Let's face it, NIU will never get the recognition they deserve by playing in the MAC. NIU also doesn't fit the MAC profile very well. At 25K students, we are far bigger than most MAC schools. We are geographically removed, being by far the farthest team West and for that reason we don't really have a natural rival (the Toledo rivalry is temporary, while we are both on top).
If NIU could leave the MAC where you you like to see them go? I'd like to see them in Conference USA. I'd love to see teams like Houston, Rice, UAB, Tulane come up here and play in DeKalb in late October or November. I could also see them in the Mountain West or WAC. Mountain West would defintely be a challenge with BYU and some of the others but there would be more respect. Of course I know that geographically that's not the best fit and making road games would be harder for most of us.
I know there's lots of obstacles to changing conferences, but if it were possible what would you like to see?
Geographically speaking, C-USA, team and competition and my personal preference would be the WAC.
Give it a couple of years. Toledo, BG, Miami and NIU will be out there as expansion candidates. I believe Conference USA is a weaker league than the MAC in football. A new conference may include representation from the MAC and Conference USA. If EMU continues having attendance of 5500 per game, they will have challenges staying 1A. However, logistics plays a big role in conference alignment with Mid-Majors. Right now, we need to win our first MAC championship in over 20 years before we think about doing anything.
The league that would make sense geographically would be in the Big 12 North.
Figuring we won't make the jump to the BCS conference I would say the best thing would be for the cream of the crop MAC schools to get with the top CUSA schools and form a new conference.
If you can dream!!!
Not this discussion again. :rolleyes:
Huskie'82 Wrote:NIU also doesn't fit the MAC profile very well. At 25K students, we are far bigger than most MAC schools.
Actually, only Miami, Toledo and Ball State have enrollments of less than 20K. Miami has the smallest enrollment with 16K. You fit the MAC profile well in that category. Obviously you guys have done very well in football, but I don't know if there are any other conferences where you will fit in as well as the MAC.
Spudskie Wrote:Not this discussion again. :rolleyes:
Sorry if this has been beat to death in the past. I'm new on this board and I was wondering what you guys all thought. Humor me! :)
I had completely stopped following college football (I used to be a big fan) until the NIU-Alabama game in '03. This BCS crap is all still a little strange to me and I sometimes forget to factor it in. I liked it a lot better the old way. You always knew the Rose Bowl was Big 10 vs. Pac 10 (or Pac 8!), Cotton Bowl always had a the SWC champ, etc. Those were the days.
I say without a doubt Conference USA. Conference USA is a stepping stone for programs to move to the bigger BCS conferences such as the Big East and ACC. I also think Conference USA is fit for us not only geographically but because it gets more respect and has more bowl bids (4, if i'm correct?). However, i don't think our basketball program is up to Conference USA standards. In order for a school to make it to a new conference, a better conference, it has to have at least equally impressive basketball and football programs. So in that sense, until NIU wins the MAC Championship a few times in football and our basketball program does the same, we aren't moving anywhere.
i hear bowling green is a virtual clone of NIU
Conference USA if they would want us. We look pretty decent on paper, now all we have to do is win a few MAC crowns and someone will care to take us.
We luck out with location to a major city...no not because i'm hoping chicago cares about NIU, but because a lot of alumni stay around NIU after they graduate so attendance will not be a problem. Even better is the fact we don't have to play directional michigans....
crazywilly Wrote:Conference USA if they would want us. We look pretty decent on paper, now all we have to do is win a few MAC crowns and someone will care to take us.
We luck out with location to a major city...no not because i'm hoping chicago cares about NIU, but because a lot of alumni stay around NIU after they graduate so attendance will not be a problem.
I don't think it's going to take winning MAC crowns, though of course that will help. I think consistantly being in the MAC top 4 (Western Division top 2) will bring recogition from the other conferences.
The big advantage to being near Chicago is O'Hare airport. We're only an hour from a major airport. People can easily get to us. Would we ever consider playing a "home" game at Soldier Field? If it was the right opponent we might draw 50K plus.
crazywilly Wrote:Even better is the fact we don't have to play directional michigans....
:rofl:
Don't forget, we're a "directional school" too. But something about "Northern" makes us sound tougher. It kind of conjures up images of football in blizzard conditions. That's why I'd love for Houston or UAB to come up and play in DeKalb in November.
NIU has little option beyond the MAC. That is precisely why NIU has big stake in ensuring that the MAC can be the best conference it can be. Unfortunately, that statement is tinged with hypocrisy. If you take a look outside football, the rest of our athletic programs have more or less been a drag on the MAC (I know there are a couple exceptions). Even in football, we have yet to win a MAC title.
None of the "out west" conferences make strategic or economical sense for NIU. It is not outside the realm of possibility to think the top several MAC football schools forming a new conference with the spare parts of C-USA, but I'm no longer sure exactly what that gets us.
The MAC it is. Viva the MAC.
niu85alum Wrote:It is not outside the realm of possibility to think the top several MAC football schools forming a new conference with the spare parts of C-USA, but I'm no longer sure exactly what that gets us.
Well, for one thing, Houston and SMU were top contenders in the SWC some years ago and Rice was also in that major conference. (I got my MBA from Houston in the Phi Slamma Jamma year of 1983). Frankly, I was shocked when it disolved. The point is that these schools are more recognizable to the public than the Toledos and BGSUs of the MAC.
I guarantee you that hosting Houston at Huskie Stadium won't put one single additional fannie into the seat. You're talking about irrelevant athletic programs. We already have enough of those in the MAC. In fact, it could be argued NIU is completely irrelevant outside of football and a small group of "minor" sports.
Independent or maybe the Big West
My initial reaction to this thread was similar to that of Spudskie.
Alum and others formulated insightful and convincing arguments regarding NIU and conference affiliation. But upon further review it IS fair to bring this topic up yet again. Why? What has changed?
The fact that for the next 4 years all NIU football games (even Tenn Tech!) and 20 basketball games/year will be broadcast on a 50,000 watt Clear Channel radio station!
Anyone know of a conference that would be interested in a school located in one of the top 3 media markets in the United States of America that has their games available in up to 38 states and 4 Canadian provinces?
I vote to stay in MAC. Keep the consistancy and continue to grow at a steady pace. If another major conference shake up were to happen and NIU can improve their situation, then would be the time to look at the options.
HuskiemobileMan Wrote:Independent or maybe the Big West
Independent? No way! That was tried in the mid-80s with disastrous results for NIU. There are almost no independents left for one good reason: it's almost impossible to schedule as an independent (unless you're Notre Dame).
huskiebob Wrote:HuskiemobileMan Wrote:Independent or maybe the Big West
Independent? No way! That was tried in the mid-80s with disastrous results for NIU. There are almost no independents left for one good reason: it's almost impossible to schedule as an independent (unless you're Notre Dame).
You seemed to have missed the joke. That is why he said those.
niu85alum Wrote:I guarantee you that hosting Houston at Huskie Stadium won't put one single additional fannie into the seat. You're talking about irrelevant athletic programs. We already have enough of those in the MAC. In fact, it could be argued NIU is completely irrelevant outside of football and a small group of "minor" sports.
No it won't put any additional people in Huskie Stadium because those games will sell out if we keep winning. The advantage to being in a conference with Houston, SMU, etc. is that these programs still have name recognition even if they are a shadow of the programs they once were.