(04-02-2013 07:25 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 06:44 PM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  What's the purpose of a berm?
Not enough room to make it tall enough to hide the apartments
Seating for a scattering of fans? We don't need the capacity.
It would have to be fenced in since there is no natural barrier to the field. (And to keep Huskie John's rug rats contained)

Save the money for the West side renovations or a new press box.

Prediction: Without those two upgrades, we lose the next IHSA bit to ISU.

The reasons NIU won the bid over ISU were: 1) better location, 2) the letter signed by over 114 H.S. Athletic Directors, and 3) our vastly superior football facilities.

What do you think is going to change between now and 2022 when the contract is rebid?

(04-02-2013 05:01 PM)PeoriaHuskie11 Wrote:  Remove sidewalk from stadium side of street, put sidewalk on apartment side of street. Seems simple enough.

(04-02-2013 06:44 PM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  What's the purpose of a berm?
Not enough room to make it tall enough to hide the apartments
Seating for a scattering of fans? We don't need the capacity.
It would have to be fenced in since there is no natural barrier to the field. (And to keep Huskie John's rug rats contained)

Save the money for the West side renovations or a new press box.

Prediction: Without those two upgrades, we lose the next IHSA bit to ISU.

(04-02-2013 08:27 PM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 07:25 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 06:44 PM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  What's the purpose of a berm?
Not enough room to make it tall enough to hide the apartments
Seating for a scattering of fans? We don't need the capacity.
It would have to be fenced in since there is no natural barrier to the field. (And to keep Huskie John's rug rats contained)

Save the money for the West side renovations or a new press box.

Prediction: Without those two upgrades, we lose the next IHSA bit to ISU.

The reasons NIU won the bid over ISU were: 1) better location, 2) the letter signed by over 114 H.S. Athletic Directors, and 3) our vastly superior football facilities.

What do you think is going to change between now and 2022 when the contract is rebid?

I know why NIU won. Cant rest on our laurels - or trough urinals.

(04-03-2013 01:01 AM)RobertN Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 05:01 PM)PeoriaHuskie11 Wrote:  Remove sidewalk from stadium side of street, put sidewalk on apartment side of street. Seems simple enough.

What you do is close the road on the south but add a large sidewalk on the apartment side so emergency vehicles can get through. Then you extend the road to the east of the stadium up through the former movie theater lot(yeah, you lose tailgate parking). This way you can make the stadium a horseshoe.

(04-03-2013 01:08 AM)RobertN Wrote:  Wouldn't the new scoreboard take up a lot more room blocking out most of the view of the apartments? That with a berm and it should do a very decent job of blocking the view of the apartments. It shouldn't cost much to re-fit the berm but I would still think the money is better spent on press box and west side renovations.

(04-02-2013 08:16 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 07:45 PM)armour248 Wrote:  We have 9 years until the next IHSA bid. Think about Huskie Stadium in 2004 compared to now. Yeah.

Having the IHSA football championship games at NIU is huge. One could argue it is better for the program than making it to the Orange Bowl.

Thousands of football fans will be entering Huskie territory for the 1st time...as well as thousands more watching on TV. It will be great...especially since Huskie Stadium is looking pretty badass finally.

(04-03-2013 08:48 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(04-03-2013 01:08 AM)RobertN Wrote:  Wouldn't the new scoreboard take up a lot more room blocking out most of the view of the apartments? That with a berm and it should do a very decent job of blocking the view of the apartments. It shouldn't cost much to re-fit the berm but I would still think the money is better spent on press box and west side renovations.

It may be big enough to block the view for the endzone shot from the Yordon side.

(04-03-2013 11:58 AM)sarasotahuskie Wrote:  There may be 60 feet to work with

South End Zone

with a pretty steep slope of 4:1, you may get a berm height of 15 feet.

I'm sure there are factors that will cut this down though.

(04-03-2013 12:08 PM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(04-03-2013 11:58 AM)sarasotahuskie Wrote:  There may be 60 feet to work with

South End Zone

with a pretty steep slope of 4:1, you may get a berm height of 15 feet.

I'm sure there are factors that will cut this down though.

Only if you put a retaining wall on the back side of the berm. At 4:1, you need 60 feet horizontal to get the 15 feet vertical.

I'm with you though. I think it is hard for most people to visualize how wide a berm has to be to get any significant height. Berms take up a lot of space. If you are trying to waste dirt, that is great. If you are limited in space, you are hosed.

(04-02-2013 08:16 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  Having the IHSA football championship games at NIU is huge. One could argue it is better for the program than making it to the Orange Bowl.

(04-05-2013 09:55 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 08:16 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  Having the IHSA football championship games at NIU is huge. One could argue it is better for the program than making it to the Orange Bowl.

Sorry, but that is a plain stupid notion. I'd rather keep going to the Orange Bowl, any BCS bowl, any bowl period, because hosting the IHSA football championships is not going to affect the program anywhere near as much.

NIU hosted the IHSA softball championships when Mary Bell Field was new and the administration didn't make the kind of commitment needed to convince the IHSA to stay and it didn't bring in any major recruits according to the coaches at that time.

NIU has been hosting IHSA SuperSectional basketball games for decades, including since the Convo Center came into being and it certainly hasn't helped land any notable recruits. In fact, the parking prices, over-priced concessions, and ambivalence of Huskie athletic administration has had some high school fans grumbling. At this year's SuperSectionals, not one member of the NIU men's basketball staff was to be seen. Yes, some may have been out recruiting, but the director of operations or the bottom assistant should have been visible, shaking hands, etc. considering all the high school coaches from other schools who were on hand. Once again, visibility and a personal connection pay dividends down the road.

The IHSA football playoffs were won mainly through the efforts of local high school administrators and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. NIU's athletic administrators played way too small of a role and some parts of Huskie athletics show no desire to help or make it work. Write this prediction down: there will be media members who will diss having the playoffs at NIU because the Huskie Stadium press box set-up is going to pale in comparison to space down at Champaign. What will save the day for NIU, will be the increased revenue the IHSA will see from increased attendance for the larger classes because the fans will have an easier drive to DeKalb than to Champaign from the suburbs.

(04-05-2013 03:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  From NIU Media Services facebook post.


Based on competetive quotes....one more meeting and we start constuction!! — Scoreboard Video Equipment Vendor Selection

If you care to tilt your head and squint I am guessing that is a layout of the new screen.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=554729871225947&set=a.554729844559283.1073741865.219516204747317&type=1&theater

To me it looks like the screen width will at least double and 2 large NIU logos will be on either side on the upper corners. I would guess that is where the main speakers will be attached.

(04-22-2013 02:18 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  Scaffolding is being taken down today per the media services facebook pics.