(07-26-2011 08:07 PM)Jag89 Wrote:  I would think sell outs would be possible. More so at Troy with a smaller stadium. I guess a lot would depend on the records at the end of the year and how many fans troy brings down to Mobile. How well does Troy travel to UAB?

Potentially the matchup could be awesome if both teams have good records, 40,000 fans packed in and
2 great bands rocking the place! Hopefully that happens n

Troy had a huge crowd at Legion Field. We took over the entire visitor side. It looked like we out numbered the UAB fans lol...

(07-26-2011 07:20 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 06:38 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 06:22 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  Both schools should sell out year to year.

Doubtful.

Why not? Historically when Troy has in-state rivals play at VMS we have large crowds. If you add in the future rivalry between us and the chance for a SBC victory both schools should have great attendance for our yearly encounter.

I'm not saying it won't be good for attendance, but yearly sell outs? When was the last time Troy sold out their stadium? Yeah that's what I thought, but now a school 200 miles away joins the conference and you're going to have a sell out every time they come to your stadium? FAU and FIU are much closer and they don't sell out when the other comes to town, MT and WKU are closer and neither of us sell out when the other comes to town(and it's the most played game between any two Sun Belt schools). Troy and South Alabama have two good fan bases and football is very big in Southern Alabama, and the first game at each venue will probably draw near sell out crowds and if the games are close that may spill over into the second time around at each venue, but before long it will be just become one of the better attended conference games where each school can reasonably expect 2k-3k fans above season average.

(07-26-2011 06:38 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 06:22 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  Both schools should sell out year to year.

Doubtful.

Should be a sellout most games as both are located in Alabama, the Football Capital of the South. The state that furnished the last two BCS National Champions and Heisman Trophy winners. UAB doesn't draw real well but look where they're located. USA vs. Troy should become the premier rivalry in the SBC.

(07-26-2011 09:45 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  I'm not saying it won't be good for attendance, but yearly sell outs? When was the last time Troy sold out their stadium? Yeah that's what I thought, but now a school 200 miles away joins the conference and you're going to have a sell out every time they come to your stadium? FAU and FIU are much closer and they don't sell out when the other comes to town, MT and WKU are closer and neither of us sell out when the other comes to town(and it's the most played game between any two Sun Belt schools). Troy and South Alabama have two good fan bases and football is very big in Southern Alabama, and the first game at each venue will probably draw near sell out crowds and if the games are close that may spill over into the second time around at each venue, but before long it will be just become one of the better attended conference games where each school can reasonably expect 2k-3k fans above season average.

no one likes a debbie downer.

When this game is on a Saturday either place we should expect 35000 to 40000 especially if both teams are playing well. Unfortunately if they move the game to Tuesday or Thursday for TV that will drop some of the fans travelling even though we are in state. Go Jags!

(07-26-2011 09:59 PM)JoeJag Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 06:38 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 06:22 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  Both schools should sell out year to year.

Doubtful.

Should be a sellout most games as both are located in Alabama, the Football Capital of the South. The state that furnished the last two BCS National Champions and Heisman Trophy winners. UAB doesn't draw real well but look where they're located. USA vs. Troy should become the premier rivalry in the SBC.

(07-26-2011 10:05 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 09:45 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  I'm not saying it won't be good for attendance, but yearly sell outs? When was the last time Troy sold out their stadium? Yeah that's what I thought, but now a school 200 miles away joins the conference and you're going to have a sell out every time they come to your stadium? FAU and FIU are much closer and they don't sell out when the other comes to town, MT and WKU are closer and neither of us sell out when the other comes to town(and it's the most played game between any two Sun Belt schools). Troy and South Alabama have two good fan bases and football is very big in Southern Alabama, and the first game at each venue will probably draw near sell out crowds and if the games are close that may spill over into the second time around at each venue, but before long it will be just become one of the better attended conference games where each school can reasonably expect 2k-3k fans above season average.

no one likes a debbie downer.

(07-26-2011 10:06 PM)powerjamalum Wrote:  When this game is on a Saturday either place we should expect 35000 to 40000 especially if both teams are playing well. Unfortunately if they move the game to Tuesday or Thursday for TV that will drop some of the fans travelling even though we are in state. Go Jags!

Doubt me all you want, but the past supports my position. USA is not reinventing football and their joining the conference is not going to change things that drastically. There are a few members who can probably answer this accurately, but how many Sun Belt conference games have had an attendance of even over 25k? I know of two, Troy @ MT in 2010 and I'm pretty sure the Cajuns had one. There may be more, but I'm pretty sure it's less than five, but now USA joins the conference and Troy vs USA is going to draw 35k-40k? Give me a break. This game will draw in the high twenties to maybe 30,000 for the first year at each school and will decline from there. It will likely settle in to around 23k-25k annually, with occasional spikes or dips depending on how each team is performing/when the game is played.

This isn't some magical rivalry that exists in a vacuum, this is Sun Belt football, there are closer rivals than these two with much more history. Doubt me if you really want, but your the ones who has a stake in the argument. You're looking at things optimistically(very optimistically at that if you expect 35k-40k annually) I'm looking at things realistically.

26,574- 2004 against Missouri
26,265- 2006 against in-state rival Alabama State
24,102- 2007 against Oklahoma State
22,283- 2010 against ULL
21,182- 2009 against in-state rival UAB

Just to name a few.

(07-26-2011 10:51 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  26,574- 2004 against Missouri
26,265- 2006 against in-state rival Alabama State
24,102- 2007 against Oklahoma State
22,283- 2010 against ULL
21,182- 2009 against in-state rival UAB

Just to name a few.

Was that supposed to answer how many SUN BELT CONFERENCE games averaged 25,000+? Because if it was, you got zero out of five.

A little digging and the record for a conference game appears to be FIU at ULL on 11/1/08 with a crowd of 29,031(the draw was it was the Cajuns 1,000th football game). Troy at MT on 10/5/10 drew 28,010. These are the only two conference games I know of that were definitely over 25k. But yeah, Troy vs USA is going to draw 40k...

(07-26-2011 11:04 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  A little digging and the record for a conference game appears to be FIU at FIU on 11/1/08 with a crowd of 29,031(the draw was it was the Cajuns 1,000th football game). Troy at MT on 10/5/10 drew 28,010. These are the only two conference games I know of that were definitely over 25k. But yeah, Troy vs USA is going to draw 40k...

Why would FIU play themselves?

Well I apologize for upsetting the attendance gods over at MTSU. :ncaabbs: We're not worthy.

(07-26-2011 11:07 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 11:04 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  A little digging and the record for a conference game appears to be FIU at FIU on 11/1/08 with a crowd of 29,031(the draw was it was the Cajuns 1,000th football game). Troy at MT on 10/5/10 drew 28,010. These are the only two conference games I know of that were definitely over 25k. But yeah, Troy vs USA is going to draw 40k...

Why would FIU play themselves?

Well to be fair, it was Hilton vs. the other 84 on the roster.

(07-26-2011 11:07 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 11:04 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  A little digging and the record for a conference game appears to be FIU at FIU on 11/1/08 with a crowd of 29,031(the draw was it was the Cajuns 1,000th football game). Troy at MT on 10/5/10 drew 28,010. These are the only two conference games I know of that were definitely over 25k. But yeah, Troy vs USA is going to draw 40k...

Why would FIU play themselves?

Clearly a typo, which I'm sure you realized especially after reading it was to celebrate the Cajuns 1,000th football game.

Full disclosure I'm watching this incredibly frustrating Braves game and only half way paying attention.

But I don't blame you for concentrating on my typo as my argument is otherwise much better than yours.

(07-26-2011 11:09 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  Well I apologize for upsetting the attendance gods over at MTSU. :ncaabbs: We're not worthy.

No need to get so defensive, I was simply pointing out the illogicality of South Alabama vs. Troy being a yearly sell out, it's wishful thinking I understand, but I think most of us have learned(especially at MT) how many games look like they'll be sure sellouts only to fall short. I don't blame you for being optimistic and to be fair you weren't the one who said 35k-40k(which is really crazy talk)

(07-26-2011 11:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 11:09 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  Well I apologize for upsetting the attendance gods over at MTSU. :ncaabbs: We're not worthy.

No need to get so defensive, I was simply pointing out the illogicality of South Alabama vs. Troy being a yearly sell out, it's wishful thinking I understand, but I think most of us have learned(especially at MT) how many games look like they'll be sure sellouts only to fall short. I don't blame you for being optimistic and to be fair you weren't the one who said 35k-40k.

I stated that we could have "sell out" crowds which at Veterans Memorial would be 30,000. It seems I was over optimistic so I'll re-evaluate my estimate to around 25k. However, if we can bring in 26,000+ for ALABAMA STATE I'm sure we could bring at least that and more for South Alabama. Like you said it might die down after a few years, but who knows attendance could settle in around 20,000 year to year. Either way it will be a huge benefit to both universities in the revenue and publicity departments

Like a South fan stated earlier it all depends on if it's a Saturday game or a Tuesday/Thursday game. That always hurt both Troy and Middle in attendance having our game on Tuesday just for ESPN coverage. Excluding last year of course. I'm glad to have MTSU on Saturday this year. It'll give more fans a chance to come to the game.

(07-26-2011 11:18 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 11:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(07-26-2011 11:09 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  Well I apologize for upsetting the attendance gods over at MTSU. :ncaabbs: We're not worthy.

No need to get so defensive, I was simply pointing out the illogicality of South Alabama vs. Troy being a yearly sell out, it's wishful thinking I understand, but I think most of us have learned(especially at MT) how many games look like they'll be sure sellouts only to fall short. I don't blame you for being optimistic and to be fair you weren't the one who said 35k-40k.

I stated that we could have "sell out" crowds which at Veterans Memorial would be 30,000. It seems I was over optimistic so I'll re-evaluate my estimate to around 25k. However, if we can bring in 26,000+ for ALABAMA STATE I'm sure we could bring at least that and more for South Alabama. Like you said it might die down after a few years, but who knows attendance could settle in around 20,000 year to year. Either way it will be a huge benefit to both universities in the revenue and publicity departments.

Alabama State was the season opener, which all other things being equal, is almost always going to be the best attended game. If Troy or South Alabama was ever week 1, it could certainly draw 25k+ maybe even a sell out. We just aren't anywhere near an in conference game being close to an annual sell out. Just look back at Troy's history, aren't your highest attended games usually out of conference? South Alabama vs Troy(provided South Alabama is competitive) will be one of the top attended conference games year in and year out and will probably be the first or second highest attended game for both schools every time the other comes to town, but to suggesting it would be an annual sell out suggests that every single year the game would be better attended than the best ever attended conference game.

I think this last reply is much more realistic and perhaps even to the point of downplaying. So long as South Alabama is playing good football, I'd expect this game to average closer to 25k than 20k even after the newness wears off and familiarity sets in.

Games in other sports between South and Troy are highly attended events. So the "rivalry" is already there we just have to transfer it to football. I'm sure both schools will use it to ensure big crowds and increase interest for the first few years. The campaign between Troy and MTSU to jump-start the Battle for the Palladium again was a successful one. I'm hoping Troy and South will do the same.

Don't worry MUTS. The rivalry between us will still be heated even with the addition of the USA rivalry.

ASU will get close to two sell-outs this year. And no, that's not delusional.

(07-26-2011 11:49 PM)westcoastwolf Wrote:  ASU will get close to two sell-outs this year. And no, that's not delusional.

This came up in another thread. I don't think either game actually sells out, but both will be close.

Of course, with regards to this thread, neither will be conference games.

For which games?

2012 will be a GREAT year for Troy. We have Mississippi State and Navy at home!!