So maybe I lied about it being my last post.....
Buck, well I'm glad that you and I finally agree on something
Frank, I think that's a mighty wide net you're casting there.
Frank-The-Tank wrote:
I like ECU and in terms of fan base attendance and overall football play over the past decade, it's likely the best of the C-USA options on paper. The problem is that I just don't think anyone outside of North Carolina and maybe some contingent areas in Virginia realizes it - there is virtually no national opinion about ECU (good, bad or indifferent). Memphis has a horrid football program, but they've played enough elite level basketball games where at least the average person off the street will hear the school's name and say, "Oh, that's a major basketball program." I'm not saying Memphis is a great option, either, as they truly have been terrible in football, yet there's some national name recognition.
Does the average sports fan in California or the Midwest turn on a football game to watch ECU just because ECU is involved? If we're being honest here, probably not. What about TCU? Well, that's likely a different answer.
I don't know, but I'm pretty sure Miami fans know us, as do Texas Tech Fans, Boise State Fans, Stanford Fans...even those in Arkansas and Kentucky as they barely beat us.
Outside of Oregon and Southern Cal, I really have no desire to watch west coast teams. With that said, I wouldn't tune in to watch most Big East matchups unless one was nationally ranked....Well, maybe West Virginia.
Based on bowl game TV Ratings compiled over the last 8 years from
http://www.bcsfootball.org, this is interesting.
1. West Virginia* 8 bowl apearances Avg Rating 4.903
2. Pitt* 5 bowl appearances Avg Rating 3.958
3. Louisville* 4 bowl appearances Avg Rating 3.840
4. Cincinnatti* 6 bowl appearances Avg Rating 3.412
5. TCU* 7 bowl appearances Avg Rating 2.906
6. UCF 3 bowl appearances Avg Rating 2.743
7. ECU 4 bowl appearances Avg Rating 2.555
8. UConn 4 bowl appearances Avg Rating 2.345
9. Marshall 3 bowl appearances Avg Rating 2.290
10. Navy 6 bowl appearances Avg Rating 2.238
11. Temple 1 bowl appearance Avg Rating 2.200
12. Rutgers 5 bowl appearances Avg Rating 2.046
13. Houston 6 bowl appearances Avg Rating 1.923
14. Syracuse 1 bowl appearance Avg Rating 1.900
15. Memphis 5 bowl appearances Avg Rating 1.748
16. South Florida 5 bowl appearances Avg Rating 1.612
* indicates teams with at least 1 BCS bowl appearance.
I think both ECU and UCF are doing very well. We'd both be in the middle of the pack in the Big East.
Houston's got 6 bowl appearances, which is good, but only musters an average rating of 1.923. Memphis, with 5 bowl appearances, has an average rating of 1.748.