UC's current plan is to wrap-up spring football without a spring game at Nippert Stadium. Instead, UC will hold a practice open to the public on Saturday, April 6, at the Sheakley Athletic Facility. That would be a missed opportunity.
Why "shrink" the spring game experience, and reduce it to practice at a facility that holds 1,500 to 2,000 fans? This is the first chance to expose and hype a new style of football under a new coach. Act big, be proud, shine the spotlight on a new era of football with Tommy Tuberville. UC wants to take a step forward and up with Tuberville. UC is facing conference uncertainty and the need to renovate Nippert Stadium. UC needs support and investment from the fan base.
Use that day to promote the state of and future of UC football. Post plans for the renovated Nippert around the stadium for fans to look at. Run promos on the video board during stops in play. Have UC marketing/ticketing people walk around Nippert to hand out season ticket information and answer questions. Call every youth football coach in Greater Cincinnati and invite his team to attend the game. Gotta grow Bearcats fans.
Make the day a Bearcat Doubleheader Saturday:
UC baseball plays Louisville at GABP that afternoon at 1:15. The game follows Reds vs Nationals. Run promos with Tuberville and UC baseball coach Brian Clearly prompting fans to watch the Reds, stick around for UC baseball and then meet up at Nippert for UC Spring Football 2013.
It's Final Four Saturday for college basketball that day. If that is a concern, then flip the day.
Hold the spring football game at 10am. Make it Bearcat Bowl/Breakfast with the Bearcats. Serve breakfast, make it a tailgating affair. Upon completion of the spring game, invite fans to board shuttles to GABP for the Reds-Nationals, followed by Bearcats vs Cardinals.
Keep in mind, one week later Ohio State rolls into town with 60,000+ for the spring game at PBS. Kentucky announced this week that they have give away over 33,000 tickets to their spring game. Louisville is promoting their spring game as a $1 beer day.
UC has too much to promote, sell and build on, to reduce the spring game to an open practice in front of a maximum of 2,000 fans. Go big. Go Bearcats. Don't downsize UC football.
We kind of have to downsize since Urban now "owns" and "smothers" Cincinnati!
Ok, just being sarcastic. I too wish we went the game route. A couple years ago it was a nighttime game if I recall, great weather with a soccer game and baseball game going on the same night. Basically had all kinds of events going on and really brought out a nice crowd. But too late to do anything now unfortunately.
UC does not want to have comparisons in attendance for spring games this year with osu coming to town. UC has nothing to gain by having a spring game and people using it against them when osu will have 10x the number of people at their spring game. Unfortunately, this is reality and why there is no "spring game"
Down the line i hope they go game, but new coach and a totally new set of schemes to install. i'll defer to what Coach Tubs feels is best for his squad.
(03-07-2013 01:40 PM)eroc Wrote: [ -> ]Down the line i hope they go game, but new coach and a totally new set of schemes to install. i'll defer to what Coach Tubs feels is best for his squad.
Agree. I can see everything being new they don't want the distraction of that and want to keep it more low key. But I do think in terms of selling tix and excitement, there's a lot of buzz over his hiring and with the new schedule coming out and people talking/thinking about UC football, and simple anger and spite over OSU having their event here in town, there was an opportunity to make this a big event and get some good numbers out for it. But in Tubs I trust so if he thinks it is best to focus on the football and not scrimmages that's good enough for me.
Great decision not to have one this year, particularly with the OSU sideshow @ PBS. 10,000 people in Clifton that day could have made for a terrific afternoon for UC football fans--that is until the aforementioned Lance used that attendance to hammer UC fans for not turning out like the 50-60,000 who pour in with all their kinfolk from the hinterlands to worship the Buckeyes. The fact that spring football isn't a big deal here doesn't diminish the fact that we're (still) a high level BCS program. So we don't turn folks out for meaningless spring football like Fayetteville, AR, or Oxford, MS or Columbus, OH. I'd rather be part of a major league city anyday.
A spring game is Tradition and a right of Spring. I have been VERY disappointed in the last 2 years! We have lost the chance to sell tickets, enjoy the beautiful campus, take over Cincy day on campus and Downtown with the Reds etc. THIS IS A VERY NON BCS MOVE! just sayin.....
I just remember being in awe with about 20k fans and TV only a couple years ago!
If he was actually paying attention, Mcalister would know that TT has said he wants to limit it to a practice because of issues regarding the number of players at certain positions, health issues, etc...Maybe instead of posting some whiny blog post full of rhetorical questions, he should pick up the phone and talk to the coach. Guess that's asking too much. Just more of the same pot stirring.
BTW, there will be a breakfast event for it with the 1200 Club.
As far as tO$U goes, somehow I doubt there will be 60,000+ there at $18 a pop, at least not many local football fans. If experience is any predictor, Cincinnati sports fans are way too tight to fork out that kind of money, plus pay for downtown parking for a meaningless spring football game of an out of town school on probation. Hopefully the weather is terrible that day.
UC's current plan is to wrap-up spring football without a spring game at Nippert Stadium. Instead, UC will hold a practice open to the public on Saturday, April 6, at the Sheakley Athletic Facility. That would be a missed opportunity.
Why "shrink" the spring game experience, and reduce it to practice at a facility that holds 1,500 to 2,000 fans? This is the first chance to expose and hype a new style of football under a new coach. Act big, be proud, shine the spotlight on a new era of football with Tommy Tuberville. UC wants to take a step forward and up with Tuberville. UC is facing conference uncertainty and the need to renovate Nippert Stadium. UC needs support and investment from the fan base.
Use that day to promote the state of and future of UC football. Post plans for the renovated Nippert around the stadium for fans to look at. Run promos on the video board during stops in play. Have UC marketing/ticketing people walk around Nippert to hand out season ticket information and answer questions. Call every youth football coach in Greater Cincinnati and invite his team to attend the game. Gotta grow Bearcats fans.
Make the day a Bearcat Doubleheader Saturday:
UC baseball plays Louisville at GABP that afternoon at 1:15. The game follows Reds vs Nationals. Run promos with Tuberville and UC baseball coach Brian Clearly prompting fans to watch the Reds, stick around for UC baseball and then meet up at Nippert for UC Spring Football 2013.
It's Final Four Saturday for college basketball that day. If that is a concern, then flip the day.
Hold the spring football game at 10am. Make it Bearcat Bowl/Breakfast with the Bearcats. Serve breakfast, make it a tailgating affair. Upon completion of the spring game, invite fans to board shuttles to GABP for the Reds-Nationals, followed by Bearcats vs Cardinals.
Keep in mind, one week later Ohio State rolls into town with 60,000+ for the spring game at PBS. Kentucky announced this week that they have give away over 33,000 tickets to their spring game. Louisville is promoting their spring game as a $1 beer day.
UC has too much to promote, sell and build on, to reduce the spring game to an open practice in front of a maximum of 2,000 fans. Go big. Go Bearcats. Don't downsize UC football.
