Both Fox and CBS are allowed to "protect" five games each over the last seven weeks of the season. Games that are protected cannot be rescheduled to Sunday night.

USA Today has an interesting match up. In Detroit vs Notre Dame, that should sell some tickets.

(11-16-2010 09:38 PM)Ookla Wrote:  USA Today has an interesting match up. In Detroit vs Notre Dame, that should sell some tickets.

That's the best projection I've seen so far.

It also projects Toledo to Las Vegas which would be a great bowl destination but I'd rather have the opportunity to play ND.

^ Looks to me like they have us vs. Army in Detroit, not Notre Dame. Notre Dame would be a dream matchup though.

(11-16-2010 10:33 PM)clcfball11 Wrote:  ^ Looks to me like they have us vs. Army in Detroit, not Notre Dame. Notre Dame would be a dream matchup though.

Looks to me like you're looking in the wrong place: USA Today Bowl Projections 11/16/2010

Playing ND would b so cool, prob never get to play them otherwise and a good opprtunity to beat them!

If NIU wins out there is a 90% chance that we are going to the LCB. First and foremost, NIU will be nationally ranked. Secondly, Little Caesar’s has over 30 pizza shops in the Chicagoland area, not including Rockford. It would be a great marketing opportunity for them in the Northern Illinois market. Also, Doubletree Suites and the Motor City Casino Hotel are sponsors and may not be really hyped on Toledo because their fans can easily drive to and from the game. Also the numerous other businesses that sponsor the bowl would want fans to stay and spend money in the greater Detroit area. I personally think that the LCB Bowl Committee would be crazy to not take NIU if they won out. Like it or not, I think this is where NIU is probably going.

If we are invited, I also think that we should be gracious. There may be a time in the future when we do not have a year like this and would want the LCB Bowl to think highly of us and consider us on the top of their list for MAC invitees.

Welcome to the board dbrs54. Hope to see you post plenty more in the future!

I think NIU Admin will push hard to stay in LCB rather than move, if we win out. We have spent a lot of money the last two years on bowls, and I think they will try to break even this year. No air travel will take a big expense out of the total cost hit.

In reality very few schools make money on bowls. The only ones that make money are the teams that play in the BCS bowls where payouts are 15-20 million. Schools lose money buy buying the tickets they are required to buy and then not being to sell them to their fans. You also need to figure in getting the band to the sight, and staying at the site for the required amount of days. While NIU would save money by not having to fly but the LCB is also the lowest paying bowl.

LCB payout is the same as all the other bowls we have play in lately. Even the I bowl lowered its payout when we went there. NIU can easliy break even in LCB.

(11-17-2010 12:09 AM)Kevin S Wrote:  If NIU wins out there is a 90% chance that we are going to the LCB. First and foremost, NIU will be nationally ranked. Secondly, Little Caesar’s has over 30 pizza shops in the Chicagoland area, not including Rockford. It would be a great marketing opportunity for them in the Northern Illinois market. Also, Doubletree Suites and the Motor City Casino Hotel are sponsors and may not be really hyped on Toledo because their fans can easily drive to and from the game. Also the numerous other businesses that sponsor the bowl would want fans to stay and spend money in the greater Detroit area. I personally think that the LCB Bowl Committee would be crazy to not take NIU if they won out. Like it or not, I think this is where NIU is probably going.

If we are invited, I also think that we should be gracious. There may be a time in the future when we do not have a year like this and would want the LCB Bowl to think highly of us and consider us on the top of their list for MAC invitees.

The LCB is the most likely scenario. I guess there is a chance that if NIU is ranked, the MAC will try to work something out so that NIU (and the MAC) gets a bigger opponent in front of a larger audience.

Let's also hope that somehow the Big 10 has a representative in Detroit or Notre Dame (USA Today projection) or Tennessee (ESPN projection) end up there. Unfortunately, Louisiana-Monroe (all the other projections) is the most likely to be there.

(11-17-2010 10:12 AM)NIUHuskie Wrote:  Unfortunately, Louisiana-Monroe (all the other projections) is the most likely to be there.

Everyone just needs to hope that ULM loses one of their final two games

Last year, CMU got to play Troy.

The year before, Ball State got to play Tulsa, although Buffalo as the MAC winner did get UConn.

I just don't see any history of the MAC making sure their best teams play good opponents.

We better hope UL-Monroe doesn't win out.

I so clearly remember yrs ago meeting up with tons of returning Badger fans at Midway Airport following ROSE BOWL while waiting for gramma to return home from MN.

Much later I was shocked to read how much UW LO$T playing the grandest of all bowls.

Even the biggest of the biggest often "run in the RED.....

Perhaps lessons were learned about controlling expenses should Cheeseheads go again this year.....it's no small expense sending 300 band members to stay nearly a week in Pasadena.

I think CMU asked to play Troy because they had played in the Motor City Bowl for like 4 straight years and wanted a warm weather destination for once. The only bowls open for the MAC that year were Mobile, Detroit, Boise, DC and Toronto.

But has it happened in any previous years where the MAC has made sure their best team had a stronger opponent?

(11-17-2010 12:09 AM)Kevin S Wrote:  If NIU wins out there is a 90% chance that we are going to the LCB. First and foremost, NIU will be nationally ranked. Secondly, Little Caesar’s has over 30 pizza shops in the Chicagoland area, not including Rockford. It would be a great marketing opportunity for them in the Northern Illinois market. Also, Doubletree Suites and the Motor City Casino Hotel are sponsors and may not be really hyped on Toledo because their fans can easily drive to and from the game. Also the numerous other businesses that sponsor the bowl would want fans to stay and spend money in the greater Detroit area. I personally think that the LCB Bowl Committee would be crazy to not take NIU if they won out. Like it or not, I think this is where NIU is probably going.

If we are invited, I also think that we should be gracious. There may be a time in the future when we do not have a year like this and would want the LCB Bowl to think highly of us and consider us on the top of their list for MAC invitees.

These are all valid points. However, when it gets to the 11th hour I'm not sure it will work out that way. IF a 6-6 Sun Belt team ends up in the LCB AND there's an opportunity for a bowl matchup in a warmer climate against a decent BCS team, I really don't think the MAC would "punish" the conference champion and let the MAC leftovers have a better matchup. If they really wouldn't want Toledo because of their proximity, Temple and/or Miami would accommodate their needs.

I agree, I do not see any scenario that LCB does not take NIU. 90% chance is probably an underestimate. We are going to detroit.

(11-17-2010 06:47 PM)niubrad00 Wrote:  

(11-17-2010 12:09 AM)Kevin S Wrote:  If NIU wins out there is a 90% chance that we are going to the LCB. First and foremost, NIU will be nationally ranked. Secondly, Little Caesar’s has over 30 pizza shops in the Chicagoland area, not including Rockford. It would be a great marketing opportunity for them in the Northern Illinois market. Also, Doubletree Suites and the Motor City Casino Hotel are sponsors and may not be really hyped on Toledo because their fans can easily drive to and from the game. Also the numerous other businesses that sponsor the bowl would want fans to stay and spend money in the greater Detroit area. I personally think that the LCB Bowl Committee would be crazy to not take NIU if they won out. Like it or not, I think this is where NIU is probably going.

If we are invited, I also think that we should be gracious. There may be a time in the future when we do not have a year like this and would want the LCB Bowl to think highly of us and consider us on the top of their list for MAC invitees.

These are all valid points. However, when it gets to the 11th hour I'm not sure it will work out that way. IF a 6-6 Sun Belt team ends up in the LCB AND there's an opportunity for a bowl matchup in a warmer climate against a decent BCS team, I really don't think the MAC would "punish" the conference champion and let the MAC leftovers have a better matchup. If they really wouldn't want Toledo because of their proximity, Temple and/or Miami would accommodate their needs.

The LCB wont see it as a punishment. They want the best team that will travel and stay regardless.