All State this year

[EvanstonCat]

With the Cats in the what 18K capacity AA this season, I wonder if we can't guestimate how many tickets will be unsold in advance, and then GIVE AWAY the rest of the tix to all of the youth programs in Chicagoland. All levels - from YBA to middle school to the AAU clubs. Multiple games if needed. Build the fan base. Fill the seats.

I'm doubtful we can draw 10K on a regular basis, and this is a one year/time thing for us. Would be a shame to let the seats go empty and if we can get young kids there to root for NU and start them young (maybe giveaway free purple T-shirts for them to wear at the game), we are going to be building the fan base, make NU truly Chicago's B1G team, and have a full capacity purple home court to play in front of. Maybe future lottery picks will be watching their first NU game this way, and we become their dream team when recruiting seasons comes along.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

With the Cats in the what 18K capacity AA this season, I wonder if we can't guestimate how many tickets will be unsold in advance, and then GIVE AWAY the rest of the tix to all of the youth programs in Chicagoland. All levels - from YBA to middle school to the AAU clubs. Multiple games if needed. Build the fan base. Fill the seats.

I'm doubtful we can draw 10K on a regular basis, and this is a one year/time thing for us. Would be a shame to let the seats go empty and if we can get young kids there to root for NU and start them young (maybe giveaway free purple T-shirts for them to wear at the game), we are going to be building the fan base, make NU truly Chicago's B1G team, and have a full capacity purple home court to play in front of. Maybe future lottery picks will be watching their first NU game this way, and we become their dream team when recruiting seasons comes along.

I'd be very much in favor of giving away unsold tickets to youth!

 

[thewildcat2011]

With the Cats in the what 18K capacity AA this season, I wonder if we can't guestimate how many tickets will be unsold in advance, and then GIVE AWAY the rest of the tix to all of the youth programs in Chicagoland. All levels - from YBA to middle school to the AAU clubs. Multiple games if needed. Build the fan base. Fill the seats.

I'm doubtful we can draw 10K on a regular basis, and this is a one year/time thing for us. Would be a shame to let the seats go empty and if we can get young kids there to root for NU and start them young (maybe giveaway free purple T-shirts for them to wear at the game), we are going to be building the fan base, make NU truly Chicago's B1G team, and have a full capacity purple home court to play in front of. Maybe future lottery picks will be watching their first NU game this way, and we become their dream team when recruiting seasons comes along.

Agreed that we should give away to youth programs or other charitable endeavors. However, and this is probably just the purple optimism from last year talking, I think we might be pleasantly surprised with attendance. All State is much more convenient to NU grads (and of course opposing team grads and other potential fans) that live in the city.

 

[ubercat]

NU gave away a lot tickets to charitable and youth groups to help fill up WR in the 2015-2016 season. It provided a noticeable bump in attendance from my perspective. The purple seats were still half-filled, though.

 

[mickbula]

Does anybody know how much/if anything it will cost to park at AA per car?

 

[NURoseBowl]

Does anybody know how much/if anything it will cost to park at AA per car?

Would put my chips on $20.

 

[ubercat]

Wondering if one could park in the Target lot just to the north (across Lunt Avenue) of the Allstate. Definitely no nearby neighborhood street parking available.

 

[CappyNU]

Wondering if one could park in the Target lot just to the north (across Lunt Avenue) of the Allstate. Definitely no nearby neighborhood street parking available.

From what I've read, Target aggressively tows cars that park there to go to Allstate. When I went for the NU-DePaul game recently, I think I parked in the back of the Marriott, though I seem to remember they had signs up and I just took a chance. The Chili's apparently does not tow.

 

[NJCat]

From what I've read, Target aggressively tows cars that park there to go to Allstate.

The good old Lincoln Park Pirates.....

"Way, hey, tow them away!"

 

[IdahoAlum]

From what I've read, Target aggressively tows cars that park there to go to Allstate. When I went for the NU-DePaul game recently, I think I parked in the back of the Marriott, though I seem to remember they had signs up and I just took a chance. The Chili's apparently does not tow.

I got booted when I parked in a Chili's lot in Salt Lake for a Utah-USC game a few years ago. Cost me $150 to get "unbooted."

 

[Medill90]

There are some decent restaurants near the Horizon....Harry Carry's....Gene & Georgetti's is a bit further....I think we'll plan an early meal, leave the car with valet and either walk or Uber over. Scampi and nice Barolo will cost the same as a brat and a beer inside the Horizon.

I still wake up in the middle of night with cold sweats from the last time I parked in the Horizon lot.

 

[EvanstonCat]

There are some decent restaurants near the Horizon....Harry Carry's....Gene & Georgetti's is a bit further....I think we'll plan an early meal, leave the car with valet and either walk or Uber over. Scampi and nice Barolo will cost the same as a brat and a beer inside the Horizon.

I still wake up in the middle of night with cold sweats from the last time I parked in the Horizon lot.

I don't think you are thinking of the right place. The Rosemont is way out by the airport. Not near north. Or do Gene & Georgetti's and Harry Caray's have additional restaurants out at the Horizon?

 

[corbi296]

I don't think you are thinking of the right place. The Rosemont is way out by the airport. Not near north. Or do Gene & Georgetti's and Harry Caray's have additional restaurants out at the Horizon?

Yes they do. There is also Capital Grill that is a good spot in Rosemomt..

 

[EvanstonCat]

Yes they do. There is also Capital Grill that is a good spot in Rosemomt..

HOLY COW!!!

 

[DonatelloCat]

Agreed that we should give away to youth programs or other charitable endeavors. However, and this is probably just the purple optimism from last year talking, I think we might be pleasantly surprised with attendance. All State is much more convenient to NU grads (and of course opposing team grads and other potential fans) that live in the city.

I would disagree with that . . . if coming from Chicago, public transit to WR is definitely easier (especially getting to games during the week with the Purple Line Express), and if driving, traffic is almost certainly going to be worse to AA if 90 is involved. If we're talking people who live in the suburbs who have to drive to the game regardless . . . I might buy that.

 

[ubercat]

There are alternates to I90. Higgins Road, for one.

 

[corbi296]

There are alternates to I90. Higgins Road, for one.

Also 294, River Road and Mannheim. Allstate a lot easier for anyone not on north shore.

 

[willycat]

Also 294, River Road and Mannheim. Allstate a lot easier for anyone not on north shore.

Exactly. It's a real coming east off of 294 on Dempster or if you attempt to drive up LSD and then Sheridan. Well, just don't.

 

[DonatelloCat]

There are alternates to I90. Higgins Road, for one.

I don't buy that traffic from downtown Chicago is going to be better to AA than the WR, especially with the construction heading that way as of late (which would mean traffic both before and after the game). But I am sure that we could argue about Chicago traffic and the best routes for a long time without accomplishing much, so I'll drop it.

On the public transit side, does anyone know if the school plans to do anything to make it easier to get to/from the L? That Pace shuttle is not efficient or reliable in my experience.

Also, I am assuming that the school will have some sort of shuttle to get the students to/from the game?

 

[Sec.112]

Of the 17 Allstate games this year, ten are on a weekend, Friday night or have an 8 pm start time. That's PLENTY of time to comfortably get to Allstate for many who went to the Welsh.

While three of the seven other not-so-timely games are good B10 battles against Michigan, Wisconsin and Maryland, three others are take-it-or-leave-it games versus St. Peter's, Chicago State and Lewis.

 

[thewildcat2011]

I would disagree with that . . . if coming from Chicago, public transit to WR is definitely easier (especially getting to games during the week with the Purple Line Express), and if driving, traffic is almost certainly going to be worse to AA if 90 is involved. If we're talking people who live in the suburbs who have to drive to the game regardless . . . I might buy that.

I guess it depends on whether there’s some sort of shuttle situation from the blue line (otherwise might have to uber from there). A trip from downtown to WR is going to run you over an hour even with the purple express. Trip to Rosemont should be less than that overall.

The only truly pleasant way to get up to games at WR is Metra, but their overall schedule kind of sucks.

 

[docrugby1]

Also 294, River Road and Mannheim. Allstate a lot easier for anyone not on north shore.

Where is NU ?

 

[corbi296]

Where is NU ?

What's your point? The discussion was about ease of commute for fans throughout the Chicagoland area.

 

[DonatelloCat]

I guess it depends on whether there’s some sort of shuttle situation from the blue line (otherwise might have to uber from there). A trip from downtown to WR is going to run you over an hour even with the purple express. Trip to Rosemont should be less than that overall.

The only truly pleasant way to get up to games at WR is Metra, but their overall schedule kind of sucks.

There's a pace shuttle that goes from the blue line to AA. And if you're doing that trip with the shuttle included in under an hour, I'll be impressed! (And that's assuming you're starting from the loop where you can easily get to the blue line.)

 

[willycat]

I don't buy that traffic from downtown Chicago is going to be better to AA than the WR, especially with the construction heading that way as of late (which would mean traffic both before and after the game). But I am sure that we could argue about Chicago traffic and the best routes for a long time without accomplishing much, so I'll drop it.

On the public transit side, does anyone know if the school plans to do anything to make it easier to get to/from the L? That Pace shuttle is not efficient or reliable in my experience.

Also, I am assuming that the school will have some sort of shuttle to get the students to/from the game?

They had student buses when NU played there for a couple of NIT games, many years ago.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I didn't sense there were an abundance of people shuffling from the Loop to Evanston for the games.