(01-18-2020 08:33 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 08:25 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 07:54 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 07:45 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(01-17-2020 12:55 PM)emu steve Wrote:  I would put the drive closer to say 45 minutes - 1 hour.

You are one person.

How many EMU fans drive >= 1 hour to attend a game in Ypsi?

1,000? 500? 250?

Tons of Hawkeye fans in Des Moines religiously drive almost 2 hours to Iowa City for football and basketball games. Not even a second thought. They love their school. They love their teams.

True. That is also true of Alabama, Clemson, etc. I say, Alabama doesn't have a NFL team but they have the Crimson Tide instead.

And, of course, in the NFL is the Green Bay Packers where folk come for far and near to watch the packers.

Two things:

1). Iowa has a successful football team.

2). There isn't much on anything else in Iowa. No NFL, NBA, NHL, etc.

Yes and no. KC Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings are reasonable drives away too. Those are the local NFL teams. The point is, I hear a lot of bitching from EMU alums about paying for parking (every college on earth charges for parking), driving more than 30 miles to games (most alums move away from campus after graduation), going to games during the day, instead of night games (uh really?), or games when it is less than 30 degrees (not a real fan or very tough). I just don't hear these complaints anywhere else. Life is not always perfect or convenient. Suck it up peeps.

Actually I agree with you.

It is cheaper to park at Rynearson and the Convo than the streets in downtown Ypsilanti.

The point is NOT to move many EMU home games to Ford Field, but say one every other year for many of the reasons I've mentioned:

1). The FB players would love it.

2). It is outreach, a chance to connect with metro EMU alums (and those students home for the weekend. Detroit media would cover the game as it is local.

3). Good for recruiting. Nothing better than for MI recruits on unofficial visits to get on the sideline before the game at Ford Field.

4). During the hey days of MAC FB say 15 - 20 years ago, teams like TOL played OSU in CLE. And also games at Soldier Field and I believe in the home of the Bengals. Those teams (TOL, NIU, MIA) were successful teams and could draw away from home.

My heavens, MSU plays Oakland U in MBB at either the Palace or now Little Caesars. That game draws very, very well. Might be different fans than those who attend games in E. Lansing. So what. Matter of fact, it is 'expanding the base.'

How many football games does U of M or MSU play outside to expand their base? Ditto WMU or CMU.

Anyone have our revenue numbers from our bowl game at Ford Field?

(01-18-2020 11:24 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 08:33 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 08:25 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 07:54 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 07:45 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Tons of Hawkeye fans in Des Moines religiously drive almost 2 hours to Iowa City for football and basketball games. Not even a second thought. They love their school. They love their teams.

True. That is also true of Alabama, Clemson, etc. I say, Alabama doesn't have a NFL team but they have the Crimson Tide instead.

And, of course, in the NFL is the Green Bay Packers where folk come for far and near to watch the packers.

Two things:

1). Iowa has a successful football team.

2). There isn't much on anything else in Iowa. No NFL, NBA, NHL, etc.

Yes and no. KC Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings are reasonable drives away too. Those are the local NFL teams. The point is, I hear a lot of bitching from EMU alums about paying for parking (every college on earth charges for parking), driving more than 30 miles to games (most alums move away from campus after graduation), going to games during the day, instead of night games (uh really?), or games when it is less than 30 degrees (not a real fan or very tough). I just don't hear these complaints anywhere else. Life is not always perfect or convenient. Suck it up peeps.

Actually I agree with you.

It is cheaper to park at Rynearson and the Convo than the streets in downtown Ypsilanti.

The point is NOT to move many EMU home games to Ford Field, but say one every other year for many of the reasons I've mentioned:

1). The FB players would love it.

2). It is outreach, a chance to connect with metro EMU alums (and those students home for the weekend. Detroit media would cover the game as it is local.

3). Good for recruiting. Nothing better than for MI recruits on unofficial visits to get on the sideline before the game at Ford Field.

4). During the hey days of MAC FB say 15 - 20 years ago, teams like TOL played OSU in CLE. And also games at Soldier Field and I believe in the home of the Bengals. Those teams (TOL, NIU, MIA) were successful teams and could draw away from home.

My heavens, MSU plays Oakland U in MBB at either the Palace or now Little Caesars. That game draws very, very well. Might be different fans than those who attend games in E. Lansing. So what. Matter of fact, it is 'expanding the base.'

How many football games does U of M or MSU play outside to expand their base? Ditto WMU or CMU.

Duh, why would UofM move games from a 110K stadium to a 65K stadium?

As far as MSU, their base is spread across MI, not mostly S.E. MI.

As far as CMU and WMU, their stadiums are close to their bases. Where else would CMU play a game? Detroit???? REALLY?

WMU could play MBB at Grand Rapids, as it has in the past.

We are fairly unique because are base is really not within say 10 miles of our campus.
I'd love to know where most of our frosh/sophs come and where most of our alums live.

Getting back to a BobW thread from years ago, what if we played MSU at Rynearson?

Big game. Would folks drive from Mt. Clemons, Warren, Detroit, Dearborn, Lincoln Park, Birmingham, etc. to attend?

As I indicated, not very clearly, but there are only a half dozen stadiums in MI seating >25K: UofM, MSU, FF, and C/E/WMU stadiums. WMU can't play a FB game in Grand Rapids. CMU can't play a FB game in Saginaw. EMU does have an option, Ford Field.

However, in basketball there are more options.

Once Wayne State builds their new arena, EMU could play them there. MAC teams already have the option of playing MBB games at Oakland or UDM.

If Schoolcraft CC has a 2K arena, we could play a MBB game in Livonia.

(01-18-2020 11:24 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 08:33 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 08:25 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 07:54 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 07:45 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Tons of Hawkeye fans in Des Moines religiously drive almost 2 hours to Iowa City for football and basketball games. Not even a second thought. They love their school. They love their teams.

True. That is also true of Alabama, Clemson, etc. I say, Alabama doesn't have a NFL team but they have the Crimson Tide instead.

And, of course, in the NFL is the Green Bay Packers where folk come for far and near to watch the packers.

Two things:

1). Iowa has a successful football team.

2). There isn't much on anything else in Iowa. No NFL, NBA, NHL, etc.

Yes and no. KC Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings are reasonable drives away too. Those are the local NFL teams. The point is, I hear a lot of bitching from EMU alums about paying for parking (every college on earth charges for parking), driving more than 30 miles to games (most alums move away from campus after graduation), going to games during the day, instead of night games (uh really?), or games when it is less than 30 degrees (not a real fan or very tough). I just don't hear these complaints anywhere else. Life is not always perfect or convenient. Suck it up peeps.

Actually I agree with you.

It is cheaper to park at Rynearson and the Convo than the streets in downtown Ypsilanti.

The point is NOT to move many EMU home games to Ford Field, but say one every other year for many of the reasons I've mentioned:

1). The FB players would love it.

2). It is outreach, a chance to connect with metro EMU alums (and those students home for the weekend. Detroit media would cover the game as it is local.

3). Good for recruiting. Nothing better than for MI recruits on unofficial visits to get on the sideline before the game at Ford Field.

4). During the hey days of MAC FB say 15 - 20 years ago, teams like TOL played OSU in CLE. And also games at Soldier Field and I believe in the home of the Bengals. Those teams (TOL, NIU, MIA) were successful teams and could draw away from home.

My heavens, MSU plays Oakland U in MBB at either the Palace or now Little Caesars. That game draws very, very well. Might be different fans than those who attend games in E. Lansing. So what. Matter of fact, it is 'expanding the base.'

How many football games does U of M or MSU play outside to expand their base? Ditto WMU or CMU.

P5/Popular FBS programs play neutral-site games all the time to ease attendance logistics.
OSU sometimes plays in the OHIO NFL stadiums. FL/GA play in Jacksonville. Army/Navy is in Philly.
The difference with us is that our base is paltry.
Edit: FBSschedules keeps track https://fbschedules.com/college-football...ite-games/

(01-18-2020 11:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  As I indicated, not very clearly, but there are only a half dozen stadiums in MI seating >25K: UofM, MSU, FF, and C/E/WMU stadiums. WMU can't play a FB game in Grand Rapids. CMU can't play a FB game in Saginaw. EMU does have an option, Ford Field.

However, in basketball there are more options.

Once Wayne State builds their new arena, EMU could play them there. MAC teams already have the option of playing MBB games at Oakland or UDM.

If Schoolcraft CC has a 2K arena, we could play a MBB game in Livonia.

And you will whine about the lack of students attendance

(01-18-2020 11:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  As I indicated, not very clearly, but there are only a half dozen stadiums in MI seating >25K: UofM, MSU, FF, and C/E/WMU stadiums. WMU can't play a FB game in Grand Rapids. CMU can't play a FB game in Saginaw. EMU does have an option, Ford Field.

However, in basketball there are more options.

Once Wayne State builds their new arena, EMU could play them there. MAC teams already have the option of playing MBB games at Oakland or UDM.

If Schoolcraft CC has a 2K arena, we could play a MBB game in Livonia.

And you will whine about the lack of students attendance

(01-18-2020 12:54 PM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 11:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  As I indicated, not very clearly, but there are only a half dozen stadiums in MI seating >25K: UofM, MSU, FF, and C/E/WMU stadiums. WMU can't play a FB game in Grand Rapids. CMU can't play a FB game in Saginaw. EMU does have an option, Ford Field.

However, in basketball there are more options.

Once Wayne State builds their new arena, EMU could play them there. MAC teams already have the option of playing MBB games at Oakland or UDM.

If Schoolcraft CC has a 2K arena, we could play a MBB game in Livonia.

And you will whine about the lack of students attendance

Im less enthused about off site basketball games unless you had some thing maybe at the pizzarena with like EMU, UD, Oakland, and Toledo or something like that. do like a weekend long small school showcase with some Div 2 schools too.

(01-19-2020 12:48 PM)dansplaining Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 12:54 PM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 11:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  As I indicated, not very clearly, but there are only a half dozen stadiums in MI seating >25K: UofM, MSU, FF, and C/E/WMU stadiums. WMU can't play a FB game in Grand Rapids. CMU can't play a FB game in Saginaw. EMU does have an option, Ford Field.

However, in basketball there are more options.

Once Wayne State builds their new arena, EMU could play them there. MAC teams already have the option of playing MBB games at Oakland or UDM.

If Schoolcraft CC has a 2K arena, we could play a MBB game in Livonia.

And you will whine about the lack of students attendance

Im less enthused about off site basketball games unless you had some thing maybe at the pizzarena with like EMU, UD, Oakland, and Toledo or something like that. do like a weekend long small school showcase with some Div 2 schools too.

I have long favored that.

HOWEVER, now is a bad time. Even though the arena is new, the teams mentioned are shall we say not playing well.

OR maybe EMU vs. ? as part of a DH with MSU/Oakland.

Men's basketball hosted UNLV at the Palace. I'm pretty sure it was the year after the Sweet 16. If I remember correctly, the game was poorly attended.

(01-19-2020 01:08 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-19-2020 12:48 PM)dansplaining Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 12:54 PM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(01-18-2020 11:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  As I indicated, not very clearly, but there are only a half dozen stadiums in MI seating >25K: UofM, MSU, FF, and C/E/WMU stadiums. WMU can't play a FB game in Grand Rapids. CMU can't play a FB game in Saginaw. EMU does have an option, Ford Field.

However, in basketball there are more options.

Once Wayne State builds their new arena, EMU could play them there. MAC teams already have the option of playing MBB games at Oakland or UDM.

If Schoolcraft CC has a 2K arena, we could play a MBB game in Livonia.

And you will whine about the lack of students attendance

Im less enthused about off site basketball games unless you had some thing maybe at the pizzarena with like EMU, UD, Oakland, and Toledo or something like that. do like a weekend long small school showcase with some Div 2 schools too.

I have long favored that.

HOWEVER, now is a bad time. Even though the arena is new, the teams mentioned are shall we say not playing well.

OR maybe EMU vs. ? as part of a DH with MSU/Oakland.

Here's your schedule:
Michigan vs MSU
Oakland vs UD
EMU vs Toledo
Wayne State vs Saginaw Valley
Madonna vs Rochester College
UM Dearborn vs Lawrence Tech
Country Day vs Cranbrook
(Other Detroit High Schools and Community Colleges)

Men's AND Women's teams

Make the whole thing a weekend long carnival of basketball for South East Michigan

This bowl game has been used by some to advocate a regular season game at Ford Field
Can we have the financial results from the bowl game to help evaluate a regular season game?

There is no way this is financially smart.

What would be the difference between going to Detroit or Ypsi for most people that went to that game? The ticket prices were higher. The game experience of the stadium was better but no tailgating.

I just think it was a perfect storm of (1) an ACC opponent, (2) right after Christmas (most alums and their families were in town and the indoor arena), and (3), the marketing (the collective money and effort that the Quick Lane team has is nothing like we can replicate).

Pack Rynearson with an actually notable opponent and spend some serious cash marketing and you'll get a better investment. Oh, and it needs to be in August or September -- maybe early October.