(03-21-2012 10:18 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  It's not just about markets being inherently better, but the upside is. If a school in a major market put together a Boise like run, there are way more people to go to the games and to watch them on television.

I get that but the chances of making a Boise type run for as long as they have are slim. I don't see mid majors in places like Dallas, Miami, etc. drawing better attendance or TV numbers than in a place like Hattiesburg or Jonesboro. 100 times as many people equals 100 times as many other distractions to pay attention to instead.

Maybe I am wring but I think the communitieis on a little bit smaller scale tend to embrace a program and take pride in it as their own which at least counters the draw of being in a large metro. I think it balances out.

It doesn't sound like the decision makers think they're too good for the Belt

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=562603

UTSA's view of what's going down

“I think we’re gaining momentum. We have a great chance in the Sun Belt. We’re still (on the outside) with the other one, but I think our chances are improving daily. It’s just going to be a matter of, how big are they going to go.”

(03-21-2012 06:00 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  

(03-21-2012 10:18 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  It's not just about markets being inherently better, but the upside is. If a school in a major market put together a Boise like run, there are way more people to go to the games and to watch them on television.

I get that but the chances of making a Boise type run for as long as they have are slim. I don't see mid majors in places like Dallas, Miami, etc. drawing better attendance or TV numbers than in a place like Hattiesburg or Jonesboro. 100 times as many people equals 100 times as many other distractions to pay attention to instead.

Maybe I am wring but I think the communitieis on a little bit smaller scale tend to embrace a program and take pride in it as their own which at least counters the draw of being in a large metro. I think it balances out.

Doesn't matter. As long as you have those massive populations in the metro areas, the powers that be will see nothing but dollar signs. It's true, making a run like Boise is unlikely, but it's the dangling carrot.

(03-22-2012 12:17 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  It doesn't sound like the decision makers think they're too good for the Belt

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=562603

UTSA's view of what's going down

“I think we’re gaining momentum. We have a great chance in the Sun Belt. We’re still (on the outside) with the other one, but I think our chances are improving daily. It’s just going to be a matter of, how big are they going to go.”

Exactly as I was saying in the other thread, UTSA would be foolish to turn down an invite from the Belt and their decision makers aren't fools. The WAC just is too unstable, the WAC's position is this: invite Lamar, who does little to inspire optimism and pray that the Alliance doesn't invite anyone else, because then you're looking at Sam Houston State(a dubious prospect) and after that...good grief, have you ever read some of the names bandied about on the WAC board? Utah Valley? Grand Canyon?

Texas State, UTSA, and La Tech may all be holding out hope for the Alliance, but if the Alliance passes any of them over and invites even one, let alone multiple WAC schools, whoever is left of those three would push an old lady down the stairs to grab the life raft from the Sun Belt.

(03-22-2012 12:56 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 12:17 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  It doesn't sound like the decision makers think they're too good for the Belt

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=562603

UTSA's view of what's going down

“I think we’re gaining momentum. We have a great chance in the Sun Belt. We’re still (on the outside) with the other one, but I think our chances are improving daily. It’s just going to be a matter of, how big are they going to go.”

Exactly as I was saying in the other thread, UTSA would be foolish to turn down an invite from the Belt and their decision makers aren't fools. The WAC just is too unstable, the WAC's position is this: invite Lamar, who does little to inspire optimism and pray that the Alliance doesn't invite anyone else, because then you're looking at Sam Houston State(a dubious prospect) and after that...good grief, have you ever read some of the names bandied about on the WAC board? Utah Valley? Grand Canyon?

Texas State, UTSA, and La Tech may all be holding out hope for the Alliance, but if the Alliance passes any of them over and invites even one, let alone multiple WAC schools, whoever is left of those three would push an old lady down the stairs to grab the life raft from the Sun Belt.

You forgot CSUB and UTPA

(03-21-2012 10:24 AM)panama Wrote:  

(03-21-2012 10:18 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  It's not just about markets being inherently better, but the upside is. If a school in a major market put together a Boise like run, there are way more people to go to the games and to watch them on television.

see Cougars, Houston

See SMU and Rice. Anyone who says they have ever seen 5+ Rice games on TV is lying.

(03-22-2012 08:24 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(03-21-2012 10:24 AM)panama Wrote:  

(03-21-2012 10:18 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  It's not just about markets being inherently better, but the upside is. If a school in a major market put together a Boise like run, there are way more people to go to the games and to watch them on television.

see Cougars, Houston

See SMU and Rice. Anyone who says they have ever seen 5+ Rice games on TV is lying.

See Cougars, Houston 2012

(03-22-2012 08:24 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(03-21-2012 10:24 AM)panama Wrote:  

(03-21-2012 10:18 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  It's not just about markets being inherently better, but the upside is. If a school in a major market put together a Boise like run, there are way more people to go to the games and to watch them on television.

see Cougars, Houston

See SMU and Rice. Anyone who says they have ever seen 5+ Rice games on TV is lying.

Rice has had one great season in the last ten years. If Rice or SMU had a Boise like run, the fans would pack in like sardines, but even Rice and SMU aren't great examples being smaller enrollment private schools, but even still, the point remains.

A Boise like run by a big market team might for instance cause a major network to pick up a conference championship game that would normally be shown on a regional sport network.

(03-22-2012 11:25 AM)panama Wrote:  A Boise like run by a big market team might for instance cause a major network to pick up a conference championship game that would normally be shown on a regional sport network.

And even Houston isn't a great example as we're really talking about one season. If Houston strung together even 3 or 4 seasons like 2011, let alone if they had multiple undefeated seasons and BCS appearances like Boise has, it would be madness in Houston, and that is why the market is the dangling carrot.

(03-22-2012 11:27 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 11:25 AM)panama Wrote:  A Boise like run by a big market team might for instance cause a major network to pick up a conference championship game that would normally be shown on a regional sport network.

And even Houston isn't a great example as we're really talking about one season. If Houston strung together even 3 or 4 seasons like 2011, let alone if they had multiple undefeated seasons and BCS appearances like Boise has, it would be madness in Houston, and that is why the market is the dangling carrot.

Oh absolutely. Any of the big market teams pull that off...think SMU in the 80's...they were the talk of Texas and definitely ran Dallas

Thought you might be interested in this article since it affects the Sun Belt indirectly.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/colum...428693.php

Boise as a market is slightly larger than Lafayette. It is in the Sioux Falls, SD, Youngstown, OH range.

Are there some "default" viewers that a large market can bring? Of course. They have a choice between San Jose State vs. New Mexico State or Cincinnati vs. Rutgers or UTSA vs. Utah State, the people in Texas are likely to default to UTSA. If it is Wednesday night and no other games are on, maybe a few more tune in because its the local team. But what if something else is on, like Baylor, OU, UT, TT, or TAMU? Which are they watching?

Last season I was flipping channels and saw Tulane hosting Memphis a few channels over LSU-Auburn was getting underway at the same time. Not only was the big majority of New Orleans tuned in to LSU-Auburn, I'd wager that LSU-Auburn drew a larger audience in Memphis as well because the Arkansas and Ole Miss fans in the viewing area had a real interest in the game (especially Arkansas) but the Tennessee fans were likely to default to the SEC game as well.

Is there an advantage? Sure. Let's take a hypothetical

Assume 0.5% of the national TV households will watch any college game on ESPN on a weeknight. Louisiana vs. Arkansas State and UTSA vs. San Jose each will pull 573,246 homes nationally.

Let's say Arkansas State and Louisiana will each pull an added 25% of their home city market where each enjoys very good popularity (ASU's average attedance last year was 26% of the TV household size, UL drew about 13%) and an added 5% in the abutting markets where they receive some coverage (Little Rock, Memphis, New Orleans, Alexandria). You get an extra 176,000 homes.

UTSA and SJSU only need to draw 5% of their home markets to match. Now the chances are that unless they are really good they will struggle to develop similar sized fan bases that care deeply because there is too much else going on but they are hard to beat in picking up "what the hell let's see what they look like" viewers.