Northwestern to offer free tickets and transport for all undergrads to Indy
Associate AD Paul Kennedy announced at the team’s weekly press conference that Northwestern will be offering free tickets and transportation to any undergraduate student that wants to attend the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis. Students are scheduled to receive an email today and need to respond by Wednesday to reserve their requests.
That's pretty cool and a good way (maybe the only way) to ensure a good crowd for Northwestern.
November 13th, 2018 at 7:39 AM ^
I didn't see any reference to lodging, so I'm going to guess it's a one-day road trip -- over on the day of the game, and return after the game. Indianapolis is not that far from Chicago, so that should be possible. Long day, but possible.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:39 AM ^
yeah but what they didn't share is that it is part of Northwestern's new business arrangement with Greyhound "Go Greyhound and Go Cats!" They are incorporating experiential learning as part of the trip and allowing their students to sit in the back near the restrooms and share seats with a guy named Skeeter who has an inexplicable tattoo of Kathy Griffin on his shoulder blade that he wants to make sure you see.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:44 AM ^
Now this is funny
November 17th, 2018 at 9:10 AM ^
I imagine your name as spelled here, Brose, is missing the important accent mark over the “e” that ensures correct pronunciation?
November 13th, 2018 at 8:53 AM ^
I heard Skeeter loves Taco bell
November 13th, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^
Excellent point - which helps bring the bathroom aroma more fully out into the full cabin around Merrillville and the student is left to think to themself "wow...I thought we were already past Gary!"
November 13th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
If you sit close enough to Skeeter, his personal odor might just overwhelm & block the bathroom smell. Of course this all assumes you're conscious...
November 13th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
Seriously, who doesn't love Taco Bell???
November 13th, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
Sober me does not like Taco Bell. Drunk me however...drunk me freakin' loves Taco Bell.
November 13th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
It's actually Megabus's new Thunderbus
November 17th, 2018 at 9:08 AM ^
Speaking of bathroom odor.........Taco Bell!!!
November 13th, 2018 at 7:46 AM ^
November 13th, 2018 at 7:52 AM ^
Beat Indiana first, then beat Ohio State, then beat Northwestern ... do that, and Michigan is in the playoff.
November 13th, 2018 at 7:54 AM ^
November 13th, 2018 at 8:01 AM ^
If we do I'm coming back to blame you!
November 13th, 2018 at 8:26 AM ^
I know you were aware ... I was just amplifying the point that Michigan really is in the driver's seat if they just keep winning.
I'm pretty sure Michigan will beat Indiana, but a close game could work against Michigan if the committee is really torn between Oklahoma or a one-loss Alabama. But if Michigan continues to dominate defensively they'll be okay when it comes to picking the four teams for the playoff.
Speaking of Oklahoma ... everyone is assuming a WVU-vs-OU showdown, but WVU goes to Stillwater this weekend, and OK State is a tough game at home. I would not be shocked if WVU drops that game. Then the Big 12 enters the chaos zone, unless OU kills WVU and takes the championship.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:15 AM ^
Oklahoma is 83rd in scoring defense, giving up 30 a game and has yet to win against a top-25 opponent. The committee is not going be torn between them and a balanced Michigan team that wins out and has beaten 5 top-25 teams, one of those a top-10 team on the road.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^
Last I checked, there is no 1 loss Alabama...and I wouldn’t plan on it.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^
I agree, I don't see any scenario of Georgia beating Alabama. None. Alabama is taking everyone's lunch money like it's owed to them. Got to give credit to Saban. When many programs get fat and lazy after success, Alabama looks like they are on their own revenge tour. This is coming from a guy who doesn't like Saban and the SEC in general.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:37 AM ^
Hey Folks--I have been witnessing this same conversation in only slightly altered form for days now here at Mgoblog. Let's give all our fellow bloggers credit and assume that they too can add their ones together and get twos and threes, okay?
I assume you are sweet people but "[w]in out and we're in the driver's seat" is just not all that useful at this stage. Lovingly yrs, mglobules
November 13th, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^
Okay...no more talking, MGlob is getting tired of it.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
One of the more annoying takes on this board. Leave that stuff for the players and coaches. We have no impact on what happens so it's ok for fans to look ahead.
November 13th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
Beat Indiana! I still have PTSD-BONE from the times we lost a cupcake leading up to the OSU game in the 80s and 90s.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:01 AM ^
Good on NW for doing that. I don’t harbor near the animosity for NW that I do for MSU or OSU.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:14 AM ^
There are few things I harbor near the animosity that I do for MSU and OSU.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:31 AM ^
MSU is on a whole nother plane of hatred for me.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:16 AM ^
I agree. I was attempting to root for MSU this past weekend but found myself audibly cheering during every “Sparty No!!” moment......
November 13th, 2018 at 9:22 AM ^
During the game, I found myself laughing at msu until I remembered that I wanted osu to lose more than i wanted msu to lose. But, boy, Sparty totally sparty'd that game away in the most hilariously sad ways.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:44 AM ^
Why would anyone harbor any animosity for NW?
High academic school which runs a clean program with a head coach who is a little goofy at times but not a douche/scumbag.
NW is like the three legged grayhound who wins the race to save Auntie May's farm in classic Disney fashion.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:04 AM ^
Teenage me despised Northwestern for those two fourth quarter collapses to Gary Barnett in 95 and 96. The hate started to die down and then the 2000 shootout happened...A-Train's fumble still haunts me.
The hatred is no longer intense but I still enjoy beating those guys.
November 13th, 2018 at 12:15 PM ^
Yes, I also worked up a strong dislike for Barnett's teams by 1996. It faded by about '98, then resurfaced in 2000, before fading for good after that.
November 17th, 2018 at 9:18 AM ^
If someone is looking for SOME valid reason to feel “animose” towards NW, one could refer back to Fitzgerald’s creepy schoolgirl jumping and cheering on the (2015?) sideline bc UM received a penalty call. There IS that.
November 13th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
....and they didn't even need to buy 2 cokes!!!
/out brandon'ed
November 13th, 2018 at 8:04 AM ^
Northwestern's undergrad enrollment is 8,278 (per 2017 figures).
November 13th, 2018 at 8:08 AM ^
That’s pretty cool. Probably will make the secondary market pricing a little higher but the atmosphere should be better.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:17 AM ^
It’s a good idea to combine ticket with transportation. Less likely that they scalp the tickets and more likely that they get people there cheering for their team.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:00 AM ^
Oh I would bet they don't get the ticket until they are essentially in the stadium. Or non-transferable type.
November 13th, 2018 at 9:05 AM ^
Exactly. Basically a smart way of ensuring that your tickets definitely go to your fans and not to the opposition.
I also think it’s fair to assume that most if not all of their undergrads don’t have a car on campus and would likely not attend without a means to get to Indy.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:18 AM ^
I'm pretty sure the Leaders and Best won't be outdone on this one. Win the next two weeks, and students will be packing their bags for Ann Arbor South.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:24 AM ^
Isn't Ann Arbor South usually considered Evanston?
November 13th, 2018 at 8:37 AM ^
That's Ann Arbor West.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:51 AM ^
ah yes...
my bad
November 13th, 2018 at 9:24 AM ^
So then, this would be Ann Arbor Southwest?
November 13th, 2018 at 8:19 AM ^
In all seriousness, that's pretty cool, and makes a lot of sense for them to do. First time they have a real chance to win the Big Ten in over 20 years, first time in the BTCG, relatively small student body so the economics of pulling this off are more feasible, and like you mentioned, they're going up against what will be a massive Michigan or OSU contingent of fans. Northwestern has the benefit of knowing two weeks ahead of time that they're going to Indy. OSU/Michigan fans won't know until a week and a half from now, so it gives Northwestern a big head start on getting fans to the game. This initiative certainly helps in that regard.
This is a great way for them to get a noticeable contingent of their own fans to the game. I'm sure NW fans will still be considerably outnumbered regardless of who they play, but its still a very cool idea. Kudos to the AD.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:20 AM ^
Why does this game have to be played in Indy every damn year? It should be a home game for the team with the better record.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:25 AM ^
As far as I know, no conference does that. It will never happen that way, either. I prefer the neutral site atmosphere for conference title and bowl games.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:29 AM ^
Pac 12 did it for the first three years they had a championship game.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:50 AM ^
Indy is a long way for the Pac 12. Makes sense they don't do that anymore. /s
November 13th, 2018 at 8:27 AM ^
That’s an excellent point. These quasi neutral site games where no one local cares for the teams involved typically suck, unless you are talking major bowl games. I suppose the league wants to be guaranteed a large venue for potential ticket sales, and maybe prefers an indoor venue late in the year. But, yeah, do it like baseball now does, best record gets home field.
November 13th, 2018 at 8:35 AM ^
I know a large venue that can fit everyone...
I think the home field advantage is too much in a single game series. It’s ok in baseball/hockey/basketball because those are 5 and 7 game series.