The MOST MISERABLE Program In D1 Football (The Sad State of Western Illinois) 

What random college football program should i spotlight next???

It also doesn’t help they are in constant recruiting battles with Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Eastern Illinois. And that’s just on the FCS level

It's all about location, location, location. Macomb is in the middle of nowhere. It's a dying town. Why would ANYONE want to go to school or live there unless you're from there?

Welp... I know who I'm using in Dynasty Mode.

One of my high school classmates was the media director for Western Illinois before she moved on to brighter pastures back here in our home town with a Big Ten School.

Former WIU wrestler here. They dropped the program after my freshman year. Hopefully football will be more successful in the less competitive OVC. The Missouri Valley conference was stacked. Hope the Leathernecks can turn it around and not drop football also

I absolutely think that you should do more videos like this. I like learning about programs that don’t necessarily get the spotlight. My only suggestion is I would like a little bit more history. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive history of the program but a little bit more interesting facts about it along with, not such a big jump in the timeline like from 1927 almost straight into the 21st century. I certainly enjoyed this though just some what I hope to be constructive feedback. Regardless would definitely love to see more like this.

A lot in Illinois has changed in 20 or so years. WIU was once a GREAT party school. Playboy even had the school ranked very high for best looking girls.

McKendree isn’t the OVC, it’s a D2 program in Illinois. Would be cool to go through a list of interesting D2 and D3 programs in each state. The GLVC ( D2 ) and CCIW ( D3 ) are interesting conferences in the Midwest.

You been killing it with these videos it’s different keep it up bro you on the road to success fasure your videos are original and different

WIU Men's BB has been "fairly competitive" past few years. Middle of nowhere D-I not an easy task. Good people in Macomb hope WIU has a better financial future

I'm from Chicago. A HS teammate of mine , an OL , played football at Western. This was the 1990s. He could have went to UW-Whitewater , Mt Union , or some walk-on deal at Iowa State. He chose the Leathernecks lol. Big mistake. He said he'd seen better weight rooms in a Holiday Inn Express. I'm guessing the program really hasn't improved since.

Yeah I liked this! Marshall has played them for years, nice to see more about them. Usually it is opener beatdowns but still it is nice to know. Really would like to know about all those teams they are facing this year. Like team records holders. You buy Phil Steele CFB magazine? They jam pack tons of info into two pages for every team, might be a good reference. I wonder what is Indianas major issue all these years.

Imagine growing up there and being a sicko for the leathernecks then you get absolutely dragged for it in a RU-vid video 😭

I'm a college football fan from Illinois and I never knew that they were Div 1.

Not so many years ago, Western Illinois was where the big boys - Michigan, Ohio State, et al - would send their recruiting 'busts'; i.e., players who didn't work out due to academics, disciplinary problems, conflicts w/ coaching staff, et al. The Bad News Bears or Burt Reynolds'/Adam Sandler's crew from The Longest Yard films. A way to keep one's football career going in hopes of some undetermined payoff down the line. Leathernecks, as a nickname, belies all you need to know ... 🏈

Having went to Illinois State the MVC is one of the most brutal conferences to play in whether FCS or FBS

This is great! Please make more, your efforts are greatly appreciated!!

No argument here.

Idaho is still sadder, went from FBS to FCS. At least they are alright right now.

“Most miserable and sad D1 program”…Valpo would like a word.

As a Youngstown State fan, I remember WIU having some great teams in the 90's in the old Gateway Conference

D2 or D3 schools are always interesting to hear about. Could also make a video on the fall off of Kent State and Akron

Love to see videos on Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky and or NDSU (sorry Nick and Alabama, but the best dynasty in college football).

I graduated from WIU in 1993. We had a decent team. When Coach Randy Ball left that's when the program started going downhill. It's sad to see how both the football program and the enrollment is going downhill. They need to recruit in the Chicago area. Bottom line is they need to turn the program around to turn the university around.

Most if not all schools with a direction in it's name are bad. The only school I know that is decent is Central Florida thanks to Scott Frost. Which he parlayed that into a job which he recently lost at his alma mater Nebraska.

Got to feel a bit sorry for them as they were in the Missouri Valley Conference with teams like NDSU, South Dakota State and South Dakota to name a few, that would make the SEC look like a cake walk.

I’m lucky to have worked with their new DC when he was our DC at Lawrence Tech (NAIA just outside of Detroit) and I know he’ll do great things in life.

Programs like these will unfortunately be gone soon enough anyways. The new model for college athletics is going to essentially strangle them out of any recruiting/potential left more than likely

Do sam Houston state

First game i ever went to was back in 98, when Western Illinois play NIU. I just remember that NIU had the best halftime firework show ever.

As a fan of Illinois football, this makes the feeling just a little better...just a little... yet doesn't mean anything but...ya know...

Nobody wants to live in Macomb, not even FCS recruits

Miz. Literally just commenting because my guy is a Miz fan. Good for the algorithm

The first game I went to as a student at Nebraska was a home opener in 2004 vs Western Illinois. I always thought their mascot was pretty cool, bummer that they’ve fallen on such hard times.

My girlfriend goes to WIU and I've been to a couple different football games there. You can tell it's a ghost town compared to it's past. Every time I'm in Macomb I think how cool the town would've been 50 years ago. I unironically consider myself WIU Football's biggest fan. I watch every game (even though it is excruciatingly painful) and I even sent a long letter to the Athletic Director and to all of the assistant/positional coaches to try and get Myers Hendrickson fired (they fired him a couple months after I sent the email). If WIU can't win at least one game this season, my vote is to move them to D2 or D3. The students don't deserve to have a large allocation of college money and resources going to a football program that is incapable of winning a single game.

It will be interesting to see how Joe Davis will do his first season at the helm. Eastern should be favorite in the OVC. I like these 2 schools will be playing on a yearly basis now. I think winning 2-3 is very likely though those early FBS schools will certainly give them a beating.

Went there for a visit with my brother for a visit 3 months ago and it was miserable

Mississippi Valley State University is the absolute WORSE football team in America.

The school I went to in the 80's was so low funded that the coaches had to hold fundraising events, like liftathons and raffles at banquets, ect. Extremely ironic for this school, because its located in the heart of Detroit and academically one of the best schools in the country. WSU- anybody care to guess which school?

Leathernecks boutta rock the big ten when i get ahold of them

Another Great Video Thanks 👍

Joe Davis is going to turn this around. Go 'Necks!

They need to overhaul their recruiting process. Looking at their roster my first thought was “holy transfers batman!” Teams like this need to develop guys for 3-5 years and supplement the roster with transfers and they’re doing it in reverse currently.

I had a full ride there to play for them in 2001. I didn’t go. The visit was fun I can say though.

WIU just had 90 layoffs and enrollment this fall 2024 less than 6,000. Ouch.

LET’S GO LETHERNECKS WOOOO‼️

Madness. In the age of declining enrollment and now players needing to be paid. A SMART College President would shutter the program and lower tuition and make final stand on its existence. A few colleges already refused to ditch football eventually leading to their demise.

It's wild how many colleges field football programs...

I didn't even know Western Illinois was D1. Now I feel stupid. 😅

I haven’t watched the video yet… Just clicked on it… But it’s got to be pretty bad if it’s worse than Vanderbilt.

"Leathernecks" is absolutely crazy to me 😂

Just subscribed to your channel

Nick Saban should take this job and bring them back to glory

You should Do Rockford University our Down fall

Chill on my school 😂 I must admit tho in four years at Wiu I never went to one game

Imagine being so bad you get a video with this title dedicated to your team.

challenge accepted in college football 25.... ima make em great

Well, at least the marching band is good!

Kansas Wesleyan not Kentucky Wesleyan. Played against them in 2019

Gotta do U Akron Zips for FBS

Kansas Wesleyan University is where Meyers coached

Call Mike Scrifes

Never even heard of em

Do a video on fcs powerhouses

I’m finna get them a new stadium built and Nike sponsorship in ncaa 25 we got the best coach in the league arriving 😈

My old coach played there

they need a few 4 stars on every unit.. prolly won't happen... keep fighting boys

They're in the OVC now so they might be better off.

Bring in the Flexbone

they should make a move of the valley and join the MAC🤷

Like if IU sent you here

I can save her 😍

Putting the L in leatherneck - WIU alum

It's funny because my cousin just signed to go play there! He will be a freshman WR this upcoming season.

They will probably win 4 or more games next year.

I know where my qb is playing in ncaa25

It's disappointing that you did this. You left out they were at one point number 1 and 2 in the country, respectively. You also left out how the funding for the program was less than any other school. You wouldn't know that because you just did some basic research. All this, and we still put players in the NFL every year but you didn't want to mentioned that.

Do Delaware Joe flaccos Alma mater

Man UTEP!!!!

Ok.Whatever..theyre an FCS team.

massachusettes should have never left 1-AA...delaware blue hens are leaving this year and start 1A in 2025...the blue hens will not win a game the first three years

I live in Macomb and I can agree this place is dying and also we need to stop getting people from Chicago to move here.

For the Record, they are not the only D1 school with a name taken from the military. There are actual US service academies in D1.

They are not D1

Do a video on how Ohio State is the greatest program ever and how completely fucked those cheaters up north are

Shit I’m bouta apply. They might as well pick up a 27 yr old LB 😂

I will predict an 8 and 4 record.

lol this is the college I’m going to this fall

My child's mother went here. Don't do that. If I remember back in 2005 it was division 1AA

Love my alma mater lol

Myers Hendrickson drove this program into the dirt.