SoThe first thought I had seeing the new proposed Northwestern stadium

[USD24]

Northwestern should be in the MAC

They have played in the Big 10 championship 2x in the last 4 seasons.

 

[WIU78]

Yeah, now it makes sense. Haters gotta hate.

No hate involved with Northwestern or Coach Fitz. Actually Fitz is a great guy on a personal level. The cards are stacked against Northwestern competing on a big time level to improve and facts are they are a very average team. A smaller stadium size proposal confirms it. An opinion. It is not easy to reach the pinnacle in the sports world today with NCAA ruled guidelines. Basketball is even worse to grow your teams prominence. Thanks Ramblinman for sharing.

 

[ramblinman]

No hate involved with Northwestern or Coach Fitz. Actually Fitz is a great guy on a personal level. The cards are stacked against Northwestern competing on a big time level to improve and facts are they are a very average team. A smaller stadium size proposal confirms it. An opinion. It is not easy to reach the pinnacle in the sports world today with NCAA ruled guidelines. Basketball is even worse to grow your teams prominence. Thanks Ramblinman for sharing.

How can they be average (or "mediocre at best" as you called them in another post) when they are competing in recent Big Ten championship games and convincingly winning the Citrus Bowl on New Years Day just 21 months ago?

A smaller stadium confirms that their stadium is the right size for their enrollment. With 8,300 undergrads, they are the smallest school in the Big Ten by far. The next largest school has 21,000 undergrads. It stands to reason that they would have a much smaller stadium than all the rest.

That they are such a small school playing in a conference with much bigger schools and they have competed as well as they have (.539 winning percentage and 5-5 in bowl games) in the 17 years under Fitz is the opposite of mediocre. It's extraordinary to be sure. A lot of truly mediocre programs would salivate over those numbers.

 

[stl705]

Too much hate imo regarding a non sports school that won’t ever try to be a sports school. The new stadium will look great. It’ll be great for fans. It’ll be great for players. It’ll be great for recruits. I can’t wait til it’s built and I have a 1st class stadium to check out B1G games at, which I’m thinking will be at a “family friendly”-enough price point, especially compared to what the Bears will charge in AH.

 

[NDSox]

opposite of mediocre

Fitzy is 110-94 lifetime at NW. He is 23 - 23 the last 5 years including this year.

 

[Gene K.]

Is Northwestern more of an higher academic school than the other big ten schools. Do the student athletes have to have a higher academic record to even get in the door? Don't know but wanted to join the thread.

 

[WIU78]

Fitzy is 110-94 lifetime at NW. He is 23 - 23 the last 5 years including this year.

Would that be a mediocre record? Competing for a BIG Championship which does not match the two best teams but rather rewards a guaranteed spot for the weaker division make it an elite program? All depends on what the goal of the University is I gather. Tied for first with a 1-4 record is a huge success I guess.

Fitzy is 110-94 lifetime at NW. He is 23 - 23 the last 5 years including this year.

 

[ramblinman]

Fitzy is 110-94 lifetime at NW. He is 23 - 23 the last 5 years including this year.

During that time, they played in two conference championships, won two bowl games, and achieved final rankings of 10 and 21 by the AP. In one of those years, Fitz was Big Ten coach of the year.

Nobody is claiming NU is the next Ohio State, or even close to that, and it is clear that that last season and this have been disappointing to say the least. However, to describe NU as mediocre in the past five years is simply incorrect. Mediocre is what they were from 1972-1994 when they failed to achieve a single winning season and went 46-151-2 during that span.

I think part of the issue here is people's differing understandings of the word mediocre. In my mind, mediocre is below average. If something is mediocre, it is of inferior quality. I think some people would consider 23-23 to be mediocre. I'm not one of those. Mediocre is the last season and this one so far.

 

[WIU78]

Acceptance is the first step to finding a cure Ramblinman. It appears you are not at the first step yet. Mediocre does have interpretations that could apply here which I agree with. Northwestern is happy with where they are at. Wisconsin is not. Nebraska was not. Illinois was not recently. I will give you courage to stay the path Northwestern is on also. Moving on.

 

[corey90]

During that time, they played in two conference championships, won two bowl games, and achieved final rankings of 10 and 21 by the AP. In one of those years, Fitz was Big Ten coach of the year.

Nobody is claiming NU is the next Ohio State, or even close to that, and it is clear that that last season and this have been disappointing to say the least. However, to describe NU as mediocre in the past five years is simply incorrect. Mediocre is what they were from 1972-1994 when they failed to achieve a single winning season and went 46-151-2 during that span.

I think part of the issue here is people's differing understandings of the word mediocre. In my mind, mediocre is below average. If something is mediocre, it is of inferior quality. I think some people would consider 23-23 to be mediocre. I'm not one of those. Mediocre is the last season and this one so far.

I agree Ramblinman mediocre is below average. Average is 23-23. That said no football fan should be happy with average. We should expect winning not playing average football.
That said I think they have the right coach for the school.

 

[mmca]

Where did the grass info come from?
Fitz said this summer on a podcast that it would be an artificial surface and cited State Championships and Lacrosse Final Four as a reason why. This will also be the new stadium for the lacrosse team and they play on turf now.

If I recall correctly, in the video reveal they mention the artificial turf. Would be an awesome venue for the Championships!

 

[crusader_of_90]

Any word on alternate home venues for 2024 and 2025? Soldier Field would get torn up, but if the Bears are on wind down pre-Arl Hts debut, they will probably get sent overseas in both seasons for one of their home dates, 3 games/season is feasible. Wrigley will be one game, maybe Am Fam in Milwaukee. How much does Hoerster hold, enough for a MAC or FCS opp?

If they were smart, they’d play regionally in STL to gain IL and STL fans who’ve been orphaned twice and now are forced to live with their step cousins in KC.

 

[Bwm57]

Is Northwestern more of an higher academic school than the other big ten schools. Do the student athletes have to have a higher academic record to even get in the door? Don't know but wanted to join the thread.

Yes.

 

[Bwm57]

How can they be average (or "mediocre at best" as you called them in another post) when they are competing in recent Big Ten championship games and convincingly winning the Citrus Bowl on New Years Day just 21 months ago?

A smaller stadium confirms that their stadium is the right size for their enrollment. With 8,300 undergrads, they are the smallest school in the Big Ten by far. The next largest school has 21,000 undergrads. It stands to reason that they would have a much smaller stadium than all the rest.

That they are such a small school playing in a conference with much bigger schools and they have competed as well as they have (.539 winning percentage and 5-5 in bowl games) in the 17 years under Fitz is the opposite of mediocre. It's extraordinary to be sure. A lot of truly mediocre programs would salivate over those numbers.

Ramblin,
I wish they would build at 40K seating just for psychological purposes.
But with the exception of that, the rest of your comment is 100% spot on.

 

[WIU78]

During that time, they played in two conference championships, won two bowl games, and achieved final rankings of 10 and 21 by the AP. In one of those years, Fitz was Big Ten coach of the year.

Nobody is claiming NU is the next Ohio State, or even close to that, and it is clear that that last season and this have been disappointing to say the least. However, to describe NU as mediocre in the past five years is simply incorrect. Mediocre is what they were from 1972-1994 when they failed to achieve a single winning season and went 46-151-2 during that span.

I think part of the issue here is people's differing understandings of the word mediocre. In my mind, mediocre is below average. If something is mediocre, it is of inferior quality. I think some people would consider 23-23 to be mediocre. I'm not one of those. Mediocre is the last season and this one so far.

The convincing win in the Citrus Bowl was an Auburn team who was. 6-4 overall playing with an interim head coach and missing key players who sat this one out. Average may be a better word to describe Northwestern football if that feels better.Hey, I am a White Sox fan, I can identify an average team when I see one.