Now that NIU is officially a football powerhouse, we should all forget about our basketball teams, right?

Besides, it’s February – the new season is only seven short months away and we have a new batch of recruits and a matchup with Michigan to talk about until then.

After attending the women’s game on Saturday, it became obvious this is the mentality of most of the students on campus.

The Huskies played a great game in front of a sparse crowd but came up just short against Ball State, one of the top teams in the conference.

The women’s team has a record of 6-14 this year and the men are not much better at 8-12, but the lack of attendance could be a contributor to this.

If you asked any of the players on either team, I’m sure they would tell you how much more fun it is to play in front of a packed house.

They would probably also tell you that having a rowdy crowd for a sixth man is a pretty big advantage.

That is where the “Convo-Nation” section is supposed to come in.

Sure, it’s probably not going to have the same impact as the “Orange Krush” or the “Cameron Crazies,” but it should still be a draw.

The “Convo-Nation” is looking more like a “Convo-Village” each game, with fewer and fewer supporters.

It all comes back to the same argument that if the teams were winning, then people would come out.

The Chicago Bulls is a great example of what can happen if fans stick with a team through thick and thin.

For the past six years, the Bulls have been the laughing stock of the NBA, but they still have been in the top 10 for attendance every year.

This season, the Bulls are sixth in attendance and have gained back some of their old glory.

Maybe people would rather drive three hours to see the No. 1 ranked U of I – which is believable with all the Illini gear seen around campus – than walk 10 minutes to the Convocation Center.

Or maybe the wrestling team is the big draw these days.

The answer is not certain, but what is positive is both teams could use some support.