College Playoff

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by HailToMichigan

Agreed - that it's not totally a function of proximity. I just said proximity had more to do with it. Of course Texas A&M would have been a bigger draw to the Texas Bowl than TCU, but take a look at last year's Texas Bowl. 10,000 fewer people for #12 Rutgers vs. Kansas State. Hometown teams, bigger crowd.

Same for the Motor City Bowl. Record number this year. Last year was also a record crowd at 54,113 - and again, CMU played in the game. Typically the Motor City Bowl brings in about 44,000 for teams like Cincinnati, Bowling Green, and Toledo - schools whose fanbases are close but not literally in Detroit like CMU's is.

On the flip side, the Gator Bowl attracted 7,000 more people last year for Georgia Tech vs. West Virginia. Same caliber teams, only they were closer to Jacksonville.

Still wrong. Read the rest of my post. I showed how big programs fill stadiums regardless of distance. Granted, distance is indeed somewhat a factor, but the stats clearly show that the bigger and better the teams, the more fans will show up, no matter where the bowl is held.

[Nutriaitch]

Originally Posted by MililaniBuckeye

the bigger and better the teams, the more fans will show up, no matter where the bowl is held.

I'll agree with this one. If Monday's game was being played in Africa, I think we'd still sell it out. The only thing I'd question (like has been said in this thread already), would we be able to do it multiple times like a playoff would require?

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by Nutriaitch

I'll agree with this one. If Monday's game was being played in Africa, I think we'd still sell it out. The only thing I'd question (like has been said in this thread already), would we be able to do it multiple times like a playoff would require?

I think we would, at least with programs like ours. And, I think many other bigger programs (Michigan, USC, Notre Dame--if they ever get rid of Jabba the Weis, Oregon, Florida, etc.) would travel huge to each game in a playoff.

If the 16-team system played the first and quarterfinal rounds at the higher seed's home field, those would be all but guaranteed sellouts. The semi-final and title games--even at neutral sites--would also be locks for sellouts due to the magnitude of those games, and likely the teams playing therein.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by DaddyBigBucks

I can't believe I'm about to defend the ACC, but...


In their defense, I don't think they foresaw the imminent, overwhelming suckitude of both FSU and Miami when the chose the conference championship game site.

I think most would be surprised at how non-fanatical most fanbases are in the ACC.

Doak was rarely packed while I attended FSU, and our bowl game attendance was always pretty poor. We got outnumbered in the Gator Bowl, held in Jacksonville (an 1.5 hours from Tally), by West Virginia fans. FSU fans claim to be the best in the country, like many other fanbases, but there just isn't any comparison to big time SEC/Big 10/Big 12 schools.

Obviously, Miami is about as bad a fan base as you can have for a major program. The 2002 Fiesta Bowl was 90% OSU fans.

The only "real" fanbase in the ACC is Clemson. Clemson is comparable to an SEC/Big 10 school when it comes to support.

So yes, Charlotte would be a better location, but I think ACC Big-wigs mistake their conference for something it is not. You can sell out an SEC Championship game and a Big 12 Championship game, but I doubt you'd ever do that for the ACC.

[HailToMichigan]

Originally Posted by billmac91

I think most would be surprised at how non-fanatical most fanbases are in the ACC.

Doak was rarely packed while I attended FSU, and our bowl game attendance was always pretty poor. We got outnumbered in the Gator Bowl, held in Jacksonville (an 1.5 hours from Tally), by West Virginia fans. FSU fans claim to be the best in the country, like many other fanbases, but there just isn't any comparison to big time SEC/Big 10/Big 12 schools.

Obviously, Miami is about as bad a fan base as you can have for a major program. The 2002 Fiesta Bowl was 90% OSU fans.

The only "real" fanbase in the ACC is Clemson. Clemson is comparable to an SEC/Big 10 school when it comes to support.

So yes, Charlotte would be a better location, but I think ACC Big-wigs mistake their conference for something it is not. You can sell out an SEC Championship game and a Big 12 Championship game, but I doubt you'd ever do that for the ACC.

Now you've done it. I gotta stick up for my own school now

Scott Stadium holds 61,500 officially - in reality, anything above 60,000 is essentially a sellout, as the stands themselves only hold about 56 or 57,000 (everyone else crams themselves onto the grass hill.) Lowest-attended game this year was 57,681, and all but two games hit the 60,000 mark. Not to mention, all fans except students have to travel to the game, because Charlottesville is not a big place.

All the North Carolina schools are not really football schools - their mantra is "just you wait til basketball season." So you're right when it comes to them (and that's 1/3 of the ACC). Miami inexplicably timed its descent into suckitude to coincide with joining the ACC, I just don't get them.

But aside from Clemson, I think you'd find that Maryland, UVA, GT, and VT are extremely tough places to win a football game. Also I don't think UNC/Duke/etc. (the football dregs of the conference) are any different from, say, Iowa State/Baylor/every year at Kansas but this one.

Sorry. Waayyyy off topic. Not my fault, it's billmac's, he made me do it.

By the way, billmac - in the case of FSU, I don't know if this is really the case, but the impression a lot of people have of FSU is that these days they expect nothing less than the best bowls, so they won't travel to the other ones. I don't know how true that is, but it's at least plausible given how psycho FSU boosters have been over things like Jeff Bowden at OC.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by HailToMichigan

Now you've done it. I gotta stick up for my own school now

Scott Stadium holds 61,500 officially - in reality, anything above 60,000 is essentially a sellout, as the stands themselves only hold about 56 or 57,000 (everyone else crams themselves onto the grass hill.) Lowest-attended game this year was 57,681, and all but two games hit the 60,000 mark. Not to mention, all fans except students have to travel to the game, because Charlottesville is not a big place.

All the North Carolina schools are not really football schools - their mantra is "just you wait til basketball season." So you're right when it comes to them (and that's 1/3 of the ACC). Miami inexplicably timed its descent into suckitude to coincide with joining the ACC, I just don't get them.

But aside from Clemson, I think you'd find that Maryland, UVA, GT, and VT are extremely tough places to win a football game. Also I don't think UNC/Duke/etc. (the football dregs of the conference) are any different from, say, Iowa State/Baylor/every year at Kansas but this one.

Sorry. Waayyyy off topic. Not my fault, it's billmac's, he made me do it.

By the way, billmac - in the case of FSU, I don't know if this is really the case, but the impression a lot of people have of FSU is that these days they expect nothing less than the best bowls, so they won't travel to the other ones. I don't know how true that is, but it's at least plausible given how psycho FSU boosters have been over things like Jeff Bowden at OC.

I've never been to Scott so I can't speak to their tailgaiting, tradition, and fan support per se. I do know from the other ACC venues I've been to while attending FSU, they rarely stacked up to or even came close to a SEC/Big 10 atmosphere.

ACC sites I've been to include: N.C. State, North Carolina, Miami, and B.C.. I visited Clemson as a college choice and was very impressed with the school spirit I saw. I just think when you compare the ACC to other conferences passion, it doesn't match up. Even visiting ACC message boards on scout/rivals is like visiting a ghost town.

I've also been to Ben Hill and tailgated at a Bama game plus took part in the world's largest cocktail party(UGA/UF in Jacksonville). The SEC definately knows how to get down.

In regards to FSU fans/boosters I just don't buy it. Penn St. was another bowl game we got completely outnumbered in and the game was in Florida and it was a BCS game. It's just shocking how little passion there is IMO. I don't want it to sound like theres no support at all, but when comparing it to OSU, Michigan, 'Bama, LSU, etc., theres just very little comparison. If I bring this coversation up with someone from FSU, they think I'm crazy, but I'd suggest they've never experienced a "big-time" atmosphere before.

I don't think it's coincidental the ACC will be moving their ACC Championship venue because the lack of attendance has been embarrassing.

But in regards to a college playoff, my contention has always been to give the higher seeded team a home game to the fans don't have to travel for the first game.

Otherwise filling seats would most likely become an issue until the championship game.

[Lockup]

Originally Posted by Best Buckeye

Will there be an option "not in my life time" and can we collect when we win?

No but we should be able to will it to someone.
Give them a nice head start.