(12-17-2014 11:25 PM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 11:21 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 12:35 AM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-07-2014 06:00 PM)SApuro Wrote:  Would have much rather seen Rice in the HoD bowl.

Problem is, Rice in any bowl means no fans. Thats why hawaii is a good choice because no fans ever go to that one.

(12-09-2014 12:40 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  We sent pretty good crowds to the AF Bowl in Fort Worth, New Orleans Bowl and Texas Bowl. HOD would have been a good draw for us.

I agree. I was at Liberty Bowl for Rice vs Miss. State in Memphis last year. Rice travels pretty well for a school of its size (second-smallest in Div I). We probably send a higher percentage than most bigger schools. Bang for the buck.

Why don't they travel for the cusa title game? Or any home games? Why is the bowl different?

Serious question, not meant to be trash talk.

OK, serious answer. I think nobody, including marshall, travels as well for a CC game as a bowl. First, a lot of people can afford the time and money for only one trip, and by the time a team gets to a CC game, it is nearly always a lock for a bowl. Second is the destination. Most bowl destinations are more attractive than either Huntingdon or Houston. Third, in this case, is distance. A bowl game in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, or Shreveport is within easy travel distance for probably 80% of Rice alumni. Albuquerque a little tougher. I bet a bowl game a couple of hundred miles from Huntington is attractive to a lot more Herd fans than a CC game in Houston.

(12-17-2014 11:45 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 11:25 PM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 11:21 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 12:35 AM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-07-2014 06:00 PM)SApuro Wrote:  Would have much rather seen Rice in the HoD bowl.

Problem is, Rice in any bowl means no fans. Thats why hawaii is a good choice because no fans ever go to that one.

(12-09-2014 12:40 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  We sent pretty good crowds to the AF Bowl in Fort Worth, New Orleans Bowl and Texas Bowl. HOD would have been a good draw for us.

I agree. I was at Liberty Bowl for Rice vs Miss. State in Memphis last year. Rice travels pretty well for a school of its size (second-smallest in Div I). We probably send a higher percentage than most bigger schools. Bang for the buck.

Why don't they travel for the cusa title game? Or any home games? Why is the bowl different?

Serious question, not meant to be trash talk.

OK, serious answer. I think nobody, including marshall, travels as well for a CC game as a bowl. First, a lot of people can afford the time and money for only one trip, and by the time a team gets to a CC game, it is nearly always a lock for a bowl. Second is the destination. Most bowl destinations are more attractive than either Huntingdon or Houston. Third, in this case, is distance. A bowl game in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, or Shreveport is within easy travel distance for probably 80% of Rice alumni. Albuquerque a little tougher. I bet a bowl game a couple of hundred miles from Huntington is attractive to a lot more Herd fans than a CC game in Houston.

For sure a bowl game close by is more attractive than a cross country trip to houston. But a CC game in huntington is more attractive than any bowl game as well. Is houston not a center point for alumni? Why not make the trip to a few games and the title game at home?
Rice's program has been doing very well lately, just seems like Houston would get behind them a bit more.

(12-18-2014 01:35 AM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 11:45 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 11:25 PM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 11:21 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 12:35 AM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  Problem is, Rice in any bowl means no fans. Thats why hawaii is a good choice because no fans ever go to that one.

(12-09-2014 12:40 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  We sent pretty good crowds to the AF Bowl in Fort Worth, New Orleans Bowl and Texas Bowl. HOD would have been a good draw for us.

I agree. I was at Liberty Bowl for Rice vs Miss. State in Memphis last year. Rice travels pretty well for a school of its size (second-smallest in Div I). We probably send a higher percentage than most bigger schools. Bang for the buck.

Why don't they travel for the cusa title game? Or any home games? Why is the bowl different?

Serious question, not meant to be trash talk.

OK, serious answer. I think nobody, including marshall, travels as well for a CC game as a bowl. First, a lot of people can afford the time and money for only one trip, and by the time a team gets to a CC game, it is nearly always a lock for a bowl. Second is the destination. Most bowl destinations are more attractive than either Huntingdon or Houston. Third, in this case, is distance. A bowl game in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, or Shreveport is within easy travel distance for probably 80% of Rice alumni. Albuquerque a little tougher. I bet a bowl game a couple of hundred miles from Huntington is attractive to a lot more Herd fans than a CC game in Houston.

For sure a bowl game close by is more attractive than a cross country trip to houston. But a CC game in huntington is more attractive than any bowl game as well. Is houston not a center point for alumni? Why not make the trip to a few games and the title game at home?
Rice's program has been doing very well lately, just seems like Houston would get behind them a bit more.

Nah. It's not like we are the only game in town.

(12-18-2014 01:35 AM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 11:45 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 11:25 PM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 11:21 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 12:35 AM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  Problem is, Rice in any bowl means no fans. Thats why hawaii is a good choice because no fans ever go to that one.

(12-09-2014 12:40 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  We sent pretty good crowds to the AF Bowl in Fort Worth, New Orleans Bowl and Texas Bowl. HOD would have been a good draw for us.

I agree. I was at Liberty Bowl for Rice vs Miss. State in Memphis last year. Rice travels pretty well for a school of its size (second-smallest in Div I). We probably send a higher percentage than most bigger schools. Bang for the buck.

Why don't they travel for the cusa title game? Or any home games? Why is the bowl different?

Serious question, not meant to be trash talk.

OK, serious answer. I think nobody, including marshall, travels as well for a CC game as a bowl. First, a lot of people can afford the time and money for only one trip, and by the time a team gets to a CC game, it is nearly always a lock for a bowl. Second is the destination. Most bowl destinations are more attractive than either Huntingdon or Houston. Third, in this case, is distance. A bowl game in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, or Shreveport is within easy travel distance for probably 80% of Rice alumni. Albuquerque a little tougher. I bet a bowl game a couple of hundred miles from Huntington is attractive to a lot more Herd fans than a CC game in Houston.

For sure a bowl game close by is more attractive than a cross country trip to houston. But a CC game in huntington is more attractive than any bowl game as well. Is houston not a center point for alumni? Why not make the trip to a few games and the title game at home?
Rice's program has been doing very well lately, just seems like Houston would get behind them a bit more.

Unfortunately Houston (the city) is mostly a pro sports town. I still don't see why we can't do better with some better marketing, especially to the med center and surrounding neighborhoods, but UH has struggles too, especially given the size of their alumni base in Houston relative to ours.

Regarding last years CC game, I had high hopes for a good turnout. But there was truly awful weather. I had to make a call in the morning whether it was going to be safe to drive down to Houston. Remember, this is Texas, even a little bit of ice or snow paralyzes us....

(12-18-2014 11:49 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 01:35 AM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 11:45 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(12-17-2014 11:25 PM)goherd24herdfans Wrote:  

(12-09-2014 11:21 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  I agree. I was at Liberty Bowl for Rice vs Miss. State in Memphis last year. Rice travels pretty well for a school of its size (second-smallest in Div I). We probably send a higher percentage than most bigger schools. Bang for the buck.

Why don't they travel for the cusa title game? Or any home games? Why is the bowl different?

Serious question, not meant to be trash talk.

OK, serious answer. I think nobody, including marshall, travels as well for a CC game as a bowl. First, a lot of people can afford the time and money for only one trip, and by the time a team gets to a CC game, it is nearly always a lock for a bowl. Second is the destination. Most bowl destinations are more attractive than either Huntingdon or Houston. Third, in this case, is distance. A bowl game in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, or Shreveport is within easy travel distance for probably 80% of Rice alumni. Albuquerque a little tougher. I bet a bowl game a couple of hundred miles from Huntington is attractive to a lot more Herd fans than a CC game in Houston.

For sure a bowl game close by is more attractive than a cross country trip to houston. But a CC game in huntington is more attractive than any bowl game as well. Is houston not a center point for alumni? Why not make the trip to a few games and the title game at home?
Rice's program has been doing very well lately, just seems like Houston would get behind them a bit more.

Unfortunately Houston (the city) is mostly a pro sports town. I still don't see why we can't do better with some better marketing, especially to the med center and surrounding neighborhoods, but UH has struggles too, especially given the size of their alumni base in Houston relative to ours.

Regarding last years CC game, I had high hopes for a good turnout. But there was truly awful weather. I had to make a call in the morning whether it was going to be safe to drive down to Houston. Remember, this is Texas, even a little bit of ice or snow paralyzes us....

Expanding on that, Houston has all the pro sports, UH, and a lot of Texas Aggies and UT Longhorns who don't give a flip about us. In addition, traffic in Houston is a nightmare, and lots o9f people who live there won't bother to make the trip to Rice Stadium because it could be a 90 minute 15 mile drive. I once tried to get a couple of mu old roommates to meet with me for a beer, and they both balked at going to the other's side of town because of the drive - one was north Houston, the other southwest. so we met in the middle and both of them griped.

I don't know what you have to compete with in Huntington for butts-in-seats. I don't know how difficult it is to get to home games. But I bet you have it easier than us, plus a larger enrollment and a larger alumni base.

It's really apples and oranges.

Is there a rail system in Houston? If not, then it's due. Houston is too big not to have one.

(12-18-2014 12:52 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  Is there a rail system in Houston? If not, then it's due. Houston is too big not to have one.

We have one line open, running from the NRG Stadium/Astrodome area to the north, and ending near Northline Mall. It runs past the eastern edge of the Rice campus, but a considerable walk to the football stadium. Two new lines open early next year going to the southeast (and through the University of Houston) and to the east side. Past that, funding is a problem. Plans are in place for an east-west connector from Midtown to south of the Galleria, and another north-south line for Bellaire, the Galleria, and Northwest Mall. But there is no money and no timetable for construction.

(12-18-2014 01:46 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 12:52 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  Is there a rail system in Houston? If not, then it's due. Houston is too big not to have one.

We have one line open, running from the NRG Stadium/Astrodome area to the north, and ending near Northline Mall. It runs past the eastern edge of the Rice campus, but a considerable walk to the football stadium. Two new lines open early next year going to the southeast (and through the University of Houston) and to the east side. Past that, funding is a problem. Plans are in place for an east-west connector from Midtown to south of the Galleria, and another north-south line for Bellaire, the Galleria, and Northwest Mall. But there is no money and no timetable for construction.

Also, Houston is huge, but urban sprawl makes a rail system less practical than in more compact cities. Wouldn't be able to get to a stop without driving a while anyway