Most people on this board, me included, believe if we win out we absolutely deserve a spot, but yet most also on this board who argue that we deserve a BCS spot say we could not compete in a bigger conference, not me included, and the MAC is the perfect place for us.

Well you can not have it both ways. IMO, NIU needs to leverage the success of the last few years, the new facilities, and get into a bigger conference because with the changes coming NIU in the national spotlight has its days numbered.

Can't even think about a bigger conference until our basketball team stops losing to the Nebraska Omaha's of the world.

I think NIU would do just fine in the B10 this year, although not too many years. Going 7-5 in the B10, or 12-1 in the MAC? I'd pick the latter, as a fan.

The B12 is hiring teams though. NIU could aim to go there with Boise State.

As long as our seating capacity remains at 24,000 and we only draw 18,000 for as Bill Baker put it, "maybe the biggest game in that stadium's history", the Big 12 will not be interested in us. We would need a stadium that seats at least 40,000 so when Texas comes to town we have the capacity for that game. The two problems that come to mind is how do you pay for what becomes a new stadium and playing in front of a half empty stadium when Kansas comes to DeKalb.

maybe you do it with a HOTEL/restaurant tax cuz all the hotels will be so full with Texas, Oklahoma, Johnny Football, etc in town that they will have to build new ones and new, improved bars and restaurants..

i pay zero attention to the BCS 'belonging' argument. if we get in, i'm ecstatic and will enjoy 100%, if we don't...well we don't. life goes on. don't let the haters distract you though!

Its tough to say we wouldn't survive in a BCS conference because you have to remember attendance would SUBSTANTIALLY increase if you get into a bigger conference.

We will know if there is any BCS chance after this weekend. To tie/surpass Fresno we have to make up about 1/2 of the human poll difference between now and end of the year, I think NIU would at least need to gain 80% of that 50 % back from this performance and Fresno being idle. 80% of that 50% would be about 80 Coaches points made up and 120 Harris points. I just throw out this 80 of 50 number because we are not going to get more pub than we got vs Ball state so I feel a majority of that remaining difference needs to be made up this week.

If the B12 ever invited us with Texas and OU still in the conference then those two would likely just play us at Soldier Field.

Take away those two opponents and Huskie Stadium would do just fine in the B12 between 33-36k.

We NEED indoor seats.


Then we will still be playing Akron, UMASS and EMU but as OOC home money games.

I would want to see a alternating of Ball St/Toledo in a straight up 1-1 every 4 years.

(11-14-2013 04:37 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Its tough to say we wouldn't survive in a BCS conference because you have to remember attendance would SUBSTANTIALLY increase if you get into a bigger conference.

We will know if there is any BCS chance after this weekend. To tie/surpass Fresno we have to make up about 1/2 of the human poll difference between now and end of the year, I think NIU would at least need to gain 80% of that 50 % back from this performance and Fresno being idle. 80% of that 50% would be about 80 Coaches points made up and 120 Harris points. I just throw out this 80 of 50 number because we are not going to get more pub than we got vs Ball state so I feel a majority of that remaining difference needs to be made up this week.

talk of surviving in a BCS conference is a slippery slope because your roster would likely reflect the recruiting 'gains' inherent in being part of a BCS conference.

(11-14-2013 04:46 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  

(11-14-2013 04:37 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Its tough to say we wouldn't survive in a BCS conference because you have to remember attendance would SUBSTANTIALLY increase if you get into a bigger conference.

We will know if there is any BCS chance after this weekend. To tie/surpass Fresno we have to make up about 1/2 of the human poll difference between now and end of the year, I think NIU would at least need to gain 80% of that 50 % back from this performance and Fresno being idle. 80% of that 50% would be about 80 Coaches points made up and 120 Harris points. I just throw out this 80 of 50 number because we are not going to get more pub than we got vs Ball state so I feel a majority of that remaining difference needs to be made up this week.

talk of surviving in a BCS conference is a slippery slope because your roster would likely reflect the recruiting 'gains' inherent in being part of a BCS conference.

In 1983 our AD at the time positioned us to go big time and predicted we would be in the Big 8 by 2000. How do you plan on going Big time with a season ticket base of 5,000 and an average attendance of 16-18,000?
We are lucky Joe was forced to retire and we hired Jerry Kill. Just be thankful for what we have. I do not want a repeat of 1984 and 20 years of wandering in the dessert. Our BBall team still has not recovered.

B12 would bring in NIU under the agreement that they'd expand their stadium. But, I agree, fans aren't going to show up over night where 18k is a record low amount of fans. They'd need to add another 15k to the stadium; major overhaul (to ~40k).

And have fans. That's the key, over record. You can be 5-7 year in, year out, but if you gets tons 'o fans, that's fine.

EMU could win the national championship back to back... but if their fan base "grew" to an astonishing 10k fans a game, they still couldn't leave the MAC.

NIU would have to make sellouts a norm, then with an agreement with the B12, start construction of expansion. Construction too much for a year straight adding 15k? Playing in Soldier Field for a year wouldn't hurt things.

(11-14-2013 08:53 PM)WIS11 Wrote:  

(11-14-2013 04:46 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  

(11-14-2013 04:37 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Its tough to say we wouldn't survive in a BCS conference because you have to remember attendance would SUBSTANTIALLY increase if you get into a bigger conference.

We will know if there is any BCS chance after this weekend. To tie/surpass Fresno we have to make up about 1/2 of the human poll difference between now and end of the year, I think NIU would at least need to gain 80% of that 50 % back from this performance and Fresno being idle. 80% of that 50% would be about 80 Coaches points made up and 120 Harris points. I just throw out this 80 of 50 number because we are not going to get more pub than we got vs Ball state so I feel a majority of that remaining difference needs to be made up this week.

talk of surviving in a BCS conference is a slippery slope because your roster would likely reflect the recruiting 'gains' inherent in being part of a BCS conference.

In 1983 our AD at the time positioned us to go big time and predicted we would be in the Big 8 by 2000. How do you plan on going Big time with a season ticket base of 5,000 and an average attendance of 16-18,000?
We are lucky Joe was forced to retire and we hired Jerry Kill. Just be thankful for what we have. I do not want a repeat of 1984 and 20 years of wandering in the dessert. Our BBall team still has not recovered.

It's good to remember history so we don't repeat it. I don't think we'd leave the Mac unless we had an offer and their timetable to improve the stadium and the attendance. Times are different now.

By the way, what did Novak do to you?

SEC or go independent.

(11-14-2013 02:30 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  I think NIU would do just fine in the B10 this year, although not too many years. Going 7-5 in the B10, or 12-1 in the MAC? I'd pick the latter, as a fan.

The B12 is hiring teams though. NIU could aim to go there with Boise State.

NIU's Total Athletic budget: $20-25 Million
Big Tens TV contract alone: ~$25 million per team annually. A few 7-5 seasons would be worth it long term.

I saw UCF play at Louisville a few weeks ago. There had to be at least 50,000 at that game. That is what makes Louisville attractive to a conference like the ACC.

hahahah ...that worked out well for NIU last time we left the Mac for A BIGGER STAGE AND FELL FLAT ON OUR ARSES...

yea much has changed at niu since 1983 but so have the stakes and pools of money those sporting the biggest boys pants wear... like comparing deep pockets vrs coin/watch pockets in jeans.

we are like a great low budget movie....the likeliness of continually creating such one hit movie success/football seasons are between slim and none...how many Lynchesque/Hesiman like players come along and sign at NIU... every few decades...like Lashon Johnson? Without JL the 2012 and 2013 Huskies are just another average MAC team

(11-15-2013 12:36 AM)HuskiemobileMan Wrote:  SEC or go independent.

[quote='niucyberdawg' pid='10009826' dateline='1384529989']
hahahah ...that worked out well for NIU last time we left the Mac for A BIGGER STAGE AND FELL FLAT ON OUR ARSES...

yea much has changed at niu since 1983 but so have the stakes and pools of money those sporting the biggest boys pants wear... like comparing deep pockets vrs coin/watch pockets in jeans.

we are like a great low budget movie....the likeliness of continually creating such one hit movie success/football seasons are between slim and none...how many Lynchesque/Hesiman like players come along and sign at NIU... every few decades...like Lashon Johnson? Without JL the 2012 and 2013 Huskies are just another average MAC team


In 1984, the NCAA told the MAC that it faced demotion to I-AA in football, because falling Eastern Michigan attendance had put the conference below the minimum.

NIU took a shot and missed but going independent versus losing D1 status was the right move.

(11-14-2013 08:53 PM)WIS11 Wrote:  

(11-14-2013 04:46 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  

(11-14-2013 04:37 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Its tough to say we wouldn't survive in a BCS conference because you have to remember attendance would SUBSTANTIALLY increase if you get into a bigger conference.

We will know if there is any BCS chance after this weekend. To tie/surpass Fresno we have to make up about 1/2 of the human poll difference between now and end of the year, I think NIU would at least need to gain 80% of that 50 % back from this performance and Fresno being idle. 80% of that 50% would be about 80 Coaches points made up and 120 Harris points. I just throw out this 80 of 50 number because we are not going to get more pub than we got vs Ball state so I feel a majority of that remaining difference needs to be made up this week.

talk of surviving in a BCS conference is a slippery slope because your roster would likely reflect the recruiting 'gains' inherent in being part of a BCS conference.

In 1983 our AD at the time positioned us to go big time and predicted we would be in the Big 8 by 2000. How do you plan on going Big time with a season ticket base of 5,000 and an average attendance of 16-18,000?
We are lucky Joe was forced to retire and we hired Jerry Kill. Just be thankful for what we have. I do not want a repeat of 1984 and 20 years of wandering in the dessert. Our BBall team still has not recovered.

No one is saying to go independent. The MAC just sucks. Plain and simple. Very few people want to go see crap teams in 15 degree wind chill.

(11-14-2013 04:37 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Its tough to say we wouldn't survive in a BCS conference because you have to remember attendance would SUBSTANTIALLY increase if you get into a bigger conference.

We will know if there is any BCS chance after this weekend. To tie/surpass Fresno we have to make up about 1/2 of the human poll difference between now and end of the year, I think NIU would at least need to gain 80% of that 50 % back from this performance and Fresno being idle. 80% of that 50% would be about 80 Coaches points made up and 120 Harris points. I just throw out this 80 of 50 number because we are not going to get more pub than we got vs Ball state so I feel a majority of that remaining difference needs to be made up this week.

Sure, we should get a bump this week from style points with some voters moving NIU up a spot or two and some voters, who have the two teams close, will flip-flop and move NIU ahead of Fresno. But, I wouldn't use this week's move as the determining factor. I think additional big gains will come when teams ranked between Fresno State and NIU (UCLA, Michigan State, UCF, Oklahoma, Louisville, LSU & Wisconsin) lose. Then, voters will have no choice other than to move NIU closer to Fresno...regardless of style points. And that could happen at any point between now and the last vote.

It's almost to the point where I want the challenge of catching and passing Fresno State instead of hoping for them to lose. (I said almost.)

(11-14-2013 08:53 PM)WIS11 Wrote:  Our BBall team still has not recovered.

We haven't recovered from Ricardo Patton...but the team went to 2 NCAA tournaments after leaving the MAC, correct?