(10-22-2015 10:32 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 05:38 PM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  It's sad that this positive thread turned into yet another AAC thread.

I have never seen such a rabid following for such a diminishing conference like there is on this board. NIUSox10, Dogpoundnorth, PridenPack, why don't you guys just stay on AAC boards if you think that product is so superior, I don't quite get why you are still here.

I don't have to think it's superior to the MAC, I mean, I know it is. But i'm an NIU alum who wants us to get to the next level, not waste away in a terrible conference like the MAC. That was the whole point of Frazer's corner....it was a road map to LEAVE THE MAC. can you not see that?

(10-21-2015 12:42 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-21-2015 12:06 AM)VegasHuskie Wrote:  

(10-20-2015 11:41 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-20-2015 11:37 PM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  

(10-20-2015 11:33 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  You must be seeing something I am not because all I see is a conference that will no longer be around in 5 years. The only way it would change the face of athletics would be it would bankrupt the school. The MAC is on par with the AAC, why waste all that money in travel for a parallel move, just makes zero zero zero sense

Those other schools are traveling much farther than NIU on multiple occasions and are doing just fine financially. Is NIU the only school that would have to up their travel budget outside a bus league? You sound as if South Florida is 10 miles from Cinci and NIU would have to travel to Alaska every 3 days for a sport.

If the AAC was a measurably better conference I would be all for the increased cost/expense/student athlete hardship of non-stop cross country travel. But to go to all that heartache to play in a conference at almost the same prestige/quality level of the MAC is so crazy. I don't even know why someone would even dream this would be a good idea. Not only are you making it harder for student athletes for a comparable conference, you are excluding your fans from going to games too. I just don't see in any way shape or form this helps NIU, I can only think of damaging things.

Oh, come on now! The old Big East isn't as prestigious as the Big 12, but it is WAY beyond "measurably" better than the MAC. It contains nationally recognized schools in major markets such as Philly, Houston, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Tulsa, and Memphis. It has football teams that are just off the cusp of being national powers. It has basketball teams that are among the elite in the nation and have been for decades.

The MAC is a conference of midwestern directional schools that hardly make a blip on the national radar.

You say there is no way, shape or form the AAC could help NIU. How about home attendance? Again, Cincinnati or Memphis is not Texas or Oklahoma, but don't you think there is a pretty good chance Huskie stadium would sell out if one of those teams were to visit? At the very least, don't you think they, and pretty much every other team in the AAC, would significantly outdraw the EMU's and Ball State's of the world?

This myth that SMU, Temple, South Florida, Tulsa, and Tulane would draw more than Ball State, Toledo, etc, is just so false. NIU fans could care less about AAC teams, absolutely care less. And why would they? I have seen many of these Friday night AAC games, and the atmospheres struggle just as much if not more than MAC weekday games.

That is just categorically incorrect. There would be significantly more interest from our home fan base over most of these AAC teams. Again, I'm not claiming it would be to the level of Big 10 or 12 schools, but the vast majority of Huskie fans would be more curious to watch the Mustangs roll into DeKalb instead of the Chippewas.

Furthermore, the AAC schools have more of a national following, and the visiting gate would be dramatically stronger. Please don't tell me you think Buffalo is going to travel as well as CFU or Cincy would.

The terrible MAC where we will probably be the underdog in two upcoming games. OK,.

(10-22-2015 11:43 PM)sarasotahuskie Wrote:  The terrible MAC where we will probably be the underdog in two upcoming games. OK,.

We've won our division 5 straight years....sorry we have to change players constantly and not be favored in EVERY game. It doesn't mean the conference as a whole is amazing. It's not a good conference. Great argument though...pssh.

If the MAC is so great, (specifically the MAC west, which is what you folks keep saying is the best division in the MAC, which includes precious Toledo and WMU), then why does NIU keep winning it? How can a single team dominate such a great conference year after year? (but then of course lose to CUSA, MWC, ACC, etc in bowl games). I don't even care if we don't win the MAC west this year, again you can't win EVERY YEAR. but 5 out of 6 years in enough evidence for me that the conference has run its course.

Time for NIU to take on a new challenge and stop playing in the sand box with the little programs.

(10-23-2015 12:00 AM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  If the MAC is so great, (specifically the MAC west, which is what you folks keep saying is the best division in the MAC, which includes precious Toledo and WMU), then why does NIU keep winning it? How can a single team dominate such a great conference year after year? (but then of course lose to CUSA, MWC, ACC, etc in bowl games). I don't even care if we don't win the MAC west this year, again you can't win EVERY YEAR. but 5 out of 6 years in enough evidence for me that the conference has run its course.

Time for NIU to take on a new challenge and stop playing in the sand box with the little programs.

I will give you that NIU has dominated most MAC teams, but I would not call four out of the five UT versus NIU match ups dominant. I would call them a battle of the two best MAC West schools and they were very close games. Domination is a beat down, those games were not domination. Prior to that NIU was in the cellar for a very long time and UT actually did dominate NIU most years as the match up was very one sided most of the time. The last five years the NIU score over UT was only dominant one time if I recall correctly. During the last five years when NIU got better as a team, UT stayed about the same talent wise and NIU was simply better mainly in QB play, but not dominant. Even during those years and even now UT has held up their end of the bargain being a good football team in the MAC most years probably better then any other team in the entire conference over the last couple of decades, if not longer. Further when you look at all MAC sports as a body of work NIU has a lot of work to do. I think that is a fair statement. Thanks

(10-22-2015 11:48 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 11:43 PM)sarasotahuskie Wrote:  The terrible MAC where we will probably be the underdog in two upcoming games. OK,.

We've won our division 5 straight years....sorry we have to change players constantly and not be favored in EVERY game. It doesn't mean the conference as a whole is amazing. It's not a good conference. Great argument though...pssh.

I am not arguing, just pointing out a fact.

(10-23-2015 05:42 AM)Stpetebeachrocketfan Wrote:  

(10-23-2015 12:00 AM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  If the MAC is so great, (specifically the MAC west, which is what you folks keep saying is the best division in the MAC, which includes precious Toledo and WMU), then why does NIU keep winning it? How can a single team dominate such a great conference year after year? (but then of course lose to CUSA, MWC, ACC, etc in bowl games). I don't even care if we don't win the MAC west this year, again you can't win EVERY YEAR. but 5 out of 6 years in enough evidence for me that the conference has run its course.

Time for NIU to take on a new challenge and stop playing in the sand box with the little programs.

I will give you that NIU has dominated most MAC teams, but I would not call four out of the five UT versus NIU match ups dominant. I would call them a battle of the two best MAC West schools and they were very close games. Domination is a beat down, those games were not domination. Prior to that NIU was in the cellar for a very long time and UT actually did dominate NIU most years as the match up was very one sided most of the time. The last five years the NIU score over UT was only dominant one time if I recall correctly. During the last five years when NIU got better as a team, UT stayed about the same talent wise and NIU was simply better mainly in QB play, but not dominant. Even during those years and even now UT has held up their end of the bargain being a good football team in the MAC most years probably better then any other team in the entire conference over the last couple of decades, if not longer. Further when you look at all MAC sports as a body of work NIU has a lot of work to do. I think that is a fair statement. Thanks

Very fair statement. I really don't think the term domination is always reflected in the final scores of games. In this case, it's just the longevity of 10+ win seasons, division titles, conference championships---which really, is only matched by two or three programs in the entire country over the past 5 to even 8 years. And during this time Toledo has had very good teams---just a tick below. In most cases these things run in cycles---I remember early 2000s when Western Michigan and Toledo were difficult to beat.

To your point about looking at all MAC sports, you are spot on. I always find it humorous to the clamor of us moving to a different conference. First, we draw about 15,000 fans to a football game for a team that has won more than all but Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon over the past five seasons. If you want to argue I can stretch that attendance figure to 20,000 and not argue back.

Every other revenue sport is just abysmal. I don't know how anyone expects any conference to look at NIU when basketball games draw 800-1200 people---and that is not a stretch. Sure, the argument will be, if you bring better teams in, the attendance will go up. My thought---the attendance will spike for about a year, maybe two. If we all of a sudden bring a high caliber schedule for football, the record plummets from 9-3 in a bad year to 5-7 in a good year----people are not coming to watch sub .500 football (additional people---the true will stay). Basketball---ha! Monty is doing his best at building a program, but if all of a sudden we are playing Memphis, Cincinnati, Tulsa, etc---please---

So, Mr. Toledo---I largely agree and support your statements...just may be nitpicking on your perceived definition of domination. Yes, I am a huge NIU fan, just not quite in the big circle due to time and effort to get to all the games.

(10-22-2015 11:22 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 10:32 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 05:38 PM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  It's sad that this positive thread turned into yet another AAC thread.

I have never seen such a rabid following for such a diminishing conference like there is on this board. NIUSox10, Dogpoundnorth, PridenPack, why don't you guys just stay on AAC boards if you think that product is so superior, I don't quite get why you are still here.

I don't have to think it's superior to the MAC, I mean, I know it is. But i'm an NIU alum who wants us to get to the next level, not waste away in a terrible conference like the MAC. That was the whole point of Frazer's corner....it was a road map to LEAVE THE MAC. can you not see that?

This board is becoming un-readable

(10-23-2015 09:18 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 11:22 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 10:32 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 05:38 PM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  It's sad that this positive thread turned into yet another AAC thread.

I have never seen such a rabid following for such a diminishing conference like there is on this board. NIUSox10, Dogpoundnorth, PridenPack, why don't you guys just stay on AAC boards if you think that product is so superior, I don't quite get why you are still here.

I don't have to think it's superior to the MAC, I mean, I know it is. But i'm an NIU alum who wants us to get to the next level, not waste away in a terrible conference like the MAC. That was the whole point of Frazer's corner....it was a road map to LEAVE THE MAC. can you not see that?

This board is becoming un-readable

By all means, stop reading it!

(10-23-2015 09:18 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 11:22 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 10:32 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-22-2015 05:38 PM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  It's sad that this positive thread turned into yet another AAC thread.

I have never seen such a rabid following for such a diminishing conference like there is on this board. NIUSox10, Dogpoundnorth, PridenPack, why don't you guys just stay on AAC boards if you think that product is so superior, I don't quite get why you are still here.

I don't have to think it's superior to the MAC, I mean, I know it is. But i'm an NIU alum who wants us to get to the next level, not waste away in a terrible conference like the MAC. That was the whole point of Frazer's corner....it was a road map to LEAVE THE MAC. can you not see that?

This board is becoming un-readable

You really need to look in the mirror

NIU should aim higher... AAC is only getting $1.5mm in TV money/school, Conf USA is gettng $4-6mm.

I think Big12 is a pipe dream, whereas Conf USA seems doable: They have directional schools, smaller state schools, etc and we would be competitive

(10-23-2015 03:33 PM)cartershaw Wrote:  NIU should aim higher... AAC is only getting $1.5mm in TV money/school, Conf USA is gettng $4-6mm

CUSA's deal is about to run out, and because they've lost all their top teams the past few years that number will surely go down.

(10-23-2015 03:36 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  

(10-23-2015 03:33 PM)cartershaw Wrote:  NIU should aim higher... AAC is only getting $1.5mm in TV money/school, Conf USA is gettng $4-6mm

CUSA's deal is about to run out, and because they've lost all their top teams the past few years that number will surely go down.

They have/had a unique deal, because they had regional and local deals too, so they basically double dipped in the tv pot

Besides facilities, what other factors determine the top programs in college athletics? After looking at hundreds of variables, it appears there is one additional variable that helps make champions. Waffle House. Now before you start posting how crazy this is, let's look at national champions from the BCS era until present. Let's also throw in Boise State, TCU and Louisville from the Frazier Corner example.

Year National Champion Nearby Waffle Houses
2014 Ohio State 14
2013 Florida State 8
2012 Alabama 7
2011 Alabama 7
2010 Auburn 6
2009 Alabama 7
2008 Florida 3
2007 Louisiana State 8
2006 Florida 3
2005 Texas 2
2004 Southern California 0
2003 Louisiana State, Southern California 8, 0
2002 Ohio State 14
2001 Miami (Fla.) 2
2000 Oklahoma 3
1999 Florida State 8
1998 Tennessee 11


N/A Boise State 0
N/A Louisville 10
N/A TCU 10

As can clearly be seen, the only national champion without a waffle house nearby is USC. That's one national champion since 1998.

Looking at Boise State, Louisville and TCU, only Boise State is not located near to a Waffle House. And which one of these is not in a P5 conference?

#WaffleHouseDeKalbIL

^^^^^ Finally some facts that make sense!
If they build a waffle house in Dekalb, I'm all in. Let's build 2!

(10-24-2015 09:47 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  ^^^^^ Finally some facts that make sense!
If they build a waffle house in Dekalb, I'm all in. Let's build 2!

I think even the locals would be for that!

(10-24-2015 10:47 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(10-24-2015 09:47 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  ^^^^^ Finally some facts that make sense!
If they build a waffle house in Dekalb, I'm all in. Let's build 2!

I think even the locals would be for that!

Don't forget #WaffleHouseDeKalbIL

James Madison University....better football stadium than NIU.

I for one am curious where Maddawgz stands on the AAC.