Illinois State to the MAC?

TBS_20

TBS_20

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StLRedbird said:
Thanks. I should've read the whole article instead of skipping to the MAC. So it's WKU or bust for them? That lines up w what the MAC commissioner said in a recent interview - that they'd be comfortable staying at 13 if the right fit doesn't present itself.

This would imply the window with the MAC may remain open for a while. We have a president now. AD should follow.
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Send emails to the president. If we don't demand it it won't happen
 
B

BirdGrad2011

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StLRedbird said:
Thanks. I should've read the whole article instead of skipping to the MAC. So it's WKU or bust for them? That lines up w what the MAC commissioner said in a recent interview - that they'd be comfortable staying at 13 if the right fit doesn't present itself.

This would imply the window with the MAC may remain open for a while. We have a president now. AD should follow.
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Sam Herder is awesome at what he does. That said he’s not a realignment news breaker. That’s a compilation post and most realignment outside of the P5 is quiet and not played out in public. Could we be having conversations that are not public knowledge to anyone? Absolutely. Are we though? No clue.
 
StLRedbird

StLRedbird

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TBS_20 said:
Send emails to the president. If we don't demand it it won't happen
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I've typed a few but never sent one. As a group they've proven to be very approachable at sporting events. My experience is this. The academic argument resonates with them. Beyond that, they're agreeable, maybe even supportive. And they offer ways that you can help make it happen. Bowman is the only one that really seemed excited about the topic.
 
CaliRdBrd

CaliRdBrd

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At this rate, in 6 years, the Valley will be…

ISU
Normal West High school
Little Sisters of the Blind
5 Guys restaurant
State Farm’s rec team
IWU (maybe)

I kinda like our chances!
 
B

Birddog

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CaliRdBrd said:
At this rate, in 6 years, the Valley will be…

ISU
Normal West High school
Little Sisters of the Blind
5 Guys restaurant
State Farm’s rec team
IWU (maybe)

I kinda like our chances!
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I don’t know, we could struggle in basketball since, you know, 5 guys has like 5 guys.
 
H

Hamdonger

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CaliRdBrd said:
At this rate, in 6 years, the Valley will be…

ISU
Normal West High school
Little Sisters of the Blind
5 Guys restaurant
State Farm’s rec team
IWU (maybe)

I kinda like our chances!
Click to expand...
I saw the Little Sisters play in Cook Hall back in the day. Those Bats sure had a good cheerleading squad.
"Rick 'em
Wreck 'em
Wrack 'em
Ruck 'em
Get that ball
And really
Fffff...ight."
 
T

topiarydan

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Another bust in MVC basketball - nothing to lose in hopps - both MAC and MVC are one bid leagues. At least in football we'll be a league where we're FBS and not junior varsity FCS. Playing Miami Ohio, WMich and Northern Illinois is alot more appealing than playing South Dakota, Indy State and Murray State. I believe academically MAC schools combined beat MVC school rankings.
 
StLRedbird

StLRedbird

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topiarydan said:
Another bust in MVC basketball - nothing to lose in hopps - both MAC and MVC are one bid leagues. At least in football we'll be a league where we're FBS and not junior varsity FCS. Playing Miami Ohio, WMich and Northern Illinois is alot more appealing than playing South Dakota, Indy State and Murray State. I believe academically MAC schools combined beat MVC school rankings.
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I've been thinking about the scheduling impact of moving to the MAC. Would appreciate your thoughts. I think it shakes out like this...

MBB - We go from a 10th-ish MBB conf to a 15th-ish. Rivalry games will be played in the non-con sched. That is rivalries w BU, SIU, and ISUb predate the Valley and will survive our leaving it.

Football (conf) - Biggest impact is an annual conference game w NIU that would likely be played @ Soldier Field every year. Huskie have a history of playing games there, and, well, it would just make a ton on sense. So we get a new must-attend Redbird game every year.

Football (non-con) - dramatic improvement in our schedule here, mainly going from 3 non-cons/yr to 4. It breaks down like this for me...

Buy game - no longer a non-scholly D1 like Drake, this is now probably EIU and WIU on a rotating basis. Maybe SIU would want in, but I doubt that. Our days of play @EIU or @WIU would be over.

Pay game - We'd be looking at FBS top 25 teams here, I would think. I think this would mean playing @Iowa and @Oklahoma pay games become the norm. Our payday goes up by about $1M/game by bring an FBS squad to the game instead of FCS like we do now.

Other non-con games - Now this consists of a H&H with EIU. It'd be replaced with two H&H's with FBS schools. Yes, we would see B10, B12, and SEC teams in Hancock from time to time, just like NIU. Definite upgrade in the schedule here.
 
M

MadBird

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StLRedbird said:
I've been thinking about the scheduling impact of moving to the MAC. Would appreciate your thoughts. I think it shakes out like this...

MBB - We go from a 10th-ish MBB conf to a 15th-ish. Rivalry games will be played in the non-con sched. That is rivalries w BU, SIU, and ISUb predate the Valley and will survive our leaving it.

Football (conf) - Biggest impact is an annual conference game w NIU that would likely be played @ Soldier Field every year. Huskie have a history of playing games there, and, well, it would just make a ton on sense. So we get a new must-attend Redbird game every year.

Football (non-con) - dramatic improvement in our schedule here, mainly going from 3 non-cons/yr to 4. It breaks down like this for me...

Buy game - no longer a non-scholly D1 like Drake, this is now probably EIU and WIU on a rotating basis. Maybe SIU would want in, but I doubt that. Our days of play @EIU or @WIU would be over.

Pay game - We'd be looking at FBS top 25 teams here, I would think. I think this would mean playing @Iowa and @Oklahoma pay games become the norm. Our payday goes up by about $1M/game by bring an FBS squad to the game instead of FCS like we do now.

Other non-con games - Now this consists of a H&H with EIU. It'd be replaced with two H&H's with FBS schools. Yes, we would see B10, B12, and SEC teams in Hancock from time to time, just like NIU. Definite upgrade in the schedule here.
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Yeah, sort of.

I think the MBB wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. We might be more competitive. We have a long history with NIU, and also had conference rivalries for a few years with Central Michigan and Ball State before the Valley. I watch MAC hoops from time to time and its not that bad, lots of midwest kids so if we keep with that type of recruiting some of the kids will know each other and the rivalries might "improve" over time.

Soldier Field? I'm not so sure about that. I looked at NIU's schedules for the last 10 years and they haven't played there in that time, that I could find, maybe I missed one. They did play one game at Guaranteed Rate Field, tho, for what that's worth. Maybe we'd get that going, I have my doubts.

NIU had Vandy, BC, San Diego State, Wyoming, Tulsa come in to Huskie Stadium - but I couldn't find any Big 10+ or Big 12 teams in the last 10 years in DeKalb. Maybe our AD will "out schedule" NIU! ;)

So, sure, if you jumped to the MAC - IF the MAC would have us - you'd HAVE TO upgrade the FB schedule in order to fund the extra schollies and such it would take to go FBS, The cost of doing business. I've never been convinced the attendance meter at Hancock would improve offering Bowling Green vs. So Dakota State, or Eastern Mich vs. SIU, but maybe I'm wrong. Some people will feel better about the product, about our "status" in the football world.
 
StLRedbird

StLRedbird

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MadBird said:
Yeah, sort of.

I think the MBB wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. We might be more competitive. We have a long history with NIU, and also had conference rivalries for a few years with Central Michigan and Ball State before the Valley. I watch MAC hoops from time to time and its not that bad, lots of midwest kids so if we keep with that type of recruiting some of the kids will know each other and the rivalries might "improve" over time.

Soldier Field? I'm not so sure about that. I looked at NIU's schedules for the last 10 years and they haven't played there in that time, that I could find, maybe I missed one. They did play one game at Guaranteed Rate Field, tho, for what that's worth. Maybe we'd get that going, I have my doubts.

NIU had Vandy, BC, San Diego State, Wyoming, Tulsa come in to Huskie Stadium - but I couldn't find any Big 10+ or Big 12 teams in the last 10 years in DeKalb. Maybe our AD will "out schedule" NIU! ;)

So, sure, if you jumped to the MAC - IF the MAC would have us - you'd HAVE TO upgrade the FB schedule in order to fund the extra schollies and such it would take to go FBS, The cost of doing business. I've never been convinced the attendance meter at Hancock would improve offering Bowling Green vs. So Dakota State, or Eastern Mich vs. SIU, but maybe I'm wrong. Some people will feel better about the product, about our "status" in the football world.
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Thanks for the fact check, Madbird. Here's the result of a quick scan of P5 opponents that have played @NIU. I may have missed some or promoted someone to P5 early. My recollection of the 2000s and 2010s was that NIU was VERY interested in host home games @ Soldier Field. They played Iowa there though they've played at other venues. SF is losing the Bears, right?

'94 Oklahoma St
'95 Louisville
'97 Kansas St
'02 Wake Forest
'03 Maryland
'07 Iowa (Soldier Field)
'11 Wisconsin (Guaranteed Rate?)
'12 Iowa (GR?)
'17 Boston College
'18 Utah

I was looking at the '20 Media Guide, so there may be more lately, or not. I think this qualifies as "from time to time". JMO
 
StLRedbird

StLRedbird

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MadBird said:
So, sure, if you jumped to the MAC - IF the MAC would have us - you'd HAVE TO upgrade the FB schedule in order to fund the extra schollies and such it would take to go FBS, The cost of doing business. I've never been convinced the attendance meter at Hancock would improve offering Bowling Green vs. So Dakota State, or Eastern Mich vs. SIU, but maybe I'm wrong. Some people will feel better about the product, about our "status" in the football world.
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Only had time to scan the NIU schedules this morning. I'm not sure what effect having, say, Kansas St on the home non-con would have. I've talked over beers with Redbird basketball fans for decades now and I know that the home games against P6 are prized events. Would it drive donations and season ticket sales? That there, would be the million dollar question. I think that an 8-4 season and a bowl matchup against a P5 would probably move that dial some. My guess is 4-5K Redbird faithful made it to Frisco.
 
TBS_20

TBS_20

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But, I thought Spack was so good? That means we're meaningful winners, right?
 
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