(11-17-2014 02:26 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 01:00 PM)7 Wrote:  I just don't get why EVERY game the upper echelon MAC teams like NIU and Toledo play in November has to be on a weeknight. I actually like MACtion and the exposure it gives the schools. I think it helps recruiting Florida and Texas kids because it gives them a chance to see them play on TV. Why can't we limit it to one weeknight home game per school per year though? Have them play a weeknight home game and road game and call it a deal.

I think that's a question for your school's athletic department. You ever notice WMU never plays weeknight games? WMU played 2 MACtion away games in 2011 and hosted 1 MACtion games in 2007, and that's it. Total. forever.

That wasn't done intentionally by the MAC, that has to be at the insistence of the WMU athletic dept. I think its bogus that they reap the rewards but don't have to make the sacrifices.

ESPN chooses the schools. Usually the better schools get the most weeknight games. Bad schools (WMU) get to play their games on Saturdays. That will change for them next year.

(11-17-2014 01:00 PM)7 Wrote:  I just don't get why EVERY game the upper echelon MAC teams like NIU and Toledo play in November has to be on a weeknight. I actually like MACtion and the exposure it gives the schools. I think it helps recruiting Florida and Texas kids because it gives them a chance to see them play on TV. Why can't we limit it to one weeknight home game per school per year though? Have them play a weeknight home game and road game and call it a deal.

Part of the problem with your idea is that no team should be expected to play on any Saturday either preceding or following a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday game. Therefore if ESPN wants weeknight games for the entire month of November, then the majority of MAC teams (if not all) will have to abandon Saturday games because scheduling becomes a problem and the season is not long enough accommodate the bye weeks that would be required with switching back and forth from weeknight to Saturday games.

Can't really disagree with anything posted here except that the fans that have ESPN2 and ESPNU and ESPN3, can watch it and home and not get screwed over. Everybody else gets screwed over. So if the MAC is fine with that, I guess that's how it's going to be.

I'm sick of having 4 freaking weeknight games in a row EVERY YEAR. Hell, we have 5 this year if you count Friday night against Presbyterian, which I do.

UT needs about 21,000 for the BG game in order to get the 2014 average home attendance over the 20,000 mark. Hopefully the Athletic Dept. can finagle a way to come up with the magic number because I am pretty certain---rivalry or no----we are not going to see 21,000 seats filled by live people tomorrow night.

(11-17-2014 02:41 PM)T-Town Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 01:00 PM)7 Wrote:  I just don't get why EVERY game the upper echelon MAC teams like NIU and Toledo play in November has to be on a weeknight. I actually like MACtion and the exposure it gives the schools. I think it helps recruiting Florida and Texas kids because it gives them a chance to see them play on TV. Why can't we limit it to one weeknight home game per school per year though? Have them play a weeknight home game and road game and call it a deal.

Part of the problem with your idea is that no team should be expected to play on any Saturday either preceding or following a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday game. Therefore if ESPN wants weeknight games for the entire month of November, then the majority of MAC teams (if not all) will have to abandon Saturday games because scheduling becomes a problem and the season is not long enough accommodate the bye weeks that would be required with switching back and forth from weeknight to Saturday games.

The Friday night MAC Championship game also makes it harder because nobody wants to have a short week to prepare for a possible championship game.

I understand there are challenges, but there has to be a better solution than NIU and Toledo playing their last 4 (or 5 if you include the MAC Championship) games on a weeknight.

Even beyond the fans, that's A TON of classes for student athletes to be missing.

(11-17-2014 03:40 PM)T-Town Wrote:  UT needs about 21,000 for the BG game in order to get the 2014 average home attendance over the 20,000 mark. Hopefully the Athletic Dept. can finagle a way to come up with the magic number because I am pretty certain---rivalry or no----we are not going to see 21,000 seats filled by live people tomorrow night.

Gonna be even tougher tomorrow night since there's no game at the glass bowl then.

(11-17-2014 12:18 PM)TampaRocket Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 10:28 AM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 12:51 AM)pono Wrote:  there have been no studies showing a benefit to the program from increased national tv exposure. there is data showing declines in attendance and student participation in games through the move to mid week scheduling.

fans can speak with more than their wallets. there's other ways to let people know how we feel.

The only exposure is empty aluminum seats.

Exactly...embarrassing and not the kind of exposure UT and the conference needs.

Unfortunately when one prostitutes oneself, as the MAC front office has done for ESPN, one has to lay anyway the customer wants you to lie.

(11-17-2014 03:40 PM)T-Town Wrote:  UT needs about 21,000 for the BG game in order to get the 2014 average home attendance over the 20,000 mark. Hopefully the Athletic Dept. can finagle a way to come up with the magic number because I am pretty certain---rivalry or no----we are not going to see 21,000 seats filled by live people tomorrow night.

you're not suggesting we have fans that are not living be in those seats - are you?

Toledo will have like 6k in the pressboxes jammed up there staying warm. Okay...maybe not 6k, but whatever that tower can hold will be in attendance. Our outdoor crowd probably won't look great, but you do have to take into consideration that press tower can hold a lot!

It's going to be cold... students should be fired up for a half then head home. Between 16-22k is my prediction. But 16k will look more like 10k on TV. *STILL BETTER THAN MOST OF THE MAC.

Also, student athletes per MAC rules cannot miss class on game days if they are at home. Shuttles take our players from the hotel to classes on gameday in Toledo.

Solution for more fans in stadiums:
- More advertising & eye-catching advertising
- More Contests & prizes, announcing winners at end of 3rd Q
- Free aggressive shuttles around campus & town
- 10,000 Heated bleacher seats with heated backs to them
- BIG Big-Ten sized monitors at either end of stadium
- Hot chicks in underpants serving stuff on the sidelines

(11-17-2014 07:21 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 03:40 PM)T-Town Wrote:  UT needs about 21,000 for the BG game in order to get the 2014 average home attendance over the 20,000 mark. Hopefully the Athletic Dept. can finagle a way to come up with the magic number because I am pretty certain---rivalry or no----we are not going to see 21,000 seats filled by live people tomorrow night.

you're not suggesting we have fans that are not living be in those seats - are you?

lol---no I really meant fans as opposed to "fantoms" (phantoms)

(11-17-2014 08:41 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  Solution for more fans in stadiums:
- More advertising & eye-catching advertising
- More Contests & prizes, announcing winners at end of 3rd Q
- Free aggressive shuttles around campus & town
- 10,000 Heated bleacher seats with heated backs to them
- BIG Big-Ten sized monitors at either end of stadium
- Hot chicks in underpants serving stuff on the sidelines

Hahaha "aggressive shuttles" made me laugh for some reason. I'm picturing angry bus drivers trying to get people to go to the game.

(11-17-2014 10:28 AM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 12:51 AM)pono Wrote:  there have been no studies showing a benefit to the program from increased national tv exposure. there is data showing declines in attendance and student participation in games through the move to mid week scheduling.

fans can speak with more than their wallets. there's other ways to let people know how we feel.

The only exposure is empty aluminum seats.

(11-17-2014 02:39 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 02:26 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 01:00 PM)7 Wrote:  I just don't get why EVERY game the upper echelon MAC teams like NIU and Toledo play in November has to be on a weeknight. I actually like MACtion and the exposure it gives the schools. I think it helps recruiting Florida and Texas kids because it gives them a chance to see them play on TV. Why can't we limit it to one weeknight home game per school per year though? Have them play a weeknight home game and road game and call it a deal.

I think that's a question for your school's athletic department. You ever notice WMU never plays weeknight games? WMU played 2 MACtion away games in 2011 and hosted 1 MACtion games in 2007, and that's it. Total. forever.

That wasn't done intentionally by the MAC, that has to be at the insistence of the WMU athletic dept. I think its bogus that they reap the rewards but don't have to make the sacrifices.

ESPN chooses the schools. Usually the better schools get the most weeknight games. Bad schools (WMU) get to play their games on Saturdays. That will change for them next year.

Then why are there worthless games on weeknights too?

(11-17-2014 12:28 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  Original ESPN deal that created MACtion:
10yrs ('07-'16)
$14 million

New deal adds to final 3 years of original deal:
3yrs ('14-'16)
$28 million

New deal once previous deal is complete:
10yrs ('17-'26)
$100 million

If you know of a deal worth more money that would allow MAC teams to play on Saturdays only I would be interested in hearing about it.

Yeah.
That equals $750k per school per year.
Basically that equates to adding one payday road trip and not having to decimate your program and fanbase while you are at it.

(11-17-2014 03:40 PM)T-Town Wrote:  UT needs about 21,000 for the BG game in order to get the 2014 average home attendance over the 20,000 mark. Hopefully the Athletic Dept. can finagle a way to come up with the magic number because I am pretty certain---rivalry or no----we are not going to see 21,000 seats filled by live people tomorrow night.

The colder it gets the less I want to be in the stands until midnight and have to get up and conduct business in Ft Wayne Indiana the next morning.

(11-17-2014 09:27 PM)owen Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 12:28 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  Original ESPN deal that created MACtion:
10yrs ('07-'16)
$14 million

New deal adds to final 3 years of original deal:
3yrs ('14-'16)
$28 million

New deal once previous deal is complete:
10yrs ('17-'26)
$100 million

If you know of a deal worth more money that would allow MAC teams to play on Saturdays only I would be interested in hearing about it.

Yeah.
That equals $750k per school per year.
Basically that equates to adding one payday road trip and not having to decimate your program and fanbase while you are at it.

never said it was good. Original question still stands though.

(11-17-2014 09:53 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 09:27 PM)owen Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 12:28 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  Original ESPN deal that created MACtion:
10yrs ('07-'16)
$14 million

New deal adds to final 3 years of original deal:
3yrs ('14-'16)
$28 million

New deal once previous deal is complete:
10yrs ('17-'26)
$100 million

If you know of a deal worth more money that would allow MAC teams to play on Saturdays only I would be interested in hearing about it.

Yeah.
That equals $750k per school per year.
Basically that equates to adding one payday road trip and not having to decimate your program and fanbase while you are at it.

never said it was good. Original question still stands though.

Why?
The question was answered.
We could have zero tv deal for all I care.
Play one extta early season away game with Big Ten or SEC and whole thing is a wash.

(11-17-2014 07:21 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 03:40 PM)T-Town Wrote:  UT needs about 21,000 for the BG game in order to get the 2014 average home attendance over the 20,000 mark. Hopefully the Athletic Dept. can finagle a way to come up with the magic number because I am pretty certain---rivalry or no----we are not going to see 21,000 seats filled by live people tomorrow night.

you're not suggesting we have fans that are not living be in those seats - are you?

Forget that. You cannot get zombies to sit still for 3-1/2 hours. No way.

(11-17-2014 09:55 PM)owen Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 09:53 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 09:27 PM)owen Wrote:  

(11-17-2014 12:28 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  Original ESPN deal that created MACtion:
10yrs ('07-'16)
$14 million

New deal adds to final 3 years of original deal:
3yrs ('14-'16)
$28 million

New deal once previous deal is complete:
10yrs ('17-'26)
$100 million

If you know of a deal worth more money that would allow MAC teams to play on Saturdays only I would be interested in hearing about it.

Yeah.
That equals $750k per school per year.
Basically that equates to adding one payday road trip and not having to decimate your program and fanbase while you are at it.

never said it was good. Original question still stands though.

Why?
The question was answered.
We could have zero tv deal for all I care.
Play one extta early season away game with Big Ten or SEC and whole thing is a wash.

I'm still waiting for the proof that MAC fanbases have been decimated. Here's the MAC's avg attendance since 2003, weeknight games started in 2007. Point to the part where attendance is ruined forever.

MAC ATTENDANCE
16,739 -2013
15,526 -2012
17,033 -2011
15,609 -2010
15,317 -2009
16,727 -2008
17,334- 2007
17,696 -2006
14,489 -2005
17,899 -2004
17,820 -2003