"Follow the money." Deepthroat
This is a personal online journal to explore the money end of college football. The X's and O' are pretty well covered elsewhere but other forum see the money as the side show while the football game might be the side show.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
More Than You Know
Unless you've done the job you really do not understand the issues, hassles, and headache involved. Few jobs are a walk in the park and often the pay is in direct proportion to the energy, time, talent, and expertise. Such is the case for setting up a college football schedule for a team. A recent DevilsDigest.com interview of Mark Brand, Arizona State Associate Athletic Director give some insight into the difficulties involved in setting up an OOC schedule in college football.
Telling is the central player in scheduling. The Boy in Bristol--ESPN
Coercion being forced to act in a way counter to what you want by an external force is all too come a business tactic. A former Pepsi salesperson told stories punishing retailers that would not cooperate by helping local competition run Pepsi products at lower prices in an attempt to embarrass the uncooperative retailer. The plan was that the pressure would cause a change of heart and a realization that the Pepsi way was the right way.
Somewhat less aggressive, but still coercive, was (and maybe still is) the practice of General Mills that will coupon the hell out of a new product so consumers will flock to their local grocer demanding the latest variety of Cheerios. With retailer being forced to add the new product to appease customers.
Now the evil empire of sports is doing the same to push your local ISP to add ESPN360 to your cable service. Mimicking the cable model by getting a fixed payment per subscriber where Disney Sports gets one check for the ISP (saving the cost of selling the end user and collecting the fee) and hiding the cost. Some less aware people may think that ESPN360 is a free service as they do not see Disney as the reason that the bill went up rather that evil greed ISP raised the price echoing the increasing cost of cable television where the provider is blamed.
Two games this weekend demonstrate the coercion that ESPN is attempting Marshall at Virginia Tech and East Carolina at West Virginia. Please note that coercion need not be extreme and in fact slow steady pressure may be the most effective. Neither of these game are particularly ground breaking but then neither was allowed to be broadcast as regional games rather each were on ESPN360 only. With loyal Virginia Tech and West Virginia fans becoming use over the past several years of seeing their teams every week on television (cable or broadcast) emails and phone calls were made to ISP's urging them to add ESPN360. Visit http://mattsarzsports.com/football2009.aspx look at each week for the web only games and ask why would ESPN forgo the regional television revenue if they are not looking at more money from a steady check for all the customers of every ISP whether they want to watch the CFL or not.
So how much will it cost to buy a ticket to see a top 10 team? While their are many issues that influence the secondary market for tickets and these price are the "asked for" this gives a view of the level of fan support/interest.
1 Ohio State v. Ohio Corner 30 $114.00 each Corner endzone.
v. Michigan End Zone 34 B $439.00 each Other corner endzone.
Season Ticket $1699
2 Southern Cal v. Washington Upper End Zone $53.00 each Exact location TBD
v. Ohio State Upper End Zone $298.00 each Sunny California, bring your sunscreen.
Season Ticket: $799
3 Florida v. Hawaii Sunshine End Zone 324 $86.00 each SPF 40 or better for this opening game.
v. LSU Upper Corner 47 $251.00 each Sunshine not included in this endzone.
Season Ticket: $1225
4t Georgia v. Central Michigan Upper Level Sideline 611 $86.00 each Not in the endzone but you may suffer a nose bleed.
v. Alabama Upper Level Sideline 601 $208.00 each At the other goal line from sec. 611
Season Ticket: $990.00
4t Oklahoma v. UT Chattanooga Lower Level End Zone 15 $48.00 each Is the rodeo in town?
v. Nebraska Lower Level End Zone 15 $124.00 each If the Huskers get on a roll this could go higher.
Season Ticket: $500
6 Missouri v. Southeast Missouri Corner 5 $42.00 each But this is rivalry game?
v. Colorado Corner 5 $101.00 each Sideline BB $101.00 each Your choice of cheap seats
Season Ticket: None Listed
7 Clemson v. The Citadel Upper Sideline T $35.00 each v. South Carolina State Upper Sideline T $35.00 each Cupcakes are cheap.
South Carolina Upper Sideline T $225.00 each Probably the same seats as above and now is the time to cash in.
Season Ticket: $669
8 West Virginia v. Cincinnati Lower Level Green Zone $71.00 each Another ticket that may go up in value.
v. Auburn Upper Level Orange Zone $148.00 Upper deck, corner.
Season Ticket: $760
9 Louisiana State
v. Troy (2nd appearance) South 420 $50.00 each v. North Texas South 420 $50.00 each South Belt teams do not sell tickets.
.v Georgia West Upper 611 $255.00 each Thought the price would be higher.
Note: Appalachian State at LSU Football $74. Is this an opening day premium or respect?
Season Ticket: $600
10 Texas v. Florida Atlantic Upper Level Sideline 102 $57.00 each Again South Belt teams do not sell tickets.
v. Oklahoma Lower Level End Zone 31 $284.00 each Far and away the most expensive ticket for the Longhorns.
Season Ticket: $599
Question to think about with the secondary market for college football tickets: Does the big must see game depress the price of other games on the schedule?
Game of the week rules: looking for the most intriguing (not always the most important) game, home conference games only, every team must appear at least once.
Thursday, August 28 North Carolina State at South Carolina The Old Ball Coach is not getting any younger. Can the other USC be a contender? Heavy tune up against an ACC school.
Saturday, September 6 Miami at Florida Will the Canes be able to make this much of a game
Saturday, September 13 Georgia at South Carolina The Old Ball Coach is not getting any younger. Can the other USC be a contender? The real test.
Saturday, September 20 LSU at Auburn December preview?
Saturday, September 27 Mississippi State at LSU Last year this game was uglier than _____________ (reader’s choice). Can Sly narrow the gap?
Saturday, October 4 South Carolina at Ole Miss “We may not be #1 but we’re better than those guys game.”
Saturday, October 11 LSU at Florida Can Tebow lose here and win a second Heisman?
Saturday, October 18 Ole Miss at Alabama Arkansas at Kentucky Vanderbilt at Georgia LSU at South Carolina Mississippi State at Tennessee
Saturday, October 25 Georgia at LSU Championship game preview?
Duke at Vanderbilt So if Duke beats Northwestern and Vandy beats Duke then Vandy is the king of …
Saturday, November 1 Arkansas State at Alabama Florida vs. Georgia (Jacksonville)
Saturday, November 8 Alabama at LSU Saban returns
Saturday, November 15 Georgia at Auburn Championship game preview?
Saturday, November 22 The Citadel at Florida A true cupcake put at the end of the season.
Saturday, November 29 Auburn at Alabama Like Army v. Navy the next week this is the season in one afternoon. Georgia Tech at Georgia How ugly will this game get?
Game of the week rules: looking for the most intriguing (not always the most important) game, home conference games only, every team must appear at least once.
Saturday, August 30 Alabama vs. Clemson (Atlanta) Time for Tommy’s Tigers to start strong…or stumble out of the gate. Saturday, September 6 Northwestern at Duke Two teams looking for the right to say they’re the worst BCS program. Saturday, September 13 California at Maryland The Bears make a rare trip east for a match up with the Terps. This will be a more competitive game than the USC at UVA game last week. Saturday, September 20
Virginia Tech at North Carolina Tech starts strong but the Tar Heels might be able to Butch up and stop that trend. Saturday, September 27 South Florida at NC State A rematch of the 2005 Tire Bowl. Has Tom O’Brien’s team turned the corner? Can USF be a consistent team? Saturday, October 4
Florida State at Miami Two teams looking to assert their relevance in 2008 and beyond.
Thursday, October 9 Clemson at Wake Forest Time to check in on Tommy. Is this another feather in the cap or another trip up? Saturday, October 18 Virginia Tech at Boston College Can this be anywhere as entertaining as last year? Saturday, October 25
Virginia at Georgia Tech A battle for the middle. Neither team is a contender but you just want to become bowl eligible while avoiding being the last ACC school to visit the Smurf Turf in late December. Saturday, November 1 Duke at Wake Forest But basketball season is still a month away. Thursday, November 6 Maryland at Virginia Tech The game is not as interesting as the pattern that ESPN has set up. Tech plays on Thursday November 1 and 8. Then Miami plays on November 8 and 15.
Saturday, November 8 Notre Dame at Boston College Irish on Irish action…Brilliant.
Thursday, November 13 Virginia Tech at Miami The hand off game. Saturday, November 15 Duke at Clemson North Carolina at Maryland Wake Forest at NC State Basketball is getting closer.
Thursday, November 20 Miami at Georgia Tech The big ACC Thursday night finish? Paul Johnson did a great job at Navy but it is doubtful his first season at GT will be smooth sailing. Saturday, November 22
Clemson at Virginia Tommy watch #3 Saturday, November 29
South Carolina at Clemson Florida at Florida State Vanderbilt at Wake Forest Time to test the ACC against the SEC, “Are we a power conference yet?” Also Georgia Tech at Georgia.
Game of the week rules: looking for the most intriguing (not always the most important) game, home conference games only, every team must appear at least once.
Saturday, August 30 Wake Forest at Baylor --Three games in one weekend. Wake Forest is looking for consistency that will translate into national respect. A BCS win, even against Baylor would be could be another step on the road to national notability and a lose against the Bears would be two steps backward.
Colorado vs. Colorado State (Denver) A rivalry game to begin the season. As Martha Stewert would say, “It’s a good thing.”
Illinois vs. Missouri (St. Louis) The most important of the three games with the two upstarts of their respective conferences facing off at a neutral venue.
Saturday, September 6 Cincinnati at Oklahoma --The Bearcats are no longer a push over. If the Sooners are looking for the BSC Championship invitation, they need to take this game seriously.
Saturday, September 13 Iowa State at Iowa—With all the problem at IU, State has a good chance of narrowing the 36-19 series. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-fbc-isu-iowagame,0,866139.story
Thursday, September 18 West Virginia at Colorado—Will the Mountaineers be slowed down by the Buffs or the Rockies?
Saturday, September 20 Miami at Texas A&M—Can this game be as intriguing in 2008 as is was years ago when it was planned. Massachusetts at Texas Tech—UMass has hopefully locked in the airfare for this trip. Texas Tech could not find a closer cupcake?
Saturday, September 27 Virginia Tech at Nebraska-- The Hokies are expected to win this game but it will give Husker fans a measuring stick of how far the need to progress
***The TCU game has some potential but the rest are for true fans only. TCU at Oklahoma Troy at Oklahoma State Army at Texas A&M UL Lafayette at Kansas State
Saturday, October 4 Missouri at Nebraska--Again Husker fans are looking for hope in saying, "Wait 'til next year."
Saturday, October 11 Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas)--Classic match up for dominance in the south.
Saturday, October 18 Missouri at Texas--The Longhorns are looking a couple of real tests here.
Saturday, October 25 Oklahoma State at Texas--Possible key game for the Longhorns. If they are winning this could be a trap game while some key losses will have this game acting as a character test.
Saturday, November 1 Kansas State at Kansas--It is a cliche but rivlary games are just more fun.
Saturday, November 8 Oklahoma at Texas A&M--Will the 12th man be a factor against the Sooners?
Saturday, November 15 Texas A&M at Baylor; Oklahoma State at Colorado; Missouri at Iowa State; Texas at Kansas; Nebraska at Kansas State--Nothing jumps out here in May.
Saturday, November 22 Iowa State at Kansas State--Late in the season these teams may be fighting for their 6th win.
Friday, November 28 Texas A&M at Texas--Does Texas have a bullseye on their uniform?
Saturday, November 29 Kansas vs. Missouri (Kansas City)--One city in two states
Mike Tranghese might think about packing something along with his toothbrush, a copy of Desomd Conner's recent article ECU Ready For Big East, If League Wants It on an upcoming trip to Florida. Maybe several copies.
Mike should opt to drive from Providence maybe stop at some schools along the way for informal meet and greets. Let's see Wilmington, Delaware; Fairfax, Virginia; Greenville, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; and Athens, Georgia. In each of those locations pay a visit to the respective AD and university president for a casual lunch or dinner. While sitting down with Terry Holland at East Carolina accidentally have a copy of the article sitting out in plan view and if that isn't enough to get things started prop the article up with the following part highlighted:
The school should be willing to:
--Play a conference football schedule with zero compensation from the Big East so current members don't have to give up any of their share of revenue.
--Be responsible for negotiating a television contract for home games until the league wants the school to be a part of its package.
--Not expect any of the league's BCS revenue until earning a BCS bid of its own representing the conference.
--Come in as a football member only. Other sports would play in another league in order to not interfere with the league's current 16-member setup for all other sports.
--Show a solid track record of putting fans in the seats at home, on the road and at bowl games -- all on a trial basis for a few years.
Then while AD's and presidents of the Big East schools will be having there annual meeting in Amelia Island leave several more copies sitting in plan view (highlight as needed). After they slap each other on the back and the Rutgers v. Notre Dame have a cold shoulder contest maybe some brighter people attending will take notice and start a conversation about the idea of East Carolina making an interesting new member...under the right conditions. Plant the seed so they can adjourn until next year with big smiles on their faces more than just a successful year in football and basketball...a more secure future.
Any offer like this if genuine solves the expansion issue and the scheduling problem in one stroke.
As discussed here earlier UConn was in talks with Notre Dame for a seven game series in whick none of the games will be true home games for the Huskies. There would be four in South Bend and three played in large stadiums in the New England/New York metro areas.
The requirement for six home games was inserted into the deal by the state legislature because as we all know all elected officials are top notch AD material. This is a big gamble for the young program but one that if successful will put them on the map in college football.
Rutgers and their recent success (note the high profile of the 2006 Louisville game) in a separate but probably related announcement broke off talks with the Golden Domers as they respectfully declined to cede there home field for the chance the play the gods of gridiron. Had Notre Dame been able to pull off both these deals they may have had the framework for the humorously proposedIrish Bowl in New York. The question for the Scarlet Knights is, "Can we generate as much attention for out program without Notre Dame?"
Thursday night ESPN games on September 11 against an improving North Carolina team and December 4 against a questionable Louisville squad are this years chances to shine at home in North Jersey.
Which campus will fear the visit the Ghost of Scheduling Past?
Colt Brennan should brush up on his Blue Hawaii sound track as the University of Hawaii will find it difficult to be the next Boise State and deliver the pot of gold from the end of their Rainbow (bad pun intended). The members of the WAC recently celebrated Christmas in July as they were sent there shares of the $14.3 million in BCS money that the Broncos brought to the conference. The real Christmas season in December may not be nearly as kind for the BCS and Heisman. The problem is the new 12 game schedule, finding opponents willing to make the trip and the devaluing of that extra game for Hawaii.
By this time, the university had what the NCAA called the "Hawaii exemption", a rule that allowed Mainland teams to add one extra game to their schedule to play here in the islands. The Rainbow Warriors took advantage of the rule to schedule such notable programs as Oklahoma, USC, and other big name schools.
2007 Schedule DATE OPPONENT 09/02 Northern Colorado 09/08 at La Tech 09/15 at UNLV 09/23 Charleston Southern 09/29 at Idaho 10/07 Utah St 10/12 at San Jose St 10/28 New Mexico St 11/10 Fresno St 11/16 at Nevada 11/23 Boise St 12/01 Washington
The problem for Colt and the Rainbows is a schedule with not one but two D1AA schools and a conference that besides Boise does not earn the winner a great deal of respect. Those looking for a mid-major BCS crasher would be better served by jumping on the TCU bandwagon of they beat Texas September 8th.
"Hello, Disney Well Hello Disney" Now imagine Louis Armstrong singing the tune without Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau or a grotesquely over the top, even for a musical ending. Those of you young enough to have missed this 1969 hit film are indeed fortunate. However, for the purpose of today's entry, Hello, Dolly is about a matchmaker in 1890's New York. The key word here is matchmaker, helping couples get together like a personal eHarmony. This is something that our friends at Disney Sports are also in the business of by bringing us last season's Vandy at Michigan (not the most exciting).
West Virginia University found itself with a void in their schedule as the University of Maryland is taking a break from the 25 plus year annual series to play University of California (Berkley). WVU has been searching for a BCS opponent and finally made a call to ESPN for help. The matchmaker with the help of $200,000 found Colorado recently jilted by University of North Carolina and the deal was done. WVU will travel to Bolder in 2008 and the Buff's will visit Morgantown in 2009.
Yes, ESPN is the Barbra Streisand of the sports world.
So for the winner these are cupcake games then to the losing side these are "body bag" games. Given the financial needs can these teams afford not to play for the big payday.
The proposal, which will likely be finalized this summer, calls for the eight Sun Belt football schools to play at least 11 home football games in a two-year period. That would cut down on road games against top Division I-A teams that often pay as much as $600,000 a game.
This would not only mean the lose of $600,000 but the expense of paying another team and the lost opportunity to pull the big upset. The , "Playing only four home games is no way build your fan base," argument has merit and remind one of the paradox of the first time job seeker--employers want experienced workers but if you never get a job you will never be qualified.
Remembering our basics of Econ 101 if the supply of cupcakes declines while the demand stays the same then the price will rise so the total revenue may not decline as much as on might expect.
Parting shot--How much will it cost the elite team that gets beaten by a member of the Sun Belt Conference See: Taking A Win For Grant----ed from last August
You know that voice that Hollywood would use for that rich spoiled man discussing how things are going at the yacht club and how wonderful those dinner parties are that Muffy throws after the polo game are (a clinched jaw helps). Use that voice while reading: Martin repeated his scheduling philosophy, stating that Michigan will not sign a two-for-one contract -- offering a game at a small stadium -- under his watch.
"It's very difficult to leave the largest stadium in the country to go play in a 30 or 40,000-seat stadium," he said. ( U-M athletic director Bill Martin)
Perhaps the Wolverines would like the more intament feel of the small of venue and connect with the fan.
One needs to question Mike O'Brien about accepting a mere $500,000 for their trip to The Big and Arrogant House as SEC teams are willing to pay much more for a win.
One more quote, "Yet Martin said he could envision facing a smaller school at a professional stadium, such as the Meadowlands just outside New York City." Is this a message or just a fleeting idea. Would a MAC team make the trip to Gotham for the chance to play the might UM? Would Michigan football sell in the Big Apple?
Twelve years working for a food broker, a degree in marketing, and reading the Wall Street Journal are the feedstock for this blog. Currently I teach business education classes at a high school.
