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Full Version: EMU moves Navy game to Ford Field
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When discussing Navy playing in several NFL stadiums the article went on to say "Big Time Games In Big Time Venues".

Well half of that is right anyway.
Dare I say that the only ones that aren't big time are the EMU game and the Tulane games? The Notre Dame, Army, and Air Force games are big to the Navy, and the games against Texas Tech, Colorado St. and New Mexico were bowl games.
I cannot believe that Navy only agreed to play at EMU if the game was in Ford Field. They need to realize that they are not among the likes of Wisconsin and Iowa when it comes to demanding games with MAC teams at NFL arenas. Navy is non-BCS like the rest of us and if I was in charge at EMU I wouldn't have agreed to this one. Either be man enough to play at Rynearson Stadium or it is no deal...
BobcatsFan Wrote:I cannot believe that Navy only agreed to play at EMU if the game was in Ford Field. They need to realize that they are not among the likes of Wisconsin and Iowa when it comes to demanding games with MAC teams at NFL arenas. Navy is non-BCS like the rest of us and if I was in charge at EMU I wouldn't have agreed to this one. Either be man enough to play at Rynearson Stadium or it is no deal...
I didn't see anything that said they wouldn't play at EMU's stadium, unless there was some bickering about it. I doubt Navy would have backed out because there isn't enough time for them to find a new opponent.

There could be the possibility that ticket demand was high (Navy is one of the best "road" teams out there because of the number of servicemen from all of the U.S.) and EMU decided to go with Ford Field as a home stadium to fill that demand.

Also games like these tend to be coordinated by local bowl committees, in this case the Motor City Bowl folks possibly. This is the case in Army playing a "home" game in San Antonio, TX (a large Army area) vs. Texas A&M. The game is being coordinated by the Alamo Bowl Committee. I think you might see more of this as some of these bowl committees try to position themseleves as Notre Dame wants to play one neutral site home game per season and this is one way to show a team like Notre Dame that the can host a regular season game as well.
mattsarz Wrote:
BobcatsFan Wrote:I cannot believe that Navy only agreed to play at EMU if the game was in Ford Field. They need to realize that they are not among the likes of Wisconsin and Iowa when it comes to demanding games with MAC teams at NFL arenas. Navy is non-BCS like the rest of us and if I was in charge at EMU I wouldn't have agreed to this one. Either be man enough to play at Rynearson Stadium or it is no deal...
I didn't see anything that said they wouldn't play at EMU's stadium, unless there was some bickering about it. I doubt Navy would have backed out because there isn't enough time for them to find a new opponent.

There could be the possibility that ticket demand was high (Navy is one of the best "road" teams out there because of the number of servicemen from all of the U.S.) and EMU decided to go with Ford Field as a home stadium to fill that demand.

So you're suggesting that instead of packing EMU's stadium and actually creating a drive for ticket demand- they openly would WANT to put 20-25,000 people in a 70,000 venue not even in the same city?

I doubt it. This sounds like Navy demanded the game be moved and EMU's administration folded like a tent.

It should have stayed at a packed EMU stadium- it would have created a nice game day buzz and made the stadium look great.
Alright then, but does the NCAA still require 15K as average attendance? I can't remember if they do or not. If they do, why not get all the home fans you can claim for the average attendance?

Also, hasn't EMU played a home game in Detroit either against WMU or CMU the past couple years? I don't see them playing either team at Ford Field this year. And it can't hurt the kids who play to say that they've been able to play on an NFL field?

I have Ypsilanti being 40 minutes from Detroit, so its not a hardship to have a home game a short drive away, unlike BGSU playing 2 hours away in Cleveland.
BobcatsFan Wrote:I cannot believe that Navy only agreed to play at EMU if the game was in Ford Field. Either be man enough to play at Rynearson Stadium or it is no deal...

EMU plays an annual game in November at Ford Field.

I don't know why EMU would not have wanted this game at Ford Field.

If the Navy game wasn't at FF there would not be a FF game this year for Eastern.
Personally, I would have liked to have seen this game played at Rynearson. Obviously EMU does not get big crowds at home but this could have been an opportunity to have a decent turnout and assert an actual home field advantage.

Yeah, it's cool I suppose for the kids to say they played at an NFL venue, but these Ford Field games feel more like neutral field than any semblance of a home field advantage.

These games were initially started against CMU two seasons ago and a significant part of that decision had to do with the 15k rule but last year's Ford Field game against WMU only attracted 11k as opposed to 24k the year prior against CMU. So, even the numbers don't really support it.

The EMU coaching staff though likes this for the recruiting opportunity it presents as well.
there is nothing wrong with playing a game in a terrific venue, that just hosted a Super Bowl, and that is only 30 miles away

Coach Genyk wants that "MoTown Feeling" on his team and recruits Detroit hard, so why not play one game a year there? Navy is one of the few teams with a national following, why not play them in downtown Detroit? Sounds like a good plan to me and hopefully will not be at the same time as a UM game.
Vandelay Wrote:there is nothing wrong with playing a game in a terrific venue, that just hosted a Super Bowl, and that is only 30 miles away

Coach Genyk wants that "MoTown Feeling" on his team and recruits Detroit hard, so why not play one game a year there? Navy is one of the few teams with a national following, why not play them in downtown Detroit? Sounds like a good plan to me and hopefully will not be at the same time as a UM game.

Ok, but why not create a true "EMU feeling" and keep it on campus? Not only that but EMU indeed will lose some casual fans that normally would go to on campus games.

I just don't see why it's an advantage to move your biggest home game AWAY from where your team is most comfortable.
The Knight Time Wrote:
Vandelay Wrote:there is nothing wrong with playing a game in a terrific venue, that just hosted a Super Bowl, and that is only 30 miles away

Coach Genyk wants that "MoTown Feeling" on his team and recruits Detroit hard, so why not play one game a year there? Navy is one of the few teams with a national following, why not play them in downtown Detroit? Sounds like a good plan to me and hopefully will not be at the same time as a UM game.

Ok, but why not create a true "EMU feeling" and keep it on campus? Not only that but EMU indeed will lose some casual fans that normally would go to on campus games.

I just don't see why it's an advantage to move your biggest home game AWAY from where your team is most comfortable.

EMU doesn't have any casual fans. You HAVE to be a diehard to watch them play in the Charlie Batch-less era.
rocketfootball Wrote:
The Knight Time Wrote:
Vandelay Wrote:there is nothing wrong with playing a game in a terrific venue, that just hosted a Super Bowl, and that is only 30 miles away

Coach Genyk wants that "MoTown Feeling" on his team and recruits Detroit hard, so why not play one game a year there? Navy is one of the few teams with a national following, why not play them in downtown Detroit? Sounds like a good plan to me and hopefully will not be at the same time as a UM game.

Ok, but why not create a true "EMU feeling" and keep it on campus? Not only that but EMU indeed will lose some casual fans that normally would go to on campus games.

I just don't see why it's an advantage to move your biggest home game AWAY from where your team is most comfortable.

EMU doesn't have any casual fans. You HAVE to be a diehard to watch them play in the Charlie Batch-less era.

I guess maybe you're right. When I watched UCF there on tv the attendance looked like it was in the hundreds. I counted the number of people on the visiting sideline.

I don't get how students there don't atleast get curious to go check out an game of a school in which they attend.
A thought - EMU hosting Navy at Ford Field gives them more shot at reaching attendance marks than playing them at Rynearson.
HuskieDan Wrote:A thought - EMU hosting Navy at Ford Field gives them more shot at reaching attendance marks than playing them at Rynearson.

I don't buy that.
The Knight Time Wrote:
rocketfootball Wrote:
The Knight Time Wrote:
Vandelay Wrote:there is nothing wrong with playing a game in a terrific venue, that just hosted a Super Bowl, and that is only 30 miles away

Coach Genyk wants that "MoTown Feeling" on his team and recruits Detroit hard, so why not play one game a year there? Navy is one of the few teams with a national following, why not play them in downtown Detroit? Sounds like a good plan to me and hopefully will not be at the same time as a UM game.

Ok, but why not create a true "EMU feeling" and keep it on campus? Not only that but EMU indeed will lose some casual fans that normally would go to on campus games.

I just don't see why it's an advantage to move your biggest home game AWAY from where your team is most comfortable.

EMU doesn't have any casual fans. You HAVE to be a diehard to watch them play in the Charlie Batch-less era.

I guess maybe you're right. When I watched UCF there on tv the attendance looked like it was in the hundreds. I counted the number of people on the visiting sideline.

I don't get how students there don't atleast get curious to go check out an game of a school in which they attend.

Maybe having their stadium about one mile from the Big House makes the difference. Michigan has over 100K at home and often plays at the same time that EMU plays. EMU doesn't even try to change to a night game to avoid them.....or at least not all the time. I remember when UT played at EMU in 2004, Michigan was hosting someone at the same time. The blimp had a shot of both stadiums at the same time because they are so close together. It was actually a pretty cool shot from the blimp.
It didn't dawn on me until now that EMU-Navy is being played on 11/11, aka Veteran's Day.

Michigan is on the road that week at Indiana.
yes, it is on Veterans Day and yes the day selected is a day that UofM is off and yes it is more convenient for Navy fans (no matter where they are from) to visit Ford Field and yes sometimes Nov 11 is cold in S.E. Michigan.

I have no proof of what I'm about to say, but I suspect more Navy fans will show up in downtown Detroit then Ypsilanti. I just don't think Navy fans would get excited about coming to Rynearson.

Matter of fact, I went to ONE Eastern game last year (I don't live in the midwest these days) and it was the WMU game at Ford Field. I passed up a September day in Ypsi for a November day at Ford Field. :shhh:

Ford Field was an attraction to me (I sometimes make the Motor City Bowl if I'm in town for Christmas).
Quote:It didn't dawn on me until now that EMU-Navy is being played on 11/11, aka Veteran's Day.

Okay, that move makes a LOT more sense now...

And I'm sure no one is more frustrated with EMU's attendance struggles than EMU fans. But I don't know of too many programs that would be able to build a fan base five minutes down Washtenaw Ave. from Michigan Stadium, no matter who they are...
Rynearson is one of my favorite stadiums.
With a top notch scoreboard it would rank at or near the MAC's best.
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