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Bowl Attendance

MWHeels

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Aug 31, 2008
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I read that it was down overall compared to previous years. In just about every game, there were empty seats everywhere. Event tickets for the championship game are far cheaper than they were last year.
 
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Event tickets for the championship game are far cheaper than they were last year.
Location, location, location. I hear that a whole lot of die-hard Clemson fans are not going to Santa Clara. One was on the radio this morning trying to sell his game tickets.
 
Location is definitely part of the issue. The game was in Atlanta last year, so it was much easier for both fan bases to go to the game.
 
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They should not have the game in any state that is not near the heart of college football mania. That means no Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, or Pacific coast.

Who the deuce near San Fran cares deeply about CFB?
 
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The title game should be held on a three-city rotation between Atlanta, Miami and New Orleans.

I would also throw in Jerryville in Dallas since it's somewhat of a central location, and is in a dome which fans would prefer!

Fact is all the NCAA Football Championship games should be played in a Dome....

As I stated in another thread, I wish the playoff would expand to 8 teams, and give the top 4 seeds a home playoff game as a reward to the fans....I know that television and corporations would object, but more empty seats are in the future for the NCAA Playoffs and Bowl games, and there is now a concern that the NCAA is pricing themselves out of business...

I listened to the Clemson station this morning as well, and one guy said that he had checked into going to the National Championship, and it would cost him and his family of 4 nearly $5,000 dollars for the Airfare, Hotel, Tickets and Parking....

It also begs the question to why in the world would the NCAA schedule a game in California at a location like Santa Clara that is an open air stadium with no direct route for air travel...And as mentioned above, the West Coast generally doesn't care about College Football anymore, and this year's UCLA/USC game is further proof of that as it was the least attended game in this series in a very long time....Interest has faded on the Left Coast, and the fact that the Pac-12 has had only 1 invite(Washington) to the playoffs in 5 years is more proof of that....

Expect a lot of empty seats next monday!.
 
I would be fine with including Dallas as the fourth city. This would better accommodate fans from Big 12 and Pac 12 schools.
 
I would also throw in Jerryville in Dallas since it's somewhat of a central location, and is in a dome which fans would prefer!

Fact is all the NCAA Football Championship games should be played in a Dome....

As I stated in another thread, I wish the playoff would expand to 8 teams, and give the top 4 seeds a home playoff game as a reward to the fans....I know that television and corporations would object, but more empty seats are in the future for the NCAA Playoffs and Bowl games, and there is now a concern that the NCAA is pricing themselves out of business...

I listened to the Clemson station this morning as well, and one guy said that he had checked into going to the National Championship, and it would cost him and his family of 4 nearly $5,000 dollars for the Airfare, Hotel, Tickets and Parking....

It also begs the question to why in the world would the NCAA schedule a game in California at a location like Santa Clara that is an open air stadium with no direct route for air travel...And as mentioned above, the West Coast generally doesn't care about College Football anymore, and this year's UCLA/USC game is further proof of that as it was the least attended game in this series in a very long time....Interest has faded on the Left Coast, and the fact that the Pac-12 has had only 1 invite(Washington) to the playoffs in 5 years is more proof of that....

Expect a lot of empty seats next monday!.

bingo! West Coast is notoriously terrible for bowl attendance minus the Rose Bowl which features a Pac12 school.
 
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I'd say that the interest in bowl games is dwindling, and has been, ever since they began rewarding extreme mediocrity in season performance. A .500 record gets you a bowl game.
Agreed. You should have to have at least 7 wins to get an invite. As far as attendance goes, these guys don't care about that. People watching on TV is where all the money comes from.
 
The NCAA's obvious lack of vision may eventually doom the bowl system and the playoffs....

It will be interesting moving forward to see what the NCAA will do?....They may do nothing about the bowl system, but the lack of bodies in the stands on monday night for the National Championship will, or should get people's attention....

Fans already spend an inordinate amount of money throughout the season, and the staggering prices to travel, eat and watch a Football game on another Coast right after the Holidays is just too much for the common working man to afford....Heard this morning that Ticket prices for the National Championship have dropped to as low as $140.00, compared to last year's ticket price in Atlanta which was reportedly $1700 as the cheapest....Of Course, Georgia was in the National Championship as was Alabama, and both of those schools were relatively close to the venue, so that was expected....Not the case this year, but will the NCAA make any future venue changes in regards to the National Championship venue?.....We will see!

At every other level of football, the fans of the higher seeded teams can watch their teams in their home stadiums during the playoffs without buying plane tickets or having to stay in a hotel, and people can afford to do that....The current setup has basically priced a lot of loyal fans out of the game.....

Again, the NCAA needs to expand to 8 teams with the top 4 seeds hosting the first round games...This makes the playoffs more affordable and would entice the entire country to watch the Playoffs by including all 5 P5 champions....If this change isn't made, the new playoffs may have a short life because the TV ratings for this year's playoff semifinals were abysmal....

Will be interesting to see what the TV ratings will be for Monday's National Championship game which will be broadcast by ESPN which a lot of people have dropped from their TV package the last several years....

I think the NCAA would be better served to have the games broadcast by one of the big 4 Networks whether it be Fox, ABC, NBC or CBS because the current setup with ESPN doesn't seem to draw enough eyeballs anymore...
 
I would be fine with including Dallas as the fourth city. This would better accommodate fans from Big 12 and Pac 12 schools.
You have to toss something to the Big Ten. Indianapolis could work too. IN, home of Notre Dame, borders OH and IL and MI, as well as SEC/ACC state KY. It is easy to drive and fly to Indianapolis from the areas where CFB is biggest.

And the dome means the awful weather outside will not scare away fans or ruin the game.
 
I think the NCAA would be better served to have the games broadcast by one of the big 4 Networks whether it be Fox, ABC, NBC or CBS because the current setup with ESPN doesn't seem to draw enough eyeballs anymore...
The NCAA does not own, nor does the NCAA control, the CFB post-season, which is the reason it is profitable for the P5.
 
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You have to toss something to the Big Ten. Indianapolis could work too. IN, home of Notre Dame, borders OH and IL and MI, as well as SEC/ACC state KY. It is easy to drive and fly to Indianapolis from the areas where CFB is biggest.

And the dome means the awful weather outside will not scare away fans or ruin the game.

I'm fine with Indy. So it could be the following

1. Rose Bowl - Pac 12
2. Jerry World - Big 12
3. Indy - Big 10
4. One of Atlanta / Miami / New Orleans - ACC & SEC

They could then alternate the semi finals games at the site not hosting the championship.
 
And I agree that these games should be played either in domes or in cities with great weather.
 
If they start picking locations based on the quality of the teams involved, the game would be somewhere in the southeast every year.
 
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I'd take out Miami. Take the possibility of rain out of play. Rotate between Rose Bowl, Jerry's World, Indy, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Although, nice for the party, the Superdome is one of the worst places in America to watch a ball game.

As far as this week's matchup in Santa Clara. Easiest ticket in the history of an NC game. I have a bunch of Clemson friends trying to get rid of tickets. Talked to a buddy yesterday who said he would love to just be able to get face value. But the trip just too expensive for most. He either eats them, it takes a bath on them with whatever pittance the brokers will give him.
 
If they wanted to go two options per region:

Rose Bowl / Phoenix
Indy / Minneapolis
Atlanta / New Orleans
Dallas / Houston

This would get more cities involved and still make all major conferences and fan bases happy
 
If they wanted to go two options per region:

Rose Bowl / Phoenix
Indy / Minneapolis
Atlanta / New Orleans
Dallas / Houston

This would get more cities involved and still make all major conferences and fan bases happy

Wouldn't that be a perfect set up for an 8 team playoff with those locations rotating every year for Quarterfinal and Semifinal matchups?..The Semifinals could be played on Jan 1st to ensure the best ratings with the Quarterfinals a week or maybe even 2 weeks before on a Friday and Saturday..... On years when Jan 1st caused a conflict with the NFL, the Semifinals could be played on Friday of that weekend .....Then, play the championship game on a Saturday and on the same weekend as the NFC and AFC Conference Championship games which are played on Sunday...Surely, a central location could be determined. and a venue ready for the two teams vying for the National Title during that 3 week break, or just let the Higher seeded team that is left among the final 2, host the Championship game with the Gameday crew there.... The Players and Coaches could get refreshed and healthy for the final, and the fans of those teams likely would be more interested and willing to travel to a closer venue, or would certainly sellout a home finale for the Title...

Remember fans make the game, and without the fans there's no need for Players or Coaches or a Network to Broadcast!

Talk about a Football weekend for all of us Football Junkies....A National Title and the Two Super Bowl Participants decided on the same weekend....That setup could not only help and benefit College Football, but could also benefit the NFL at the same time...The NFL already have their Superbowl venues set years in advance, so conflicts concerning the venues could be avoided, and could possibilly even be enhanced....

A man's got a right to dream, right!
 
Wouldn't that be a perfect set up for an 8 team playoff with those locations rotating every year for Quarterfinal and Semifinal matchups?..The Semifinals could be played on Jan 1st to ensure the best ratings with the Quarterfinals a week or maybe even 2 weeks before on a Friday and Saturday..... On years when Jan 1st caused a conflict with the NFL, the Semifinals could be played on Friday of that weekend .....Then, play the championship game on a Saturday and on the same weekend as the NFC and AFC Conference Championship games which are played on Sunday...Surely, a central location could be determined. and a venue ready for the two teams vying for the National Title during that 3 week break, or just let the Higher seeded team that is left among the final 2, host the Championship game with the Gameday crew there.... The Players and Coaches could get refreshed and healthy for the final, and the fans of those teams likely would be more interested and willing to travel to a closer venue, or would certainly sellout a home finale for the Title...

Remember fans make the game, and without the fans there's no need for Players or Coaches or a Network to Broadcast!

Talk about a Football weekend for all of us Football Junkies....A National Title and the Two Super Bowl Participants decided on the same weekend....That setup could not only help and benefit College Football, but could also benefit the NFL at the same time...The NFL already have their Superbowl venues set years in advance, so conflicts concerning the venues could be avoided, and could possibilly even be enhanced....

A man's got a right to dream, right!

It sounds like a good plan for those support the idea of expanding the playoff to 8 teams.
 
13 of the last 14 national champs are from the south / southwest, so until the pac-12 becomes a consistent contender again, there should not be a playoff game on the west coast. If a west cost team happens to make the finals, I’m sure their fans would be willing to travel south to watch them (since it’s become a rarity).
 
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I haven't gone to any sporting event in a couple of years. I've found that it's equally enjoyable and much less expensive to watch games at home.
let's see... travel time and expense, traffic jams, high ticket prices, overpriced snacks, uncomfortable seats, long bathroom lines, etc. vs. comfortable sofa, big screen hdtv, surround sound, great snacks at grocery store prices, convenient bathroom, dvr replays, beverage of your choice, etc. despite all that, i'm still looking forward to seeing at least a couple games in keenan next year to support our mack led tar heels!
 
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let's see... travel time and expense, traffic jams, high ticket prices, overpriced snacks, uncomfortable seats, long bathroom lines, etc. vs. comfortable sofa, big screen hdtv, surround sound, great snacks at grocery store prices, convenient bathroom, dvr replays, beverage of your choice, etc. despite all that, i'm still looking forward to seeing at least a couple games in keenan next year to support our mack led tar heels!

That's my entire list as well, although I would add convenient and clean bathrooms. The only events I would attend now are UNC sports, but since I live in Michigan, I'm not sure when that will happen.

Football especially is much better at home ever since they added the line of scrimmage, first down and most recently field goal range lines.
 
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...The only events I would attend now are UNC sports, but since I live in Michigan, I'm not sure when that will happen....
sorry you live so far away. chapel hill is about 3 1/2 hrs. from richmond. it's a nice weekend getaway, but expensive in time and money, so we only go a couple times a year for both major sports. it's always great to visit one's alma mater. i love the campus, chapel hill, and keenan stadium. i don't have as much nostalgia for the smith center -- games were in carmichael when i was a student, but it's still great going to basketball games.
 
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sorry you live so far away. chapel hill is about 3 1/2 hrs. from richmond. it's a nice weekend getaway, but expensive in time and money, so we only go a couple times a year for both major sports. it's always great to visit one's alma mater. i love the campus, chapel hill, and keenan stadium. i don't have as much nostalgia for the smith center -- games were in carmichael when i was a student, but it's still great going to basketball games.

I grew up in Chapel Hill, and moved up here to Michigan after grad school. The UNC campus is amazing, and I wish I lived closer. I've been to Kenan and the Smith Center, but never Carmichael.
 
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I grew up in Chapel Hill, and moved up here to Michigan after grad school. The UNC campus is amazing, and I wish I lived closer. I've been to Kenan and the Smith Center, but never Carmichael.
Games in Carmichael were magical.
 
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I’m not an alum but only live about an hour from Chapel Hill, and used to get to a good number of football and basketball games in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Unfortunately I haven’t been to many games in the last ten years (but having kids will eat into the sporting event budget quickly).

I went to quite a few games during Mack’s first tenure, including the first two dismal seasons, the BIG tie w/ GT; and a few of those disappointing FSU games. I even went to the Texas game when Mack came back to Keenan and whipped Bunting’s arse in ‘02 or ‘03. Now that Mack has returned, I’m hoping to get back to some games this coming fall.

GO HEELS!
 
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Games in Carmichael were magical.
yes indeed! younger fans don't realize carolina had one of the best home court advantages in the country. carmichael was deafening during the entire game, a significant factor in building our hoops dynasty. also, so many great teams and great players in the acc heyday came to carmichael to be humbled by our awesome tar heels! carmichael was a whole lotta fun!
 
Yea, the women play there. But the place has been revamped and not the same. Used to be the loudest place in the world with the noise bouncing off the wall. And could be one of the hottest places in the world on even the coldest of nights.
 
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Games in Carmichael were magical.
I never had the chance to go to a game there but remember how great it was to watch the Heels play in Charmichael. And thought it was cool that they would have the manually kept score board in the corner so the viewer could know the score and time remaining at all times.

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Yea, it was an experience. I guess the Dean Dome was needed for the amount of folks that want to go to games, but for me it just hasn't ever been the same. Remember the first time I walked in the new building and it just felt so sterile and cold. Nicer and more accommodating as far as concessions and bathrooms, but just didn't have the same charm. Still doesn't. Now I hate Duke, but in a way I do respect how they have resisted the urge to build a bigger arena and stayed with what has given them a huge home court advantage over the years
 
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I never had the chance to go to a game there but remember how great it was to watch the Heels play in Charmichael. And thought it was cool that they would have the manually kept score board in the corner so the viewer could know the score and time remaining at all times.

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Carmichael had atmosphere. Nobody called UNC fans a wine and cheese crowd after visiting Carmichael.
 
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Yea, it was an experience. I guess the Dean Dome was needed for the amount of folks that want to go to games, but for me it just hasn't ever been the same. Remember the first time I walked in the new building and it just felt so sterile and cold. Nicer and more accommodating as far as concessions and bathrooms, but just didn't have the same charm. Still doesn't. Now I hate Duke, but in a way I do respect how they have resisted the urge to build a bigger arena and stayed with what has given them a huge home court advantage over the years
I doubt duke could fill something the size of the Dean dome.
 
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