Catlett, Verlander and the Gator Bowl crew wanted the SEC so now we get stuck with a mediocre SEC team every year. This year it is 6-6 Tennessee taking on 7-5 Iowa.
Iowa's resume for this year looks like this. 4-4 in a mediocre conference. Loss to 2-10 Iowa State. 4 point win over Ball State.
Tennessee meanwhile was 3-5 in conference. 31 point loss to Ole Miss. 24 point loss to Oklahoma.
So is this what the GBA has settled in for?
I know Verlander will be on local radio this week selling this as a great matchup. I am not buying it.
Sad to see the Gator Bowl has fallen so far.
They will travel, that is what they care about.
Didn't the Chamber just Visit Nashville?
Quote from: fsquid on December 07, 2014, 10:48:54 PM
They will travel, that is what they care about.
Bingo. Records aren't the biggest driving factor. Iowa travels really well, and especially to Florida bowls. Tennessee travels ok.
Also, Iowa is better than their record suggests. I've watched a lot of their games. That being said, final score will be 9-6.
We'll see. We've been told that SEC teams travel well but a few recent Gator Bowls have seen half empty stadiums.
Catlett can spin this anyway he wants, but my son and I have been contemplating going to the game since Thanksgiving after seeing some of the match up predictions. After we heard the teams we both said UH NO!! at the same time, As a matter of fact the game is so bad I think we are even going to skip the parade for the first time in 17 years.
Isn't any game that is not part of the college championship just pointless now? I mean, I guess the schools get some money, but for fans, whoop dee doo. You just won a completely meaningless bowl game.
^ well then that same logic would apply to regular season games after a team has a few losses...have the Jaguars games been meaningless for the last month?
The fans treat it as such. CNN is running a photo of the Jags-Texans game at halftime when it looks like 20 people are in the stands. My point is not with the NFL, but the dribble that college footballs gives us this time of year. I suspect ESPN will have low ratings for most of these games.
We go through this every year. The Gator Bowl (I refuse to call it the "Taxslayer Bowl") has dropped in the selection ladder because our previous selection agreement - ACC and the Big East - was a sinking ship for obvious reasons. They started over with SEC and Big 10 but that has meant starting at the bottom and hopefully climbing up. Beyond that, it's just the general decline in bowl games in the BCS and playoff era. But each year they've made some strides: increasing the payout, adding ACC, increasing sponsorships, etc.
Quote from: CG7 on December 08, 2014, 08:50:30 AM
Catlett can spin this anyway he wants, but my son and I have been contemplating going to the game since Thanksgiving after seeing some of the match up predictions. After we heard the teams we both said UH NO!! at the same time, As a matter of fact the game is so bad I think we are even going to skip the parade for the first time in 17 years.
He has really run this game into the ground.
Just taking a look at other bowl matchups. Here are a few with clearly better matchups than the Taxslayer Bowl here.
Valero Alamo Bowl
Kansas State vs. UCLA
Russell Athletic Bowl
Clemson vs. Oklahoma
Franklin Amer. Mort. Music City Bowl
Notre Dame vs. LSU
Belk Bowl
Georgia vs. Louisville
And that is not including the Citrus, Outback, Peach, Cotton and Holiday Bowls which all passed the Gator Bowl long ago.
I mean our game is lower than the Belk Bowl? Music City Bowl? Russell Athletic Bowl?
^Well a couple of those bowl games aren't an option for us. Being non-SEC/Big Ten matchups. You also wouldn't want a Pac-12 team making the cross country trip for a "meaningless" bowl game.
My guess is they didn't want Georgia again, and Georgia probably didn't want here again anyways. And they didn't want LSU/Iowa rematch of last year. Iowa is the bigger draw here. They'll come. I've already received several calls from Iowans about comping down.
Bowls have been declining for years. It's a flooded market. The Gator Bowl has a great time slot though. Be thankful we aren't a December game.
Sorry to break the news, but I think either this year or next is the last of the Jan 2 slot. We then move back to Dec 30.
We can say whatever we want. The fact is the Gator/Taxslayer Bowl has continued to fall further and further down the totem poll of bowl games. And regardless of whether bowl games as a whole have declined, this game has declined further than most.
The attendance is also down in the supposed 'marquee bowl games'. The entire thing has been oversaturated for years. There are only three 'postseason' games that matter for the most part, the two playoffs, and the championship game.
This is the worst match up that the Gator Bowl has had in years. Are we really at the point to where the Gator Bowl takes a 6-6 Tennessee team? Its almost enough to say that their current tie ins need to be changed, but then I remember the last three games (Georgia-Nebraska, Florida-Ohio State, Mississippi State-Michigan) have been pretty good match ups. I will wait until next year to say that the Gator Bowl needs to go in another direction, but definitely disappointed in the game this year.
My wife's excited because she graduated from UT & they're coming here, just not "$70 a ticket" excited.
It hasn't been the same since Toyota's sponsorship.
Quote from: Westside Guy on December 08, 2014, 02:01:35 PM
This is the worst match up that the Gator Bowl has had in years. Are we really at the point to where the Gator Bowl takes a 6-6 Tennessee team? Its almost enough to say that their current tie ins need to be changed, but then I remember the last three games (Georgia-Nebraska, Florida-Ohio State, Mississippi State-Michigan) have been pretty good match ups. I will wait until next year to say that the Gator Bowl needs to go in another direction, but definitely disappointed in the game this year.
The Gator Bowl with Ohio State and Florida was a pretty bad matchup too.
Catlett talked it up as being one to move tickets.
There were thousands of empty seats as you can see by the rows and rows with nobody in them from this photo.
(http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/spt_19GatorBowlWD010_0.jpg)
Quote from: I-10east on December 08, 2014, 11:27:15 AM
The attendance is also down in the supposed 'marquee bowl games'. The entire thing has been oversaturated for years. There are only three 'postseason' games that matter for the most part, the two playoffs, and the championship game.
And the GBA tried to be part of the BCS and couldn't. They have tried to be part of the Playoff and couldn't.
The semifinal game sites are booked up through 2026. The final game sites are booked through the next three. Dallas this year. Glendale and Tampa to follow. You can bet Atlanta, Santa Clara, New Orleans and Miami will host before we get a shot.
To be fair UF-OSU did far better than some others in recent memory.
Texas Tech vs Virginia was really bad
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7OC0YbG2fek/R4fvWLpyRyI/AAAAAAAAEtY/241G0a1RxBw/s1600/GatorBowl.jpg)
Quote from: FSBA on December 08, 2014, 02:31:27 PM
To be fair that one did far better than some others in recent memory.
Texas Tech vs Virginia was really bad
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7OC0YbG2fek/R4fvWLpyRyI/AAAAAAAAEtY/241G0a1RxBw/s1600/GatorBowl.jpg)
I was looking at the attendance stats, Northwestern and Mississippi State two years ago was the worst I saw (47,000). It really strange though because the official attendance of Tech and UVA was around 60,000, but there definitely isn't that many people there in that picture ( Gator Bowl padding the numbers?). Unfortunately, I think we can expect another low figure this year.
There was also the Georgia Tech-Miami match up. This pic shows mostly the GT side, but you can see some of the Miami side (with all the empty seats.) If Miami brought maybe 5,000 people with them from South Florida.
(http://www.distractionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bcs1.jpg)
And here is the Miss St vs Northwestern game
(http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/11862469.jpg)
Quote from: Westside Guy on December 08, 2014, 02:38:54 PM
Quote from: FSBA on December 08, 2014, 02:31:27 PM
To be fair that one did far better than some others in recent memory.
Texas Tech vs Virginia was really bad
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7OC0YbG2fek/R4fvWLpyRyI/AAAAAAAAEtY/241G0a1RxBw/s1600/GatorBowl.jpg)
I was looking at the attendance stats, Northwestern and Mississippi State two years ago was the worst I saw (47,000). It really strange though because the official attendance of Tech and UVA was around 60,000, but there definitely isn't that many people there in that picture ( Gator Bowl padding the numbers?). Unfortunately, I think we can expect another low figure this year.
My guess for the inflated numbers are I believe as is the case for most bowl games participating teams are required to purchase a set amount of tickets. If they are not able to sell all of the tickets they eat the cost and you have fewer people in the seats as compared to actual tickets that were sold. University required to purchase 10k but only able to sell 5k, there is a 5k difference. But the actual announced attendance will include those extra 5k bought by the participating school that they were unable to resell to an actual attendee to the game.
Quote from: pierre on December 08, 2014, 02:26:43 PM
Quote from: Westside Guy on December 08, 2014, 02:01:35 PM
This is the worst match up that the Gator Bowl has had in years. Are we really at the point to where the Gator Bowl takes a 6-6 Tennessee team? Its almost enough to say that their current tie ins need to be changed, but then I remember the last three games (Georgia-Nebraska, Florida-Ohio State, Mississippi State-Michigan) have been pretty good match ups. I will wait until next year to say that the Gator Bowl needs to go in another direction, but definitely disappointed in the game this year.
The Gator Bowl with Ohio State and Florida was a pretty bad matchup too.
Catlett talked it up as being one to move tickets.
There were thousands of empty seats as you can see by the rows and rows with nobody in them from this photo.
(http://jacksonville.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/spt_19GatorBowlWD010_0.jpg)
Surprisingly, when Florida goes to the Gator Bowl they don't draw as well, especially considering that the university is so close. Part of the problem is that the Gator Bowl gets these match ups that have big, historic programs, but they won't admit that the only way they can invite big programs like Ohio State, FSU, and Michigan is when they have really bad years. For example, the last time FSU was here was Bowden's last season and they went 6-6, so apparently taking 6-6 teams isn't a new thing.
Quote from: edjax on December 08, 2014, 02:46:01 PM
Quote from: Westside Guy on December 08, 2014, 02:38:54 PM
Quote from: FSBA on December 08, 2014, 02:31:27 PM
To be fair that one did far better than some others in recent memory.
Texas Tech vs Virginia was really bad
I was looking at the attendance stats, Northwestern and Mississippi State two years ago was the worst I saw (47,000). It really strange though because the official attendance of Tech and UVA was around 60,000, but there definitely isn't that many people there in that picture ( Gator Bowl padding the numbers?). Unfortunately, I think we can expect another low figure this year.
My guess for the inflated numbers are I believe as is the case for most bowl games participating teams are required to purchase a set amount of tickets. If they are not able to sell all of the tickets they eat the cost and you have fewer people in the seats as compared to actual tickets that were sold. University required to purchase 10k but only able to sell 5k, there is a 5k difference.
So
Yep. Each school has to buy 10,000 tickets as a requirement to accept the Gator Bowl invitation. So the GBA can already say 20,000 tickets are sold regardless of if anyone bothers to use them.
Last year may have been the worst I have ever seen
(http://imgick.al.com/home/bama-media/width620/img/sports_impact/photo/gator-bowl-crowdjpg-cbf9b50542c21212.jpg)
The heyday of the bowl games (early 90's- 2000's) when every town had a new bowl game (Humanitarian Bowl etc) then it was all good. Then it rapidly became watered down, as many fans didn't care about these 'consolation games'. I used to watch many of these 'Wacky Weed-Eater, Delaware vs Arkansas State' type bowl games, but unfortunately in the internet age with so much to do, no one cares anymore.
I compare the expansion of bowls to the 'dot com boom', both were unsustainable. SNL even did a skit about it. Don't think that the nonchalance is limited to the small schools either. In many cases, the bigger schools' fans are even more apathetic, because the teams' usually underachieved, and was put into a lower bowl.
Quote from: Westside Guy on December 08, 2014, 02:46:30 PM
Quote from: pierre on December 08, 2014, 02:26:43 PM
Quote from: Westside Guy on December 08, 2014, 02:01:35 PM
This is the worst match up that the Gator Bowl has had in years. Are we really at the point to where the Gator Bowl takes a 6-6 Tennessee team? Its almost enough to say that their current tie ins need to be changed, but then I remember the last three games (Georgia-Nebraska, Florida-Ohio State, Mississippi State-Michigan) have been pretty good match ups. I will wait until next year to say that the Gator Bowl needs to go in another direction, but definitely disappointed in the game this year.
The Gator Bowl with Ohio State and Florida was a pretty bad matchup too.
Catlett talked it up as being one to move tickets.
There were thousands of empty seats as you can see by the rows and rows with nobody in them from this photo.
Surprisingly, when Florida goes to the Gator Bowl they don't draw as well, especially considering that the university is so close. Part of the problem is that the Gator Bowl gets these match ups that have big, historic programs, but they won't admit that the only way they can invite big programs like Ohio State, FSU, and Michigan is when they have really bad years. For example, the last time FSU was here was Bowden's last season and they went 6-6, so apparently taking 6-6 teams isn't a new thing.
The other reason is that many of the fans who would buy tickets were in Jacksonville not even 2 months ago for the Cocktail Party. Bowl games put a lot of effort into making sure teams don't repeat visits often. It probably contributed to Georgia's surprisingly low turnout last year.
Quote from: I-10east on December 08, 2014, 02:52:43 PM
The heyday of the bowl games (early 90's- 2000's) when every town had a new bowl game (Humanitarian Bowl etc) then it was all good. Then it rapidly became watered down, as many fans didn't care about these 'consolation games'. I used to watch many of these 'Wacky Weed-Eater, Delaware vs Arkansas State' type bowl games, but unfortunately in the internet age with so much to do, no one cares anymore. I compare the expansion of bowls to the 'dot com boom', both were unsustainable.
Most of the C list bowl games are owned and operated by ESPN. They're just designed to give ESPN more programming.
Here's the listed attendance figures (all Bowl Games track attendance by "tickets sold") under the current tie-in agreement:
2014: 60,712 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=340010061) (Georgia vs. Nebraska)
2013: 48,612 (Mississippi State vs. Northwestern)
2012: 61,312 (Florida vs. Ohio State)
2011: 77,497 (Michigan vs. Mississippi State)
2010 was the last year of the old ACC-Big East tie-in; we picked 6-6 FSU vs. West Virginia. It attracted 84,129, but it infuriated the ACC as FSU was picked over higher-ranked teams. And obviously West Virginia later left the Big East. Attendance had varied widely in the previous years, and the agreement was a sinking ship with the conferences declining, and the Big East subsequently collapsing.
So we started over; we're lower on the totem poll, but not so far as some think.
By comparison, here's the other attendance figures from last year:
BCS:
Rose Bowl: 95,173 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=340010127)
Orange Bowl: 72,080 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=340030194)
Sugar Bowl: 70,473 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=340020333)
Fiesta Bowl: 65,172 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=340010239)
2nd tier:
Cotton Bowl: 72,690 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=340030142)
Chick-fil-A Bowl: 67,946 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=333650245)
Alamo Bowl: 65,918 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=333640251)
Outback Bowl: 51, 296 (http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=340010099)
No other bowls seem to have cracked 60k.
This suggests two things: (1): Better records do not necessarily mean better attendance, and (2) A Gator Bowl drawing 60k+ fans for weak matchups is not so far behind its peers, especially if the new sponsorship agreement leads to an increased payout.
Not related to this bowl but attendance in general is the attendance for playoffs. I think if they eventually go to 8 teams the first round will have to be played at the home stadium of the four highest seeds. In a 8 team playoff you would ha e 3 games to reach the finals. That would be extremely expensive for the fans of a team to fork over the bucks for 3 high priced games and destinations in a short period of time. Especially for northern and teams from like Oregon.
The whole college bowl system needs to be revamped. Start by not making a team who loses just as many games as they won "bowl eligible".
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-saddest-college-bowls-duck-commander-taxslayer-famous-idaho-potato-2014-12-05?dist=countdown
Quote from: Dapperdan on December 08, 2014, 09:57:50 AM
CNN is running a photo of the Jags-Texans game at halftime when it looks like 20 people are in the stands
Since you wanna be such a mouthpiece for the national media, let me set the record straight...
A 2-10 team that still had an announced crowd of over 61,000. The game was played in unexpected crappy weather (chilly mist/rain) that the metrologists didn't mention, and hardly anyone had raingear. The stadium has lots of areas to hide for people that aren't expecting sudden Seattle weather in Jacksonville. The Jags 2nd half ineptness certainly didn't make anything better.
Dont expect Northwestern to be invited again. Poor sales. Existing Alumni dont travel. Poor press coverage during the game itself. I heard they only brought a total press pool of two. 1 was the Chicago Tribune.
Lowly Northern Illinois from the MAC sent more people to the Orange Bowl against FSU.
Quote from: spuwho on December 08, 2014, 04:58:25 PM
Dont expect Northwestern to be invited again. Poor sales. Existing Alumni dont travel. Poor press coverage during the game itself. I heard they only brought a total press pool of two. 1 was the Chicago Tribune.
Lowly Northern Illinois from the MAC sent more people to the Orange Bowl against FSU.
Northwestern fans don't even care about Northwestern. The only time Northwestern ever comes close to selling out is thanks to 20,000 Ohio State or Michigan fans buying tickets.
Quote from: FSBA on December 08, 2014, 02:58:01 PM
Quote from: I-10east on December 08, 2014, 02:52:43 PM
The heyday of the bowl games (early 90's- 2000's) when every town had a new bowl game (Humanitarian Bowl etc) then it was all good. Then it rapidly became watered down, as many fans didn't care about these 'consolation games'. I used to watch many of these 'Wacky Weed-Eater, Delaware vs Arkansas State' type bowl games, but unfortunately in the internet age with so much to do, no one cares anymore. I compare the expansion of bowls to the 'dot com boom', both were unsustainable.
Most of the C list bowl games are owned and operated by ESPN. They're just designed to give ESPN more programming.
Do you think it would help if they reduced the number of bowl games? There are so many of them that pit 6-6 teams against each other and are pretty much pointless. Who wants to go see that?
If you live in Ohio, or Michigan, or Wisconsin - wouldn't you want an excuse to go to Florida, Texas, Arizona, or SoCal?
But, yeah, there are too many bowl games.
Quote from: Westside Guy on December 08, 2014, 06:34:15 PM
Do you think it would help if they reduced the number of bowl games? There are so many of them that pit 6-6 teams against each other and are pretty much pointless. Who wants to go see that?
Holiday week armchair sports junkie who does special exercises with his index finger all year just to be prepared for the exercising of the remote control.
For them....Travel? Pfft! Care less about empty seats, just give him a good replay! ::)
Does everyone really think that fewer bowl games would mean higher attendance for the remaining ones? I don't think it would make much difference. Yes there are way too many bowls but I'm not sure you blame attendance woes on that.
Quote from: FSBA on December 08, 2014, 02:58:01 PM
Most of the C list bowl games are owned and operated by ESPN. They're just designed to give ESPN more programming.
Not "owned" since they are non-profits, but yeah. Basically right.
UT's president is Happy about the trip! ::)
https://www.youtube.com/v/XAzI8cT29HU
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/ranking-the-bowls-1-38--excluding-the-national-championship-233337590.html
^^ They ranked the games by watchability and Taxslayer Gator Bowl is 18th. I think the arrow is pointing up for the future of the Gator Bowl but then I'm just a glass half full kind of guy.
The Bowl Game structure is simply to watered-down. The fact that a team can win 6 games and qualify for a bowl game is laughable. 6 games, really?
I get that it is good for the players to get a chance to play an extra game, but attendance at most of these games are piss poor. Not just the Gator Bowl.
I expect the Playoff system to expand to to 8 games sooner rather than later, especially with the controversy it's already caused this year, making these bowl games even more pointless.
^^^Yup. Like I said earlier, the apathy just isn't a small school thing, as many big school fans don't care when their team underachieves, and are put into a lower bowl, ie the Gators in the 2012 Taxslayer Gator Bowl.
This skit is still relevant; One of the best things that way past it's prime SNL did in recent memory. ;D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTtJ60mcfFw
Nothing sells tickets locally like bringing mediocre teams together. Thanks Catlett!
^^The whole bowl system is a crock dude, don't you get it? Since everything as all about 'maximizing payout to land that all-so elite bowl game' the holy grail down there in Orlando, the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl has Missouri vs Minnesota. Woohoo!!! Man, that's must see TV on New Years Day!!!
The attendance at the main Florida Bowl games.
Citrus Bowl- (16)Mizz vs (25)Minn --48,624
Outback Bowl- (19)Auburn vs (18) Wisconsin --44,023
Orange Bowl- (7)Mississippi State vs (12)Georgia Tech --58,211
Taxslayer Bowl- Iowa vs Tennessee --56,310
Yeah, I'll say that Catlett did pretty damn good with attendance, considering two unranked teams and the current circumstances of all of these waning bowl games, that aren't named the Sugar Bowl or the Rose Bowl.
No way there were 56k in attendance. Maybe the mythical "tickets distributed".
Either way, Tennessee brought the fans. Did not see much from Iowa.
Dont forget the schools are required to purchase a minimum set of tickets as part of the appearance.
Taxslayer's 'tickets distributed' number was over 60,000.
Quote from: I-10east on December 08, 2014, 11:27:15 AM
The attendance is also down in the supposed 'marquee bowl games'. The entire thing has been oversaturated for years. There are only three 'postseason' games that matter for the most part, the two playoffs, and the championship game.
Those, the two playoffs, and the championship game, are the only Bowl Games that should happen. Rotate them to the other Bowls each year. Maybe once they start losing money things will change but until then watch as attendance decreases.
^^^I like your rotation idea. There is already talk about expanding the playoffs to 4 games, probably won't happen no time soon though. A team like TCU definitely would have been in contention with a four playoff system. I generally agree with you about the other meaningless bowl games; They eventually will be milked dry.
Quote from: FSBA on January 02, 2015, 08:35:13 AM
Prepare for ESPN to beat "The BCS would've left both semi-final winners out of the national championship" into the ground for the next week and a half.
I know that it may be beaten to death, but you can't deny the importance of actual competition vs what some AP poll thinks. Bottomline, we wouldn't have had the best teams in there this year if it wasn't for the playoff; Further playoff expansion would further weed out any poll mistakes.
Yea, playoff expansion is inevitable especially after seeing the ratings the two semi-final games got and what the final game can possibly get. With those numbers, ESPN will charge ad rates off the roof for next year's game and whatever major football conference doesn't get one of their teams in on the pot will cry foul so there you go. They'll probably consider forcing the Big 12 to create a playoff game and give all conference winner an automatic birth or some stupid shit like that just to appease them.
I wonder how much hotel room availability impacts our ability to acquire larger contestants or events?
When I went to the Gator Bowl Parade in 2011, several Michigan fans told me while on the Skyway that they ended up in the Gator Lodge on Philips because every hotel for 30 miles was sold out. After I warned them of the neighborhood and why they had rooms available, the light bulb went off but they said they had no choice otherwise they would have been staying in Daytona Beach.
So it makes me wonder, even if every ticket got distributed, where would they all stay? We have torn down or repurposed all of those classic high density hotels downtown. Many of the newer ones are all out in the "Edge City" with no easy way downtown.
Those Michigan fans didn't have a rental car. They walked from the Gator Lodge to the Kings Avenue Garage to jump on the Skyway.
Maybe the transition of the Laura Trio to a high end Marriott is coming at a good time.
I would be curious to know if that is one of the factors that is "holding us back".
Quote from: spuwho on January 03, 2015, 01:19:36 PM
I would be curious to know if that is one of the factors that is "holding us back".
It definitely is, but I'm not sure that we can subsidize more hotel rooms to sit empty for most of the year just so we have a greater capacity on 3 or 4 nights a year. It's got to just come with time, greater concentration of activities downtown, larger population, etc.
Ok, so we are short of rooms. We have hosted a Gator Bowl for many years. Has greater Jacksonville lost that many hotel rooms in the last 25 years? The crowds at previous games were the same or larger than the current one. What changed?
Quote from: spuwho on January 03, 2015, 06:06:04 PM
Ok, so we are short of rooms. We have hosted a Gator Bowl for many years. Has greater Jacksonville lost that many hotel rooms in the last 25 years? The crowds at previous games were the same or larger than the current one. What changed?
Not sure what you asking in what changed? Why crowds are less now? Answer is the quality of teams. We now have 6-6 teams playing versus 9-3 and 10-2 teams. Teams with better records and winning teams have more people willing to spend the money to attend a bowl game.
We were just lucky this year one of the teams has been mega crappy for years and there fan base decided to support a quasi crappy team.
I don't follow your question/point either, spuwho. I thought you meant what is holding us back from bigger events like Super Bowl, World Cup, etc.
As for attendance dips that edjax talked about, I'd also add that many bowls sell tickets to folks in the region who aren't necessarily fans of either team but are attracted to the game. Not necessarily happening for Tenn vs Iowa at ~.500.
What do I mean?
The Gator Bowl Committee petitions for much larger events than the TaxSlayer Bowl. It was known as having tried to acquire one of the BCS playoff games and the championship itself. Totally rebuffed.
We have struggled to acquire large sponsors even though the stadium can accommodate some of the largest crowds of any of the bowls. Lots of paying eyeballs.
Collectively we have injected $63 Million in upgrades to the facility, have a new named sponsor of the facility (EverBank), yet we still can't win a bid to draw a national event.
So my question is why? Is it the lack of nearby hotel rooms? Or something else?
I have had friends go to the Fiesta Bowl for many years. Glendale (Phoenix Metro) has all of the same issues. Not enough hotel rooms within proximity of the facility, yet they constantly are able to score sponsors, events with high cache and visibility, why?
The Fiesta Bowl didn't even exist until 1971 and even then, it was created just to give Arizona State a chance to play for prestige.
The "demotion" seemed to occur when the Bowl Coalition formed in the 1990's and made the Fiesta a "Tier 1" bowl game and it pushed the Gator to a "Tier 2".
The Orange, Sugar, Cotton, and Fiesta Bowls were "Tier 1 Bowls" under the Coalition agreement, and the Gator, John Hancock Sun, and Blockbuster were "Tier 2 Bowls."
So why, even today, can we not successfully win bids on Tier 1 events in the new BCS Playoff format?
It isn't even a "Tier 2" bowl any longer.
bowl games were created to fill hotel rooms during a slow season. Seems like it is still accomplishing that.
Quote from: edjax on January 03, 2015, 06:55:27 PM
Why crowds are less now? Answer is the quality of teams. We now have 6-6 teams playing versus 9-3 and 10-2 teams.
Orange Bowl-
Miss St (9-3) vs GA Tech (10-3)
Attendance: 58,211
Belk Bowl-
Georgia (9-3) vs Louisville (8-4)
Attendance: 45,671
Outback Bowl-
Wisconsin (10-3) vs Auburn (7-5)
Attendance: 44,023
Russell Athletic Bowl (Orlando)-
Clemson (10-2) vs Oklahoma (7-5)
Attendance: 40,071
Citrus Bowl-
Missouri (10-3) vs Minnesota (7-5)
Attendance: 48,624
This is what I've been telling yall over and over and over again, the bowls are dying rapidly!!! This isn't year 2000 anymore, back when meaningless bowls had good attendance. There is really 'three tiers' these days; The playoffs, the Cotton Bowl/Peach Bowl/Fiesta Bowl, and basically everybody else. The bowls are going bust in dot.com-esque fashion! These 10-3 teams often underachieved from Cotton Bowl-tier status, and were put into a lower bowl that their fans will not travel to. If what I said isn't eye opening to the people that still think it's the golden age of the bowl games, then I don't know what else to say...
With over 50 bowl games, and you only needing to be 6-6, all the bowl system does is put money into a local economy, ESPN and the conferences. There was a time when a bowl game was a reward, now its a joke. And those ticket mandates that the teams sell tickets in a "bowl allotment", is the cruelest joke of all. Few teams are going to sell their allotment, because there is no need to buy a full price ticket when you can get them on the secondary market at a far lower price. Tickets for the Orange Bowl were going for $4 in the upper deck. Our Club tickets were supposedly $200 and we picked them up for $30 a piece and a parking pass. Going to a bowl game 27 seasons in a row sounds nice, until you see that you only need to be mediocre at worst to get into one.
Quote from: mtraininjax on January 04, 2015, 08:44:24 AM
With over 50 bowl games
by 50, you of course mean 38.
As to advantages of the bowl games...the teams playing in them get 3 extra weeks of practice...and that is often very helpful (see UF) in starting to look at next year.
And finally to be clear....FSU has been to 33 straight bow games ;)