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

Today, I am going to introduce you to the saddest program in college football, the Western Illinois Leathernecks. They have not won a game in over 2 years now and they are in a very tough spot. We will talk about their history, what has happened and if the new staff can fix things, enjoy!

[@ScottFisherCFB]

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

[@JB-tl8rj]

Towson since it's near my house and they were FCS champions a while back

[@jdunc3789]

Furman💜

[@benellison6232]

Eastern illinois university panthers they went from 2 and 9 to 8 and 3 in a off-season and are currently ranked 24th in the preseason standings in the FCS. nice turnaround?

[@liamwatt755]

A non-scholarship program like San Diego or Dayton would be interesting

[@rxsejay]

FAMU

[@mshowg]

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

[@andysorensen1737]

Not to mention Northern Iowa isn’t too far away either.

[@thunderbird1921]

Reminds me of Akron, they've got FIVE in-state MAC rivals to compete for recruits against, beyond just Ohio State and Cincinnati. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse for them, perennial MAC doormat Eastern Michigan FINALLY got a good coach in Chris Creighton and has since become a perennial bowl team just across the state line. The Zips have possibly the most unfavorable position in CFB right now apart from maybe a team like UMass.

[@chuckdraper7776]

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?

[@travisboone6383]

Explain Hawaii?

[@chuckdraper7776]

@@travisboone6383 Hawaii has the worst facilities in football.

[@travisboone6383]

@@chuckdraper7776 I agree, and have no idea why lol

[@lilkloud]

@@travisboone6383the campus and its Hawaii who wouldn’t want to play foot football in Hawaii in that beautiful weather?

[@1ajgtwm]

​@lilkloud their facilities suck, their stadium is about to be demolished, and the cost of living in Hawaii is outrageous. Hawaii isn't that golden place to play at. Their best home grown talent come to play in the mainland

[@RyanReed-zl3sm]

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

[@SavdoXBL]

There an FCS school I dont think they will be in the game

[@TheTitansRundown]

I was thinking the exact same thing, to team builder we go!

[@wendellweaver64]

Same thing I was thinking

[@billysr9663]

Lol

[@cbjm36]

@@SavdoXBLI’ve heard FCS programs might be added in DLC down the road

[@BishjamIC]

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.

[@ericjohnson8799]

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

[@gracielynn9623]

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.

[@nonamejames2809]

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.

[@JB_Lucid]

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.

[@VonDaGreat1]

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

[@chris_hisss]

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.

[@stevenhickey326]

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.

[@trevor2671]

I’m confused. You’re insinuating that WIU was a dumpster in the 90s? They were putting more players into the NFL than any school in Illinois (including the U of I) in the 90s and early 2000s. Much less Mount Union and Wisconsin Whitewater…

[@paulsinger8894]

This is a lie as the weight room at wiu was pretty decent. I played there from 85 to 88 and in 88 we went 10 and 1 and were ranked number two in the nation.

[@paulsinger8894]

Facts! Wiu was damn good in the late 80s and throughout the 90s and put more players in the NFL than any other FCS team.

[@thomasb.smithjr.8401]

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 ... 🏈

[@anthonythomas6977]

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

[@davidweiss4731]

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

[@ScottFisherCFB]

Thank you! Will do!

[@keithclayton5255]

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

[@isaacmoore1146]

They are FCS so it makes since lots more FCS than FBS

[@highjack420]

Same with Illinois State, Eastern Illinois, and Southern Illinois

[@georgeidiyalu9206]

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

[@HMbeav8404]

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

[@nathansimpson5721]

my gf goes to college there lmfaooo

[@stevefrench5228]

I go there currently, I assure the town itself drags them harder then this video😂 I have tailgated probably 75% of the games in my 3 years there, never once actually went to a game.

[@DioChicken]

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

[@moorebounce]

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.

[@spudskie3907]

Ever heard of USC?

[@Denozo88]

​@spudskie3907 most people view socal as a region not as a direction per se.

[@drforjc]

well, yes they are typically regional state universities that are fighting over the scraps left over from the "U of ***" and "*** State" not terribly surprising.

[@xuexxiong]

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

[@rcl1955ca]

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

[@rogerallen6644]

No argument here.

[@ScottFisherCFB]

haha

[@glennielsen1060]

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.

[@jacklincoln8231]

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.

[@davelb87]

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

[@nathansimpson5721]

24 consecutive losses

[@AVPDS99]

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...

[@rcl1955ca]

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.

[@ericniesen1775]

Schools like NDSU and the South Dakota schools are great FCS programs. They even beat D1 schools every once in a while. NDSU is 9-3 against D1 schools. That being said, please look at their opponents. If you seriously think beating the lowest scoring D1 offense (Iowa) by 2 points is 'beat the brakes off the SEC' material, you need to put the pipe down or at least pass that shit to me 😂

[@Denozo88]

​@ericniesen1775 NDSU I think would be fine moving up to fbs. They have made it clear its big 10 or bust if they move up.

[@ericniesen1775]

@Denozo88 Totally. I even said that in my comment. They are 9-3 against the FBS. But just because you can beat some FBS teams, doesn't make you the best team in the best conference in football like the guy above you said 😂

[@toddalexander1903]

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

[@alexshayatovich8722]

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.

[@stephen4938]

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.

[@Jshmoney24]

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

[@roljamas]

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.

[@ytownblue107]

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

[@pavelhanek9790]

Rodney Harrison played there too

[@ease-l5330]

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

[@joeekaps5840]

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?

[@freestateofgrizzy1937]

Wayne State University?

[@shaheimlarson6234]

LET’S GO LETHERNECKS WOOOO‼️

[@liveboi11]

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

[@Panthersigma]

Nobody wants to live in Macomb, not even FCS recruits

[@Pierre1804_]

Do sam Houston state

[@ScottFisherCFB]

What angle do I take?

[@Hskr4life]

​@@ScottFisherCFB Rough start to FBS entrance / Future outlook?

[@Gmonayy189]

@@ScottFisherCFBthe rise and outlook going forward. Or a history of the program. Maybe why Grant Gunnel is a bust, or how he declined so far.

[@Marcmadness99]

Yeah I remember the bearcats have won the national title couple of years back after they beat one of the teams. In the fbs playoffs.

[@measzie8260]

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

[@jokezup7850]

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.

[@anthonythomas6977]

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

[@guschampion]

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

[@MikeRobNxtBestArtist]

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

[@katsanddoggies9904]

Childs mother, guess that ebonics was your major.

[@MarkCzmic420]

Another Great Video Thanks 👍

[@nathansimpson5721]

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.

[@AntoineB48]

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

[@billnotice9957]

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.

[@gracielynn9623]

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.

[@Denozo88]

Vandy atleast knows the suck at football and always have.

[@alscompleteoutdoor9091]

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

[@Denozo88]

If the teams good the money comes in.

[@CrazyAnimeGamer3]

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

[@andreking1182]

Just subscribed to your channel

[@latenightnessii]

"Leathernecks" is absolutely crazy to me 😂

[@Cooljohn760]

I wonder how created that name

[@latenightnessii]

@@Cooljohn760 gotta be a reference to a snake or a dog (collar)

[@nobody7156]

@@latenightnessiiit’s a military related name, it’s the only non military college in the country that’s allowed to have a military related name

[@__Dave__]

Leatherneck is one of a few terms for a US Marine, it dates back to the high collars worn by Marines during age of sail to limit damage from swords

[@adamgeorge5077]

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

[@mateoedwin4202]

Eww why

[@adamgeorge5077]

@@mateoedwin4202 just a matter of convenience for me lol

[@tatiswrld1722]

I go here, it’s not bad, football js sucks

[@MadellCarman]

@@brendanrolloff7117 hi bean

[@TheeRealJasonMonttana]

You should Do Rockford University our Down fall

[@DarrylCalhoun-yy9co]

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

[@300IQPUG]

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

[@troypolamalupittsburghdynastyf]

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

[@MadellCarman]

I don’t even think Jesus himself can bring them back to glory

[@shifty1927]

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

[@DJJayWhit]

Never even heard of em

[@trevoroberg1147]

Kansas Wesleyan University is where Meyers coached

[@chefjustin2534]

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

[@jacobjohnson8456]

Gotta do U Akron Zips for FBS

[@qnn17z]

Call Mike Scrifes

[@kevinmathison4093]

Do a video on fcs powerhouses

[@willbrown423]

My old coach played there

[@mythikos3535]

Bring in the Flexbone

[@Whyyallsomadfa]

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

[@TheBackOfTheClassroom]

I can save her 😍

[@chrisgreene2641]

Kansas Wesleyan not Kentucky Wesleyan. Played against them in 2019

[@hood_TheJoker]

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

[@thunderpantz]

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

[@jamesonhills266]

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

[@lilkloud]

Do Delaware Joe flaccos Alma mater

[@ryanalbright9143]

Putting the L in leatherneck - WIU alum

[@chuckstercam]

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.

[@patrickdevito9263]

Also, Ave Maria University’s teams are nicknamed the Gyrenes as well.

[@chrismansfield2133]

They will probably win 4 or more games next year.

[@hellyeahman]

Myers Hendrickson drove this program into the dirt.

[@brucedavis3816]

Man UTEP!!!!

[@letsgoooo9200]

I know where my qb is playing in ncaa25

[@spencerhaynes7455]

Like if IU sent you here

[@user-jf4nj3ez2k]

Ok.Whatever..theyre an FCS team.

[@WashingtonWashington-jg7ou]

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.

[@paulsinger8894]

A damn good football program from the mid-80s until the early 2000s, and yes many NFL players from there.

[@rhodesgarland8398]

Love my alma mater lol

[@Itzbingbong45]

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.

[@Hooliwitdatooli]

The place will completely die off without them

[@mcarlkv53]

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

[@timedell2012]

They are not D1

[@paulsinger8894]

Yes they are, and have been since the 1970s. I know because I played there in the 80s.

[@J0hnRatcliffe]

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

[@beedub93]

Cope harder.

[@nathansimpson5721]

Clemson >

[@Fayzo4445]

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

[@301.allday]

And a 3_-year-old, 5'9" 235 RB with four years of eligibility. Plus the bonus COVID years.

[@Fayzo4445]

@@301.allday aye bro we just need one sturdy D1 offer & we in the big leagues 😂 Could make more money in college then the NFL lol

[@destintaylor755]

I will predict an 8 and 4 record.