Interesting list on attendance the last 5 years. I am hoping the Hammock Buzz will get us moving up the list....


https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/07/...atest-news

(08-06-2019 01:49 PM)flair6 Wrote:  Interesting list on attendance the last 5 years. I am hoping the Hammock Buzz will get us moving up the list....


https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/07/...atest-news

And we can be pretty comfortable that those figures are not the number of fannies that were in the seats. If Eastern Michigan drew close to what is reported, this is a joke.

These kids deserve better. Such a shame that a great product like NIU Football is so little appreciated.

I hate these types of articles, and I hate seeing NIU mentioned. You're right, our kids deserve better, Hammock will get the city and students excited. How can you not get pumped with a team like NIU in your own backyard? Baffles me.

Our attendance is not impressive, thats a fact. Still wonder what the list would look like if all schools reported exactly the same way. EMU as we all know is tangibly off, they can't be the only one.

(08-06-2019 05:40 PM)MileHighHuskie Wrote:  I hate these types of articles, and I hate seeing NIU mentioned. You're right, our kids deserve better, Hammock will get the city and students excited. How can you not get pumped with a team like NIU in your own backyard? Baffles me.

I think there are people who are not excited because NIU is not a “big time” school in a “big time” conference. Add to that people’s disdain for the weeknight games. Finally, to all that must be added the aloof Rod Carey and his lackluster coaching. The NIU offense was boring and did not attract fans looking for exciting play. This should improve tremendously under Hammock.

(08-06-2019 01:49 PM)flair6 Wrote:  Interesting list on attendance the last 5 years. I am hoping the Hammock Buzz will get us moving up the list....


https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/07/...atest-news

ESPN deal has made winning not enough. Until ESPN deal changes, no improvement will be coming for NIU attendance. That is just the reality.

This blame falls SOLELY and 100 percent on MAC front office/commish/and institution ADs for allowing the ESPN deal to destroy the conference.

I apologize. I deleted my post above since I made a huge error, citing just 2018 attendance figures, when the story was about 5-year averages. Comparing apples to oranges = no point at all.

IMO, not just the ESPN contract but all the points made by Dog Fan apply; we can agree to disagree on which was the biggest. A better comparison awaits, i.e., 5 home games in 2018 to 5 home games this coming season under Hammock (2020 NIU starts back with 4 Sats and 2 weekday nites). That could give us a better base for assessing which factors are more or less, and what effect a more active, friendly, promotional and exciting coach and offense might bring.

I for one will be interested to compare the attendance for ISU vs. Utah (16,762). as a home opener.

(08-06-2019 10:50 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  I apologize. I deleted my post above since I made a huge error, citing just 2018 attendance figures, when the story was about 5-year averages. Comparing apples to oranges = no point at all.

IMO, not just the ESPN contract but all the points made by Dog Fan apply; we can agree to disagree on which was the biggest. A better comparison awaits, i.e., 5 home games in 2018 to 5 home games this coming season under Hammock (2020 NIU starts back with 4 Sats and 2 weekday nites). That could give us a better base for assessing which factors are more or less, and what effect a more active, friendly, promotional and exciting coach and offense might bring.

I for one will be interested to compare the attendance for ISU vs. Utah (16,762). as a home opener.

Anything beyond the ESPN deal is a 2nd and 3rd order issue. The ESPN deal by far far far and away is the biggest reason for the decline of the MAC fanbase. What makes the ESPN deal so damaging is that it not only removes fans from half the season, it eats away your season ticket base so fans are less likely to go to Saturday games too without the tickets in hand already. No one to blame other than MAC Commish and ADs in teh conference. They destroyed the conference and take 100 percent of the blame.

Everybody on this board is obviously a die-hard fan and WE need to at least do our job by getting to ALL of the home games and supporting our team. We can also be the biggest advocates for the program...encourage your friends, family etc. to get out there and attend games with you... every little bit helps!

Go Huskies! Beat Illinois State.

(08-06-2019 10:50 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  I apologize. I deleted my post above since I made a huge error, citing just 2018 attendance figures, when the story was about 5-year averages. Comparing apples to oranges = no point at all.

IMO, not just the ESPN contract but all the points made by Dog Fan apply; we can agree to disagree on which was the biggest. A better comparison awaits, i.e., 5 home games in 2018 to 5 home games this coming season under Hammock (2020 NIU starts back with 4 Sats and 2 weekday nites). That could give us a better base for assessing which factors are more or less, and what effect a more active, friendly, promotional and exciting coach and offense might bring.

I for one will be interested to compare the attendance for ISU vs. Utah (16,762). as a home opener.

Adding fuel to the "small school" syndrome I mentioned is the media treating NIU like a "small school" in its weak coverage. There are times where coverage has been relegated to "other state schools" (particularly for away games). This "small school" attitude is contagious among readers of those papers.

Also, in the past, there has been very limited marketing of the team and games by NIU. Add all these things together, and that helps to explain the declining interest in NIU football. Let's hope this all changes this year.

(08-07-2019 12:38 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 10:50 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  I apologize. I deleted my post above since I made a huge error, citing just 2018 attendance figures, when the story was about 5-year averages. Comparing apples to oranges = no point at all.

IMO, not just the ESPN contract but all the points made by Dog Fan apply; we can agree to disagree on which was the biggest. A better comparison awaits, i.e., 5 home games in 2018 to 5 home games this coming season under Hammock (2020 NIU starts back with 4 Sats and 2 weekday nites). That could give us a better base for assessing which factors are more or less, and what effect a more active, friendly, promotional and exciting coach and offense might bring.

I for one will be interested to compare the attendance for ISU vs. Utah (16,762). as a home opener.

Adding fuel to the "small school" syndrome I mentioned is the media treating NIU like a "small school" in its weak coverage. There are times where coverage has been relegated to "other state schools" (particularly for away games). This "small school" attitude is contagious among readers of those papers.

Also, in the past, there has been very limited marketing of the team and games by NIU. Add all these things together, and that helps to explain the declining interest in NIU football. Let's hope this all changes this year.

I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed, but it looks like athletics really stepped up their social media game this year. Lots of cool short clips and interviews after every practice. Really is hyping me up for the season.

Enrollment significantly down from early 2000s. Also wonder what online classes have done

I would be curious to how these numbers stack up against TV viewership. I know the weeknight games kill attendance because of the weather and timing but also because it is much easier and more comfortable to watch it at home on your big screen TV. Plus there are a lot of non-NIU college football fans that I have met over the years who have made comments that they go out of their way to watch NIU on MACtion.

(08-07-2019 12:38 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 10:50 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  I apologize. I deleted my post above since I made a huge error, citing just 2018 attendance figures, when the story was about 5-year averages. Comparing apples to oranges = no point at all.

IMO, not just the ESPN contract but all the points made by Dog Fan apply; we can agree to disagree on which was the biggest. A better comparison awaits, i.e., 5 home games in 2018 to 5 home games this coming season under Hammock (2020 NIU starts back with 4 Sats and 2 weekday nites). That could give us a better base for assessing which factors are more or less, and what effect a more active, friendly, promotional and exciting coach and offense might bring.

I for one will be interested to compare the attendance for ISU vs. Utah (16,762). as a home opener.

Adding fuel to the "small school" syndrome I mentioned is the media treating NIU like a "small school" in its weak coverage. There are times where coverage has been relegated to "other state schools" (particularly for away games). This "small school" attitude is contagious among readers of those papers.

Also, in the past, there has been very limited marketing of the team and games by NIU. Add all these things together, and that helps to explain the declining interest in NIU football. Let's hope this all changes this year.

I agree, the lack of media coverage is very noticeable, and the very occasional article or mention doesn't make up for that.

(08-07-2019 03:07 PM)cosine4 Wrote:  I would be curious to how these numbers stack up against TV viewership. I know the weeknight games kill attendance because of the weather and timing but also because it is much easier and more comfortable to watch it at home on your big screen TV. Plus there are a lot of non-NIU college football fans that I have met over the years who have made comments that they go out of their way to watch NIU on MACtion.

And it won't improve any time soon. Even if the ESPN deal ended this season, it has been around long enough that we have lost almost an entire generation of fans

With newspapers all over the country on a decline, lack of media coverage is on the wane for everyone. What hurts NIU even more is being in backyard to professional sports town like Chicago. The Trib and Sun Times plaster their sports pages with Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Hawks and Sox with mere dribbles for the Huskies.
It's not just NIU getting left out in Chicago market, but high school coverage has declined significantly, as well.

(08-08-2019 04:28 PM)acolbert Wrote:  With newspapers all over the country on a decline, lack of media coverage is on the wane for everyone. What hurts NIU even more is being in backyard to professional sports town like Chicago. The Trib and Sun Times plaster their sports pages with Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Hawks and Sox with mere dribbles for the Huskies.
It's not just NIU getting left out in Chicago market, but high school coverage has declined significantly, as well.

I almost see it more as the local media is just reflecting the lack of interest/apathy. I think if there was more interest in U of I football/NIU football, it would be covered.

(08-08-2019 05:10 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(08-08-2019 04:28 PM)acolbert Wrote:  With newspapers all over the country on a decline, lack of media coverage is on the wane for everyone. What hurts NIU even more is being in backyard to professional sports town like Chicago. The Trib and Sun Times plaster their sports pages with Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Hawks and Sox with mere dribbles for the Huskies.
It's not just NIU getting left out in Chicago market, but high school coverage has declined significantly, as well.

I almost see it more as the local media is just reflecting the lack of interest/apathy. I think if there was more interest in U of I football/NIU football, it would be covered.

+1

(08-08-2019 05:49 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(08-08-2019 05:10 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(08-08-2019 04:28 PM)acolbert Wrote:  With newspapers all over the country on a decline, lack of media coverage is on the wane for everyone. What hurts NIU even more is being in backyard to professional sports town like Chicago. The Trib and Sun Times plaster their sports pages with Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Hawks and Sox with mere dribbles for the Huskies.
It's not just NIU getting left out in Chicago market, but high school coverage has declined significantly, as well.

I almost see it more as the local media is just reflecting the lack of interest/apathy. I think if there was more interest in U of I football/NIU football, it would be covered.

+1

If the media really knew what people were interested in the newspapers wouldn't all be going out of business.