I know all that and completely agree--was just being a bit snarky with my comment. I can count the soccer games taking place at Soldier on my fingers over the past few years.
It's a complete BS excuse.
It's a complete BS excuse.
Illinois shifts NU games to Soldier Field in 2015, 2017, 2019
- Thread starter julescat
- Start date
I wouldn't be so quick to call bs on the soccer excuse. The Edward Jones Dome in STL has temporarily installed natural grass for at least one soccer match in the past. The Georgia Dome has also done this previously.
Well then there you go...put the field turf in and do that then when you host soccer. Problem solved
Which is still better than the split when NU plays in Champaign.
Also, I'm skeptical fans - of both teams- will turn out in large numbers for what will probably be a match-up of two mediocre teams in cold weather during Thanksgiving weekend. I'll be disappointed if I end up paying more than $10-15 to get in.
They've also completely re-sodded Soldier for certain soccer games, despite the fact that it already has grass. The fact that the playing surface is grass is unrelated to soccer. The Seahawks stadium has also had grass put in for games.
The only one that matters does: FIFA only allow mens international football on artificial surfaces under certain circumstances. Unfortunately "Soldier Field's natural grass sucks" is not one of them.
I think that Russia and Iceland are the only major nations that have dispensation to play on field turf due to the extreme weather conditions in those countries during the traditional football season.
I think that Russia and Iceland are the only major nations that have dispensation to play on field turf due to the extreme weather conditions in those countries during the traditional football season.
The Trolling Illini
This is an attempt by UI to make some extra $ and troll NU in the process. It's also good news for us. Illinois continues to run its program defensively, punching up at us from downstate -- plus we'll have far more fans in the stands for those "away" games than ever would have traveled down to Champaign. An average Northwestern contingent at Memorial Stadium (based on my experience) is 2-3k. We'll have closer to 10k at Soldier Field -- maybe more, if we stop sucking.
The Wildcats are used to playing home games that feel like neutral venues. This will feel more like a bowl game, with a strong purple group making the easy trip to SF. I'll take it.
This is an attempt by UI to make some extra $ and troll NU in the process. It's also good news for us. Illinois continues to run its program defensively, punching up at us from downstate -- plus we'll have far more fans in the stands for those "away" games than ever would have traveled down to Champaign. An average Northwestern contingent at Memorial Stadium (based on my experience) is 2-3k. We'll have closer to 10k at Soldier Field -- maybe more, if we stop sucking.
The Wildcats are used to playing home games that feel like neutral venues. This will feel more like a bowl game, with a strong purple group making the easy trip to SF. I'll take it.
Re: Will NU follow and move their end of season games?
Evanston is not exactly out in the suburbs. You should go there sometime.
Evanston is not exactly out in the suburbs. You should go there sometime.
^ Is that overly relevant? If Illinois drew 3/4 of that crowd they'd still dwarf NU's contingent, which was my point: I was responding to a poster who referred to this as an NU home game. Sure, NU is in the area, but they're far outnumbered by the Illini when it comes to fans in said area.
Fans and alumni. We have significantly more alumni, and I don't think any of you would contend there are more NU fans in the Chicago area than UI fans...
Re: Google it!
Have they been calling me out again?
That is a crazy board. They have absolutely hated on Beckman for two years. They were way overboard with their endless negative posts. Now they are softening and splintering, with some posters remarkably changing their tune and offering luke warm support for Beckman after literally posting a thousand posts calling for his firing. The die hards keep on crapping on the guy. Beckman has acted like an idiot, but he has done a good job there from all I can tell. Sort of like a Forrest Gump coaching performance. The players seem to support him and play hard for him. Now he just landed the best recruiting class Illinois has had in quite a while.
I haven't been over there much. My last posts there were positive and congratulatory. It made me sick to my stomach.
Have they been calling me out again?
That is a crazy board. They have absolutely hated on Beckman for two years. They were way overboard with their endless negative posts. Now they are softening and splintering, with some posters remarkably changing their tune and offering luke warm support for Beckman after literally posting a thousand posts calling for his firing. The die hards keep on crapping on the guy. Beckman has acted like an idiot, but he has done a good job there from all I can tell. Sort of like a Forrest Gump coaching performance. The players seem to support him and play hard for him. Now he just landed the best recruiting class Illinois has had in quite a while.
Re: Google it!
Glades, no they have not been calling you out. But some great nuggets from their board:
They should be playing ND next at soldier field.
When they come to Evanston it is usually 80% il fans.
Hands down all casual fans in Chicago pull for il.
Some great stuff. We have a ton to do regarding becoming Chicago's Big Ten team, but that whole campaign drives them nuts.
Glades, no they have not been calling you out. But some great nuggets from their board:
They should be playing ND next at soldier field.
When they come to Evanston it is usually 80% il fans.
Hands down all casual fans in Chicago pull for il.
Some great stuff. We have a ton to do regarding becoming Chicago's Big Ten team, but that whole campaign drives them nuts.
I don't think any grounded UI fan thinks "every" casual/non-affiliated fan in the Chicago area is an Illini fan. However, there are certainly more casual UI fans in the area than casual NU fans, and even if you want to make the argument that there are more UND casual fans than any other school (as a native, born and bred Chicagoan, I'd absolutely disagree with that and contend that 1) they're concentrated on the south side and 2) they're just the loudest), when you take into account total fans, there's no way any rational person can dispute that UI is the most popular college team in the Chicago area. And that was my point: this isn't "giving up" a home game, it's moving one.
The NY Times disagrees with you.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/upshot/ncaa-football-map.html?_r=0#9,42.034,-87.900
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/upshot/ncaa-football-map.html?_r=0#9,42.034,-87.900
^ That's a pretty anecdotal, and I'd argue it favors more rabid fan bases and, by extension, good teams (a good team with rabid fans is much more likely to get frequent Facebook likes, which is what that map is based on). It's a cool map, for sure, but I think it wouldn't properly account for the many disillusioned UI fans who aren't spending their time liking posts about our pathetic football program but would still consider themselves Illini fans. I think the Common Census map (http://commoncensus.org/sports_map.php?sport=5) is probably more accurate of total fans. If you go to the clickable statistics page, you can zoom in on the Chicago area and get the numbers. Honestly, I think the best measure is probably the Tribune fan survey they do every year, and it usually breaks down something like:
Illinois 35%
Notre Dame 25%
Northwestern 10%
Other 30%
Illinois 35%
Notre Dame 25%
Northwestern 10%
Other 30%
Lots of Illini basketball fans in Chicago. They are Chicago's college team, although DePaul use to rival them. Illini football interest, however, is very lukewarm. Too many poor seasons, I would guess.
Latest posts
-
-
Georgia WR Dube Enongene commits to Northwestern- Latest: PurpleWhiteBoy
-
FB RECRUITING 3,000-yard RB Isaiah Groves set for Northwestern official visit
- Latest: NorthNJCatsfan