Interesting FBS Article

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Mentions MU and CUSA along with other G5 conferences and how some shuffling would look under a new system.

It was written last year so UConn has already dropped down to FCS.
I think some programs are going to take a very long look at possibly following suit.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sb...l/2019/1/31/18200696/fbs-membership-leave-fcs

 

[Jeepers Creepers]

It was written last year so UConn has already dropped down to FCS.

UConn isn't dropping down to FCS. They are leaving the AAC and will play football as an FBS independent.

 

[greengeezer]

Did I read it correctly that Marshall was one of the schools not having 15,000 in attendance? Maybe that one FIU game, but I thought our yearly averages had been around 25,000+ for a number of years.

 

[IslandHerd1]

Did I read it correctly that Marshall was one of the schools not having 15,000 in attendance? Maybe that one FIU game, but I thought our yearly averages had been around 25,000+ for a number of years.

we are in the 25k plus club

 

[greengeezer]

But we know these teams didn’t scan 15,000 fans into their games: ULM, Coastal Carolina, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, UMass, Kent State, San Jose State, Miami (Ohio), Central Michigan, Charlotte, UL Lafayette, Akron, Northern Illinois, UTEP, Arkansas State, New Mexico State, Ohio, Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Texas State, Nevada, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, UNLV, Old Dominion, Toledo, UTSA, Southern Miss, Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Wyoming, Connecticut, and Western Kentucky.

 

[JudgeDD]

But we know these teams didn’t scan 15,000 fans into their games: ULM, Coastal Carolina, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, UMass, Kent State, San Jose State, Miami (Ohio), Central Michigan, Charlotte, UL Lafayette, Akron, Northern Illinois, UTEP, Arkansas State, New Mexico State, Ohio, Western Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Texas State, Nevada, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, UNLV, Old Dominion, Toledo, UTSA, Southern Miss, Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Wyoming, Connecticut, and Western Kentucky.

The article is talking about how many actually came to the game and had their tickets scanned at the gate. That is usually a much smaller number than the reported attendance, based not only on sold tickets, but also on season ticket holders, commercial block purchases, and probably a few other factors that boost the numbers. How many times have you been to a game when the reported attendance is north of 20k and you're looking around the stadium and thinking, then where the hell are they hiding them all?

 

[greengeezer]

The article is talking about how many actually came to the game and had their tickets scanned at the gate. That is usually a much smaller number than the reported attendance, based not only on sold tickets, but also on season ticket holders, commercial block purchases, and probably a few other factors that boost the numbers. How many times have you been to a game when the reported attendance is north of 20k and you're looking around the stadium and thinking, then where the hell are they hiding them all?

I realize what you are saying. We had several games where the announced attendance was not what was in the stands, but I remember only the FIU game where the crowd was below 15,000.

 

[The Real SamC]

Not a bad article, author understands the business of sports well.

However, the solution for many ignored programs in the MAC and elsewhere is to simply drop the sport, not to drop down to I-AA.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Not a bad article, author understands the business of sports well.

However, the solution for many ignored programs in the MAC and elsewhere is to simply drop the sport, not to drop down to I-AA.

There really are several programs that should reclassify and I mean all around the FBS. There are P5s that will never compete in that group and G5s that will never competed on the FBS level football. A lot of these programs are bankrupting themselves trying to keep up the facade. Look at Akron. I remember reading where they "buy there own tickets" in order to maintain their status.

The current system does not foster an atmosphere for bad teams to build into consistent top level teams. Idaho came to that realization and dropped down. UMASS has been debating it. UCONN is starting to.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

UConn isn't dropping down to FCS. They are leaving the AAC and will play football as an FBS independent.

You're right, my bad.

They wanted to stay in the AAC as a football only member but the AAC wasn't having that.

Now in the FBS Independent.

 

[Jeepers Creepers]

Now in the FBS Independent.

That's a tough row to hoe. I foresee annual matchups with Liberty, UMass, and New Mexico State. Not much TV draw. The UConn hoops program has a storied history, but that may not pay the bills. We'll see how long they can tread water in football...

 

[herdalicious]

My guess is MU has adopted the mid-major strategy of counting 100% of your student section in your attendance figures, even if its only about 1/5th full on game day. That bolsters the figures, and schools kind of give a shrug, "Well, it was a ticket 'sold'...."

Truth be told, those invisible students spend more money each year on Marshall athletics than 90% of our fans.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

That's a tough row to hoe. I foresee annual matchups with Liberty, UMass, and New Mexico State. Not much TV draw. The UConn hoops program has a storied history, but that may not pay the bills. We'll see how long they can tread water in football...

I agree. One problem is their location for scheduling. Could make it difficult to do.
Their basketball was a major component for football stepping away from the AAC if I'm not mistaken (again).

 

[Jeepers Creepers]

I agree. One problem is their location for scheduling. Could make it difficult to do.
Their basketball was a major component for football stepping away from the AAC if I'm not mistaken (again).

Scheduling is a nightmare for FBS independents not named Notre Dame (or BYU to a lesser extent). For example, Liberty and New Mexico State have an agreement to play each other twice a year to fill the schedule. UConn is a welcome addition for those two schools. And yes, this was a basketball decision on UConn's part; they missed the Big East.