the MAC, honestly they're worse, but our teams would still find a way to lose to theirs). Attendance will always be what holds us back and I 1000% agree that if you slap "NIU - member of *insert P5 conference*" seats would fill instantly, but don't forget that you can be a team like Wake Forest, Purdue, Kansas, the Illness, Maryland, or Oregon State that hasn't done well in.... quite some time now, and end up with equal or worse attendance than we pull in regularly.

Students WILL show up for a NIU vs *Insert Big XII team* game, I can tell you that now. It would push Greek Life at NIU into a new tier (because honestly, majority of the students out there creating that memorable tailgate atmosphere are the Greeks). My fraternity brothers traveled down to Arkansas, Ohio State, Iowa, etc... and they've all gone for the TAILGATE experience at a P5 school, it's soooo much more than what we offer. I think if a conference like the Big XII actually challenged NIU, and Frazier pushed HARD to the student body what a P5 invite would mean for them, they'd get to those games, even the ones where its freezing, if they knew a major college experience upgrade was on the line, students would show. Until that day comes, students will always have poor attendance during the week night games.[/align]

i can't speak intelligently on what it takes to make a conference jump, but i imagine there is a lot more than just winning that comes into account. institution compatibility with conference, endowment, etc etc. you have to ask the question "what does NIU bring to the table" to improve the big12? I have never seen this question answered. sure, attendance will increase with a schedule upgrade, but that doesn't stand. this applies for every single school that dreams of some conference upgrade.

What does NIU bring to the table aside from win% which can be cyclical and fleeting?

(11-24-2015 08:28 AM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  

(11-24-2015 02:27 AM)4PhaseDelta Wrote:  The current student perspective on this one....

I've ALWAYS been PRO-GTFO the MAC haha.
My reality from when I joined this board to now is that it's possible but will take a miracle to happen. Every legit chance NIU has had to make a move, they've essentially stubbed their toe (Losing the MACC which would've given us back to back BCS births, not beating BC & CMU this season, etc...)... If NIU goes to btb BCS bowls, I think we essentially would have gotten the same look Boise State got from the Big East years back... The difference between us and Boise is literally the corrupt state were located in (It's a blessing in disguise). Being in Illinois, smack dab in the middle of B1G country, being closer to Chicago than the Illness is, being an actual WINNING program as of late (cause we all know NU has had these dream seasons and turned to straight **** the next)... all of this would/could get us a serious look from Big 12 (Cause I honestly could never see B1G allowing NIU to come close to joining at all).

Big 12 is a dream jump, and hopefully Frazier does have some sort of connections to make it a possible reality someday, but for now we have to make baby steps. This season the AAC is the best group of 5 conference, so the argument would be "How would NIU perform in the AAC" before we can even get in a convo about "How would NIU perform in the Big XII" ... NIU is highly capable of beating every AAC team (and a match up vs this years Navy team would be an absolute nail biter). It's also my belief that NIU could actually get a bowl eligible season our first year in the Big XII (if we somehow get Iowa State, Kansas, K-State and Texas Tech, in the conference realignment, and schedule Ball St. and another cupcake team or two for easy wins).

Now realistically, NIU will not make a direct jump to Big XII unless the conference is that desperate. We have a better shot of getting into the AAC, and more realistically C-USA (which I actually view as an equal conference to the MAC, honestly they're worse, but our teams would still find a way to lose to theirs). Attendance will always be what holds us back and I 1000% agree that if you slap "NIU - member of *insert P5 conference*" seats would fill instantly, but don't forget that you can be a team like Wake Forest, Purdue, Kansas, the Illness, Maryland, or Oregon State that hasn't done well in.... quite some time now, and end up with equal or worse attendance than we pull in regularly.

Students WILL show up for a NIU vs *Insert Big XII team* game, I can tell you that now. It would push Greek Life at NIU into a new tier (because honestly, majority of the students out there creating that memorable tailgate atmosphere are the Greeks). My fraternity brothers traveled down to Arkansas, Ohio State, Iowa, etc... and they've all gone for the TAILGATE experience at a P5 school, it's soooo much more than what we offer. I think if a conference like the Big XII actually challenged NIU, and Frazier pushed HARD to the student body what a P5 invite would mean for them, they'd get to those games, even the ones where its freezing, if they knew a major college experience upgrade was on the line, students would show. Until that day comes, students will always have poor attendance during the week night games.[/align]

i can't speak intelligently on what it takes to make a conference jump, but i imagine there is a lot more than just winning that comes into account. institution compatibility with conference, endowment, etc etc. you have to ask the question "what does NIU bring to the table" to improve the big12? I have never seen this question answered. sure, attendance will increase with a schedule upgrade, but that doesn't stand. this applies for every single school that dreams of some conference upgrade.

What does NIU bring to the table aside from win% which can be cyclical and fleeting?

Besides the obvious Chicagoland location and Chicagoland recruiting grounds, with an updated Huskie Stadium NIU would easily have one of the nicest all around facilities not only in the MAC but in the entire country. If you turn the stadium into a place that other schools want to come to than is a big plus. Added to that is the plan to update facilities for both tennis and the olympic sports. That will also be needed to entice larger conferences. It's not all about football (even though, yeah it is) in that you do need nice facilities that the conference can be proud of when showcasing your school. Really, the whole plan needs to be pushed through or at least there needs to be a way to show massive progress. Then there is the whole academics thing, which as SF's video showed, winning in football brought in more notoriety for the schools and thus brought in better professors. Also, NIU will need to up their standards and student facilities to make the cost of tuition worth while. I think we've talked at nauseam about what needs to be done and I think it's pretty clear. We certainly have the right guy at the helm to lead this initiative and it helps that he seems to be very well connected. In the mean time our football team needs to keep winning (the MAC championship would be pretty nice this year), and the other sports need to start rising to the top as well....which they are.

The main point I always hear about NIU going to the Big 12 is NIU is in the Chicago TV market. A couple of comments on that argument:

1) The Chicago TV market is primarily a Pro Sport market. Ratings for the Bulls, Hawks, Bears are great. Chicago does not pull good ratings for U of I or NU
2) The Chicago market is only worth something if you can monetize it. Right now the Big 12 does NOT have a TV network and their are no announced plans.
3) Creating a B12 network is a HUGE political nightmare. As a concession to keep Texas in the B12 - the conference gave exclusive rights to TLN for all Texas home games. Texas makes more money from the TLN then many other conferences. Thus if B12 set up a network, they would have to exclude all Texas home games (all sports). This would dramatically lower the value of the network
4) Even IF a B12 network was created, could you convince all the cable providers to pay $3/subscriber in the area to B12? The B10 has problems with this especially outside it's market. The SEC network went with a two tier approach. In markets with a school the cable providers pay $$ and in markets w/o a school they only pay much less.

Trust me - I would LOVE NIU to go to the B12 - but basing your argument on a non existent B12 network and the Chicago TV market makes it a fantasy - not a plan.

(11-24-2015 09:16 AM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  an updated Huskie Stadium NIU would easily have one of the nicest all around facilities not only in the MAC but in the entire country. If you turn the stadium into a place that other schools want to come to than is a big plus.

WHAT