Of the bowl games I've seen.....

[HoozierDaddy]

Attendance has been awful. I think they had about 2,000 people at the Bahamas Bowl and now Ford Field is about 25% full for the Rutgers game. These games can't be producing any money.

I'd like to think starting next year, when we go bowling, that we'd have a better showing from our fans. Of course, most would probably never leave the tailgate lot.

 

[Go-IU-Win]

We went to the Insight Bowl game in 07 and IU had a strong turnout, at least 10k.


Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Nat Hill IV]

It's all about TV

USA Today reports that television, not live attendance, is driving the bowl-game bus.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/12/25/college-football-bowl-games-attendance-bahamas-camellia-espn/20896969/


http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/12/25/college-football-bowl-games-attendance-bahamas-camellia-espn/20896969/

 

[Irregulars]

We had a big turnout...but I think the closer the game to New Years the

Bigger the attendence. These early games especially sandwiched around Christmas are killers for attendence.

 

[farfan]

was just thinking the same thing

Some of these stadiums look practically empty.
Obviously, that will change as the meatier bowls get going, but t looks so sad.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[IU Scott]

There are about 20 to many bowl games

and most people don't care about these no name bowl games with two teams that nobody really knows who they are.

 

[Daydreamer]

There aren't "too many" bowl games.

If there were, some of them would fold.

 

[Tony20]

Exactly...look at first and second round of NCAA Tourney...

games. Some of the gyms are half full at best. All TV...nothing else matters.

 

[GoBigRed83]

I seems to remember reading that ESPN owns most of these events so they are certainly a "made for TV event".

While many are sparcely attended I am sure the host cities are happy to have the visitors and O look forward to seeing IU play in a bowl this time next year regardless of how minor.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Daydreamer]

ESPN owns a few games

but nowhere near most of them and ESPN does make a profit on the ones they own. The vast majority are still owned by non-profit corporations. The bowl games mirror what's going on all across college football- TV is becoming more important than attendance.

 

[BayernFan]

First, IU isn't going bowling next year.

Second, there is too much competition for fans' entertainment dollars to fork over a couple grand to go to and watch a little bowl game over the holidays. Hardcore fans will do it, but there aren't enough of them to fill 50,000-70,000 seat stadiums.

The way to go to get $$ and interest for the entire month of December is to do what other NCAA Divisions do....... a 32 team playoff.

 

[peytonrules]

And why isn't iu going bowling next year? You seem like a hater more than a fan. Go follow bill lynch in D 3 football
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[Daydreamer]

A 32 team playoff will never happen

At least not without a significant change to the current scheduling format, like a reduction to a 10 game regular season, the elimination of conference championship games, and starting the season mid-August so the championship can be wrapped up by New Years.
For starters, there's no way the NCAA will let kids play 18 games, though finals and holidays. Even if they did, the logistics are nearly impossible. You'd be asking schools to put together home football games involving hundreds of employees with a weeks notice and asking 80-100K fans to attend said games week after week during the holidays at the cost of $75-100 (at least) per ticket plus travel expenses.

Not going to happen.




This post was edited on 12/27 5:48 PM by Daydreamer

 

[Bligedy]

There are too many games at those levels too...

The Wabash vs Franklin game wasn't playoff caliber football but someone had to make it. Not sure how that's different than bowl games

This post was edited on 12/27 4:42 PM by Bligedy

 

[GoBigRed83]

Hope you are wrong and IU goes bowling even if it is a "no name minor bowl"
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[Vididiot]

Actually, it was closer to 15K.***

ju

This post was edited on 12/28 10:58 AM by Vididiot

 

[Vididiot]

The worst was the Hawaii Bowl with Rice and...

Fresno State. The stadium was almost empty. It figures that when there are 2 teams with mediocre records that don't have big followings to begin with and the bowl trip is halfway around the world and very expensive to attend, attendance will suck. The only time that bowl was even decently attended was when Hawaii was one of the participants.

 

[Vididiot]

He's just a realist. Rice, Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis,...

Central Michigan, Louisiana Tech, Duke, Kansas State, N.C. State, Bowling Green, S. Alabama, Illinois, these teams all go to bowls. IU does not go to bowls.