Having lived outside of Chitown for 20 yrs, ND gets more press than Northwestern, and maybe at times Illinois. Although ND is not what they were with Ara and Lou H., they have a BIG following here. It's almost that ND is a local team! Since Chicago is at the center of the Big Ten, it is a natural, even though I appreciate the historical connection to the Spartans, they are a good fit, but I LOVE it when the Irish lose! Go State!