It's too bad that the Verbal Abuse Section did not carry through the years like the Orange Crush or the Cameron Crazies. If Coach Burno can build this program as we are hoping, maybe a fan/student section can emerge and take root in Huskie Lore.

(02-01-2022 01:24 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  It's too bad that the Verbal Abuse Section did not carry through the years like the Orange Crush or the Cameron Crazies. If Coach Burno can build this program as we are hoping, maybe a fan/student section can emerge and take root in Huskie Lore.

We tried. Then the athletic dept ruined it.

(02-03-2022 01:01 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-01-2022 01:24 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  It's too bad that the Verbal Abuse Section did not carry through the years like the Orange Crush or the Cameron Crazies. If Coach Burno can build this program as we are hoping, maybe a fan/student section can emerge and take root in Huskie Lore.

We tried. Then the athletic dept ruined it.

Really? That su*ks! How did they put the kobash on it? What year did you try to get it active?

(02-03-2022 01:04 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  

(02-03-2022 01:01 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-01-2022 01:24 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  It's too bad that the Verbal Abuse Section did not carry through the years like the Orange Crush or the Cameron Crazies. If Coach Burno can build this program as we are hoping, maybe a fan/student section can emerge and take root in Huskie Lore.

We tried. Then the athletic dept ruined it.

Really? That su*ks! How did they put the kobash on it? What year did you try to get it active?

We started the groundwork late during the 05-06 season. We told them that we wanted a basketball fan section. We had Rob Judson on board and he was at almost every single meeting we had trying to plan this (say what you will about him as a coaching talent, but the dude was dedicated to trying to get students to the games to have fun and give his team an advantage).

The AD decided to take our idea, change the Student Athletic Fund or whatever it was called then into our idea, and then have our group be the official group for all sports. So instead of a basketball-only student section, it was for everything, which as a concept is great, except freshmen joined, were told to come to every single event, would show up to a non-revenue sport event, thinking there would be a bunch of rowdy students (maybe co-eds even!??!) and then we are there handing out shirts looking sad. They would leave, and then never come back. By the time basketball rolled around for the 06-07 season, most of them were "over it". Plus the team was ass for the next few years.

A podcast episode with myself, Huskiefan38, choran24 (even though he transferred to WIU), and some of the others from back in that day would probably be entertaining. Toss a few cheap beers back and think about what could have been (and how much trouble we got in with the Northern Star from some of our edgier ideas).

NIU's athletic "internalist" attitude needs to control everything or it can't exist. Same thing happened with the Huskie Club. We had a great thing going, pulling in solid crowds in the old Fieldhouse through the mid-'90s. But then the AD (Gerald O'Dell, as I recall, but I could be wrong), wanted to "consolidate" efforts, so the Club morphed into the Huskie Athletic Association (which over time became the Huskie Athletic Foundation). Association board members became hand-picked rather than member-selected, and gradually, the well-meaning got squeezed out. BTW, at the time of the old Club, there was a student group that grabbed one end-court and packed it. That faded out too, until the effort BleedsHuskieRed described came along.

Today, on top of the "we-know-best" attitude, the A.Dept. first looks at how anything cam be "monetized." If not, not interested.

All along the way, the fun of it was also squeezed out. Let's face it, being an active NIU fan is dull (especially for students). In the "good old days," everybody knew everybody, people hung out around the perimeter of the stands swapping family stuff and whatever. Now it's official, sanctioned, sanitized, regulated and, of course, monetized. What part of "having a good time" don't these people understand?

(02-03-2022 01:10 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-03-2022 01:04 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  

(02-03-2022 01:01 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-01-2022 01:24 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  It's too bad that the Verbal Abuse Section did not carry through the years like the Orange Crush or the Cameron Crazies. If Coach Burno can build this program as we are hoping, maybe a fan/student section can emerge and take root in Huskie Lore.

We tried. Then the athletic dept ruined it.

Really? That su*ks! How did they put the kobash on it? What year did you try to get it active?

We started the groundwork late during the 05-06 season. We told them that we wanted a basketball fan section. We had Rob Judson on board and he was at almost every single meeting we had trying to plan this (say what you will about him as a coaching talent, but the dude was dedicated to trying to get students to the games to have fun and give his team an advantage).

The AD decided to take our idea, change the Student Athletic Fund or whatever it was called then into our idea, and then have our group be the official group for all sports. So instead of a basketball-only student section, it was for everything, which as a concept is great, except freshmen joined, were told to come to every single event, would show up to a non-revenue sport event, thinking there would be a bunch of rowdy students (maybe co-eds even!??!) and then we are there handing out shirts looking sad. They would leave, and then never come back. By the time basketball rolled around for the 06-07 season, most of them were "over it". Plus the team was ass for the next few years.

A podcast episode with myself, Huskiefan38, choran24 (even though he transferred to WIU), and some of the others from back in that day would probably be entertaining. Toss a few cheap beers back and think about what could have been (and how much trouble we got in with the Northern Star from some of our edgier ideas).

That was during the Jim Phillips era, right?

First off Kudos to PVK and Bleeds as well as their groups for trying to get some fan participation going.
You both hit the nail on the head, administration trying to control and monetize.
I somewhat see their point for some control, because you don't want a fan group to cross over the line and give the University a black eye. But you don't see issues with the Orange Crush, Cameron Crazies or whatever they are called at Allen Fieldhouse.
The administration should have NIU fan groups follow the same rules as the groups mentioned above and let them be.

Excited for the day when the "NIU Major Fundraising Campaign" thread starts to have content regarding the newly initiated NIU Major Fundraising Campaign. 500 mil is a nice big target, will be a different/better University if they can pull it off.

What everyone needs to do is reach out to our NIU friends who are rich and badger them to donate lol. I had three kids to feed so I am poor. I have a friend who I have tried to get to games but no luck. His wife is also an NIU alumnus. Conservatively he is with probably $50 million. I have tried. He enjoyed his time but moved on. These are the types of donors we need to recruit.

(02-03-2022 02:13 PM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(02-03-2022 01:10 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-03-2022 01:04 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  

(02-03-2022 01:01 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  

(02-01-2022 01:24 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  It's too bad that the Verbal Abuse Section did not carry through the years like the Orange Crush or the Cameron Crazies. If Coach Burno can build this program as we are hoping, maybe a fan/student section can emerge and take root in Huskie Lore.

We tried. Then the athletic dept ruined it.

Really? That su*ks! How did they put the kobash on it? What year did you try to get it active?

We started the groundwork late during the 05-06 season. We told them that we wanted a basketball fan section. We had Rob Judson on board and he was at almost every single meeting we had trying to plan this (say what you will about him as a coaching talent, but the dude was dedicated to trying to get students to the games to have fun and give his team an advantage).

The AD decided to take our idea, change the Student Athletic Fund or whatever it was called then into our idea, and then have our group be the official group for all sports. So instead of a basketball-only student section, it was for everything, which as a concept is great, except freshmen joined, were told to come to every single event, would show up to a non-revenue sport event, thinking there would be a bunch of rowdy students (maybe co-eds even!??!) and then we are there handing out shirts looking sad. They would leave, and then never come back. By the time basketball rolled around for the 06-07 season, most of them were "over it". Plus the team was ass for the next few years.

A podcast episode with myself, Huskiefan38, choran24 (even though he transferred to WIU), and some of the others from back in that day would probably be entertaining. Toss a few cheap beers back and think about what could have been (and how much trouble we got in with the Northern Star from some of our edgier ideas).

That was during the Jim Phillips era, right?

It was.

(02-03-2022 04:58 PM)klake87 Wrote:  What everyone needs to do is reach out to our NIU friends who are rich and badger them to donate lol. I had three kids to feed so I am poor. I have a friend who I have tried to get to games but no luck. His wife is also an NIU alumnus. Conservatively he is with probably $50 million. I have tried. He enjoyed his time but moved on. These are the types of donors we need to recruit.

We have as many alumni, and as many successful alumni as some smaller P5 schools. Half of my fraternity is making multiple 6 figures, some 7 figures. Yes, how to engage. I guess thats what the first major modern fundraiser is for...

(02-03-2022 04:58 PM)klake87 Wrote:  What everyone needs to do is reach out to our NIU friends who are rich and badger them to donate lol. I had three kids to feed so I am poor. I have a friend who I have tried to get to games but no luck. His wife is also an NIU alumnus. Conservatively he is with probably $50 million. I have tried. He enjoyed his time but moved on. These are the types of donors we need to recruit.

I have been assigned to recruit you. Just drop us a 7-figure check, and I’ll leave you alone.

Just for my own education ... has anyone said exactly what NIU wants $500 million for? Is there a list that adds up to that? Maybe I missed it.

To cover its share of costs for the Health Informatics/Technology Center? To cover its share of costs for the Center for Community Sustainability? To buy the building (former VCB home) and property for a central commercial and student services center? To provide a central fund for matching grants and other means to finance academic/research projects? (Be nice to see NIU elevated from Carnegie R2 to R1 status).

Put all that together, and more, and explain how that moves NIU forward. But all I've seen is a lot of bureaucrat-ese and fancy spieling.

Potential contributors need REASONS to give, like the recent $2 million-plus athletic fund-raiser that gave 25 or so projects for donors to target. (BTW, has the A.Dept. said anything about any of those projects moving forward? Or were those just pigeonholes to draw money?)

(02-04-2022 02:36 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Just for my own education ... has anyone said exactly what NIU wants $500 million for? Is there a list that adds up to that? Maybe I missed it.

To cover its share of costs for the Health Informatics/Technology Center? To cover its share of costs for the Center for Community Sustainability? To buy the building (former VCB home) and property for a central commercial and student services center? To provide a central fund for matching grants and other means to finance academic/research projects? (Be nice to see NIU elevated from Carnegie R2 to R1 status).

Put all that together, and more, and explain how that moves NIU forward. But all I've seen is a lot of bureaucrat-ese and fancy spieling.

Potential contributors need REASONS to give, like the recent $2 million-plus athletic fund-raiser that gave 25 or so projects for donors to target. (BTW, has the A.Dept. said anything about any of those projects moving forward? Or were those just pigeonholes to draw money?)

I think the lion's share of it will be to grow the endowment, endowed scholarships and chairs. Our endowment is small for a school of our size/stature. Getting the endowment up to 300-400 mil in the next decade would start to even us out with peer schools a bit.

(02-04-2022 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 02:36 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Just for my own education ... has anyone said exactly what NIU wants $500 million for? Is there a list that adds up to that? Maybe I missed it.

To cover its share of costs for the Health Informatics/Technology Center? To cover its share of costs for the Center for Community Sustainability? To buy the building (former VCB home) and property for a central commercial and student services center? To provide a central fund for matching grants and other means to finance academic/research projects? (Be nice to see NIU elevated from Carnegie R2 to R1 status).

Put all that together, and more, and explain how that moves NIU forward. But all I've seen is a lot of bureaucrat-ese and fancy spieling.

Potential contributors need REASONS to give, like the recent $2 million-plus athletic fund-raiser that gave 25 or so projects for donors to target. (BTW, has the A.Dept. said anything about any of those projects moving forward? Or were those just pigeonholes to draw money?)

I think the lion's share of it will be to grow the endowment, endowed scholarships and chairs. Our endowment is small for a school of our size/stature. Getting the endowment up to 300-400 mil in the next decade would start to even us out with peer schools a bit.

Can we put you down for $5 million we can use as seed funding?

(02-04-2022 11:22 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 02:36 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Just for my own education ... has anyone said exactly what NIU wants $500 million for? Is there a list that adds up to that? Maybe I missed it.

To cover its share of costs for the Health Informatics/Technology Center? To cover its share of costs for the Center for Community Sustainability? To buy the building (former VCB home) and property for a central commercial and student services center? To provide a central fund for matching grants and other means to finance academic/research projects? (Be nice to see NIU elevated from Carnegie R2 to R1 status).

Put all that together, and more, and explain how that moves NIU forward. But all I've seen is a lot of bureaucrat-ese and fancy spieling.

Potential contributors need REASONS to give, like the recent $2 million-plus athletic fund-raiser that gave 25 or so projects for donors to target. (BTW, has the A.Dept. said anything about any of those projects moving forward? Or were those just pigeonholes to draw money?)

I think the lion's share of it will be to grow the endowment, endowed scholarships and chairs. Our endowment is small for a school of our size/stature. Getting the endowment up to 300-400 mil in the next decade would start to even us out with peer schools a bit.

Can we put you down for $5 million we can use as seed funding?

As soon as one of my start-ups or film/TV concepts hits, my name goes up on the Stadium

(02-04-2022 12:08 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 11:22 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 02:36 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Just for my own education ... has anyone said exactly what NIU wants $500 million for? Is there a list that adds up to that? Maybe I missed it.

To cover its share of costs for the Health Informatics/Technology Center? To cover its share of costs for the Center for Community Sustainability? To buy the building (former VCB home) and property for a central commercial and student services center? To provide a central fund for matching grants and other means to finance academic/research projects? (Be nice to see NIU elevated from Carnegie R2 to R1 status).

Put all that together, and more, and explain how that moves NIU forward. But all I've seen is a lot of bureaucrat-ese and fancy spieling.

Potential contributors need REASONS to give, like the recent $2 million-plus athletic fund-raiser that gave 25 or so projects for donors to target. (BTW, has the A.Dept. said anything about any of those projects moving forward? Or were those just pigeonholes to draw money?)

I think the lion's share of it will be to grow the endowment, endowed scholarships and chairs. Our endowment is small for a school of our size/stature. Getting the endowment up to 300-400 mil in the next decade would start to even us out with peer schools a bit.

Can we put you down for $5 million we can use as seed funding?

As soon as one of my start-ups or film/TV concepts hits, my name goes up on the Stadium

Bringham Field at NIU Filmaker Stadium?

(02-04-2022 12:29 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 12:08 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 11:22 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 02:36 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Just for my own education ... has anyone said exactly what NIU wants $500 million for? Is there a list that adds up to that? Maybe I missed it.

To cover its share of costs for the Health Informatics/Technology Center? To cover its share of costs for the Center for Community Sustainability? To buy the building (former VCB home) and property for a central commercial and student services center? To provide a central fund for matching grants and other means to finance academic/research projects? (Be nice to see NIU elevated from Carnegie R2 to R1 status).

Put all that together, and more, and explain how that moves NIU forward. But all I've seen is a lot of bureaucrat-ese and fancy spieling.

Potential contributors need REASONS to give, like the recent $2 million-plus athletic fund-raiser that gave 25 or so projects for donors to target. (BTW, has the A.Dept. said anything about any of those projects moving forward? Or were those just pigeonholes to draw money?)

I think the lion's share of it will be to grow the endowment, endowed scholarships and chairs. Our endowment is small for a school of our size/stature. Getting the endowment up to 300-400 mil in the next decade would start to even us out with peer schools a bit.

Can we put you down for $5 million we can use as seed funding?

As soon as one of my start-ups or film/TV concepts hits, my name goes up on the Stadium

Bringham Field at NIU Filmaker Stadium?

Me wonders if NIUfilmmaker is really just Robert Zmeckis. From Chicago, went to NIU first and then transfered to USC. I recall NIUfilmmaker said he was living in California....maybe he kept a soft spot in his heart for where he started off at and is impressed with our football team?

I'm kidding. But maybe?

(02-04-2022 01:43 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 12:29 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 12:08 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 11:22 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(02-04-2022 11:19 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I think the lion's share of it will be to grow the endowment, endowed scholarships and chairs. Our endowment is small for a school of our size/stature. Getting the endowment up to 300-400 mil in the next decade would start to even us out with peer schools a bit.

Can we put you down for $5 million we can use as seed funding?

As soon as one of my start-ups or film/TV concepts hits, my name goes up on the Stadium

Bringham Field at NIU Filmaker Stadium?

Me wonders if NIUfilmmaker is really just Robert Zmeckis. From Chicago, went to NIU first and then transfered to USC. I recall NIUfilmmaker said he was living in California....maybe he kept a soft spot in his heart for where he started off at and is impressed with our football team?

I'm kidding. But maybe?

Could also be Mike Disa. Hmmm.