menu
Logo
99+
Bobcat Attack Menu
Logo
99+
Ohio Football Topic
Topic: OT NIU full-page ad.
Page: 1 of 1
The Optimist
General User
Member Since: 3/16/2007
Location: CLE
Post Count: 5,611
mail
The Optimist
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 9:28 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Awesome.

http://t.co/0ej6Oe0iUT
Last Edited: 9/12/2014 9:29:03 AM by The Optimist
Casper71
General User
C71
Member Since: 12/1/2006
Post Count: 3,237
person
mail
Casper71
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 9:59 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Good for those Huskies! They obviously want to own Illinois. More power to them.
OhioCatFan
General User
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 15,698
mail
OhioCatFan
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 10:15 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Casper71 wrote:expand_more
Good for those Huskies! They obviously want to own Illinois. More power to them.
Fortunately, owning Illinois in football is not all that hard these days. :-)
GoCats105
General User
GC105
Member Since: 1/31/2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Post Count: 7,823
person
mail
GoCats105
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 10:37 AM
settings_applications edit_note
I love it, but NIU doesn't even play Illinois this year.
Kevin Finnegan
General User
KF
Member Since: 2/4/2005
Location: Rockton, IL
Post Count: 1,214
person
mail
Kevin Finnegan
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 10:48 AM
settings_applications edit_note
We talk about being the next Boise State, but NIU is practically there already. They're doing everything right these days as well. They lose a coach, they don't miss a beat. They're scheduling top conference opponents for home-and-homes. They're building excitement in the community. I've always said (as a resident of Northern Illinois) that they're not part of the Chicago market, but they're starting to prove me wrong with their outreach. They are truly building something powerful through their football team. They're the poster child for the MAC. Go Huskies (except for a Tuesday night in November)!
OhioStunter
General User
Member Since: 2/18/2005
Location: Chicago
Post Count: 2,516
mail
OhioStunter
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 10:56 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Well in Chicago, Northwestern is touting itself as "Chicago's Big Ten Team" on ads everywhere. NIU took a nice shot at them, calling NIU "Chicago's Big TIME College Football Team". Well done. It's easy for NIU to get overshadowed in this market and I applaud them for making some noise. I wouldn't mind Ohio doing that in a major Ohio paper when something like that happens. After the NCAA Tourney Michigan upset, a full-page ad would have been wildly popular in the Dispatch.

NIU will end up having the most successful football season of any other team in Illinois this year (Bears included).
GoCats105
General User
GC105
Member Since: 1/31/2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Post Count: 7,823
person
mail
GoCats105
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 11:07 AM
settings_applications edit_note
finnOhio wrote:expand_more
We talk about being the next Boise State, but NIU is practically there already. They're doing everything right these days as well. They lose a coach, they don't miss a beat. They're scheduling top conference opponents for home-and-homes. They're building excitement in the community. I've always said (as a resident of Northern Illinois) that they're not part of the Chicago market, but they're starting to prove me wrong with their outreach. They are truly building something powerful through their football team. They're the poster child for the MAC. Go Huskies (except for a Tuesday night in November)!
I was thinking this exact same thing the other day. I wonder if NIU saw that article about Ohio in SI a few years ago and was like, "Seriously? We're the next Boise!"
OUcats82
General User
Member Since: 1/9/2005
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Post Count: 1,912
mail
OUcats82
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 12:33 PM
settings_applications edit_note
GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
We talk about being the next Boise State, but NIU is practically there already. They're doing everything right these days as well. They lose a coach, they don't miss a beat. They're scheduling top conference opponents for home-and-homes. They're building excitement in the community. I've always said (as a resident of Northern Illinois) that they're not part of the Chicago market, but they're starting to prove me wrong with their outreach. They are truly building something powerful through their football team. They're the poster child for the MAC. Go Huskies (except for a Tuesday night in November)!
I was thinking this exact same thing the other day. I wonder if NIU saw that article about Ohio in SI a few years ago and was like, "Seriously? We're the next Boise!"
I think Northern has had a better run over the past few years than Boise. While they will remain a strong program, I don't know if they will duplicate the Jared Zabranski (sp?) era etc.
Athens Block
General User
AB
Member Since: 7/15/2010
Post Count: 201
person
mail
Athens Block
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 1:58 PM
settings_applications edit_note
I would have killed for an ad like this directed at OSU after our win over Penn State.
Sony7
General User
Member Since: 6/25/2005
Location: Greenfield, WI
Post Count: 299
mail
Sony7
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 1:58 PM
settings_applications edit_note
As history seems to repeat itself, NIU will be chomping at the bit to leave the MAC again with more and more success. Then they will come crawling back when they can't cut it. The MAC should not take them back the next time. I haven't been to Dekalb for about ten years or more, but their facilities had a lot to be desired at the time. Does anyone know what improvements they have made to make them worthy of a "Money" school?
Bryan
General User
B
Member Since: 10/1/2012
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 92
person
mail
Bryan
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 3:57 PM
settings_applications edit_note
On the basketball side they just installed a fancy new "huskie eyes" court.

IDK about football facilities.
colobobcat66
General User
C66
Member Since: 9/1/2006
Location: Watching the bobcats run outside my window., CO
Post Count: 4,744
person
mail
colobobcat66
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 5:21 PM
settings_applications edit_note
I hear the big 12 is looking for teams. If TCU can make it, why not NIU?
Brian Smith (No, not that one)
General User
BSNNTO
Member Since: 2/4/2005
Post Count: 3,057
person
mail
Brian Smith (No, not that one)
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 6:22 PM
settings_applications edit_note
I would think C-USA would be the only jump NIU would be able to make, and I don't see that happening. No one in DeKalb is anymore interested in watching the Huskies play UAB than than they are in watching them play Eastern Michigan.
colobobcat66
General User
C66
Member Since: 9/1/2006
Location: Watching the bobcats run outside my window., CO
Post Count: 4,744
person
mail
colobobcat66
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 7:42 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Delete Pending wrote:expand_more
I would think C-USA would be the only jump NIU would be able to make, and I don't see that happening. No one in DeKalb is anymore interested in watching the Huskies play UAB than than they are in watching them play Eastern Michigan.
AAC?
RSBobcat
General User
Member Since: 8/23/2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,504
mail
RSBobcat
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 9:24 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Gotta love that
Pataskala
General User
P
Member Since: 7/8/2010
Location: At least six feet away from anybody else
Post Count: 9,465
person
mail
Pataskala
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 10:02 PM
settings_applications edit_note
colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
I would think C-USA would be the only jump NIU would be able to make, and I don't see that happening. No one in DeKalb is anymore interested in watching the Huskies play UAB than than they are in watching them play Eastern Michigan.
AAC?
Doubt it. AAC adds Navy next year to get to 12, and they've said they're not interested in expanding when UMass becomes available next year. Of course, that could change if they get raided again. But I doubt that NIU would move to a conference where the closest geographic teams (for the moment) are Memphis, Cincy, Tulsa and Temps. Too much travel. They can bus to most of their MAC games but that wouldn't be an option with the AAC.
Last Edited: 9/12/2014 10:04:15 PM by Pataskala
RPO R6V
General User
RR
Member Since: 1/7/2005
Post Count: 206
person
mail
RPO R6V
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 11:10 PM
settings_applications edit_note
As a guy who doesn't know a lot about college football I'll ask this question. What has NIU done that we haven't? They've had the kind of success I thought we might have in the Solich era. I can't say I'm not jealous.
Last Edited: 9/12/2014 11:11:22 PM by RPO R6V
L.C.
General User
LC
Member Since: 9/1/2005
Post Count: 10,584
person
mail
L.C.
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 11:34 PM
settings_applications edit_note
For Bowls, NIU went to bowls in
2006 (L)
2008 (L)
2009 (L)
2010 (W)
2011 (W)
2012 (L) BCS Bowl
2013 (L)

Ohio went to bowls in
2006 (L)
2009 (L)
2010 (L)
2011 (W)
2012 (W)
2013 (L)

On the bowl front, NIU has two differences. They went to one extra bowl, 2008, and they went to a BCS bowl.

In terms of MACC, NIU won the Mac West in:
2010 (L)
2011 (W)
2012 (W)
2013 (L)

Ohio won the MAC East in:
2006 (L)
2009 (L)
2011 (L)

So, NIU has one one more championship of their side, and 2 MAC Championships to Ohio's zero.

NIU also has a higher winning percentage over the last decade. On the other hand, Ohio has higher attendance in recent year.

Basically NIU has done the same things that Ohio has, they have just done them a little better. The year they met in the MACC, NIU won. The year Ohio was supposed to bust the BCS, 2012, NIU busted it instead.
LuckySparrow
General User
Member Since: 10/16/2012
Location: IL
Post Count: 1,814
mail
LuckySparrow
mail
Posted: 9/12/2014 11:37 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Great to see this.

I will say, I don't think Chicago is for sale when it comes to college sports. So many people move here after graduating from a Big 10 school (Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, O$U, Wiscy, U of I, and Michigan, etc) so their allegiances already lie with those teams. Northwestern will never be able to reel in more fans, I've always thought their "Chicago's Big 10 Team!" campaign was hilarious. Norte Dame is still probably king here.
perimeterpost
General User
Member Since: 7/6/2010
Post Count: 3,165
mail
perimeterpost
mail
Posted: 9/13/2014 12:23 AM
settings_applications edit_note
for what its worth, it appears this campaign was conceived and financed by NIU alumni, not by the athletic department. So if any of y'all have some money to burn and are wanting to make some noise..

NIU is in a similar situation to Buffalo in that its in a largely populated state without a lot of real P5 competition. Grab that brass ring and own it. Here's top 10 states ranked by population, with the number of FBS teams listed-

1. CA- 7
2. TX- 12
3. NY- 3
4. FL- 7
5. IL- 3
6. PA- 3
7. OH- 8
8. GA- 4
9. MI- 5
10. NC- 6

It would be good for the MAC to have the best team in 2 of the 5 largest states. I think NIU can do it, much less confident in Buffalo.
Last Edited: 9/13/2014 12:24:36 AM by perimeterpost
RPO R6V
General User
RR
Member Since: 1/7/2005
Post Count: 206
person
mail
RPO R6V
mail
Posted: 9/13/2014 12:24 AM
settings_applications edit_note
"Basically NIU has done the same things that Ohio has, they have just done them a little better."

A little better? Two MAC championships and a BCS bowl appearance versus ZERO of either seems more than a little better. This in spite of their head coach turnover rate.
Showing Messages: 1 - 21 of 21
reply
vertical_align_top
vertical_align_center
vertical_align_bottom
add_comment
MAC News Links



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)