Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

From the Chicago Tribune:

Soldier Field to host NIU vs. Iowa in 2007

Teddy Greenstein, Tribune news services
Published June 6, 2006


Division I-A college football will return to Soldier Field in September 2007 when Northern Illinois takes on Iowa. The Sept. 1 game will mark Soldier Field's first major-college action since the 2002-03 stadium renovation and the first visit by either school.

"For all Huskie fans, Hawkeye fans and college football fans in general, this is a win-win-win situation," NIU athletic director Jim Phillips said.

"It's a terrific matchup between two schools who have thousands of Chicago-area alumni. What's better than a `home' game in Soldier Field just 65 miles down the road and in the nation's No. 3 media market?"

Iowa is 5-0 all-time against NIU. The teams will also meet this season (Oct. 28) in Iowa City.

Tasty line up. I like it. Makes you wonder how the ticket touts would do with BGSU hosting a home game against OSU in Cleveland.

I know football and soccer are two different sports, but when England had to take the national soccer team on the road when Wembley stadium was rebuilt, the opportunity for fans outside London to see their home team translated into record ticket sales wherever England played, many of whom would never dream of a road trip to the big city. Why wouldn't OSU want to play a game in Cleveland, or Cinci, for that matter?

Zom wrote: Why wouldn't OSU want to play a game in Cleveland, or Cinci, for that matter?

because they can sell 106,000 tickets, and concessions, and keep 100% of the proceeds. if osu was to play in cincinatti (65,535 seats) or cleveland (over 73,200 seats), they'd lose revenue from 30-40K tickets, and concession purchases, not to mention that there would be some rental fee involved for playing at one of these sites.

Sure, no arguments there. If I was a player, though, I'm sure the prospect of a game a year in a packed out NFL stadium which I might, or might never get the chance to taste as a pro, would have appeal too.

Zom wrote:Sure, no arguments there. If I was a player, though, I'm sure the prospect of a game a year in a packed out NFL stadium which I might, or might never get the chance to taste as a pro, would have appeal too.

The horseshoe would have to be a better experience as a player than any pro stadium.

OK. I guess I'd be the black sheep on the squad who'd spoil the team spirit and disrupt the whole season by saying, "let's pretend we're a mid major, and let's go have a laugh at Cleveland Stadium next Saturday - just for a change!"

I understand what your saying, and the intent is to play on an NFL field and all that come with that. Your thoughts work, if your an under 500 team in the Bigtleven...you know the loosers who still have bowl tieins...Come to our school where your lossing season, suckass football team will go to a bowl against a top mid major school..who could and should take our spot...

The Iowa-NIU game at SF in Chgo is mostly about our inability to sign a BT team to play a home game in DeKalb.

All other issues are secondary such as playing in a pro stadium- NIU has been there - done that ALOT elsewhere.

Huskie stadium is:
a) too small. Not enuff revenue to guarantee $ demanded by BT
b) too loud a home field advantage - your own coaches spread that around

cyberdawg wrote: b) too loud a home field advantage - your own coaches spread that around

He also said he got whacked in the head by a full cup of beer upon exiting the stadium. Maybe that had something to do with Kirk Ferentz's reluctance to play NIU at home.

Huskie stadium is:
a) too small. Not enuff revenue to guarantee $ demanded by BT

Then how is Minnesota coming to the Doyt in 2008?

San Diego Falcon wrote:

Huskie stadium is:
a) too small. Not enuff revenue to guarantee $ demanded by BT

Then how is Minnesota coming to the Doyt in 2008?

As a former resident of the Hawkeye state and the son of a former Iowa Hawkeye (student, not an athlete) let's not compare Minnesota and Iowa here.

Is there a problem with this fixture? Seems like a good news MAC game to me.

Me, I'm just happy that England's KEY STRIKER, Wayne Rooney, has recovered from a broken metatarsul in time to be available for the World Cup. Let's get things in perspective, guys, the outlook could have been REALLY bad.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by San Diego Falcon:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huskie stadium is:
a) too small. Not enuff revenue to guarantee $ demanded by BT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Then how is Minnesota coming to the Doyt in 2008?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



As a former resident of the Hawkeye state and the son of a former Iowa Hawkeye (student, not an athlete) let's not compare Minnesota and Iowa here.

The guy said too small for the Big Ten; he didn't say Iowa specifically.

jacojdm wrote:

Zom wrote: Why wouldn't OSU want to play a game in Cleveland, or Cinci, for that matter?

because they can sell 106,000 tickets, and concessions, and keep 100% of the proceeds. if osu was to play in cincinatti (65,535 seats) or cleveland (over 73,200 seats), they'd lose revenue from 30-40K tickets, and concession purchases, not to mention that there would be some rental fee involved for playing at one of these sites.

It would be an away game and they've done it before. See 2002 in the link below:

http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/OhioState.htm

They'd still get the same amount of revenue from playing their requisite number of home game.

Lord_Byron wrote:

jacojdm wrote:

Zom wrote: Why wouldn't OSU want to play a game in Cleveland, or Cinci, for that matter?

because they can sell 106,000 tickets, and concessions, and keep 100% of the proceeds. if osu was to play in cincinatti (65,535 seats) or cleveland (over 73,200 seats), they'd lose revenue from 30-40K tickets, and concession purchases, not to mention that there would be some rental fee involved for playing at one of these sites.

It would be an away game and they've done it before. See 2002 in the link below:

http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/OhioState.htm

They'd still get the same amount of revenue from playing their requisite number of home game.

They also said at the time that they had no desire to ever do that again. Yeah, they could count it as a "road" game, but when you're only allowed to schedule 12 games, any game takes away from a potential home game for them. If I'm OSU the only way I'm playing on the road is if it's a big time OOC matchup that we scheduled a home & home with; a la Texas, ND, FSU, etc.