(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

(02-13-2018 11:58 AM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

Correct. If we were to have 4 Saturday home games and the Friday after Thanksgiving, there would be no home weeknight "MACtion" games. That will not happen.

(02-13-2018 11:58 AM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

$900K I think.

Being in Illinois we have to do some things the MAC Ohio & Michigan schools don't. By that, I mean giving up that "additional" Saturday.

(02-13-2018 12:27 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 11:58 AM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

$900K I think.

Being in Illinois we have to do some things the MAC Ohio & Michigan schools don't. By that, I mean giving up that "additional" Saturday.

Try more like 1.6 Mil. People can complain about the schedule all they want, but this type of game is what keeps the football team alive and ultimately athletics with how bad our funds are.

(02-13-2018 01:24 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 12:27 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 11:58 AM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

$900K I think.

Being in Illinois we have to do some things the MAC Ohio & Michigan schools don't. By that, I mean giving up that "additional" Saturday.

Try more like 1.6 Mil. People can complain about the schedule all they want, but this type of game is what keeps the football team alive and ultimately athletics with how bad our funds are.

Correct. Which is why I have said in the past that NIU should schedule all 4 OOC games at the big boys and have only 4 home games. Let them reduce the price of season tickets to almost nothing with so few home games and at least half during the week. Seat premiums can be reduced too. The loss of home game revenue will be more than made up by the big away games. They already get paltry attendance so if they lose more season ticketholders, they should not care because the cash register will still be full. Fans can just buy tickets for the games they want to attend if they give up their season tickets. Is there an NCAA rule against this?

This is not the worst idea i've heard. If Maction is going the kill the fan base anyway why not go all-out for the bucks.

By the way I think we're looking at five home games again in 2019. Assuming we flip the 2018 crossover opponents we'll have the following:

Home
Illinois State
Akron
Ball State
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan

Away
Nebraska
Utah
Vanderbilt
Central Michigan
Miami
Ohio
Toledo

(02-13-2018 01:24 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 12:27 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 11:58 AM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

$900K I think.

Being in Illinois we have to do some things the MAC Ohio & Michigan schools don't. By that, I mean giving up that "additional" Saturday.

Try more like 1.6 Mil. People can complain about the schedule all they want, but this type of game is what keeps the football team alive and ultimately athletics with how bad our funds are.

Thanks 12 for the correction.

Wonder what the paychecks from Iowa & BYU are?

Could it be $3 Mil for the total of the 3 games?

.........as WMU & Cincinnati announce 1 for 1 in 2020 & 2022.

(02-13-2018 03:31 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 01:24 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 12:27 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 11:58 AM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

$900K I think.

Being in Illinois we have to do some things the MAC Ohio & Michigan schools don't. By that, I mean giving up that "additional" Saturday.

Try more like 1.6 Mil. People can complain about the schedule all they want, but this type of game is what keeps the football team alive and ultimately athletics with how bad our funds are.

Thanks 12 for the correction.

Wonder what the paychecks from Iowa & BYU are?

Could it be $3 Mil for the total of the 3 games?

BYU is a wash because of their return game to Huskie Stadium. The same is true of the home game versus Utah because we return the game at their place.

One game against FSU for the money gets us more money than the E$PN contract for the entire year, by a long shot. Wish we could just schedule another money game and skip the weeknight games.

(02-13-2018 12:18 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(02-13-2018 11:58 AM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 07:50 PM)notcredible Wrote:  I'm hearing NIU will be playing four Saturday home games in 2018. The only weekday game will be the Friday after Thanksgiving.

see post #21.

We would have had 4 but STF traded one to go to FSU for the $$$$

Correct. If we were to have 4 Saturday home games and the Friday after Thanksgiving, there would be no home weeknight "MACtion" games. That will not happen.

I didn't misspeak. 4/5 homes games on Saturdays and 1/5 on the Black Friday.

Nothing is set. Just what I heard.

(02-13-2018 03:44 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  .........as WMU & Cincinnati announce 1 for 1 in 2020 & 2022.

That is one school I’m surprised we haven’t scheduled. Them and UCONN.

(02-08-2018 02:36 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Scheduling anything in Chicago midweek at night in November is even more dumb than the midweek night games in DeKalb. People don't go to the park for the Sox in good weather, and they think that folks will be clamoring to see the Huskies? And facing another MAC team?

STF tried, but it was not an intelligent decision, IMO.

My wife and I will drive from out of state to attend any and all Saturday games at Soldier Field that are scheduled in the future but there is no way we will drive up for a weekday night game late in the season to freeze our asses off at whatever they are calling White Sox Park these days.

(02-13-2018 05:25 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  One game against FSU for the money gets us more money than the E$PN contract for the entire year, by a long shot. Wish we could just schedule another money game and skip the weeknight games.

Only way that happens is for NIU to join the Horizon for Olympic Sports plus Hoops and go Indepdent in football. With Liberty and NM St joining UMASS, Army, BYU & ND there are enough Indy programs to schedule games during the "conference" portion of the season (Oct & November) provided NIU can get Liberty & NM ST to play home and home games. Have all home games on the weekend which will boost attendance and give NIU 4 open dates to schedule nearby Power conference teams and rake in some big $. Those road games will also be Sat dates.

NM ST 2 games
Liberty 2 games
UMASS, Army, BYU 1 each
1 FCS game that's 8

Try to get Kansas, Iowa State, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and/or Kentucky as P5 away games(NIU has played all but kY in recent past) and try to get a Florida/Texas away game every year or every other year to boost name recognition and recruiting.

Good thoughts and I would definitely love to get our games back to Saturday but I don't think there are quite enough independent teams to make it work. I looked at Liberty, UMass and NM State's 2018 schedules and they are all terrible in various ways. UMass opens with FCS Duquesne at home and then plays four of their next five on the road. Their homecoming isn't until November 3. Liberty plays back to back at New Mexico and at New Mexico State which is brutal, then plays three straight road games late in in the season at UMass, Virginia and Auburn. NM State has 5 home games and plays three out of their last four on the road with the home game against a bad FCS Alcorn State team.

The independent route would be doable if there were more independent teams or we could be an affiliate member of a conference like Notre Dame is with the ACC. That would give us four or five guaranteed games each year.

(02-16-2018 12:30 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Good thoughts and I would definitely love to get our games back to Saturday but I don't think there are quite enough independent teams to make it work. I looked at Liberty, UMass and NM State's 2018 schedules and they are all terrible in various ways. UMass opens with FCS Duquesne at home and then plays four of their next five on the road. Their homecoming isn't until November 3. Liberty plays back to back at New Mexico and at New Mexico State which is brutal, then plays three straight road games late in in the season at UMass, Virginia and Auburn. NM State has 5 home games and plays three out of their last four on the road with the home game against a bad FCS Alcorn State team.

The independent route would be doable if there were more independent teams or we could be an affiliate member of a conference like Notre Dame is with the ACC. That would give us four or five guaranteed games each year.

While UMass's second game is a road game it's vs BC; it's as much of a road game as the NU-NIU game was. More NIU fans showed up at Ryan FIeld that day as showed up at any Huskie Home game. Why they scheduled the 11/3 Liberty game as HC is a mystery as that is their 5th home game. They also have a 10/27 "road game" at UCONN which is 50 miles from Springfield, MA.
Their home season is done by 11/10 which BYU so they avoid playing mid to late Nov cold days and finish up on the road at GA on 11/17.

Liberty does have 5 of their first 8 gamea at home(all Saturday) plus a "road game" at VA on 11/10 which for them is a winnable game and as much of a road game as NIU playing at NU; play at Auburn on 11/17 and finish up at home vs NM ST 11/24

While NM ST has 5 home gamesall Saturday) , 2 of their "road games" are UTEP 9/22 (El Paso is 47 miles from NM ST, as much of a road game as NU/NIU) and NM their instate rival who they play every year. Their home opener vs Wyoming on 8/25 will likely be televised as few teams start in August. Their 2nd game at Minny (TH 8/30) is very winnable will also be televised. They also have road games at UT ST 9/8 and BYU 11/17 which borders NM.

Going Indy gives NIU control of it's schedule back, with LIberty and NM ST joining the Indy ranks they may want to simplifiy their schedule making process and play NIU home and home. If NIU can get UMass ,BYU and possibly Army to play a game every year that's 7 of the 12 game dates with an FCS opponent (f wanted) as your 8th. that gives you room to schedule 4 P5 opponents (hopefully nearby) as $ games which will much more than make up for the $ NIU would give up not playing in the MAC. If NIU can't get a game with Army or UMass one year they can add a 5th P5 game. Cha Ching.

In 19 UMASS has 5 home Saturday home games including BYU and UCONN plus nearby "road games" at Rutgers (100 miles away) and Army (also 100 miles away at most) on 11/9, Additoinal road games in Miami(FIU) on 10/5 and Evanston (NU) on 11/16) which are relatively inexpensive to fly to from Boston.

(02-16-2018 02:16 PM)Policiious Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 12:30 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Good thoughts and I would definitely love to get our games back to Saturday but I don't think there are quite enough independent teams to make it work. I looked at Liberty, UMass and NM State's 2018 schedules and they are all terrible in various ways. UMass opens with FCS Duquesne at home and then plays four of their next five on the road. Their homecoming isn't until November 3. Liberty plays back to back at New Mexico and at New Mexico State which is brutal, then plays three straight road games late in in the season at UMass, Virginia and Auburn. NM State has 5 home games and plays three out of their last four on the road with the home game against a bad FCS Alcorn State team.

The independent route would be doable if there were more independent teams or we could be an affiliate member of a conference like Notre Dame is with the ACC. That would give us four or five guaranteed games each year.

While UMass's second game is a road game it's vs BC; it's as much of a road game as the NU-NIU game was. More NIU fans showed up at Ryan FIeld that day as showed up at any Huskie Home game. Why they scheduled the 11/3 Liberty game as HC is a mystery as that is their 5th home game. They also have a 10/27 "road game" at UCONN which is 50 miles from Springfield, MA.
Their home season is done by 11/10 which BYU so they avoid playing mid to late Nov cold days and finish up on the road at GA on 11/17.

Liberty does have 5 of their first 8 gamea at home(all Saturday) plus a "road game" at VA on 11/10 which for them is a winnable game and as much of a road game as NIU playing at NU; play at Auburn on 11/17 and finish up at home vs NM ST 11/24

While NM ST has 5 home gamesall Saturday) , 2 of their "road games" are UTEP 9/22 (El Paso is 47 miles from NM ST, as much of a road game as NU/NIU) and NM their instate rival who they play every year. Their home opener vs Wyoming on 8/25 will likely be televised as few teams start in August. Their 2nd game at Minny (TH 8/30) is very winnable will also be televised. They also have road games at UT ST 9/8 and BYU 11/17 which borders NM.

Going Indy gives NIU control of it's schedule back, with LIberty and NM ST joining the Indy ranks they may want to simplifiy their schedule making process and play NIU home and home. If NIU can get UMass ,BYU and possibly Army to play a game every year that's 7 of the 12 game dates with an FCS opponent (f wanted) as your 8th. that gives you room to schedule 4 P5 opponents (hopefully nearby) as $ games which will much more than make up for the $ NIU would give up not playing in the MAC. If NIU can't get a game with Army or UMass one year they can add a 5th P5 game. Cha Ching.

In 19 UMASS has 5 home Saturday home games including BYU and UCONN plus nearby "road games" at Rutgers (100 miles away) and Army (also 100 miles away at most) on 11/9, Additoinal road games in Miami(FIU) on 10/5 and Evanston (NU) on 11/16) which are relatively inexpensive to fly to from Boston.

As much as we would all want weekend games again, independent is not sustainable. Besides the fact that fans will be pretty tired of playing Liberty, umass and NM St after one year. Also, we would lose bowl tie-ins so there would be years like 2003 where we could win games and stay home. Not a good solution long term.

(02-17-2018 12:41 AM)Dtownboys Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 02:16 PM)Policiious Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 12:30 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  Good thoughts and I would definitely love to get our games back to Saturday but I don't think there are quite enough independent teams to make it work. I looked at Liberty, UMass and NM State's 2018 schedules and they are all terrible in various ways. UMass opens with FCS Duquesne at home and then plays four of their next five on the road. Their homecoming isn't until November 3. Liberty plays back to back at New Mexico and at New Mexico State which is brutal, then plays three straight road games late in in the season at UMass, Virginia and Auburn. NM State has 5 home games and plays three out of their last four on the road with the home game against a bad FCS Alcorn State team.

The independent route would be doable if there were more independent teams or we could be an affiliate member of a conference like Notre Dame is with the ACC. That would give us four or five guaranteed games each year.

While UMass's second game is a road game it's vs BC; it's as much of a road game as the NU-NIU game was. More NIU fans showed up at Ryan FIeld that day as showed up at any Huskie Home game. Why they scheduled the 11/3 Liberty game as HC is a mystery as that is their 5th home game. They also have a 10/27 "road game" at UCONN which is 50 miles from Springfield, MA.
Their home season is done by 11/10 which BYU so they avoid playing mid to late Nov cold days and finish up on the road at GA on 11/17.

Liberty does have 5 of their first 8 gamea at home(all Saturday) plus a "road game" at VA on 11/10 which for them is a winnable game and as much of a road game as NIU playing at NU; play at Auburn on 11/17 and finish up at home vs NM ST 11/24

While NM ST has 5 home gamesall Saturday) , 2 of their "road games" are UTEP 9/22 (El Paso is 47 miles from NM ST, as much of a road game as NU/NIU) and NM their instate rival who they play every year. Their home opener vs Wyoming on 8/25 will likely be televised as few teams start in August. Their 2nd game at Minny (TH 8/30) is very winnable will also be televised. They also have road games at UT ST 9/8 and BYU 11/17 which borders NM.

Going Indy gives NIU control of it's schedule back, with LIberty and NM ST joining the Indy ranks they may want to simplifiy their schedule making process and play NIU home and home. If NIU can get UMass ,BYU and possibly Army to play a game every year that's 7 of the 12 game dates with an FCS opponent (f wanted) as your 8th. that gives you room to schedule 4 P5 opponents (hopefully nearby) as $ games which will much more than make up for the $ NIU would give up not playing in the MAC. If NIU can't get a game with Army or UMass one year they can add a 5th P5 game. Cha Ching.

In 19 UMASS has 5 home Saturday home games including BYU and UCONN plus nearby "road games" at Rutgers (100 miles away) and Army (also 100 miles away at most) on 11/9, Additoinal road games in Miami(FIU) on 10/5 and Evanston (NU) on 11/16) which are relatively inexpensive to fly to from Boston.

As much as we would all want weekend games again, independent is not sustainable. Besides the fact that fans will be pretty tired of playing Liberty, umass and NM St after one year. Also, we would lose bowl tie-ins so there would be years like 2003 where we could win games and stay home. Not a good solution long term.

I totally agree. Been there done that. Independent Huskies went 9-2 in 89. No bowl game. Would the '08 or '09 teams have gone to bowl games as an independent? I doubt it. MAC give the Huskies the best shot at a bowl game. The Huskies do not have anywhere near the clout of BYU or ND.

1) Fans will grow tired of NM ST & Liberty: NM St won thier bowl game this year they are no longer a joke. Liberty has $hit tons of $ behind them which will get them off the ground quickly from a talent perspective. BYU will bring out more fans than any MAC program, Army would draw a good crowd as well.

2) Independence with 4-5 weekend home games a year plus playing 4-5 P5 teams every year vs being in the MAC with no more than 4 weekend home games a year and several seasons with 3. In last 10 years NIU MAC road games 29 wkend 11 Midweek, MAC home games 24 wkend 16 midweek. As long as NIU keeps hosting the IHSA Championships, that weekend is out for home games and it;s a great move for NIU for recruiting but it means giving the conference all the excuse they need to give NIU as few wkend home games as possible

3) As far as the possibility of not bowling, there are 35 bowl games now which is more than there were 10 years ago; bowls have had to take teams with losing records in past seasons because not enough teams were even 6-6. But a great way to ease any sting of not getting chosen would be to schedule an end of the season road game at Hawaii on a regular basis. Most bowl games are midweek and are either a long distance or in Detroit. Would think a weekend game in Hawaii (who always has scheduling challenges) would be an attractive alternative. Would bet the Rainbows would pay a decent $ for opponents to play them. They have open dates beginning in 2021.

This program deserves alot more from the MAC than it is getting and there are 10 more years to this TV contract deal which means 10 more years of possibly having only 3 weekend home games a year which will not only kill the fanbase but entomb it in concrete.

Surely playing 4-5 P5 programs plus a Hawaii game annually will be enough $ to support all of the sports programs certainly more than what NIU is getting from the conference tv deal.

I would be for it if they could make it work. Saturday home games and five or more P5 games a year would be sweet. The risk is that NM State goes FCS and Liberty and UMass join conferences, in which case you're screwed. You could still cobble together a schedule but it would be hard.