Crash_It was right, Illinois isn't flat

[hbelkins]

Need proof? Northern Illinois University is now part of the Mountain West Conference.

So I guess Lord Carhorn was right after all. Illinois really isn't flat since it's a part of the mountain west (or at least the Mountain West.)

[Max Rockatansky]

I love skiing on Mount Illinois.  Completely superior experience I've found to anything Wisconsin has to offer.

[jeffandnicole]

Need proof? Northern Illinois University is now part of the Mountain West Conference.

So I guess Lord Carhorn was right after all. Illinois really isn't flat since it's a part of the mountain west (or at least the Mountain West.)

I love looking at the mountains while sitting in the home stands.  I wonder if the altitude messes with the pressure of the football. 

[thspfc]

We need a CrashItGPT that writes posts the way the legend himself does would on these kinds of matters.

Something along the lines of "if you need more proof Illinois isn't flat, look no further than Northern Illinois University athletics participating in the Mountain West Conference. Why would a team from a flat state participate in a conference called Mountain? There are steep roads in DeKalb County (the #1 rated county in Illinois according to Wallethub) I drive on them often.

[Flint1979]

I want to hike to the summit of Mount Chicago.

[TheCatalyst31]

DeKalb has a higher elevation than three of the other Mountain West schools and two of the schools leaving the conference (Hawaii and the four California schools). Clearly that means it's a real mountain town.

[epzik8]

NCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.

[Roadgeekteen]

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

[Stephane Dumas]

And some part of Southern Illinois are also hilly, in the aera of the Shawnee Hills, often called "Illinois Ozarks".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee_Hills

[DTComposer]

NCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??

[Flint1979]

I was always waiting for him to claim Michigan isn't hilly which it most certainly is. He did tell me that Saginaw County is the most flat county in Michigan though which I don't believe as there are other counties around here just as flat. Saginaw is actually in a valley so I don't think it could be completely flat.

[Flint1979]

NCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??

In MLB you had both the Reds and Braves in the NL West. The Cubs were in the NL East but the White Sox were in the AL West and the Brewers were in the AL East.

[SEWIGuy]

NCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??

Interesting story. The original NFC West included the above, and was one of five proposed NFC allignments when the AFL merged with the NFL. All of the others had the Cowboys in the West. Pete Rozelle's secretary picked it out of random draw because it was so contentious.

[Road Hog]

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

The US geographic center of population has been in Missouri since the 1980 Census. DeKalb is considerably east of that.

[SEWIGuy]

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

The US geographic center of population has been in Missouri since the 1980 Census. DeKalb is considerably east of that.

The mean center is in Missouri. The median center is in Indiana.

[ilpt4u]

And some part of Southern Illinois are also hilly, in the aera of the Shawnee Hills, often called "Illinois Ozarks".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee_Hills

There is a hilly area much closer to DeKalb than the Shawnee Hills and Forest in Southern Illinois. Northwestern Illinois also is quite hilly. Galena even has a ski resort.

The glaciers responsible for most of Illinois's flatness did not extend to Northwestern Illinois

[Flint1979]

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

No it's not, the entire state of Illinois is east of the geographic center of population in the US.

[SEWIGuy]

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

No it's not, the entire state of Illinois is east of the geographic center of population in the US.

Again, it's east of the *mean* center of population...not the *median* center.

The difference is that the mean is weighted by distance - it's where the country is perfectly balanced. That's the one in Missouri

The median center is where the east/west and north/south lines meet with an equal number living in each quadrant. That's in southern Indiana - DeKalb lies west of there.

[Max Rockatansky]

How dare all of you imply that Illinois isn't the center of anything. 

[ET21]

NIU going back to the old days of the Big West conference.

I don't like the move cause I agree, conferences these days are a joke. But at least this isn't Stanford/Cal in the ATLANTIC coastal conference. There is some history with the old Big West for NIU during the 90s. Plus NIU should get better funding from the MW for the program.

[ilpt4u]

NIU going back to the old days of the Big West conference.

I don't like the move cause I agree, conferences these days are a joke. But at least this isn't Stanford/Cal in the ATLANTIC coastal conference. There is some history with the old Big West for NIU during the 90s. Plus NIU should get better funding from the MW for the program.

Northern thinks the move will also improve home game Gate revenue.

The big driver is getting rid of the MACtion weeknight games. NIU knows much of the alumni and fan base is in Chicagoland, and weeknight games in DeKalb aren't that attractive when you have to be at work the next morning. There is even a youtube video out there that breaks the numbers down pretty well: https://youtu.be/21Jb9maWli4?si=bnmWZP3DM7MHrIaa

The Mountain West's TV partner also gains a program with a draw to the #3 media market in the country AND another TV window for games, with the ability to have a 12 noon eastern/11 am central/9 am pacific kickoff when NIU is hosting a game. Both of those can help in future MWC TV deal negotiations

[ET21]

NIU going back to the old days of the Big West conference.

I don't like the move cause I agree, conferences these days are a joke. But at least this isn't Stanford/Cal in the ATLANTIC coastal conference. There is some history with the old Big West for NIU during the 90s. Plus NIU should get better funding from the MW for the program.

Northern thinks the move will also improve home game Gate revenue.

The big driver is getting rid of the MACtion weeknight games. NIU knows much of the alumni and fan base is in Chicagoland, and weeknight games in DeKalb aren't that attractive when you have to be at work the next morning. There is even a youtube video out there that breaks the numbers down pretty well: https://youtu.be/21Jb9maWli4?si=bnmWZP3DM7MHrIaa

The Mountain West's TV partner also gains a program with a draw to the #3 media market in the country AND another TV window for games, with the ability to have a 12 noon eastern/11 am central/9 am pacific kickoff when NIU is hosting a game. Both of those can help in future MWC TV deal negotiations

Even as a student I never was able to go to the games most of the time. I was able to maybe once a season. Wish they were Friday night lights vs Tuesday or Wednesday

[hbelkins]

This wasn't meant to be a sports topic, it was meant to be a "pile on a banned user" topic.     

[TheHighwayMan3561]

This wasn't meant to be a sports topic, it was meant to be a "pile on a banned user" topic.     

I mean, the Jimmy Carter death thread evolved into a "fuck the cops" thread, so... 

[SSOWorld]

NCAA's conferences are an absolute joke at this point in terms of geography.

DeKalb might not be mountainous but at least it's west (of the US geographic center of population). So there we go.

Remember when the NFC West was San Francisco and...St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina??

Much less the NFC East being NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas???