NIU was able to cut cost on multiple purchase orders.

The athletic department originally estimated that lodging and food for the football team would cost $200,000. The department, however, was able to cut this projected total to $144,300.37, a reduction of 27.8 percent.

NIU was also able to reduce the housing for the cheerleaders and the band for their two-day stay.

It was expected to cost $13,109.25 for the lodging, but the university was able to reduce this to

$12,752.26, cutting off 2.7 percent from the total.

Airfare for the football team was estimated at $130,000, but was reduced to $115,428. This was a reduction of 11.2 percent. Apparel costs were also reduced 15.4 percent from $10,000 to $8,455.99.

The athletic department originally estimated $13,109.25 for lodging for students at the game. This was reduced to $6,435.72, but only because the department originally expected to bring two busses of students to the game, yet was only able to fill one bus.

NIU did go over budget on one purchased order. Originally the athletic department expected to spend $1,676 on media guides. NIU did spend this much, but forgot to include the shipping cost of the media guides, which was another $118.21.

“What they do is they estimate the cost and then they send an advance team down to negotiate,” Williams said about cutting down costs. “It’s just a very positive feather in the cap for our people knowing that things are tight and costs are costs, and we’re trying to keep our costs minimal. They went out and did an excellent job.”

Of all the reductions, the reduction on airfare was the largest when compared to NIU’s last bowl game. The athletic department spent $350,000 on airfare for the Poinsettia Bowl. The $115,428 spent on airfare for Shreveport was a reduction of $234,572, or 67 percent.

“We priced planes. We looked at a large plane, but the cost differential was extreme,” Compher said. “We wanted to make sure that we got our team, our coaches and their families there so they could be together for Christmas and spend the holiday together, but beyond that… it was on Christmas so a lot of people couldn’t go when we took our team down.”

Compher said the athletic department did look at getting either a second plane or a larger charter plane, but both options were too expensive. By flying players, coaches and families only, NIU followed through on a change that Williams wanted after the Poinsettia Bowl.

“There are a lot of lessons we have learned. We will probably not do anymore special charters. People will just have to get there on their own,” Williams said in an April 11, 2007 Northern Star article. NIU followed this method for the Independence Bowl.

Continue reading this story by clicking on part seven.