(12-18-2012 01:40 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I think Soldier Field hurts DeKalb Attendance.

The only way I see that being true is for a fan that goes once a year...So, yes, they might to the Soldier Field game and pay much more for the privilege. I don't think that's bad.

(12-18-2012 01:40 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I think Soldier Field hurts DeKalb Attendance.

It's not like we had a choice between Nebraska at Huskie Stadium vs. Soldier Field. The choice is Nebraska at Soldier Field or something like Eastern New Jersey Tonsorial College in DeKalb! :towel:

It makes sense to play these games. Would you rather pay a Big 10 school $750,000 to come to DeKalb and lose about $500,000 on the game, or play in Chicago, let these kids play in an NFL stadium in one of the greatest cities in the country and have NIU make money?

That is until I win the lottery and pay Illinois whatever they ask to come get beat in Huskie Stadium......

Everyone realizes this is 4 years away right? Its not like this is next year.

(12-18-2012 02:34 PM)numbersdontlie Wrote:  Everyone realizes this is 4 years away right? Its not like this is next year.

When do tickets go on sale? I want to order mine the minute they go on sale!

(12-18-2012 12:46 PM)NIU75 Wrote:  People in Chicago (young former students, WF crowd) will pay $75 to $100 a ticket at Soldier Field. There is no way my old DeKalb friends would pay $100 a ticket at HS. Bottom line--NIU makes a ton of money at Soldier Field.

They wouldn't want to see a big-name team at Huskie stadium? I'd pay more to see a good team at Huskie stadium than at SF, especially after having been to SF a couple times.

We have to play at SF for the money, but it doesn't help the fanbase at all.

(12-18-2012 02:10 PM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 01:40 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I think Soldier Field hurts DeKalb Attendance.

It's not like we had a choice between Nebraska at Huskie Stadium vs. Soldier Field. The choice is Nebraska at Soldier Field or something like Eastern New Jersey Tonsorial College in DeKalb! :towel:

Hey, don't knock ENJTC, they have a pretty good program.

(12-18-2012 02:46 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 02:10 PM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 01:40 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I think Soldier Field hurts DeKalb Attendance.

It's not like we had a choice between Nebraska at Huskie Stadium vs. Soldier Field. The choice is Nebraska at Soldier Field or something like Eastern New Jersey Tonsorial College in DeKalb! :towel:

Hey, don't knock ENJTC, they have a pretty good program.

Most of their games end up being close shaves.

(12-18-2012 02:37 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 02:34 PM)numbersdontlie Wrote:  Everyone realizes this is 4 years away right? Its not like this is next year.

When do tickets go on sale? I want to order mine the minute they go on sale!

Are they in the mail yet?


... WHERE ARE MY TICKETS!

When you fly recruits in, they can take them straight to Soldier Field as part of their visit. If a school plays in a facility once during a four year period, they can include it in the visit. This is huge if the Bears are practicing as they were during previous visits.

Again amazed at the conversation here 2,3 times a year about a Soldier Field game. Not wanting to go or liking the game is one thing. To claim it is no way helpful recruting, gaining fans or financially, or just a good idea for the school in general is mind boggling every time.

From the ESPN article on the game. Hopefully we can continue to build on our "it" status as the game approaches.

Nebraska's 2016 non-league schedule is now complete with the visit to Chicago combined with home games against Fresno State (Sept. 3), Tennessee (Sept. 10) and Wyoming (Sept 17). NIU, the first MAC team to reach a BCS bowl, is on the cusp of becoming one of the "it" programs from the non-automatic qualifying leagues. This is a good addition for Nebraska.

(12-18-2012 10:22 PM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Again amazed at the conversation here 2,3 times a year about a Soldier Field game. Not wanting to go or liking the game is one thing. To claim it is no way helpful recruting, gaining fans or financially, or just a good idea for the school in general is mind boggling every time.

What statistics tell you that the game against Iowa in 2007, the blowout against Wisconsin last year, or the loss to Iowa this year, helped our fanbase? Has attendance gone up? Season tickets? Nope. And we had fewer fans at this year's SF game than we had at previous games there, even though we hadn't played Iowa since 2007.

It's fine to say it helps recruits and we need to do it financially. I see absolutely nothing to indicate it has helped the fanbase at all.

(12-18-2012 11:46 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 10:22 PM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Again amazed at the conversation here 2,3 times a year about a Soldier Field game. Not wanting to go or liking the game is one thing. To claim it is no way helpful recruting, gaining fans or financially, or just a good idea for the school in general is mind boggling every time.

What statistics tell you that the game against Iowa in 2007, the blowout against Wisconsin last year, or the loss to Iowa this year, helped our fanbase? Has attendance gone up? Season tickets? Nope. And we had fewer fans at this year's SF game than we had at previous games there, even though we hadn't played Iowa since 2007.

It's fine to say it helps recruits and we need to do it financially. I see absolutely nothing to indicate it has helped the fanbase at all.

No. More than 2011, less than 2007.

(12-19-2012 09:07 AM)sarasotahuskie Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 11:46 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 10:22 PM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Again amazed at the conversation here 2,3 times a year about a Soldier Field game. Not wanting to go or liking the game is one thing. To claim it is no way helpful recruting, gaining fans or financially, or just a good idea for the school in general is mind boggling every time.

What statistics tell you that the game against Iowa in 2007, the blowout against Wisconsin last year, or the loss to Iowa this year, helped our fanbase? Has attendance gone up? Season tickets? Nope. And we had fewer fans at this year's SF game than we had at previous games there, even though we hadn't played Iowa since 2007.

It's fine to say it helps recruits and we need to do it financially. I see absolutely nothing to indicate it has helped the fanbase at all.

No. More than 2011, less than 2007.

Did we really have more than 2011? Seemed fewer. In any case, it hasn't helped our overall attendance any.

I get the feeling fans would complain if NIU didn't make these games too. Nothing pleases everybody, and some of the benefits may be exaggerated, but there are still some clear benefits to having games at SF.

(12-18-2012 11:46 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 10:22 PM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Again amazed at the conversation here 2,3 times a year about a Soldier Field game. Not wanting to go or liking the game is one thing. To claim it is no way helpful recruting, gaining fans or financially, or just a good idea for the school in general is mind boggling every time.

What statistics tell you that the game against Iowa in 2007, the blowout against Wisconsin last year, or the loss to Iowa this year, helped our fanbase? Has attendance gone up? Season tickets? Nope. And we had fewer fans at this year's SF game than we had at previous games there, even though we hadn't played Iowa since 2007.

It's fine to say it helps recruits and we need to do it financially. I see absolutely nothing to indicate it has helped the fanbase at all.

+1000
Then you expect the fans to get season tickets to see EMU, EIU Akron, Idaho etc.
I think the AVERAGE fan would get tickets for Toledo or Ball State.
I understand you go to see NIU but the average fan looks at opponents.

Keep the Soldier Field game just give me La Tech, Tulsa, Vanderbilt at home once in awhile.

(12-19-2012 01:29 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 11:46 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-18-2012 10:22 PM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Again amazed at the conversation here 2,3 times a year about a Soldier Field game. Not wanting to go or liking the game is one thing. To claim it is no way helpful recruting, gaining fans or financially, or just a good idea for the school in general is mind boggling every time.

What statistics tell you that the game against Iowa in 2007, the blowout against Wisconsin last year, or the loss to Iowa this year, helped our fanbase? Has attendance gone up? Season tickets? Nope. And we had fewer fans at this year's SF game than we had at previous games there, even though we hadn't played Iowa since 2007.

It's fine to say it helps recruits and we need to do it financially. I see absolutely nothing to indicate it has helped the fanbase at all.

+1000
Then you expect the fans to get season tickets to see EMU, EIU Akron, Idaho etc.
I think the AVERAGE fan would get tickets for Toledo or Ball State.
I understand you go to see NIU but the average fan looks at opponents.

I didn't know that "fanbase" = "ticketbase."

One ticket at SF=3+ at HS. Some, almost a SEASON ticket.

How many fans go to SF that NEVER would have an interest to go to HS? How many make SF their one game a year?

No, SF does NOT increase the lofty 3500 season tickets. But it gives people who have ZERO interest to go to DeKalb for EIU, BSU or whomever. No they want to see a BIG TEN game, make it a big event. Teams outside of Indiana and maybe UM have ZERO reason to go to DeKalb.And go and start the argument that the "place would ge filled" and "you could charge more" ar HS. Go ahead, and then think about the OTHER teams fans. The around 2.5 million generated.

Just because many are season ticket holders and want everyone to be, face facts. Even many who love NIU football are nto getting season tix do to availability, time it takes from other activities as well as other events in their lives. We aren't Nebraska, Ohio State or LSU where the whole State plans 3 months following their team. No, it's a few hundred, many on this board. And what happened this year before the game? It rained, in fact poured everywhere south of SF. It was a crappy day, costing likely a 1,000 or 2, which is the same dilemma facing HS. Win, win often, go to the BCS, be on the big stage prime time.

And one way NIU does get hurt by SF is when the game is on that ESPN3 crap. ESPN and moreover ABC coverage make a world of difference to promote NIU locally and nationally.

You build it, they will come. Hopefully this (OB) is the 2nd step along the way to boost attendance, get a full house, expand. And not having a game at SF vs., like it or not and call them as you will, a BIG 10 school, has much greater positives to negatives in many cases....

except maybe season ticekt holders, who I do think get screwed to an extent, should be able to buy tix at discounted prices up to the number of ST they have.