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xudash
11-16-2011, 11:25 PM
Watching the Miami and BGSU/Ohio contests tonight - for a while; I couldn't stay with them - it is sad to see how poorly supported football is in that conference, especially given Ohio's reputation as a big football state.

Miami has a pretty stadium, but good God, it was embarrassing to see almost nothing but silver bleachers.

xsteve1
11-16-2011, 11:59 PM
Agree that it is really sad to see all those empty seats. The football programs in the MAC have to be losing serious money.

Titanxman04
11-17-2011, 01:24 AM
Tough watching BGSU lose tonight. Tougher to see it happen in front of 300 some fans.

I don't think there is just that much appeal to MAC football right now, especially in the cold on a weeknight. Cheers to those who showed up, but aside from the die-hards and the "What the hell else is there to do?" folks, you're not going to bring many folks into the stadium. Back in the urban Meyer days at BGSU, that would be a different story there. However, when you're now 2-5 in your own shitty conference, my beloved Falcons are going to take a hit.

XUglow
11-17-2011, 08:35 AM
I guess ESPN money and buy-in games are the only things that keep these programs running.

Frambo
11-17-2011, 08:48 AM
Frambo Jr is a student assistant with the Bobcats, so I've been to a few of these MAC games. The OU-Marshall game was sold out (about 25,000) and the Ball State game was close to that. The MAC does sell it's soul to ESPN for these late weekday games, but the crowds can be deceptive. Last year we went to Eastern Michigan and the telecast looked like last night's crowds....but the cameras are on the home side of the stadium and you usually see the visitor's side. At Eastern last year, the home side was pretty full, but not many OU fans traveled to Ypsilanti on a weekday.

GoMuskies
11-17-2011, 08:51 AM
There's no home and visitors side in college football. And the crowds have to be severely depressed by the fact that the games are all played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Porkopolis
11-17-2011, 08:56 AM
When I attended Marshall in the 90s only a few MAC schools supported their programs (at the time BG was one of them). Whenever The Herd went on the road in conference it was basically a home game transported a few hundred miles to the west. My brother-in-law is a freshman at BG and I feel really bad for him when it comes to getting a fun gameday experience.

BTW, the MAC may not be a great conference but Marshall's current home in C-USA isn't much better. Somehow, though, there are teams there with fiercely loyal fan bases that fill the stands. There are also, of course, the UABs of the league that couldn't give away tickets. College football is a world of haves and have nots.

Frambo
11-17-2011, 09:00 AM
There's no home and visitors side in college football. And the crowds have to be severely depressed by the fact that the games are all played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The week night games do make a huge difference in the attendance for these games (last night at BG - 11804), but it must be worth it for ESPN $$$$ and exposure. No one would be watching if they were up against Alabama-LSU.

There are home and away sides. The 11,000 last night were on the press box side where the season tickets are and most of the home crowd sits. Students and visitors are usually on the opposite side. Next Tuesday, I'll be at OU for the Miami game. The "Home" side will be full, but outside of the Marching 110 and students...the "Visitor" seats might look a little sparse on ESPN2.

Kahns Krazy
11-17-2011, 10:12 AM
The BCS has made sure that non-BCS football is irrelevant. Can you blame students at a MAC school for not showing up for a Wednesday night game when ESPN tells them all day every day that their product is inferior and irrelevant?