Didn’t they try that for a while but could not get the interest in the north?I agree. Have them in multiple locations around the state.
Didn’t they try that for a while but could not get the interest in the north?I agree. Have them in multiple locations around the state.
Could be. My memory ain't what it used to be.Didn’t they try that for a while but could not get the interest in the north?
Cam Cameron took the coaches and, I believe, a few players on a barnstorming tour around the state. I took my kids to see them on the gridiron plaza in front of the then College Football HOF in South Bend. IIRC there were a couple hundred fans milling about.Didn’t they try that for a while but could not get the interest in the north?
Summer outings have been a regular occurrence for decades. Most are golf events and typically involve the football coach (not all of ours were golfers, but they still made appearances at the post-round reception. In Ft. Wayne, that’s been a Tom Kelley deal for years (he played at IU, as I’m sure you know), and a FW VC stalwart was always involved (I’m sure my stalkers are furiously googling who that could be). Players weren’t a part of it but the head coach , I recall playing with at least five of them) and assistants were common participants.Off topic to some extent but IUFB could sure benefit from a Huber like event in the North 1/3 of the state every year too. Would be satisfying to loyal fans attending, good for fundraising in the NIL environment + hopefully IU could discover/develop/steal an in state talent. Gotta be 3-4 dozen venues suitable. 3 cents.
Wouldn't moving our rivalry game be disruptive to all of the other rivalry games, since they’d have to shift the schedule to help us (and Purdue)? The only potentially practicable option would be to take one of the weeks where we don’t play during the season and move our open date to the end. This would create yet another disadvantage for us and while negatively other teams via scheduling, which is why it will never occur.Now is the time for the AD to advocate for moving the Bucket game to earlier in the year. It's a travesty that our rivalry game occurs when most our students have left for Thanksgiving. The game would be so much more fun in Sept/Oct with students on campus, better weather, and when we still have some hope of doing something in the season. Sucks to play your rival the final game of the season when you only have 4 wins and know that pride is the only thing you're playing for. Last game of the season is great for big rivalries like OSU-Michigan, and it's really awful for struggling programs.
Having it Thanksgiving weekend hurt the students often keeping them from attending the game. I don't think it will get moved too early in the season if it gets moved at all.Now is the time for the AD to advocate for moving the Bucket game to earlier in the year. It's a travesty that our rivalry game occurs when most our students have left for Thanksgiving. The game would be so much more fun in Sept/Oct with students on campus, better weather, and when we still have some hope of doing something in the season. Sucks to play your rival the final game of the season when you only have 4 wins and know that pride is the only thing you're playing for. Last game of the season is great for big rivalries like OSU-Michigan, and it's really awful for struggling programs.
I didn't used to feel that way, but agree 100% with the way it is today.Now is the time for the AD to advocate for moving the Bucket game to earlier in the year. It's a travesty that our rivalry game occurs when most our students have left for Thanksgiving. The game would be so much more fun in Sept/Oct with students on campus, better weather, and when we still have some hope of doing something in the season. Sucks to play your rival the final game of the season when you only have 4 wins and know that pride is the only thing you're playing for. Last game of the season is great for big rivalries like OSU-Michigan, and it's really awful for struggling programs.
The Bucket game would be disruptive to all of the other rivalry games? You mean like the O$U/Michigan game?Wouldn't moving our rivalry game be disruptive to all of the other rivalry games, since they’d have to shift the schedule to help us (and Purdue)? The only potentially practicable option would be to take one of the weeks where we don’t play during the season and move our open date to the end. This would create yet another disadvantage for us and while negatively other teams via scheduling, which is why it will never occur.
Our solution to poor attendance is to build a winning program. Gimmicks and sleight of hand efforts won’t help us a bit.
Moving the game debate pops up every couple of years.Having it Thanksgiving weekend hurt the students often keeping them from attending the game. I don't think it will get moved too early in the season if it gets moved at all.
Even you should be able to understand how moving a rivalry game away from the last weekend of the year wouldn’t impact others in the BT.The Bucket game would be disruptive to all of the other rivalry games? You mean like the O$U/Michigan game?
lmao. What are you smoking?
IU v PUke doesn’t move the media needle so move it to the front end of the schedule and help both programs sell tickets.As I understand it, moving the rivalries to the end of the year was also an attempt to keep the BT in the media eye. Otherwise, prior to the BT Championship there was a 1-2 week gap where other conferences were playing and playing their championships, with the BT on the sidelines. I think the thought was that time off hurt the teams in the polls (out of sight, out of mind).
Maybe go back to rivalry week before Thanksgiving for the entire BT, and then slate interesting matchups for Thanksgiving, a traditional travel week. MSU to USC for Sparty against Sparty, PSU to UCLA (Lions v. Bears), Michigan to Minny (Varmit Bowl), Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, Rutgers and Indiana (Hoosiers and Knights), Nebraska at Maryland and Purdue/Northwestern. I'd look at where the largest out-of-state alumni population is for a school (based around a rival school) and schedule for that as well.
I understand the issue of playing the week of Thanksgiving but it’s very likely an all or nothing issue from a logistical standpoint.As I understand it, moving the rivalries to the end of the year was also an attempt to keep the BT in the media eye. Otherwise, prior to the BT Championship there was a 1-2 week gap where other conferences were playing and playing their championships, with the BT on the sidelines. I think the thought was that time off hurt the teams in the polls (out of sight, out of mind).
Maybe go back to rivalry week before Thanksgiving for the entire BT, and then slate interesting matchups for Thanksgiving, a traditional travel week. MSU to USC for Sparty against Sparty, PSU to UCLA (Lions v. Bears), Michigan to Minny (Varmit Bowl), Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, Rutgers and Indiana (Hoosiers and Knights), Nebraska at Maryland and Purdue/Northwestern. I'd look at where the largest out-of-state alumni population is for a school (based around a rival school) and schedule for that as well.
IMHO these rivalry games belong either at the end of the season to sell tickets on a cold day when one or both teams might be terribleMoving the Bucket Game would satisfy us and most likely the PUkes but also would be another game to have/get the students engaged. It's the Bucket rivalry that's paramount in Indiana. The others will have no trouble fending for themselves.
It would cause some disruption but I'd bet there are workable solutions. Other conferences manage - UT/Oklahoma, Iowa/Iowa State, for example, play mid-season. We could look for a non-conference solution for the last game, Penn State has no rival in the new model and could serve as a last game occasionally, Rutgers and Maryland are protected rivals but only play the last game of the season about half the time historically, MSU/Penn State lost their protected rivalry leaving MSU with flexibility for the last game of the season. I'm sure there are more options, but there are certainly options in the new scheduling model.Wouldn't moving our rivalry game be disruptive to all of the other rivalry games, since they’d have to shift the schedule to help us (and Purdue)? The only potentially practicable option would be to take one of the weeks where we don’t play during the season and move our open date to the end. This would create yet another disadvantage for us and while negatively other teams via scheduling, which is why it will never occur.
Our solution to poor attendance is to build a winning program. Gimmicks and sleight of hand efforts won’t help us a bit.
Neither of the rivalries you cite are really applicable, since they were both intersectional games ((OU-UT was a rivalry between two schools from the old Big 8 and SWC conferences, with Iowa-ISU is the same. OU’s traditional rivalry game was the season ending battle with Nebraska). I’m sure there’s a way to make it work, but the disruptions would be obvious. It would also make the last game a very low priority from a fan’s standpoint, which would likely hurt attendance. Shouldn’t we just build a winning program to drive demand, instead?It would cause some disruption but I'd bet there are workable solutions. Other conferences manage - UT/Oklahoma, Iowa/Iowa State, for example, play mid-season. We could look for a non-conference solution for the last game, Penn State has no rival in the new model and could serve as a last game occasionally, Rutgers and Maryland are protected rivals but only play the last game of the season about half the time historically, MSU/Penn State lost their protected rivalry leaving MSU with flexibility for the last game of the season. I'm sure there are more options, but there are certainly options in the new scheduling model.
Those were two examples, there are numerous others. You conveniently ignored the Big 10 teams that I listed (MSU, Penn State, Rutgers, and Maryland) that also do not have solidified final games. Any of them would be fine in rotation for the last game. There are clear options within conference and options external to the conference. I'd rather sacrifice lower attendance for Rutgers/any others to consistently have a bucket game that feels more energetic, that all the students are in town for, and that the stadium is sold out or nearly sold out for. What should be our biggest game of the year has become a pitiful shell of itself, and the only reason is the "tradition" of the calendar. Stupid.Neither of the rivalries you cite are really applicable, since they were both intersectional games ((OU-UT was a rivalry between two schools from the old Big 8 and SWC conferences, with Iowa-ISU is the same. OU’s traditional rivalry game was the season ending battle with Nebraska). I’m sure there’s a way to make it work, but the disruptions would be obvious. It would also make the last game a very low priority from a fan’s standpoint, which would likely hurt attendance. Shouldn’t we just build a winning program to drive demand, instead?
The easiest fix is to make it before Thanksgiving weekend, rather than after. And we’d obviously have a huge crowd (including students) if we had a sustainably winning program, as this is an issue only for programs that don’t consistently win. It’s not the calendar that is to blame. Regardless, there’s no chance it’s moving away from the end of the season.Those were two examples, there are numerous others. You conveniently ignored the Big 10 teams that I listed (MSU, Penn State, Rutgers, and Maryland) that also do not have solidified final games. Any of them would be fine in rotation for the last game. There are clear options within conference and options external to the conference. I'd rather sacrifice lower attendance for Rutgers/any others to consistently have a bucket game that feels more energetic, that all the students are in town for, and that the stadium is sold out or nearly sold out for. What should be our biggest game of the year has become a pitiful shell of itself, and the only reason is the "tradition" of the calendar. Stupid.
No chance? You do realize that there’s been a lot of talk about moving OSU/UM to mid season? If they can move the marquee game in CFB, they can move the bucket game.The easiest fix is to make it before Thanksgiving weekend, rather than after. And we’d obviously have a huge crowd (including students) if we had a sustainably winning program, as this is an issue only for programs that don’t consistently win. It’s not the calendar that is to blame. Regardless, there’s no chance it’s moving away from the end of the season.
Didn’t realize there’s been a lot of talk of moving the UM-OSU game. Who’s saying that’s going to happen, or that it’s a realistic possibility? Thanks.No chance? You do realize that there’s been a lot of talk about moving OSU/UM to mid season? If they can move the marquee game in CFB, they can move the bucket game.
Why do you think Purdue hasn’t had the same attendance issues, particularly with students, that we’ve had with regard to the OOB game? I was there for the last two games when we played at Purdue, and the stands were full, including their student section.Until winning consistently move the Bucket game. If both programs would agree for the 2 way benefit of having students in the stands then it's a done deal. The B1G knuckles to much more frivolous changes than this not considering attendance.
That's better, but I still don't love it. IU now gives students the whole week of Thanksgiving off (Nov. 18-26 this year). A lot of students are going to head home for the holiday as soon as they can. It would be different if we had a strong program and history of support, but we don't.The easiest fix is to make it before Thanksgiving weekend, rather than after. And we’d obviously have a huge crowd (including students) if we had a sustainably winning program, as this is an issue only for programs that don’t consistently win. It’s not the calendar that is to blame. Regardless, there’s no chance it’s moving away from the end of the season.
Moving it to the week before Tgiving solves nothing and your point about when students leave is one of the primary reasons.That's better, but I still don't love it. IU now gives students the whole week of Thanksgiving off (Nov. 18-26 this year). A lot of students are going to head home for the holiday as soon as they can. It would be different if we had a strong program and history of support, but we don't.
A forgotten component is that there are folks like me who live thousands of miles away and only occasionally make it back to games because of that. I believe I'd make it back more years than I do now if the Bucket game were at a different time. I'm not paying Thanksgiving week flight prices and disrupting a holiday week to come back to for the Bucket game. I'd gladly fly back in early or mid-season every other year for it.
It's true that the most important part of fan engagement and driving attendance is putting a winning product on the field. IU hasn't properly invested or managed football to do that, and we have some big built in hurdles thanks to history, location, and bad luck. But the IU admin has to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. More than one thing matters, and it doesn't hurt to intentionally create good experiences where you can. Moving the bucket game, imo, should be high on the list of things to do to intentionally create more good IU football experiences for students and the average, casual, or bandwagon fan. The die hards will be there no matter what.
While I don't think moving the game is likely, I don't think it's "no chance." The B1G isn't the same B1G anymore. Everything appears up for discussion. Besides, it's still nice to use a useless message board to dream a little.