[NU Sports] Attendance

Sun Nov 18 00:44:45 CST 2007

Our game was allowed because it was on the ESPN family of networks, of which
ABC is only a small player these days.  There are certain weeks in which BTN
has second choice, I believe it's twice a year, but it won't be on the last
week of the year.  It may have been last week as the tOSU-Wisky game was
forced on the BTN.

The BTN games I believe are exempt from the no conflict rule and can be
opposite both ESPN and ABC games so shouldn't interfere with time changes,
should NU decide to adopt a different start time for some games next year.
Keep in mind however, that NU is bound by the Evanston ordinance that
permits only one night game per season and has shown no inclination to ask
for that to be changed.

Mark

SportsBiz  <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/> - The Business of Sports
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-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Michael Vance
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 12:51 AM
To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Attendance

Are the rules regarding the scheduling of games opposite ABC published 

somewhere? Because today there were two Big Ten games at 12:00 EST 

(Mich-OSU on ABC and NU-Ill on EPSN) and four at 3:30 (MSU-PSU on 

ABC/ESPN regional coverage, and the rest on BTN.  Was our game allowed 

opposite Mich-OSU because it was on another ABC network?

Also, didn't I read something about BTN getting second pick some weeks?

I agree that more late starts would help attendance a lot for NU and 

other Central time teams.

-Michael

Jonathan Hodges wrote:

> Some good ideas - obviously some new and fresh ideas are needed to address

> this issue, because outside of winning a lot of games year in and year
out,

> the old stuff isn't working.  I would like to address some the things that

> you brought up, though:

> 

> - Starting times: it's all in the hands of the networks, and the agreement

> with ESPN says that no BTN games can be opposite the "marquee" ABC matchup

> of the day (typically the 2:30 slot, but in the case of the OSU/Michigan

> game it's noon).  ESPN/ABC gets their pick(s) first, and the BTN has to

> schedule their games around those games, giving the Big Ten and
specifically

> Northwestern little control in regards to time of games.

> 

> - Northern Illinois: NIU is now insisting on home-and-home series games
(NU

> has never played NIU away from home), which I don't think NU is willing to

> do.  Maybe if it was 2 for one or better, NU may go for it, but Murphy

> insists on having 7 home games (something I don't disagree with) and

> home-and-home series against MAC level competition won't let NU get there.

> 

> - "Home" game away from Ryan Field: a bad idea and won't do anything for

> numbers outside of on paper, especially since renting a facility and
dealing

> with travel, etc. won't really make NU any money.  And I completely
disagree

> with the idea of selling out by moving a home game closer to an opponent
as

> an attempt to get more fans - in that case don't even try to get home
games.

> 

> - Day of Game discounts: GREAT idea.  This is a college (amateur level)

> sport.  A $50 tag drives away almost every casual fan family who can't

> afford that steep price - oh, and once they get to the game there's no
money

> left for the pricey concessions.  Especially for nonconference games, NU

> needs to play with the prices (bring them down A LOT) to attract people to

> the game.  The fact is that it can't hurt, NU saw TWO games this year
under

> 20,000 in attendance with another THREE just over 20,000.

> 

> Anyways, not trying to shoot down any idea, the fact is NU needs a new

> well-thought-out strategy regarding attendance and filling the seats.  I

> would hope that this discussion is starting in the athletic department

> shortly, and IMHO it would be advisable to include NU fans in the
discussion

> (maybe a town hall type format or an internet exchange).

> 

> Jonathan

> 

> 

> On Nov 16, 2007 8:49 PM, <WildElk2 at aol.com> wrote:

> 

>   

>> Master of the Obvious Dept.: The 12 game schedule has made it  more

>> difficult

>> to get decent crowds, although Mark Murphy is on record that he  will
take

>> a

>> win at home in front of 15,000, as he feels that more wins will

>>  eventually

>> equal more people.

>>   With the BTN,  there may be more flexibility of starting  times.  Maybe

>> we

>> can  ask the BTN for more 2:30 PM games (as well as  an occasional night

>> game)?  11:00 AM kick-offs have to keep at least a few  people away.  The

>> Duke

>> game is perfect example, as it produced  6,7,000 more than the

>> Northeastern/Nevada games.

>>   Get a series with Northern Ill..  A five year series with  3 games in

>> Evanston.  This would help both programs , who struggle with  early
season

>> 

>> attendance issues.

>>   Schedule a "home" game outside of Dyche Stadium. This is not a
paycheck

>> game like the one we disgustingly played vs. Ohio St. at Cleveland

>>  Municipal

>> Stadium in the early Nineties.   There are plenty of small  stadiums

>> across the

>> country that hold 20,000-25,000.  An example would be  Hershey Park

>> Stadium

>> in Hershey, Pa., which holds 20,000.  In 2009 we play  Towson; a perfect

>> game

>> to make it easy for east coast alums and  fans.   Notre Dame is playing

>> "home"

>> games in San Antonio and  Jacksonville in the near future.

>>   On the day of the game, if we have a 20,000-25,000 ish crowd,  sell the

>> end zone  and goal-line seats for $5, and advertise the hell out  of it

>> via

>> newspapers, radio, TV.   Just get people here; they'll buy  hot dogs,

>> programs,

>> and once in a while, they'll get a junkie hooked like me,  who paid $4
for

>> end

>> zone seats circa. 1980.   In the same vein, bring  back Band Day and sell

>> all

>> those crappy seats for a $1 for each band  member.

>>   Crowds(?) of 16,000, 17,000, and 20,000 for a conference game  is

>> unacceptable.   Time to take steps to change.

>>   As far as the Illinois game, I anticipate a hard-hitting  nail-biter,

>> but

>> I'm picking Illinois to win, as after 4 straight wins, it's  Illinois's

>> turn.

>> They will not take us lightly, and after 4 straight  losses and so much
on

>> the line, I see no let-down.  We need to stop the  run, period.  With
that

>> said,

>> I see a 31-27 Illinois win.    If we can stop the run , we'll give

>> ourselves

>> a chance to win.

>> 

>>    GO CATS!!!    Eric

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> 

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>>     

> 

> 

> 

>   

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