View from Northern Illinois
Just came across this in the newspaper in Dekalb, Illinois. It makes me want to puke!
Viewpoint: Huskies bowling because of Krupica
By John Sahly - jsahly@daily-chronicle.com
“Glen Krupica is one heck of a salesman.”
That’s not a quote from NIU Athletic Director Jeff Compher, football coach Jerry Kill, defensive end Larry English or anyone associated with the Huskies.
That’s a quote from Missy Setters, the Independence Bowl’s executive director.
NIU’s deputy athletic director for external affairs, Krupica spent 11 years as the Independence Bowl’s executive director before coming to DeKalb. He knew how to talk to bowls, what they were looking for and what marketing pitches would work. He especially knew it at the place he used to call home.
In an incredible stroke of luck for the 6-6 Huskies, the Independence Bowl had an opening when the Big 12 and SEC couldn’t fill all of their spots. Compher wisely called on Krupica to lead talks with bowl representatives in Shreveport, La.
Krupica didn’t just get the Huskies into the club. He knew the bouncer, the coat check girl, the bartenders, the VIP security and the secret nine-step handshake to get into the private suite.
“It’s kind of unique, kind of proud, kind of weird to tell you the truth,” Krupica said. “I feel very fortunate to have gotten into that game.”
Krupica said he felt from the time the Huskies lost at home to Navy on Nov. 25 all the way through the middle of Sunday afternoon the chances of NIU ending up in Shreveport, much less any bowl, were not very good.
The truth is they weren’t very good if the Huskies had someone other than Krupica to help Compher and his staff sell NIU.
The Independence Bowl has no title sponsor, which means it needs great ratings, attendance, etc., to make the bowl attractive to another sponsor. It had every reason to go the safe route and pick 6-6 Louisiana-Lafayette or 6-6 Arkansas State to try and boost attendance.
“He did a heck of a job making sure that they knew how much we wanted to be there and understood how we would fit,” Compher said.
Krupica saw the situation similar to how Compher viewed it.
“I guess we sold our way into the bowl a little bit this time around,” he said. “It was a numbers game. Being on TV, bringing the Chicago market to a degree helps. They’ve got the local regional draw. I think it’s a pretty good matchup.”
He would know, and that’s why the Huskies are in a bowl.
John Sahly is a sports reporter for the Daily Chronicle. He can be reached at jsahly@daily-chronicle.com
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Originally Posted by BrudaCajun
