TexanMark Wrote:

SF Husky Wrote:Part of the problem is the destination also. CT is located between Boston and NYC, I doubt too many CT people want to visit Syracuse for a weekend.

Part of the old bowl problem we had in the BE was due to poor traveling to bowls by Syracuse and Pitt. Miami and Boston College was the other 2 but they left. Hopefully, new teams will help improve the situation but it will take a little time to have chance for them to prove themselves.

That is part of the problem both points you bring up. Trust me Hartford isn't that great of a trip either. Other BCS fans still make the trips despite the locations.

You think Auburn is a vacation spot? There's nothing there, except Auburn. It's nowhere...

TexanMark Wrote:I agree but bowl games are just part of it...the Big East still has bandwagon fans for the most part our schools do not travel to away conference games unless it is very convenient or exciting (i.e. going to Tampa in the late fall). This is where we are different from the SEC and Big 10.

Perhaps we are thinking of bandwagon in different terms. I wouldn't call someone bandwagon simply because they don't make every one or even most of their team's road games. No one in the league travels to regular season road games like a Nebraska or OSU. However, how many in college football do?

I understand your rebuttal to someone who might say "Why travel to Syracuse in November?" It's that fans should travel to see their own team play, see a conference foe's campus and make the trek. That's true. In reality though, only a certain % of any team's fans make most road trips, be it due to $$ issues or responsibilities such as kids or work. Naturally a SEC or Big 10 team that pulls in 90,000 for home games will travel with more than your avg. Big East team that gets 40-45,000 for home games. That isn't too likely to change. I don't think that's as vital as bowl attendance. That may be good or bad, as around half our league is viewed negatively or as an unknown in terms of bowl travel. We have to all work towards making that better. Even a UofL when it does have to travel to a Toronto or Birmingham.

TexanMark Wrote:It is nice that you travel to a bowl game. Charlotte is a one day drive. It is still a novelty. BTW, Syracuse brought over 5k to Chapel Hill in 2003 for their home opener.

Big East teams generally do not travel to other Big East venues in large numbers. WVU is the only team that brings a crowd to Syracuse. Pitt brings parents family and 50 others, UConn brings 750, Rutgers less than that.

Yeah...I think some posters were confusing how diehard SEC Fans travel week in and week out during the REGULAR SEASON...vs just a one-time end-of-the-season bowl trip.

Bama and Tennessee both have played AT UCLA during the REGULAR SEASON over the past 10 years or so...and both of those teams brought 25,000 plus all the way across the country for a REGULAR SEASON GAME!!

SEC Fans are NUTS...especially at the MONSTER programs/schools like LSU, Tennessee, and Florida, and to a lesser extent the Auburn's, Georgia's, etc...which still travel better than almost any other programs in the country.

SEC should steal the State of Texas' old marketing slogan: "Its a WHOLE other country down there"...and they would be RIGHT!

If you LOVE College Football...MOVE almost ANYWHERE in the Southeast.

You will not be disappointed.

SF Husky Wrote:Part of the problem is the destination also. CT is located between Boston and NYC, I doubt too many CT people want to visit Syracuse for a weekend.

Say WHAT???

Its about the GAME...and is ALWAYS ABOUT THE GAME....to see YOUR TEAM PLAY LIVE!!!

That's what creates passion...and thats why some teams up north have what some might call "wine and cheese" crowds...as they will only show up to watch the game if "wine and cheese" will be served...and everything else is perfect.

THOUSANDS of Auburn fans traveled MID-WEEK to see their team play in MORGANTOWN!

I've been to Morgantown...and I've been to Syracuse.

There is a lot more to do in SYRACUSE than MORGANTOWN. (Like both places...more found to small, college towns myself).

Towns like Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Oxford, Auburn, Clemson (threw them in because basically nothing is there...but on a college football weekend...the past is a BLAST!), etc...more than DOUBLE-triple their population on game day!!!

Fans don't show up because those towns are great tourist traps...they go there because thats where their team (home or away) will be PLAYING!!!

Plus...anytime you add 75,000-100,000 plus college football fans....you will have fun ANYWHERE...including SYRACUSE!!!

Believe your statement above shows how "out-of-touch" some of you are "up there" and are missing out on something very, very special: ROAD TRIP FOOTBALL GAMES!

It depends on what you like to do as to whether or not there is more to do in Syracuse or Morgantown. For those of us who grew up in the mountains, there is always plenty to do. City folks don't really understand that...

KnightLight Wrote:

TexanMark Wrote:It is nice that you travel to a bowl game. Charlotte is a one day drive. It is still a novelty. BTW, Syracuse brought over 5k to Chapel Hill in 2003 for their home opener.

Big East teams generally do not travel to other Big East venues in large numbers. WVU is the only team that brings a crowd to Syracuse. Pitt brings parents family and 50 others, UConn brings 750, Rutgers less than that.

Yeah...I think some posters were confusing how diehard SEC Fans travel week in and week out during the REGULAR SEASON...vs just a one-time end-of-the-season bowl trip.

Bama and Tennessee both have played AT UCLA during the REGULAR SEASON over the past 10 years or so...and both of those teams brought 25,000 plus all the way across the country for a REGULAR SEASON GAME!!

SEC Fans are NUTS...especially at the MONSTER programs/schools like LSU, Tennessee, and Florida, and to a lesser extent the Auburn's, Georgia's, etc...which still travel better than almost any other programs in the country.

SEC should steal the State of Texas' old marketing slogan: "Its a WHOLE other country down there"...and they would be RIGHT!

If you LOVE College Football...MOVE almost ANYWHERE in the Southeast.

You will not be disappointed.

Well I guess when football is your only thing in life, it does say something. Here where I am at, I got 2 NFL teams within 25 mins drive. 2 MLB baseball teams within 25 mins drive, 3 D1A football teams within 40 mins drive, 1 NHL team, 1 MLS soccer and numerous other stuff going on not to mention great weather etc. I can understand some people's entire routines are not college football focused.

mattsarz Wrote:From what I've heard, Nebraska has the best traveling section and might be the nicest fan base around, no matter where you are playing them. I know that Pitt recently had a series with them, maybe some of their fans can comment whether this is true.

Of course Nebraska fans are nice....their program sucks and has sucked since cheater Osbourne was there...

Football's not the only thing in the south. But outdoor activities, in particular high school and college sports on the weekends are a way of life down here. It brings families and communities together, and is almost like a religion. But then again, everything is treated religiously in the Bible Belt. In professional sports, only the Green Bay can compare to such loyalty and devotion in their fanbase. But these men are paid to play. College sports brings fans out to see children, friends, neighbors, and to showcase your alma mater to the next generation of potential athletic champions growing within your family...

I have said SEC is overrated from day 1. If SEC teams actually go on the road to play at other BCS programs, their OOC won't be nearly as good. Home field advantage is huge.

Of course, when SEC teams can't score cause SEC D are so "tough". No one ever mention SEC teams have no offense cause they don't got no QBs in that league outside a few.

It is not hard when you get Miss St, Ole Miss, Vandy, Kentucky every year to ensure a few guaranteed wins each year. On top of that, every SEC team play the entire Sunbelt, all at HOME of course. Then they get to 8 or 9 or 10 win season to get to play another overrated conference in B10. Yeah they win and they look great. On top of that, you got bunch of SEC homers on TV from ESPN and CBS pumping them up every chance they get.

Sometimes when you can't score on offense, it is not because of great SEC defense, it is because you suck on offense.

They are overrated. They got great fans but they are still overrated.

All the homers on TV is what irritates me the most. Although I get more ticked at the folks from the Big Tin than I do SEC folks...

Bearcats#1 Wrote:

mattsarz Wrote:From what I've heard, Nebraska has the best traveling section and might be the nicest fan base around, no matter where you are playing them. I know that Pitt recently had a series with them, maybe some of their fans can comment whether this is true.

Of course Nebraska fans are nice....their program sucks and has sucked since cheater Osbourne was there...

The people of Nebraska have always been polite and considerate to opposing fanbases, even in their days of dominance.

You children don't remember such things, but us old farts do...

Jose_Jalapeno_on_a_Stick Wrote:

brista21 Wrote:

TexanMark Wrote:Agree with it all--that is the main ingrediant the Big East is missing. Our fanbases have a bandwagon mentality. Our teams' fans for the most part do not travel in large numbers. WVU is the exception.

Louisville and Rutgers have done well for their bowl games all things considered. But WVU has an SEC/Big Ten/Big 12 like traveling fanbase.

Don’t forget also that UC brought 9-10K for a pre-Christmas bowl in a mediocre destination while UConn brought quite a bit (SF Husky or someone probably has the number) to Charlotte.

No offense taken Jackson; it is what it is. Our fanbase situation is certainly not ideal, but improving.

Actually, UC probably brought closer to 12,000 (many fans buying tickets independent of the school) so the Big east's fan base is growing. We need a commissioner who cares about football. Once again Tranghese ticks me off because, in the middle of football season, he is with the Cincinnati Enquirer bragging about how this might be the greatest season in Big East basketball history, etc., etc. And I remember last year when he was raving about the new Big East basketball television deal and when asked about the football television deal he got all chippy and gave a half-assed effort. That told me right there that we needed a football commissioner to help grow this conference.

SF Husky Wrote:

KnightLight Wrote:

TexanMark Wrote:It is nice that you travel to a bowl game. Charlotte is a one day drive. It is still a novelty. BTW, Syracuse brought over 5k to Chapel Hill in 2003 for their home opener.

Big East teams generally do not travel to other Big East venues in large numbers. WVU is the only team that brings a crowd to Syracuse. Pitt brings parents family and 50 others, UConn brings 750, Rutgers less than that.

Yeah...I think some posters were confusing how diehard SEC Fans travel week in and week out during the REGULAR SEASON...vs just a one-time end-of-the-season bowl trip.

Bama and Tennessee both have played AT UCLA during the REGULAR SEASON over the past 10 years or so...and both of those teams brought 25,000 plus all the way across the country for a REGULAR SEASON GAME!!

SEC Fans are NUTS...especially at the MONSTER programs/schools like LSU, Tennessee, and Florida, and to a lesser extent the Auburn's, Georgia's, etc...which still travel better than almost any other programs in the country.

SEC should steal the State of Texas' old marketing slogan: "Its a WHOLE other country down there"...and they would be RIGHT!

If you LOVE College Football...MOVE almost ANYWHERE in the Southeast.

You will not be disappointed.

Well I guess when football is your only thing in life, it does say something. Here where I am at, I got 2 NFL teams within 25 mins drive. 2 MLB baseball teams within 25 mins drive, 3 D1A football teams within 40 mins drive, 1 NHL team, 1 MLS soccer and numerous other stuff going on not to mention great weather etc. I can understand some people's entire routines are not college football focused.

Entire life?

How many NY Area Baseball teams are playing in Oct?

ZERO.

Why do you care if there are 2 other Div I-A Football teams nearby? Don't you want to follow your OWN team?

NHL season has around 81-82 games...with very little riding on each game...especially in the FALL when the season ends in June.

Your college team has just 12 regularly games scheduled each year...and for most/many, its also the same place they GRADUATED from...so there is a much greater connection to your OWN program (school you graduated from) vs any pro team...where billions hire millionaires to play a game.

Sounds like one is jealous of those that enjoy different things with passion.