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Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - CardHouse - 12-31-2007 12:07 PM
I guess there is a subtle slam at the Big East here; I’m not sure what to make of this article other then Catlett seems lost.
I sure would like to see a bowl in Tampa created for the Big East.
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Last modified 12/31/2007 - 5:32 am
Originally created 123107
'CONFERENCE CALL' IS NOT FILLING SEATS
Tuesday's game will be the halfway point in a four-year experiment in college football bowl affiliations
By Garry Smits, The Times-Union
When the clock winds down on the 63rd Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on Tuesday afternoon, a bold experiment in college football bowl affiliations will be at the halfway point, with mixed results at best.
After two years of disappointing ticket sales from the participating schools and the area, Gator Bowl Association president Rick Catlett is looking for better things in 2009 and 2010 - the final two games under the current four-year deal - and exploring even more team flexibility for the New Year's Day bowl game.
"There are more positives than negatives," Catlett said last week. "We're one of three non-BCS games on New Year's Day on network television [CBS]. We've got a great title sponsor for the next three years. The economic impact will be around $25 million to the community. And in regards to this game, we've got the No. 1 passing offense in the country [Texas Tech] against a team that set the NCAA record for winning the most games by two points or less this season [Virginia]. There is star power in this game."
But not enough to convince Texas Tech fans to sell half the allotted ticket block of 12,750, or Virginia to make the quota of 13,500. The conferences of both teams guarantee those tickets, so the Gator Bowl Association will be paid no matter how few the teams sell.
In addition, local ticket sales will barely push the final total past 60,000, considered the GBA's financial break-even point. If the number of tickets sold remains at that level, the Gator Bowl will have averaged 63,831 in attendance over the last three years after a four-year run (2002 to 2005) in which the game averaged 73,674.
This year's game is the second under a four-year contract that matches an Atlantic Coast Conference team against either a Big 12 team, a Big East team or Notre Dame. The ACC has a team in the game every year, with the Big 12 receiving two berths in four years and the Big East the other two - with traditional college football power Notre Dame able to take one of the Big East's spots, provided the Irish are bowl-eligible and not playing in one of the five Bowl Championship Series games.
When the Gator Bowl Association finalized the deal two years ago, it marked the first time that a college bowl game had established contractual relationships with more than two conferences. Counting Notre Dame, the Gator Bowl actually has an affiliation with four entities.
Flexibility was the buzzword at the GBA. After 11 years of matching the ACC against the Big East (with Notre Dame making two appearances), the Gator Bowl might be able to lure national powers such as Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Nebraska or stick with teams such as West Virginia and Louisville.
Instead, the Gator Bowl's first game under the new contract featured West Virginia, playing in Jacksonville for the third time in a four-year span, against Georgia Tech, which had lost the ACC championship game held in the city four weeks before. This year's game matches Texas Tech, which tied for third in the Big 12 South, against Virginia, which finished second in the ACC's Coastal Division.
Tuesday's game also must compete head-to-head with Florida and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow vs. Michigan in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, and will be on after the start of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas (Missouri-Arkansas) and the Outback Bowl in Tampa (Tennessee-Wisconsin).
"We haven't had the flexibility we thought we'd have," Catlett said. "But there are two years left on the contract."
Is the ACC the problem?
At the heart of the matchups in the last two years was the ACC dictating to its non-BCS bowl partners that the league's championship-game loser couldn't fall below the Chick-fil-A, Gator, Music City or Champs Sports bowls. In effect, each of those bowls had to take the title-game loser once during the balance of the four-year contracts, beginning with the Gator Bowl last year having to select Georgia Tech after the Yellow Jackets lost to Wake Forest at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in 2006.
Some of the sting was mitigated when West Virginia's 38-35 victory over the Yellow Jackets proved to be one of the most entertaining bowls of the season. And, as Catlett pointed out, "We don't have to worry about taking the ACC championship loser again [for the balance of the contract]."
Another factor: Two years ago the Chick-fil-A Bowl was placed ahead of the Gator Bowl in the ACC pecking order after increasing its team payout to $3 million per team. The Gator Bowl pays a maximum of $2.5 million per team. That hurt the Gator Bowl this season when the Chick-fil-A selected Clemson, which has one of the largest fan bases of any team in the conference, instead of Virginia, which has a better record but won't sell as many tickets.
Atlanta's easy travel access to most ACC cities and larger population base than Jacksonville also factored in to the conference's decision to give the Chick-fil-A the higher pick. "Finances certainly do have a factor in the selection order," said Michael Kelly, the ACC's associate commissioner for football operations.
Is the SEC the answer?
Southeastern Conference fans on the First Coast yearn for a team from that league to be in the Gator Bowl again. The SEC had a strong Gator Bowl presence in the past, with Florida, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss combining for 28 appearances in the game between 1948 and 1994.
Catlett said he hears those people who say that Jacksonville is an SEC city. However, potential future contracts involving SEC teams will not come at the expense of dropping the ACC.
"The ACC has been a great partner, and we don't see that changing," Catlett said.
Catlett said he had an offer from a TV network, but he wouldn't reveal which, to get an SEC team in the Gator Bowl. However, the network and the SEC wanted the game moved to a night slot before New Year's Day, so it wouldn't compete with the Capital One Bowl.
"Two bowl games with SEC teams going head-to-head on New Year's Day wouldn't hurt ratings as much as the SEC thinks it would," Catlett said. "But our board of trustees believed it was more important to stay on New Year's Day."
Catlett also said a strict SEC versus ACC game would be "too regional." He pointed out that national media outlets such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated usually give high marks to the Gator Bowl, partly because it has branched out beyond the traditional SEC and ACC strongholds to bring in teams from other conferences. For example, ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso recently said the upcoming Gator Bowl between Virginia and Texas Tech is the best non-BCS matchup of the bowl season.
"We don't want to give up the prestige of New Year's Day on network TV just to get an SEC team, on cable, at night, before New Year's," Catlett said. "In the bowl pecking order, we are highly respected, and if we got into a situation that was too regional, we could lose our status. Our goal is to be involved in the BCS or a college playoff one day, and the nationwide perception of our game is still very strong."
Selling the game locally
That said, Catlett admits the local perception of the Gator Bowl doesn't seem to be as strong. With the Jaguars in the playoffs for the second time in the last three years and Jacksonville native Tebow playing for Florida in Orlando, this year's Gator Bowl has been a tough sell to football fans on the First Coast.
"It drives me crazy," Catlett said of slow area ticket sales. "Perhaps the local fans are so used to this game being around. But if you ask the decisionmakers in college football to name the top-10 bowl games, we're always going to be included."
However, Catlett said he would try in the future to satisfy SEC fans on the First Coast. Although the final details haven't been worked out, he said when conference-affiliation contract negotiations begin after next year's Gator Bowl, he will resurrect an idea he has floated for more than 10 years - have the Gator Bowl join with two or three other non-BCS games and pool their affiliations to create the best matchups.
In this case, Catlett said he would pitch an alliance between the Gator, Capital One, Cotton and possibly Holiday bowls, which could result in some combination of the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big East, Notre Dame, Big Ten and Pac-10 for affiliations.
"I've been saying it for years: If you can have a BCS, you can have an alliance of other bowls," Catlett said. "It makes perfect sense to have multiple conferences aligned with multiple bowls."
garry.smits@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4362
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/123107/col_230304892.shtml
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - bitcruncher - 12-31-2007 12:09 PM
Jacksonville wants to be Miami. That's the main problem here. Their biggest issue is self image. They have none.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - bearcatfan - 12-31-2007 12:19 PM
CardHouse Wrote:the Gator Bowl might be able to lure national powers such as Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Nebraska or stick with teams such as West Virginia and Louisville.Texas A & M? Nebraska?
National powers in name only. Certainly no longer on the field.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - mattsarz - 12-31-2007 12:27 PM
CardHouse Wrote:Catlett said he had an offer from a TV network, but he wouldn't reveal which, to get an SEC team in the Gator Bowl. However, the network and the SEC wanted the game moved to a night slot before New Year's Day, so it wouldn't compete with the Capital One Bowl.
...
"We don't want to give up the prestige of New Year's Day on network TV just to get an SEC team, on cable, at night, before New Year's,"
So Catlett won't reveal the network that wants to move the Gator to a night game, but in his quote later on he admits that the game would be on cable. Gee, wonder who that could be? Sure as **** ain't Versus or FSN...Catlett's an idiot.
I do like the idea of the bowls pooling their resources to have unique tie-ins.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - cuseroc - 12-31-2007 12:51 PM
mattsarz Wrote:CardHouse Wrote:Catlett said he had an offer from a TV network, but he wouldn't reveal which, to get an SEC team in the Gator Bowl. However, the network and the SEC wanted the game moved to a night slot before New Year's Day, so it wouldn't compete with the Capital One Bowl.
...
"We don't want to give up the prestige of New Year's Day on network TV just to get an SEC team, on cable, at night, before New Year's,"
So Catlett won't reveal the network that wants to move the Gator to a night game, but in his quote later on he admits that the game would be on cable. Gee, wonder who that could be? Sure as **** ain't Versus or FSN...Catlett's an idiot.
I do like the idea of the bowls pooling their resources to have unique tie-ins.
Yeah, he really is an idiot in one aspect, and it seems that he may feel that his bowl is even more prestigious than it is, but that idea of pooling the best non bcs bowls is a stroke of genius. Amazing what an idiot can come up with when his bottom line is being affected.
That would be great if he can pull it off.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - PusherT - 12-31-2007 12:59 PM
The Gator bowl has really been the only tradition based bowl the Big East has ever had. SU,VT,UM,WV, and UofL have all played in the game over the years. I don't really understand why the Gator bowl wanted to dump the Big East, I mean you don't see the Outback Bowl officials poo poo the Big Ten. I would hate it if the Gator and Big East weren't alligned in the future, this Big 12 deal was just an insult to the Big East conference to the point that they would bite the bullet and take Texas Tech over Uconn,USF,Cincy
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - PusherT - 12-31-2007 01:03 PM
bearcatfan Wrote:CardHouse Wrote:the Gator Bowl might be able to lure national powers such as Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Nebraska or stick with teams such as West Virginia and Louisville.Texas A & M? Nebraska?
National powers in name only. Certainly no longer on the field.
The grass isn't always greener , the Gator Bowl officials are learning but it rather seems they would stick with Big 12 then go back to the Big East(ND 1 every 4 year) deal. I thought all the Big East programs that attended that bowl did great numbers. UofL,WVU, and SU remaining
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - bitcruncher - 12-31-2007 01:13 PM
If somebody was smart, The BEast would soon tell the Gator Bowl to get stuffed.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - BullsBEAST - 12-31-2007 01:57 PM
I think what college football needs to do is make sure that either the sec or the big 10 are in every bowl game. Forget bowl eligability, we dont need that rule, i think all 12 sec teams and all 11 big 10 teams need to be in high payout bowl games regaurdless of how well they play during the year. Make every BCS bowl game SEC vs Big 10, then split the rest of the bowl games between sec and big 10 teams vs high ranking teams in other conferences. The national title game every season will be decided by playing the SEC champion vs the Big 10 champion.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - omniorange - 12-31-2007 02:11 PM
Catlett is a #@$%head.
He stubbornly refuses to believe that the ACC is a problem as well.
2005-06 Gator - Louisville vs VT; Big East team brings between 8-10K more fans.
2005-06 Gator - GT vs WVU; Big East team brings 10K+ more fans.
2006-07 Gator - Va. vs Texas Tech; ACC team cannot make up for bad showing by B12 team.
And still from the above, he makes it seem as though the Big East is the problem! The problem is the ACC team and the fact that Jacksonville is an SEC town, not an ACC town.
Well, if the Cotton goes BCS, that will free up both an SEC team and a Big 12 team.
The Big East has got to stop crawling to this guy. He brings nothing but bad press/perception to the league.
Cheers,
Neil
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - 3601 - 12-31-2007 02:45 PM
I'm sure the Gator Bowl would love the SEC, but Big East vs. ACC seems to be the next best thing to me.
South Florida would have brought tons of fan to JAX this year.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - CatsClaw - 12-31-2007 03:46 PM
bitcruncher Wrote:If somebody was smart, The BEast would soon tell the Gator Bowl to get stuffed.
I agree. South Florida, Connecticut and Cincinnati would have brought a ton of fans to the Gator Bowl. Instead they wanted Virginia. The ACC is the problem friend. If UC brought 8,500+ to Alabama they definitely would have taken over 10,000 for the Gator Bowl, a New Year's Bowl, especially with the geography being perfect. The Big East would probably be better off trying to work out an exclusive deal with the Sun Bowl to be our #2 bowl and then creating a new Florida bowl, hooking up with another BCS conference, and make it a New Year's Bowl.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - 3601 - 12-31-2007 05:42 PM
I sure wish that the University of Memphis could team up with the Liberty Bowl and make the Big East an offer they couldn't refuse.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - cuseroc - 12-31-2007 07:07 PM
3601 Wrote:I sure wish that the University of Memphis could team up with the Liberty Bowl and make the Big East an offer they couldn't refuse.
What is the payout of the liberty Bowl? I thought it was north of $2 million. If they could put the payout somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 million, and play the game on new years, it would be a no brainer. But then again that will probbably never happen. At $3 million dollar payout per team, there would be alot of conferences jockying to be affiliated with that bowl, maybe pushing the BE out of the picture anyway. But it sure would be nice to have a second place bowl that really wants to be affiliated with the BE, and not feel as if they are too good for our league.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - goodknightfl - 12-31-2007 07:13 PM
I think the liberty is supposed to top 2 mil by the end of this tv deal.. I think its something like 1.7 mil now.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - Ring of Black - 12-31-2007 07:37 PM
3601 Wrote:I sure wish that the University of Memphis could team up with the Liberty Bowl and make the Big East an offer they couldn't refuse.
ditto
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - Crimsonelf - 12-31-2007 08:24 PM
cuseroc Wrote:3601 Wrote:I sure wish that the University of Memphis could team up with the Liberty Bowl and make the Big East an offer they couldn't refuse.
What is the payout of the liberty Bowl? I thought it was north of $2 million. If they could put the payout somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 million, and play the game on new years, it would be a no brainer. But then again that will probbably never happen. At $3 million dollar payout per team, there would be alot of conferences jockying to be affiliated with that bowl, maybe pushing the BE out of the picture anyway. But it sure would be nice to have a second place bowl that really wants to be affiliated with the BE, and not feel as if they are too good for our league.
This is still the problem the BE faces, it was glaring in that article not by what Catlett said, but by what he didn't say. Clearly he's acting like the BE doesn't exist in his little mind. The BE is always being deliberately ignored or pushed out of the way. I was really hoping that the next bowl affiliations would be much better for the BE, but now I'm pessimistic. Even if we do create a Tampa bowl, who can we get if this proposed bowl alliance comes to fruition. The best BCS teams not in a BCS bowl will be snatched up for more 'prestigious' bowls against more 'prestigious' teams. What would the BE get? #5-7 B10?
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - 3601 - 12-31-2007 09:18 PM
cuseroc Wrote:3601 Wrote:I sure wish that the University of Memphis could team up with the Liberty Bowl and make the Big East an offer they couldn't refuse.
What is the payout of the liberty Bowl? I thought it was north of $2 million. If they could put the payout somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 million, and play the game on new years, it would be a no brainer. But then again that will probbably never happen. At $3 million dollar payout per team, there would be alot of conferences jockying to be affiliated with that bowl, maybe pushing the BE out of the picture anyway. But it sure would be nice to have a second place bowl that really wants to be affiliated with the BE, and not feel as if they are too good for our league.
$3 Million may be unrealistic, but $2.3-$2.5 may not be. However, I do think that the Memphis corporate community would step up to the plate if it meant BCS inclusion for the University of Memphis.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - SF Husky - 12-31-2007 09:30 PM
3601 Wrote:$3 Million may be unrealistic, but $2.3-$2.5 may not be. However, I do think that the Memphis corporate community would step up to the plate if it meant BCS inclusion for the University of Memphis.
If UM can bring the Liberty Bowl and get it to pay $2.5M per year for the BE, I think UM should be seriously considered. BE needs a stable #2 bowl. Gator sucks and I really don't like the way they do business.
RE: Another Gator Bowl article; Catlett wants changes again. - 3601 - 12-31-2007 10:04 PM
SF Husky Wrote:3601 Wrote:$3 Million may be unrealistic, but $2.3-$2.5 may not be. However, I do think that the Memphis corporate community would step up to the plate if it meant BCS inclusion for the University of Memphis.
If UM can bring the Liberty Bowl and get it to pay $2.5M per year for the BE, I think UM should be seriously considered. BE needs a stable #2 bowl. Gator sucks and I really don't like the way they do business.
There are probably UofM boosters who would personally pay $1 Million to the Liberty Bowl payout if it meant inclusion in a BCS conference for the UofM.