June 06 2005
Irish eyes football series with WVU

Jack Bogaczyk
Daily Mail Sports Editor

Something tells me that within a few years, West Virginia is going to have a new record for football season ticket sales.
The "something" is the way the WVU future schedules are developing. The Irish are coming to Mountaineer Field several years down the road.

Notre Dame Associate Athletic Director John Heisler and his counterpart at WVU, Mike Parsons, have confirmed talks in published reports -- but have nothing concrete -- on a future series. WVU and Notre Dame are expected to play as soon as 2009 or '10.

Those games would be part of Notre Dame's agreement to play at least three games against Big East teams annually, beginning in 2009. One of those three will likely be against Rutgers or Connecticut at Giants Stadium. Another is a Pitt-ND series that runs from 2008-15.

A WVU home-and-home with Notre Dame would join the Mountaineers' impending home-and-home series with Florida State that was part of the ACC/Big East legal settlement. Those games are to be played between 2008 and '12.

Marshall is scheduled to visit WVU four or five times between 2006 and '12, and WVU-Maryland contracts run annually through 2011.

All of those games in Morgantown are likely sellouts, and linking big-game purchase opportunity to season packages will only drive season sales numbers.

WVU's season ticket record is 41,000, set in 1998.

SAHerdFan Wrote:June 06 2005
Irish eyes football series with WVU

Jack Bogaczyk
Daily Mail Sports Editor

Something tells me that within a few years, West Virginia is going to have a new record for football season ticket sales.
The "something" is the way the WVU future schedules are developing. The Irish are coming to Mountaineer Field several years down the road.

Notre Dame Associate Athletic Director John Heisler and his counterpart at WVU, Mike Parsons, have confirmed talks in published reports -- but have nothing concrete -- on a future series. WVU and Notre Dame are expected to play as soon as 2009 or '10.

Those games would be part of Notre Dame's agreement to play at least three games against Big East teams annually, beginning in 2009. One of those three will likely be against Rutgers or Connecticut at Giants Stadium. Another is a Pitt-ND series that runs from 2008-15.

A WVU home-and-home with Notre Dame would join the Mountaineers' impending home-and-home series with Florida State that was part of the ACC/Big East legal settlement. Those games are to be played between 2008 and '12.

Marshall is scheduled to visit WVU four or five times between 2006 and '12, and WVU-Maryland contracts run annually through 2011.

All of those games in Morgantown are likely sellouts, and linking big-game purchase opportunity to season packages will only drive season sales numbers.

WVU's season ticket record is 41,000, set in 1998.

Good stuff. This is excellent for WVU and the BE. UCONN's future schedule is looking better and better each day too. We got the following games scheduled:

ND
Iowa
Virgina
NC State
G. Tech
Maryland

I believe we are in talks with Miami and Va. Tech too. We are looking to have season ticket sales in the mid 30K this year with our stadium holding 40K. Hopefully, this will help expanding the stadium sooner rather than later. I would like to see a 60K stadium in CT.

.....this is great news....we are going to have some big time football games at Mountaineer Field in the upcoming yrs



Jackson

Aparently ND and Rutgers are working on a 6 game home and home series, with home for Rutgers being Giants Stadium in East Rutherford. It would start in 2010. I guess in the years that we play at South Bend, Connecticut would probably play ND in East Rutherford during the same time span.

UC has games with Penn State, Miami-FL and Ohio State over the next few years and are in talks with Notre Dame. Coach Dantonio has also said he wants big name schools, particularly from the Big Ten (he mentioned Michigan as one school). Things are looking up for the Big East!

Miami Fla cancelled the scheduled game next year in the Orange Bowl. UC does have NC State in a couple years home and away.

With the addition of a 12th game UC better get there act together and start trying to schedule BCS teams NOW. UC can not survive having its primary OOC rivial game being a non BCS school.
I know everyone wants UC to play Miami of Ohio and that is fine. However it must not be there #1 OOC rivial game. UC needs to get a out of conference game with some regional area BCS teams like Purdue, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State or Tennessee. Having a regional rivial like others have like Kentucky/Louisville, Penn St/Pittsburgh, Purdue/Notre Dame will help develop interest in the program and attendence.

Other Big east Schools have those potential regional rivials: South Florida can develop a rivial with Miami Florida, Florida State or Florida. West Virginia has Maryland, Virginia Tech and Virginia. UCONN has chance to develop a rivial with ND, Duke and Georgia Tech. Rutgers could have ND because of there desire to play in the Meadowlands, but other prospects are limited.

Dlp,

UC better get its act together? Where is your evidence to suggest UC doesn't have its act together in terms of football scheduling?

dlb1946 Wrote:With the addition of a 12th game UC better get there act together and start trying to schedule BCS teams NOW. UC can not survive having its primary OOC rivial game being a non BCS school.
I know everyone wants UC to play Miami of Ohio and that is fine. However it must not be there #1 OOC rivial game. UC needs to get a out of conference game with some regional area BCS teams like Purdue, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State or Tennessee. Having a regional rivial like others have like Kentucky/Louisville, Penn St/Pittsburgh, Purdue/Notre Dame will help develop interest in the program and attendence.

Other Big east Schools have those potential regional rivials: South Florida can develop a rivial with Miami Florida, Florida State or Florida. West Virginia has Maryland, Virginia Tech and Virginia. UCONN has chance to develop a rivial with ND, Duke and Georgia Tech. Rutgers could have ND because of there desire to play in the Meadowlands, but other prospects are limited.

I agree. UC seems to be the only program where teh fans seem resigned to consider Miami of Ohio and Xavier as their major in-state rivals. A little disconcerting as I can't think of any other BCS program that is in that boat.

L-Yes,

You are full of crap as it relates to your understanding of UC athletics.

Quote: agree. UC seems to be the only program where teh fans seem resigned to consider Miami of Ohio and Xavier as their major in-state rivals. A little disconcerting as I can't think of any other BCS program that is in that boat.

-- I don't claim to know that much about UC sports...but I think it makes the BE look bad that we have a school giving a MAC team an annual one for one game....I understand why UC needed to play that game in the past...high attendance and close rival etc....but now UC has several conference mates that are close enough for fans to travel and that should be big draws as well....it would be nice if UC got start a series with Indiana or if y'all want to play a traditional football rival schedule Memphis....

-- I know there is a lot if history behind the game....but hey...WVU once played Richmond every yr too...schools rise and fall all the time and now that UC is in the BE...its time to start sepeating yourself from the MAC and especially Miami, OH


Jackson

Jackson,

I am unclear on something here, so maybe you can enlighten me.

You claim that its an embarrassment to the Big East that UC-Miami (one of the longest ongoing series in college football) play each year, and that UC should work to separate itself from the non-BCS conferences.

Yet, didn't West Virginia recently agree to a football series with Marshall? And isn't Marshall in C-USA? Why is West Virginia embarrassing the Big East by agreeing to this series with a C-USA school?

I would like to know why it's ok for West Virginia to agree to a series with Marshall, and its not ok for UC to play Miami(Ohio).

Frankly, I find your comments, along with others like L-yes, to be uniformed, self-serving, and offensive to UC.

UC has historically scheduled games with the likes of Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State, etc. I'm sure we are in negotiations with other BCS opponents as well. Don't worry about UC, we will be just fine.

Quote:Jackson,

I am unclear on something here, so maybe you can enlighten me.

You claim that its an embarrassment to the Big East that UC-Miami (one of the longest ongoing series in college football) play each year, and that UC should work to separate itself from the non-BCS conferences.

Yet, didn't West Virginia recently agree to a football series with Marshall? And isn't Marshall in C-USA? Why is West Virginia embarrassing the Big East by agreeing to this series with a C-USA school?

I would like to know why it's ok for West Virginia to agree to a series with Marshall, and its not ok for UC to play Miami(Ohio).

Frankly, I find your comments, along with others like L-yes, to be uniformed, self-serving, and offensive to UC.

UC has historically scheduled games with the likes of Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State, etc. I'm sure we are in negotiations with other BCS opponents as well. Don't worry about UC, we will be just fine.

-- Couple differences....the WVU/marshall series will probably be a 5 for 2...not a 1 for 1 like UC/Miami, Oh....and Marshall would not have gotten that good of a deal if the Gov fo WV didn't threathen to with hold state funding from WVUs academic ventures if we didn't agree

-- WVU has never in its 100+yrs of football played a game @ a MAC school ...if Marshall was still in the MAC the recent deal would not have happened

-- I don't have a problem with BE schools having MAC schools on the schedule...but I do have a problem with BE schools giving them annual home and home's

-- I have no doubt UC football will be fine...in fact I am so convinced of it that I think they should stop giving home and homes to MAC teams...like I said if you want to play a traditional rival schedule Memphis



Jackson

I guess I don't get it either. What's so wrong about playing Miami? Afterall, aren't the Redhawks one of the better non-BCS programs around? So what if they happen to play in the MAC? That conference produce a few quality teams every year if I'm not mistaken. Who would you rather see UC play, an all-BCS non conference slate as well?

I also don't totally buy the argument that UC shouldn't play them 1 for 1. First, it's a rivalry, you simply don't play a rivalry game on one team's home field all the time. Second, is it possible very few other BCS teams play at the Marshalls, Miamis, NIUs home field because the BCS program fear a loss would be too demaging to its image (hence the 'we have nothing to gain by playing so and so' excuse)? Therefore, shouldn't UC be given credit for doing something most supposedly higher level team fear to do?

Lastly, there's been very little news about UC's future schedule on the gridiron. So at this point it's anyone's guess who the 'cats will play. But as a UC fan I have every confidence to Coach Dantonio's ability to put together an attractive schedule in future seasons. I believe UC has a quality fb team, but I also realize that it just may take time for other programs (like the OSUs) to acknowledge that fact and grant UC the respect it deserves by agreeing to 1-1 deals.

[quote="Jackson1011"] [QUOTE]Jackson,


-- WVU has never in its 100+yrs of football played a game @ a MAC school ...if Marshall was still in the MAC the recent deal would not have happened


Jackson [/quote]
Sept 11, 2004

West Virgina AT UCF (MAC School)

Relax Jackie...plenty other Big East Schools have played other non-BCS Road Games (WVU at Cinci (non-BCS CUSA in 2002), Syracuse AT UCF (MAC), WVU AT Navy in '98, WVU AT ECU...CUSA...in Greenville '95...in Charlotte '99, Rutgers played AT Buffalo-MAC, Rutgers at Army, Rutgers at Navy, etc...)

Just relax....many BCS Schools play at NON-BCS Schools from Conferences like CUSA, MAC, MWC, even the SunBelt....

Cinci-Miami rivalry started in 1888 and have played 109 TIMES!!

Plus, they are both located basically in the same Metro Area....

WVU's most popular intra-state rivalry games in their long history were against the following teams in WV:

Betheny-14 games

Davis & Elkins-13 games

Cinci-Miami has just a much intrastate local history just as much as WVU-Pitt has in their interstate rivalry.

KL

PS. Also, in 1949, 2 years after Ohio Univ joined the MAC, WVU played in Athens, OH on the road vs MAC Conf Member OU.

How could anyone argue UC-MIAMI OHIO it is now big enough game that ESPN will televise nationally this year....That says it all !!! If its good enough for National TV it s/b good enough for the Big EAST. You want UC to cancel a game against a local rival 45 minutes away? We have no travel costs except a quick bus trip? The oldest rivalry west of the Aleghany Mts. etc. ??? UC has deals with Ohio St. and NC State, Miami Ohio. In the just released schedule UC comes out as the 12th toughest anyway by that formula that was very kind to the Big East. UC also plays at Penn St.
this year.

Quote:Sept 11, 2004

West Virgina AT UCF (MAC School)

---got me on that one...although when the game was scheduled UCF was not in the MAC....Ok....we've played at a MAC school once

Quote:Relax Jackie...plenty other Big East Schools have played other non-BCS Road Games (WVU at Cinci (non-BCS CUSA in 2002), Syracuse AT UCF (MAC), WVU AT Navy in '98, WVU AT ECU...CUSA...in Greenville '95...in Charlotte '99, Rutgers played AT Buffalo-MAC, Rutgers at Army, Rutgers at Navy, etc...)

Just relax....many BCS Schools play at NON-BCS Schools from Conferences like CUSA, MAC, MWC, even the SunBelt....

Cinci-Miami rivalry started in 1888 and have played 109 TIMES!!

-- Again I have no trouble with any of the schools playing including UC/Miami...but I do have issues with it being a propetual one for ones....many of those games you mentioned where only two game contracts

-- I am sorry if I have offended UC fans with my opinion on this...but I do have hopes that UC football will expand and grow to heights previously unknown in terms of talent and fan support...at let's be honest....if UC football is going to grow it is going to have to take a % of fans and football talent away from Miami of OH...therefore it would be time to stop treating them as an equal

-- hopefully in time...UC fans will see Louisville, Pitt, WVU and Syracuse as being ahead of Miami of OH on the food chain of football rivials

-- Penn St played Pitt and WVU for decades...but since they went to the Big 10 the Panthers and the Moutaineers haven't gotten anything close to an annual one for one...I hate it but I also understand it...I think its time UC took a lesson from Joe Pa in this matter


Jackson

WacoBearcat Wrote:L-Yes,

You are full of crap as it relates to your understanding of UC athletics.

Waco, I appreciate your analysis as it was very well thought out and really brought a lot of insight to the table. That said perception is reality and if you don't think that UC's perceived big in-state rivals are Miami of Ohio and Xavier then you need to lay off the sauce.

WacoBearcat Wrote:Jackson,

I am unclear on something here, so maybe you can enlighten me.

You claim that its an embarrassment to the Big East that UC-Miami (one of the longest ongoing series in college football)  play each year, and that UC should work to separate itself from the non-BCS conferences.

Yet, didn't West Virginia recently agree to a football series with Marshall? And isn't Marshall in C-USA? Why is West Virginia embarrassing the Big East by agreeing to this series with a C-USA school?

I would like to know why it's ok for West Virginia to agree to a series with Marshall, and its not ok for UC to play Miami(Ohio).

Frankly, I find your comments, along with others like L-yes, to be uniformed, self-serving, and offensive to UC.

UC has historically scheduled games with the likes of Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State, etc. I'm sure we are in negotiations with other BCS opponents as well. Don't worry about UC, we will be just fine.

I'm sure jackson already responded to the MU comment with the fact that the games were forced upon them and that it will basically be a 4 for 1 deal. Its hardly the same as Miami vs. UC. WVU has never considered MU a rival at all, much less its arch-rival in state.

As for long running rivalries, we are walking away from Memphis with no looking back. Adios Amigos, its all about seperation from a stigma. Until you realize that you can continue asking yourself why the average joe schmoe sports fan in Cincy won't walk up and buy tickets to watch the football bearcats on a given saturday while scratching your head in befuddlement.

L-yes,

My critique of your analysis of UC athletics was just as thoughtful as your original analysis. To reduce UC scheduling down to Miami and Xavier (two longstanding rivals) communicates to me how little you know about UC athletics.