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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: Message to the AD
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SBH
1/31/2022 4:22 PM
I was pleased to receive notice of a promotion that will award hotel accommodations and tickets for the Sat., Feb. 26 men's and women's basketball doubleheader. They're billing it as a basketball alumni event.

Unfortunately, the fine print includes a warning that the men's game "might be" (which means "will be") rescheduled to Friday night for a national television broadcast.

So, we're likely going to lose ANOTHER Saturday home game (one of only 2)...making my investment in season tickets virtually pointless.

I am even more upset due to the fact that a group of dedicated alums (1983) have long been planning a return to Athens for this game. Given the fact that many live outside the region, this scheduling change essentially destroys our reunion.

Congratulations to our athletics department for punishing its fanbase.
Last Edited: 1/31/2022 4:23:37 PM by SBH
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Cellis033
1/31/2022 4:27 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
I was pleased to receive notice of a promotion that will award hotel accommodations and tickets for the Sat., Feb. 26 men's and women's basketball doubleheader. They're billing it as a basketball alumni event.

Unfortunately, the fine print includes a warning that the men's game "might be" (which means "will be") rescheduled to Friday night for a national television broadcast.

So, we're likely going to lose ANOTHER Saturday home game (one of only 2)...making my investment in season tickets virtually pointless.

I am even more upset due to the fact that a group of dedicated alums (1983) have long been planning a return to Athens for this game. Given the fact that many live outside the region, this scheduling change essentially destroys our reunion.

Congratulations to our athletics department for punishing its fanbase.
Dang, that really sucks SBH... Hope they don't reschedule it because it sounds so cool what your doing with the reunion.
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BillyTheCat
1/31/2022 4:30 PM
The Athletic department has zero to do with any change that may happen. Those are done by the contract the MAC office and their TV contract

But yeah that really sucks for your group. Hopefully it won’t happen
Last Edited: 1/31/2022 4:31:48 PM by BillyTheCat
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person
Recovering Journalist
1/31/2022 4:34 PM
This sucks and I understand your ire, but it is not the AD's decision to make. Our conference is beholden to TV schedules and for better or worse as a top team in the conference, we're likely to have our schedule moved for the lords of television much more frequently.

You can argue that it's not worth it for the conference as a whole to make that decision, and you can argue that as a member of the conference we should fight the decision to provide TV so much sway (see also: empty and frigid football stadiums in November), but you can't directly blame the AD here.
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shabamon
1/31/2022 4:44 PM
The MAC has two national TV time slots for that weekend. Friday, there will be a game on CBSSN, and Saturday there is a noon slot on ESPNU. At this point, I think you can count on our game getting one of those slots. Toledo has a home game with Miami that weekend. None of the other games will probably be that appealing for late February national TV.
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Andrew Ruck
1/31/2022 5:11 PM
Agree the issue is with the conference, but conference decisions are driven by the schools. Feedback to the AD here still has value. I had a very similiar situation years ago with big plans to bring a big group including lots who rarely make it and it got screwed over by the switch to Friday night.

Personally I'd like to see a hybrid approach. Include about half the conference games in the potential pool per weekend so each school can half a few firm Saturday days while still maintaining the Friday night slot and its flexibility to choose games into the season.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
1/31/2022 5:36 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
Congratulations to our athletics department for punishing its fanbase.
Isn't there a larger segment of the fanbase that will get to watch this game on national tv as a result of the shift.

It's a bummer that the weekend plans may change, but I don't think it's nearly so start that this is "punishing" the fanbase. A segment of the fanbase won't be able to attend in-person anymore. Sucks, but more people will see the game as a result.
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Cellis033
1/31/2022 5:37 PM
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:expand_more
Congratulations to our athletics department for punishing its fanbase.
Isn't there a larger segment of the fanbase that will get to watch this game on national tv as a result of the shift.

It's a bummer that the weekend plans may change, but I don't think it's nearly so start that this is "punishing" the fanbase. A segment of the fanbase won't be able to attend in-person anymore. Sucks, but more people will see the game as a result.
Plus, more opportunties to show how we are the best student section in the MAC!
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cc-cat
1/31/2022 5:59 PM
SBH - I'll still plan on coming up (but suspect others JB, Timmy, won't be able to) - I'll have to take Friday off and drive all day. What is certainly in question is sticking around all day Saturday and Saturday night. A consequence no one has mentioned in this case, (but I'm sure is appreciated with football) is the move from Saturday games negatively impacts the local economy as Saturday night stays vanish and restaurant/bar tabs are diminished.
Last Edited: 1/31/2022 6:01:47 PM by cc-cat
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The Optimist
2/1/2022 6:44 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
I was pleased to receive notice of a promotion that will award hotel accommodations and tickets for the Sat., Feb. 26 men's and women's basketball doubleheader. They're billing it as a basketball alumni event.

Unfortunately, the fine print includes a warning that the men's game "might be" (which means "will be") rescheduled to Friday night for a national television broadcast.

So, we're likely going to lose ANOTHER Saturday home game (one of only 2)...making my investment in season tickets virtually pointless.

I am even more upset due to the fact that a group of dedicated alums (1983) have long been planning a return to Athens for this game. Given the fact that many live outside the region, this scheduling change essentially destroys our reunion.

Congratulations to our athletics department for punishing its fanbase.
Agreed. Very poor leadership from the AD.
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bobcatsquared
2/1/2022 8:04 AM
The Optimist wrote:expand_more
Agreed. Very poor leadership from the AD.
Sarcasm or not, the boy who cried wolf?
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SBH
2/1/2022 8:59 AM
I'm not naive. I understand how important television revenue is to MAC programs. But don't ask me to pay months in advance for seats - plus the required OBC donation and seat fee - based on a published schedule you do not intend to follow. There have to be some reasonable guardrails put into place by the league to protect the interests of the people who already support its programs.

This "promotion" is just an extra slap in the face -- "Hey, we're planning something really cool which in a matter of days might be rendered completely meaningless."

If we're really going to grow this program, we need to engage with fans who have a reasonable ability to attend games in Athens. This, IMO, means making it easy for the tens of thousands of alumni within Ohio and adjacent states to invest in and use tickets. Right now, from a ticket sales perspective, we are meeting the needs of only one audience: residents of Athens/Athens County.
Last Edited: 2/1/2022 9:45:45 AM by SBH
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OU_Country
2/1/2022 9:32 AM
Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
Agree the issue is with the conference, but conference decisions are driven by the schools. Feedback to the AD here still has value. I had a very similar situation years ago with big plans to bring a big group including lots who rarely make it and it got screwed over by the switch to Friday night.

Personally I'd like to see a hybrid approach. Include about half the conference games in the potential pool per weekend so each school can half a few firm Saturday days while still maintaining the Friday night slot and its flexibility to choose games into the season.

100% Agree with this approach. They should be doing the same thing for football. Protecting the opportunities for Saturday home games should matter to the MAC. Finding a way to spread out how many games get moved to Friday nights should be part of the deal. Also, why not just make the schedule show "TBA" until the TV deal makes the decision? It makes it clear it's not in stone that way.
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person
Recovering Journalist
2/1/2022 10:00 AM
OU_Country wrote:expand_more
Agree the issue is with the conference, but conference decisions are driven by the schools. Feedback to the AD here still has value. I had a very similar situation years ago with big plans to bring a big group including lots who rarely make it and it got screwed over by the switch to Friday night.

Personally I'd like to see a hybrid approach. Include about half the conference games in the potential pool per weekend so each school can half a few firm Saturday days while still maintaining the Friday night slot and its flexibility to choose games into the season.

100% Agree with this approach. They should be doing the same thing for football. Protecting the opportunities for Saturday home games should matter to the MAC. Finding a way to spread out how many games get moved to Friday nights should be part of the deal. Also, why not just make the schedule show "TBA" until the TV deal makes the decision? It makes it clear it's not in stone that way.
You guys really think the conference has that kind of negotiating power? I really doubt it. The TV deal is already above-average for a G5 and we're in a league where ticket revenue is not a huge source of income and where every team craves TV attention for recruits and publicity.

I can't imagine ESPN (CBS leases rights from that main deal too) being really interested in the possibility of ever missing out on a buzzing atmosphere with one of the top 1-4 teams in the conference just because we want more Saturday games. That's true for football or basketball. It's a pact with the devil but we already signed it - and you can be sure the conference will sign it again if and when they have a chance.
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SBH
2/1/2022 10:07 AM
I recently discovered the HBO series "The Deuce." The relationship between our conference and TV networks is a lot like the one between helpless women and their pimps.
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BillyTheCat
2/1/2022 10:19 AM
I am still trying to figure out how this is a problem of the Athletic Director?
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person
Recovering Journalist
2/1/2022 10:21 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
I recently discovered the HBO series "The Deuce." The relationship between our conference and TV networks is a lot like the one between helpless women and their pimps.
I don't entirely disagree. I am just pointing out the facts.

I think the real solution is for things like reunions or honoring ceremonies to be scheduled on during the handful of games we know aren't going to move, like the FCS football game or some of the early cannon-fodder basketball games. This situation is never going to change as long as the MAC has a TV contract.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
2/1/2022 10:58 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
I'm not naive. I understand how important television revenue is to MAC programs. But don't ask me to pay months in advance for seats - plus the required OBC donation and seat fee - based on a published schedule you do not intend to follow. There have to be some reasonable guardrails put into place by the league to protect the interests of the people who already support its programs. [/QUOTE]For what it's worth, they're not really expecting this of you. Which is why TV revenue is so important. There's just not a very big market of "you" out there. A sales strategy that involves people driving 3 hours each way to attend a game isn't a sales strategy.


[QUOTE=SBH]
If we're really going to grow this program, we need to engage with fans who have a reasonable ability to attend games in Athens. This, IMO, means making it easy for the tens of thousands of alumni within Ohio and adjacent states to invest in and use tickets. Right now, from a ticket sales perspective, we are meeting the needs of only one audience: residents of Athens/Athens County.
If this is the path to growth, we don't have a very valid path to growth. For what it's worth, you're perfectly articulating why market size has paid such a huge role in expansion in college athletics. We don't have a big market to tap into, unfortunately.
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JSF
2/1/2022 10:59 PM
We could not publish dates or times for conference games until 48 hours in advance! No switches guaranteed!
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person
roar-room
2/2/2022 8:21 AM
Message to AD: great job getting us a great coach and a great team. It's frustrating when my personal plans have to change, but the national exposure for our team is probably more important. Keep up the good work.

Fixed that for you.
Last Edited: 2/2/2022 8:21:53 AM by roar-room
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Andrew Ruck
2/2/2022 8:40 AM
Do we know by what date they will make a decision on the 2/26 game? Looking at the slate of games that day I don't see any way CBS doesn't pick Ohio/Akron.
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OU_Country
2/2/2022 10:27 AM
Recovering Journalist wrote:expand_more
Agree the issue is with the conference, but conference decisions are driven by the schools. Feedback to the AD here still has value. I had a very similar situation years ago with big plans to bring a big group including lots who rarely make it and it got screwed over by the switch to Friday night.

Personally I'd like to see a hybrid approach. Include about half the conference games in the potential pool per weekend so each school can half a few firm Saturday days while still maintaining the Friday night slot and its flexibility to choose games into the season.

100% Agree with this approach. They should be doing the same thing for football. Protecting the opportunities for Saturday home games should matter to the MAC. Finding a way to spread out how many games get moved to Friday nights should be part of the deal. Also, why not just make the schedule show "TBA" until the TV deal makes the decision? It makes it clear it's not in stone that way.
You guys really think the conference has that kind of negotiating power? I really doubt it. The TV deal is already above-average for a G5 and we're in a league where ticket revenue is not a huge source of income and where every team craves TV attention for recruits and publicity.

I can't imagine ESPN (CBS leases rights from that main deal too) being really interested in the possibility of ever missing out on a buzzing atmosphere with one of the top 1-4 teams in the conference just because we want more Saturday games. That's true for football or basketball. It's a pact with the devil but we already signed it - and you can be sure the conference will sign it again if and when they have a chance.
You make a fair point on the negotiating power, and the fact that the devil pact is already signed.

That said, I'd be curious to know how ratings look and if they're that different if it's Ohio vs Miami, Akron vs Kent, or WMU vs BG. Or do the ratings only matter on a Friday night if the two teams that are matched up have winning records?

For football anyway, some people turn it on regardless of who is playing or what the records are. That could be the same, or very different for hoops -- I don't know.
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OU_Country
2/2/2022 10:28 AM
Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
Do we know by what date they will make a decision on the 2/26 game? Looking at the slate of games that day I don't see any way CBS doesn't pick Ohio/Akron.
I'm not suggesting I'm correct, but it used to be a 20 or 21 day window.
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Bobcat Love
2/2/2022 2:21 PM
This is eerily similar to the Ford Field Shuttle situation....
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BillyTheCat
2/3/2022 5:32 PM
OU_Country wrote:expand_more
Agree the issue is with the conference, but conference decisions are driven by the schools. Feedback to the AD here still has value. I had a very similar situation years ago with big plans to bring a big group including lots who rarely make it and it got screwed over by the switch to Friday night.

Personally I'd like to see a hybrid approach. Include about half the conference games in the potential pool per weekend so each school can half a few firm Saturday days while still maintaining the Friday night slot and its flexibility to choose games into the season.

100% Agree with this approach. They should be doing the same thing for football. Protecting the opportunities for Saturday home games should matter to the MAC. Finding a way to spread out how many games get moved to Friday nights should be part of the deal. Also, why not just make the schedule show "TBA" until the TV deal makes the decision? It makes it clear it's not in stone that way.
You guys really think the conference has that kind of negotiating power? I really doubt it. The TV deal is already above-average for a G5 and we're in a league where ticket revenue is not a huge source of income and where every team craves TV attention for recruits and publicity.

I can't imagine ESPN (CBS leases rights from that main deal too) being really interested in the possibility of ever missing out on a buzzing atmosphere with one of the top 1-4 teams in the conference just because we want more Saturday games. That's true for football or basketball. It's a pact with the devil but we already signed it - and you can be sure the conference will sign it again if and when they have a chance.
You make a fair point on the negotiating power, and the fact that the devil pact is already signed.

That said, I'd be curious to know how ratings look and if they're that different if it's Ohio vs Miami, Akron vs Kent, or WMU vs BG. Or do the ratings only matter on a Friday night if the two teams that are matched up have winning records?

For football anyway, some people turn it on regardless of who is playing or what the records are. That could be the same, or very different for hoops -- I don't know.
I agree, MAC should hold out for more money and control!!!!! Let’s see how that works in the marketplace. Maybe a few of you Corperate business type can help negotiate and leverage the name brand of OHIO.
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