New Fan Needing Guidance

[NorthwesternSeasider]

Hi All -

Found out yesterday that I was admitted to Kellogg and am excited to be a part of the NU family. I am a huge college sports fan - I did my undergrad at BYU and follow their football and basketball teams closely.

I really want to embrace and go all in on Northwestern as a fan but admittedly know next to nothing or where to even start. I've basically had three experience with NU athletics:

1.) I was born and raised in San Antonio and was at the 2000 Alamo Bowl - so I have attend a game before (albeit, not a great result).
2.) I went to school at BYU and strongly dislike all things related to the University of Utah. So I was a pretty big NU fan during the 2018 Holiday Bowl - great comeback!!
3.) I live and work in Salt Lake City and was witness to the INCREDIBLE sea of purple that descended on the city during 2017 March Madness. Loved watching the W vs. Vandy and (again, BYU fan) rooted strongly for NU against the Zags

So with that said - what are the top things that someone just beginning their fandom needs to know? Who is our biggest rival? Who do we hate in the BIG 10? Who can we tolerate? Sincerely do not mean any disrespect, but I think most would not consider NU a basketball or football school. Are we any type of [insert sport] "school"? I saw that there was a women's LAX NC won recently. Who are the historic greats I need to know about? What's our best season? Worst season? Best upset? Worst upset? Do we like our football and basketball coaches?

Where are expectations for this year's football team (have the Maryland game already set to record). Who are the best players to watch out for? Was the 2017 NCAA Tourney invite a flash in the pan or is there an expectation that it becomes a habit?

Anyway, any advice or thoughts on sports, campus, the business school, how to use this message board are more than welcome.

Go Cats!

 

[zbag51]

Oh man, lots of good questions here, but first things first, we go by “NU” not “NW”.

We LOVE our football coach. He played on the historic 1995 team as an all-American LB and won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards for best defensive player in college football 2 years in a row. He is a class act and great representative of the university. That 1995 season will answer a lot of your questions, as it was the best year in recent memory, beating ND in a huge upset to start the year, and ending with an undefeated Big Ten season, and Rose Bowl appearance.

We like our b-ball coach, as he was the first EVER to get us to the tourney. Recruiting has been good, but waiting for another break through year.

Illinois is our rival, but we also love beating Iowa as well.

I’m sure others will add more.

Welcome to NU!

 

[Sheffielder]

Welcome to the family.

Our stated rival is Illinois, but I think many of us have invested more in our annual games against Wisconsin and Iowa - they are programs that fancy themselves a peg higher than us, but our W-L records against both are pretty even over the past 20 or so years, and it drives them nuts. Some would probably add Nebraska to this list, and to a lesser extent Michigan State. Our series against Illinois has been a pretty one-sided affair for most of the past two decades. Stop by here during the weeks we play these teams and I'm sure people will be happy to give brief history lessons on what has contributed to our conference rivalries.

I think most would agree the Ohio State program overall, is the worst/most hated. Of course every fan base has some bad apples, but the ratio feels higher than average coming out of Columbus. In aggregate, they are awful.

Lastly, I would share a quick story about a friend of mine here in Chicago who went to Florida State during the Bowden glory days - he once mentioned how nice it must be to be a Northwestern fan (and joined me for many years as a season ticket holder). I wasn't really sure what he meant or if he was being sarcastic when he said it, but then he pointed out that Northwestern is a scrappy team you can always root for with a clear conscience - often the underdog, seldom gets the respect it deserves; you're rooting for a coach who will be remembered at Northwestern a hundred years from now and for players who work hard and amazingly are never in the news for shooting people at nightclubs or beating up their girlfriends. This may mean we never put together a team that makes it to the national championship...but it's always felt like a worthwhile tradeoff to me.

 

[FloridAlum]

Welcome to the family

 

[Hungry Jack]

Congrats, and welcome to the asylum. I think you will love Chicago (Evanston), though winters are tough. Any chance you are a cyclist?

A few pointers about this board:
1) NEVER refer to us as NW
2) There is a green and gold school about 90 miles east called TSISB
3) There once was a coach named McCall. Utter his name at your own risk.
4) Star ratings discussions are Groundhog Day
5) We are sensitive about attendance figures
6) Every social stratum has a whipping boy. Ours is Illinois football. That’s just how it goes.
7) Don't disrespect NU players on the free board.
8) Not many know this, but the bathrooms at Dyche Stadium were desigNed to make drunk Ohio State fans pee themselves. Thus they are perfect.
9) You will never meet Football Phil, but you will love him.
10) The rant board is where love and sanity go to die.

 

[NorthwesternSeasider]

Congrats, and welcome to the asylum. I think you will love Chicago (Evanston), though winters are tough. Any chance you are a cyclist?

A few pointers about this board:
1) NEVER refer to us as NW
2) There is a green and gold school about 90 miles east called TSISB
3) There once was a coach named McCall. Utter his name at your own risk.
4) Star ratings discussions are Groundhog Day
5) We are sensitive about attendance figures
6) every social stratum has a whipping boy. Ours is Illinois football. That’s just how it goes.
7) Dont disrespect NU players on the free board.
8) Not many know this, but the bathrooms at Dyche Stadium were desigNed to make drunk Ohio State fans pee themselves. Thus they are perfect.
9) You will never meet Football Phil, but you will love him.
10) The rant board is where love and sanity go to die.

Thanks for the Top 10! I do own a road bike and love cycling. Is Evanston a good place for that?

 

[NorthwesternSeasider]

Oh man, lots of good questions here, but first things first, we go by “NU” not “NW”.

We LOVE our football coach. He played on the historic 1995 team as an all-American LB and won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards for best defensive player in college football 2 years in a row. He is a class act and great representative of the university. That 1995 season will answer a lot of your questions, as it was the best year in recent memory, beating ND in a huge upset to start the year, and ending with an undefeated Big Ten season, and Rose Bowl appearance.

We like our b-ball coach, as he was the first EVER to get us to the tourney. Recruiting has been good, but waiting for another break through year.

Illinois is our rival, but we also love beating Iowa as well.

I’m sure others will add more.

Welcome to NU!

Thank you! I will definitely read up on the 1995 season.
Love knowing that NU owns the upper hand in the Illinois series. Frankly I’ve gotten sick of rooting for a team that hasn’t beaten their stated rival in 10+ years.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Most of the questions you ask will be naturally answered on these boards over the course of a few weeks.

Rather than trying to get them all addressed here, it might be better to hit the board up with periodic specific questions. Probably will get more detail and some will get answered in the natural course of the discussion.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Thank you! I will definitely read up on the 1995 season.
Love knowing that NU owns the upper hand in the Illinois series. Frankly I’ve gotten sick of rooting for a team that hasn’t beaten their stated rival in 10+ years.

You don’t need to worry about that here on the gridiron at least.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Hi All -

Found out yesterday that I was admitted to Kellogg and am excited to be a part of the NU family. I am a huge college sports fan - I did my undergrad at BYU and follow their football and basketball teams closely.

I really want to embrace and go all in on Northwestern as a fan but admittedly know next to nothing or where to even start. I've basically had three experience with NU athletics:

1.) I was born and raised in San Antonio and was at the 2000 Alamo Bowl - so I have attend a game before (albeit, not a great result).
2.) I went to school at BYU and strongly dislike all things related to the University of Utah. So I was a pretty big NU fan during the 2018 Holiday Bowl - great comeback!!
3.) I live and work in Salt Lake City and was witness to the INCREDIBLE sea of purple that descended on the city during 2017 March Madness. Loved watching the W vs. Vandy and (again, BYU fan) rooted strongly for NU against the Zags

So with that said - what are the top things that someone just beginning their fandom needs to know? Who is our biggest rival? Who do we hate in the BIG 10? Who can we tolerate? Sincerely do not mean any disrespect, but I think most would not consider NU a basketball or football school. Are we any type of [insert sport] "school"? I saw that there was a women's LAX NC won recently. Who are the historic greats I need to know about? What's our best season? Worst season? Best upset? Worst upset? Do we like our football and basketball coaches?

Where are expectations for this year's football team (have the Maryland game already set to record). Who are the best players to watch out for? Was the 2017 NCAA Tourney invite a flash in the pan or is there an expectation that it becomes a habit?

Anyway, any advice or thoughts on sports, campus, the business school, how to use this message board are more than welcome.

Go Cats!

I don't speak for anyone but myself, but I do believe that you're not a true Northwestern fan unless you hate duh Ohio State. They are the antithesis of everything for which we stand. We are a beacon of light in their sea of darkness. We epitomize the scholar athlete ideal, while they are everything that is wrong with big time college football factories, the exploitation, the fraud, the cheating, the felonies. They belong in the cesspool that is the SEC. We are the noble eagle who must hunt to stay alive. They are the oyster, an ugly and disgusting mollusk, safe inside their shell, that opens a valve and the food comes in. Their mascot is nothing but a worthless nut. There is good and evil in this land, and be clear now on which side you now stand.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Most of the questions you ask will be naturally answered on these boards over the course of a few weeks.

Rather than trying to get them all addressed here, it might be better to hit the board up with periodic specific questions. Probably will get more detail and some will get answered in the natural course of the discussion.

Or simply PM Uber. He knows everything.

We were once at a bar in Kankakee, talking with Liam Neeson as he was filming Taken 7. It was a pretty quiet night, so Uber broke out his kazoo. He did a cover of Van Halen's "Jump" that brought the house down.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Thanks for the Top 10! I do own a road bike and love cycling. Is Evanston a good place for that?

There is a strong cycling community in Chicago. We probably don't have the type of terrain you might be accustomed to near the Hill Country. But Evanston is a great starting point for cycling north along the lakeshore communities. Sheridan Rd heading north is very good with bike lanes and generally low traffic. You can also access several bike trails nearby.

I live in the City, and use the north shore for longer Sunday morning training rides to prepare for rides out west. It is hard to train for long climbs, but the wind helps!

 

[GOUNUII]

I don't speak for anyone but myself, but I do believe that you're not a true Northwestern fan unless you hate duh Ohio State. They are the antithesis of everything for which we stand. We are a beacon of light in their sea of darkness. We epitomize the scholar athlete ideal, while they are everything that is wrong with big time college football factories, the exploitation, the fraud, the cheating, the felonies. They belong in the cesspool that is the SEC. We are the noble eagle who must hunt to stay alive. They are the oyster, an ugly and disgusting mollusk, safe inside their shell, that opens a valve and the food comes in. Their mascot is nothing but a worthless nut. There is good and evil in this land, and be clear now on which side you now stand.

LMAO. Well done.

GOUNUII

 

[NUCat320]

I don't speak for anyone but myself, but I do believe that you're not a true Northwestern fan unless you hate duh Ohio State. They are the antithesis of everything for which we stand. We are a beacon of light in their sea of darkness. We epitomize the scholar athlete ideal, while they are everything that is wrong with big time college football factories, the exploitation, the fraud, the cheating, the felonies. They belong in the cesspool that is the SEC. We are the noble eagle who must hunt to stay alive. They are the oyster, an ugly and disgusting mollusk, safe inside their shell, that opens a valve and the food comes in. Their mascot is nothing but a worthless nut. There is good and evil in this land, and be clear now on which side you now stand.

So basically, NU fans, like all fans, think we’re better than all other fans. But we’ve got a sweet graduation rate to back it up. (100% many years)

#1 is a program honor that’s existed for about 10 years or so. It goes to a player who best exemplifies Northwestern Wildcat-ness. Some combination of effort, leadership, service, academic achievement. I’m almost certain it’s voted on by the players.

This year it goes to RB Jesse Brown, an oft-injured player who figures to have a small role on the roster. Most years it goes to a walk-on type, but it also went to Anthony Walker in his junior (final) year at Northwestern. Walker is now a starting LB with the Colts.

This Sunday, you’ll see reference to JJTBC here. That’s “Justin Jackson the Ball Carrier”, who was an all world player at NU from 2015-18. He’ll have a shot to play this weekend with the Chargers. He’s possibly the most universally loved player of this century — Fitz himself being the most loved for most fans here.

Otto Graham is NU’s historical best player.

 

[Frabjous_rivals]

Shaking one’s car keys as a sign of approval is acceptable fan behavior, but any sign of emotion, other than anxiety at the end of the third quarter, will result in side-eye from Wildcat fans...

 

[CSCatFan1]

Welcome to the board!

TURK = Mr. Wickerpark

Mr. Wickerpark = TURK

Consider a subscription to the premium board aka "The Rock" - lots of in-depth discussion and access to Lou V's inside information and articles. A must for anyone who likes to follow our recruiting efforts.

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

The seminal game in College Football history occurred on November 4, 2000.

 

[GOUNUII]

Congrats, and welcome to the asylum. I think you will love Chicago (Evanston), though winters are tough. Any chance you are a cyclist?

A few pointers about this board:
1) NEVER refer to us as NW
2) There is a green and gold school about 90 miles east called TSISB
3) There once was a coach named McCall. Utter his name at your own risk.
4) Star ratings discussions are Groundhog Day
5) We are sensitive about attendance figures
6) Every social stratum has a whipping boy. Ours is Illinois football. That’s just how it goes.
7) Don't disrespect NU players on the free board.
8) Not many know this, but the bathrooms at Dyche Stadium were desigNed to make drunk Ohio State fans pee themselves. Thus they are perfect.
9) You will never meet Football Phil, but you will love him.
10) The rant board is where love and sanity go to die.

All excellent pointers. Here's a few more observations from a historical perspective.

1. NU has a unique history known as the Dark Ages. It lasted from the early 70s to the mid 90s when the University was openly hostile to its athletic programs. It was a period of historic losses by historic margins. We use to chant "Rose Bowl" if the team got a first down in a conference game other than by penalty.
2. Not knowing the depth of institutional futility and despair at the time, Gary Barnett accepted the HC job in 1992. He was an assistant coach at Colorado with no college HC experience. And in 3 short years he pulled off the greatest coaching achievement ever, in any sport, amateur or professional. When his hiring was announced he made the then insane promise to take the Purple to Pasadena. And by 1995 the Wildcats were there. On the heels of an undefeated conference championship and never before thought possible victories over Michigan, Notre Shame and Penn St. Estimates place 55-60 thousand purple fans in attendance. For context, that is roughly 7 times NU's undergraduate enrollment.
3. Gary made mistakes and the University was slow to capitalize on its new found athletic success. He moved on after a dismal 1998 season, but he left behind a then young but already accomplished young man who would bleed purple his whole life.
4. Enter Randy Walker from the cradle of coaches at Miami (OH) who took over in 1999. Randy brought stability to the program and the game changing spread offense in 2000. The 2000 NU 54-51 win over a loaded Michigan squad is among the most influential games in the history of college football. A recent article in The Athletic documents it well. A very good read. It was during the Walker years that the teamed earned its reputation as the Cardiac Cats. Too many highly improbable come from behind wins to mention. Check YouTube for some wonderful footage. "Northwestern Cardiac Cats" should pull it up for you. Randy didn't care much for defense, but he was smart enough to hire the bleed purple for life young man Gary initially brought to Northwestern as a player.
5. Walker shocked NU and the college football world when in 2006 he unexpectedly died of a heart attack. The NU administration immediately elevated Pat Fitzgerald to replace him. Just 31 at the time, Pat was the glamor boy of the Barnett teams that shocked the college football world. He's the one Barnett left behind and Walker mentored. He left the game in 1996 as a decorated All American set on returning to Evanston as its head ball coach some day. As fate would have it, he completed that journey in just 10 years. Today, he might be the most influential person at the University. He commands that much respect.
6. Known as "Fitz" the team has become a pretty consistent top 20-30 type program under his direction. And as important the No. 1 student athlete program in the Country. Stanford is No. 2. There are no other legit contenders. The most consistent theme among NU fans is our admiration for the players as people, irrespective of their football achievements. With few exceptions, they are really impressive young men doing great things on the field, in the classroom and in their communities.
7. My wife and I have met the best people through NU football.
8. NU fans are anxious to see what happens when football recruiting returns to greater normality in the post Covid-19 era. We now have on campus football facilities that are the envy of most. And on campus visits have always been a strong aspect of our recruiting. It's a dream come true for those of us who experienced the Dark Ages.
9. We all long for more Football Phil. An internet legend among Wildcat football fans.
10. We have a bunch of really good coaches at NU. More than you might expect. The most accomplished ... by a wide margin ... is Kelly Amonte Hiller. Women's Lacrosse. More national championship rings than she has fingers. Started the program a few years back with a bunch of walk ons who had never played the game before. Won her first national championship with a roster she recruited off campus intramural fields.

Welcome. Hope you enjoy the ride.

GOUNUII

 

[Figrating]

Prepare yourself to watch one football cliffhanger after another.

 

[No Chores]

All excellent pointers. Here's a few more observations from a historical perspective.

1. NU has a unique history known as the Dark Ages. It lasted from the early 70s to the mid 90s when the University was openly hostile to its athletic programs. It was a period of historic losses by historic margins. We use to chant "Rose Bowl" if the team got a first down in a conference game other than by penalty.
2. Not knowing the depth of institutional futility and despair at the time, Gary Barnett accepted the HC job in 1992. He was an assistant coach at Colorado with no college HC experience. And in 3 short years he pulled off the greatest coaching achievement ever, in any sport, amateur or professional. When his hiring was announced he made the then insane promise to take the Purple to Pasadena. And by 1995 the Wildcats were there. On the heels of an undefeated conference championship and never before thought possible victories over Michigan, Notre Shame and Penn St. Estimates place 55-60 thousand purple fans in attendance. For context, that is roughly 7 times NU's undergraduate enrollment.
3. Gary made mistakes and the University was slow to capitalize on its new found athletic success. He moved on after a dismal 1998 season, but he left behind a then young but already accomplished young man who would bleed purple his whole life.
4. Enter Randy Walker from the cradle of coaches at Miami (OH) who took over in 1999. Randy brought stability to the program and the game changing spread offense in 2000. The 2000 NU 54-51 win over a loaded Michigan squad is among the most influential games in the history of college football. A recent article in The Athletic documents it well. A very good read. It was during the Walker years that the teamed earned its reputation as the Cardiac Cats. Too many highly improbable come from behind wins to mention. Check YouTube for some wonderful footage. "Northwestern Cardiac Cats" should pull it up for you. Randy didn't care much for defense, but he was smart enough to hire the bleed purple for life young man Gary initially brought to Northwestern as a player.
5. Walker shocked NU and the college football world when in 2006 he unexpectedly died of a heart attack. The NU administration immediately elevated Pat Fitzgerald to replace him. Just 31 at the time, Pat was the glamor boy of the Barnett teams that shocked the college football world. He's the one Barnett left behind and Walker mentored. He left the game in 1996 as a decorated All American set on returning to Evanston as its head ball coach some day. As fate would have it, he completed that journey in just 10 years. Today, he might be the most influential person at the University. He commands that much respect.
6. Known as "Fitz" the team has become a pretty consistent top 20-30 type program under his direction. And as important the No. 1 student athlete program in the Country. Stanford is No. 2. There are no other legit contenders. The most consistent theme among NU fans is our admiration for the players as people, irrespective of their football achievements. With few exceptions, they are really impressive young men doing great things on the field, in the classroom and in their communities.
7. My wife and I have met the best people through NU football.
8. NU fans are anxious to see what happens when football recruiting returns to greater normality in the post Covid-19 era. We now have on campus football facilities that are the envy of most. And on campus visits have always been a strong aspect of our recruiting. It's a dream come true for those of us who experienced the Dark Ages.
9. We all long for more Football Phil. An internet legend among Wildcat football fans.
10. We have a bunch of really good coaches at NU. More than you might expect. The most accomplished ... by a wide margin ... is Kelly Amonte Hiller. Women's Lacrosse. More national championship rings than she has fingers. Started the program a few years back with a bunch of walk ons who had never played the game before. Won her first national championship with a roster she recruited off campus intramural fields.

Welcome. Hope you enjoy the ride.

GOUNUII

Great job my man. This should be printed and distributed by Fitz to all recruits and their families.

 

[GeauxCatsGeaux]

I'm just here for two reasons. One, shout out to San Antonio Cats fans. Hopefully you come back for a weekend in the future so I'm not the only one driving around with Northwestern car flags with people staring at me assuming they renamed a high school.

Two, I think there can be a special connection to Northwestern sports for grad schoolers. My program was at the downtown Chicago campus and I've only been to Evanston a handful of times, and all of those visits were for Northwestern football/basketball games. There weren't many students that got into the sports, but that may be different for Kellogg. But, to me, what tied me to the Northwestern community as a whole was its athletics. We also can compare/contrast what it was like to be a student/graduate of another good school with what it's like to have a connection to Northwestern. For me, the difference was shocking and immediate, both academically and athletically (though BYU is a bit different than my undergrad athletically). It helped that we beat Stanford that week. I was a die hard sports fan coming into Northwestern, but nothing in my sports fandom world (including some championships) can compare to the excitement of being on one of those small commercial planes packed with purple bound for Indianapolis. Or with being at Blondie's in New York (I would call this bar our Mecca) for the Gonzaga game. Notably, we lost both of those games, but they were moments where MY school was big time.

 

[its_the_sauce]

One important thing to remember....

If and when the time comes, request the east lot.

 

[NorthNJCatsfan]

Hi All -

Found out yesterday that I was admitted to Kellogg and am excited to be a part of the NU family. I am a huge college sports fan - I did my undergrad at BYU and follow their football and basketball teams closely.

I really want to embrace and go all in on Northwestern as a fan but admittedly know next to nothing or where to even start. I've basically had three experience with NU athletics:

1.) I was born and raised in San Antonio and was at the 2000 Alamo Bowl - so I have attend a game before (albeit, not a great result).
2.) I went to school at BYU and strongly dislike all things related to the University of Utah. So I was a pretty big NU fan during the 2018 Holiday Bowl - great comeback!!
3.) I live and work in Salt Lake City and was witness to the INCREDIBLE sea of purple that descended on the city during 2017 March Madness. Loved watching the W vs. Vandy and (again, BYU fan) rooted strongly for NU against the Zags

So with that said - what are the top things that someone just beginning their fandom needs to know? Who is our biggest rival? Who do we hate in the BIG 10? Who can we tolerate? Sincerely do not mean any disrespect, but I think most would not consider NU a basketball or football school. Are we any type of [insert sport] "school"? I saw that there was a women's LAX NC won recently. Who are the historic greats I need to know about? What's our best season? Worst season? Best upset? Worst upset? Do we like our football and basketball coaches?

Where are expectations for this year's football team (have the Maryland game already set to record). Who are the best players to watch out for? Was the 2017 NCAA Tourney invite a flash in the pan or is there an expectation that it becomes a habit?

Anyway, any advice or thoughts on sports, campus, the business school, how to use this message board are more than welcome.

Go Cats!

First off : welcome to the Wildcat family and congratulations on being accepted into Kellogg. A great program. In terms of your questions, I don’t have much to add to the responses above. The one observation that I’ll reprise is that you will benefit by regularly visiting the boards and the few shekels that you will need to shell out to join The Rock are well worth the investment.
I do have a question for you: is your moniker a reference to being on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, or are you a habitue of another Oceanside locale? I ask because I now live on Cape Cod and, so far haven’t found any NU fans in the vicinity.

 

[stpaulcat]

Expect Cardiac Arrest!

 

[NURoseBowl]

Welcome to the family.

Our stated rival is Illinois, but I think many of us have invested more in our annual games against Wisconsin and Iowa - they are programs that fancy themselves a peg higher than us, but our W-L records against both are pretty even over the past 20 or so years, and it drives them nuts. Some would probably add Nebraska to this list, and to a lesser extent Michigan State. Our series against Illinois has been a pretty one-sided affair for most of the past two decades. Stop by here during the weeks we play these teams and I'm sure people will be happy to give brief history lessons on what has contributed to our conference rivalries.

I think most would agree the Ohio State program overall, is the worst/most hated. Of course every fan base has some bad apples, but the ratio feels higher than average coming out of Columbus. In aggregate, they are awful.

Lastly, I would share a quick story about a friend of mine here in Chicago who went to Florida State during the Bowden glory days - he once mentioned how nice it must be to be a Northwestern fan (and joined me for many years as a season ticket holder). I wasn't really sure what he meant or if he was being sarcastic when he said it, but then he pointed out that Northwestern is a scrappy team you can always root for with a clear conscience - often the underdog, seldom gets the respect it deserves; you're rooting for a coach who will be remembered at Northwestern a hundred years from now and for players who work hard and amazingly are never in the news for shooting people at nightclubs or beating up their girlfriends. This may mean we never put together a team that makes it to the national championship...but it's always felt like a worthwhile tradeoff to me.

Yes, Sheff - a hundred times yes.

 

[hdhntr1]

Hi All -

Found out yesterday that I was admitted to Kellogg and am excited to be a part of the NU family. I am a huge college sports fan - I did my undergrad at BYU and follow their football and basketball teams closely.

I really want to embrace and go all in on Northwestern as a fan but admittedly know next to nothing or where to even start. I've basically had three experience with NU athletics:

1.) I was born and raised in San Antonio and was at the 2000 Alamo Bowl - so I have attend a game before (albeit, not a great result).
2.) I went to school at BYU and strongly dislike all things related to the University of Utah. So I was a pretty big NU fan during the 2018 Holiday Bowl - great comeback!!
3.) I live and work in Salt Lake City and was witness to the INCREDIBLE sea of purple that descended on the city during 2017 March Madness. Loved watching the W vs. Vandy and (again, BYU fan) rooted strongly for NU against the Zags

So with that said - what are the top things that someone just beginning their fandom needs to know? Who is our biggest rival? Who do we hate in the BIG 10? Who can we tolerate? Sincerely do not mean any disrespect, but I think most would not consider NU a basketball or football school. Are we any type of [insert sport] "school"? I saw that there was a women's LAX NC won recently. Who are the historic greats I need to know about? What's our best season? Worst season? Best upset? Worst upset? Do we like our football and basketball coaches?

Where are expectations for this year's football team (have the Maryland game already set to record). Who are the best players to watch out for? Was the 2017 NCAA Tourney invite a flash in the pan or is there an expectation that it becomes a habit?

Anyway, any advice or thoughts on sports, campus, the business school, how to use this message board are more than welcome.

Go Cats!

No one has much of an idea what to expect. On O we have new OC. New QB and though we have a couple running backs back, we are down two guys who were going to start on OL. Good news, our O last year was so tpathetic hard to go anywhere but up. On D we should be reasonable but we have lost some there as well. In short, hard to know what we have

 

[chariots]

Thank you! I will definitely read up on the 1995 season.
Love knowing that NU owns the upper hand in the Illinois series. Frankly I’ve gotten sick of rooting for a team that hasn’t beaten their stated rival in 10+ years.

It must hurt that you don't have a game against the Utes this year. BYU looks good

 

[SmellyCat]

Welcome to the family! Most of the good answers have already been taken, but I will say this: time began in 1995. Any reference (usually in the form of smack talking from other schools) to our historically bad record will be tossed aside by many of us, as we will cherry pick records since 1995 to determine how we REALLY stack up against Iowa, Illinois, etc. True, some teams (most notably Ohio State, who NU beat just once, in 2004) might have a winning record against NU in the last 25 years, but no teams show the absolute domination that you might expect if you're looking only at records since the beginning of time. Unless you define the beginning of time as 1995, as you should.

As for the "who can we tolerate?" question, I think every fan here has schools that they "tolerate," but probably every school has at least a few fans here who absolutely detest it. Evanston Cat is the foremost Ohio State hater, for example, but there are others who don't mind OSU but hate Minnesota for some reason. No one really hates Rutgers or Maryland yet. For the record, I hate Penn State football the most of all (because, well, you know), but hate OSU (football), Iowa (hoops and football), and Illinois (hoops and football) the most. On any given Saturday though, I don't tolerate anyone else, including some members of my family.

 

[cattul]

Notre Dame football can get people pretty worked up around here, too.

 

[Amcat]

I'm just here for two reasons. One, shout out to San Antonio Cats fans. Hopefully you come back for a weekend in the future so I'm not the only one driving around with Northwestern car flags with people staring at me assuming they renamed a high school.

Two, I think there can be a special connection to Northwestern sports for grad schoolers. My program was at the downtown Chicago campus and I've only been to Evanston a handful of times, and all of those visits were for Northwestern football/basketball games. There weren't many students that got into the sports, but that may be different for Kellogg. But, to me, what tied me to the Northwestern community as a whole was its athletics. We also can compare/contrast what it was like to be a student/graduate of another good school with what it's like to have a connection to Northwestern. For me, the difference was shocking and immediate, both academically and athletically (though BYU is a bit different than my undergrad athletically). It helped that we beat Stanford that week. I was a die hard sports fan coming into Northwestern, but nothing in my sports fandom world (including some championships) can compare to the excitement of being on one of those small commercial planes packed with purple bound for Indianapolis. Or with being at Blondie's in New York (I would call this bar our Mecca) for the Gonzaga game. Notably, we lost both of those games, but they were moments where MY school was big time.

GeauxCatsGeaux, reinforcements have arrived and more are on the way. Amcat daughter #1 (NU 00) moved to San Antonio summer of 2019. Mrs. Amcat and I are completing our move to San Antonio next week. I’ll be on the lookout for the Northwestern car flags. Go Cats!

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

No one has much of an idea what to expect. On O we have new OC. New QB and though we have a couple running backs back, we are down two guys who were going to start on OL.

Well, the QB is only new to us, but he's a proven, veteran starter.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Thanks for the Top 10! I do own a road bike and love cycling. Is Evanston a good place for that?

I haven't read through all the responses to see specific answers to your question about cycling. Suffice it to say though that Kellog is located right on the Lake Front with a great bikeway path that parallels the water. You might want to get some winter monster tires though to navigate the snow during winter months.

 

[NorthwesternSeasider]

First off : welcome to the Wildcat family and congratulations on being accepted into Kellogg. A great program. In terms of your questions, I don’t have much to add to the responses above. The one observation that I’ll reprise is that you will benefit by regularly visiting the boards and the few shekels that you will need to shell out to join The Rock are well worth the investment.
I do have a question for you: is your moniker a reference to being on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, or are you a habitue of another Oceanside locale? I ask because I now live on Cape Cod and, so far haven’t found any NU fans in the vicinity.

Great question. I mentioned I am a BYU Fan and while I started my undergrad there

First off : welcome to the Wildcat family and congratulations on being accepted into Kellogg. A great program. In terms of your questions, I don’t have much to add to the responses above. The one observation that I’ll reprise is that you will benefit by regularly visiting the boards and the few shekels that you will need to shell out to join The Rock are well worth the investment.
I do have a question for you: is your moniker a reference to being on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, or are you a habitue of another Oceanside locale? I ask because I now live on Cape Cod and, so far haven’t found any NU fans in the vicinity.

Great question. I mentioned I am a BYU fan and while I did start my undergrad there I actually transferred and finished at BYU-Hawai’i. They don’t have sports anymore but their mascot is technically the Seasiders.

 

[NorthwesternSeasider]

It must hurt that you don't have a game against the Utes this year. BYU looks good

I’m so jaded about that game that I actually don’t mind the year off. If we played I’m sure they’d get up just enough to ruin the season we have going.

 

[cattul]

I’m so jaded about that game that I actually don’t mind the year off. If we played I’m sure they’d get up just enough to ruin the season we have going.

That’s actually a pretty good description of how Iowa feels about us.

 

[DaCat]

Who are the historic greats I need to know about? What's our best season? Worst season? Best upset? Worst upset?

Welcome! Your questions could create their own threads.

For the modern NU football fan, 25 years ago in 1995 is when the program broke through, finally emerging from the Dark Ages. Gary Barnett finally took the Purple to Pasadena, and we've been a relevant program in the B1G since then. We've had only three head coaches in the past 25+ years: Barnett, Randy Walker, and Pat Fitzgerald. In that span we've won or tied 3 Big Ten championships, 1 Big Ten West championship, and went to 14 bowl games (4-10 record, currently on 3-bowl winning streak). Look no further than these boards for a fans poll on the best players at each position in the past 25 years. Our current coach, Fitz, is the winningest coach in program history and will hit 100 wins this season, and starts his 15th season with a 99-79 record. He was also arguably our best player in the past 25 years, with back-to-back All-American and national defensive player of the year honors.

 

[Noah121]

Answers to some of your questions from my perspective (I became a NU die hard from basically as soon as I accepted an offer for grad school there in 2009).

Biggest rival: Illinois across all sports, but I'd say Iowa, Wisconsin, or Nebraska in football.

Hated teams: I don't hate any teams, but I particularly dislike losing to Ohio State, Penn State, and Maryland.

Sport school: NU has excellent women's lacrosse teams (Coach Amonte Hiller is a name that is household in the NU community), and women's tennis is consistently good too. In general, NU's women's sports tend to do better than the men.

This year's football expectations by me: Win percentage between 50 and 80.

Unfortunately I think the 2017 men's basketball season was a flash in the pan. I think that the 2020 women's basketball, however, was the beginning of a strong run.

Ride your bike everywhere!

 

[NorthNJCatsfan]

Great question. I mentioned I am a BYU Fan and while I started my undergrad there

Great question. I mentioned I am a BYU fan and while I did start my undergrad there I actually transferred and finished at BYU-Hawai’i. They don’t have sports anymore but their mascot is technically the Seasiders.

Ah ha. ...Mahalo.

BTW, in terms of other good NU teams, NU wrestling has historically competed well in the nation’s toughest wrestling conference.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

I haven't read through all the responses to see specific answers to your question about cycling. Suffice it to say though that Kellog is located right on the Lake Front with a great bikeway path that parallels the water. You might want to get some winter monster tires though to navigate the snow during winter months.

OK, I see the proper term is “Fat Tires.”

 

[EvanstonCat]

Evanston Cat is the foremost Ohio State hater, for example, but there are others who don't mind OSU but hate Minnesota for some reason.

These are the people I would call lost. I'd put them in the same category as the Flat Earthers and Trumpers and Never Maskers.