(05-07-2021 08:38 AM)Dog Fan Wrote: (05-07-2021 08:08 AM)Big Red Wrote: (05-07-2021 08:05 AM)klake87 Wrote: I applaud this board. True NIU and Huskie sports fans. I moved to Orlando recently. Got my NIU flags, shirts, shweatshirts(don't need them down here), NIU mugs, you get my point. We are minority. That is issue. Over 100k in alumni, we only have 5k in season tickets? This is a herculean task to create interest in NIU. I don't think it will ever happen unless a couple on this board got into bit coin when $400. They could be billionaires. I accept NIU for what it is. I applaud the success of the program with so little funding and interest. Could STF be more approachable, yes. He is not the problem though.
I agree, STF isn't the problem, but is there a better option?
Most likely.
In the grand scheme of things, STF may not be the problem. But, he is not doing anything good to maintain or expand the fanbase. For reasons cited many times, he is eroding the fanbase from the inside by ignoring or pissing off current fans and donors, and not cultivating their enhanced fandom and donations.
There are a few issues involved in the lack of interest of NIU Alumni, but one of them is that Dekalb and NIU never really worked together to make it an area that you would want to come back to.
Dekalb never grew service businesses around the campus I.e restaurants, hotels, coffee shops etc. that were walking distances from dorms or apartments. In fact the connection between town and university were non-existent.
When I went to school in the 80's and if you came in from the East on 38, you would have had no idea that in 2 miles there was a university with 25m students.
It seemed that the students stayed in thier space and the town stayed in thier space. There was no animosity like calling DeKalb residents Cutters( or would Barbie's be the better word) or anything like that. Everybody lived in 2 different bubbles.
I will admit that I was an exception to the rule and would go drinking at Rog's Tap or Dicks 1009.
Also, the town never really got into NIU sports either.
If I had a couple of kids and lived in Dekalb, I would take them to a football game or basketball game. Hell of a lot cheaper than to take them to a Bears or Bulls game.
But this is not just a NIU thing, this seems to be a Directional Illinois college issue. How many EIU or WIU grads say , "I love going back to Charleston or Macomb."?
I am not saying that a game day experience has to be like Austin Tx or Madison, WI., but it can be a lot better than it is now.