(02-18-2020 08:16 AM)HuskieJ Wrote:  

(02-17-2020 08:17 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(02-17-2020 08:08 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(02-17-2020 06:07 PM)Huskies2006 Wrote:  

(02-17-2020 10:51 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Wrigley and Sox park aren’t available until November. I Imagine it’s harder to schedule P5s after conference play has begun. Soldier field would probably only be an option when the bears are away that week to give the grass time to be worked on after the game. You need the flexibility of a stadium you can rent that fits a P5 opponents availability. Plus I’m sure cost. The Sox owners may have looked at their profit from the Toledo game and said it’s not worth it.

So then just play at Huskie Stadium if the legitimate alternatives aren't available. The better ones not being available isn't a valid reason to go play in Bridgeview.

They have a stadium.. they have no reason to go out of their way to play in a place that other people are paying millions of dollars to avoid playing in.

If the turn out is bad for SeatGeek they may just do that. And at that point it may just be a few seasons until NIU drops to FCS. Just can't survive on 10-12k of local support a game. I know the Bridgeview game won't solve that. But neither will BYU in Huskie stadium. Kind of on life-support unless something shakes out soon. 2nd poorest. 5th worst in attendance. I don't know….scares me.

This hurts...

I am not saying things are rosy, but those attendance stats are suspect by a lot of schools. It is a bad situation ,but there are many that are much worse off that paint a different picture.

I have been reading this thread with passing interest, I am currently doing some subcontract work for two Illinois universities(EIU and ISU) as they explore ways to improve image/enrollment in these down times within the state.

I see a lot of bashing of the NIU athletic department and I am not sure that is fair, these schools are having their hands tied by the budgets, and as a result are being forced to gamble a little bit with their approach. With enrollment so severely depressed, the marketing of the school needs to be creative.

So maybe lets have a more wait and see approach.