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2025 Preseason
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 8:37 am
by jpfalcon09
MAC Media Day is this coming Thursday. Coach George is doing a Zoom call Monday evening with the season ticket holders, and camp opens next week. The season is finally upon the horizon.
A lot of questions this year. Massive roster turnover with 51 transfers. A blending of past coaches with new ones. The production of guys like Stewart and Fannin needs to be replaced.
It would seem based on comments this summer from Eddie that nearly every position will have competition outside of QB. Pyne was brought in following spring ball and it seemed like the staff didn't feel Lucian and company were ready to lead the offense. Suppose we'll know more in the coming weeks.
What are the biggest questions facing the team this year? What are you looking for out of camp? Who do you think may surprise this year?
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 8:43 am
by mbenecke
I genuinely have no idea what the team will look like because of all the turnover. I’m half expecting to pull up to the first game and be surprised if any names from previous seasons are still here, at this point. Very bizarre feeling.
That said… I’m optimistic about the year as a whole. I expect them to start really slow (beat Lafayette but lose to all/most of Cincinnati, Liberty, Louisville, Ohio, Toledo) and they could be 1-5 halfway through the year. But the later schedule is much softer, so if they stay locked in they can get hot down the stretch and snag their 4th straight bowl game. And who knows? Maybe the incoming talent is great, the coaching clicks, and we surprise people out of the gate?
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 6:54 pm
by jpfalcon09
Few takeaways from the season ticket holder Zoom call, without giving away Xs and Os:
DVDM stated the band is over 500 kids this year. Was around 425 in 2024. He also mentioned they expect bigger crowds this year and will be working with local police on making sure parking plus entering/exiting is easier. He also said they are working on improving concessions operations.
The evening of August 18th will be an open practice, band performance, and meet and greet with players and coaches. I believe open only to season ticket holders, but an email is going out so it could be a public event.
There is a big event planned with special guests with Urban being on campus before the game on August 28th. Falcon Club members only.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 9:41 am
by guest44
Can you feel the excitement? Wow
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 10:19 am
by bg1984
This was in the Season Ticket Holder event email. Does anyone have intel on the new player entrance?
“ With a new season on the horizon comes new initiatives that will improve upon the fan experience for ALL Falcon gamedays! Some of these include…
New pre-game promotional activities that reward fans for arriving early
Brand new entrance for the Falcon Football team
New exciting chants that are visible on the videoboard
Live DJ prior to every Falcon home game
More fan engagement with the crowd throughout the game”
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:34 am
by mbenecke
guest44 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 9:41 am
Can you feel the excitement? Wow
Aren’t you excited? #KitHughesComplainingSeason is almost here.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:58 am
by guest44
mbenecke wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:34 am
[quote=guest44 post_id=466846 time=<a href="tel:1753278118">1753278118</a> user_id=909]
Can you feel the excitement? Wow
Aren’t you excited? #KitHughesComplainingSeason is almost here.
[/quote]
Mike Jinks didn’t hire himself.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 12:01 pm
by guest44
guest44 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:58 am
mbenecke wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:34 am
[quote=guest44 post_id=466846 time=<a href="tel:1753278118">1753278118</a> user_id=909]
Can you feel the excitement? Wow
Aren’t you excited? #KitHughesComplainingSeason is almost here.
Mike Jinks didn’t hire himself.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... ntury/amp/
If it weren’t the MAC it would be top 5.
[/quote]
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 2:54 pm
by jpfalcon09
guest44 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 12:01 pm
guest44 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:58 am
mbenecke wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:34 am
[quote=guest44 post_id=466846 time=<a href="tel:1753278118">1753278118</a> user_id=909]
Can you feel the excitement? Wow
Aren’t you excited? #KitHughesComplainingSeason is almost here.
Mike Jinks didn’t hire himself.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... ntury/amp/
If it weren’t the MAC it would be top 5.
Conveniently, Mr. Kingston found himself as the Senior VP of Multimedia Rights at Learfield, located in the DFW area a year later. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but it makes you go hmmm.
MAC Media Day is tomorrow from 11am-3pm on ESPN+.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 3:01 pm
by jpfalcon09
bg1984 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 10:19 am
This was in the Season Ticket Holder event email. Does anyone have intel on the new player entrance?
“ With a new season on the horizon comes new initiatives that will improve upon the fan experience for ALL Falcon gamedays! Some of these include…
New pre-game promotional activities that reward fans for arriving early
Brand new entrance for the Falcon Football team
New exciting chants that are visible on the videoboard
Live DJ prior to every Falcon home game
More fan engagement with the crowd throughout the game”
They hired Matt Leininger as the new in-game emcee. Former player recruited by Urban, had a similar role for Buckeye football and Clippers baseball. Have to imagine he'll be better than whatever shoutfest guy they employed the past couple years.
The event on the 18th will feature a meet and greet with players and a bingo card to earn prizes. Nice way to get to know all the new faces. There will be yard games with the players, some words shared by team leaders and Eddie, then capped off with a band performance.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 4:44 pm
by guest44
jpfalcon09 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 2:54 pm
guest44 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 12:01 pm
guest44 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:58 am
mbenecke wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 11:34 am
[quote=guest44 post_id=466846 time=<a href="tel:1753278118">1753278118</a> user_id=909]
Can you feel the excitement? Wow
Aren’t you excited? #KitHughesComplainingSeason is almost here.
Mike Jinks didn’t hire himself.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... ntury/amp/
If it weren’t the MAC it would be top 5.
Conveniently, Mr. Kingston found himself as the Senior VP of Multimedia Rights at Learfield, located in the DFW area a year later. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but it makes you go hmmm.
MAC Media Day is tomorrow from 11am-3pm on ESPN+.
He did and BGSU let Kingston's handpicked fellow NC State guy Hughes stick around until 2022, to run the rest of it into the toilet. Then President Mazey complimented Hughes personally on his involvement in that hire of Jinks. One of the worst hires of the century, and they let this guy do his thing until someone else actually wanted him.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 4:59 pm
by hammb
They'll show me they're legit about "improving the fan experience" when they do the easy things.
Make parking obvious and sensical. We arrived late to a game last year (came from kid's soccer practice, it was a few mins after kickoff), and they kept re-routing us around for no reason. All we wanted to do was hurry up and get in the game; instead htey directed us past several lots with open spots to put us in the grassy area between the stadium & 75. Don't much care where we ended up, we just wanted out of the car.
Make concessions edible. I've told this to DVDM in person and I continue to harp on it. BG sports have the absolute worst concessions experience of any sporting venue I've ever been to. The quality is horrid and the value worse. Food trucks can help a bit, but just saying "outsource it" isn't a pure solution. So many sporting venues now have gone fountain sodas with refills, popcorn with refills, etc. BG we still get a stale tub of popcorn for like $11? Lower.com hit the HR of all HRs by making all fountain sodas self serve. You buy the cup and the fill yourself...not only does it greatly improve the value proposition of a soda, but it also moves soda refills into a separate line.
I spend more time/money with MAC basketball than football, but I can say definitively that UT, Ball State, and OU (all visits in the past 24mos) do much better in their basketball arenas than BG does.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 7:19 pm
by jpfalcon09
hammb wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 4:59 pm
They'll show me they're legit about "improving the fan experience" when they do the easy things.
Make parking obvious and sensical. We arrived late to a game last year (came from kid's soccer practice, it was a few mins after kickoff), and they kept re-routing us around for no reason. All we wanted to do was hurry up and get in the game; instead htey directed us past several lots with open spots to put us in the grassy area between the stadium & 75. Don't much care where we ended up, we just wanted out of the car.
Make concessions edible. I've told this to DVDM in person and I continue to harp on it. BG sports have the absolute worst concessions experience of any sporting venue I've ever been to. The quality is horrid and the value worse. Food trucks can help a bit, but just saying "outsource it" isn't a pure solution. So many sporting venues now have gone fountain sodas with refills, popcorn with refills, etc. BG we still get a stale tub of popcorn for like $11? Lower.com hit the HR of all HRs by making all fountain sodas self serve. You buy the cup and the fill yourself...not only does it greatly improve the value proposition of a soda, but it also moves soda refills into a separate line.
I spend more time/money with MAC basketball than football, but I can say definitively that UT, Ball State, and OU (all visits in the past 24mos) do much better in their basketball arenas than BG does.
The concessions have been subpar for years across all sports. Last year at a hockey game I was served a Sprite that was past its expiration date, and they used cheese sauce out of a dispenser that previously held hot chocolate. Can attest that hot chocolate flavored nacho cheese is rather unappetizing.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 8:50 pm
by hammb
jpfalcon09 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 7:19 pm
hammb wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 4:59 pm
They'll show me they're legit about "improving the fan experience" when they do the easy things.
Make parking obvious and sensical. We arrived late to a game last year (came from kid's soccer practice, it was a few mins after kickoff), and they kept re-routing us around for no reason. All we wanted to do was hurry up and get in the game; instead htey directed us past several lots with open spots to put us in the grassy area between the stadium & 75. Don't much care where we ended up, we just wanted out of the car.
Make concessions edible. I've told this to DVDM in person and I continue to harp on it. BG sports have the absolute worst concessions experience of any sporting venue I've ever been to. The quality is horrid and the value worse. Food trucks can help a bit, but just saying "outsource it" isn't a pure solution. So many sporting venues now have gone fountain sodas with refills, popcorn with refills, etc. BG we still get a stale tub of popcorn for like $11? Lower.com hit the HR of all HRs by making all fountain sodas self serve. You buy the cup and the fill yourself...not only does it greatly improve the value proposition of a soda, but it also moves soda refills into a separate line.
I spend more time/money with MAC basketball than football, but I can say definitively that UT, Ball State, and OU (all visits in the past 24mos) do much better in their basketball arenas than BG does.
The concessions have been subpar for years across all sports. Last year at a hockey game I was served a Sprite that was past its expiration date, and they used cheese sauce out of a dispenser that previously held hot chocolate. Can attest that hot chocolate flavored nacho cheese is rather unappetizing.
OMG, that sounds horrid.
I have a great respect for using local groups to man the stands as a fundraiser. The Mud Hens and plenty of other sports teams do the same thing. But the quality/price of BG's concessions are an embarrassment.
I don't think much will change so long as it's run by AVI, but in that regard I've been told their vendor is the vendor. I don't do hockey really, but AVI does the Huntington center as well, I think, has anybody had experience there?
Maybe our crowds are so small they refuse to commit any real effort to it, but it really makes it feel like a mid-tier HS experience. To be honest most HS football/basketball games I've attended have a better concessions experience run by volunteer parents.
Re: 2025 Preseason
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 9:22 pm
by pdt1081
hammb wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 8:50 pm
OMG, that sounds horrid.
I have a great respect for using local groups to man the stands as a fundraiser. The Mud Hens and plenty of other sports teams do the same thing. But the quality/price of BG's concessions are an embarrassment.
I don't think much will change so long as it's run by AVI, but in that regard I've been told their vendor is the vendor. I don't do hockey really, but AVI does the Huntington center as well, I think, has anybody had experience there?
Maybe our crowds are so small they refuse to commit any real effort to it, but it really makes it feel like a mid-tier HS experience. To be honest most HS football/basketball games I've attended have a better concessions experience run by volunteer parents.
Hockey does at least have stuffed sticks from Campus Pollyeyes (much to the chagrin of the health department).