(01-13-2018 11:23 AM)NIU75 Wrote:  It is going to get worst. The lost generation is not filling in the gaps as us senior folks move on to other things. The season ticket base is getting old very fast.

This is so true. I usually go to games solo because I can’t convince others to come with unless it’s perfect weather and a big name opponent.

(01-16-2018 05:27 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 04:48 PM)thehappyhuskie Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 03:05 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  The University of Denver, my grad school alma mater, recently drew 4,600 fans for a woman's gymnastics meet. They have fewer than 6,000 undergrads. I don't get why NIU cannot draw well for football or basketball these days.

Oh well, I hope the school does not give up trying. Perhaps we can find the secret sauce and for football, it will have to mean more Saturday games. The MAC signed a deal with the devil when selling their soul to ESPN.

University of Denver is right in the middle of a metropolitan area with 2.5 mil people. there's part of your answer.

That's not the entire answer though because NIU basketball consistently sold out in the early 70s. Of course those were talented teams which is part of the equation as well.

If NIU ever does get back to Saturday football they should heavily market the program to the Fox River Valley. Batavia, Geneva, St Charles and North Aurora have a ton of residents. Add in Naperville and Aurora and you have a nice fan base when combined with DeKalb and Sycamore and the campus community.

agreed, its always floored me why they don't blanket the entire western suburbs in an aggressive marketing campaign. most of their student base is coming from there. if students went home, they should be able to bring a friend from home for free. families should be 2 for 1. I know it sounds ridiculous, but get people hooked first, then you can worry about profits later.

Chicagoland has never been a college football market. Then niu being ****** forever and a suitcase school doesn't help. We're fighting an up hill battle. That's why I hate these idiots on here pushing for tougher scheduling.

I don't think anyone on here was asking for tougher scheduling. They just wanted an occasional game against a decent team at home. It isn't ok to have your only home OOC game to be against somebody like Cal Poly every freaking year.

(01-21-2018 11:37 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  I don't think anyone on here was asking for tougher scheduling. They just wanted an occasional game against a decent team at home. It isn't ok to have your only home OOC game to be against somebody like Cal Poly every freaking year.

I think that even with one decent OOC home game, season ticket holders will still decline if there continues to be only 5 home games a year. Of those 5 games, most likely 3 will be during the week, so there's no way I see season ticket holders - or attendance, for that matter - increasing. I think STF is fine with that because he has calculated what he will get from three big away OOC games - which will more than make up for any lost home ticket revenue - and run with that to the bank. Yes, he will get less concessions and parking revenue, but he'll be able to order less food for the HAF tent and other season ticket holder eating venues. It's a different way of doing business, I guess, albeit one that screws the fans in the arse.

(01-22-2018 02:30 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(01-21-2018 11:37 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  I don't think anyone on here was asking for tougher scheduling. They just wanted an occasional game against a decent team at home. It isn't ok to have your only home OOC game to be against somebody like Cal Poly every freaking year.

I think that even with one decent OOC home game, season ticket holders will still decline if there continues to be only 5 home games a year. Of those 5 games, most likely 3 will be during the week, so there's no way I see season ticket holders - or attendance, for that matter - increasing. I think STF is fine with that because he has calculated what he will get from three big away OOC games - which will more than make up for any lost home ticket revenue - and run with that to the bank. Yes, he will get less concessions and parking revenue, but he'll be able to order less food for the HAF tent and other season ticket holder eating venues. It's a different way of doing business, I guess, albeit one that screws the fans in the arse.

Yea, the low number of home games (particularly Saturday home games) is still an issue, but not the schedule being not tough enough.

(01-22-2018 02:30 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(01-21-2018 11:37 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  I don't think anyone on here was asking for tougher scheduling. They just wanted an occasional game against a decent team at home. It isn't ok to have your only home OOC game to be against somebody like Cal Poly every freaking year.

I think that even with one decent OOC home game, season ticket holders will still decline if there continues to be only 5 home games a year. Of those 5 games, most likely 3 will be during the week, so there's no way I see season ticket holders - or attendance, for that matter - increasing. I think STF is fine with that because he has calculated what he will get from three big away OOC games - which will more than make up for any lost home ticket revenue - and run with that to the bank. Yes, he will get less concessions and parking revenue, but he'll be able to order less food for the HAF tent and other season ticket holder eating venues. It's a different way of doing business, I guess, albeit one that screws the fans in the arse.

This just makes me so sad. Something I love so much is being taken from me, my family, all of us. It should not be this way - where college football fans can't have Saturday football games. It is just so WRONG! :-(

(01-16-2018 09:47 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(01-13-2018 11:23 AM)NIU75 Wrote:  It is going to get worst. The lost generation is not filling in the gaps as us senior folks move on to other things. The season ticket base is getting old very fast.

This is so true. I usually go to games solo because I can’t convince others to come with unless it’s perfect weather and a big name opponent.

Me too. My kids are too young to enjoy at the moment, my wife only likes 75-85 degrees and sunny with 5-8 mph wind, and my friends either don’t care or live too far

(01-23-2018 09:09 AM)JB04 Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 09:47 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(01-13-2018 11:23 AM)NIU75 Wrote:  It is going to get worst. The lost generation is not filling in the gaps as us senior folks move on to other things. The season ticket base is getting old very fast.

This is so true. I usually go to games solo because I can’t convince others to come with unless it’s perfect weather and a big name opponent.

Me too. My kids are too young to enjoy at the moment, my wife only likes 75-85 degrees and sunny with 5-8 mph wind, and my friends either don’t care or live too far

Me three. My sister and her husband and maybe 1 or 2 of their kids will go to 1 or 2 early Saturday games when it's warm out, that's about it.

I attend the Saturday games with 3 others. Even if I wanted to attend the weeknight games, it would have to be solo because there is no way I could get any of the other 3 to go to a weeknight game.

I get to only 1 game per year for the home schedule. In the world of today fans look for an experience other than "just watching the game." This is part of the problem in drawing fans. Yes week night games are bringing attendance down but even if NIU played only on Saturdays I think attendance would still be on a downward trend, maybe not as sharply but still falling. I am not smart enough to figure out what NIU would need to do at the stadium to add amenities and still be affordable in their limited budget. Only my obvious thought.

I thought a dome would help but now seeing attendance for bball I'm convinced students will never support sports. It's a culture issue...

(01-26-2018 08:09 AM)NIUfrank Wrote:  I thought a dome would help but now seeing attendance for bball I'm convinced students will never support sports. It's a culture issue...

I think there would be more older fans though.

(01-26-2018 09:08 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-26-2018 08:09 AM)NIUfrank Wrote:  I thought a dome would help but now seeing attendance for bball I'm convinced students will never support sports. It's a culture issue...

I think there would be more older fans though.

The addition of female escorts to take us to our seats would also help bring in more of us older fans. But, then again, I may wear them out constantly leaving and re-entering.

Are there enough older fans that will drive attendance? I was in school 98-02 and nobody went to games. If we did we would leave at half, too cold.

I know there is zero chance of a dome, but I know more kids would attend a 70 degree game.

Does NIU sell beer at games?

(01-26-2018 09:15 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(01-26-2018 09:08 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-26-2018 08:09 AM)NIUfrank Wrote:  I thought a dome would help but now seeing attendance for bball I'm convinced students will never support sports. It's a culture issue...

I think there would be more older fans though.

The addition of female escorts to take us to our seats would also help bring in more of us older fans. But, then again, I may wear them out constantly leaving and re-entering.

Escort taking me to seat in my car ala pesci in casino..."scoot over hun"

(01-26-2018 09:16 AM)NIUfrank Wrote:  Are there enough older fans that will drive attendance? I was in school 98-02 and nobody went to games. If we did we would leave at half, too cold.

I know there is zero chance of a dome, but I know more kids would attend a 70 degree game.

Does NIU sell beer at games?

Yes they do - at least on the West side - not sure about the East side.

(01-16-2018 02:56 PM)Policiious Wrote:  The only way NIU is going to get back to Saturday football is to leave the MAC. The conference contract with ESPN goes for another 10 years and we have seen what has happened the past 10 years; because NIU is one of the most marketable MAC programs Huskie games are shown frequently during MACtion in October and November.

Going back to 2008 of NIU"s 40 conference road games 29 have been on a weekend only 11 TU, WED Or Thurs.For the past 5 seasons the numbers have been 13 road weekend games to 7 midweek road games. I am including the Friday after TDay road and home games as weekend games since that Friday is a day most have off from work.

From 2008 through 2017 NIU has played 24 weekend home games to 16 midweek home games, for the past 5 years it's even 10 weekend to 10 midweek.

Of the 10 seasons, 3 of them NIU has not played a single midweek road game (09,10 & 12) 3 more it has played jujst one (13,16, 17)

NIU has played at least 1 midweek home game every season ( 1 earch for 08,10,11,12 and 14) 2 each for 09,13,14 and 16 while playing 3 in 17,

With the losses the Horizon League has taken the past couple years (Valpo & Loyola) I would bet they would take on NIU for basketball and Olympic Sports in a heart beat.
Only sport where NIU would have to find a home for would be wrestling.

With NM ST and soon Liberty joining the Indepedent ranks and needing to fill out their schedules, a round robin schedule with as many Indepedents as possible wouuld take the place of a traditional 8 game conference schedule (BYU, NM ST, UMASS & Liberty) If BYU only wants 1 game a year NIU could try scheduling with Army. Add in an FCS home game and that leaves 4-5 open dates a year to fill which can be done by continuing to schedule nearby P5 programs Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas(who NIU has played in the recent past) and Minnesota with PJ Fleck taking over the Gopher program. Other possible reasonably distanced P5's if there are openings include Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana.

Kentucky has a 2 for 1 with Eastern Michigan. Florida State whom the Huskies are playinig this year would be another attractive opponent to schedule regularly. Scheduling the Seminoles would also help the Huskies recruiting in Florida and southern states.

Playing

4-5 P5 programs a year should also help draw in better recruits and pay alot of bills as those road games often net G5 teams nearly a $1M. Indiana, Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska are teams that NIU should compete with if not beat. Missouri has also has also slide the past few years and COlumbia is a shorter drive than many MAC opponents.

This is the only way to get back to Saturday mostly football and escape where NIU is now.

You are spot on correct on the only way to return to Saturday games is to leave the MAC. After that, you just have no realistic view of scheduling. Try Army? Check out their future schedules. Liberty? That's the exact type of opponent we'd grumble about. It just isn't gonna happen and we have to live with it

Going Independent in Football and conference with other sports. NIU has been there and done that. Total disaster is the best way to put it. It was a long hard road to recover from. See Joe Novak years as coach.

(01-26-2018 09:09 PM)MMBOANIU Wrote:  Going Independent in Football and conference with other sports. NIU has been there and done that. Total disaster is the best way to put it. It was a long hard road to recover from. See Joe Novak years as coach.

Maybe NIU+Army FB paired with Dayton+VCU OS to AAC. NIU OS to Horizon. Massive longshot and would need AAC to lose membership first.

Agreed independence is untenable.