Why not add Northern Illinois to the list of potential AAC expansion candidates. They fit the profile of the conference. A large "directional" school close to a major market. (Chicago) A solid football history with a BCS appearance last year and another BCS buster run going this year. Only negative would be they have a wrestling team.... But seriously, if UMASS, Buffalo, Southern Miss ect. are being mentioned as well as "city-state" schools from as far away as California, why not Northern Illinois?

I agree

NIU would have fit in better under the old plan which included big market schools and the C7/Old B schools. Because of the loss of the C7 schools, that model really doesn't work anymore. Now if they make it to a second BCS Bowl you have to pay attention ebcause that makes them a football version of Butler. But IMO, being an hour away from Chicago and having a decent year the year the AAC and Big Ten champs were ranked outside the top 15 isn't reason enough to bump them over more geographically fit teams with longer histories and success in multiple sports.

Especially since this is coming up after beating a horrible, horrible Purdue team. I mean hell WKU beat Kentucky two years in a row and LA Monroe beat an SEC team and nearly beat two more last year

Why not add NIU? Because we're not trying to be C-USA. We're striving to remain included with the big boys, and we need to act like it. Adding NIU would impress no one. Fake it until you make it.

(09-28-2013 02:58 PM)Brian Reading Wrote:  Why not add NIU? Because we're not trying to be C-USA. We're striving to remain included with the big boys, and we need to act like it. Adding NIU would impress no one. Fake it until you make it.

Will we ever be a conference that can attract P5 schools?
I mean it seems like we're trying to expand but we're inviting worse and worse teams.


I think we should just stop. Improve the teams we have now, show that our conference is stable and then expand when our options are better and not settle for bad teams.

I mean Memphis is horrible at football and i don't have much room to talk, but at least we have our basketball to cover that.

(09-28-2013 02:58 PM)Brian Reading Wrote:  Why not add NIU? Because we're not trying to be C-USA. We're striving to remain included with the big boys, and we need to act like it. Adding NIU would impress no one. Fake it until you make it.

I'm pretty sure you're not really fooling anyone already as is and definitely won't be after Rutgers & Louisville are gone. How in any way would NIU be a worse add than half the teams in the conference now? And the current teams, honestly, aren't going to help you remain included with the "big boys." NIU has two wins over the Big this year, although sucky teams, today you're looking at an SEC loss, UConn getting blown out by Buffalo, USF getting blown out by Miami, and Navy losing to Western Kentucky. At this point ECU got the only decent win. With that said, can't really see NIU as a lateral or downward move all things considered...but that's just me. Unless of course you're expecting a call from Alabama seeking an invite.

The question should be why isn't Cincinnati, Temple and UConn in the MAC. Travel is far better and the rivalries would be better. The product would mirror the MWC in the north east and Midwest.

MAC East-
UConn
UMass
Temple
Buffalo
Ohio
Miami
Akron
Kent State

MAC West-
Cincinnati
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Bowling Green State
Ball State
WMU
CMU
EMU

(09-28-2013 01:58 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  Why not add Northern Illinois to the list of potential AAC expansion candidates. They fit the profile of the conference. A large "directional" school close to a major market. (Chicago) A solid football history with a BCS appearance last year and another BCS buster run going this year. Only negative would be they have a wrestling team.... But seriously, if UMASS, Buffalo, Southern Miss ect. are being mentioned as well as "city-state" schools from as far away as California, why not Northern Illinois?

No.

I live in Chicago and DeKalb is no where near Chicago. It is something like 70 or 80 miles west of Chicago, unless you are trying to get into that Iowa market; then the answer should be no. Btw I saw their game against FCS Eastern Illinois last week using ESPN3; they almost lost the game, but no one would have known, because they would have been lucky to have 20,000 people there and 25% of that number was probably Eastern fans.

(09-28-2013 03:36 PM)grapes Wrote:  Will we ever be a conference that can attract P5 schools?
I mean it seems like we're trying to expand but we're inviting worse and worse teams

In fairness by nature that is what has to happen. The "better" teams have already been invited by an large. That is the way realignment works with ANY reactive move.

(09-28-2013 04:05 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(09-28-2013 01:58 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  Why not add Northern Illinois to the list of potential AAC expansion candidates. They fit the profile of the conference. A large "directional" school close to a major market. (Chicago) A solid football history with a BCS appearance last year and another BCS buster run going this year. Only negative would be they have a wrestling team.... But seriously, if UMASS, Buffalo, Southern Miss ect. are being mentioned as well as "city-state" schools from as far away as California, why not Northern Illinois?

No.

I live in Chicago and DeKalb is no where near Chicago. It is something like 70 or 80 miles west of Chicago, unless you are trying to get into that Iowa market; then the answer should be no. Btw I saw their game against FCS Eastern Illinois last week using ESPN3; they almost lost the game, but no one would have known, because they would have been lucky to have 20,000 people there and 25% of that number was probably Eastern fans.

yeah, NIU is 11-3,11-3, and 12-2 the last 3 years with 2 conference championships and a BCS Bowl appearance but they let an FCS team that beat Sand Diego State in week 1 hang around so they're probably not good enough for a conference full of super stars like the AAC. sure.

the argument against NIU isn't because of their record or attendance its because of their basketball program. In the last 3 years NIU's football team has won 34 games, their bball team has won 19.

(09-28-2013 04:05 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(09-28-2013 01:58 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  Why not add Northern Illinois to the list of potential AAC expansion candidates. They fit the profile of the conference. A large "directional" school close to a major market. (Chicago) A solid football history with a BCS appearance last year and another BCS buster run going this year. Only negative would be they have a wrestling team.... But seriously, if UMASS, Buffalo, Southern Miss ect. are being mentioned as well as "city-state" schools from as far away as California, why not Northern Illinois?

No.

I live in Chicago and DeKalb is no where near Chicago. It is something like 70 or 80 miles west of Chicago, unless you are trying to get into that Iowa market; then the answer should be no. Btw I saw their game against FCS Eastern Illinois last week using ESPN3; they almost lost the game, but no one would have known, because they would have been lucky to have 20,000 people there and 25% of that number was probably Eastern fans.

Hey PirateMarv, Small world, I'm an ECU fan too, but originally from the area you describe.--only on the Iowa side of the Mississippi. I thought the N. Illinois campus was closer to Chicago than 70 miles, but I guess you'd know better since you live in the area now. As far as your point about the 20,000 fans at their football games see: Tulane, Tulsa, SMU etc. N. Illinois isn't that much different than the typical AAC team, and their football team has kicked a$$ the past few seasons.

Please no directional schools.

(09-28-2013 05:04 PM)Savacool Wrote:  Please no directional schools.

You are joking right?

(09-28-2013 01:58 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  Why not add Northern Illinois to the list of potential AAC expansion candidates. They fit the profile of the conference. A large "directional" school close to a major market. (Chicago) A solid football history with a BCS appearance last year and another BCS buster run going this year. Only negative would be they have a wrestling team.... But seriously, if UMASS, Buffalo, Southern Miss ect. are being mentioned as well as "city-state" schools from as far away as California, why not Northern Illinois?

please stop this madness

(09-28-2013 05:04 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(09-28-2013 04:05 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(09-28-2013 01:58 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  Why not add Northern Illinois to the list of potential AAC expansion candidates. They fit the profile of the conference. A large "directional" school close to a major market. (Chicago) A solid football history with a BCS appearance last year and another BCS buster run going this year. Only negative would be they have a wrestling team.... But seriously, if UMASS, Buffalo, Southern Miss ect. are being mentioned as well as "city-state" schools from as far away as California, why not Northern Illinois?

No.

I live in Chicago and DeKalb is no where near Chicago. It is something like 70 or 80 miles west of Chicago, unless you are trying to get into that Iowa market; then the answer should be no. Btw I saw their game against FCS Eastern Illinois last week using ESPN3; they almost lost the game, but no one would have known, because they would have been lucky to have 20,000 people there and 25% of that number was probably Eastern fans.

Hey PirateMarv, Small world, I'm an ECU fan too, but originally from the area you describe.--only on the Iowa side of the Mississippi. I thought the N. Illinois campus was closer to Chicago than 70 miles, but I guess you'd know better since you live in the area now. As far as your point about the 20,000 fans at their football games see: Tulane, Tulsa, SMU etc. N. Illinois isn't that much different than the typical AAC team, and their football team has kicked a$$ the past few seasons.

The question is not whether to invite them when they are doing well; the question is what do they have when they stink? What do they offer the conference then? Fans? Academics? What?

DeKalb to Chicago is about the same distance as Greenville to Raleigh. You would be in the middle of corn country. For the most part; you know that once you leave Chicago, then the rest of the State is pretty empty.

Why would NIU leave the MAC for the AAC.

(09-28-2013 05:18 PM)OhioBobcatJohn Wrote:  Why would NIU leave the MAC for the AAC.

good point and actually there is no reason they would want to

Instead adding NIU, the question is who should be they replace in the AAC? After Temple got dumped from the Big East for poor attendance and performance. Shouldn't a team or team(s) be put on notice. Let's face it, the bottom of the league is pathetic this year. Could that change next year? Maybe. But if this pattern continues, something has to change. There's no way to sugar coat this.

Their basketball isn't just bad...it's terrible...nice facility, though.

(09-28-2013 07:06 PM)sfink16 Wrote:  Instead adding NIU, the question is who should be they replace in the AAC? After Temple got dumped from the Big East for poor attendance and performance. Shouldn't a team or team(s) be put on notice. Let's face it, the bottom of the league is pathetic this year. Could that change next year? Maybe. But if this pattern continues, something has to change. There's no way to sugar coat this.

I don't know if you've noticed, but this isn't the BE...