(11-30-2013 10:34 PM)fedale Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 10:26 PM)MUTeke Wrote:  They deserve to host just as much as we do.

When you can't fill your stadium, and both teams have the same conference record... I think the better attended team should host. It will look absolutely terrible for ESPN to show the CUSA Championship game in front of 500 fans.

Our conference looks bad as it is...

Dude? Really? Attendance?

(12-01-2013 12:26 AM)exCincy Kid1 Wrote:  Attendance smack is weak.

Your attendance IS weak... just like your football team.

(11-30-2013 10:55 PM)Caelligh Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 10:34 PM)fedale Wrote:  When you can't fill your stadium, and both teams have the same conference record... I think the better attended team should host. It will look absolutely terrible for ESPN to show the CUSA Championship game in front of 500 fans.

So you'd graciously decline to host if you were playing a team with higher attendance than Marshall? Are there other aspects of college sports where you think attendance ought to trump the merits of the teams?

And how do you figure in the potential for a championship game in Houston to generate new attendees from the local population? There are 2.1 million people in Houston vs. 50,000 in Huntington.

Rice is no less deserving than Marshall.

Is Rice more deserving than Marshall? No.
Is Marshall more deserving than Rice? No.

Both teams have played very good seasons and have earned the right to represent their divisions in the CUSA Championship game. However if I were CUSA I would want the best product for TV. This is why a lot of bowl games pick teams that travel well. You may really have 20k there but that place looks real empty and it comes across very bad on TV. It doesn't matter what Rice thinks, what Marshall thinks, or what any other CUSA school thinks. When the people at the networks see that they are less likely to bid on the games in the future. When the fans are going through the channels they are less likely to watch that game. I don't know why you all have that big of a stadium but much like Tulane is doing I think Rice needs to invest in stadium that fits their fans and doesn't make them appear to have no fans. Every time they cut to Joe Montana today there was hardly anyone around him in those stands.

When there is no crowd or at least a crowd that is too spread out the game is a boring watch for the casual fan and that is the fan that TV networks are concerned about. They don't care about us because they already have our viewership.

Like I said we both equally deserve the game I just think it would be in CUSA's best interest if it were in Huntington. Heck I would be in favor of a neutral site game like other conferences do.

(11-30-2013 10:36 PM)MUTeke Wrote:  They had about 5,000 less today than we did on Friday.

(11-30-2013 11:41 PM)owl40 Wrote:  Two things..One is 'optics' of TV and other is who will host..

On optics, this is all about TV..that is all. Marshall and Rice are actually ranked very close in overall home attendance (see link below..just 4K difference) and Rice is in the middle of C-USA in attendance.

http://www.collegefootballuniverseblog.c...stics.html

If you have been to HRS, you know stadium is big and most all fans sit on 'home side.' (even many visiting fans) We could do season tickets on both sides of 50 to 'fill-out' for TV purposes but many fans sit on Rice side for a variety of reasons but one of them is the sun faces visitors and fans don't like to face sun during games (most are very hot) and visiting teams end-up finding other seats b/c of the sun. That exacerbates the 'optics' for TV even though you have fans from goalline-to-goaline on the home/west side.

If game is at HRS, we are not going to do a 'UAB' and switch the home/visitor sides just for TV purposes but we actually had one of the best crowds on home sidelines of the year today. It was full. Unfortunately, it did not translate to TV but Rice fans were really into the game and expect same if Rice hosts on Saturday.

If we do get to host, I would expect the Rice student section to make a presence on TV as they so sit behind the visitor bench. Most are still gone from Thanksgiving break so their seat section was noticeably absent today which exacerbates the 'optics'.

On second point of where should game be played...the game itself should be played on neutral field. C-USA has a very high number of teams (including Rice and Marshall) ranked in top-20 of biggest home-field advantages nationally. I do think the team that hosts will win the game. A&M losing tonight did not help Rice.

Will see if Doc or Bailiff vote for themselves or call a 'friend' in coaching to get them a top-25 vote that could override the computers. It is going to be close tiebreaker and some back-office politics could play a role in where the game gets played b/c of how human/computer rankings happen for lower ranked teams in BCS like Marshall and Rice. Just takes one coaches vote to sway the BCS rankings..

If Rice had 20,000 then Marshall had 60,000.

Wait, people decide what games to watch based on the crowd on TV? What?

ECU is more deserving than Marshall to host the championship game because they have a larger average home crowd than Marshall. Thankfully, C-USA, in its infinite wisdom, doesn't factor in attendance in deciding who should host the game.

I watched both games and I was surprised at the lack of attendance at both games.

What is wrong with CUSA football?

ECU vs. Marshall is a rivalry game and it wasn't a sell out!

Rice vs. Tulane was for the west title and no one was there!

Shameful.

I sat at home wishing I had a meaningful game to attend.

Neither team should get a top 25 vote. That being the case, I don't think Marshall will jump Rice in BCS standings. The game should be in Houston.

(11-30-2013 10:04 PM)fedale Wrote:  Discuss.

I don't see in the current Conference USA rules where attendance is a qualifier for game location. Lucky for Rice, neither there is also no douchey troll requirement because you've clearly pushed Marshall into the lead in that category.

If attendance is the qualifier for hosting the championship game, the head on over to ECU. We got attendance.

(11-30-2013 10:55 PM)Caelligh Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 10:34 PM)fedale Wrote:  When you can't fill your stadium, and both teams have the same conference record... I think the better attended team should host. It will look absolutely terrible for ESPN to show the CUSA Championship game in front of 500 fans.

So you'd graciously decline to host if you were playing a team with higher attendance than Marshall? Are there other aspects of college sports where you think attendance ought to trump the merits of the teams?

This.

Odd suggestion and encouragement of "creative" attendance reporting.

(11-30-2013 10:34 PM)fedale Wrote:  

(11-30-2013 10:26 PM)MUTeke Wrote:  They deserve to host just as much as we do.

When you can't fill your stadium, and both teams have the same conference record... I think the better attended team should host. It will look absolutely terrible for ESPN to show the CUSA Championship game in front of 500 fans.

Our conference looks bad as it is...

No, you look bad. Rice players have put as much effort into their season as ours. Like us, they want to host. Attendance is irrelevant, but we have not significantly overpowered them in attendance. You do understand their stadium is much larger than the Joan. Ours will look more full regardless of actual numbers.

As a Marshall alumnus, I am embarrassed by your ignorance and humiliated by your arrogance. Keep the douchebag comments to yourself.

(11-30-2013 10:04 PM)fedale Wrote:  Discuss.

dumb***.

Why not have it at Houston's stadium? It will look better on TV. Unless they hve a game this week

We beat ECU. All other programs should bow at our feet right? Prove to us that you are worthy! Ridiculous

Wow, haven't even won a championship and already talking like a Louisville fan...

I'm not asking if the team deserves it, I'm asking if the fan base deserves it.

Hopefully this riles up the 100 Rice fans enough though and gets them to bring 10 people each.

(12-01-2013 08:06 AM)fedale Wrote:  I'm not asking if the team deserves it, I'm asking if the fan base deserves it.

Hopefully this riles up the 100 Rice fans enough though and gets them to bring 10 people each.

Your photos are the visiting and students side of the stadium. The press box is above the home side. We had 20,000 and the lower bowl on the Rice side was mostly full. The students were on Thanksgiving break.

Give it a rest. You do realize Rice has 3,800 undergraduate students, 2,500 graduate students, and 52,000 living alumni? The University of Houston also played a home game Friday, in Reliant Stadium against SMU, and drew 23,000. You will not get any apologies for our attendance against Tulane.

(11-30-2013 10:04 PM)fedale Wrote:  Discuss.

Why not..They earned that right.

(12-01-2013 08:06 AM)fedale Wrote:  I'm not asking if the team deserves it, I'm asking if the fan base deserves it.

Hopefully this riles up the 100 Rice fans enough though and gets them to bring 10 people each.

Well that is not was your initial post said…Also Marshall talking attendance smack is a little silly. It is not like you guys have been filling up your stadium…Are you scared???