MAC games in Columbus?

cbjhack · Post by **cbjhack** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:14 pm

I don't recall anyone complaining about playing OOC games as "home" games in Cleveland. BG, Akron, soon to be Toledo, have all played at CBS.

From what I read, it is more geared towards OU, at least to start. There is a large Alumni Base of MAC grads in C-bus. 13,000 for BG alone.

I do agree with one comment - the MAC needs to fill its own stadiums before venturing off campus.

Perhaps this will help expose Alumni to the talent that is present. Many people only read the Sunday paper and see that MAC team A had its ass handed to it by BIG TEN team B. MAC team A (BG) lose to No Name MAC team B (BUFFALO). Seeing such lopsided scores or games that they should have won doesn't help attract fans to your home stadium.

On a positive note - you might actually get to drink beer inside the stadium... I know some of you would enjoy that.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:56 pm

cbjhack wrote:I don't recall anyone complaining about playing OOC games as "home" games in Cleveland. BG, Akron, soon to be Toledo, have all played at CBS.

From what I read, it is more geared towards OU, at least to start. There is a large Alumni Base of MAC grads in C-bus. 13,000 for BG alone.

I do agree with one comment - the MAC needs to fill its own stadiums before venturing off campus.

Perhaps this will help expose Alumni to the talent that is present. Many people only read the Sunday paper and see that MAC team A had its ass handed to it by BIG TEN team B. MAC team A (BG) lose to No Name MAC team B (BUFFALO). Seeing such lopsided scores or games that they should have won doesn't help attract fans to your home stadium.

On a positive note - you might actually get to drink beer inside the stadium... I know some of you would enjoy that.

First of all, I think many of us were not fond of moving a home game to Cleveland to play Wisconsin, but I think we all realized that it was the only way we'd get them to give us a return game. Even with the disappointing 30k or so, it was still more than we could fit in the Doyt.

Secondly, Cleveland is not home to OSU. Yes, there are a lot of OSU fans there, but it's not nearly the same as it is in Columbus. In Columbus if it's not OSU they don't care about it.

Thirdly, those were OOC games. Those games mean nothing in the grand scheme, and as I said the reason we played them there was that it was the only way to get those teams to give us a home game. Taking home games away from conference members for their conference season is ludicrous. It's like playing baseball in Japan or NFL football in Toronto, it makes no sense. Are you really willing to do something that could have a legitimate effect on the conference standings just to see if some OSU homers in Columbus might want to watch a MAC game? If they really wanted to see MAC teams play they'd travel to see them.

Finally, I don't know what bearing it has on the argument, but we got to drink beer inside the stadium for the Buffalo game. KSU has sold beer in their home stadium for a long time as well. I don't think that is really a selling point for playing conference games in Columbus.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:59 pm

If OU really wanted to do it, I could see trying it with a cross-over opponent first. Maybe play Toledo there, or one of the Michigans, but I can't see them giving up a home game with Miami(OH) especially, or us just for that experiment. Maybe if they had a game over a "fall break" and didn't want to hose the students, I could see it, but I'd hope that we wouldn't be expected to give up a home game in return to play them there down the road if they thought it worked out.

Dayons_Den · Post by **Dayons_Den** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:17 pm

I"m a proponent of OOC MAC DH at a neutral site. In Cleveland you could have Kent St. vs. Army followed by BG vs. Iowa or something like that. I think something like t hat could work in Columbus as well.

Class of 61 · Post by **Class of 61** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:35 pm

Dayons_Den wrote:I"m a proponent of OOC MAC DH at a neutral site. In Cleveland you could have Kent St. vs. Army followed by BG vs. Iowa or something like that. I think something like t hat could work in Columbus as well.

DD,
MANY years ago (in early 70's if I recall) the MAC played double headers in old Cleveland Stadium. Logic said Kent should be one of the teams due to proximity (don't think Akron was in MAC then)....but they should have realized that KSU doesn't draw flies at home, much less having to travel 35 mi. north to play... Still, I DO like the idea...just would have to make sure we match up the right teams for maximum attendance and exposure.

Globetrotter · Post by **Globetrotter** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:45 pm

NY-BG-FAN wrote:If Columbus area alums aren't making the effort to get up to BG or down to Athens for games, will they really feel compelled to go to Crew Stadium just because it's a shorter drive?

I for one would. But I think I am an outlier. The last game I was at was Wisconsin v BG in Cleveland. If BG played home games in Columbus I would be at every game.

Globetrotter · Post by **Globetrotter** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:55 pm

Class of 61 wrote:
Dayons_Den wrote:I"m a proponent of OOC MAC DH at a neutral site. In Cleveland you could have Kent St. vs. Army followed by BG vs. Iowa or something like that. I think something like t hat could work in Columbus as well.
DD,
MANY years ago (in early 70's if I recall) the MAC played double headers in old Cleveland Stadium. Logic said Kent should be one of the teams due to proximity (don't think Akron was in MAC then)....but they should have realized that KSU doesn't draw flies at home, much less having to travel 35 mi. north to play... Still, I DO like the idea...just would have to make sure we match up the right teams for maximum attendance and exposure.

A double header would be great. I just dont know how many people would go to both games.

cbjhack · Post by **cbjhack** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:09 pm

Another advantage to a game in Columbus, or any other Non-MAC market for that matter, is that it might help the MAC teams get out from underneath the Big Ten shadow, whether it is in Columbus, Detroit, Chicago, or Indy, there is the presence of a MAC school or two within spittin distance of a Big Ten school.

One thing I have noticed recently is that in order to compete with the OSU's of the world, you have to invade their territory. Drive around Cleveland, Columbus, and possibly Cinci and notice the number of BGSU billboards touting BG. In Cleveland, UC is advertising like crazy on TV. By playing at a neutral site, it would allow the MAC to promote not only their programs, but also their schools to a wider audience. The games would more than likely be played at a time when OSU is on the road or off, or a later time than OSU. Why? Well, OSU uses the Crew Parking lot at the fairgrounds for some of their own parking.

While some, including the Dispatch article, are using it as a way to draw people to a game, it can also be used to draw attention to the schools. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I recall OSU playing Robert Morris in hockey at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh and Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Don't know what attendance was, but I can say that it probably wasn't that great. But it probably exposed a number of high school and junior players in Pittsburgh and Cleveland to OSU's hockey program (that and having a player named R.J. Umberger from Pittsburgh on your team and now in the NHL also helps). We all know that BG needs to recruit in Central Ohio and a number of other markets that have players going to Miami, OU, KSU, UT, Akron, that could easily have gone to BG. Whether it is BG or OU, selling or distributing tickets to area high schools goes a long way at spreading goodwill and attracting interest to your program. Something we all agree is important.

redskins4ever · Post by **redskins4ever** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:53 pm

cbjhack wrote:Another advantage to a game in Columbus, or any other Non-MAC market for that matter, is that it might help the MAC teams get out from underneath the Big Ten shadow, whether it is in Columbus, Detroit, Chicago, or Indy, there is the presence of a MAC school or two within spittin distance of a Big Ten school.

Seriously? THIS HAS TO BE THE DUMBEST THING I HAVE READ THIS YEAR.

You are within two miles of OSU, in the heart of big ten country, and you are saying we are getting out from the Big 10 shadow?

Sell out your games at home, move big games for big name opponents ie. Notre Dame, USC, or anyone else that could draw 50k+ at an NFL stadium.
And lets take this idea and drop it off at the grave yard.