The sorry state of college football fandom in our state (Chicago: home, schools)

[edsg25]

It's Illinois vs. Northwestern in Champaign this coming Saturday.

What a perfect time to look at the sorry state of college football in the state of Illinois. That is, the sorry state of fan support. We spend far too much time looking at the strength of the programs and not enough about the backing the schools get.

Illinois is arguably the worst state in the Big Ten when it comes to college football interest, an irony highlighted by the fact that Chicago is the heart and soul of the conference (no matter what fantasies Indianapolis might have).

Why do I think in-state college football interest is so low. Some random thoughts follow, all opinion on my part, so I welcome all disagreement.

1. Illinois is just plain different.
It is unlike any B10 state. More so than any other place in the conference, it breaks down into two worlds: global Chicago and suburbs standing apart from state and region and downstate Illinois, often resentful of the power and population in its northeast corner dominating the entire state. The Illini share the pot with other Big Ten schools whose alumni so often end up in Chicago in a way is different in other B10 cities: Detroit focuses on U-M and MSU, Milwaukee on U-W, Cleveland on OSU, Minneapolis on U of M. The out of states don't dominate. Add to this that there is no unifying element in Illinois due to the dramatic split between Chicagoland and downstate. It is hard to come together in common cause over the Illini.

2. Illinois is a basketball school.
Let's face it, Illinois is a basketball state and captures the state far more than football does. And with a basketball schedule far longer than a football one, Illinois gets to do with Chicago what it can't do on the gridiron: make the Windy City its second home with games at the UC

3. "It's-not-a-big-rivalry" nonsense.
The one most relevant for this week. And something I blame Illinois for, not Northwestern. What a joke. Illinois loves to pretend NU is not a major rivalry game, would actually like to consider Michigan to be a bigger rival (while the folks in Michigan probably aren't sure if Illinois is located in Iowa City, Champaign, or Bloomington...they just know it is in one of those "I" places.). NU has more than made an even playing field for itself as a B10 program since the Gary Barnett years. The rivalry over the century between the two schools is close and NU has actually had the edge in recent years. Shouldn't this game be packed every year it is played? Shouldn't Illinois fans treat Northwestern the same way that Cal fans treat Stanford?

4. Chicago needs to realize NU is in town.
Sure NU is a private university. So what? It is in one of the largest metro areas in the nation by far and is enhanced (as is the region) by the relationship with it. No, NU doesn't have USC's tradition or success, but if Chicago supported the Cats better, who knows how the program would take off. Personally I think that it is sad that in Chicago, it is basically three programs that are supported: U of I, NU, and ND and that out-of-state ND is on the same footing with the two instate schools.

Illinois comes off successive wins vs. Michigan and Minnesota. Northwestern comes in after beating Iowa (that alone says it all). Memorial Stadium should be full and rocking on Saturday. My guess is that it won't be. And, to me, that's a shame.

[oneluckymug]

Since ron guenther took over at AD, the only team worse then us is Indiana.......soak that up for a while. Illinois doesn't think it is Ohio State, but their is no reason to think we can't be like Iowa/Wisconsin.....make a bowl on most year and every 4-6 years we have a team that can challenge for the Rose Bowl. To make it even more frustrating we have made it to 2 BCS games in the last 10 years.


I love football, but the Ron and Ron and then another Ron show have really messed up the program. You can't spend 100 million on a stadium, ask people to donate $6,000 for good seats, and then field a team that can't ever win......an expect people to get excited.


Heck....I would love to be NW. They always field a team that's exciting to watch. They may not get a good record some years but no team goes into NW most times and expects a gimme win.......like they do at illinois. They are almost always competitive and fun to watch, even in losses.

A team can suck your love of watching them away over a 17 period of continually fielding one of the worst teams in the country. Throw in that we always have a good basketball team right around the corner........and it's hard to get excited about football.

[TUFARIELLO OLGA]

J wonth search the family archie rodros of alton city illinois

[Avengerfire]

Forget college fandom. How about the sorry state of Bears play?

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Forget college fandom. How about the sorry state of Bears play?

I guess that makes it the sorry state of pro football in Illinois....and if the Cardinals had just stuck around, Bears vs. Cardinals would have been the grid equivalent of Cubs vs. Sox and we would have been assured a win.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by oneluckymug

Since ron guenther took over at AD, the only team worse then us is Indiana.......soak that up for a while. Illinois doesn't think it is Ohio State, but their is no reason to think we can't be like Iowa/Wisconsin.....make a bowl on most year and every 4-6 years we have a team that can challenge for the Rose Bowl. To make it even more frustrating we have made it to 2 BCS games in the last 10 years.


I love football, but the Ron and Ron and then another Ron show have really messed up the program. You can't spend 100 million on a stadium, ask people to donate $6,000 for good seats, and then field a team that can't ever win......an expect people to get excited.


Heck....I would love to be NW. They always field a team that's exciting to watch. They may not get a good record some years but no team goes into NW most times and expects a gimme win.......like they do at illinois. They are almost always competitive and fun to watch, even in losses.

A team can suck your love of watching them away over a 17 period of continually fielding one of the worst teams in the country. Throw in that we always have a good basketball team right around the corner........and it's hard to get excited about football.

good observation, mug. and it goes along with what I said initially. So I wish somebody could answer:

WHY ON EARTH DOES ILLINOIS DOWN PLAY THE NORTHWESTERN GAME?

It just doesn't make sense.

Is it because of an old standing policy that has since expired, the refusal to schedule in-state (out of conference) schools in football? Illinois awhile back was refusing to play NIU, SIU, or ISU at a time when U-M and MSU would schedule WMU, CMU, EMU, or when Purdue and IU would schedule Ball State. I realize that it was state universities below flagship level that U of I would not schedule as opposed to a top notch private university like NU (and at one time U of C), but Illinois is uncomfortable with anything in state.

Is it because NU is private that Illinois refuses to make this a rivalry? That would be hard to explain in light of some extremely fierce public-private intrastate rivalries: Cal-Stanford, UCLA-USC, FSU-Miami, UNC-Duke.

Is it because, as you noted, NU makes the most of its potential and that Illinois is really coming from a position of weakness (recognizing NU gives it too much scutiny in relationship to Illinois than is comfortable) as opposed to strength (arrogantly dismissing NU as if Illinois were some sort of UT or UF)?

[thePR]

Let's forget about U of I and Northwestern and focus on teams like WIU, EIU, SIU, ISU and NIU and their success.

[Maintainschaos]

Meh, NU may not have the tradition of football success that USC does, but as long as NU continues to outshine USC academically, that's all that matters; afterall, that's what college is supposed to be for, no?

[oneluckymug]

NW has traditionally been a bad team. Illinois has recently been a bad team, and traditionally an average team with occasional success. So people don't get excited when they play.....because it's kind of like arguing over who has the best smelling dookie.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by oneluckymug

NW has traditionally been a bad team. Illinois has recently been a bad team, and traditionally an average team with occasional success. So people don't get excited when they play.....because it's kind of like arguing over who has the best smelling dookie.

And yet a far worse program than any in our state, IU, gets excited about the Old Oaken Bucket and Purdue every year.

As I said in the initial post here, there has always been evidence on the field as to why college football has done poorly in Illinois, but we fail to look off the field (basically at us) as to what contributes to the problem. That's all I'm trying to do here...look at us. And there is something to do with the culture of this state that makes it less than fertile ground for college football that goes beyond the performance on the field.