Trade

[Big D]

Assume for a minute that it is possible, would you trade either UIC's soccer or baseball program for a Division 1-AA football team?

I'd love to see UIC with a football team, and I don't think it is going to happen anytime soon, but I don't think I could part with UIC soccer or baseball, which are two of the more successful men's sports at UIC.

[uwmbballwriter]

Is there any place in Chicago to put a stadium that would house UIC? And, given their poor attendance in the money maker, basketball, would anyone go?

[soccer fan]

Given all that UIC has put on its plate in recent years, I can't imagine anything more foolishly risky than taking on a football program. We simply ain't there yet.

Better to concentrate on consolidating the massive changes of the last six years, improving the programs and facilities already in place. Both athletic and academic.

[Big D]

uwmbballwriter,

There has been talk in the past about building a new stadium by UIC....a very large stadium. The most recent talk of a stadium came about because of Chicago's push for the Olympic games. Chicago needs a very large stadium to hold Olympic events, and then when the games were finished, UIC could use it.

At this point, I agree with soccer fan, but I think football and a law school are two things that should be a long-term goal (assuming Title IX will allow it). Of course, they should be focusing on improving what we already have both academically and athletically. UIC's strategic plan should help with the former.

It's a shame that I never really got into college football....mainly because UIC didn't have a team (I simply have a hard time supporting other schools in anything). But, it's a great college sport and I'd love to see UIC football return down the road.

[Chuck A]

soccer said:

Given all that UIC has put on its plate in recent years, I can't imagine anything more foolishly risky than taking on a football program. We simply ain't there yet.

Better to concentrate on consolidating the massive changes of the last six years, improving the programs and facilities already in place. Both athletic and academic.

I don't think it would be foolishly risky....risky, but not foolishly so. When the University had football back in the day the times for the University were different. We didn't have the student body, the publicity and the Division I status that our University has now. With everything that's going for the University now and the way football monies is driving college sports, I think it would behoove UIC to maybe begin to think down the road about football again.

Look at what happened to Louisville for example. They had a low-grade division I-AA or division II program until they decided to upgrade to coincide with their university's move to Conference-USA. Right now they are in the Big East and are the 14h rated team.

Not that we would do anything like that. What I am saying though is that there is an abundance of dollars in college football and with our University being in a huge market with no real dominant football team, why not give it a try. Remember 1 out of every 10 (I might be off on that figure) Chicagoan is a UIC graduate. I think there would be enough people and interest to have good attendance. There is a totally different mindset when it comes to college football. College football, with all its pageantry, is a culture unto itself. I think it could work here at UIC.

[Chuck A]

I just found out why we won't be having a team...at least in the very near future, from an extremely reliable source:

Two simple reasons: Title IX--We would need to add 100 female athletes if we have 100 football players and funding. Second, it would cost six million in start up not including a new stadium.

[guest]

Even if UIC had the six mil, at least in the short term, they could get more bang for their buck by hiring a well-known, NBA-caliber basketball head coach, extending coach Trask's contract by ten years, and upgrading the soccer field.

A big name coach could easily double basketball attendance immediately, and in the three or four years required to crack the top 20, start bringing in the TV bucks.

The soccer program is ready for prime time now, and while it does not generate revenue, its success generates plenty of name recognition, which in turn helps the basketball program.

A new stadium, even a no-frills one, would likely cost 150-200 mil.

Add to that the fact that putting it on the west side near campus would pretty much derail the redevelopment efforts in that area, not to mention a political war that would make the battle of Maxwell Street look like a love-fest.

To sink that kind of money into a program that realistically wouldn't evev begin to pay off for ten years under the most optimistic projections would be VERY unwise, in my opinion.

[Crazy Talk]

Football will NEVER be played at UIC in our lifetimes! There is absolutely no way we could ever come up with the funding to create, and continue a program for a sustained amount of time. We wouldn't even come remotely close to earning enough revenue to ever cover our expenses. After five years we would be tens of millions in the hole. We also couldn't just jump into I-A, we would most likely have to start in I-AA. NIU has a decent program and they just manage to get by. Northwestern's in the Big Ten, and doesn’t even have a huge following in the Chicagoland area, how would we? This is crazy talk!

[FlameFan]

I don't know about never, but I do think that UIC would be better off concetrating on building the sports programs that it has. I would not want to give up soccer and baseball, because they have made great strides there.