Nice article. Good points. Also, these are opponents NIU should consider.

https://www.si.com/college/illinois/foot...ne-15-2020

Agreed. Nice depth to this article.

For NIU to consider these teams NIU would need to get paid.

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(06-16-2020 10:49 AM)Teamduh Wrote:  Agreed. Nice depth to this article.

For NIU to consider these teams NIU would need to get paid.

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I don't know. Why do you say that? I mean, for a paycheck game-- hey-- go to Ohio St, Michigan, Alabama, Where ever you can get a big paycheck. But for building a home schedule that can attract a fan base, Memphis, Louisville.... Works for me. BUt, I could be wrong. Do these teams travel well? I presume they do. Again, I don't know. But they seem to make some sense, and obviously the SI writer thinks they make all the sense in the world!

(06-18-2020 06:45 AM)chihuskie Wrote:  

(06-16-2020 10:49 AM)Teamduh Wrote:  Agreed. Nice depth to this article.

For NIU to consider these teams NIU would need to get paid.

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I don't know. Why do you say that? I mean, for a paycheck game-- hey-- go to Ohio St, Michigan, Alabama, Where ever you can get a big paycheck. But for building a home schedule that can attract a fan base, Memphis, Louisville.... Works for me. BUt, I could be wrong. Do these teams travel well? I presume they do. Again, I don't know. But they seem to make some sense, and obviously the SI writer thinks they make all the sense in the world!

I'm sure teams like Memphis and Louisville will enjoy playing in SeatGeek, because that's where it would be. It seems like STF has lost interest in building a local fanbase in DeKalb. It's a vicious circle: fans are not showing up because the schedule is crappy (plus the weeknight games), and the schedule is crappy because fans are not showing up. Maybe if he brought a quality team to Huskie Stadium and MARKETED THE GAME WELL, fans would start to show up (assuming it does not rain). It won't happen overnight, but maybe - just maybe - if STF showed interest in (and respect for) the fans, they'll show up.

Back from hiatus (whoop-dee-doo).

Huskie Stadium is small (23,595), old (West Grandstand, 1965; East Grandstand, 1995); not well-maintained (think west side restrooms and leaky skybox roof); and a bunch of etc's. The much-touted, minimum benchmark capacity for FBS is 30,000, and two of the first things cut when the budget is tight are marketing/advertising and maintenance. Northern has had several years of tight(er) budgets, and the impacts of Covid-19 have not hit fully yet. Athletics cannot even afford a cheerleading squad.

Northern reportedly paid Illinois State $325,000 for that game last year. If Lousiville, Memphis, Cincinnati, etc., can make a few hundred thousand more playing elsewhere, it's good-bye DeKalb. And do they want NIU on their schedules? So we have Rhode Island (this year, if played) and Maine (2021) coming in.

A this point, there isn't much fanbase (alumni, enrollment, community) to build/rebuild in DeKalb-Sycamore. IMO, that's why SeatGeek and STF touting those (alleged) 160,000 Chicago-area alumni.

The solutions, to me, include a) win, and win a lot, to generate excitement, and (b) split the "home" season: 4 at HS with heavy marketing, 2 weekday nights at SeatGeek with commuter-game promotion. I cannot see any other way of pulling this out ... unless somebody suddenly shows up with a ga-zillion dollars they're willing to spend.

Bigger than normal crowds at both schools, a little extra college football water-cooler chatter that week around the state, neighbors laying bets on their alma mater. Good for the health of college football in Illinois. We should play NU and Illinois every 3rd year (so each school every 6 years, not a drag on their schedules). We would need the proposed stadium updates I think to sell more than one rare trip to Dekalb I think though.

If I were setting project priorities, would put a new Olympic Village and a bigger scoreboard at Huskie Stadium at the top. An OV would get soccer, gymnastics and wrestling out of the West Grandstand, clearing badly-needed space for interior improvements. And a new, larger board (on top of a south end Touchdown Village structure) would compete with big-screen TVs at home (a fairly new competitor). Sell the OV based on what is does for HS improvements, and the TV/vboard project on how it enhances the gameday experience.

Those two projects could be "sold" (and built) separately, if you put together the right promotional/marketing people and effort. Also, note NIU has had some real sucesses in women's cc/track&field. And they are not so humongously expensive (compared to an HS rebuild).

I'd get the TV/board thing going first. Here's a wild thought: A TV/vboard structure could have a rooftop deck, usable for outdoor concerts and other events with the board for special effects/lighting. More uses for HS, especially off-season/summer. i.e., tie a local/regional "battle of the bands" in with spring game.

(Crazy ideas due to lack of football, other Huskies sports).

Illini got no one to go to Soldier Field for a game recently.

If they aren't going there, CU they aren't going to DeKalb. Nor is UI taking a game at DeKalb, nor should they. They have nothing to gain.

Article says "The Hawkeyes have a game versus NIU in Soldier Field scheduled for this season." Game is at Iowa City.

(06-18-2020 11:23 AM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Illini got no one to go to Soldier Field for a game recently.

If they aren't going there, CU they aren't going to DeKalb. Nor is UI taking a game at DeKalb, nor should they. They have nothing to gain.

The whole "if we win its not impressive and if we lose it hurts our rep" argument is complete B.S..

1). The Illini have been complete p*ssies about scheduling us for decades, where has their scheduling cowardice gotten them? No where, they suck, and they're complete avoidance of THE ONLY OTHER IN-STATE PUBLIC FBS PROGRAM has been finally gaining negative commentary as of late. (i.e. article above), and beating NIU at this point is impressive, we have a respectable program, and plenty of recent Big Ten pelts to show for it.

2). If you find merit in the above quoted decades-old Illini puss-mating call, then explain why Iowa, Purdue and Nebraska is scheduling us at every turn? All of these schools have better reps than Illinois to damage, yet play us all the time. They play us at their place, play us at Soldier Field, and I'm sure would discuss playing us in Dekalb if our stadium took the discussed step up. These other Pig10 programs also schedule their own G5 in-state cousins way more often than the Illini. Seems like the "nor-should they" gutlessness is reserved to good old Illinois.

Bottom line is Illinois playing us somewhat regularly would be good for college football in general in Illinois. You know an Illinois game at NIU every 12 years would pack Huskie Stadium, and you know we would bring 10k+ to Urbana as opposed to the 432 people that show up in drop-dead gorgeous central Illinois to support Vandy or Colorado State. It's not exactly raining money in Urbana or Illinois for that matter. Ask the local Urbana government what an extra 10000 people in town for the day or weekend means to the local economy.

Their increasingly evident avoidance of one of only 3 in-state FBS programs is bad optics for their program. I'll be impressed when someone at Illinois reverses the current policy vis-a-vis NIU, until then, win or lose, I consider their program a laughable sackless sandwich-eating joke.

go huskies :)

(06-18-2020 12:31 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(06-18-2020 11:23 AM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Illini got no one to go to Soldier Field for a game recently.

If they aren't going there, CU they aren't going to DeKalb. Nor is UI taking a game at DeKalb, nor should they. They have nothing to gain.

The whole "if we win its not impressive and if we lose it hurts our rep" argument is complete B.S..

1). The Illini have been complete p*ssies about scheduling us for decades, where has their scheduling cowardice gotten them? No where, they suck, and they're complete avoidance of THE ONLY OTHER IN-STATE PUBLIC FBS PROGRAM has been finally gaining negative commentary as of late. (i.e. article above), and beating NIU at this point is impressive, we have a respectable program, and plenty of recent Big Ten pelts to show for it.

2). If you find merit in the above quoted decades-old Illini puss-mating call, then explain why Iowa, Purdue and Nebraska is scheduling us at every turn? All of these schools have better reps than Illinois to damage, yet play us all the time. They play us at their place, play us at Soldier Field, and I'm sure would discuss playing us in Dekalb if our stadium took the discussed step up. These other Pig10 programs also schedule their own G5 in-state cousins way more often than the Illini. Seems like the "nor-should they" gutlessness is reserved to good old Illinois.

Bottom line is Illinois playing us somewhat regularly would be good for college football in general in Illinois. You know an Illinois game at NIU every 12 years would pack Huskie Stadium, and you know we would bring 10k+ to Urbana as opposed to the 432 people that show up in drop-dead gorgeous central Illinois to support Vandy or Colorado State. It's not exactly raining money in Urbana or Illinois for that matter. Ask the local Urbana government what an extra 10000 people in town for the day or weekend means to the local economy.

Their increasingly evident avoidance of one of only 3 in-state FBS programs is bad optics for their program. I'll be impressed when someone at Illinois reverses the current policy vis-a-vis NIU, until then, win or lose, I consider their program a laughable sackless sandwich-eating joke.

go huskies :)

Doesn't diminish the fact that they have no reason to come to DeKalb to play at a glorified HS stadium with little to offer opposing fans in the way of anything, including a place to stay. Utah had 1500 people at least. I can only imagine their thoughts of DeKalb. Not a coincidence the BYU game was moved to Chicago. DeKalb is a nice place to visit, tailgate and watch a game, shop for some souvenirs, partake in some food or beverage. That is if you are an NIU fan. But it offers NOTHING to opposing teams, their fans. You are are a few blocks from the stadium you would not even know there was a game.

And I didn't say they shouldn't play. (Heck, I would even agree they fear losing.)Just not in DeKalb, for their sake. And seeing they got no one to Soldier Field, I can't see them doing it vs. NIU. Honestly, I have no idea of our turnout. You might see 30k split even.Heck, maybe even MORE NIU like NW that was pretty close to 50/50, 60/40 from what I saw. I have no idea.

I feel sorry for season ticket holders when situations like BYU game got moved. That on top of like 3 Saturday games max.

In a way, have to agree about that "hs stadium" (I assume you meant high school, sarcastically?). When the west grandstand was built, it was really a multi-purpose building with a slanted roof with seats on top. A number of programs housed inside, and that's still the case. No room for any fan amenities.

Northern's priorities were the Yordan Center and Chessick practice facility --- I agree with those -- but can't with the aftermath attitude of just make-do for the stadium. I too wonder what Utah fans thought.

This dream of a 34,000-seater expandable to 44,000 is just that. Anybody can put together diagrams and charts and colorful drawings and call it a master plan. Something of an amateur planner, I could take that thing apart and show you why it shouldn't happen that way. Too much for this board, tho.

Briefly, go for 30-32k and load it with modern fan amenities ... Touchdown Village with rooftop patio deck, super video scoreboard, remodeled inside the west, upper-seat access on the east ... and keep those lawns. Northern never topped 28,300 real fans in more than 300 home games anyway, even at the height of attendance. Know your market and remember it's real people, not more empty seats, that count.

And DeKalb needs to get off its $%&@ and get a good motel/hotel with some amenities. Start acting like the home of a Division I university, not just living off those employee paychecks.

My last harp on this thread.

That was such a cool Watch party thing they did with Maryland. Hearing Coach Novaks interjections throughout game were great. I forgot what a great sense of humor he could have. What a special group of guys that 03 team was. Never will forget the PA asking people to scrunch together to make room for the packed house. Watching that certainly made me feel guilty for being cynical about the current direction of the things

No place to go but up. Maybe now the powers-that-be will realize how important fans are. On the other hand, it's been "survival mode" for a number of years. Need a spark.

(06-19-2020 09:45 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  No place to go but up. Maybe now the powers-that-be will realize how important fans are. On the other hand, it's been "survival mode" for a number of years. Need a spark.

The problem is that the current powers-that-be do not understand that they may be part of the reason that fans are not showing up.

As I said ... maybe. The Covid-19 crisis, fall on-campus vs. on-line "enrollment," perhaps loss of some payday games (if fb sked shortened) may be the combo wake-up call that makes somebody in charge of something realize how badly fans are needed and how important they/we are. I have to hope, because what we have just cannot continue. Something has to change.

(06-18-2020 11:23 AM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote:  Illini got no one to go to Soldier Field for a game recently.

If they aren't going there, CU they aren't going to DeKalb. Nor is UI taking a game at DeKalb, nor should they. They have nothing to gain.

Illinois should do a home and home with NIU. And if they won't voluntarily, then a state law should be passed that they have to play one state school each year, with the NIU turn being rotated as to location between DeKalb and Champaign. (or similar type law to make this happen. It would greatly benefit BOTH schools, and the state as a whole.)

If you don't believe it, see the history of Florida State. i.e., their history with Florida.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%E2...ll_rivalry

"The University of Florida administration, however, was reluctant to treat Florida State University as an equal, less for reasons of intercollegiate sports rivalry than for reasons of limited state funding for higher education and the perception that Florida State's demands for a greater share of those funds might undercut the University of Florida's role as the state's historic flagship university. As the impasse dragged on, a bill was proposed in the Florida Legislature in 1955 which would have mandated that the two schools compete against each other in football and other sports. While the bill was voted down, Florida Governor LeRoy Collins personally requested to University of Florida president J. Wayne Reitz that he take the lead in starting a yearly football series between the two state universities. Reitz agreed, and the schools negotiated a contract that began their football series in 1958, the first available opening on the Gators' non-conference schedule.[5]"

"One of the stipulations in the first contract was that all games be played in the Gators' home stadium, Florida Field in Gainesville, because the Seminoles' home field at Doak Campbell Stadium had a capacity of under 20,000. The first six games in the series were all played in Gainesville. Florida State initiated a series of expansions to Doak Campbell Stadium, and beginning in 1964, the game site has alternated on an annual home-and-away basis between Gainesville and Tallahassee. The Gators hold a 20–11–1 series advantage in games held in Gainesville, and have a one-game edge for those played in Tallahassee, 13–12–1. The Gators and Seminoles have split two neutral-site games—both Sugar Bowls played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans (1994 and 1997). Since the game became a home-and-home rivalry, the Gators lead the series 30–23–1. Since Bobby Bowden became the head coach at Florida State in 1976, the Seminoles hold a 21–20–1 edge."

Florida State first beat Florida in 1964. And the rest ... is ... historyyyy!