per Roger Dunaway, Tulane assistant AD

Quote:A new era begins for Tulane University and Green Wave Athletics this year with a new university president, the university’s entrance into the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and a return to campus to play football in the new Yulman Stadium.

On Monday (Aug. 11) three of these entities will be showcased when new Tulane President Michael A. Fitts and Director of Athletics Rick Dickson host a press conference with AAC commissioner Mike Aresco in the new Yulman Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Following the press conference, a media tour of the stadium will be conducted by Dickson and Aresco.

Video and audio from the press conference will be streamed live on the official athletics website.

The press conference will mark the first event in the new stadium as well as the first public event for President Fitts. Aresco's visit to New Orleans will be the first since Tulane entered the league this past July.

Tulane will kick off the 2014 season on Thursday, Aug. 28, when the Green Wave travels to Oklahoma to take on fellow AAC newcomer Tulsa at 7 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network before opening the home portion of the schedule on Saturday (Sept. 6) against Georgia Tech at 3 p.m. in the new, on-campus Yulman Stadium in front of a national audience on ESPNews.

For season ticket information, which features packages starting as low as $200, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE (9283).
The Tulane Ticket Office is located on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center and is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, log onto the official website.

(08-11-2014 08:20 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  per Roger Dunaway, Tulane assistant AD

Quote:A new era begins for Tulane University and Green Wave Athletics this year with a new university president, the university’s entrance into the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and a return to campus to play football in the new Yulman Stadium.

On Monday (Aug. 11) three of these entities will be showcased when new Tulane President Michael A. Fitts and Director of Athletics Rick Dickson host a press conference with AAC commissioner Mike Aresco in the new Yulman Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Following the press conference, a media tour of the stadium will be conducted by Dickson and Aresco.

Video and audio from the press conference will be streamed live on the official athletics website.

The press conference will mark the first event in the new stadium as well as the first public event for President Fitts. Aresco's visit to New Orleans will be the first since Tulane entered the league this past July.

Tulane will kick off the 2014 season on Thursday, Aug. 28, when the Green Wave travels to Oklahoma to take on fellow AAC newcomer Tulsa at 7 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network before opening the home portion of the schedule on Saturday (Sept. 6) against Georgia Tech at 3 p.m. in the new, on-campus Yulman Stadium in front of a national audience on ESPNews.

For season ticket information, which features packages starting as low as $200, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE (9283).
The Tulane Ticket Office is located on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center and is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, log onto the official website.

I wonder what Aresco will say to RD and President Fitts behind closed doors? Certainly all the public comments will be positive, but when he sees a stadium with less than 25k seats, I would hope his first question is: "How soon can you expand to the mid 30's?

(08-11-2014 08:36 AM)DfromCT Wrote:  I wonder what Aresco will say to RD and President Fitts behind closed doors? Certainly all the public comments will be positive, but when he sees a stadium with less than 25k seats, I would hope his first question is: "How soon can you expand to the mid 30's?

If that question hasn't already been addressed (behind closed doors), then they're doing it wrong. But to answer the question: I think if we get five years of full or almost-full crowds, you'll see an expansion to the 33-34k range. Just a guess.

(08-11-2014 08:42 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 08:36 AM)DfromCT Wrote:  I wonder what Aresco will say to RD and President Fitts behind closed doors? Certainly all the public comments will be positive, but when he sees a stadium with less than 25k seats, I would hope his first question is: "How soon can you expand to the mid 30's?

If that question hasn't already been addressed (behind closed doors), then they're doing it wrong. But to answer the question: I think if we get five years of full or almost-full crowds, you'll see an expansion to the 33-34k range. Just a guess.

I wonder if RD has been telling the Conference the same things he told Alumni and donors w/r/t the "capacity" of Yulman? We can only hope that RD gets called out on this, especially if it happens in front of his (new) boss. The day the Fire Marshall gives a CO should be interesting as well.

Aresco is a television guy. He comes from television and he is most concerned with our tv marketability. He comes from the perspective that this is a tv product that he is in charge of, first and foremost.

He is not going to be as obsessed with stadium size as some fans are. Go back and watch the UNT, Tulsa, ECU games from last year. UNT was homecoming and it was a morgue. There was zero atmosphere at any of those games as far as the television audience was concerned. And it's sad because they were great games. But you look at the lower bowl of the dome and it probably seats 34k, and it just swallows our crowd up completely.

I do understand that capacity is important if we want to continue to grow the program. But Yuilman's capacity will not be a significant burden for the program for the foreseeable future. We will expand when we need to expand.

In the meantime, a guy like Aresco is more likely going to be concerned with the overall marketability of the tv broadcast, which Yulman will help.

I'm also not seeing all the cloak and daggar "Aresco is going to put Tulane in it's place! Yay!" stuff behind closed doors. This will be a very pro-forma visit. It's a courtesy call from Aresco to one of his stakeholders, not a visit/inspection from corporate.

Hopefully his first remark is "EXPAND THAT AWAY SIDE, NOW"

(08-11-2014 09:38 AM)JDTulane Wrote:  Hopefully his first remark is "EXPAND THAT AWAY SIDE, NOW"

I'll give you 100,000-to-1 against.

What about Aresco shaming Dickson today for renewing Conroy's contract and making Tulane men's basketball the laughing stock of the AAC this coming season as he cannot recruit or coach blue chip players.

(08-11-2014 10:15 AM)Savacool Wrote:  What about Aresco shaming Dickson today for renewing Conroy's contract and making Tulane men's basketball the laughing stock of the AAC this coming season as he cannot recruit or coach blue chip players.

I doubt that will happen, either, but Aresco would have stronger justification for doing so (than for making a scene about Yulman's seating-capacity.

Chances are good that Tulane will get a new Head Coach in MBB about 7-8 months from now. Don't know who, but it'll be someone getting paid in the same $$-neighborhood as other MBB head coaches for this conference.

(08-11-2014 11:03 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 10:15 AM)Savacool Wrote:  What about Aresco shaming Dickson today for renewing Conroy's contract and making Tulane men's basketball the laughing stock of the AAC this coming season as he cannot recruit or coach blue chip players.

I doubt that will happen, either, but Aresco would have stronger justification for doing so (than for making a scene about Yulman's seating-capacity.

Chances are good that Tulane will get a new Head Coach in MBB about 7-8 months from now. Don't know who, but it'll be someone getting paid in the same $$-neighborhood as other MBB head coaches for this conference.

I do think he will have a heart to heart behind closed doors. I don;t think he will have much to say about the OCS but will certainly dig into BBall especially concerning scheduling and TU's budget. I do hope he lights a fire under Fitts regarding the NIMBYs and the away side, but I don't think that occurs yet.

What we really need is a local reporter to ask some tough questions. But the only one would probably be Ed Daniels and TU will never let Aresco interview with him.

(08-11-2014 11:07 AM)wavefan12 Wrote:  What we really need is a local reporter to ask some tough questions. But the only one would probably be Ed Daniels and TU will never let Aresco interview with him.

Tulane can prevent Aresco and Daniels from speaking to each other?

(08-11-2014 11:11 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 11:07 AM)wavefan12 Wrote:  What we really need is a local reporter to ask some tough questions. But the only one would probably be Ed Daniels and TU will never let Aresco interview with him.

Tulane can prevent Aresco and Daniels from speaking to each other?

I'd be interested to see Ed at the presser asking questions.

I think the size is perfect for Tulane right now.

(08-11-2014 11:11 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 11:07 AM)wavefan12 Wrote:  What we really need is a local reporter to ask some tough questions. But the only one would probably be Ed Daniels and TU will never let Aresco interview with him.

Tulane can prevent Aresco and Daniels from speaking to each other?

Ya, TU would never let a 1-1 interview with Daniels and Aresco. It would be a bloodbath. Of course, RD/Fitts would be consulted before Aresco agreed to an interview.

I've never seen fans so obsessed...who cares if it's 25, 26, 27, 28,000?

(08-11-2014 11:56 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  I've never seen fans so obsessed...who care if it's 25, 26, 27, 28,000?

Makes no difference, I'll be floored if they draw over 22K on a regular basis.

(08-11-2014 11:56 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  I've never seen fans so obsessed...who care if it's 25, 26, 27, 28,000?

Stadium size mattered back in the day when that was the only way fans could watch their team play. Schools built big stadiums so they could sell more tickets to fans that wanted to watch their team. All those big college stadiums are remnants of another time in college sports. Smaller stadiums with amenities for the fans is the new normal. A stadium today is part of the TV product, it serves as the backdrop for the event.

As long as the stadium can generate revenue for Tulane while providing an exciting forum for football than everything will be fine. Remember they just left a big stadium that was mostly empty, I am not sure capacity is a real issue.

(08-11-2014 10:15 AM)Savacool Wrote:  What about Aresco shaming Dickson today for renewing Conroy's contract and making Tulane men's basketball the laughing stock of the AAC this coming season as he cannot recruit or coach blue chip players.

Yeah, but one night you tried to explain to me how Tim Floyd is gonna crawl on his hands and knees from UTEP to Tulane just to coach you guys...you really lost me there.

(08-11-2014 12:10 PM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 11:56 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  I've never seen fans so obsessed...who care if it's 25, 26, 27, 28,000?

Stadium size mattered back in the day when that was the only way fans could watch their team play. Schools built big stadiums so they could sell more tickets to fans that wanted to watch their team. All those big college stadiums are remnants of another time in college sports. Smaller stadiums with amenities for the fans is the new normal. A stadium today is part of the TV product, it serves as the backdrop for the event.

As long as the stadium can generate revenue for Tulane while providing an exciting forum for football than everything will be fine. Remember they just left a big stadium that was mostly empty, I am not sure capacity is a real issue.

It matters in terms of bringing in quality non-conf opponents and conference affiliation. It also can matter in recruiting as other coaches could use the size against us.

If we won consistently and played a compelling schedule, 30k would be no problem in NOLA.

Tulane could do a lot worse than Tim Floyd. But I think we could do better, too.