(04-28-2014 06:57 PM)MasMack Wrote:  I have yet to see anyone point out any valid reasons CUSA bought this bowl. A lot of people have said a lot of "if's", but nothing that validates or justifies this move.

I will say that "if" CUSA can move this bowl game, then this could pay off down the road. But that's pure speculation if that's even possible at this point.

The AAC definitely got the better deal out of this. No doubt.

CUSA needs to make sure it can work long term in Bahamas before thinking about moving it

Place only holds 15,000, think we can fill that with locale interest. Its a win win, sitting in 75deg football game, drinking beer around christmas.

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure. Fans who do not have a passport will not be able to decide to go the game in Nov or even Oct. as getting a passport within this time frame next to impossible. . Fans who do have a passport will have to decide if the travel costs are worth the effort to see two G 5 teams play each other. Honestly, on this one, I think the AAC got the better deal.

I don't think you need a passport if you take a ferry from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami (a short boat ride away).

(04-28-2014 05:16 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 03:08 PM)MasMack Wrote:  This is just the stupidest move. I hate the idea of a Bahamas Bowl. And now CUSA buys it to play against a MAC team?! I just do not understand this at all. Someone please explain how this helps our conference?

Not only did we buy a bowl game at an island against the MAC, but we also did this as a trade to allow the AAC to pick up BYU in their Miami Bowl. WTF???????? I think this is a big move for the AAC, 1. They get BYU 2. They get out of the Bahamas Bowl 3. They eliminate having to play another G5 school in a bowl game 4. They keep their options open for the next 5 years for better bowls, while nailing one of their competitors down for 6 years.

NOW if we can move the bowl game, that would be better. But still, I think we lost big time on this move.

My guess is that CUSA will eventually move the bowl to the home stadium of a member school. As I mentioned before, the Alamodome is a quality facility and would offer a solid travel destination that is driveable for many CUSA members. Invest 2-3 million in CFP playoff money into the payout in order to attract a Pac12 or Big12 team, and the conference would manufacture a very nice signature bowl for its future champs that fail to make the playoff or G5 CFP Bowl slot. With the right plan, the acquisition of this bowl could be a homerun.

I agree that I think that CUSA will move it, but please, not another texas bowl! I'd like to have a bowl in this conference that I wouldn't have to take a plane to get to! Put it in Charlotte or Norfolk or wherever, just somewhere kinda close.

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure. Fans who do not have a passport will not be able to decide to go the game in Nov or even Oct. as getting a passport within this time frame next to impossible. . Fans who do have a passport will have to decide if the travel costs are worth the effort to see two G 5 teams play each other. Honestly, on this one, I think the AAC got the better deal.

I read where it was a 5 to 7 week wait or you can get a Expedited Passport in 3 to 4 weeks if you can prove that you are traveling outside of the country and need a passport in order to go.

(04-28-2014 08:21 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure. Fans who do not have a passport will not be able to decide to go the game in Nov or even Oct. as getting a passport within this time frame next to impossible. . Fans who do have a passport will have to decide if the travel costs are worth the effort to see two G 5 teams play each other. Honestly, on this one, I think the AAC got the better deal.

I don't think you need a passport if you take a ferry from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami (a short boat ride away).

You need a passport either through air or sea. Google it, you will see. I travel internationally for my job. Everything changed after Sept 11.

(04-28-2014 08:36 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure. Fans who do not have a passport will not be able to decide to go the game in Nov or even Oct. as getting a passport within this time frame next to impossible. . Fans who do have a passport will have to decide if the travel costs are worth the effort to see two G 5 teams play each other. Honestly, on this one, I think the AAC got the better deal.

I read where it was a 5 to 7 week wait or you can get a Expedited Passport in 3 to 4 weeks if you can prove that you are traveling outside of the country and need a passport in order to go.

Your correct, in some areas, like where I live, you also have to make an appointment at the post office to apply, which can take an extra week. So some areas you can apply in Nov and so further out. If you want, you can also come to DC and wait in line to have your passport expedited. My point is that, this is an extra cost and burden if you do not already have a passport.

(04-28-2014 08:37 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 08:21 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure. Fans who do not have a passport will not be able to decide to go the game in Nov or even Oct. as getting a passport within this time frame next to impossible. . Fans who do have a passport will have to decide if the travel costs are worth the effort to see two G 5 teams play each other. Honestly, on this one, I think the AAC got the better deal.

I don't think you need a passport if you take a ferry from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami (a short boat ride away).

You need a passport either through air or sea. Google it, you will see. I travel internationally for my job. Everything changed after Sept 11.

Your wrong I just got back from there no need for a passport if going by sea.

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure.

Where do I start with this mess of a post. First, it doesn't take months to get a passport. Particularly if you are traveling in December or January to the islands. My military unit had to get government passports to travel to Belize three years ago in June. We order them in April and had them all back in three weeks.

Second, I also possess a civilian passport. I just renewed it in March and got it back at the end of March. Yes, if you wait until the busy season (summer season) you may have to wait two months or so. But as long as your background is clean you can usually get it back in less than two months and in some instances quicker than that.

Yes, it cost $150-$175 to get a passport. But the freaking thing is good for 10 years and if you travel or even if you don't travel, it is worth the investment to have a passport and it isn't a hassle to get one.

(04-28-2014 08:21 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure. Fans who do not have a passport will not be able to decide to go the game in Nov or even Oct. as getting a passport within this time frame next to impossible. . Fans who do have a passport will have to decide if the travel costs are worth the effort to see two G 5 teams play each other. Honestly, on this one, I think the AAC got the better deal.

I don't think you need a passport if you take a ferry from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami (a short boat ride away).

you are thinking of freeport. nassau is too far for a ferry.

For those of you who don't like the location of this bowl, I'll gladly trade you Birmingham... You move your bowl THERE, we'll move our game to the Bahamas... Everybody's happy.

(Yeah, I know that is an unintentional slap at UAB, but...)

(04-28-2014 06:49 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:20 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:04 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  No. C-USA bought the game and it does not reflect poorly on them in any way. The American owns the Miami Bowl.

We are CUSA. It has no resources beyond those provided by the member schools. Whoever goes to this game will have essentially bought their way in, and I think that reflects very poorly on all of us. You cannot deny that for better conferences and schools, the money flows in the other direction. This is fundamentally no different from buying air time on ESPN.

This may be a calculated investment for some of our less-known members. I can't imagine it makes sense for USM.

Andre, CUSA actually purchased the bowl. CUSA now owns it. They own the ticket income, the sponsorship income, and the media rights. As you know, most schools that play in a bowl game LOSE money in the process. On the other hand, the bowls generally make money. This bowl is probably not going to be very successful as it stands, but if it can be moved to the mainland (it's CUSA's bowl, so when the lease expires, they can move it where they like), it could be a winner. Like I said, have each school put 200k in CFP money into the bowl pool to pay (thats 2.8 million) for an increased pay out and attract a Big12 or Pac12 tie. The P5 involvement increases ticket sales, increases the media value, and increases the sponsorship value. The bowl makes more money, which is returned to schools. In effect, getting a better bowl probably costs the schools nothing---because bowl owners split the profit. Heck, you may even make money off the deal.

CUSA just needs to get it out of the Bahamas as soon as possible.

That makes sense. My mistake... the thread title pretty much spells it out.

I mean, if ESPN wouldn't televise us, so we just bought ESPN2, that would hardly be a bad thing.

It sucked when it was an AAC bowl, now its a great idea

(04-28-2014 06:57 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:49 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  CUSA just needs to get it out of the Bahamas as soon as possible.

Why? The attraction of this bowl game is the location. And it's affordable to travel to the Bahamas especially in the winter and it's much closer to our programs than Hawaii.

Because, like the Hawaii Bowl, also played on Christmas Eve, it will be empty. Any bowl people have to fly to reduces the population of people willing to travel to the bowl. Any bowl that requires a passport on short notice further reduces the number of people even able to go to the game. That's before the date (Christmas Eve) is factored in. The Hawaii Bowl is empty unless Hawaii plays in it. The same will be true in the Bahamas---except there is no home town version of the Rainbow Warriors to ever fill the Bahamas Bowl. Besides, a significant bowl is never ever played in 15K seat stadium.

Move it to a CUSA members home stadium. That puts CUSA in control of the both the bowl and the venue. When the Boca Bowl lease runs out, put it in the FAU stadium---or leave the Boca Bowl alone and put it in San Antonio. Both are great locations. The best bowls are drivable, in a quality venue, in a tourist city, and have ties to a conference with many nearby members. The Bahamas Bowl in its current location wiffs on 3 out of 4 of those features. Move it on the mainland in Boca Raton or San Antonio and the bowl scores on all 4 of those important features. Beef up the payday and attract a P5 opponent and CUSA has a big winner. Essentially, with a little vision, CUSA can create it's own major signature bowl.

I'm hoping we do the same with the Miami Beach Bowl. In the current environment, the only way I can see G5 conferences getting a decent anchor bowls for their champs is if we create and fund them ourselves.

(04-28-2014 09:27 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  For those of you who don't like the location of this bowl, I'll gladly trade you Birmingham... You move your bowl THERE, we'll move our game to the Bahamas... Everybody's happy.

(Yeah, I know that is an unintentional slap at UAB, but...)

We don't want to play there either...

(04-28-2014 09:01 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 06:19 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Passports are going to make this bowl game a mess. With only 25 percent or so of the US having a passport to begin with, plus the many months and costs associated with getting one this game is set up for fan failure.

Where do I start with this mess of a post. First, it doesn't take months to get a passport. Particularly if you are traveling in December or January to the islands. My military unit had to get government passports to travel to Belize three years ago in June. We order them in April and had them all back in three weeks.

Second, I also possess a civilian passport. I just renewed it in March and got it back at the end of March. Yes, if you wait until the busy season (summer season) you may have to wait two months or so. But as long as your background is clean you can usually get it back in less than two months and in some instances quicker than that.

Yes, it cost $150-$175 to get a passport. But the freaking thing is good for 10 years and if you travel or even if you don't travel, it is worth the investment to have a passport and it isn't a hassle to get one.

If you live in an area like DC, where I am, it takes a week to get a passport time at the post office., plus 4- 6 weeks for a new passport, unless you pay for the expedited service. This means for some people a 7 week procees, almost two months. IMO, this is an extra burden for a bowl game. Where I was wrong, however, was in the 25% figure for passports! it is now about 35%. Someone has already said that Conf USA needs to move this game to Florida, I agree.

As an aside, thank you for your service. I travel to some not so great places in the Middle East , Haiti and Eastern Europe where I work with organizations trying to make a difference in people's lives, always glad to see our military when I travel, and especially apprciative when I fly home and land at Dulles. Liberal or conservative, if you travel to places where people are killed for speaking out, or have no food or clean drinking water on a daily basis, you have to be amazed and how we have held it together in our country. So thanks for being a part of that holding together process.

(04-28-2014 04:27 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 03:24 PM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote:  BYU is a G5 school by extension of the fact that their not a P5. Because the P5 money is already determined BYU's revenues essentially come from the remainder left over (i.e. G5). I believe BYU and Army will get $200K per year.

This is another reason why I expect BYU to be in the Big 12 within two years and maybe even Army in the AAC.

BYU is an independent like Notre Dame.

BYU is an independent? Wow. Thanks for that enlightenment.

I believe you failed to see the point I was making regardin the new playoff structure and who is considered what. It's easy to see who fits into the power structure and who doesn't. Notre Dame and BYU may both be independent but in terms of where they fit in the power structure it is vastly different. Notre Dame will receive roughly $3.5 million from the playoff whereas BYU and Army will receive $200,000.

Though not officially designated a G5, BYU is essentially looped into the G5 and ND a power school, because of where they will fall in their revenue distributions.

I now believe message boards exist so people can have a place to *****. The truth here as in most cases is that this is neither as bad or as good as one might make it seem. Let's look at just the facts:

1. C-USA bought the bowl. They have not released their reasoning for this. The most logical reason to do so would be to have control over one more post season destination as the P5 is trying to suck everything up of value. Whether they eventually move it or not likely will depend on one thing and that is whether it's successful in the Bahamas or not.

2. The fact that the game is an international location does present some potential problems due to passports. It's a fair concern but not the end of the world. Had no idea there were so many drama queens in C-USA. The league will be here four and possibly all six years. There's a chance nearly half the conference could play in this bowl game before it ends. If you travel to bowl games and think you might go if your school is invited then holy hell the passport is good for 10 years. Get it now and you have it if and when you need it. Furthermore, it's always good to have a passport. (You never know when you're going to have to get out of the country. Yo?)

3. For those of you who say this will be just like Hawaii and no one is going to go how do you know that? Perhaps the Bahamians are clamouring for some American football regardless of who the teams are. There has never been an American football game played on the island so anyone claiming to know how well or poorly it will be supported is blowing smoke up people's asses. Hopefully, both the AAC in the initial research to freaking put a bowl game there and C-USA in their intent to purchase it did their due diligence to assess local interest.

Lastly, I'm going to go. I fully expect that is exactly where Middle Tennessee is going to land this year, because of our foreign national President's Bahamian roots. I have my passport, and I can't think of a better place to spend a week in December than the Bahamas. I spent too many nights in Miami, but that would be good too. I have no desire to play a bowl game in Texas. We suck in Texas anyway and Texas is a longer flight for me from DC than it is to the Bahamas. So, as far as I'm concerned Nassau is just as close and easy to get to than the games in Texas and the weather will be a hell of a lot better. It was sleeting in Fort Worth the night before the bowl game. Not my kind of weather when thinking about a bowl destination.

(04-29-2014 07:39 AM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote:  I now believe message boards exist so people can have a place to *****. The truth here as in most cases is that this is neither as bad or as good as one might make it seem. Let's look at just the facts:

1. C-USA bought the bowl. They have not released their reasoning for this. The most logical reason to do so would be to have control over one more post season destination as the P5 is trying to suck everything up of value. Whether they eventually move it or not likely will depend on one thing and that is whether it's successful in the Bahamas or not.

2. The fact that the game is an international location does present some potential problems due to passports. It's a fair concern but not the end of the world. Had no idea there were so many drama queens in C-USA. The league will be here four and possibly all six years. There's a chance nearly half the conference could play in this bowl game before it ends. If you travel to bowl games and think you might go if your school is invited then holy hell the passport is good for 10 years. Get it now and you have it if and when you need it. Furthermore, it's always good to have a passport. (You never know when you're going to have to get out of the country. Yo?)

3. For those of you who say this will be just like Hawaii and no one is going to go how do you know that? Perhaps the Bahamians are clamouring for some American football regardless of who the teams are. There has never been an American football game played on the island so anyone claiming to know how well or poorly it will be supported is blowing smoke up people's asses. Hopefully, both the AAC in the initial research to freaking put a bowl game there and C-USA in their intent to purchase it did their due diligence to assess local interest.

Lastly, I'm going to go. I fully expect that is exactly where Middle Tennessee is going to land this year, because of our foreign national President's Bahamian roots. I have my passport, and I can't think of a better place to spend a week in December than the Bahamas. I spent too many nights in Miami, but that would be good too. I have no desire to play a bowl game in Texas. We suck in Texas anyway and Texas is a longer flight for me from DC than it is to the Bahamas. So, as far as I'm concerned Nassau is just as close and easy to get to than the games in Texas and the weather will be a hell of a lot better. It was sleeting in Fort Worth the night before the bowl game. Not my kind of weather when thinking about a bowl destination.

^^^^
THIS!!!

One other thing to consider... It is interesting to remember back to December 26, 2005, when the massive earthquake and tsunami ravaged the pacific rim and Micronesia. How many people were vacationing, over Christmas, in beach-side resorts in places like Thailand and Indonesia? People do this type of thing now. The days where Christmas was a holiday spent at home is nothing more than drippy sentimentality. People use Christmas, ala "Home Alone", to travel...often to resorts.

So there are prone to be many Americans on holiday in the Bahamas, over Christmas. Even if they are not direct fans of the schools involved, they too might jump at the chance to see a bowl game with reasonably priced tickets, if it were available. The same people who travel over Christmas are not likely to be spending Christmas Eve in church, either.

I admit, I didn't think this bowl was going to fly at first, but the idea grew on me... In other words, I changed my mind about it. I really do think this would have been a good game for the AAC and am truly sad to see it not in the AAC stable.

It was a savvy move by Bankowski to grab this one. I think history will bear that out.

This would be a great venue for cusa especially for those schools near the Gulf. We, in El Paso would have a harder time getting to it as Houston is over 800 miles away just to fly into the Bahamas. But, knowing my wife that wouldn't present any problems as she would relish the idea of sunny beaches in December. When I told her about the Bahama Bowl Game her eyes lit up and started salivating for another vacation. She's into traveling, I'm not so much anymore, I've seen enough foreign countries. But I'll be there carrying the luggage, as that's all I'm good for. :)

As for passport you should get one whether you think you're going overseas or not. Heck, you even need one to go to Juarez from here.