PDA

View Full Version : Illinois State(football) signs a home and home with Ball State



NDSUstudent
11-12-2009, 06:32 PM
Maybe this could open up the possibility of an FBS coming to NDSU someday?


NORMAL, Ill. - It has become common practice for the Illinois State football team to schedule a game with a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team. Usually those contests take place at the FBS venue, however a new deal signed by the Illinois State Athletics Department will bring a home game with Ball State to Hancock Stadium in 2013, as part of a home-and-home deal signed between the two schools.

Ball State, a member of the Mid-American Conference (West Division), will come to Normal, Ill., to play the Redbirds in 2013 and Illinois State will head to Muncie, Ind., in 2014 to complete the two-game series. Dates and times for both games will be announced at a later date. The Cardinals and the Redbirds have met 16 times previously, with Ball State owning an 11-5 lead in the series. The two teams last met in 1993, a 45-30 defeat for the Redbirds on the road in Muncie, Ind.

Illinois State Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger believes the series with Ball State will bring some national attention to the university and the football team.

"This is a meaningful series for the Redbird football program," Zenger said. "I believe this is another indicator which highlights the prominence of Illinois State University and its football program within the national scope. As we continue to plan for the future of Illinois State football and Hancock Stadium, this is further evidence that we are on the right track."

The Redbirds have had current FBS opponents play in Hancock Stadium before, but not since 1987 when ISU picked up a 20-6 win over Western Michigan. The Redbirds also played the Broncos at home in 1983 (L, 14-13) and squared off against Eastern Michigan in Normal in 1981 (W, 28-7).

http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111209aaa.html

Tatanka
11-12-2009, 06:36 PM
Maybe this could open up the possibility of an FBS coming to NDSU someday?
:eek:
Paging Dr. Taylor... Paging Dr. Taylor...

TheBisonator
11-12-2009, 07:01 PM
I would think a school like Eastern Michigan should come here to Fargo first if we were ever to sign a home-home with them.

North Side
11-12-2009, 07:45 PM
I would think a school like Eastern Michigan should come here to Fargo first if we were ever to sign a home-home with them.

I love to do something like that with one of the MAC teams!!!

I could see a team from the WAC like Idaho come here too.

I know Wyoming is FBS but should really look into how they got Texas to come up to Laramie. Them and Ill St. are great templates to look at.

Maybe NDSU have to do somethin like 2 home game at Eastern Mich. and one in the dome??

TheBisonator
11-13-2009, 05:01 PM
I love to do something like that with one of the MAC teams!!!

I could see a team from the WAC like Idaho come here too.

I know Wyoming is FBS but should really look into how they got Texas to come up to Laramie. Them and Ill St. are great templates to look at.

Maybe NDSU have to do somethin like 2 home game at Eastern Mich. and one in the dome??

I think MAC schools should at the very least do 2-for-1's with Missouri Valley schools with 2 of the games at the MAC school. It would definitely help our conference test the FBS waters.

GOB1SON
11-13-2009, 05:44 PM
It's interesting to note that currently, Ball State is averaging around 12000 fans/game, third worst in FBS while ISU is averaging a little over 10000/game.

So the gate might not be all that much different. I would be interested to know if there is a price for the trip.

Last year the MAC averaged 16727 per home game and the Sun Belt 18584. I would think that there might be opportunity for NDSU to compete for games.

Ball State has a capacity of 22500.

Idaho, not Boise, has the smallest stadium in FBS (I think, please correct me if I am wrong) with a capacity of 16000.

I found these numbers on the NCAA website.

NDSUstudent
11-13-2009, 05:49 PM
I think Idaho has the smallest stadium but I could be wrong.

Bison bison
11-13-2009, 05:51 PM
Last year the MAC averaged 16727 per home game and the Sun Belt 18584. I would think that there might be opportunity for NDSU to compete for games.

Ball State has a capacity of 22500.

Boise has the smallest stadium in FBS (I think, please correct me if I am wrong) with a capacity of 16000.

I found these numbers on the NCAA website.

The difference is that you can ride the bus from muncie to normal. doesn't really work for monroe to fargo (although I heard some second rate team in south dakota road the bus to cedar city and then to north carolina the next week...)

GOB1SON
11-13-2009, 05:55 PM
I think Idaho has the smallest stadium but I could be wrong.

I meant Idaho. Apparently my left brain read "Idaho" and my right brain heard "Boobs" and it came out "Boise".

Sorry. Obviously the Boise State stadium holds more than 16,000.

My bad.

NDSUstudent
11-13-2009, 06:21 PM
That is what I thought you meant, just had to make sure....

Anyway, I think this could be the start of a new trend. Some of the smaller FBS schools are hurting for money and most FCS schools are opting for bigger checks from the big time schools. MAC schools can't afford to cut an FCS a 300k check and well they need to get home games somehow.

Tatanka
11-13-2009, 06:24 PM
Tatanka likes the new trend even more if NDSU can land a home-home with an FBS. Possible in the Fargodome, not so much in a tin shed*...

* - A home-home with an NAIA, definitely possible in a tin shed.

X-Factor
11-15-2009, 12:22 AM
there is absolutely no way NDSU should ever be doing 2 for 1's with crappy MAC teams. A 2 for 1 with a Colorado State, yes, but I think we have proven we are at the very least on par with the upper MAC teams and draw a comparable amount of fans.

ndsubison1
11-15-2009, 02:09 AM
dont expect this to happen often...

TheBisonator
11-15-2009, 05:48 AM
there is absolutely no way NDSU should ever be doing 2 for 1's with crappy MAC teams. A 2 for 1 with a Colorado State, yes, but I think we have proven we are at the very least on par with the upper MAC teams and draw a comparable amount of fans.

The MAC has a lot of unearned pride about their conference. It would be a major blow to their pride to schedule even one game on the road at an MVC team, even though the Valley has proven itself to be as good as the MAC. That's why I'm saying we should start out with scheduling 2-for-1s with the Eastern Michigans and Bowling Greens.

tjbison
11-15-2009, 12:54 PM
The MAC has a lot of unearned pride about their conference. It would be a major blow to their pride to schedule even one game on the road at an MVC team, even though the Valley has proven itself to be as good as the MAC. That's why I'm saying we should start out with scheduling 2-for-1s with the Eastern Michigans and Bowling Greens.


but they already have Ball St. is in the MAC and Illinois st is in the Valley:confused:

AKBison
11-17-2009, 01:48 AM
Sounds like there is more to the story here. It is no secret that ISU has wanted to go FBS for quite some time. The fans on their board are convinced that the reason Ball State is coming to Hancock is that ISU will be a transitional member of DI at the time and will join the Mac as a football only member in 2014 to even out the divisions. I am not sure what the reaction would be out of Mo-State and SIU but it wouldn't be hard to guess as both have FBS dreams. Anyways, looks like Illinois State is leaving the Valley in Football in 2012. Someone put Lakes on suicide watch, because USD and UND are about to get a major break...a la WKU.

onbison09
11-17-2009, 01:59 AM
Sounds like there is more to the story here. It is no secret that ISU has wanted to go FBS for quite some time. The fans on their board are convinced that the reason Ball State is coming to Hancock is that ISU will be a transitional member of DI at the time and will join the Mac as a football only member in 2014 to even out the divisions. I am not sure what the reaction would be out of Mo-State and SIU but it wouldn't be hard to guess as both have FBS dreams. Anyways, looks like Illinois State is leaving the Valley in Football in 2012. Someone put Lakes on suicide watch, because USD and UND are about to get a major break...a la WKU.

Why in the hell can't I post images?

http://msrb.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/mushroom-cloud-hb.jpg

BisBison
11-17-2009, 02:23 AM
Sounds like there is more to the story here. It is no secret that ISU has wanted to go FBS for quite some time. The fans on their board are convinced that the reason Ball State is coming to Hancock is that ISU will be a transitional member of DI at the time and will join the Mac as a football only member in 2014 to even out the divisions. I am not sure what the reaction would be out of Mo-State and SIU but it wouldn't be hard to guess as both have FBS dreams. Anyways, looks like Illinois State is leaving the Valley in Football in 2012. Someone put Lakes on suicide watch, because USD and UND are about to get a major break...a la WKU.

5 yr moratorium on switching divisions/sub-divisions starts this year. So if Ill St leaves the Valley in 2012 they'd be without a conference until 2014. And that's assuming the NCAA acts on moving up at that time. (no guarantees there either). I think you'd better look at your crystal ball again, yours' appears to be a bit cloudy.

tony
11-17-2009, 02:56 AM
Why in the hell can't I post images?

http://msrb.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/mushroom-cloud-hb.jpg


Dunno, looks fine to me. :)

There might be an "insert image" icon above your post that looks like http://www.bisonville.com/forum/images/editor/insertimage.gif. If so, click that and follow the instructions. If not use the IMG tag, but heck if I can figure out how to show how to do that.

Bisonfan1
11-17-2009, 03:53 PM
Why in the hell can't I post images?

http://msrb.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/mushroom-cloud-hb.jpg


This picture must have been taken on SDBison's property during the SDSU- Minnesota Game, as SDSU hung with the Gophers.

AKBison
11-17-2009, 06:29 PM
5 yr moratorium on switching divisions/sub-divisions starts this year. So if Ill St leaves the Valley in 2012 they'd be without a conference until 2014. And that's assuming the NCAA acts on moving up at that time. (no guarantees there either). I think you'd better look at your crystal ball again, yours' appears to be a bit cloudy.

I thought the moratorium began in 2008 and ends in 2012?

Hammersmith
11-18-2009, 12:44 AM
I thought the moratorium began in 2008 and ends in 2012?

Unless they enacted a new moritorium while I wasn't looking, it was for four years and it expires in 2011. It's running from Aug 2007 to Aug 2011. The 2011-12 season is the first anyone can move.

Hammersmith
11-18-2009, 12:54 AM
Sounds like there is more to the story here. It is no secret that ISU has wanted to go FBS for quite some time. The fans on their board are convinced that the reason Ball State is coming to Hancock is that ISU will be a transitional member of DI at the time and will join the Mac as a football only member in 2014 to even out the divisions. I am not sure what the reaction would be out of Mo-State and SIU but it wouldn't be hard to guess as both have FBS dreams. Anyways, looks like Illinois State is leaving the Valley in Football in 2012. Someone put Lakes on suicide watch, because USD and UND are about to get a major break...a la WKU.

I'm not totally convinced that this indicates ISU is going FBS. I think we are just seeing an unlikely set of circumstances. There aren't many places in the country where you've got a weak FBS school with poor attendance numbers and a shaky financial situation that is a very short distance from a medium-strong FCS school. Considering the short bus trip and the lack of need for hotel rooms, Ball State will likely come out ahead on this deal compared to most other FBS scheduling choices they could have made. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few more of these happen, but no more than a half dozen total. The set of circumstances are too rare for more than that.

If ISU does go FBS, I hope the core of the MVFC strongly considers moving up as a group like we wanted with the old NCC. If ISU, MSU, SIU, UNI, NDSU & SDSU were all to commit, it might work. We'd need two more schools to get to the required eight, but I bet they could be found. I'd love for the two to be Indiana State and Wichita State, but I don't know if ISU(blue) can finish its turn-around in time and if WSU can afford to add football in the current economy.

BisBison
11-18-2009, 01:55 AM
I thought the moratorium began in 2008 and ends in 2012?

you may be right. In that case 5 years would go from '08 to '12 so they may be able to move up oin 2013 in that scenario. I think the sue made their move just a month or two b-4 the moratorium was imposed.