Catlett promising "major" CFB game at Everbank in 2016, FSU game in 18/19

[FSBA]

Auburn's AD stated discussions with FSU "crumbled" in recent weeks. Guess we can scratch that game off the sports calendar.

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2015/05/big-name_opponents_reluctant_t.html

[copperfiend]

Alabama-Florida State to play in 2017....in Atlanta.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13119261/alabama-crimson-tide-florida-state-seminoles-finalizing-deal-2017-game

Meanwhile, we wait.

[blizz01]

MISS.

[spuwho]

Alabama-Florida State to play in 2017....in Atlanta.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13119261/alabama-crimson-tide-florida-state-seminoles-finalizing-deal-2017-game

Meanwhile, we wait.

Just to add, this game is in the NEW Atlanta Stadium, not in the Georgia Dome.

More box revenue, more ad revenue, to prop up the package.

[tufsu1]

Catlett is a joke

[For_F-L-O-R-I-D-A]

Why the hate if it is for this specific issue? Catlett originally said that they are looking for a game next year and reports were Notre Dame-Navy which is still "Site TBD" on the ND website. That would be a great game for Jax.

He also talked about a neutral site game in 2018 or 2019 as well. Those seasons are still in an immense amount of flux. As for FSU and Bama, the kickoff games in ATL are a hit with a big payday (same in Dallas). ESPN is partnering to do one in Orlando now as well so there is still competition at the moment. UF is getting paid 6 million to play Michigan in 2017. I think in 2018 or 2019, FSU will play in Jax if Thrasher is President. I think you will see UF play in Orlando soon as well.

The big pull of Jax is the fertile recruiting ground found in Northeast Florida. Look for FSU to play an SEC or Big Ten squad in Jax who want to show off for recruits. Florida will end up playing a Big Ten (maybe OSU or Wisconsin) or Miami in Orlando soon when the payday is right.

[pierre]

Why the hate if it is for this specific issue? Catlett originally said that they are looking for a game next year and reports were Notre Dame-Navy which is still "Site TBD" on the ND website. That would be a great game for Jax.

He also talked about a neutral site game in 2018 or 2019 as well. Those seasons are still in an immense amount of flux. As for FSU and Bama, the kickoff games in ATL are a hit with a big payday (same in Dallas). ESPN is partnering to do one in Orlando now as well so there is still competition at the moment. UF is getting paid 6 million to play Michigan in 2017. I think in 2018 or 2019, FSU will play in Jax if Thrasher is President. I think you will see UF play in Orlando soon as well.

The big pull of Jax is the fertile recruiting ground found in Northeast Florida. Look for FSU to play an SEC or Big Ten squad in Jax who want to show off for recruits. Florida will end up playing a Big Ten (maybe OSU or Wisconsin) or Miami in Orlando soon when the payday is right.

I don't think it is "hate". I think people just see a trend here.

Catlett and Verlander talk a good game but so rarely deliver.

We are shut out of the college football playoff. Just like Jax was shut out of the Bowl Coalition, BCS, etc. under Catlett.

They have been talking about neutral site college games and we see places like Atlanta, Dallas, Houston get them and Jax gets nothing.

The biggest feathers in their cap recently are the SEC women's tournament and a curling championship.

[FSBA]

The decline of the Gator Bowl under Catlett is particularly egregious. At one point it was the top "second tier" bowl game that regularly featured Top 15 teams and was on network TV. Now we're relegated to hoping UF or UGa go 6-6 just to sell tickets.

[MusicMan]

Whoever is in charge of booking a Major college football game at EVERBANK Field has "dropped the ball", so to speak.

Also, when the UF Gators open the 2017 season against Michigan in Texas, it will be an historic milestone:

"That's right. Florida has not played an out-of-conference game (during the regular season) outside the state of Florida since 1991 and hasn't won one since 1989.

Let's put that into perspective: the last time the Gators scheduled, and beat, a non-conference opponent outside of Florida, the average price of gas in the US, per Energy.gov, was $0.90 a gallon. The number one song, according to Billboard.com, was Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You." And George Bush was still settling into the White House -- the first George Bush.

In that same span of time, Florida State has played outside its home state 22 times against OOC teams, 10 of which were ranked (10 came prior to 1992, when FSU began its ACC football affiliation). Still, the 'Noles have dominated that competition outside of the Sunshine State, amassing a record of 18-4 in such games since 1989.

Every one of those games came against a team now in a Power 5 conference with the exception of Tulane, two contests with BYU in which the Cougars were ranked each time, and a pair of showdowns with Notre Dame, the first of which, of course, earned the billing of "The Game of the Century."

Of those 22 games, 14 came against teams that played in a bowl that year. Florida's last such contest, a loss at Syracuse, came at the hands of an Orange squad that the 'Noles beat 46-14.

The last OOC game UF won came against a 2-9 Memphis State team (all the way back when it was still called Memphis State, as opposed to Memphis).

The last non-conference regular-season win for the Gators outside the state of Florida against a team that finished with a winning record? Buckle up, because this one took some digging. It occurred against a 5-3-1 North Carolina State team in Raleigh.

In 1947."  Quote courtesy of David Visser.

In other words the Gators will have a completely new experience traveling during the season to play a power 5 team on the road, outside of Florida,  although this is a neutral site.

[For_F-L-O-R-I-D-A]

Whoever is in charge of booking a Major college football game at EVERBANK Field has "dropped the ball", so to speak.

Also, when the UF Gators open the 2017 season against Michigan in Texas, it will be an historic milestone:

"That's right. Florida has not played an out-of-conference game (during the regular season) outside the state of Florida since 1991 and hasn't won one since 1989.

Let's put that into perspective: the last time the Gators scheduled, and beat, a non-conference opponent outside of Florida, the average price of gas in the US, per Energy.gov, was $0.90 a gallon. The number one song, according to Billboard.com, was Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You." And George Bush was still settling into the White House -- the first George Bush.

In that same span of time, Florida State has played outside its home state 22 times against OOC teams, 10 of which were ranked (10 came prior to 1992, when FSU began its ACC football affiliation). Still, the 'Noles have dominated that competition outside of the Sunshine State, amassing a record of 18-4 in such games since 1989.

Every one of those games came against a team now in a Power 5 conference with the exception of Tulane, two contests with BYU in which the Cougars were ranked each time, and a pair of showdowns with Notre Dame, the first of which, of course, earned the billing of "The Game of the Century."

Of those 22 games, 14 came against teams that played in a bowl that year. Florida's last such contest, a loss at Syracuse, came at the hands of an Orange squad that the 'Noles beat 46-14.

The last OOC game UF won came against a 2-9 Memphis State team (all the way back when it was still called Memphis State, as opposed to Memphis).

The last non-conference regular-season win for the Gators outside the state of Florida against a team that finished with a winning record? Buckle up, because this one took some digging. It occurred against a 5-3-1 North Carolina State team in Raleigh.

In 1947."  Quote courtesy of David Visser.

In other words the Gators will have a completely new experience traveling during the season to play a power 5 team on the road, outside of Florida,  although this is a neutral site.

That's what happens during an Alliance Bowl and BCS era when you already have one of the toughest schedules in college football. You can't win championships playing one top 20 ranked team in a whole season like you all did in 2013. You personally have a serious inferiority complex with UF though. I would encourage you to talk it out with a friend or family member.

Again, back to just bringing a neutral college football game, they remain on schedule to do that but it costs a lot of money. Schools expect a huge payday.

As for the Gator Bowl, it is sad to see it called the Taxslayer Bowl but it was never getting into the Playoff Rotation. I do think Jax can get a NCG down the line though.

[JBTripper]

Whoever is in charge of booking a Major college football game at EVERBANK Field has "dropped the ball", so to speak.

Also, when the UF Gators open the 2017 season against Michigan in Texas, it will be an historic milestone:

"That's right. Florida has not played an out-of-conference game (during the regular season) outside the state of Florida since 1991 and hasn't won one since 1989.

Let's put that into perspective: the last time the Gators scheduled, and beat, a non-conference opponent outside of Florida, the average price of gas in the US, per Energy.gov, was $0.90 a gallon. The number one song, according to Billboard.com, was Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You." And George Bush was still settling into the White House -- the first George Bush.

In that same span of time, Florida State has played outside its home state 22 times against OOC teams, 10 of which were ranked (10 came prior to 1992, when FSU began its ACC football affiliation). Still, the 'Noles have dominated that competition outside of the Sunshine State, amassing a record of 18-4 in such games since 1989.

Every one of those games came against a team now in a Power 5 conference with the exception of Tulane, two contests with BYU in which the Cougars were ranked each time, and a pair of showdowns with Notre Dame, the first of which, of course, earned the billing of "The Game of the Century."

Of those 22 games, 14 came against teams that played in a bowl that year. Florida's last such contest, a loss at Syracuse, came at the hands of an Orange squad that the 'Noles beat 46-14.

The last OOC game UF won came against a 2-9 Memphis State team (all the way back when it was still called Memphis State, as opposed to Memphis).

The last non-conference regular-season win for the Gators outside the state of Florida against a team that finished with a winning record? Buckle up, because this one took some digging. It occurred against a 5-3-1 North Carolina State team in Raleigh.

In 1947."  Quote courtesy of David Visser.

In other words the Gators will have a completely new experience traveling during the season to play a power 5 team on the road, outside of Florida,  although this is a neutral site.

I do love the FSU fans who trash the Gators' out of conference schedule. We play you, don't we? It's not our fault the panhandle is technically still Florida.

But back to what we're actually talking about... I think it's hard to heap all the blame for the decline of the Gator Bowl, Jacksonville's struggle to land big-time neutral-site games and playoff games on Rick Catlett. The landscape of college football over the course of the past 20 years has not made it very beneficial for any team to give up a guaranteed win (insert Ga. Southern joke here) for a neutral-site showdown between CFB bluebloods. There's no financial reward, no recruiting reward (all the games are on TV now, you don't have to play in a recruit's hometown for him to know you exist anymore), and no reward in the BCS standings. That last part is changing now thanks to the playoff, but we're in Year One of that. Add to that the fact that Jacksonville has to compete with Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, Los Angeles and Miami for top-tier games, not to mention Tampa, Orlando, Charlotte and Nashville... it's HARD to get these games.

In reality, Catlett should get a lot of credit for even keeping FL-GA here. There have been very serious talks about making that game a home-and-home on both sides thanks to the senseless deaths that have come as a result of the insane atmosphere that game brings out. He should probably also receive a lot of credit for landing the ACC Championship game... it's not his fault Bobby Bowden was asleep at the wheel and Wake Freaking Forest (4,000 undergrad enrollment) made it to the championship game.

If we get Notre Dame and Navy, rest assured that will be a huge deal from a sales standpoint, visitors standpoint, and proving grounds for another big-time game standpoint.

[For_F-L-O-R-I-D-A]

Exactly. I think UGA winning a few games has helped that cause but both UF and UGA do not get a pay day from the organizers and lose money as a result. Now, the only thing keeping the game here is tradition which has a strong bond that I never hope to see end.

However, again, I think you will see FSU play here if Thrasher continues as President just because he is a politician and wants to bring business and make people happy around here in Northeast Florida where he is from. UF and UGA won't play a second game in Jax. You really need FSU, a South Carolina or Alabama school (someone with a large and close fanbase) to be the anchor for the game and play whoever else would be interested.

[spuwho]

I have said it before, but the GBA should create a "Gator Bowl Jamboree" or something similar for the high schools.  Make it an invitation only event for select top schools nationwide.

Instead of constantly going for the one time big fish, how about trying some smaller fish that is more repeatable?

Have it for each sport, kind of like what Cancun, Hawaii and NIT do for basketball.

All of these fill hotel rooms. Instead of feast and famine over these big events, stay on a steady diet of smaller events that keep the people coming and going.

[For_F-L-O-R-I-D-A]

That is a good idea. Maybe look at trying to secure a piece of the D1-FCS with something that gets a lot of attention or excitement.

I think a prime candidate for trying to get a repeat offender could be Clemson-Miami when they play. Miami struggles to fill Sun Life and Jacksonville is right in between the two schools. Currently with the schedule the way it is, they don't play home and home series anymore. Just one game in a 6 year period on a rotation.

[jaxjaguar]

I have said it before, but the GBA should create a "Gator Bowl Jamboree" or something similar for the high schools.  Make it an invitation only event for select top schools nationwide.

Instead of constantly going for the one time big fish, how about trying some smaller fish that is more repeatable?

Have it for each sport, kind of like what Cancun, Hawaii and NIT do for basketball.

All of these fill hotel rooms. Instead of feast and famine over these big events, stay on a steady diet of smaller events that keep the people coming and going.

As someone who's played a highschool game on ESPN, I think that's an excellent idea. It was seriously one of the most enjoyable and memorable moments of my life. There's already the US Army All American game, where the top highschool athletes from around the country play eachother. Maybe Jacksonville could host a Navy version, or a version that pitted the best 3A vs 3A, 4A vs 4A, etc against each other. You could make a weekend out of it and build up to the 5A teams.