(02-10-2015 09:50 AM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 09:21 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  The point isn't to get people from Champaign to Chicago, it's to get some of the 140,000+ alumni and 11,000+ students in Chicagoland to the game the Saturday after Thanksgiving rather than play the game with no students on campus and a large chunk of the alumni base home for the holiday.

I also don't think their quote makes any sense, either. Thomas said the goal since he took the job was to try and have a larger presence in Chicago given the alumni base there. They've been playing basketball games in the city forever, I don't see why playing a football game there every other year for a few years is a big deal.

Basketball good...football bad...

The alumni in Chicagoland should come out if the team is good. As of this moment, the football team is not good, hence, not likely a huge following will turn out. The chance for dismal weather at the end of November, and that it is a holiday weekend, doesn't help matters.

Also, yes, Thomas has said his goal is to better involve the alumni in Chicagoland. But when you're team is as bad as the Illini have been, and your coach is a laughingstock for many in the Chicago media and beyond, he's fighting an uphill battle.

(02-10-2015 10:36 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 09:50 AM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 09:21 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  The point isn't to get people from Champaign to Chicago, it's to get some of the 140,000+ alumni and 11,000+ students in Chicagoland to the game the Saturday after Thanksgiving rather than play the game with no students on campus and a large chunk of the alumni base home for the holiday.

I also don't think their quote makes any sense, either. Thomas said the goal since he took the job was to try and have a larger presence in Chicago given the alumni base there. They've been playing basketball games in the city forever, I don't see why playing a football game there every other year for a few years is a big deal.

Basketball good...football bad...

The alumni in Chicagoland should come out if the team is good. As of this moment, the football team is not good, hence, not likely a huge following will turn out. The chance for dismal weather at the end of November, and that it is a holiday weekend, doesn't help matters.

Also, yes, Thomas has said his goal is to better involve the alumni in Chicagoland. But when you're team is as bad as the Illini have been, and your coach is a laughingstock for many in the Chicago media and beyond, he's fighting an uphill battle.

You just made me wonder if UofI would hire Dave Wannstedt

(02-10-2015 10:41 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 10:36 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 09:50 AM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 09:21 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  The point isn't to get people from Champaign to Chicago, it's to get some of the 140,000+ alumni and 11,000+ students in Chicagoland to the game the Saturday after Thanksgiving rather than play the game with no students on campus and a large chunk of the alumni base home for the holiday.

I also don't think their quote makes any sense, either. Thomas said the goal since he took the job was to try and have a larger presence in Chicago given the alumni base there. They've been playing basketball games in the city forever, I don't see why playing a football game there every other year for a few years is a big deal.

Basketball good...football bad...

The alumni in Chicagoland should come out if the team is good. As of this moment, the football team is not good, hence, not likely a huge following will turn out. The chance for dismal weather at the end of November, and that it is a holiday weekend, doesn't help matters.

Also, yes, Thomas has said his goal is to better involve the alumni in Chicagoland. But when you're team is as bad as the Illini have been, and your coach is a laughingstock for many in the Chicago media and beyond, he's fighting an uphill battle.

You just made me wonder if UofI would hire Dave Wannstedt

Wannstedt wasn't a bad coach at Pitt, FWIW.

But Thomas needs to make a splash with his next hire after the Beckman debacle and I have the feeling, given his history of hiring coaches from the MAC, that PJ will be right at the top of his list after this season, unless by some miracle Beckman improves again this year.

Some of the comments on here. Wow. Just wow.

You aren't drawing at home, team is down, have the largest alumni association in the Country, most in a large metropolitan area I think, it's not too hard to figure out. Throw in getting some recruits there. An opponent from Chicago...not a big boy brining fans to CU for a stay....hope for 20K per team as a minimum goal. Hope one or both turn it around.

You roll the dice

Let's move on, please, before I

(02-10-2015 10:52 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 10:41 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  You just made me wonder if UofI would hire Dave Wannstedt

Wannstedt wasn't a bad coach at Pitt, FWIW.

But Thomas needs to make a splash with his next hire after the Beckman debacle and I have the feeling, given his history of hiring coaches from the MAC, that PJ will be right at the top of his list after this season, unless by some miracle Beckman improves again this year.

I agree Wannstedt was not bad at Pitt.

As far as PJ goes if I were a P5/B1G minded nose up in the air to the G5 UofI fan I would hate to see the AD hire another MAC coach.

(02-10-2015 10:36 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:   The alumni in Chicagoland should come out if the team is good. As of this moment, the football team is not good, hence, not likely a huge following will turn out. The chance for dismal weather at the end of November, and that it is a holiday weekend, doesn't help matters.

Also, yes, Thomas has said his goal is to better involve the alumni in Chicagoland. But when you're team is as bad as the Illini have been, and your coach is a laughingstock for many in the Chicago media and beyond, he's fighting an uphill battle.

I don't think they expect a huge turnout, but they aren't drawing for that game in Champaign as is, so why not try something different and closer to the core of the fanbase?

They know they're fighting an uphill battle, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

(02-10-2015 11:33 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 10:36 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:   The alumni in Chicagoland should come out if the team is good. As of this moment, the football team is not good, hence, not likely a huge following will turn out. The chance for dismal weather at the end of November, and that it is a holiday weekend, doesn't help matters.

Also, yes, Thomas has said his goal is to better involve the alumni in Chicagoland. But when you're team is as bad as the Illini have been, and your coach is a laughingstock for many in the Chicago media and beyond, he's fighting an uphill battle.

I don't think they expect a huge turnout, but they aren't drawing for that game in Champaign as is, so why not try something different and closer to the core of the fanbase?

They know they're fighting an uphill battle, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

Because i'm sure the park district ain't letting them use Soldier Field for free.

(02-10-2015 11:58 AM)7 Wrote:  Because i'm sure the park district ain't letting them use Soldier Field for free.

Right, but there also costs to operating Memorial Stadium.

Do you really think UI did this without figuring out the economics of it first?

EDIT: Actually, here's from the Q&A I received:
During the 2014 season, the annual net revenue from games at Memorial Stadium was $6,633,136 – or $946,019 per game
– over the seven home games. The revenue from the final home game of the season against Penn State, while the students
were on break, was $812,328, or $133,688 under the average revenue per game for the season.
The most recent #ILLINI game at Soldier Field (vs Washington in 2013) netted $1,969,800.

(02-10-2015 11:33 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 10:36 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:   The alumni in Chicagoland should come out if the team is good. As of this moment, the football team is not good, hence, not likely a huge following will turn out. The chance for dismal weather at the end of November, and that it is a holiday weekend, doesn't help matters.

Also, yes, Thomas has said his goal is to better involve the alumni in Chicagoland. But when you're team is as bad as the Illini have been, and your coach is a laughingstock for many in the Chicago media and beyond, he's fighting an uphill battle.

I don't think they expect a huge turnout, but they aren't drawing for that game in Champaign as is, so why not try something different and closer to the core of the fanbase?

They know they're fighting an uphill battle, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

this is a good deal for NU. They basically have 6 yrs of home games vs UI

(02-10-2015 11:59 AM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 11:58 AM)7 Wrote:  Because i'm sure the park district ain't letting them use Soldier Field for free.

Right, but there also costs to operating Memorial Stadium.

Do you really think UI did this without figuring out the economics of it first?

EDIT: Actually, here's from the Q&A I received:
During the 2014 season, the annual net revenue from games at Memorial Stadium was $6,633,136 – or $946,019 per game
– over the seven home games. The revenue from the final home game of the season against Penn State, while the students
were on break, was $812,328, or $133,688 under the average revenue per game for the season.
The most recent #ILLINI game at Soldier Field (vs Washington in 2013) netted $1,969,800.

Which was in September (when it's warm), against a ranked team, when it was warm, when Illinois was (I believe) undefeated...when it was warm...and it wasn't against Northwestern, and it was warm.

Just because the Illinois AD did something doesn't mean it's correct.

(02-10-2015 12:15 PM)7 Wrote:  Which was in September (when it's warm), against a ranked team, when it was warm, when Illinois was (I believe) undefeated...when it was warm...and it wasn't against Northwestern, and it was warm.

Just because the Illinois AD did something doesn't mean it's correct.

Again, do you really think they haven't figured out the economics of playing the game?

(02-10-2015 12:49 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 12:15 PM)7 Wrote:  Which was in September (when it's warm), against a ranked team, when it was warm, when Illinois was (I believe) undefeated...when it was warm...and it wasn't against Northwestern, and it was warm.

Just because the Illinois AD did something doesn't mean it's correct.

Again, do you really think they haven't figured out the economics of playing the game?

What does this mean? Yes, I'm sure they've figured out the economics of the game. Does this mean they're going to make more of a profit than they would at Memorial Stadium? Uh, no.

7 you of all people should realize what a recruiting boom this will be for UofI.

From now until the end of 2019 UofI gets to whore out Soldier Field and the surrounding area (aka downtown Chicago) as a full blown recruiting visit.

Doeren did it big in our eyes with our recruits and I can only imagine what could be done in the city with a B1G recruiting budget.

(02-10-2015 01:17 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  7 you of all people should realize what a recruiting boom this will be for UofI.

From now until the end of 2019 UofI gets to whore out Soldier Field and the surrounding area (aka downtown Chicago) as a full blown recruiting visit.

Doeren did it big in our eyes with our recruits and I can only imagine what could be done in the city with a B1G recruiting budget.

Vegas has the early O/U set at 9.

They're never going to outrecruit high major programs for talent in Chicago. It won't happen. It didn't even really happen when Zook was there. Benn, Martez, and Vontae were DC boys. Juice was a Chicago boy, but most of the true NFL type talent they got were from out of state.

I think it's kind of TBD on these games. It makes sense for U of I to make all of their alumni in Chicago happy. I don't know that it helps that much with recruiting for a Big Ten school...for someone like NIU, showing off Soldier Field and their facilities was probably a huge deal, but I'm guessing U of I is already ok from that perspective.

If Northwestern and U of I are decent in these years, will probably workout well. However...if they stink, say the 2nd or 3rd Soldier Field game, you could see a very small attendance that will look kind of gross.

(02-10-2015 01:28 PM)17Huskies Wrote:  I think it's kind of TBD on these games. It makes sense for U of I to make all of their alumni in Chicago happy. I don't know that it helps that much with recruiting for a Big Ten school...for someone like NIU, showing off Soldier Field and their facilities was probably a huge deal, but I'm guessing U of I is already ok from that perspective.

If Northwestern and U of I are decent in these years, will probably workout well. However...if they stink, say the 2nd or 3rd Soldier Field game, you could see a very small attendance that will look kind of gross.

It was absolutely a huge deal when we did it at the time. But now, with the CPC built, the Master Plan on the drawing board, and most importantly, the success the program has had the last 5 years across multiple coaches and players, would it be as big of a deal for NIU now?

Has Frazier even dropped a hint that another Soldier Field game is on his radar?

(02-10-2015 01:25 PM)7 Wrote:  They're never going to outrecruit high major programs for talent in Chicago. It won't happen. It didn't even really happen when Zook was there. Benn, Martez, and Vontae were DC boys. Juice was a Chicago boy, but most of the true NFL type talent they got were from out of state.

Those are the exact kids I am thinking of who would be more impressed by a visit to Chicago in the Summer. The local kids have grown up with it. This is for the kids from the South or out West.

(02-10-2015 12:58 PM)7 Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 12:49 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 12:15 PM)7 Wrote:  Which was in September (when it's warm), against a ranked team, when it was warm, when Illinois was (I believe) undefeated...when it was warm...and it wasn't against Northwestern, and it was warm.

Just because the Illinois AD did something doesn't mean it's correct.

Again, do you really think they haven't figured out the economics of playing the game?

What does this mean? Yes, I'm sure they've figured out the economics of the game. Does this mean they're going to make more of a profit than they would at Memorial Stadium? Uh, no.

UIs last game in champaign only drew about 12,000 actual bodies

(02-10-2015 02:04 PM)GCD70 Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 12:58 PM)7 Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 12:49 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  

(02-10-2015 12:15 PM)7 Wrote:  Which was in September (when it's warm), against a ranked team, when it was warm, when Illinois was (I believe) undefeated...when it was warm...and it wasn't against Northwestern, and it was warm.

Just because the Illinois AD did something doesn't mean it's correct.

Again, do you really think they haven't figured out the economics of playing the game?

What does this mean? Yes, I'm sure they've figured out the economics of the game. Does this mean they're going to make more of a profit than they would at Memorial Stadium? Uh, no.

UIs last game in champaign only drew about 12,000 actual bodies

living or dead?