Blade article on Bowl Money

[PGY Tiercel]

Interesting Points,
1: MAC teams do not have to share bowl payouts with the conference
2: BG has sold 1,500 Tickets (62 donated to youth programs in Mobile). Not sure if this is a typo or not, but "...which is not financially accountable for unsold tickets."
3: The exposure brings in decent money "Christopher said a study done after the 2004 GMAC Bowl determined that BG generated about $1.5 million from advertising and apparel sold."

Not for the money

[1987alum]

1,500?

[JoeFalcon]

We really shouldn't freak out about ticket sales.

ESPN published an article a few days ago about the (relatively) sparce ticket sales from West Virginia for their BCS game and the financial hit their athletic department will take from the unsold tickets. A lot of BCS schools and most non-BCS schools simply don't have the fan base to pack a distant location. The exceptions are when the date and location are convienent (CMU Motor City Bowl) or when a place hasn't been to a bowl game for a while and the fan base is pumped.

Given the fact that the vast majority of our fans live in the state of Ohio and the game is past the holiday season on a Sunday in Moblie, Alabama, we don't have anything to be ashamed of.

[PGY Tiercel]

We really shouldn't freak out about ticket sales.

ESPN published an article a few days ago about the (relatively) sparce ticket sales from West Virginia for their BCS game and the financial hit their athletic department will take from the unsold tickets. A lot of BCS schools and most non-BCS schools simply don't have the fan base to pack a distant location. The exceptions are when the date and location are convienent (CMU Motor City Bowl) or when a place hasn't been to a bowl game for a while and the fan base is pumped.

Given the fact that the vast majority of our fans live in the state of Ohio and the game is past the holiday season on a Sunday in Moblie, Alabama, we don't have anything to be ashamed of.

WVU Athletic department won't be taking a hit from unsold ticket sales. One of their alums stepped up and handed them a 1,012,500$ check to cover the tickets. He also gave them another 1,000,000$ check when WVU arrived in Arizona. He has been critical of the Rodriquez situation, I wonder if that 1million is to help alleviate the 4 million buyout.
WVU donation

[Falconfreak90]

We really shouldn't freak out about ticket sales.

ESPN published an article a few days ago about the (relatively) sparce ticket sales from West Virginia for their BCS game and the financial hit their athletic department will take from the unsold tickets. A lot of BCS schools and most non-BCS schools simply don't have the fan base to pack a distant location. The exceptions are when the date and location are convienent (CMU Motor City Bowl) or when a place hasn't been to a bowl game for a while and the fan base is pumped.

Given the fact that the vast majority of our fans live in the state of Ohio and the game is past the holiday season on a Sunday in Moblie, Alabama, we don't have anything to be ashamed of.

Well said, Joe. Heck the Gator Bowl looked half empty on tv yesterday for a great game between TX Tech and Virginia. The GMAC Bowl will be a sell out and that's great. I think if 2,000 BG fans make the trip, it would be a solid number considering all the points you brought up.

The stadium will be packed...the benefit to playing in a 40K seat stadium. I know I'm jacked to get on that plane early Sat AM.

GO FALCONS!!!

[Class of 61]

Maybe because I'm one of those who gave up his tix to be used by underprivileged kids, but I'm disappointed that only 62 people (actually, probably a lot LESS people) decided to do something similar. Think about it...at the very WORST, you could've written it off on your tax bill...but more importantly, giving others a chance to go to one of these events is the true fun of it.

[hammb]

That article is full of pretty good news, IMO. 1500 tickets is about what I would expect. Anymore than that is gravy...honestly do we expect to travel more than 10% of our average home attendance? I don't.

The real good news comes in the fact that we're not financially on the hook for our unsold allotment? That's awesome.

It's also great news to hear that we don't have to share the proceeds of the game with the conference. I wonder if this rule was recently changed, because I could've sworn that we heard about dividing the revenue with the conference back when we were in the MCB in '03.

Thirdly, it's nice to hear that they estimated a $1.5 million residual revenue from the last GMAC bowl. Nice to put some sort of a number to the "exposure" element of the bowl game. Certainly we're not going to profit the same way we would for a BCS bid, but there is still some profit to be made from these bowls...plus it gives us an extra month to talk about football

[jmillerbg]

Maybe because I'm one of those who gave up his tix to be used by underprivileged kids, but I'm disappointed that only 62 people (actually, probably a lot LESS people) decided to do something similar. Think about it...at the very WORST, you could've written it off on your tax bill...but more importantly, giving others a chance to go to one of these events is the true fun of it.

I am hoping that more people contributed, but, like me, chose to make a cash donation to the "send the band fund" instead of buying and then donating a ticket.

[JoeFalcon]

Thirdly, it's nice to hear that they estimated a $1.5 million residual revenue from the last GMAC bowl. Nice to put some sort of a number to the "exposure" element of the bowl game. Certainly we're not going to profit the same way we would for a BCS bid, but there is still some profit to be made from these bowls...plus it gives us an extra month to talk about football

Definitely. The TV exposure on ESPN is nice and it also has to help with recruiting. This year's media guide still lists "2003 Motor City Bowl" and "2004 GMAC Bowl" on the cover.

Speaking of revenue sharing, I wonder if the non-BCS schools like BG get a cut of Hawaii's money in any way?

[JoeFalcon]

We really shouldn't freak out about ticket sales.

ESPN published an article a few days ago about the (relatively) sparce ticket sales from West Virginia for their BCS game and the financial hit their athletic department will take from the unsold tickets. A lot of BCS schools and most non-BCS schools simply don't have the fan base to pack a distant location. The exceptions are when the date and location are convienent (CMU Motor City Bowl) or when a place hasn't been to a bowl game for a while and the fan base is pumped.

Given the fact that the vast majority of our fans live in the state of Ohio and the game is past the holiday season on a Sunday in Moblie, Alabama, we don't have anything to be ashamed of.

Well said, Joe. Heck the Gator Bowl looked half empty on tv yesterday for a great game between TX Tech and Virginia. The GMAC Bowl will be a sell out and that's great. I think if 2,000 BG fans make the trip, it would be a solid number considering all the points you brought up.

The stadium will be packed...the benefit to playing in a 40K seat stadium. I know I'm jacked to get on that plane early Sat AM.

GO FALCONS!!!

Absolutely Freak. Those that make the trip will be treated to a phenomenal experience. For those who aren't able to make it, it's not like they wouldn't want to be there.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Speaking of revenue sharing, I wonder if the non-BCS schools like BG get a cut of Hawaii's money in any way?

We do. Every year, the 5 non-BCS conferences get a total of 9% of the BCS net revenue. Since a non-BCS team made it in, the non-BCS leagues will get to share an additional 9%. History says that the WAC will get about 2/3 of that extra money, but we will get some extra money. It's my understanding that the remaining amount is divied up among the non-BCS conferences based on performance. We'll probably get somewhere in the neighborhood of $80,000 in bonus BCS money because of Hawaii.

[hammb]

Speaking of revenue sharing, I wonder if the non-BCS schools like BG get a cut of Hawaii's money in any way?

We do. Every year, the 5 non-BCS conferences get a total of 9% of the BCS net revenue. Since a non-BCS team made it in, the non-BCS leagues will get to share an additional 9%. History says that the WAC will get about 2/3 of that extra money, but we will get some extra money. It's my understanding that the remaining amount is divied up among the non-BCS conferences based on performance. We'll probably get somewhere in the neighborhood of $80,000 in bonus BCS money because of Hawaii.

Yep, and it's absolutely AWFUL that it works that way. It pisses me off to no end, really.

It's a rule instituted by the BCS to ensure that the nonBCS teams don't ever gain enough financially by being in one of these bowls to consistently get to that level. Rather than give the money to that school & have it divvied to their conference they'll spread it so thin across the entirety of nonBCS conferences to ensure that it's not enough money to really make a difference.

OSU & Illinois are bringing in $36 million to the Big10. Assuming even distribution that'd be over $3 million per school. Half of the nonBCS potential revenue is already split among all the nonBCS schools, but that leaves only an additional $9 million for the team that gets in. That team's conference then only gets approximately 2/3 of that money while the other 1/3 goes to the other conferences. Assuming even distribution that $6 million is going to be only about $600k per school. Obviously the distribution will not be even. I'd guess that Hawaii will see $1-3 million. However, you can bet that the big boys getting in are each seeing $5-6 million of that revenue.


Congrats to the BCS. Not only have they created a system that inherently discriminates against the schools that are not in their member conferences they've created a way to also screw over the schools that ARE good enough to break into their party. Absolutely ridiculous. If you're good enough to bust the BCS party you deserve to be rewarded for it. Don't get me wrong, I'll happily take the check this year for BG's share, but if BG were that team getting in how would we feel? Personally, I think this is a disgusting way to help the BCS ensure they don't ever have to give up what they have.

[It's the Journey...]

Hammb, I agree totally that the BCS is designed to keep the member conferences at the top and push everyone else down. But the only way it is going to change is if the "mid-major" conferences grow a pair, come together, and sue both the BCS for a corrupt system and the NCAA for allowing it. I would love to see this happen sooner rather than later, but i'm not holding my breath.

[Falconfreak90]

Speaking of revenue sharing, I wonder if the non-BCS schools like BG get a cut of Hawaii's money in any way?

We do. Every year, the 5 non-BCS conferences get a total of 9% of the BCS net revenue. Since a non-BCS team made it in, the non-BCS leagues will get to share an additional 9%. History says that the WAC will get about 2/3 of that extra money, but we will get some extra money. It's my understanding that the remaining amount is divied up among the non-BCS conferences based on performance. We'll probably get somewhere in the neighborhood of $80,000 in bonus BCS money because of Hawaii.

Congrats to the BCS. Not only have they created a system that inherently discriminates against the schools that are not in their member conferences they've created a way to also screw over the schools that ARE good enough to break into their party. Absolutely ridiculous. If you're good enough to bust the BCS party you deserve to be rewarded for it. Don't get me wrong, I'll happily take the check this year for BG's share, but if BG were that team getting in how would we feel? Personally, I think this is a disgusting way to help the BCS ensure they don't ever have to give up what they have.

Dead on, hammb. This is why my dad is so against BG and the MAC being in the FBS and wants us to drop down to the FCS. We are one of 50+ teams locked out of playing for the title before the season starts. Total BS....

BCS = Bullsh*t Conspiracy Series.

I HATE the BCS...

[hammb]

Speaking of revenue sharing, I wonder if the non-BCS schools like BG get a cut of Hawaii's money in any way?

We do. Every year, the 5 non-BCS conferences get a total of 9% of the BCS net revenue. Since a non-BCS team made it in, the non-BCS leagues will get to share an additional 9%. History says that the WAC will get about 2/3 of that extra money, but we will get some extra money. It's my understanding that the remaining amount is divied up among the non-BCS conferences based on performance. We'll probably get somewhere in the neighborhood of $80,000 in bonus BCS money because of Hawaii.

Congrats to the BCS. Not only have they created a system that inherently discriminates against the schools that are not in their member conferences they've created a way to also screw over the schools that ARE good enough to break into their party. Absolutely ridiculous. If you're good enough to bust the BCS party you deserve to be rewarded for it. Don't get me wrong, I'll happily take the check this year for BG's share, but if BG were that team getting in how would we feel? Personally, I think this is a disgusting way to help the BCS ensure they don't ever have to give up what they have.

Dead on, hammb. This is why my dad is so against BG and the MAC being in the FBS and wants us to drop down to the FCS. We are one of 50+ teams locked out of playing for the title before the season starts. Total BS....

BCS = Bullsh*t Conspiracy Series.

I HATE the BCS...

I really hate the BCS as well, but I must admit I would have a hard time caring as much about BG football if we dropped to the FCS. I want us to continue playing the game in it's topmost division.

What I would like to see is what It's a Journey suggested. Some sort of lawsuit against the NCAA & BCS for the discriminatory tactics.