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Attendance
Dec 18, 2015 15:00:46 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by bsu65 on Dec 18, 2015 15:00:46 GMT -6
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Post by redbirdman on Dec 18, 2015 15:46:17 GMT -6
I was well aware Ball State ranked next to last. The question can they average even 15,000 a game again as they did thirty years ago. I have my doubts in which case they and a number of MAC schools again need to decide if they should play D 1. I can come up with ways to raise attendance some and one of the 1st would be not playing MAC games during the week in November however we would give up the tv dates.2nd play a game a year in Indy hopefully against a Big Ten school. 3rd give away money to students in attendance in the 4th quarter of each home game for use in paying tuition. If you have suggestions please list them but those are the 3 things I come up with to use.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2015 17:01:18 GMT -6
8000 per game (and even that number is probably inflated) isn't worthy of staying in D1. Give it up. Any legitimate business would not continue to invest in a money drain such as this. What's the upside?......an invite to the PigDaddy Bowl?
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Post by 00hmh on Dec 18, 2015 17:43:03 GMT -6
The real problem in that piece is that with the exception of a couple of schools the MAC schools are all really in the same boat.. 10 schools ranked from #100 to the bottom.
Football just doesn't draw at this level. We are in a conference that has good competition in conference, entertaining teams to watch, good enough to be on the schedules of Power 5 schools.
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Post by rmcalhoun on Dec 18, 2015 21:06:02 GMT -6
Win an win consistently that's the only way to get attendance up.
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Post by 00hmh on Dec 18, 2015 21:52:53 GMT -6
Win an win consistently that's the only way to get attendance up. Yes, but that is not quite enough to explain the figures where so many MAC teams are low in attendance. The question is whether MAC football can sustain its existence. 10 MAC teams are in trouble. Even those 2 or 3 or maybe 4 teams winning in the MAC more consistently than the others may not survive, They won't win and win consistently without the others to beat!
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Post by rmcalhoun on Dec 18, 2015 22:26:16 GMT -6
I was not trying to explain anything but we have this conversation every year. Just for shits and giggles I went back and looked from 2009 the MAC has been last in attendance every year. I would imagine it was last before 2009 as well. Whats happened since 2009 the MAC has signed 2 multi million dollar contracts with Espn. So until some one says the MAC is done its really not worth wasting our breath on.
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Post by 00hmh on Dec 19, 2015 7:30:16 GMT -6
Whats happened since 2009 the MAC has signed 2 multi million dollar contracts with Espn. So until some one says the MAC is done its really not worth wasting our breath on. No doubt that the ESPN deals bring in some revenue. The question is whether it is enough revenue to offset lack of attendance. The multi million dollar contract and the revenue does not offset very much of the budget and the losses are in an environment where University budgets are increasingly pinched by reduction in state support and tuition freezes. Suppose the MAC becomes the made for TV conference and agrees to play even more games on weekdays to furnish relatively cheap entertainment for ESPN. This is sort of like reality TV, not that expensive to produce, but there is a real question how much we can sell those rights for, and how much bargaining power we have. Something has to change or University presidents will be meeting to take steps to reduce expense. Is it tragedy if the MAC downgrades to AA status, or if all of college football outside the Power 5 drastically changes? I don't know. But, change is going to occur, maybe the waste of time is discussing dreams of how the B10 and B8 (oops not the same anymore) are going to further expand to share the wealth with MAC schools. Of two scenarios, one where we expand and one where we contract operations, which is more likely?
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Post by bsu0 on Dec 19, 2015 8:03:31 GMT -6
I agree Calhoun, but there are other things that can be done. Give 'em a reason to show up in the bad weather in late October and November...WIN. Remember Hoke's last year? A mid-week night game colder than a witch's *** versus Western and a PACKED stadium. A western title on the line, it was great. Traditions have to be started. Dads and moms have to take their kids to the games. Wrap the family up in a blanket, drink hot chocolate and cheer on the Cardinals. Pride must be handed down to the younger generations. Ball State grads need to encourage their children to attend Ball State. Make the stadium on game day the place to be. This is how all the ''established'' schools have done it over the years. Mind sets need to be worked on...CHANGED!! Bring alums back to Muncie after years of not returning. It is not done quickly or easily. It starts with the students. We need to find a way to make the trek to the stadium and walk through the gates and stay until the end of the contest. I refuse to give up. This is possible and more people need to jump on the band wagon. Come on guys. It can be a fun ride.
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Post by cardfan on Dec 19, 2015 11:12:42 GMT -6
We've been saying all of this for 30 years.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2015 11:13:49 GMT -6
I like watching sporting events on television like everyone else.
Tuning in to a week night MAC game is severely depressing when you see that the stands are 80% vacant and there is no crowd noise, even when a good play or score takes place. They have the atmosphere of high school.
Unless the Cardinals are playing, MAC games are not "entertainment" to me.
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Post by williamtsherman on Dec 19, 2015 11:40:53 GMT -6
Jeez, you guys. I'm petty sure it's a flagrant violation of football board rules to talk sensibly about MAC football attendance and D1 viability! Where are the mods?
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Post by dmbdan41 on Dec 19, 2015 15:36:00 GMT -6
Jeez, you guys. I'm petty sure it's a flagrant violation of football board rules to talk sensibly about MAC football attendance and D1 viability! Where are the mods?
New board, new rules. The patients are running the asylum now!
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Post by redbirdman on Dec 19, 2015 18:14:28 GMT -6
I must say that big time college football will contract and in the near future the MAC will not have any chance to get in the playoffs. This will happen in my opinion within ten years and probably sooner. If the NCAA ever again requires attendance thresholds the MAC is out. The greater short term problem for MAC schools is conferences such as the Big Ten playing more conference games which eliminates a big visitors payday. While I think the Big Ten is making a mistake in that the Purdues, IUs & Illinois will have another loss which means they are more likely to be left out of bowls. The conference is trying to raise their playoff seeding. If the SEC does the same thing any school not in the top 5 conferences will suffer greatly which is exactly what they seek. The SEC wants to give more scholarships not less. The TV networks would like D1 college football down to around 40 schools. I see the MAC playing at a lower level with not more than 70 scholarships soon maybe even a cut to sixty do to lack of money. The key is when they get nothing money wise from NCAA big boys TV deals which will happen soon. The MAC will continue to play football but they will have no chance to make the playoffs which in reality is where we are now.
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Post by williamtsherman on Dec 20, 2015 8:32:23 GMT -6
Why would the NCAA care that students and taxpayers prop up MAC football to the tune of $5-10 Million a year per program? If the leadership of the universities in question won't stop it, why would the NCAA? What faction within the NCAA leadership would want to stop this? What moneyed influence on the NCAA has a motivation against this?
This is a classic case of run-away public spending. The group benefitting is relatively small, but compact, aware and vocal. Those bearing the cost are diffuse, generally unaware and politically weak.
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