Northwestern/Illinois Football game at Wrigley?

[cubswin2009]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-17-greenstein-northwestern-wjan17,0,6450587.story

The Winter Classic at Wrigley Field was a blockbuster event. And Cubs fans still daydream about a Fall Classic at the Friendly Confines.

 

But Jim Phillips has a new vision for Wrigley: a classic Big Ten football game.

 

Northwestern's athletic director told the Tribune on Friday that he is "exploring to the fullest" a Northwestern-Illinois football game at Wrigley that would be played in the next two to three years.

 

And if Illinois takes a pass, Phillips will seek another foe.

[Outshined_One]

That honestly sounds really cool!

 

Northwestern/Illinois isn't that great of a matchup, though. I'd prefer to see Northwestern/Wisconsin there. :D

[mordecaibrown]

I would like to see a Notre Dame vs. Northwestern/Illinois game, due to being an Irish fan but I would watch any teams play at Wrigley.

[mordecaibrown]

Also...

 

Notre Dame will being playing a game in Chicago in 2010 against Army.

[Jon]

I mentioned it in the recruiting thread, but I'm glad there's an article about it rather than one report of a quick mention on TV.

 

Phillips is doing a great job so far as AD and I like that he (and apparently Murphy) are willing to think of different ideas. With that said, it'd be risky. I wouldn't have an interest in doing it if we'd be giving up a home game for a neutral date.

 

-Northwestern plays Illinois in the month of October in 2011 and 2012, so unless Illinois also has the weekend after Thanksgiving free in either of those two years, those years would be out. It would have to happen in 2010 or not until 2013 or later.

-We only have 6 home games in 2010, 2011, and possibly 2012. Giving up a home game for a neutral game would be really risky financially.

-Our future November home dates include Iowa and Illinois in 2010, Michigan in 2011, and Ohio State (11/3 would probably be too early) and Minnesota in 2012. I could possibly see Iowa working logistically, but we'd have bigger crowds against Iowa in Evanston than against Illinois. Illinois doesn't bring as many fans up north.

 

Northwestern and Wisconsin have developed a nice rivalry, which will resume in 2009 when we end our season against them in Evanston. The problem is that partially since Wisconsin is the closest Big Ten school to Northwestern, I can't imagine Phillips would want to sacrifice the crowd we'd get at Ryan Field. Plus, 2009 may be too early for this.

 

As for Notre Dame, they won't schedule us anymore. And I can't say I blame them. In terms of national recruiting reputation, they have nothing to gain by beating us. On the other hand, beating Notre Dame would help our recruiting. Of course, the game would have to be played in November and Novembers are booked up for Big Ten games. That won't happen.

 

It's an interesting idea and would be really cool to go to, but I really don't know about it. The last time we sold a home game was to Ohio State in Cleveland. That was a disaster.

[manbearcub]

Phillips is doing a great job so far as AD and I like that he (and apparently Murphy) are willing to think of different ideas. With that said, it'd be risky. I wouldn't have an interest in doing it if we'd be giving up a home game for a neutral date.

 

-Our future November home dates include Iowa and Illinois in 2010, Michigan in 2011, and Ohio State (11/3 would probably be too early) and Minnesota in 2012. I could possibly see Iowa working logistically, but we'd have bigger crowds against Iowa in Evanston than against Illinois. Illinois doesn't bring as many fans up north.

Phillips was the AD at NIU when we played them at Soldier Field, so I could definitely see something happening.

[cubbinalltheway]

that would be a pretty weak choice if they really want to have a college game at wrigley. very, very weak choice actually.

[Magnetic Curses]

nobody cares about illinois football, or the big ten for that matter. so stop talking about them, and can we make a separate thread for illini discussions, plz?

[Jon]

Phillips is doing a great job so far as AD and I like that he (and apparently Murphy) are willing to think of different ideas. With that said, it'd be risky. I wouldn't have an interest in doing it if we'd be giving up a home game for a neutral date.

 

-Our future November home dates include Iowa and Illinois in 2010, Michigan in 2011, and Ohio State (11/3 would probably be too early) and Minnesota in 2012. I could possibly see Iowa working logistically, but we'd have bigger crowds against Iowa in Evanston than against Illinois. Illinois doesn't bring as many fans up north.

Phillips was the AD at NIU when we played them at Soldier Field, so I could definitely see something happening.

I can't imagine that happening in the near future. We may very well draw more purple in Evanston than at Soldier Field. We last played in the old Soldier Field in 1997 against Oklahoma. We had 5 sellouts between the 1995 and 1996 seasons, yet only drew just over 35,000 at Soldier Field to open the 1997 season.

 

And playing at Soldier Field wouldn't really be that special. Nowhere close to Wrigley Field. NIU did it to draw more Chicago-area media attention and it worked. The benefits wouldn't come that close to outweighing the costs for Northwestern. Personally, playing at Soldier Field would be much more of a hassle and inconvenience than anything else.

 

The idea for Wrigley started before Phillips came in, though. There isn't any indication that he'd consider Soldier Field.

[Derwood]

Notre Dame vs. Michigan would be a better game and a better draw

[Jon]

Notre Dame vs. Michigan would be a better game and a better draw

The host school would be pissing away tons of money for no reason. Neither has anything to benefit from playing a home game offsite.

[Derwood]

Notre Dame vs. Michigan would be a better game and a better draw

The host school would be pissing away tons of money for no reason. Neither has anything to benefit from playing a home game offsite.

 

there are a crapload of Notre Dame alum in Chicago, that's all I'm saying

[CubColtPacer]

Notre Dame vs. Michigan would be a better game and a better draw

The host school would be pissing away tons of money for no reason. Neither has anything to benefit from playing a home game offsite.

 

there are a crapload of Notre Dame alum in Chicago, that's all I'm saying

 

There simply aren't enough seats. Even if they played it in Soldier, there aren't enough seats. But in Wrigley? It would be a horrific loss for either school. There are plenty of fans in Chicago to buy the tickets, but there just isn't the room.

 

Now, ND is starting to schedule neutral site games across the country. But they aren't going to be the marquee matchups. Right now, they have neutral site matchups scheduled against Washington State, Arizona State, Army, Navy, and Baylor. They do have one game in Chicago against Army, but most of them are in very different areas of the country (San Antonio, Arlington, New Orleans, Orlando, Dublin)

[manbearcub]

Phillips is doing a great job so far as AD and I like that he (and apparently Murphy) are willing to think of different ideas. With that said, it'd be risky. I wouldn't have an interest in doing it if we'd be giving up a home game for a neutral date.

 

-Our future November home dates include Iowa and Illinois in 2010, Michigan in 2011, and Ohio State (11/3 would probably be too early) and Minnesota in 2012. I could possibly see Iowa working logistically, but we'd have bigger crowds against Iowa in Evanston than against Illinois. Illinois doesn't bring as many fans up north.

Phillips was the AD at NIU when we played them at Soldier Field, so I could definitely see something happening.

I can't imagine that happening in the near future. We may very well draw more purple in Evanston than at Soldier Field. We last played in the old Soldier Field in 1997 against Oklahoma. We had 5 sellouts between the 1995 and 1996 seasons, yet only drew just over 35,000 at Soldier Field to open the 1997 season.

 

And playing at Soldier Field wouldn't really be that special. Nowhere close to Wrigley Field. NIU did it to draw more Chicago-area media attention and it worked. The benefits wouldn't come that close to outweighing the costs for Northwestern. Personally, playing at Soldier Field would be much more of a hassle and inconvenience than anything else.

 

The idea for Wrigley started before Phillips came in, though. There isn't any indication that he'd consider Soldier Field.

I agree, I was talking about Wrigley as well. 75% of Iowa fans are Cubs fans as well and would love to see it.

[Jon]

Ah, I see. I have a hard time believing this will happen without Illinois, so it could be an idea that hangs around for a while.

 

This isn't the big news of the weekend for the football program, though. Fitz being named to Lt. Governor Pat Quinn's ethics commission is.

[cubbinalltheway]

Notre Dame vs. Michigan would be a better game and a better draw

better draw? nw vs. illinois will sell out, no doubt. i think any d-1 game would. to me its about two crappy, non storied college fb teams playing at baseball's most storied ballpark. just doesn't seem right.

[Guest]

nobody cares about illinois football, or the big ten for that matter. so stop talking about them, and can we make a separate thread for illini discussions, plz?

 

 

that's not allowed! All threads must be combined into a minimum of 100 pages or more! Crazy to think we could have an Illini thread!

[Guest]

Notre Dame vs. Michigan would be a better game and a better draw

 

 

that's two very weak teams.

[Derwood]

Notre Dame vs. Michigan would be a better game and a better draw

 

 

that's two very weak teams.

 

last year, yes, but historically strong and unlikely to stay bad for long

[mordecaibrown]

From someone who lives in Arizona, I guarantee no one in Arizona(or other non biased cities) would watch Northwestern/Illinois/Wisconsin/Iowa play a regular season college football game in Wrigley Field. The game may sell out but the television rating would be atrocious. Now if you include a Michigan/Notre Dame/Penn St./Ohio St. then you have yourself a national audience and sponsorship money(think winter classic or a BCS game).

[Illini Iceman]

From someone who lives in Arizona, I guarantee no one in Arizona(or other non biased cities) would watch Northwestern/Illinois/Wisconsin/Iowa play a regular season college football game in Wrigley Field. The game may sell out but the television rating would be atrocious. Now if you include a Michigan/Notre Dame/Penn St./Ohio St. then you have yourself a national audience and sponsorship money(think winter classic or a BCS game).

 

People in those "non-biased cities" would watch a game between those teams you listed no matter where it was played.

 

The point of Illinois / Northwestern is that it would give exposure to a game that would otherwise get very little. I "guarantee" that a lot more people would tune in to Illinois / Northwestern at Wrigley (even if just for a quarter or so to see the novelty) than if it was at the home stadium for either team on ESPNU or something.

[mordecaibrown]

No one outside the Midwest( or grads from the Midwest living in various places) watches Big Ten football. Outside of Michigan, Penn St and Ohio State the "average person" in Arizona or the whole west coast could not name another school in the conference.

 

The nhl is on nbc every sunday but does the average person watch it?

It would be the same for two teams on the low end of the Big Ten playing a non bowl game not matter where the game is played.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

Not a fan of this at all. As long as it takes a home game away from NU and not Illinois, and as long as it is only a one year deal I can live with it.

[Jon]

This has nothing to do with drawing in national fans. It's about NU trying to increase interest in the Chicagoland area.

 

The original linked article was updated with more information, by the way.

[Illini Iceman]

No one outside the Midwest( or grads from the Midwest living in various places) watches Big Ten football. Outside of Michigan, Penn St and Ohio State the "average person" in Arizona or the whole west coast could not name another school in the conference.

 

The nhl is on nbc every sunday but does the average person watch it?

It would be the same for two teams on the low end of the Big Ten playing a non bowl game not matter where the game is played.

 

What exactly is your point? The "average person" in Arizona that you reference probably does not know where Wrigley Field is and would have no special interest in watching a football game there.

 

This is about generating more interest in a normally ho hum Illinois / Northwestern game, not to turn it into the national must watch event of the century.