View: NIU Ad In Tribune Trolls Illinois, Northwestern

(CBS) Since Northwestern launched its "Chicago's Big Ten team" marketing campaign in 2010 and Tim Beckman took over at Illinois in late in 2011, there's been no shortage of quips between two schools. Both view the Windy City as central frontier for bolstering their athletic department coffers and creating the buzz that helps a program grow.

Of course, all the talk's been most empty fodder, with both schools struggling mightily on the football field lately.

The in-state team that has been quietly dominating? That'd be Northern Illinois. Criticize the Huskies for their easy MAC schedule all you want, but you can't take away their 46 wins in the past four years -- or their 23-15 win against the Wildcats in Evanston last Saturday.

That latest win now brings us to today, when some NIU decided to puff its chests out and start barking. And boy is it good.

In an a full-page ad in today's Chicago Tribune sports section -- seemingly taken out by alumni, from the way it reads -- NIU found a way to troll Illinois and Northwestern at the same time. It reads, "Next? We are looking at you, Illini." And it also says below, "Chicago's Big Time College Football Team."

Take a look below.

Well done, NIU (alumni). Well done.

For what it's worth, the Huskies aren't on the Illini's schedule in any of the coming seasons.

More of the latest headlines on CBSChicago.com:

In:
• Northwestern University
• Northern Illinois