Rick Chryst was on Cleveland's news radio WTAM 1100 and from Detroit announced a three-year agreement to play the MACC in Detroit, beginning this December. There may be an extension of that agreement in due time. He also discussed several players, key games, partnering with the Big Ten on reply, and other topics.
This is a good move for the MAC. I hope it continues the positive momentum of the conference throughout the next few seasons with great fan support and quality games.
Eh, I think it's so-so. Most people agreed that Cincy would have been interesting or Canton.
The move to get to a neutral site was good. But, it needed to be a move that brought in a new venue and attracted new media and fans.
This was a lateral move. Good b/c the MAC now is on a higher level, like other conferences it plays it's CG in a NFL stadium. Not-so-good, b/c it was already so closely tied to that facility.
I don't think it's a problem that we have those games back to back at Ford.
We play 4 games a year at the Gund (1 in Decmeber and 3 in March the last 5 years) and KSU fans love to go to that great facility every time. When your team is winning, the fans are excited for each game. I know it's a little different for hoops because the March games are on consecutive nights, but if they were a week apart, the fans would still go, in relatively good numbers.
I think the only situation where this might not be true is when the loser of the MACC game gets the Ford bowl game. Those fans might have lost some steam, despite being in a bowl game.
axeme Wrote:I don't think it's a problem that we have those games back to back at Ford.
We play 4 games a year at the Gund (1 in Decmeber and 3 in March the last 5 years) and KSU fans love to go to that great facility every time.
I know it's a little different for hoops
Plus it's basketball, and if 1000 people show up, it's a good crowd.
Football has higher expectations.
axeme Wrote:I don't think it's a problem that we have those games back to back at Ford.
Obviously, its not a problem for you guys Axe. :wave:
I agree with Torch.
Neutral field=step in the right direction.
Ford Field=eh, not so sure.
As a good friend of mine once said, though, Rick Chryst has made enough right calls at this point that I'm willing to see how it works out.
OVERHERD Wrote:axeme Wrote:I don't think it's a problem that we have those games back to back at Ford.
Obviously, its not a problem for you guys Axe. :wave:
Oh, you've done it now, OH!
Just for that, we're going to WIN the East this year.
We just never wanted to before.
And now we do.
OK, Scorch--1000 is a good crowd at BG; capacity isn't it? And when you draw us in the first round at the Gund, what's the point in sending all that orange clear across state just for 1 game?
axeme Wrote:OVERHERD Wrote:axeme Wrote:I don't think it's a problem that we have those games back to back at Ford.
Obviously, its not a problem for you guys Axe. :wave:
Oh, you've done it now, OH!
Just for that, we're going to WIN the East this year.
We just never wanted to before.
And now we do.
Oh no, I've awakened a sleeping giant.
Luckily, he looks like this:
![[Image: 25giant.jpg]](http://www.vegalleries.com/newdis/25giant.jpg)
I like the choice for several reasons:
- It's a midpoint for most MAC teams.
- Ford Field is an excellent place to watch a game.
- Weather is not a factor
- Thousands of MAC alums in the area.
It doesn't bother me that one team will play in the same stadium weeks later. We're in a northern conference playing in a northern bowl. Bonus for many fans that don't care to travel far away.
Vandelay Wrote:Rick Chryst was on Cleveland's news radio WTAM 1100 and from Detroit announced a three-year agreement to play the MACC in Detroit, beginning this December. There may be an extension of that agreement in due time.
I wonder if an extention of the MACC agreement in Detroit will depend on whether the MAC has 12 schools in a couple of years after the attendance requirements claim their dead.....
FWIW, and it ain't worth much, here's some opinions from Spartantailgate.com.
<a href='http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72326' target='_blank'>MACC in Detroit - Spartantailgate.com</a>
D.E. - ignore MSU fans' opinions.
If they were advising us, we moved down to I-AA.
They'll never see and appreciate the linear growth in MAC FB the last 8 years (they probably wish their stocks had grown with such a solid growth pattern with no ups and downs or crashes as has MAC FB).
DexterEagle Wrote:FWIW, and it ain't worth much, here's some opinions from Spartantailgate.com.
<a href='http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72326' target='_blank'>MACC in Detroit - Spartantailgate.com</a>
My favorite comment, from "SLU Law Spartan:"
dellusion of grandure by the MAC.
:rofl:
DexterEagle Wrote:FWIW, and it ain't worth much, here's some opinions from Spartantailgate.com.
<a href='http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72326' target='_blank'>MACC in Detroit - Spartantailgate.com</a>
Doesn't the SEC play its championship game in Atlanta, home of the Peach Bowl?
I don't think there is anything wrong with playing our championship game in one of the cities which hosts our bowl game.
Its way better than having the divisional champ with the best winning percentage host the championship game like CUSA. If Tulsa is hosting the game they'll be lucky to get 10,000 in there.
At least with holding a MAC Championship at Ford Field, it should be good for at least 20,000 even if its Ball State vs. Kent State with the local support. And don't forget if Ball or Kent did play in the championship game, they'd travel a lot better than usual because of how rare success has been for them.
Schadenfreude Wrote:DexterEagle Wrote:FWIW, and it ain't worth much, here's some opinions from Spartantailgate.com.
<a href='http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72326' target='_blank'>MACC in Detroit - Spartantailgate.com</a>
My favorite comment, from "SLU Law Spartan:"
dellusion of grandure by the MAC.
:rofl:
:rofl:
Yeah, there is obviously no "grandure" at that law school.
Are they still bitter about those Chippewa defeats years ago?
Ouch, this sucks. Maybe somebody should have pointed out that Detroit is a ******** before decided to have the conference championship game there only a few weeks before the Motor City Bowl. Having 20,000 butts in a 70,000 seat stadium isn't gonna look that great on television either, not a great marketing move by the MAC. Maybe in 3 years they will wise up and move it to Canton or Columbus
Yeah, because the neighborhood that the Crew Stadium is in is sooooo much better than Detroit. :rolleyes:
I will point out once again: people thought we were nuts to move our basketball tournament from a 4,000 seat convention center to Gund Arena. They claimed we'd never need all those seats, and we'd look foolish in that cavernous arena. Well, five years later, we're having quarterfinal crowds bigger than what we had for our finals in toledo, and we're consistently over 10,000 for the finals... 2.5 times what we ever could have hoped for in the SeaGate Centre.
This will work. And we don't need a high school stadium or a soccer stadium to make it work.
I agree. I think we'll be close to 30,000 people from the get go and start growing from there.
As is always the case, it'll depend on the match-up. If you get UT, BG, or a Michigan school representing the West, they'll be a good crowd. As I've already mentioned, I do worry about a team playing at Ford Field in the MACC and then coming back 2 weeks later there in the MCB. Will fans go twice? Guess we'll find out.
If this game can move to a Friday or Saturday in the future, it would obviously help the turnout quite a bit.......if Miami wins the East this year I may go to the MACC, but I'd like to take my 11 year old son (already a big MU fan), but no way as it's during a school week and it's a 5 hour drive for us. Bummer.