The 2015 Taxslayer (Gator) Bowl: Another dog game

[Westside Guy]

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.

[peestandingup]

My wife's excited because she graduated from UT & they're coming here, just not "$70 a ticket" excited.

[BD51]

It hasn't been the same since Toyota's sponsorship.

[pierre]

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.

[pierre]

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.

[FSBA]

To be fair UF-OSU did far better than some others in recent memory.

Texas Tech vs Virginia  was really bad

[Westside Guy]

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.

[FSBA]

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.



And here is the Miss St vs Northwestern game

[edjax]

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.  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.

[Westside Guy]

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.

[FSBA]

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.

[copperfiend]

Last year may have been the worst I have ever seen

[I-10east]

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. 

[FSBA]

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.

[FSBA]

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.