http://www.ballstatedaily.com/article/20...ek-maction

This is the part of the article that made me vomit a little in my mouth.

According to a 2016 Washington Post article, each MAC school receives about $840,000 to play midweek games as a part of the conference’s contract with ESPN, which was renegotiated in 2014 and extends to the 2026-27 seasons.

$80,000 a year? Oh joy.

There's been good discussion of the positives and NEGATIVES, but now that the big boys have decided to hold mid-week games and that that will probably expand as time passes, seems any luster is off for the MAC.

(10-25-2017 01:54 PM)emanoh Wrote:  This is the part of the article that made me vomit a little in my mouth.

According to a 2016 Washington Post article, each MAC school receives about $840,000 to play midweek games as a part of the conference’s contract with ESPN, which was renegotiated in 2014 and extends to the 2026-27 seasons.

I agree. The MAC abandoned the fans and the fan experience for relatively small amount of money.

(10-25-2017 06:01 PM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  

(10-25-2017 01:54 PM)emanoh Wrote:  This is the part of the article that made me vomit a little in my mouth.

According to a 2016 Washington Post article, each MAC school receives about $840,000 to play midweek games as a part of the conference’s contract with ESPN, which was renegotiated in 2014 and extends to the 2026-27 seasons.

I agree. The MAC abandoned the fans and the fan experience for relatively small amount of money.

Especially when some of them are streamed only. No reason we have to play mid-week if the game is not an a TV channel.

So we have played 6 mid week games which averages to about $140k a game.

If we pick a nice number like 22,000 fans per game in the GB, at $20 per ticket =$440k per game, not including concessions.

Let's say with fan plans and promotions, tickets average out to $10 per ticket, we are still pulling down $220k per game.

I may be undershooting my numbers, but this TV deal stinks, not including alienating fan bases. What am I Missing?

Yes, we still put butts in the seats on weeknights, plus we pocket the ESPN money, but it still isn't worth it.

If the games are only available on the internet on espn3, we can move all of our games back to Saturday's and stream the games on the athletic site for pennies in the dollar. Yes, we lose out on the national exposure, but not being on an actual channel is the same as streaming live in house. That way our prize recruits families in Florida can still watch.

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If we are doing well, we know we can put more butts in the seats at the Glass Bowl. Students get in for free, but I still think, paying customers still put more money in our hoppers than the ESPN deal.

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(10-25-2017 07:53 PM)emanoh Wrote:  So we have played 6 mid week games which averages to about $140k a game.

If we pick a nice number like 22,000 fans per game in the GB, at $20 per ticket =$440k per game, not including concessions.

Let's say with fan plans and promotions, tickets average out to $10 per ticket, we are still pulling down $220k per game.

I may be undershooting my numbers, but this TV deal stinks, not including alienating fan bases. What am I Missing?

Yes, we still put butts in the seats on weeknights, plus we pocket the ESPN money, but it still isn't worth it.

If the games are only available on the internet on espn3, we can move all of our games back to Saturday's and stream the games on the athletic site for pennies in the dollar. Yes, we lose out on the national exposure, but not being on an actual channel is the same as streaming live in house. That way our prize recruits families in Florida can still watch.

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You kind of covered this in the "alienating fan base," part. But, it is worth emphasizing the fact that weeknight night games are difficult enough for people who work, let alone setting the start time at 6:00 (Northern Illinois). A lot of people will barely be getting off work, let alone being able to make it home to get into some warm clothes and grab a bite. A lot people are going to say to heck with it and just stay home and watch it on ESPNU over dinner with the rest of the country.

Or, I don't know, I guess in a way it is better for kids as they won't be up so late. But, it is a school night, right?

I've said this before I love coming to games for three reasons.

1. It's fun
2. I like to tailgate
3. I like to bring my family.

Weeknight games take away two of those things with my young school age kids. We didn't even bother getting season tickets for the kids this season and I'll end up bringing a buddy, because my wife will opt to stay home.

The gameday atmosphere just isn't the same on a Tuesday.

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add in the fact that tv games are 3 1/2 to 4 hours long and it's hard expect casual fans to stick with them.

the midweek games also alienate students with night classes and create conflicts with study routines and assignments for student fans and especially the student athletes.

the frustrating part of this is we are public institutions supported primarily by local taxpayers and enrolled students. athletics are a student, university and community activity. yet, the students, community, and everyone in the university (outside of a couple powerful administrators) had no say in this manipulation of the most popular athletic event on campus. in essence, a huge media corporation threw some change and a little tv time at a few athletic directors and conference execs (who all got some benefits, I imagine) and restructured the community culture of saturday football.

sadly, the mistakes of this decision are bearing rotten fruit as fan bases shrink and the football culture of a good half of division 1 football disintegrates. that said, the tv exposure has helped a bit with recruiting, especially in places like Florida, so, it's understandable why some of the athletic dept folks and coaches have stood by it.

(10-26-2017 02:51 AM)pono Wrote:  add in the fact that tv games are 3 1/2 to 4 hours long and it's hard expect casual fans to stick with them.

the midweek games also alienate students with night classes and create conflicts with study routines and assignments for student fans and especially the student athletes.

the frustrating part of this is we are public institutions supported primarily by local taxpayers and enrolled students. athletics are a student, university and community activity. yet, the students, community, and everyone in the university (outside of a couple powerful administrators) had no say in this manipulation of the most popular athletic event on campus. in essence, a huge media corporation threw some change and a little tv time at a few athletic directors and conference execs (who all got some benefits, I imagine) and restructured the community culture of saturday football.

sadly, the mistakes of this decision are bearing rotten fruit as fan bases shrink and the football culture of a good half of division 1 football disintegrates. that said, the tv exposure has helped a bit with recruiting, especially in places like Florida, so, it's understandable why some of the athletic dept folks and coaches have stood by it.

Amen

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(10-25-2017 07:33 PM)Toledo Football 1st Wrote:  

(10-25-2017 06:01 PM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  

(10-25-2017 01:54 PM)emanoh Wrote:  This is the part of the article that made me vomit a little in my mouth.

According to a 2016 Washington Post article, each MAC school receives about $840,000 to play midweek games as a part of the conference’s contract with ESPN, which was renegotiated in 2014 and extends to the 2026-27 seasons.

I agree. The MAC abandoned the fans and the fan experience for relatively small amount of money.

Especially when some of them are streamed only. No reason we have to play mid-week if the game is not an a TV channel.

I agree completely. Makes absolutely no sense to have a mid week game that are only available to watch on ESPN3! I was shocked today when I realized I have to wash the game tonight on ESPN3. WTF!

Agree to all... I have been one of the few who stood with the decision makers on ESPN week night football. Ive felt that we just wouldn't draw well in the late fall, but they need to examine closely the amount of games we sacrifice. I think our fans need another chance to see if we would show up in the late fall for Rocket football, we didn't used to but things mat be different now.

Perfect solution - Take 24 down to I-469 to I-69 South to Muncie...Watch the Rockets LIVE... I’ll get back around 2am, sleep a few hours, then head to the Falls/Toronto around mid morning...

(10-25-2017 07:33 PM)Toledo Football 1st Wrote:  

(10-25-2017 06:01 PM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  

(10-25-2017 01:54 PM)emanoh Wrote:  This is the part of the article that made me vomit a little in my mouth.

According to a 2016 Washington Post article, each MAC school receives about $840,000 to play midweek games as a part of the conference’s contract with ESPN, which was renegotiated in 2014 and extends to the 2026-27 seasons.

I agree. The MAC abandoned the fans and the fan experience for relatively small amount of money.

Especially when some of them are streamed only. No reason we have to play mid-week if the game is not an a TV channel.

That's the part that slays me. Give up all control so very few people will actually watch the game? At least when it's on TV, even ESPNU or ESPNEWS, you get a built-in audience base. Tonight, somebody will have to have a cable, satellite, or streaming service that includes ESPN, that service will also have to include ESPN3/WatchESPN services, and the viewer will have to search for the game on the app to get the feed.

Currently, I don't have cable because I'm not home enough to justify it. But even if I had somebody's login for ESPN3/WatchESPN, I couldn't watch it tonight because I have an event to attend. It's going to be held at a brewery and I was going to request it on one of their TVs, but the game can't even be shown at a bar or a place like that because it's streaming only. Even if the bar had Apple TV, Roku, or another streaming service, it would technically be illegal to show a game that is distributed as streaming only for commercial purposes. Way to go MAC!

As a fan that lives 1,300 miles away, going to games is not happening.

Being able to sit down and watch the game on TV, phone, tablet or computer is awesome!

I remember back in the early 2000's when I used to pay for the "Real Radio" live stream just to listen to the radio broadcast of the games.

I can see how this setup totally sucks for local fans though.

(10-26-2017 12:33 PM)FtLauderdaleRocket Wrote:  As a fan that lives 1,300 miles away, going to games is not happening.

Being able to sit down and watch the game on TV, phone, tablet or computer is awesome!

I remember back in the early 2000's when I used to pay for the "Real Radio" live stream just to listen to the radio broadcast of the games.

I can see how this setup totally sucks for local fans though.

I agree that it's been great in NC watching UT play in nearly every game, outside of the 1AA opener and an occasional MAC game in September that's only shown in local markets. I don't think I'm going to miss too much tonight, but it's a bummer this arrangement has made tonight's game much tougher to watch and not even distributed to a wide audience.

If we are playing the game on Thursday so that it can be on TV, WHY IS IT NOT ON TV?!?!?!?

This is a conference deal. You have to look at the whole league

I think few teams in league would draw anywhere near 22000 for November home games in Saturday. Look up the numbers from when the games were in Saturday

What the deal does is it gives league exposure. Gives alums EVERYWHERE A chance to watch EVERY game.

It is a positive revenue size as any attendance is gravy for midweek games

I agree that midweek games not on tv blow. But it's not hard to stream on a Tv with a Fire Stick or similar device

(10-26-2017 02:51 AM)pono Wrote:  sadly, the mistakes of this decision are bearing rotten fruit as fan bases shrink and the football culture of a good half of division 1 football disintegrates.

So, you think that part's a mistake?