I won't be there. I am driving my wife to the airport. I will catch Dan Hoard on radio, though.

Good point both of you. It's not that I'm really worried about it anymore, but my thing is, it's impossible to continue a stadium expansion discussion if we're not selling out the season in advance. If there's a waiting list, then let the discussion begin.

I just scratch my head with amusement at the people who don't show.

Noon kickoffs are brutal for families. I know guys on this board who have season tickets and live and die by UC football but can't go because of the conflicts with kids sports. Same thing will happen with the UL homecoming game.

(09-22-2009 07:34 AM)QSECOFR Wrote:  I won't be there. I am driving my wife to the airport. I will catch Dan Hoard on radio, though.

I won't be there. I'll channelsurf from Honolulu, though.

Mo Egger weighs in - it certainly does not look good -

Know what's surprising? Their game against Fresno State isn't sold out. I talked to someone at UC yesterday who said there's a "significant number of tickets left." If you come here often enough, you know I'm not about telling you that you should or shouldn't go to a game, and frankly, I don't like people who do that, but if they can't sell this game out, perhaps this community is just never going to embrace this football program they way I'd hoped.

http://www.1530homer.com/pages/mo.html

Got mine... the planets aligned just right...

Wake family at 8:00
Pick parents up at airport at 8:30 a.m.
Leave for Cincy at 9:45 - 10:00
Watch UC beat Fresno State Noon
Back to Dayton by 4:45
Put son on bus to soccer game 5:00
Umpire last 3 games of softball tourney starting at 5:40
Soccer in Troy at 6:30

When I asked my son who is a senior captain on his HS soccer team if he would mind if I potentially was late for his game (before the softball thing came up) he said "Yeah... 'Cause I want to go to the game too!" Gotta like the kid's spirit and he's not even a Bearcat... YET.

We'll be there somewhere cheering for the Bearcats!

They are selling $10 overflow tickets to the students now that the student allotment of free tickets is gone.

(09-22-2009 08:22 AM)subflea Wrote:  They are selling $10 overflow tickets to the students now that the student allotment of free tickets is gone.

That's our best chance of improving attendance Saturday. Get all the students on campus to show up.

Maybe someday the culture will change that people actually reserve 6-7 days each fall for Bearcat football. Way too many people still trying to fit it in when its convenient.

Quote: Fresno State football: Bearcats may offer best of early tests
By BRYANT-JON ANTEOLA
The Fresno Bee
FRESNO -- For the most part, coach Pat Hill likes the way Fresno State is playing.

He just doesn't like the Bulldogs' record, which stands at 1-2 after losing to Boise State 51-34 Friday.

"We're playing good football," Hill said Sunday night. "But we're playing better competition."

Ryan Mathews ran for 234 yards against then-No. 10 Boise State, but it wasn't enough to get Fresno State the win Friday.

And there's at least one more tough game to the Bulldogs' early-season schedule, playing at No. 14 Cincinnati (3-0) on Saturday before Fresno State could return to the role as a favorite.

Since beating Football Championship Subdivision opponent UC Davis (0-2) in the season opener, Fresno State has or will have faced three undefeated teams in Wisconsin (3-0), No. 8 Boise State (3-0) and Cincinnati.

"These weren't slouch teams we've played," quarterback Ryan Colburn said.

Then Colburn broke down what he has liked from the Bulldogs so far.

"We're very explosive (on offense), so that's good," he said.

"Our defense has been playing very well. We just got to put it all together at the same time.

"And you know, as small as that sounds, sometimes that can be difficult."

To return to the win column, Fresno State's first order of business is to cut down on the number of big plays allowed.

Hill counted seven plays by Boise State that resulted in 339 yards, compared to 48 other plays that produced just 141 yards for a 2.94 average.

"Usually, only one or two big plays in a game is too much," Hill said. "We've got to stop that."

And there's only one solution to eliminate the big plays, Hill believes, which is to play "assignment perfect all the time."

"When you're playing good teams, you always have to be assignment perfect, or they're capable of going 60, 70, 80 yards on a play," Hill said. "I still think we played well on defense. We've just got to play more consistent, and make big plays when we have to."

Added defensive playcaller Randy Stewart: "It's like we ran a sprint at a record time until stumbling right before the finish line. We've got to stay consistent, and we've got to finish."

On offense, Fresno State has shown it can move the ball, ranking 10th in the nation with an average of 495.33 total yards.

But where the Bulldogs must start improving is limiting the number of turnovers (Colburn has six interceptions) and scoring more points when inside the opponent's 25.

Against Boise State, Fresno State had five possessions that reached at least the 25 but generated only 13 points. Boise State had five drives, too, that reached the Bulldogs' 25 but came away with 31 points.

"That was the difference in that game," Hill said. "We played well. But we need to play better. I think we're improving as a team, but we need to start winning.

"It's tough. And these are good teams we play. There's no time to experiment. I still like what the team has shown and what we're capable of doing."

Mathews tops nation

Thanks to his career night against Boise State, Bulldogs running back Ryan Mathews leads the nation with 447 rushing yards and an average of 149 yards per game.

Mathews, a junior, rushed for the third-best mark in school history with 234 yards against the Broncos, which included touchdowns runs of 69, 60 and 68 yards.

Purdue's Ralph Bolden is second to Mathews at 421 yards for the season and a 140.33 average.

Cal's Jahvid Best is third at 412 yards and 137.33 per game. Best leads the nation with eight rushing touchdowns. Mathews has four.

Mathews also earned the WAC offensive player of the week honor with Friday night's effort.

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/sports/story/1070418.html

I hope every game is a sellout. The difference with UC alums / fans vs. other BCS fans/programs is that the others make every excuse to and plan on attending all of the home games, it is an institution. The others, many of their fans even have longer commutes to the home games as well. The loyal fan base has increased, and the undergrads are and have become institutionalized, which is great. A wild card in all of this is if UC can find a way to provide a larger scale tailgating venue. Virtually every football fan I know will make excuses for tailgating combined with football.

35,000 is nothing... I know everyone can't make every game. I couldn't make the Syracuse game last year. But this truly is pathetic. I think if you give it another 5 or so years and generations of alumni classes to graduate under the current situation this might not be as much of a problem, but we don't have that time. A top 15 team really isn't worth it for twenty bucks?

(09-22-2009 10:14 AM)faNATIc Wrote:  35,000 is nothing... I know everyone can't make every game. I couldn't make the Syracuse game last year. But this truly is pathetic. I think if you give it another 5 or so years and generations of alumni classes to graduate under the current situation this might not be as much of a problem, but we don't have that time. A top 15 team really isn't worth it for twenty bucks?

I bought 4 this morning. It does not look like there are any 100-level tickets left, because when you hit "best available" section 203 comes up. That may be a good sign...

anyone know how many overflow tickets are being sold to students? I think ideally we should just start selling all remaining tickets to games that don't sell out a week in advance to students, it may not make the greatest financial sense to sell a $35 ticket to a student for $10 (or, I wish, for free) but if BK walks out into a 2/3 full stadium on Saturday, I think that'll do a hell of a lot more damage potentially in the long run than losing a few grand on tickets they wouldn't have sold in the first place. JMO. Students are a part of the solution, not the problem, anymore.

(09-22-2009 10:56 AM)CD11 Wrote:  anyone know how many overflow tickets are being sold to students? I think ideally we should just start selling all remaining tickets to games that don't sell out a week in advance to students, it may not make the greatest financial sense to sell a $35 ticket to a student for $10 (or, I wish, for free) but if BK walks out into a 2/3 full stadium on Saturday, I think that'll do a hell of a lot more damage potentially in the long run than losing a few grand on tickets they wouldn't have sold in the first place. JMO. Students are a part of the solution, not the problem, anymore.

I agree. $10 > $0 so at least it is some money. You can keep some tickets (Like 300-500 for walk ups, but I want every game sold out). There is an outside chance I will not be able to attend, but if not, my tickets will not go to waste that is for sure.

According to UC - from Lance McAlister's blog - less than 2,000 tickets remain, so I think this game will sell out by Saturday.

West Virginia sold out, less than 2,000 tix for Fresno St
From UC
Tickets for the BIG EAST Showdown at Nippert Stadium between the defending BIG EAST Champion Bearcats and West Virginia University are now SOLD OUT, the University of Cincinnati Athletics Ticket Office announced on Tuesday. The game is set for an 8 p.m. kickoff on Friday, November 13th and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Less than 2,000 west side tickets remain for this Saturday's Game vs. Fresno State, which is set for a Noon kickoff. Bearcats Football Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.CATSTIX.com, by phone at 1-877-CATS-TIX, or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office in the Lindner Center.
Fans who are patrons of the UC Athletics Social Media Pages may log on to the Facebook or Twitter accounts for special ticket pricing, including seats in the visiting team areas of Nippert Stadium, located on the west side of the venue in sections 127-119.
UC Athletics has designated the Fresno State game as the "WHITE OUT" game for the 2009 season and is encouraging all fans to "Come Early and Be Loud", but on this one day of the year, "Wear White" instead of the trademark BEARCAT BLACK. The US Army will be handing out 6,000 white t-shirts to UC Students upon their entry in to the student sections in the South End of the venue.
The total allotment of 6,000 student tickets is exhausted for Saturday's game against Fresno State. Additional overflow tickets are available to UC Students for $10 and are available exclusively at the UC Athletics Ticket Office. These overflow tickets are not available online.

http://www.1530homer.com/pages/lancesBlog.html

Why does it say less than 2,000 west side tickets remain? What does it mean by west side? Isn't the second level on the east side, and isn't that what usually sells last? Am I missing something?

(09-22-2009 11:24 AM)bearcats23 Wrote:  Why does it say less than 2,000 west side tickets remain? What does it mean by west side? Isn't the second level on the east side, and isn't that what usually sells last? Am I missing something?

That's actually good news. The second level must be sold out. If you attended the SEMO game, the only empty seats were the first 8? rows along the west side of the stadium. Those seats are originially designated for the away team. UC does not offer those as season tickets since they will be filled with WVU and UofL fans during those games. Those lower level seats should be the last tickets to sell for each game since visiting teams return the unsold tickets.

(09-22-2009 08:22 AM)subflea Wrote:  They are selling $10 overflow tickets to the students now that the student allotment of free tickets is gone.

Great idea! Sell tickets to those who really want to go and continue to grow a future generation of diehards. Sounds like a win win.

It's hard to judge things based on the economy. The Fresno St game is on tv and there are many that prefer watching the game on TV. The game sounds like it will probably sell-out, but the test will be some of the games that aren't on TV. Let's wait and see if they sell out quicker or not.

(09-22-2009 11:30 AM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(09-22-2009 11:24 AM)bearcats23 Wrote:  Why does it say less than 2,000 west side tickets remain? What does it mean by west side? Isn't the second level on the east side, and isn't that what usually sells last? Am I missing something?

That's actually good news. The second level must be sold out. If you attended the SEMO game, the only empty seats were the first 8? rows along the west side of the stadium. Those seats are originially designated for the away team. UC does not offer those as season tickets since they will be filled with WVU and UofL fans during those games. Those lower level seats should be the last tickets to sell for each game since visiting teams return the unsold tickets.

That makes more sense. Hope you're right. I thought the first 8 rows were the overflow seats that are being sold to the students.