Nielson Leaving?

Tere North · Fri Dec 11, 2015 6:53 pm

W1U wrote:In my opinion, being the only D1 school in the QC means little to nothing. Unless a school is in a power five conference, the title of being D1 doesn't hold much value in comparison to other college sports.

I'd agree with you on that one WIU. Unless you're a power conference and a winner, just play the game for the love of it, something easily done at D2 and below.

wiu712 · Fri Dec 11, 2015 8:29 pm

Tere North wrote:Just play the game for the love of it, something easily done at D2 and below.

That's what they do at nearby Monmouth College (NCAA Division 3).

Monmouth has 11 sports for Men and 11 sports for Women.

Monmouth has several sports that are not offered at Western:
Men's and Women's Lacrosse
Men's and Women's Water Polo

Fri Dec 11, 2015 8:50 pm

Tere North wrote:I'd agree with you on that one WIU. Unless you're a power conference and a winner, just play the game for the love of it, something easily done at D2 and below.

Yea, if something like this were to happen at some point down the road (just to be clear, I don't think it's likely in the near future, but who knows how things might change in 15-20 years), I'd expect athletics at a QC-only WIU campus to be probably similar in level and sports offered to probably U of I Springfield (D2, no football, somewhat "urban" campus).

wiu712 · Fri Dec 11, 2015 9:41 pm

UIS is not really a "urban" campus. It is located on the very far outskirts of Springfield. Several farm fields are in close proximity.

Besides UIS (Division 2), there are two other state universities that are not NCAA Division 1.

Governors State University is NAIA.
Northeastern Illinois University has club sports.

sealhall74 · Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:12 am

Scott Holland out with his forecast for next year. I don't know about you, but I am scratching my head wondering if I just had a bad dream a couple days back and that is all it really was.

After further review, my gut is telling me it is way beyond tacky to come out with big athletic-related announcements during the final exam period. Theirs started last Thursday and ends Wednesday and ours runs thru Friday of next week.

Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:59 am

wiu712 wrote:UIS is not really a "urban" campus. It is located on the very far outskirts of Springfield. Several farm fields are in close proximity.

Besides UIS (Division 2), there are two other state universities that are not NCAA Division 1.

Governors State University is NAIA.
Northeastern Illinois University has club sports.

Well, I just meant a campus in or right next to a city...not really "urban" like right in the middle of a huge city or something.

Western_101 · Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:07 am

Tere North wrote:
wiu712 wrote:
Tere North wrote:Western might be better served as a QC campus with a community to support them rather than Macomb and trying to be the community.
I can't see Western getting much fan support in the Quad Cities for athletic teams.

There is a high percentage of Iowa Hawkeye fans in the QC. Other teams of interest would be Augustana and St Ambrose.
If we stayed D1, we'd be the only D1 school in the QC, plus, regardless of level, the only public university. Some good scheduling could get us a home while the Hawks are away. Plus, we could add ice hockey. Great baseball field just across the River, lots of good SB fields, and BB/VW (along with ice hockey) at the iWireless Arena, and lot's of golf course like where the play the John Deere classic, so we wouldn't need our own facilities, though we would have to find a place for FB. Big youth sports programs could bring a following.

Just a thought.

Tere, I agree that Moline or Rock Island might be a better geographical location (metrowise peoplewise) but:

Whatever our Gym is it is paid for.....we would have to rent something for basketball.....iwireless is cavernous and prohibitively expensive to rent if perhaps only 2000 butts are in seats. Hockey is enormously expensive (not as much as football) rent ice time, coaches salary, equipment travel. Whatever our baseball field is it is paid for.....are you suggesting that an Illinois Public University have it's home baseball stadium in the State of Iowa? Would the baseball team be called Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa University Fighting Leathernecks? No facilities for volleyball, no facilities for Football (what are we going to play at Rock Island High School?). The big issue is Illinois is broke, perhaps in theory it would make more sense for Western to be in Moline, but, there is no way on Earth that would be even remotely possible under current economic conditions. Unless we became a lame UIS type set up. (Sorry UIS, the campus feels more like a minimum security detention center...no heart or soul to it).

Western_101 · Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:15 am

Also, I would agree with 712....UIS is not at all Urban....one would have to walk 2 miles to get to closest restaurant.......makes WIU campus feel like it is in Manhattan

sealhall74 · Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:26 am

I went to LSU (that is Lake Storey U) for a year before finishing at Western. No restaurant within a couple miles. Between classes, I would grab my fishing pole and drop a plastic worm or two. Got to play some ball for Jim Isaacson. Happy as a lark to be there that year.

wiu712 · Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:32 am

sealhall74 wrote:I went to LSU (that is Lake Storey U) for a year before finishing at Western.

AKA Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg.