(01-28-2013 09:17 AM)FrancisDrake Wrote:  No, its not a good point. Florida fans didn't show up because they're over saturated. They go to BCS games regularly and Louisville wasn't, in their mind, exciting. They underachieved and some Gator fans are impatient with Muschamp. UCONN's BCS game was their FIRST... EVER... Against a football blue blood in OU.

Look at Boise State, TCU, and UTAH's ticket sales for their first BCS game and you will see a football fan-base's response to such a opportunity. UCONN's turnout was embarrassing to the school and the conference. Hell Northern Illinois turned out better and they're a dreaded "directional" school and UCONN is a state flagship.

(01-26-2013 07:13 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(01-26-2013 06:27 PM)IceJus10 Wrote:  

(01-23-2013 08:44 AM)FrancisDrake Wrote:  Further, while UCONN has done extremely well, you need not look further than their hideous turn out for their first ever BCS game to see what force feeding football on a fan base looks like. Let the UMASS/ODU/Charlottes of the world grow into it.

Look no further than Florida's horrible fan support at this year's sugar bowl to show that bowl attendance means diddly anymore! Fans are fickle - some big time programs have seriously under-performed in bowl ticket sales lately, you don't need to be a newcomer to have a bad bowl showing anymore.

This is a pretty good point. UConn gets kind of a bad rap--CT to Phoenix is a pretty long trip. (The SEC actually hasn't sent a team to the Fiesta Bowl since 2000.) On the other hand, first ever BCS appearance. On the other other hand, first ever BCS appearance, in what, FBS Year 8?

Meanwhile, Florida fans won't go to a Sugar Bowl.

Boise State to Tempe, Arizona--> 930 miles (14 hours)
TCU to Tempe, Arizona--> 1020 miles (14.5 hours)
Utah to Tempe, Arizona--> 670 miles (10 hours)
UConn to Tempe, Arizona--> 2550 miles (38 hours)

(01-27-2013 10:19 AM)panama Wrote:  At this point I am being realistic. The holy grail has always been power conference status. That door is likely shut permanently for my university in my lifetime. Now it has become about building the best individual program we can and hopefully ending up in a conference eventually of nearby universities that are kind of like ours.

I'm also coming around to this idea , no use in really explaining your university to others who are essentially in the same boat.

You forgot Northern Illinois: DeKalb, IL to Miami FL --> 1440 miles 21 hours

While I'm certain being closer helps, those are still very long drive times. Most fans probably flew and flying from any one of those cities is only marginally more expensive than flying from NYC. Further UCONN is a large state flagship school, they have a lot of alumni, alumni wealthy enough to make that trip. The reason they didnt is because they're a basketball school who was flung into "big time" football.

Look, I'm not against Charlotte, I'm against Charlotte/UMASS/ODU now. Hows about you have one snap of football before we entertain the idea of 49ner football in the Big East?

(01-28-2013 09:46 AM)TribeNiner Wrote:  

(01-28-2013 09:17 AM)FrancisDrake Wrote:  No, its not a good point. Florida fans didn't show up because they're over saturated. They go to BCS games regularly and Louisville wasn't, in their mind, exciting. They underachieved and some Gator fans are impatient with Muschamp. UCONN's BCS game was their FIRST... EVER... Against a football blue blood in OU.

Look at Boise State, TCU, and UTAH's ticket sales for their first BCS game and you will see a football fan-base's response to such a opportunity. UCONN's turnout was embarrassing to the school and the conference. Hell Northern Illinois turned out better and they're a dreaded "directional" school and UCONN is a state flagship.

(01-26-2013 07:13 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(01-26-2013 06:27 PM)IceJus10 Wrote:  

(01-23-2013 08:44 AM)FrancisDrake Wrote:  Further, while UCONN has done extremely well, you need not look further than their hideous turn out for their first ever BCS game to see what force feeding football on a fan base looks like. Let the UMASS/ODU/Charlottes of the world grow into it.

Look no further than Florida's horrible fan support at this year's sugar bowl to show that bowl attendance means diddly anymore! Fans are fickle - some big time programs have seriously under-performed in bowl ticket sales lately, you don't need to be a newcomer to have a bad bowl showing anymore.

This is a pretty good point. UConn gets kind of a bad rap--CT to Phoenix is a pretty long trip. (The SEC actually hasn't sent a team to the Fiesta Bowl since 2000.) On the other hand, first ever BCS appearance. On the other other hand, first ever BCS appearance, in what, FBS Year 8?

Meanwhile, Florida fans won't go to a Sugar Bowl.

Boise State to Tempe, Arizona--> 930 miles (14 hours)
TCU to Tempe, Arizona--> 1020 miles (14.5 hours)
Utah to Tempe, Arizona--> 670 miles (10 hours)
UConn to Tempe, Arizona--> 2550 miles (38 hours)

I'm pretty sure I did nothing to pimp my school. I feel most have made up their minds one way or the other about the situation. I understand that many probably don't fully grasp the concept or have misconceptions about the various schools (UMass, Charlotte, ODU, etc.), but it isn't my place to come onto your boards and push my school above them all. Potential means a lot (as does conference affiliation in helping to fulfill that potential), but I'm not here touting how we should be added before we;ve done anything. I can talk about our student body, media market, success in other sports, plans, etc., until the cows come home- but that is unlikely to change anyone's mind.

All I was doing was suggesting that a 10-14 hour drive is doable (I know many who do such drives routinely for bowl games) while a 38 hour drive really isn't. I think he has a very good point in discussing the distance as an important factor in turnout (whether or not there are other factors, such as being a flagship school).

(01-27-2013 11:13 AM)ScreamShatter Wrote:  I don't think the power status is removed from the Big East yet unless another large scale raid happens where we lose 3 or 4 more teams. Right now, we are in a rebuilding phase, but there is no doubt that we will still be a top conference for basketball and we have schools that are going to become strong in football in the near future. Just wait and watch...

Really? No more AQ, TV deal a joke in comparison, still no sign of secured bowls post 2013, C7 left and nBE gets trashed in the media . How much more convincing do you need?

(01-22-2013 07:57 PM)whitey Wrote:  Should not be in any discussions about becoming a member of the nBE for at least 5 years. Let them prove themselves with there own $$$ before we invest on a hope & prayer that they MIGHT be good or bring TV & fans. We should not sniff any school that hasn't been a FBS for awhile. We are not the Sunbelt bringing up FCS schools because they need to. We don't need to.

I agree 100% plus add UTSA to three. I truly believe (opinion) if given time (years) all four schools (like Uconn) will growth into good DI programs.

(01-28-2013 01:05 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(01-27-2013 11:13 AM)ScreamShatter Wrote:  I don't think the power status is removed from the Big East yet unless another large scale raid happens where we lose 3 or 4 more teams. Right now, we are in a rebuilding phase, but there is no doubt that we will still be a top conference for basketball and we have schools that are going to become strong in football in the near future. Just wait and watch...

Really? No more AQ, TV deal a joke in comparison, still no sign of secured bowls post 2013, C7 left and nBE gets trashed in the media . How much more convincing do you need?

Waiting on letter stamped "REJECTED"...