Big10 makes Big Mistake (IMO)

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

1. These games are going to be played at neutral sites.

2. It would be a PR nightmare for the BCS/NCAA or whoever ends up running a playoff of 20-30,000 fans from the South or West missed the game because of a blizzard after spending boo-coo bucks on tickets, hotel, etc.

Everyone seems critical of the NFL for wanting to play the Super Bowl in NYC. This is the same idea.

These things happen. More often than not the games will be played in weather that is cold but there aren't usually a lot of blizzards. How many NFL late season and playoff games have been adversely affected by blizzards. And it wouldn't be a PR nightmare either.

But why have them at neutral sites in the first place? The championship game, I can see but the semi-finals? If the SEC teams are so darn good then they will host the semi-finals and the point will be moot.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

1. These games are going to be played at neutral sites.

2. It would be a PR nightmare for the BCS/NCAA or whoever ends up running a playoff of 20-30,000 fans from the South or West missed the game because of a blizzard after spending boo-coo bucks on tickets, hotel, etc.

Everyone seems critical of the NFL for wanting to play the Super Bowl in NYC. This is the same idea.

I am with ya dabvu. When it comes to that particular time of year and bringing in a bunch of people, it is best served to have a venue that has nice weather. Who wants to be cooped up in an hotel room with 2 foot of snow waiting for the "big game" to start. Not me, I want to be wearing sandals and sunglasses sucking down an adult beverage and walking the streets.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

Gotta remember only two teams in BigTen have fanbases that travel enough, and ate close enough to sell out Lucas Oil Stadium, Ohio State and Michigan. How many people drive from Lincoln or Happy Valley to watch a football game?

Well, that's certainly not true. Nebraska and Iowa may not be terribly close to Indy but I bet if they are involved in a semi-final game or a conference championship game played there, they will bring a whole lot of people.

If you look into the bowl situation a little deeper you will find that the schools get these tickets but can't sell them all because they are too expensive. It's a huge scam and I don't expect it to change.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by Chip R

Well, that's certainly not true. Nebraska and Iowa may not be terribly close to Indy but I bet if they are involved in a semi-final game or a conference championship game played there, they will bring a whole lot of people.

If you look into the bowl situation a little deeper you will find that the schools get these tickets but can't sell them all because they are too expensive. It's a huge scam and I don't expect it to change.

The Big Ten schools all travel well. Not only that, but each school has alumni in rival regions. But when it comes winter we look for palm trees!!!!!! Except me, I like to ice fish!!!!!!!!!!

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

The Big Ten schools all travel well. Not only that, but each school has alumni in rival regions. But when it comes winter we look for palm trees!!!!!! Except me, I like to ice fish!!!!!!!!!!

But there's never been an alternative.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by Chip R

But why have them at neutral sites in the first place? The championship game, I can see but the semi-finals? If the SEC teams are so darn good then they will host the semi-finals and the point will be moot.

So fans of both teams have an equal opportunity to get tickets?

And nothing is going to change the fact that the South/West > Midwest/Northeast for visitors in December and January.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

So fans of both teams have an equal opportunity to get tickets?

And nothing is going to change the fact that the South/West > Midwest/Northeast for visitors in December and January.

Sure it is. But ostensibly this is for a championship, not a bowl game. If they want to play all these games on neutral warm weather/domed sites, just forget about the championship and stick with the bowls. tOSU fans may whine a lot but they do have a point when they say that it would be interesting to see what these SEC teams would do if they had to play in sub-30 degree weather or in a snowstorm.

[Sea Ray]

Yeah, I think they should hold all these play in games at SEC venues

[Sea Ray]

The Big 10 commish is being criticized in the south too:

I guess Jim Delany just can’t help himself.

It’s not enough that Delany continues to blurt out ideas for a college football playoff, each one geared to benefit the Big Ten. Can’t blame the guy for that. He’s trying to protect and promote the conference of which he is commissioner.

In the process, though, Delany keeps taking swipes at a certain team from a certain conference that won a certain championship last season.

Delany recently referred to Alabama as “that team” in an interview with the Associated Press. And the reference was not in a favorable vein

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...ws|text|Sports Tennessee Volunteers

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by Chip R

Sure it is. But ostensibly this is for a championship, not a bowl game. If they want to play all these games on neutral warm weather/domed sites, just forget about the championship and stick with the bowls. tOSU fans may whine a lot but they do have a point when they say that it would be interesting to see what these SEC teams would do if they had to play in sub-30 degree weather or in a snowstorm.

Shouldn't the biggest games of the year be played at neutral sites and under as neutral conditions as possible? It's what the NCAA basketball tourney aspires to.

I wouldn't have a problem with them wanting to play one of these "tournament" games in a northern dome, but it's not a very attractive option from a money standpoint.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

Shouldn't the biggest games of the year be played at neutral sites and under as neutral conditions as possible? It's what the NCAA basketball tourney aspires to.

I wouldn't have a problem with them wanting to play one of these "tournament" games in a northern dome, but it's not a very attractive option from a money standpoint.

The NFL doesn't and it works out pretty well for them. All the other football divisions that have playoffs have all but the championship games on campus sites and it seems to work out too.

Of course it isn't attractive from a money standpoint. The people who run the bowl games won't be able to fleece the people buying tickets for those games.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by Chip R

The NFL doesn't and it works out pretty well for them. All the other football divisions that have playoffs have all but the championship games on campus sites and it seems to work out too.

Of course it isn't attractive from a money standpoint. The people who run the bowl games won't be able to fleece the people buying tickets for those games.

And yet, the NFL plays its' championship game at a neutral site, usually in a warm-weather city and always either in warm-weather or in a dome (until NYC).

As an aside, the first Super Bowl played in Detroit dealt with lots of issues with weather related transportation issues. So much so that Detroit didn't get another Super Bowl for 24 years. People who were in Atlanta for the Super Bowl that coincided with an ice storm a few years ago had all kinds of issues getting around town, finding restaurants that had closed because of the weather, etc, etc.

Yes, I get it. Bowl games are evil. But let's not forget that if people weren't willing to pay $$$, the bowls wouldn't charge it. Heck, if you look on stubhub for the big bowl games, it makes you wonder why the bowls don't charge more, based on what some people are willing to pay for tickets.

[gonelong]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

And yet, the NFL plays its' championship game at a neutral site, usually in a warm-weather city and always either in warm-weather or in a dome (until NYC).

Play the championship game at a neutral site. Play the semi-final games at the higher ranked school's home field.

GL

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by gonelong

Play the championship game at a neutral site. Play the semi-final games at the higher ranked school's home field.

GL

The plan is to have four teams in it. Semi-final games at the higher ranked team's home field? I guess it could work. But incorporating the bowls seems to be a logical answer that is already in place. However I feel that if a semi-final game pitted Michigan vs. LSU, that game shouldnt be played in New Orleans. Or Ohio State vs. USC shouldnt be played in Pasadena. You are starting to sway me GL!!!!!!!!!!!

[RiverRat13]

Originally Posted by gonelong

Play the championship game at a neutral site. Play the semi-final games at the higher ranked school's home field.

GL

This. It helps preserve the integrity of the regular season. And I think unless the semi-final is the Sugar Bowl with an SEC team or the Rose Bowl with a Pac-10 team, you're going to see a lot of empty seats. Fans are simply going to wait until the Championship Game to spend that kind of money. Very few are going to do it two weeks in a row.

The bowls were designed to be exhibitions in warm weather cities to attract northern fans to spend a week to escape the cold. That's why for decades the AP voted on a national champion BEFORE the bowl games. The bowl games were never designed to determine who was the best team. If they were, they wouldn't be held 4-6 weeks after the regular season. There's really no reason to include the bowls when determining a champion.

Delaney was calling for the higher seed to host the semi-final and now he's not. I think it is because he is using it as leverage to have conference winners in the top 6 automatically be included, something other commissioners are against.