(04-07-2015 08:56 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 08:25 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 04:31 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 04:08 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 09:48 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  We have the Armed Forces Bowl for 2 years during this bowl cycle for Texas teams---one of which is already used in 2015 (Navy is the specific opponent one other year). Thus, for SMU, Tulsa, and Houston, there is no AFB slot for 4 of the next 5 years. That's why the western AD's were likely pushing for Aresco to find some more convenient post season options.

Yes, which is why the Austin bowl makes sense. But Austin + Armed Forces should be enough for the Texas teams. Beyond that, a northern option seems more pressing than another far-west option like LR.

And had a northern bowl materialized we would have likely taken it (ie Patriots Bowl)----but its tough to get a slot in a bowl that doesn't exist.

Well, we have to be proactive and vigorous. Can't just throw up our hands because the Patriots had better things to do.

The reality is northern bowls don't exist in large numbers because organizers are not confident they can make it work financially. The Big-10 is a power conference and must travel long distances for most of thier bowls.

Seems like we are seeing more and more northern bowls.

The B1G travels long distances because they'd much rather go to places like Florida and California than play them locally. It's their choice. We on the other hand could use another northern bowl.

(04-07-2015 09:47 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 08:56 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 08:25 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 04:31 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 04:08 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  Yes, which is why the Austin bowl makes sense. But Austin + Armed Forces should be enough for the Texas teams. Beyond that, a northern option seems more pressing than another far-west option like LR.

And had a northern bowl materialized we would have likely taken it (ie Patriots Bowl)----but its tough to get a slot in a bowl that doesn't exist.

Well, we have to be proactive and vigorous. Can't just throw up our hands because the Patriots had better things to do.

The reality is northern bowls don't exist in large numbers because organizers are not confident they can make it work financially. The Big-10 is a power conference and must travel long distances for most of thier bowls.

Seems like we are seeing more and more northern bowls.

The B1G travels long distances because they'd much rather go to places like Florida and California than play them locally. It's their choice. We on the other hand could use another northern bowl.

Bank robber Willie Sutton supposedly answered the question "why do you rob banks" with the famous answer---"Because that's were money is". Well, that's basically why the Big-10 travels to far away post season locations----Because that's where the bowls are.

(04-07-2015 08:56 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 08:25 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 04:31 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 04:08 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 09:48 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  We have the Armed Forces Bowl for 2 years during this bowl cycle for Texas teams---one of which is already used in 2015 (Navy is the specific opponent one other year). Thus, for SMU, Tulsa, and Houston, there is no AFB slot for 4 of the next 5 years. That's why the western AD's were likely pushing for Aresco to find some more convenient post season options.

Yes, which is why the Austin bowl makes sense. But Austin + Armed Forces should be enough for the Texas teams. Beyond that, a northern option seems more pressing than another far-west option like LR.

And had a northern bowl materialized we would have likely taken it (ie Patriots Bowl)----but its tough to get a slot in a bowl that doesn't exist.

Well, we have to be proactive and vigorous. Can't just throw up our hands because the Patriots had better things to do.

The reality is northern bowls don't exist in large numbers because organizers are not confident they can make it work financially. The Big-10 is a power conference and must travel long distances for most of thier bowls.

I agree 100% that this was a factor in the past, but possibly less so now. The frozen tundra is not a welcoming place to host a bowl game where attendance is important.

With so many bowls now being made for/paid for/created by ESPN/financed by conference ticket guarentees, local and traveling attendance is apparently less of a factor. I suppose that could have an effect on how many northern bowls are created over the next few years, although I'm not sure how many (or any) of them would be at the BIG level.

bowls are just programming. people in the stands are just extras offsetting a fraction of the expenses. i wouldnt fall over dead if in 5 years espn just isnt cgi'ing in crowds and noise

(04-03-2015 02:53 PM)Stookey57 Wrote:  Texas loves football so it may be a no brainer to start a Dallas bowl...

A second bowl in San Antonio is a no-brainer IMHO vs a P5 or MWC. After that I would look at Austin or San Marcos, TX.

(04-08-2015 06:51 AM)tigerjeb Wrote:  bowls are just programming. people in the stands are just extras offsetting a fraction of the expenses. i wouldnt fall over dead if in 5 years espn just isnt cgi'ing in crowds and noise

Watching my team last year ESPN would need to borrow some 60's sitcom laugh tracks for the bowl game.

(04-07-2015 09:59 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 09:47 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 08:56 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 08:25 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-07-2015 04:31 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  And had a northern bowl materialized we would have likely taken it (ie Patriots Bowl)----but its tough to get a slot in a bowl that doesn't exist.

Well, we have to be proactive and vigorous. Can't just throw up our hands because the Patriots had better things to do.

The reality is northern bowls don't exist in large numbers because organizers are not confident they can make it work financially. The Big-10 is a power conference and must travel long distances for most of thier bowls.

Seems like we are seeing more and more northern bowls.

The B1G travels long distances because they'd much rather go to places like Florida and California than play them locally. It's their choice. We on the other hand could use another northern bowl.

Bank robber Willie Sutton supposedly answered the question "why do you rob banks" with the famous answer---"Because that's were money is". Well, that's basically why the Big-10 travels to far away post season locations----Because that's where the bowls are.

Obviously, the great bulk of bowls are in the south or warm parts of the west. But, it is true that we've seen more northern bowls in recent years.

And as you have noted, G5 bowl attendance is more closely tied to geography, we have to consider that factor in our bowl lineup.

We have quite a few northern teams and these teams are at least as geographically isolated from much of our bowl lineup than the "western" teams are. So given that we've added an Austin bowl to our Armed Forces partial tie, that makes 1.5 bowls in Texas for SMU, Tulsa, and Houston.

That should be enough for them. If another bowl is going to be added beyond that it should be up north, not in Little Rock.

I just don't see the need or appeal of a Little Rock bowl at all. That allegedly would appeal to Tulane and Memphis as well, but Memphis is already close to our Birmingham bowl, and New Orleans? Nobody I've ever met at Tulane has any interest in driving 425 miles (that's farther from New Orleans than is Tallahassee, FL) north to LR for any reason, much less to play a Sun Belt team. Not happening.

(04-08-2015 06:51 AM)tigerjeb Wrote:  bowls are just programming. people in the stands are just extras offsetting a fraction of the expenses. i wouldnt fall over dead if in 5 years espn just isnt cgi'ing in crowds and noise

Yes.

You said it much more simple, straightforward, and understandable than I did. The games could be played in Toronto, Anchorage, or Rio.

FWIW and my opinion...when the Mobile bowl was created in 1999 it was considered a bad deal to get sent there. Being a USM fan I went down for several days when we played TCU there in the 2000. The city does roll out the red carpet and makes it all about the teams/fans. I also went to the 2002 Houston Bowl when USM played Oklahoma St. I realize there's tons of more things to do in Houston than Mobile but as far as the town embracing the teams and fans, Mobile does it first class IMO. Not a slam at all against the city of Houston

(04-08-2015 03:10 PM)oldtiger Wrote:  

(04-08-2015 06:51 AM)tigerjeb Wrote:  bowls are just programming. people in the stands are just extras offsetting a fraction of the expenses. i wouldnt fall over dead if in 5 years espn just isnt cgi'ing in crowds and noise

Yes.

You said it much more simple, straightforward, and understandable than I did. The games could be played in Toronto, Anchorage, or Rio.

Ah, Anchorage... I love Alaska.

(04-09-2015 02:01 PM)usm99 Wrote:  FWIW and my opinion...when the Mobile bowl was created in 1999 it was considered a bad deal to get sent there. Being a USM fan I went down for several days when we played TCU there in the 2000. The city does roll out the red carpet and makes it all about the teams/fans. I also went to the 2002 Houston Bowl when USM played Oklahoma St. I realize there's tons of more things to do in Houston than Mobile but as far as the town embracing the teams and fans, Mobile does it first class IMO. Not a slam at all against the city of Houston

That's the point I was trying to make earlier. Theses bowls are a big deal in these smaller cities and the population can get really wrapped up in it. In big cities like Houston or Orlando, the cities may have more to offer, but the locals might barely notice the bowl is happening and the place isn't making a huge concerted effort to make you enjoy your stay.

(04-03-2015 09:33 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(04-02-2015 07:30 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(04-02-2015 07:22 PM)baruna falls Wrote:  Your a victim of cognitive dissonance.I for one am not.N o amount of putting lipstick on this pig is going to make it anything other than what it is,a crap bowl against a likely crap team.

But for HoustonSMUMemphisTulsaTulane, it's a nearby crap bowl against a crap team, instead of a crap bowl against a crap team 1500 miles away.

Well said. I follow MEMPHIS to ALL bowl games, because they are (1) FUN and (2) important to my school and conference. Anytime MEMPHIS qualifies for the Little Rock Bowl while being ranked in the lower half of the AAC, I will gladly travel to it and I WILL have FUN. Debbie Downers can do as they please.

As for weather, those who worry about rain and/or cold when their team plays in a bowl game, are sorry-assed excuses for "fans".

I don't have quite the same freedom to travel, but I would have gone to Birmingham last year, had Memphis been there. Little Rock is a day trip, or a very pleasant overnight trip. And it's a neat downtown.

Austin Texas would be a good place for a bowl Texas is a football crazed state it would succeed I believe. The fact that we're a new conference we need Texas..

The three new bowls in Orlando, Little Rock, and Austin Texas will guarantee that no AAC bowl eligible team will be left out down to 6 & 6 teams like Temple last year which was left out. The Austin Bowl will also give the western teams another close option to travel to and any extra bowls left to fill out can be flipped for the Miami G5 slot to continue to bring in a P5 school or BYU if the AAC can get them there. Aresco continues to do a decent job for the AAC with cards he has been dealt since he was hired for the OLD BE before it blew up under him and behind his back. Next up is the TV contract renegotiation in a couple of years after Navy is on board and the conference gets it Championship Play Off Game. By then the conference will be out of its infancy and be establish on more solid ground for better TV contracts.

(04-09-2015 02:01 PM)usm99 Wrote:  FWIW and my opinion...when the Mobile bowl was created in 1999 it was considered a bad deal to get sent there. Being a USM fan I went down for several days when we played TCU there in the 2000. The city does roll out the red carpet and makes it all about the teams/fans. I also went to the 2002 Houston Bowl when USM played Oklahoma St. I realize there's tons of more things to do in Houston than Mobile but as far as the town embracing the teams and fans, Mobile does it first class IMO. Not a slam at all against the city of Houston

This is something that can't be stated more. Sure, there are 20 million more things to do in Orlando than Little Rock, but will there be dedicated establishments that will cater to a specific team and capitalize off the fans in town, will there be major events designed to bring the public out and get them interested, will Orlando even notice they are hosting a bowl game.

This past year, There were three downtown Mobile restaurants attempting to call themselves the Official hangout location for Arkansas State fans. Many of them went and bought advertising on local radio and TV here just to get fans thinking about them when the time for the game came. Little Rock is talking about following a similar path.

(04-12-2015 01:43 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 02:01 PM)usm99 Wrote:  FWIW and my opinion...when the Mobile bowl was created in 1999 it was considered a bad deal to get sent there. Being a USM fan I went down for several days when we played TCU there in the 2000. The city does roll out the red carpet and makes it all about the teams/fans. I also went to the 2002 Houston Bowl when USM played Oklahoma St. I realize there's tons of more things to do in Houston than Mobile but as far as the town embracing the teams and fans, Mobile does it first class IMO. Not a slam at all against the city of Houston

This is something that can't be stated more. Sure, there are 20 million more things to do in Orlando than Little Rock, but will there be dedicated establishments that will cater to a specific team and capitalize off the fans in town, will there be major events designed to bring the public out and get them interested, will Orlando even notice they are hosting a bowl game.

This past year, There were three downtown Mobile restaurants attempting to call themselves the Official hangout location for Arkansas State fans. Many of them went and bought advertising on local radio and TV here just to get fans thinking about them when the time for the game came. Little Rock is talking about following a similar path.

The smaller regional bowls should do alright by bringing in teams regionally from a few hours away. The game day tailgate experience should be the same and if you want to stay overnight you can and still get home for Christmas if the games are before the holiday. The Bahamas Bowl would be one I would worry about though. However people will go for a warm weather destination first and for the game second and make a once and done vacation out of it for the holiday. Kind of like spending one year out of four in Hawaii for Christmas while the players go through their college career. That is why it is important for schools to rotate through as many bowls as possible with out repetition for the bowl system barring games like the Rose, Orange, and Sugar Bowls.

(04-12-2015 01:43 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 02:01 PM)usm99 Wrote:  FWIW and my opinion...when the Mobile bowl was created in 1999 it was considered a bad deal to get sent there. Being a USM fan I went down for several days when we played TCU there in the 2000. The city does roll out the red carpet and makes it all about the teams/fans. I also went to the 2002 Houston Bowl when USM played Oklahoma St. I realize there's tons of more things to do in Houston than Mobile but as far as the town embracing the teams and fans, Mobile does it first class IMO. Not a slam at all against the city of Houston

This is something that can't be stated more. Sure, there are 20 million more things to do in Orlando than Little Rock, but will there be dedicated establishments that will cater to a specific team and capitalize off the fans in town, will there be major events designed to bring the public out and get them interested, will Orlando even notice they are hosting a bowl game.

But seriously, who is going to drive 250 or so miles just to hang out at a bar in Little Rock that is advertising itself as the "official" hangout of the Tulane Green Wave? That doesn't hold a candle to places with real appeal, like Orlando, New Orleans, even Memphis.

(04-12-2015 08:55 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-12-2015 01:43 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 02:01 PM)usm99 Wrote:  FWIW and my opinion...when the Mobile bowl was created in 1999 it was considered a bad deal to get sent there. Being a USM fan I went down for several days when we played TCU there in the 2000. The city does roll out the red carpet and makes it all about the teams/fans. I also went to the 2002 Houston Bowl when USM played Oklahoma St. I realize there's tons of more things to do in Houston than Mobile but as far as the town embracing the teams and fans, Mobile does it first class IMO. Not a slam at all against the city of Houston

This is something that can't be stated more. Sure, there are 20 million more things to do in Orlando than Little Rock, but will there be dedicated establishments that will cater to a specific team and capitalize off the fans in town, will there be major events designed to bring the public out and get them interested, will Orlando even notice they are hosting a bowl game.

But seriously, who is going to drive 250 or so miles just to hang out at a bar in Little Rock that is advertising itself as the "official" hangout of the Tulane Green Wave? That doesn't hold a candle to places with real appeal, like Orlando, New Orleans, even Memphis.

Fans of the regional teams that are invited there to support their schools who were rewarded with a season ending bowl. From my location I'll follow my schools to the Pinstripe and Military Bowls for the day. If it is a long or late day I can always get a room on the way home if needed.

(04-07-2015 01:10 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  The last time Tulane played in New Orleans, they became the visiting team in their own stadium vs a Sun Belt School.

Quo Vadis can use Tulane as the traveling example all he wants, but you can bet your bottom dollar that any bowl committee considering the Green Wave is going to look at that New Orleans Bowl and wonder whether or not Tulane fans would seriously travel to their game period, if they couldn't get a partisan crowd in their own home stadium. Sort of takes the validity outside of the Little Rock argument from the Tulane perspective. Especially when you consider the Little Rock Bowl has publicly stated that it's dream is an Arkansas State vs SMU, Houston, Memphis, or Tulsa.

Of course Tulane was outdrawn by a team that had 25K fans there....not by the usual 3K contingent seen at most minor bowls. We flooded Memphis when we were there. Still, I wouldn't expect many TU fans in Little Rock. We need to have a legitimately good team against an name opponent to have any significant presence. That won't be the case in a LR bowl. Not sure how any team would really do there, other than Memphis, to be truthful. it doesn't make any sense to turn down NOLA bowl but accept LR bowl, other than it's 2 years later, and the AAC is picking up up NOLA bowl in 2 or 3 years.
Little Rock is a nice City - plenty of things to do there. But it's not an easy drive from the south. It has been 20 years for me, but back then it was 8 hours, including 2 lane roads from North La up to Little Rock. Harder place for out of town fans, who will constitute a lot of the ticket buyers.
Memphis is just a hop up I55. Birmingham is an easy drive as well.
As for the Military Bowl, I think Tulane would support it pretty well. It will mean we have a good team, the opponent is good, and it's an easy place for alumni to get to.

(04-12-2015 01:43 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 02:01 PM)usm99 Wrote:  FWIW and my opinion...when the Mobile bowl was created in 1999 it was considered a bad deal to get sent there. Being a USM fan I went down for several days when we played TCU there in the 2000. The city does roll out the red carpet and makes it all about the teams/fans. I also went to the 2002 Houston Bowl when USM played Oklahoma St. I realize there's tons of more things to do in Houston than Mobile but as far as the town embracing the teams and fans, Mobile does it first class IMO. Not a slam at all against the city of Houston

This is something that can't be stated more. Sure, there are 20 million more things to do in Orlando than Little Rock, but will there be dedicated establishments that will cater to a specific team and capitalize off the fans in town, will there be major events designed to bring the public out and get them interested, will Orlando even notice they are hosting a bowl game.

This past year, There were three downtown Mobile restaurants attempting to call themselves the Official hangout location for Arkansas State fans. Many of them went and bought advertising on local radio and TV here just to get fans thinking about them when the time for the game came. Little Rock is talking about following a similar path.

Completely agree. Some folks equate all bowls, when in fact what is needed for a major bowl is different from what is needed for a relatively minor bowl. These bowls in smaller cities where the entire town gets involved can be tons of fun, and very appropriately sized for the bowl. Not everything needs to be Disney World magnitude. Scattering these bowls within reasonable driving distance works. I will drive 200-300 miles easy, to see USF in *any* bowl. That's what real fans with the means will do, and we all have enough of those good fans in our ranks. Even if these bowls are not sellouts, as we've already established they are really for TV anyway. We get that there is MORE to do in Orlando, etc, and that may draw down more folks to those destination-bowls, but you go to Little Rock or Austin for the GAME. All the side-fun is a bonus, and even these small cities have fun things to do. Even better if the city feels some ownership and pride in hosting the game!