neutral site games

[tampajag]

I just noticed that UMass/UNH and SFA/SHSU are playing in neutral site games. what's your feeling on this? think we'll see more games like this? Any ideas of the expected turnout for either game?

[clenz]

I don't know if this is the reason BUT if the respective home teams (UNH and SHSU-I think) are looking to move up and meet attendance requirements this is an easy way to boost numbers.

Get a game in a 70K seat stadium and sell tickets for cheap. I don't know how tickets are working for this game, but if they can get a good number of people say, well I get to go to Gillette/Reliant and see football for 10 bucks-ish, it could be a big number booster for them

[UAalum72]

If either NE team is moving up, it'd be UMass, not UNH. Neither is likely.

[JayJ79]

might be a dumb question,
but with a neutral site game like that, do both schools include tickets to that in their season-ticket packages?

[sfajack05]

I think the SFA/SAM game is being played in Houston to bring more exposure to both schools and the conference. SFA/SAM both have a large alumni base in Houston (SAM more than SFA but there's still a lot down there) and both schools recruit a lot from the area (both athletic and academic). This is the first year for it and there should be a good turnout for both sides. As of this weekend there were over 19,000 tickets sold and with SAM doing better than they were expected and this game having bigger meaning for the conference title I expect it to reach a near sell out. They only opened up the bottom part of Reliant so there should be around 26,000 people there. Not sure how the ticket situation is working though but I know SAM is the home team this year. So I'm not sure if they can count that towards their yearly attendance count or not. I also heard that the teams will split the door with reliant and the promotor. Not sure if this is correct but just what I heard this weekend.

As for the future this game will depend on how each team is doing. If both teams are doing well than you can expect a near sell out every game but if one team is doing bad than there will be a poor showing.

[SuperHornet]

clenz: That's a good idea, but might not always be doable. Scheduling a neutral site, particularly one bigger than one's own home field, implies rent, which can be steep. If one can make that up on volume, great. That's something to be decided between the AD and director of football operations.

[S F State Gaters]

This is something teams needed to have done a long long time ago. the FCS plays football and when you say 'college football' to anyone not an FCS fan, they're only talking about FBS ball. Neutral site games mean exposure and the schools out there should be making a move toward this, particularly schools in or near big markets, and on the West Coast

[clenz]

clenz: That's a good idea, but might not always be doable. Scheduling a neutral site, particularly one bigger than one's own home field, implies rent, which can be steep. If one can make that up on volume, great. That's something to be decided between the AD and director of football operations.

Even if they don't make up for the money spent on rent it can be worth it.

Take Texas State for example. They are something like 40 minutes from Austin and about an hour from San Antonio, if Google Maps is accurate. They are seriously considering the move up, and want to do it from all accounts I've read. Let's say the NCAA/new conference says, you need an attendance figure of this and the move up is done.

They find that if they hold a game at UT's stadium or the Alamo Dome they can, with the right opponent, draw 40K and that would push them over the top I think they would do it. Even if they had to take a loss on rent.

Hell, Florida Atlantic "hosted" Michigan State in week 2 or week 3...the game was played at Ford Field in Detroit. FAU got the gate and to count it as home attendance, but pretty much every single person there was a Michigan State fan.


Obviously, taking a loss would/should be a deterrent, but if it isn't a huge loss and won't really affect the move there is no reason not too.

[FWJack]

Clenz, Are you sure that the attendance counts for the "home" team? I really have no facts or sources, but I did see a post on a different message board that said attendance does not count for the "home" team at a neutral site game. Again, I don't have any facts to support either, just curious, because it is a very interesting point.

I haven't decided if I'm a fan of the neutral site game or not. I am sure this years Battle of the Piney Woods will be an electric atmospher, but I am not convinced that it will maintain its excitment in the years to come at a neutral site. What happens if both teams are having a down year? Will both fan bases travel to see the game? Only time will tell.

[clenz]

Clenz, Are you sure that the attendance counts for the "home" team? I really have no facts or sources, but I did see a post on a different message board that said attendance does not count for the "home" team at a neutral site game. Again, I don't have any facts to support either, just curious, because it is a very interesting point.

I haven't decided if I'm a fan of the neutral site game or not. I am sure this years Battle of the Piney Woods will be an electric atmospher, but I am not convinced that it will maintain its excitment in the years to come at a neutral site. What happens if both teams are having a down year? Will both fan bases travel to see the game? Only time will tell.

They said during the ESPN broadcast FAU gets to count that as a home game, because they are "hosting" it. That doesn't work for bowl games though.


ESPN has been wrong before...often...so that may not be totally accurate on my end

[clenz]

Ok, so I've looked at both Michigan State and FAU'S stats, and neither one has it listed for a home game...they both have it listed under the opponent category. So now I'm really confused. Fuck ESPN

[FWJack]

Ok, so I've looked at both Michigan State and FAU'S stats, and neither one has it listed for a home game...they both have it listed under the opponent category. So now I'm really confused. **** ESPN

Yeah, it is confusing. What I read on another message board said that the attendance gets counted for the conference but not for the teams specifically? whatever that means??? Anyway, maybe the home team get the majority of the gate. Hell, I don't know.

[89Hen]

might be a dumb question,
but with a neutral site game like that, do both schools include tickets to that in their season-ticket packages?

I think that's a good question. With 70,000 seats to fill, they should include it in the season ticket package.

[clenz]

Ok, so I've looked at both Michigan State and FAU'S stats, and neither one has it listed for a home game...they both have it listed under the opponent category. So now I'm really confused. **** ESPN

Yeah, it is confusing. What I read on another message board said that the attendance gets counted for the conference but not for the teams specifically? whatever that means??? Anyway, maybe the home team get the majority of the gate. Hell, I don't know.

How does the conference get the attendance but the teams don't? That 36K for FAU would help them a ton somewhere, I'm sure. It does nothing for the Sun Belt though.

[tampajag]

my only issue with those type of games is if you don't get a huge crowd, the atmosphere will suffer. Playing PVU (back in the day) in the Astrodome and Reliant Stadium was a weird experience. I like neutral site games only if both teams will be bringing a nice crowd.

[UAalum72]

Found this re FBS home games

A contest shall be considered a home contest if it is played in the stadium in which an institution conducts at least 50 percent of its home contests. [Bylaw 20.9.7.2]
Q. Is it permissible for an institution to use a home contest played in a stadium in which an
institution does not conduct at least 50 percent of its home contests to satisfy the scheduling
requirement?
A. An institution may use one home contest against a Football Bowl Subdivision member conducted at a neutral site to satisfy the home-game requirement. [Bylaw 20.9.7.2]
Q. Is it permissible for both institutions who participate in a competition at a neutral site to count the contest as a home contest?
A. Only one team (but not both teams) may count a contest at a neutral site as a home contest official interpretation [reference: 10/21/03, Item No. 14-d-(3)].

I suppose the "visiting" team (eg Michigan St) could keep most of the money for the tickets they sell as an 'agent' for the "home" team (Florida Atlantic) for the game in Detroit, while attendance counts for the "home team" average.

[tampajag]

Found this re FBS home games


I suppose the "visiting" team (eg Michigan St) could keep most of the money for the tickets they sell as an 'agent' for the "home" team (Florida Atlantic) for the game in Detroit, while attendance counts for the "home team" average.

Southern had an agreement with Jackson St for a two game series, last season Southern got 80% of the money, Jackson got 20% and this season the figures were reversed. Southern also had a similar deal with Tulane although I'm not sure on those figures. Question for any UNH, UMass, SFA, or SHSU fans, are these games a one shot situation or mutli year deals?

[CatMom]

Take Texas State for example. They are something like 40 minutes from Austin and about an hour from San Antonio, if Google Maps is accurate. They are seriously considering the move up, and want to do it from all accounts I've read. Let's say the NCAA/new conference says, you need an attendance figure of this and the move up is done.

They find that if they hold a game at UT's stadium or the Alamo Dome they can, with the right opponent, draw 40K and that would push them over the top I think they would do it. Even if they had to take a loss on rent.

Obviously, taking a loss would/should be a deterrent, but if it isn't a huge loss and won't really affect the move there is no reason not too.

Nice idea but UT would rather tear down Royal Memorial than let TXST use it and The Alamodome will now be the temporary home of UTSA. No way we'd get that for the next few years, at least.

[sfajack05]

I know for the SFA/SAM game they have a 4 year agreement with the option to extend it after.

[danefan]

Looks like over 20,000 tickets sold already for the UNH/UMass game.

http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/10/20/ad ... -away-game" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scarano said he thought the attendance was on its way to topping his goal of 25,000, which is the combined attendance of the schools' two home stadiums.

"Anything north of 25,000 would be great. That's a big audience for a I-AA game. I think we're going to be there," he said.

McCutcheon agreed.

"When we first started out, we were asking what would be an acceptable attendance. We were hoping to get over 20,000 and it looks like we're there already," he said. "If we get between 25,000 and 30,000 we'd consider it a great success."

[tampajag]

glad to hear that folks are buying tickets for these games, neutral site games can be great for your program.

[TribeFanInNC]

Looks like over 20,000 tickets sold already for the UNH/UMass game.

http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/10/20/ad ... -away-game" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scarano said he thought the attendance was on its way to topping his goal of 25,000, which is the combined attendance of the schools' two home stadiums.

"Anything north of 25,000 would be great. That's a big audience for a I-AA game. I think we're going to be there," he said.

McCutcheon agreed.

"When we first started out, we were asking what would be an acceptable attendance. We were hoping to get over 20,000 and it looks like we're there already," he said. "If we get between 25,000 and 30,000 we'd consider it a great success."

Comcast says the announced attendance was 32,800 a CAA record.