Redbirds at Illini 9/5/2020

[fourthandshort]

Hell yeah!!! Time to put our stamp as the flagship program on the state of Illinois!!!
My guess is there be more Red than Orange the stands.

You think we can get 30,000 ISU fans to a football game?? My guess is you will be able to walk up to the ticket booth at kick off and buy a ticket, no problem.

30,000 ?? Slow your roll .. this is the program that drew about 5k when we hosted UNI for 1st round playoff game in 2014.

But love how we are lining Big 10 opponents again. Far cry from years we had to supplement or FBS with MAC teams.

I did say something positive right away ... but agree, I also contributed to some thread drift ... just was blown away by the 30k comment.

 

[JHBird]

Brock mentioned U of I was on the horizon at the Feb recruiting event. I was losing hope until today. Now if we can just get U of I to play us in Basketball. That would be a riot. Fun for everyone until they lose.

 

[TIMMY]

So we are almost a full page into this and no one has anything positive to say about getting these games scheduled.

With all the crap being sent to our AD about the STX scheduling fiasco, I will be the first to say, well done getting these games onto the schedule.

I couldn't agree more. Scheduling is hard. The STX game is a perfect example. Easy to criticize but it takes 2 to tango. Just because another school has a hole in their schedule doesn't mean they haven't been contacted or that they want to play you.
Getting these games is great for our fanbase and for growing the program. These games are million dollar events. It takes a lot of work to make it happen. They have done a great job.
Beating NU was really something. Beating Illinois? BAM

 

[StLRedbird]

After the NU game, my brother and I drove down to Champaign for an Illinois-UNC game. I hadn't been to Memorial Stadium since attending a Bear game there while they were renovating Soldier Field. Was very impressed with what they had done to the joint since my last visit. Never been to Camp Randall, so that's going to be awesome. Hopefully the weather will be a little better when we go to Kinnick. Kudos to all involved for these easy roadtrips

 

[bb fan]

Metamoron, sometimes defending, or pointing out something positive our admins do is not very popular with some posters here. I pointed out earlier that some said we would need to be FBS to get his done. Yeah, kudos to our admins on the football scheduling.

 

[Reggie Redbird]

This is a huge get for several reasons:

1.) It's a good payday for a quick trip down the road.
2.) It's good exposure to play a B10/P5 FBS team. You never know when the next Northwestern will happen.
3.) We have a chance to bring thousands of fans over from Bloomington/Normal, Peoria, Springfield, etc. and down from Chicago. If we have a pair of good seasons leading into 2020, it will create an even bigger interest in this game.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

These type of games (big 10 or any P5) are huge for ISU athletic's identity/image/fan development...especially if they can be competitive or even sneak out a win. I think the St Xavier game is the exact opposite and brings down the image of the football program. Well done to whomever made the BIG games happen.

Next up please...get rid of the annual EIU game and alternatively play a marque non-midwest FCS program (James Madison, Sam Houston....etc) early in the year and when the weather is nice. If you gotta keep the EIU game move it towards the end of the season. Give us fans and potential fans something to be excited about early in the year that is a home football game for ISU. How much fun would it be to start out the season every other year with a perennial (non-MVC) top 15/20 FCS football team as a home or season opener? Ticket demand would far exceed supply. And if we cant get that then how about the MVFC scheduling a conference game as an opener?...I would be driving down to ISU the night before or staying the night of the home opener if we opened up against an NDSU or SDSU. btw...don't want to hear "cant open with a conference game". Last year the Big Ten had some conference football games in August (UInd vs OSU). Alright enough...just sharing thoughts after getting pumped up with the future big ten games now on the schedule.

 

[bb fan]

Like it or not, the biggest reason we play EIU every year are the travel costs.

I think the effort has been made regarding a non-midwest FCS with N. AZ.

 

[JHBird]

Like it or not, the biggest reason we play EIU every year are the travel costs.

I think the effort has been made regarding a non-midwest FCS with N. AZ.

And EIU isn't a pushover. We had an easy time over there last year, but the previous two years have been battles. I get it though, if we could play James Madison that would be great.

 

[bb fan]

I agree. Eastern has been a decent opponent. Excellent coaches over the years and some pretty good names ending up playing Sunday.

 

[fourthandshort]

I don't love the EIU but I do "like" it for several reasons:

- takes a lot of pressure of OOC scheduling challenges for sure
- still a decent program, and good OOC rivalry game
- budget friendly, which takes some pressure off our budget
- we play a grueling enough schedule as is .. MVFC guantlet and usually an FBS, plus EIU usually competes with us. So 7 wins needed usually to make playoffs, and I don;t want to give up our FBS games, which we lose a lot more often than we win.

The only thing I don't like is what ChiRBFan referenced .. it limits our OOC options considerably ... with our goal being to do FBS and a patsy game, plus EIU ... can't really do much else with OOC. So other than the STX game, I like how we do our OOC.

And I do NOT want to get rid of patsy game. SOS is already top 10 every year with patsy game ... I want to make playoffs. We could be top 20 or better team at 6-5 every year playing a top 5 SOS, and not make playoffs most years .. no thanks !!!

I'd sooner skip bye week and play 12 games, than get rid of patsy game .. but not a fan of skipping bye week either. Spack over-works these guys as is .. bye week helps with preparation and recovery ... just wish we woudl stop getting bye weeks in 1st month every yera.

 

[Hamdonger]

I agree. Eastern has been a decent opponent. Excellent coaches over the years and some pretty good names ending up playing Sunday.

Who can forget Bob SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[StLRedbird]

I don't like the idea of our non-con schedules being Pushover-EIU-FBS, in perpetuity. Eastern needs this game for travel $ reasons - we do not.

 

[MadBird]

Another thought about EIU, I know won't matter to many of you, but it's "history" - this is a long-standing rivalry, there have been many connections between the programs, coaches coming from one to the other, etc. back in the day. Times change, sure. The schools themselves may have grown in different directions to some degree, but there's something to be said for playing for the trophy, driving down the road to play them, etc.

I don't mind keeping up the rivalry, I could live with it being an every other year thing I guess, I sure would like to see us open up to some "inter-sectional" games, but I think there's value in keeping it going. Seems like having a 100+ year old rivalry is good for the program, the oldest rivalry in the state.

 

[Birdswin]

Good conversation about the EIU game - in most years, it is a "W" for us - good home game and good road game. I do not have an issue with it.

As far as the earlier comments on the 2009 game - ISU sold over 10,000 tickets and there were people who bought tickets from other sources, thus the estimates I heard was around 15,000 ISU fans - have to dispute with all the RED in the stands - and it was the highest non-conference game attendance wise for the Illini in 25 years. There were plenty of ISU people at that game - who do not come to Redbird games in Normal. It was about who the Birds were playing. Sort of like a lot of Cardinal and Cub fans who do not want to go to a game unless it is the Cardinals vs Cubs. Why?? I have no idea, but that is the way it is.

 

[CaliRdBrd]

So we are almost a full page into this and no one has anything positive to say about getting these games scheduled.

With all the crap being sent to our AD about the STX scheduling fiasco, I will be the first to say, well done getting these games onto the schedule.

I absolutely love this type of scheduling! Win or lose, it lets recruits know that we're legit and gives them a chance to show themselves against schools that likely snubbed them. A schedule like this can be a powerful recruiting tool.

 

[SgtHulka]

I agree. Eastern has been a decent opponent. Excellent coaches over the years and some pretty good names ending up playing Sunday.

Who can forget Bob SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was more of a Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu guy

 

[Total Red]

- we play a grueling enough schedule as is .. MVFC guantlet and usually an FBS, plus EIU usually competes with us.

:text-+1: Look how Alabama handles OOC scheduling. Usually 1 challenging game, 2 easy FBS mid-majors and then a FCS patsy. It's a long season.

 

[Hamdonger]

I agree. Eastern has been a decent opponent. Excellent coaches over the years and some pretty good names ending up playing Sunday.

Who can forget Bob SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was more of a Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu guy

Hehehe. Wow.

We had a local realtor named Sandy Puhse.

She had alot of showings. Oh man shoot me. That's tur'ble.

 

[fourthandshort]

Who can forget Bob SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was more of a Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu guy

Hehehe. Wow.

We had a local realtor named Sandy Puhse.

She had alot of showings. Oh man shoot me. That's tur'ble.

yeah, but with first name like Sandy, some might have stayed away :eusa-snooty: .