Troy University has, effectively, destroyed Homecoming weekend by moving its already early Saturday game versus North Texas to noon. That's right. Noon.

Our university leaders anounced this yesterday with two weeks' notice, causing chaos among the dozens if not hundreds of organizations planning Saturday morning-afternoon food and entertainment events around the game.

Why would Troy do this? To have the game aired as the Sun Belt Network game of the week. Yes, all that great "exposure" on a "network" that is a really a game shown on CSS, a channel only Comcast and related subscribers can receive.

My fraternity, among many other groups, is now scrambling to figure out how to fit in an annual alumni officers meeting, alumni meeting, roll call of fallen brothers, catered lunch for 550 people, alumni of the year ceremony and tailgating into a span of two hours (9 to 11 a.m. Saturday), in order to give our many visitors time to make it to the game.

There is no option to move any of the events to post-game because the catering companies are booked by the university (which grabbed them up before announcing the game move-up). Nice, huh?

A 2 p.m game already offers too little time for people to socialize and take part in homecoming activities. Remember, at Troy many people come back for this weekend for social reasons, even when the football team is good. Many alumni attended Troy when it was much smaller, in Division II and still carry torches for other programs ( as sad as it is for me to write this). Many of these people do not stay long after the game and most organizations hold their events before the game.

Also affected is the Homecoming Parade in and around the square in Downtown Troy, featuring maybe 100 units, marching bands from high schools, floats from just about every Greek organization and club and other Wiregrass organizations. It involves thousands of people.

The parade usually wraps up from 11 to noon. Now, it must be pushed back and the Sound of the South must march first in order to have any hope of getting to the stadium to do a halftime show. It will be a very rushed event, depriving many people of a fine community tradition. Some high schools bands will be forced to cancel their trips because of the logistics.

The Alumni Sound of the South performance will be greatly affected because of having little or no time to practice. The Trojan Walk will be under way between Trojan Arena and the stadium at the same time as the parade is held a few miles away. Who will/can be there to well-wish the team as it walks to the stadium?

As someone who gets to the games early - even skipping some homecoming and tailgating activities - I fear that this noon start will cause guests in Troy to make a choice. And the choice won't be pretty to TV cameras or game atmosphere.

They will choose the tailgating and special events. The stadium will be one-third full (at least until halftime) while tens of thousands of people socialize, eat and drink around the stadium, on campus and at Fraternity Village. What kind of exposure will that give Troy on CSS? How will that make homecoming more fun or help to win new fans from an older alumni group that returns perhaps once per year and already has an Alabama/Auburn/Florida, etc., bias?

This is a unnecessary mess. I just can't understand why Troy would make such a poor decision, especially considering this is for a regionally televised game, at best!

Some people say it's for the exposure. I say, "What exposure?" CSS can't even been seen by subscribers of Dish Network, DirecTV and U-verse and by people who have many cable services other than Comcast (including BrightHouse). CSS already televises a number of Troy games. This isn't College Game Day, folks!

Televising the game will also probably negatively impact attendance, already thought to be down because of a sub-par football season.

Is it for the money generated by TV? How much does a TV game pay a Sun Belt school on CSS? By the look of the TV commercials aired during these games, not much.

I just don't understand this bonehead move, which has at the last-minute inconvenienced many organizations and thousands of people, as well as cost them money and participation. The only thing worse would have been to move Homecoming to a Thursday night. Maybe that is next.

Someone, please explain this to me.

And the world turns...

Ugh... This messes up the entire day... TV is not worth all the problem its going to cause. Not like anyone is going to watch anyways.

Try being in the Sound of the South when these things happen.

(11-02-2011 04:45 AM)BMarkey Wrote:  Troy University has, effectively, destroyed Homecoming weekend by moving its already early Saturday game versus North Texas to noon. That's right. Noon.

Our university leaders anounced this yesterday with two weeks' notice, causing chaos among the dozens if not hundreds of organizations planning Saturday morning-afternoon food and entertainment events around the game.

Why would Troy do this? To have the game aired as the Sun Belt Network game of the week. Yes, all that great "exposure" on a "network" that is a really a game shown on CSS, a channel only Comcast and related subscribers can receive.

My fraternity, among many other groups, is now scrambling to figure out how to fit in an annual alumni officers meeting, alumni meeting, roll call of fallen brothers, catered lunch for 550 people, alumni of the year ceremony and tailgating into a span of two hours (9 to 11 a.m. Saturday), in order to give our many visitors time to make it to the game.

There is no option to move any of the events to post-game because the catering companies are booked by the university (which grabbed them up before announcing the game move-up). Nice, huh?

A 2 p.m game already offers too little time for people to socialize and take part in homecoming activities. Remember, at Troy many people come back for this weekend for social reasons, even when the football team is good. Many alumni attended Troy when it was much smaller, in Division II and still carry torches for other programs ( as sad as it is for me to write this). Many of these people do not stay long after the game and most organizations hold their events before the game.

Also affected is the Homecoming Parade in and around the square in Downtown Troy, featuring maybe 100 units, marching bands from high schools, floats from just about every Greek organization and club and other Wiregrass organizations. It involves thousands of people.

The parade usually wraps up from 11 to noon. Now, it must be pushed back and the Sound of the South must march first in order to have any hope of getting to the stadium to do a halftime show. It will be a very rushed event, depriving many people of a fine community tradition. Some high schools bands will be forced to cancel their trips because of the logistics.

The Alumni Sound of the South performance will be greatly affected because of having little or no time to practice. The Trojan Walk will be under way between Trojan Arena and the stadium at the same time as the parade is held a few miles away. Who will/can be there to well-wish the team as it walks to the stadium?

As someone who gets to the games early - even skipping some homecoming and tailgating activities - I fear that this noon start will cause guests in Troy to make a choice. And the choice won't be pretty to TV cameras or game atmosphere.

They will choose the tailgating and special events. The stadium will be one-third full (at least until halftime) while tens of thousands of people socialize, eat and drink around the stadium, on campus and at Fraternity Village. What kind of exposure will that give Troy on CSS? How will that make homecoming more fun or help to win new fans from an older alumni group that returns perhaps once per year and already has an Alabama/Auburn/Florida, etc., bias?

This is a unnecessary mess. I just can't understand why Troy would make such a poor decision, especially considering this is for a regionally televised game, at best!

Some people say it's for the exposure. I say, "What exposure?" CSS can't even been seen by subscribers of Dish Network, DirecTV and U-verse and by people who have many cable services other than Comcast (including BrightHouse). CSS already televises a number of Troy games. This isn't College Game Day, folks!

Televising the game will also probably negatively impact attendance, already thought to be down because of a sub-par football season.

Is it for the money generated by TV? How much does a TV game pay a Sun Belt school on CSS? By the look of the TV commercials aired during these games, not much.

I just don't understand this bonehead move, which has at the last-minute inconvenienced many organizations and thousands of people, as well as cost them money and participation. The only thing worse would have been to move Homecoming to a Thursday night. Maybe that is next.

Someone, please explain this to me.

Troy didn't have a choice in the matter.

Before the season, the Sun Belt decided to keep all games beginning Nov. 5th as flex games, meaning they wouldn't decide the SBC game of the week until 12 days out.

The SBC wanted to, and planned to designate the UL-Arkansas State game as their flex game, which would have meant a noon kickoff in Jonesboro.

However, per their contract with the Sun Belt, ESPN has the right to take certain Sun Belt games during the season as exclusive broadcasts on ESPN3.com. They notified the SUn Belt they were taking the UL-ASU game.

That meant the Sun Belt had to take another game. They chose Troy-UNT.

Troy, per SBC rules, had to move the game. THey could not refuse it.

So, blame ESPN. Blame the Sun Belt

But don't blame Troy.

(11-02-2011 10:07 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  Troy didn't have a choice in the matter.

Before the season, the Sun Belt decided to keep all games beginning Nov. 5th as flex games, meaning they wouldn't decide the SBC game of the week until 12 days out.

The SBC wanted to, and planned to designate the UL-Arkansas State game as their flex game, which would have meant a noon kickoff in Jonesboro.

However, per their contract with the Sun Belt, ESPN has the right to take certain Sun Belt games during the season as exclusive broadcasts on ESPN3.com. They notified the SUn Belt they were taking the UL-ASU game.

That meant the Sun Belt had to take another game. They chose Troy-UNT.

Troy, per SBC rules, had to move the game. THey could not refuse it.

So, blame ESPN. Blame the Sun Belt
But don't blame Troy.

Highlighted the culprit for you.

Horrible decision by the conference to screw with a member school's Homecoming.

Really dumb...unless they were no other games available.

If there was another game available, there is simply no excuse for the SBC to do this. None. Sorry BOP.

(11-02-2011 10:41 AM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 10:07 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  Troy didn't have a choice in the matter.

Before the season, the Sun Belt decided to keep all games beginning Nov. 5th as flex games, meaning they wouldn't decide the SBC game of the week until 12 days out.

The SBC wanted to, and planned to designate the UL-Arkansas State game as their flex game, which would have meant a noon kickoff in Jonesboro.

However, per their contract with the Sun Belt, ESPN has the right to take certain Sun Belt games during the season as exclusive broadcasts on ESPN3.com. They notified the SUn Belt they were taking the UL-ASU game.

That meant the Sun Belt had to take another game. They chose Troy-UNT.

Troy, per SBC rules, had to move the game. THey could not refuse it.

So, blame ESPN. Blame the Sun Belt
But don't blame Troy.

Highlighted the culprit for you.

Horrible decision by the conference to screw with a member school's Homecoming.

Really dumb...unless they were no other games available.

If there was another game available, there is simply no excuse for the SBC to do this. None. Sorry BOP.

ESPN3 trumps an actual televised game in the SBC ? Say it ain't so. That is pretty pathetic.

(11-02-2011 10:52 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  ESPN3 trumps an actual televised game in the SBC ? Say it ain't so. That is pretty pathetic.

In Terms of viewership it probably does I would imagine. Not everyone has Comcast or CSS, while I think most folks in the country have access to ESPN3.

There must have been better games to televise than Troy's tango with UNT. I can't believe Troy had no choice other than incovenience thousands of people and ruin homecoming because of a cable channel's demand. And if so, Troy should have told its fans that its hands were tied.

I say it's not too late to JUST SAY NO!

Heres the thing that I don't get about all of this...The UL/ASU game will be the premiere game of the week for the conference, and one of the most premiere games that this conference has ever had this late in the season (granted that UL wins against ULM this weekend). CST is atleast on TV, ESPN 3 is only online, so we're saying that game will not be televised anywhere and will only appear online...this could be the most mind numbing thing I've read in a long time. And last time I checked, the games that are on CST are on ESPN3 as well, just not on TV. If anyone wanted to know why anyone would jump ship to CUSA...

(11-02-2011 12:16 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  Heres the thing that I don't get about all of this...The UL/ASU game will be the premiere game of the week for the conference, and one of the most premiere games that this conference has ever had this late in the season (granted that UL wins against ULM this weekend). CST is atleast on TV, ESPN 3 is only online, so we're saying that game will not be televised anywhere and will only appear online...this could be the most mind numbing thing I've read in a long time. And last time I checked, the games that are on CST are on ESPN3 as well, just not on TV. If anyone wanted to know why anyone would jump ship to CUSA...

If CUSA gets raided like I think they are, wouldn't they lose a chunk of those lucrative TV deals anyway?

(11-02-2011 12:16 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  Heres the thing that I don't get about all of this...The UL/ASU game will be the premiere game of the week for the conference, and one of the most premiere games that this conference has ever had this late in the season (granted that UL wins against ULM this weekend). CST is atleast on TV, ESPN 3 is only online, so we're saying that game will not be televised anywhere and will only appear online...this could be the most mind numbing thing I've read in a long time. And last time I checked, the games that are on CST are on ESPN3 as well, just not on TV. If anyone wanted to know why anyone would jump ship to CUSA...

Great point. ESPN3 already carries all of our SBC games that are on CSS/CST/etc, except in those markets where the games are shown on cable.

Doesn't make a lick of sense.

(11-02-2011 12:40 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 12:16 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  Heres the thing that I don't get about all of this...The UL/ASU game will be the premiere game of the week for the conference, and one of the most premiere games that this conference has ever had this late in the season (granted that UL wins against ULM this weekend). CST is atleast on TV, ESPN 3 is only online, so we're saying that game will not be televised anywhere and will only appear online...this could be the most mind numbing thing I've read in a long time. And last time I checked, the games that are on CST are on ESPN3 as well, just not on TV. If anyone wanted to know why anyone would jump ship to CUSA...

If CUSA gets raided like I think they are, wouldn't they lose a chunk of those lucrative TV deals anyway?

They will lose some of it, but I don't remember them shatting the bed like the SBC has. Remember last year, the SBC in its infinite wisdom decided to do a SBC game of the week in south Louisiana at 2:30 in the afternoon in very early in the season. Result was that multiple people had to be taken to the hospital for heat stroke. But then again, these deals were forged from Wrong Waters office, so maybe with different leadership, we'll have different results.

(11-02-2011 12:48 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 12:40 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 12:16 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  Heres the thing that I don't get about all of this...The UL/ASU game will be the premiere game of the week for the conference, and one of the most premiere games that this conference has ever had this late in the season (granted that UL wins against ULM this weekend). CST is atleast on TV, ESPN 3 is only online, so we're saying that game will not be televised anywhere and will only appear online...this could be the most mind numbing thing I've read in a long time. And last time I checked, the games that are on CST are on ESPN3 as well, just not on TV. If anyone wanted to know why anyone would jump ship to CUSA...

If CUSA gets raided like I think they are, wouldn't they lose a chunk of those lucrative TV deals anyway?

They will lose some of it, but I don't remember them shatting the bed like the SBC has. Remember last year, the SBC in its infinite wisdom decided to do a SBC game of the week in south Louisiana at 2:30 in the afternoon in very early in the season. Result was that multiple people had to be taken to the hospital for heat stroke. But then again, these deals were forged from Wrong Waters office, so maybe with different leadership, we'll have different results.

Don't tell ASU fans that Waters was behind the game time, hell they still believe our fans and coaches wanted to play the game in 105' F temps. To quote Hudspeth, "if you want to be big time, then you need to act big time." To bad the SBC office hasn't figured that one out yet.

im just glad i get to see the game from Denton on my Xbox

(11-02-2011 02:43 PM)CajunT Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 12:48 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 12:40 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(11-02-2011 12:16 PM)Tuffguy21 Wrote:  Heres the thing that I don't get about all of this...The UL/ASU game will be the premiere game of the week for the conference, and one of the most premiere games that this conference has ever had this late in the season (granted that UL wins against ULM this weekend). CST is atleast on TV, ESPN 3 is only online, so we're saying that game will not be televised anywhere and will only appear online...this could be the most mind numbing thing I've read in a long time. And last time I checked, the games that are on CST are on ESPN3 as well, just not on TV. If anyone wanted to know why anyone would jump ship to CUSA...

If CUSA gets raided like I think they are, wouldn't they lose a chunk of those lucrative TV deals anyway?

They will lose some of it, but I don't remember them shatting the bed like the SBC has. Remember last year, the SBC in its infinite wisdom decided to do a SBC game of the week in south Louisiana at 2:30 in the afternoon in very early in the season. Result was that multiple people had to be taken to the hospital for heat stroke. But then again, these deals were forged from Wrong Waters office, so maybe with different leadership, we'll have different results.

Don't tell ASU fans that Waters was behind the game time, hell they still believe our fans and coaches wanted to play the game in 105' F temps. To quote Hudspeth, "if you want to be big time, then you need to act big time." To bad the SBC office hasn't figured that one out yet.

Alot of ASU are mythed about our game as well this year, I just dont understand how we got online only out of the deal. I understand a national broadcast is impossible, but I would have to hope that our league would be smart enough to have a way to get the game on regional TV that isnt just broadcast on comcast cable.

the sad thing is, that its better for ASU attendance wise for the game to be on ESPN3, our casual fans are too lazy to look online to find a game, but they would have no issue watching it on TV.

Hold the phone. I was wrong.

Troy COULD have refused the TV game.

I was under the impression that once the SBC took you, you were taken.

I have been corrected and apologize for my previous post.

Troy fans can go back to pointing a finger at Steve Dennis.

We now return you to your regular programming.

(11-03-2011 07:46 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  Hold the phone. I was wrong.

Troy COULD have refused the TV game.

I was under the impression that once the SBC took you, you were taken.

I have been corrected and apologize for my previous post.

Troy fans can go back to pointing a finger at Steve Dennis.

We now return you to your regular programming.

That makes more sense. Now, I am back to my same question: Why literally ruin Homecoming and cost countless problems with already planned events and piss off thousands of people (many of whom come to one game a year and might be alienated for future events) just to get a noon game on a channel few people watch?

What is the upside here?