[NU Sports] Illinois wants Chicago game every other year

[Jonathan Hodges]

Wisconsin (twice) and Iowa have recently played Northern Illinois at
Soldier Field in what were NIU "home" games.  This year, ND is hosting
Miami (FL) there as well.  I believe all of them (including Illinois) want
to gain exposure in the Chicago area and having a game at that location is
a great way to do so given that their home playing sites are a good drive
away from downtown.  I don't think Soldier Field (run by the Chicago Parks
Dept) actively seeks out these games but is clearly willing to rent out the
facility for the right price.  NU doesn't have any real incentive to play
games there at this point given Ryan Field's proximity to the city already
and the fact that the stadium isn't really anything that unique (maybe
except for the notoriously bad playing surface).

Jonathan

--
Jonathan Hodges
Contributor, HailToPurple
Web: http://www.hailtopurple.com/jhodges/
Twitter: @hailtopurple
Email: j-hodges at alumni.northwestern.edu



On Tue, May 15, 2012 at 11:01 PM, SjT (Stephen J. Truog)
<sjtruog at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Love the idea of the billboard on the road back to Champaign (heaven knows
> there's nothing else to look at along that forsaken road) with the message
> about leaving NU's town :) ...
>
> It seems like the campaign is definitely under the Ill-whine-I's skin.
> Good!
>
> As for teams scheduling Chicago games, Wisconsin is doing so as well --
> wonder if it's a try by ND/UI/UW to claim Chicago or if it's something
> Soldier Field's folks are doing to try and prove they can host the Big Ten
> title game???
>
> Whatever it is, I agree - keep winning games, keep Coach Fitz in the
> spotlight and NU is the real Chicago team.
>
> GO CATS!!!
> -SjT
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> sjtruog at yahoo.com
> GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
> Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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