Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

On February 4, I'm going to have the opportunity to sit down with BGSU athletic director, Paul Krebs and ask him some questions. I'd like to use this thread to collect questions from the Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com membership to present to Mr. Krebs.

Please post your questions, concerns and praises here.

A word of caution: If this thread breaks down like so many others do, I'll just delete it and go with my own questions.

Thanks! Myself and Mr. Krebs look forward to getting some of your questions answered!

When will the Sebo be done , how much funding is still needed and is it still going to be off of the original design or has it been modified due to lack of funding

Advertising: Which is more important to BGSU; brand awareness or targeted advertising?

I want to drill down into his thoughts in the realm of promoting the athletic programs of the university. Broad based type (tv/radio/billboards) which is leveraged more for brand awareness or smarter advertising (direct mailers and specialty promotions) which is historically yields more effective results (butts in seats) per dollar spent.

I would be interested to hear his thoughts on our attendance problems....and what the university's plan might be to try and get more butts in the seats.


And tell him thanks for all the great work!

What's the staus on the Anderson Arena feasibility study? Are there plans to do more extensive renovations to Perry Stadium once the Sebo Center is completed?

And to take RUIT's questions a step further, has the University ever tried to find out (via focus groups or in person interviews) why there are so many high school football fans in NW Ohio that aren't BGSU fans or why there are so many alums within driving distance that don't come back for games?

If the league does move all November games to mid week, will attendance concerns cause the league to back load the schedule so BG is forced to play high profile rivals like Akron, Toledo and Miami in the same month?

Don't flame me for this, but has there been any consideration to a conference realignment? Has another conference approached BG or any another schools about possible realignment? (Remember the Amtutz comment to a recruit about Toledo joining the Big East?)

Warthog wrote:Don't flame me for this, but has there been any consideration to a conference realignment? Has another conference approached BG or any another schools about possible realignment? (Remember the Amtutz comment to a recruit about Toledo joining the Big East?)

That's a really good question, WH. To take that a step further, ask Mssr Krebs if he has taken any steps to prepare/position BGSU for future conference realignment.

Will the football team continue to wear BROWN jerseys? 8)

Is the Sebo Center still on pace for the February 2007 (I think) completion date? The work out there seems to be intensifying.

I'm curious if he has any idea how the Big10-MAC scheduling "agreement" will be effecting BG. I know we play at OSU next year, but I would like to see us playing some of the other Big10 schools, and not just for a payday. I'd like to see if we could get IU, Ill, NW, etc, to possibly come into BG for a game sometime.

hammb wrote:I'm curious if he has any idea how the Big10-MAC scheduling "agreement" will be effecting BG. I know we play at OSU next year, but I would like to see us playing some of the other Big10 schools, and not just for a payday. I'd like to see if we could get IU, Ill, NW, etc, to possibly come into BG for a game sometime.

Grant:

There's a whole line of questioning regarding scheduling strategies. The switch to all mid-week games in November, the arrangement hammb mentions here and the idea of who comes to the Doyt on OOC. Also, the way the MAC put the pipe to BG last year and the idea of I-AA opponents.

I'm wondering what Krebs' over-arching strategy is. Does he see a payday game as an annual necessity (though I doubt any AD would be willing to call any game a payday game, any given Saturday, and all that)? In regard to I-AA opponents, does he find it lucrative to be able to control the scheduling a bit (assuming we have a lot more leverage with SE Mizzou State than, say Wisconsin)?

I was intrigued at the broad plan laid out by N'western's AD. IIRC, in a nutshell - 1 game on the road with a top-flight BCS-conference team (i.e. payday-type game), 2 games against similar teams (assume that would mean teams that they'd be competitive with - top-end non-BCS teams, mid- to lower-tier BCS teams) and one against a team with a "similar academic profile" (Duke?).

Are there any plans to bring the golf course into the Athletic Department's control?

What is the future of MAC men's soccer?

I was really impressed to be able to watch BGSU at Ball State (basketball) internet broadcast this past weekend. Was that a "Ball State" production? As opposed, say, to the Temple/BGSU football game, because that was broadcast by an independant station (? I think?).

I wonder if there is any scope to broadcast any Falcon sports (hockey springs to mind, too), in the same kind of way Ball State managed to deliver their basketball game, perhaps on a subscription basis, or is this something the MAC could take a lead in on behalf of its members?

I would second Zom's point, maybe widen it to "How does the U. plan to utilize the latest technologies to provide for it's fanbase?" They've taken some steps through CSTV and Gametracker this year that wasn't there last year. Even if Gametracker has it's spotty nights, it's great to click it on at work and check back for immediate updates. Along with their success, it's even brought me closer to the women's team, being able to check on game progress there, too.

As far as the TV/webcast goes, Ball State has been doing games on their own cable channel for years, football and basketball. While I don't know what kinds of costs they run into to make it happen, what might the possibility of working a partnership with BCSN to do the same for BG athletics? They seem to do a large number of games strictly for tape-delay broadcast, so the crews are there, what might it take (even subscription-based) to get something like that at BG?

TG1996 wrote: what might the possibility of working a partnership with BCSN to do the same for BG athletics? They seem to do a large number of games strictly for tape-delay broadcast, so the crews are there, what might it take (even subscription-based) to get something like that at BG?

While that would be cool...I'd ask about pursuing a different channel than BCSN. I know I find it annoying that Toledo cable people get more BG coverage than we do in BG