menu
Logo
99+
Bobcat Attack Menu
Logo
99+
Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Why can't we schedule better?
Page: 2 of 2
Kevin Finnegan
General User
KF
Member Since: 2/4/2005
Location: Rockton, IL
Post Count: 1,214
person
mail
Kevin Finnegan
mail
Posted: 10/25/2013 10:57 AM
settings_applications edit_note
L.C. wrote:expand_more
Because we'd rather pay $325K for a home game v. a poor FCS team and chalk up a win over testing ourselves...

This actually makes sense, though. Let's do some math. We'll guess that travel expenses for a road game are $200,000, and expenses for a home game are $100,000. Let's also use $200,000 as an estimate of the home gate. Let's say you have a slot in your schedule for a game in 2015 and a game in 2016. You could schedule a home and home with, say, Marshall, or you could schedule a money game with Louisville, and a home game against Austin Peay.

Home-Home
Expenses -Road game - $200,000
Expenses -Home game - $100,000
Revenue - Road game - $0
Revenue - Home game - $200,000
Net - Loss of $100,000

Money Game+Austin Peay
Expenses - Road game - $200,000
Expenses - Home game - $100,000
Paid to Austin Peay - $325,000
Paid by Louisville - $850,000
Revenue Home game - $200,000
Net - Profit of $550,000

You could, of course, also do a third option - playing money games both times, and a 5 game home schedule.
Money Game+Money Game
Expenses - Road games - $200,000*2
Paid for money games - $850,000*2
Net - Profit of $1,300,000

How you mix these depends how badly you need the money. You also need to factor in that a home game supposedly adds about $500,000 or revenue to the Athens community, which closes some of the gap between $1,300,000 and the $550,000. Note also that as the home gate increases, the need for money games decreases. Let's say that they were able to sell 18,000 tickets to home games at $35 each. That makes the home gate $630,000. Now the numbers become:
Home-Home - $330,000 profit (+$500,000 to local business community)
Money-bought game - $980,000 profit (+500,000 to local business community)
Money+Money - $1,300,000


This is interesting, but leaves out one significant possibility. What about a money game, followed by a home-and-home series? Now, I realize that would mean there would be a year with one less home game, which would suck, but we still get the money game (assume $850,000), then every other year would have a semi-marquee team coming into Peden. That money in the gates and in the local business community would likely be far superior to that of an FCS school. Note that in your breakdown, the revenue generated at home with Austin Peay and the revenue generated vs. random home-and-home opponent are the same ($200,000). I imagine that our revenue for UConn and Pitt was (or would be today) much greater than Austin Peay or any other FCS school. Their fans would travel, more of our fans would travel, gate receipts and local business revenue would show an increased profit.
mf279801
General User
M279801
Member Since: 8/6/2010
Location: Newark, DE
Post Count: 2,486
person
mail
mf279801
mail
Posted: 10/25/2013 12:24 PM
settings_applications edit_note
finnOhio wrote:expand_more
This is interesting, but leaves out one significant possibility. What about a money game, followed by a home-and-home series? Now, I realize that would mean there would be a year with one less home game, which would suck, but we still get the money game (assume $850,000), then every other year would have a semi-marquee team coming into Peden. That money in the gates and in the local business community would likely be far superior to that of an FCS school. Note that in your breakdown, the revenue generated at home with Austin Peay and the revenue generated vs. random home-and-home opponent are the same ($200,000). I imagine that our revenue for UConn and Pitt was (or would be today) much greater than Austin Peay or any other FCS school. Their fans would travel, more of our fans would travel, gate receipts and local business revenue would show an increased profit.


2 points:
1) UConn doesn't travel well, certainly not when they're 0-6, coming off of a 5-7 season
2) A more general point: in theory having a 2-1 series (where one of those games is a money game and the other two are a standard off-setting arrangement) sounds great. The first problem with it is that, very often, it isn't a 1-for-1 + a money game, its just a 2-for-1. The second problem is that the return game (that is, the game at the MAC stadium) is frequently the last in the series and never gets played: the other school cancels (and pays a fee) rather than show up for the game, and you're left filling in with a FCS school at the last minute. Unfortunately, that leaves you with 2 FCS teams on your schedule in a typical year, and only one of those wins can count for bowl eligibility.
Monroe Slavin
General User
MS
Member Since: 12/21/2004
Location: Oxnard, CA
Post Count: 9,121
person
mail
Monroe Slavin
mail
Posted: 10/25/2013 5:58 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Most 'major' teams want to come to Athens because we're such a name opponent, the payday is so huge, Athens is a huge media center, and we have a rep for wildly into-the-game fans.

WIth all that going for us, it's a wonder we can't bring in anyone we want.

Now, if any or all of those things are not true, then bringing in attractive/major opponents would be difficult.


How many times per year are we going to have this discussion.  Until we win like Boise or Alabama, there's only so much that can be done in terms of home opponents.


DEAL WITH IT.




but is there really need to keep discussing it.  facts is facts, until they change.
L.C.
General User
LC
Member Since: 9/1/2005
Post Count: 10,584
person
mail
L.C.
mail
Posted: 10/25/2013 7:34 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Monroe Slavin wrote:expand_more
...but is there really need to keep discussing it.  facts is facts, until they change.

+1
Nice post Monroe, and yes, things are changing. They just change slowly. Year after year attendance is up. Now the prices are starting to reflect that. I heard some grousing about $35 tickets to the Marshall game, but they still filled Peden. Back in 2005 it was common accepted wisdom that Ohio could never fill Peden except for rare exceptions. It was commonly accepted wisdom that Ohio could never charge more than $20 for tickets, and still expect to sell any. 

Could the day come when Peden has been expanded, and seats 35,000? Could they day come when most games are sell outs, and there are scalpers in front of the stadium every week? Could the day come when prices are $35 a ticket or more for every game? Could the day come when there are 1-2 AQ teams a year in Peden?  Honestly, I don't know. I know none of those things will happen in the next few years, but in the program keeps making steady progress, who knows?

I do know this - most of the other teams in the MAC marvel at the attendance figures for Ohio, and wish they could get as many there. Full stadiums, and higher ticket prices will mean better games.
Monroe Slavin
General User
MS
Member Since: 12/21/2004
Location: Oxnard, CA
Post Count: 9,121
person
mail
Monroe Slavin
mail
Posted: 10/25/2013 8:20 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Seems to me that a linchpin will be winning a MAC title.  Won't that give us a lot more cred with the much-more-casual-than-those-of-us-here Ohio fans?

I'd love if that was a prelude to expanding Peden to 32-35k, lOUd home field advantage, and better opponents.

And, I still think that a home OHIO game in Cleveland against such as Washington or Purdue or B.C. is a great, great idea.

But first, MACC title.
Robert Fox
General User
RF
Member Since: 11/17/2004
Location: Knoxville, TN
Post Count: 2,039
person
mail
Robert Fox
mail
Posted: 10/26/2013 9:01 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Monroe Slavin wrote:expand_more
Seems to me that a linchpin will be winning a MAC title.  Won't that give us a lot more cred with the much-more-casual-than-those-of-us-here Ohio fans?


I'm not so sure about this one, Monroe. I think about past MAC Champs and don't see any real appreciable difference after they've reached the top. Why would it be any different for Ohio?
mf279801
General User
M279801
Member Since: 8/6/2010
Location: Newark, DE
Post Count: 2,486
person
mail
mf279801
mail
Posted: 10/26/2013 9:26 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Robert Fox wrote:expand_more
Seems to me that a linchpin will be winning a MAC title.  Won't that give us a lot more cred with the much-more-casual-than-those-of-us-here Ohio fans?


I'm not so sure about this one, Monroe. I think about past MAC Champs and don't see any real appreciable difference after they've reached the top. Why would it be any different for Ohio?

Well, MAC Champs in recent years (NIU excepted, CMU too, after their first one) has lost their coach and been terrible the following year. 

 
Monroe Slavin
General User
MS
Member Since: 12/21/2004
Location: Oxnard, CA
Post Count: 9,121
person
mail
Monroe Slavin
mail
Posted: 10/26/2013 11:37 AM
settings_applications edit_note
I'm thinking that it will be a signature significant moment for us since we haven't MACC'd in over 23,000 years.  I'm thinking that it will be a little bit different for us than for others.  A validation, wake-up-and-take-notice moment.

I hope.
Victory
General User
V
Member Since: 3/11/2012
Post Count: 2,519
person
mail
Victory
mail
Posted: 10/26/2013 9:25 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Monroe Slavin wrote:expand_more
I'm thinking that it will be a signature significant moment for us since we haven't MACC'd in over 23,000 years.  I'm thinking that it will be a little bit different for us than for others.  A validation, wake-up-and-take-notice moment.

I hope.


We all know the combination of circumstances on why we haven't MACC'd.  I mean for starters the last ice age was really hard on the program and we are just now starting to recover.
Showing Messages: 26 - 34 of 34
reply
vertical_align_top
vertical_align_center
vertical_align_bottom
add_comment
chevron_backward
MAC News Links



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)