Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/n ... ledoseries

So, why is it that Toledo repeatedly can draw in these home-away series with big schools, who actually -do- come to Toledo, yet we seem to be stuck in away-away-home series with C-USA teams or big 6 teams who never actually come to BG?

Maybe it is the guy doing the scheduling!!!

Simple answer? Money. I'm guessing Toledo took a bit cut in their income they would have gotten in their return game.

A couple thoughts:

-Miami is a shell of its former self. They have not been anywhere near the national championship or BCS picture for years. BG has hosted a team that has played in and won 2 BCS bowls in the last 3 years in Boise State.

-Miami's AD, Kirby Hocutt, came from Ohio University.

-Their other "big" home opponents referenced in the article:

Syracuse (5 straight losing seasons, 8 straight non-winning seasons)
Colorado (4 straight losing seasons)
Purdue (2 straight losing seasons, overall a program on par with Minnesota, who has played at the Doyt)
Pitt (above average program that has also played at the Doyt)

Ooops...I left out their big home opponent this year, the Arizona Wildcats:

Two straight 8-5 seasons (including a 33-0 bowl loss to Nebraska) after going without a winning season from 1999-2007.

Still, to get the Canes at home is a pretty BiG deal.

This is a very impressive series for several reasons:

1. It's a home-&-home series and not a two-for-one or three for one with a BCS school (and a very recognized one in football at that).

2. Toledo gets the first game of the series at home, so there's no playing on the road and not seeing the return game disappear (such as BG at USF several years ago).

3. The game in Toledo is at the Glass Bowl and not in Cleveland as a "home" game on a neutral site.

I don't know how Toledo continues to do it with its home scheduling of interesting opponents such as this, but I wouldn't be honest if I said seeing some of the BCS teams UT has had on its schedule in recent years wouldn't be just as exciting to me on BG's. I think there's a reason we packed the place in recent years against teams like Minnesota & Boise State (aside from them being early-season games with nice weather) because we sure didn't have the same turnout for opponents such Troy, Temple or Eastern Michigan around the same time with very nice weather as well.

Allegedly no money changes hands for the two games-We keep ours, they keep theirs. Only real down side is we have to go to Florida while they get to come to Toledo.

h2oville rocket wrote:Allegedly no money changes hands for the two games-We keep ours, they keep theirs. Only real down side is we have to go to Florida while they get to come to Toledo.

That's it in a nutshell. Miami gets a non-conference home game with all the revenue to keep for themselves. That is a huge deal.

JoeFalcon wrote:A couple thoughts:

-Miami is a shell of its former self. They have not been anywhere near the national championship or BCS picture for years. BG has hosted a team that has played in and won 2 BCS bowls in the last 3 years in Boise State.

-Miami's AD, Kirby Hocutt, came from Ohio University.

-Their other "big" home opponents referenced in the article:

Syracuse (5 straight losing seasons, 8 straight non-winning seasons)
Colorado (4 straight losing seasons)
Purdue (2 straight losing seasons, overall a program on par with Minnesota, who has played at the Doyt)
Pitt (above average program that has also played at the Doyt)

You can say this, but I'm still jealous! I hate Toledo, don't get me wrong, but they have something good going on there getting schools to visit South Detroit. You complain that they schools they bring in are not BCS caliber and aren't any good, but why would you want to bring in schools that will just crush you on a regular basis? Don't get me wrong, you shouldn't shy away if Ohio State or USC wants to visit, but is it so bad bringing in Colorado (who has a decently rich history) and putting the wood to them? Do the mid-major schools have to show you they can beat the Oklahomas and Floridas of the world on a regular basis, or just Baylor and Vanderbilt? I'd say beating a lower tier team from a bigger conference just shows that every conference deserves at least a chance to compete for the national title in football...even if we never win!

Bringing Miami into a MAC stadium is a tremendous get for UT. I don't care what their record has been in recent years, they're still Miami.

I'm insanely jealous of UT for being able to pull that off, and any BG (hell MAC) fan that isn't is either A) lying to themselves, or B) a damn fool. That it is great for UT. The question is will they sell enough tickets for that game to make up for the couple hundred thousand bucks they gave up by not getting a take from their road game? My guess is that it will be a net loss revenue wise, but a net gain when you start factor all the great PR you get by bringing in a program of that caliber. And if they win? Jackpot.

hammb wrote:Bringing Miami into a MAC stadium is a tremendous get for UT. I don't care what their record has been in recent years, they're still Miami.

I'm insanely jealous of UT for being able to pull that off, and any BG (hell MAC) fan that isn't is either A) lying to themselves, or B) a damn fool. That it is great for UT. The question is will they sell enough tickets for that game to make up for the couple hundred thousand bucks they gave up by not getting a take from their road game? My guess is that it will be a net loss revenue wise, but a net gain when you start factor all the great PR you get by bringing in a program of that caliber. And if they win? Jackpot.

Trust me Brian, knowing UT, they will charge an exorbitant amount for tickets and will not lose much, if anything.

duckunder53 wrote:

JoeFalcon wrote:A couple thoughts:

You can say this, but I'm still jealous! I hate Toledo, don't get me wrong, but they have something good going on there getting schools to visit South Detroit.

I thought Houston was South Detroit.

Redwingtom wrote:

hammb wrote:Trust me Brian, knowing UT, they will charge an exorbitant amount for tickets and will not lose much, if anything.

Oh, they'll lose the game, they'll lose that much.

Hats off for getting the game, I'd rather see my team win the home games though.

Redwingtom wrote:

hammb wrote:Bringing Miami into a MAC stadium is a tremendous get for UT. I don't care what their record has been in recent years, they're still Miami.

I'm insanely jealous of UT for being able to pull that off, and any BG (hell MAC) fan that isn't is either A) lying to themselves, or B) a damn fool. That it is great for UT. The question is will they sell enough tickets for that game to make up for the couple hundred thousand bucks they gave up by not getting a take from their road game? My guess is that it will be a net loss revenue wise, but a net gain when you start factor all the great PR you get by bringing in a program of that caliber. And if they win? Jackpot.

Trust me Brian, knowing UT, they will charge an exorbitant amount for tickets and will not lose much, if anything.

I think you're quite likely correct in that assessment, and if they don't lose anything financially by giving up that payday game then kudos to them. That's a great get for a MAC school. I can't tell you how thrilled I'd be to bring a program like that into the Doyt.

And yeah, they'll probably lose, but Miami isn't the great team they once were and they've got a much better shot beating them in the glass bowl than they do in South Beach. It's just a great piece of scheduling as far as I'm concerned, especially if they can find a way to break even on the deal financially.