NIU fans not happy about playing us

[Jon99]

https://csnbbs.com/thread-867281.html

They do realize they are a MAC team, and not Alabama?? They are a directional school with 13K undergrad and weak academics, whose athletic budgets are about equal and is currently drawing 840 per basketball game.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

https://csnbbs.com/thread-867281.html

They do realize they are a MAC team, and not Alabama?? They are a directional school with 13K undergrad and weak academics, whose athletic budgets are about equal and is currently drawing 840 per basketball game.

I glanced at the posts and it seems most are in favor of playing ISU in football.

 

[Manchester Matt]

Agreed. Outside of the OP, seems like everyone on that forum is on board with playing ISU.

 

[MadBird]

https://csnbbs.com/thread-867281.html

They do realize they are a MAC team, and not Alabama?? They are a directional school with 13K undergrad and weak academics, whose athletic budgets are about equal and is currently drawing 840 per basketball game.

I spose you can call them a "directional school" if your criteria is only that they have a direction in their name, but you know, they've been to the Orange Bowl, been to bowl games 10 years in a row, that ain't so bad. I'll grant you attendance isn't great, but I'd say a lot of that owes to playing half those home games on Tuesday or Wednesday nights for the ESPN payday.

I'm not gonna knock NIU, even if their athletics look a little sick from a distance.

 

[Reggie Redbird]

From playing NIU, we get a low-expense Road game near our two biggest alumni markets. We get a 6-figure payday. Based on our last few FBS games, we have a chance to win. Playing NIU checks a lot of boxes. I would love to play NIU and have a few thousand Redbirds in attendance. Hopefully there is talk of a few student busses and bringing the cheerleaders, band, etc.

 

[fourthandshort]

If we're not playing a P5 for bigger payday (especially one with a bus ride like Iowa or Northwestern), a good G5 team is next best thing. Still a meaningful possible win, and as Reggie RB points out, it checks many other boxes .. particularly the budgetary box. The Ball St game was a good one, actually a great one since we got a home & home .. where they bought us ought of our home game in 2014 ... smart move, since it was down year for them and up year for us. But Ball St was very good in 2013 .. so as MAC / G5 games goes, I'll tZke NIU game for sure.

Most of their fans like this game .. only a couple, including the guy who started the thread didn't like it. Will check out their roster losses some other time .... but they may be in for a rude awakening, though they lost to WIU in 2016 .. same year we beat WIU at their place. We also beat Northwestern that year .... ahem, but lost to EIU/ISUb/USD all by 3 points.

 

[Jon99]

https://csnbbs.com/thread-867281.html

They do realize they are a MAC team, and not Alabama?? They are a directional school with 13K undergrad and weak academics, whose athletic budgets are about equal and is currently drawing 840 per basketball game.

I spose you can call them a "directional school" if your criteria is only that they have a direction in their name, but you know, they've been to the Orange Bowl, been to bowl games 10 years in a row, that ain't so bad. I'll grant you attendance isn't great, but I'd say a lot of that owes to playing half those home games on Tuesday or Wednesday nights for the ESPN payday.

I'm not gonna knock NIU, even if their athletics look a little sick from a distance.

They maybe have been to the Orange Bowl, but what else? Their academics and their enrollment has tanked, non-football sports are a joke. To me, they are closer to SIU or EIU, smaller schools that really have no appeal.

They have invested their money into football, maybe they should have used their resources in other places . Been to their school lately? Simply awful experience

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

https://csnbbs.com/thread-867281.html

They do realize they are a MAC team, and not Alabama?? They are a directional school with 13K undergrad and weak academics, whose athletic budgets are about equal and is currently drawing 840 per basketball game.

I spose you can call them a "directional school" if your criteria is only that they have a direction in their name, but you know, they've been to the Orange Bowl, been to bowl games 10 years in a row, that ain't so bad. I'll grant you attendance isn't great, but I'd say a lot of that owes to playing half those home games on Tuesday or Wednesday nights for the ESPN payday.

I'm not gonna knock NIU, even if their athletics look a little sick from a distance.

They maybe have been to the Orange Bowl, but what else? Their academics and their enrollment has tanked, non-football sports are a joke. To me, they are closer to SIU or EIU, smaller schools that really have no appeal.

They have invested their money into football, maybe they should have used their resources in other places . Been to their school lately? Simply awful experience

No doubt NIU is a struggling university with a lot going against them. I do not know who would allow their kids to go there given the NIU academic ranking, cost and location. Just a miserable scene when looking at all of those considerations. I would rather compare ISU to a Kansas Stare or Washington State when looking for a good comparison overall as to how ISU is doing as those universities are somewhat similar in university profile, town size and academic ranking. Too bad poor choices were made at ISU in distant and recent past as to athletics as ISU is going in a complete different direction then K State or Washington State athletics.

As for comparing ISU athletics vs NIU athletics, when it comes to finances, ISU athletics loses more money than NIU athletics as measured by how much the students/university must subsidize the athletic department operations (excluding the value the university and students in turn receive for the subsidy). Also as poor at the MAC is in basketball that conference has sent more teams to the NCAA tournament than the current teams in the MVC has sent. Point is neither school should be tossing stones.

 

[Chi-bird]

I am definitely looking forward to this game next year, as well as the home schedule in general. I don't love opening up conference play vs. the Bison (would prefer a mid Oct. to first week of Nov. matchup), but it should be a nice year.

Also, I'm not sure who gets the credit, but love that we play U of I, Wisconsin, and Iowa over the next few years.

 

[fourthandshort]

I am definitely looking forward to this game next year, as well as the home schedule in general. I don't love opening up conference play vs. the Bison (would prefer a mid Oct. to first week of Nov. matchup), but it should be a nice year.

Also, I'm not sure who gets the credit, but love that we play U of I, Wisconsin, and Iowa over the next few years.

Given we have a lot coming back and NDSU does not, the earlier we play them the better.

As for credit for those FBS games, we skewered Lyons for the STX game ... so I assume he deserves credit for those FBS games. I have never said Lyons is bad at scheduling until STX game. I like our effort to get local FBS payday games at least every other year, and then G5 team in between as needed (EMU, Ball St, CSI, NIU). And until recently, I didn't mind the EIU game being every year .... but I am starting to open my mind to mixing it up some in future as far as EIU game. And I 100% agree with scheduling 1 patsy each year .. our SOS with MVFC, FBS and EIU game is almost always top 10.

Anyway, kudos to Lyons, et al for scheduling those 3 FBS games ... all paydays and all bus rides ... very good games and money for our program !!!!!

 

[JHBird]

I am definitely looking forward to this game next year, as well as the home schedule in general. I don't love opening up conference play vs. the Bison (would prefer a mid Oct. to first week of Nov. matchup), but it should be a nice year.

Also, I'm not sure who gets the credit, but love that we play U of I, Wisconsin, and Iowa over the next few years.

Given we have a lot coming back and NDSU does not, the earlier we play them the better.

As for credit for those FBS games, we skewered Lyons for the STX game ... so I assume he deserves credit for those FBS games. I have never said Lyons is bad at scheduling until STX game. I like our effort to get local FBS payday games at least every other year, and then G5 team in between as needed (EMU, Ball St, CSI, NIU). And until recently, I didn't mind the EIU game being every year .... but I am starting to open my mind to mixing it up some in future as far as EIU game. And I 100% agree with scheduling 1 patsy each year .. our SOS with MVFC, FBS and EIU game is almost always top 10.

Anyway, kudos to Lyons, et al for scheduling those 3 FBS games ... all paydays and all bus rides ... very good games and money for our program !!!!!

Plus the Bisons have new coach as well. Good chance to beat them early in the year.

 

[Adunk33]

FWIW last I knew Peyton Deterding is the primary person for scheduling games. That could have changed though.

 

[Jon99]

No doubt NIU is a struggling university with a lot going against them. I do not know who would allow their kids to go there given the NIU academic ranking, cost and location. Just a miserable scene when looking at all of those considerations. I would rather compare ISU to a Kansas Stare or Washington State when looking for a good comparison overall as to how ISU is doing as those universities are somewhat similar in university profile, town size and academic ranking. Too bad poor choices were made at ISU in distant and recent past as to athletics as ISU is going in a complete different direction then K State or Washington State athletics.

Can you imagine spending 4 years of your life in Dekalb going to a Tier 2 school? OUCH

The state of Illinois needs to start pumping more money into ISU, even if that means allowing schools like EIU, WIU and NIU to be shut down, it is crazy that a state our size doesnt have two big time public universities. Which other big states don't? Any?

 

[StLRedbird]

I think that the NIU fans that have an issue with the game are chafing at their only home non-con and one of three home weekend games being against FCS. It's more about the MAC practice of scheduling weeknight games and their AD scheduling 3 P5 away games, than it is not being happy about playing us. All I know for sure is that I'll be there.

 

[fourthandshort]

so what are our chances for outdrawing them for game like this ? It is labor day weekend, which hurts both teams i suppose.

 

[bb fan]

I have many NIU family and friends. They are all looking forward to the game.

 

[Reggie Redbird]

I would venture Illinois, NW, NIU, and really any regional P5 team like playing a close FCS school because they pay us less than someone who will have an extra night hotel stay or a charter flight involved.