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http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/447679

Interesting read. I don't completely disagree with a lot of things he says in the article. I think the exposure was good for the MAC early on when the conference was growing, but now it's kind of taken on a life of its own. It's an interesting debate. I tend to side with the writer on most accounts.

Quote:The MAC has always considered itself visionary for this collaboration that has filled the mid-week airwaves with football. One of its sales pitches is that it gives the league national exposure it lacks earlier in the season.

But that exposure includes empty stadiums, which negates a lot of that sales pitch. Forget the announced attendance figures, they are all hocus-pocus numbers manufactured to insult our intelligence. A crowd of 17,343 was announced for last week’s Akron at Buffalo game, which I’m told was maybe 16,343 high.

When Toledo played at Northern Illinois last Tuesday in a game with West Division title implications, the house was announced at 8,462, which even if true, which it was not, was a firm repudiation of weeknight football in lousy weather.

This is the trade-off for money... Fans cannot make it any clearer that they detest weeknight football. And the league does not care.

(11-20-2014 04:17 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/447679

Interesting read. I don't completely disagree with a lot of things he says in the article. I think the exposure was good for the MAC early on when the conference was growing, but now it's kind of taken on a life of its own. It's an interesting debate. I tend to side with the writer on most accounts.

Quote:The MAC has always considered itself visionary for this collaboration that has filled the mid-week airwaves with football. One of its sales pitches is that it gives the league national exposure it lacks earlier in the season.

But that exposure includes empty stadiums, which negates a lot of that sales pitch. Forget the announced attendance figures, they are all hocus-pocus numbers manufactured to insult our intelligence. A crowd of 17,343 was announced for last week’s Akron at Buffalo game, which I’m told was maybe 16,343 high.

When Toledo played at Northern Illinois last Tuesday in a game with West Division title implications, the house was announced at 8,462, which even if true, which it was not, was a firm repudiation of weeknight football in lousy weather.

This is the trade-off for money... Fans cannot make it any clearer that they detest weeknight football. And the league does not care.

The problem I have with the article is he never once mentions the high tv ratings of the mid week games. They are some of the most watched MAC games of the year.

I like the games for selfish reasons...on a weeknight after a day full of toxic energy, it is nice to sit and watch something that I have an interest in, rather than just the power 5 stuff they push down our throats on the weekend.

But, I understand the weeknight attendance issues. When WMU/CMU was on a weeknight, it sucked. Plus I totaled a car after the game, icing on the cake, after the loss...which should not have been a loss.

(11-20-2014 04:21 PM)Chibronco Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 04:17 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/447679

Interesting read. I don't completely disagree with a lot of things he says in the article. I think the exposure was good for the MAC early on when the conference was growing, but now it's kind of taken on a life of its own. It's an interesting debate. I tend to side with the writer on most accounts.

Quote:The MAC has always considered itself visionary for this collaboration that has filled the mid-week airwaves with football. One of its sales pitches is that it gives the league national exposure it lacks earlier in the season.

But that exposure includes empty stadiums, which negates a lot of that sales pitch. Forget the announced attendance figures, they are all hocus-pocus numbers manufactured to insult our intelligence. A crowd of 17,343 was announced for last week’s Akron at Buffalo game, which I’m told was maybe 16,343 high.

When Toledo played at Northern Illinois last Tuesday in a game with West Division title implications, the house was announced at 8,462, which even if true, which it was not, was a firm repudiation of weeknight football in lousy weather.

This is the trade-off for money... Fans cannot make it any clearer that they detest weeknight football. And the league does not care.

The problem I have with the article is he never once mentions the high tv ratings of the mid week games. They are some of the most watched MAC games of the year.

Some MACtion games have had higher ratings than World Series games.

But the people who really love MACtion are people who bet sports.

(11-20-2014 04:21 PM)Chibronco Wrote:  They are some of the most watched MAC games of the year.

Compared to what - the games on BCSN called by the "buffet guys" announcers? MACtion games better be the conference's highest rated games! (Except for the MACC, of course.)

I'd be more curious to know what ratings ESPN gets for MACtion games compared to, say, Thursday or Friday night AAC games on the ESPN networks or Saturday P5 games on ESPN2 or the U.

I'd be most curious what the ratings among MAC games have been year-to-year since their inception.

I've found myself tuning out after one snoozing quarter of Akron vs. Buffalo... but I do enjoy the ones later in the year with bigger conference title implications.

(11-20-2014 04:50 PM)The Colonel Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 04:21 PM)Chibronco Wrote:  They are some of the most watched MAC games of the year.

Compared to what - the games on BCSN called by the "buffet guys" announcers? MACtion games better be the conference's highest rated games! (Except for the MACC, of course.)

I'd be more curious to know what ratings ESPN gets for MACtion games compared to, say, Thursday or Friday night AAC games on the ESPN networks or Saturday P5 games on ESPN2 or the U.

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2...pn-in-2013

Here are the ratings for the 2013 season. Two games had over 1 million viewers and about 500k for one of the games per night.

(11-20-2014 04:56 PM)Chibronco Wrote:  http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2...pn-in-2013

Here are the ratings for the 2013 season. Two games had over 1 million viewers and about 500k for one of the games per night.

Thanks, Chi - that was a helpful link. The average rating per conference is about what I'd expect. The AAC and MWC were slightly above us, but not by all that much.

There's a fairly large gap between the P5 and G5, but a little of that may be due to what network games are being broadcast on. MAC ratings were pretty good for ESPN2 broadcasts, but not nearly as good for those on the U. Obviously, many people get ESPN and ESPN2, but not necessarily the U or ESPNEWS.

Probably a topic for a different thread and/or another time, but the more ESPN (unlikely) and ESPN2, the better for MACtion. I'm fine with the U. IMO it is a waste for the MAC to sacrifice midweek games for ESPNEWS or solely ESPN3.

(11-20-2014 04:26 PM)wmutkelaw Wrote:  on a weeknight after a day full of toxic energy

Sounds like you need a new job.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/college-...v-ratings/

Here are some ratings for this year. Doesn't count espn3 ratings though.

(11-21-2014 09:22 AM)Chibronco Wrote:  http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/college-...v-ratings/

Here are some ratings for this year. Doesn't count espn3 ratings though.

Not eye popping, but more than would attend a game in person.

Since the NCAA requires a minimum number of attendance for D1 (or whatever it is called now) IMO there should be more focus a getting a REAL number of fannies in the seats. The weak sisters with the bogus attendance numbers need to find a new home. Having Pepsi buy 10,000 (+/-) seats a game is still a joke.

(11-21-2014 10:19 AM)okgc Wrote:  Since the NCAA requires a minimum number of attendance for D1 (or whatever it is called now) IMO there should be more focus a getting a REAL number of fannies in the seats. The weak sisters with the bogus attendance numbers need to find a new home. Having Pepsi buy 10,000 (+/-) seats a game is still a joke.

I am pretty sure that rule is going to die before its enforced. Fans in the seats doesn't matter as much as fans watching at home. Its all about the advertising. Hence the #MACtion weekday games that no one sits in the seats for but ESPN gave 100 million to the MAC to keep playing them. MAC vs MAC is almost never on ESPN on Saturdays, but on a Tuesday evening they can pull in over a million viewers with only 8k in the seats. Which is better for the NCAA then 100k watching and 25k in the seats.

(11-21-2014 08:52 AM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 04:26 PM)wmutkelaw Wrote:  on a weeknight after a day full of toxic energy

Sounds like you need a new job.

Technically, he has a new job as Stampede moderator. Not sure that will reduce exposure to toxic energy, though...

(11-21-2014 10:29 AM)Chibronco Wrote:  

(11-21-2014 10:19 AM)okgc Wrote:  Since the NCAA requires a minimum number of attendance for D1 (or whatever it is called now) IMO there should be more focus a getting a REAL number of fannies in the seats. The weak sisters with the bogus attendance numbers need to find a new home. Having Pepsi buy 10,000 (+/-) seats a game is still a joke.

I am pretty sure that rule is going to die before its enforced. Fans in the seats doesn't matter as much as fans watching at home. Its all about the advertising. Hence the #MACtion weekday games that no one sits in the seats for but ESPN gave 100 million to the MAC to keep playing them. MAC vs MAC is almost never on ESPN on Saturdays, but on a Tuesday evening they can pull in over a million viewers with only 8k in the seats. Which is better for the NCAA then 100k watching and 25k in the seats.

I'm quite sure that that rule has been gone for several years now.

Worst Football stadiums Published on 9/18/2014

Quote:9. Central Michigan
Kelly/Shorts Stadium
If you had to say with a straight face that you were going to watch football in a place that sounded like a piece of ladies active wear, you probably wouldn’t go to many games either. Just speculating. Either way, the people of Mount Pleasant stay home in droves, as watching a barely .500 team on a cold Michigan Saturday (with fewer than the FBS minimum 15,000 fans per game) sounds far less appealing that catching the Spartans or Wolverines on TV.

At least our barely ncaa minimum crowds sit in a stadium with some character.

and characters, too!

(11-20-2014 04:21 PM)Chibronco Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 04:17 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/447679

Interesting read. I don't completely disagree with a lot of things he says in the article. I think the exposure was good for the MAC early on when the conference was growing, but now it's kind of taken on a life of its own. It's an interesting debate. I tend to side with the writer on most accounts.

Quote:The MAC has always considered itself visionary for this collaboration that has filled the mid-week airwaves with football. One of its sales pitches is that it gives the league national exposure it lacks earlier in the season.

But that exposure includes empty stadiums, which negates a lot of that sales pitch. Forget the announced attendance figures, they are all hocus-pocus numbers manufactured to insult our intelligence. A crowd of 17,343 was announced for last week’s Akron at Buffalo game, which I’m told was maybe 16,343 high.

When Toledo played at Northern Illinois last Tuesday in a game with West Division title implications, the house was announced at 8,462, which even if true, which it was not, was a firm repudiation of weeknight football in lousy weather.

This is the trade-off for money... Fans cannot make it any clearer that they detest weeknight football. And the league does not care.

The problem I have with the article is he never once mentions the high tv ratings of the mid week games. They are some of the most watched MAC games of the year.

Toledo NIU attendance number is butts in the seats...tickets have barcodes and
scanned at entrances

(11-21-2014 08:39 PM)OldTtimeNIU Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 04:21 PM)Chibronco Wrote:  

(11-20-2014 04:17 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/447679

Interesting read. I don't completely disagree with a lot of things he says in the article. I think the exposure was good for the MAC early on when the conference was growing, but now it's kind of taken on a life of its own. It's an interesting debate. I tend to side with the writer on most accounts.

Quote:The MAC has always considered itself visionary for this collaboration that has filled the mid-week airwaves with football. One of its sales pitches is that it gives the league national exposure it lacks earlier in the season.

But that exposure includes empty stadiums, which negates a lot of that sales pitch. Forget the announced attendance figures, they are all hocus-pocus numbers manufactured to insult our intelligence. A crowd of 17,343 was announced for last week’s Akron at Buffalo game, which I’m told was maybe 16,343 high.

When Toledo played at Northern Illinois last Tuesday in a game with West Division title implications, the house was announced at 8,462, which even if true, which it was not, was a firm repudiation of weeknight football in lousy weather.

This is the trade-off for money... Fans cannot make it any clearer that they detest weeknight football. And the league does not care.

The problem I have with the article is he never once mentions the high tv ratings of the mid week games. They are some of the most watched MAC games of the year.

Toledo NIU attendance number is butts in the seats...tickets have barcodes and
scanned at entrances

They wouldn't count tickets sold? Your kidding yourself. Every school in the nation will count an actual ticket sold as attendance. It is very different than EMU getting tickets bought by Pepsi.