(06-10-2010 04:03 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote: [ -> ] (06-10-2010 03:56 PM)Rock Bottom Wrote: [ -> ] (06-10-2010 03:47 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]That's awful on my part, I should really know that. You are correct RB.
Yes it was!!! Don't slight us those 2 slots - "Top 10" sounds SO much better than "Top 12." 
: )
your comment on NIUs inability to market itself and set itself up for this kind of scenario is precisely what I see and why i mentioned FCS. everything they've done has either been flawed or shortsighted and NIU either does not want or does not have the knowhow for growing this football program. "If boise state can do it, then NIU can as well"....well, why haven't we then?
Excellent question.
(06-10-2010 04:03 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote: [ -> ] (06-10-2010 03:56 PM)Rock Bottom Wrote: [ -> ] (06-10-2010 03:47 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]That's awful on my part, I should really know that. You are correct RB.
Yes it was!!! Don't slight us those 2 slots - "Top 10" sounds SO much better than "Top 12."
: )
your comment on NIUs inability to market itself and set itself up for this kind of scenario is precisely what I see and why i mentioned FCS. everything they've done has either been flawed or shortsighted and NIU either does not want or does not have the knowhow for growing this football program. "If boise state can do it, then NIU can as well"....well, why haven't we then?
Agreed. Plus, look at what South Florida has done in the relatively few years of their existence at FBS. And, they did it in a state already saturated with football powerhouses. Temple also looks like they are on their way up and out of the conference. We have not been able to take advantage of Chicago market.
Alum03, you could say that about anything. And to be fair, we did do it for a few years, we just fell on hard times. It's easily possible we could do it again. Just think if we had gone 10-2 last year with the sellouts, and people scalping our tickets. All of a sudden NIU is one of the schools talked about instead of Boise State. Just bad timing.
(06-10-2010 04:13 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]Alum03, you could say that about anything. And to be fair, we did do it for a few years, we just fell on hard times. It's easily possible we could do it again. Just think if we had gone 10-2 last year with the sellouts, and people scalping our tickets. All of a sudden NIU is one of the schools talked about instead of Boise State. Just bad timing.
I respect your opinion, but i have to disagree. NIU had PERFECT timing to start positioning itself w/ a long term view. 2002 - beat ranked team
2003 - speaks for itself, 2004 - emergence of G.Wolfe cementing of "running back U", 2005 - put up an awesome fight at michigan w/ road fanbase being relatively strong
we had a lot of pieces in place to at least market ourselves. we ended up selling our home games to soldier field presumably for money reasons. however, these soldier field games are not televised IN CHICAGO except for the obscure ESPNU stations. We have not been able to arouse the student-base to build long term loyalty (students become donating alum). We have not made NIU Football THE THING to do on campus during weekends. Essentially nothing has changed in terms of campus atmosphere. While it is partially due to the pervasive "suitcase school" rep., as well as winning, it is also due to the lack of marketing savvy. EVERYTHING was in place to build something special, and we took a once every 20 year opportunity and wasted it away.
It saddens me because i just graduated during this special time and had high hopes for NIU.
NIU, regardless of what happens with the big and rich, will still be the squirrel just trying to get an occasional nut off the tree of college sporting life. Living off scraps, really.
NIU just doesn't have the money or brand power to really compete with the power conferences and schools year in and year out.
Are you really blaming the Soldier Field games for losing popularity? Only old timers who want Saturday games at noon were turned off by it. That increased our popularity and brand recognition. The fact is our team stopped selling itself by falling apart and becoming terrible. They didn't take the next step like a Boise State or Utah has. If they had gone 12-0 and played in SF people would have talked about how brilliant it was to market the team that way on the way to a BCS game.
(06-10-2010 04:28 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]Are you really blaming the Soldier Field games for losing popularity? Only old timers who want Saturday games at noon were turned off by it. That increased our popularity and brand recognition. The fact is our team stopped selling itself by falling apart and becoming terrible. They didn't take the next step like a Boise State or Utah has. If they had gone 12-0 and played in SF people would have talked about how brilliant it was to market the team that way on the way to a BCS game.
not blaming it, but it was like NIU did not capitalize on the event fully
(06-10-2010 04:13 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]Alum03, you could say that about anything. And to be fair, we did do it for a few years, we just fell on hard times. It's easily possible we could do it again. Just think if we had gone 10-2 last year with the sellouts, and people scalping our tickets. All of a sudden NIU is one of the schools talked about instead of Boise State. Just bad timing.
Boise's had a lot longer history of sustained success and at a higher level than NIU had. We could have went 13-0 last year and had sell-outs at ever single game and I doubt NIU would be being talked about.
the big thing for me is that NIU has failed to capture the hearts and minds of the student body and turn them to passionate alumnus. especially considering the amount of people in this area that go through the school. we agree that winning cures what ails you, but you still want to have a relatively passionate fanbase even through "average" times.
(06-10-2010 04:28 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]Are you really blaming the Soldier Field games for losing popularity? Only old timers who want Saturday games at noon were turned off by it. That increased our popularity and brand recognition. The fact is our team stopped selling itself by falling apart and becoming terrible. They didn't take the next step like a Boise State or Utah has. If they had gone 12-0 and played in SF people would have talked about how brilliant it was to market the team that way on the way to a BCS game.
I'm not an old-timer, I don't care about an occasional non-Saturday game (I've taken a half day of work and gone to a weekday game) and they don't need to be at noon. But I still don't like the thought of games that were supposed to be at NIU continually being switched to Soldier Field. Toledo and other MAC schools manage to play at home against BCS schools - and they do okay financially. Their stadium holds a few more but not that much.
(06-10-2010 03:42 PM)Rock Bottom Wrote: [ -> ] (06-10-2010 03:36 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]Alum03, people said the same thing about Boise State, Utah, etc.. and not to mention NIU before 2002. Then we got to 12th in the BCS and if not for a ton of injuries may have gone even higher. There's nothing that says we can't win, as GCD said, they don't get more scholarships than before. What's it matter what the conference is, NIU can compete just as well now as we could 7 years ago when we were nearly there.
Yeah.. a ton has to break right, but it did for Boise State, it has for others, it has for NIU previously, and it can happen. Upward mobility is still an option. UCF, Marshall came from the MAC. It can be done, doesn't make it likely, but the idea there's no chance of it is ridiculous.
Correction - in the first ever BCS rankings NIU was ranked #10.
Yes, we were #10 in the BCS and #12 in the polls.
Alum03, they may not have, but the Soldier Field game was definitely them capitalizing on it the best they could. I realize some people are old school, but for the vast majority of fans it was a great thing.
Getting the games on the score was also capitalizing on the Chicago market. Jim Phillips was a talented guy and Jim Phillips + Joe Novak + John Peters were a great team.
Getting the Chicago market is key, but I just don't know how NIU breaks into it. I've worked in the press box with the guys from the Sun-Times and the Tribune. Sadly, these papers either send young guys on their way up (Jim O'Donnell for example) or writers who are on their way out/retiring (I don't want to mention any names, but it's the truth).
Heck, the Sun-Times wasn't even going to send someone to cover NIU in the Independence Bowl two years ago, I wrote the story for the Sun-Times as a stringer (It was huge for me, but I was sad that a major paper wasn't planning on covering the story until I offered).
NIU needs to find some way to really be relevant in the Chicago market. Otherwise we can say that NIU brings the Chicago market till we are all blue in the face. The facts are U of I, Notre Dame, Northwestern and DePaul all get more coverage from the Chicago market than NIU.
As for why does these super conferences matter to schools like NIU, this is an example of the rich getting richer and forcing the poor out. One point is the possible elimination of the BSC and a playoff system coming into existence. Furthermore, one thing the MAC offers right now is weekday games on ESPN. It's a horrible deal for MAC schools, but its their one way for a national audience (although its very little). If these power conferences go up to 16 teams you can beat the Big Ten will start scheduling some weekday games for the BTN to capitalize on money and programing. What are you going to watch; Buffalo versus Bowling Green or Iowa versus Wisconsin? Finally, with TV networks for these major conferences being formed, schools will get bigger pay checks like those in the BTN. This means even the "doormat" programs like Mississippi State will get a larger budget, leaving mid-majors further behind.
I don't like the idea of NIU dropping to FCS. But somehow NIU needs to build a program. Boise State wasn't just a year or two. TCU, Utah, BYU were not just a good season. Yes, sometimes they have great seasons, but they always have good seasons. This is not the case with NIU. We had the chance to build something off of 2002/2003/2004 and we didn't. Now we are back to step 2 or so.
(06-10-2010 10:32 PM)Ben Gross Wrote: [ -> ]We had the chance to build something off of 2002/2003/2004 and we didn't. Now we are back to step 2 or so.
thank you.
NIU will not drop to FCS (I would drop NIU). Lets hope our top 3 TV market helps somehow.
With these super mega conferences being formed, I would not mind seeing a huge conference of the better schools among the "leftovers". There would be a lot of good schools with solid teams in the conference. This conference would be be one step below the BCS schools, but above the current FCS. With banding together some decent schools, including some with larger TV markets, there would be more firepower for marketing and drawing support.
(06-10-2010 10:32 PM)Ben Gross Wrote: [ -> ]Sadly, these papers either send young guys on their way up (Jim O'Donnell for example) or writers who are on their way out/retiring (I don't want to mention
Ha, must be talking about Freddy Mitchell.. Never looked excited to be in that press box once all year. Loved it when he brought a mobiletv in to watch the Bears Thur night game
(06-11-2010 07:42 AM)HuskieRak Wrote: [ -> ] (06-10-2010 10:32 PM)Ben Gross Wrote: [ -> ]Sadly, these papers either send young guys on their way up (Jim O'Donnell for example) or writers who are on their way out/retiring (I don't want to mention
Ha, must be talking about Freddy Mitchell.. Never looked excited to be in that press box once all year. Loved it when he brought a mobiletv in to watch the Bears Thur night game
Actually I was not speaking of Fred Mitchell and I would appreciate people not putting words in my mouth (?text?). Fred was very overworked this year and actually gave a lot of effort to NIU that most Chicago writers would not. If you ask me, NIU was lucky to have Fred covering it.
If you must really know who I was thinking of I was thinking of Lacy Banks for the Sun-Times. One heck of a writer who is still writing and in a battle for his life. Lacy used to cover a lot more "sexy" beats, but then was on NIU for a while as his career is slowing down.
(06-10-2010 05:58 PM)HuskieFan84 Wrote: [ -> ]Alum03, they may not have, but the Soldier Field game was definitely them capitalizing on it the best they could. I realize some people are old school, but for the vast majority of fans it was a great thing.
Boy, i wasn't going to get in on this, but come on! Playing at Soldier Field on a beastly hot day where Iowa had all sorts of fans and misters, and we had nothing; where the stadium was 2/3 full of rabid Iowa fans and Huskie fans had mostly end zone seats; and where Iowa did not have to face a stadium full of 30,000 rabid Huskie fans right on top of them, with another 10,000 outside the stadium making it a VERY hostile environment for them; that was "capitalizing?" That was a "great thing?"
If it was the best we could do, then fine. It made us some money. Fine. But in retrospect, was it really the best in the long term interest of the program? Did it do ANYTHING to help build a fan base?