Hearing:

[KaiserUEO]

This game should be a better barometer whether or not SU can at least compete in the crowd. I'm not defending it, but I think too many fans figured that we had absolutely no chance against USC, didn't belong on the field with them.

Penn State is a long time rival, and right now they should be considered much more beatable than USC last year at that time.

If this doesn't work, I guess we can blame Labor Day? Who knows. But the two against ND aren't going to be moved. So if we can't show up for those 2 games, then yeah, scrap the plan for the future.

10,000 - 15,000 orange clad people in MSG can turn that building upside down. 10,000 - 15,000 orange clad people in MetLife, and they'll be the very noticeable minority. If that's our ceiling, then the plan won't work.

theyre not getting out of this and nor should they.

whats the break even/drop the series point??

Syracuse is making $$ on this so they dont care.

figure 20k cars parking at $30 is 600k.

figure 40k fans at an avg of $80 is 3.2million.

lets round up, thats $4million for just opening up the gates of an empty stadium and letting people play a little football. after pay outs to the teams, and the concession guys...its win/win for the metlife folk.

now if they get 60k and 30k cars...$$$$$$$$

just move this game off labor day weekends and the sat of a Giants home game.

ill sign up for another thurs/sat like last year though........

 

[Chip]

theyre not getting out of this and nor should they.

whats the break even/drop the series point??

Syracuse is making $$ on this so they dont care.

figure 20k cars parking at $30 is 600k.

figure 40k fans at an avg of $80 is 3.2million.

lets round up, thats $4million for just opening up the gates of an empty stadium and letting people play a little football. after pay outs to the teams, and the concession guys...its win/win for the metlife folk.

now if they get 60k and 30k cars...$$$$$$$$

just move this game off labor day weekends and the sat of a Giants home game.

ill sign up for another thurs/sat like last year though........

The amount of money they're making is certainly the key. But just keep in mind that at the time SU scheduled the USC, Penn State, ND games, and even when they announced the future games, they were still a program stuck in the Big East. No conference revenue. Lucky to draw 40k at home.

How much does the ACC and its money change that?

To me, SU needs to keep its eye on its reputation as part of that analysis. Branding SU in the city works so well because when people think MSG and college hoops, they think Syracuse first and foremost. But if we schedule all these football teams and we're consistently outpaced at the gate, it's going to look bad. It should look like we have our half of the stadium, and so does the other team (more or less). It can't be look at all the blue and white (or green), oh and there's a cute little (10k) orange slice in that section of the stadium.

So many people in this country are geographically challenged about where SU is in relation to NYC. Even "smart" people in the media. I can't tell you how many times when I tell people in the Metro DC area that I'm originally from CNY, they say "oh cool, I love NYC!". My response is usually "yeah, I live closer to it now". How is it going to look when so many people think SU is about an hour away and has less than 1/3 the crowd?

Winning the games can cure some of that. But losing the game and looking like the away team better mean that we're making considerably more $ than we would for a Dome game.

I was a huge fan of the NYC games when announced. I still am. But I just think the ACC big boy table means it's worth another look, and at least one more spreadsheet.

 

[All4SU]

I claim anyone dressed in white for this game as an SU fan...plus anyone in orange, of course. Some of the blue is Syracuse too. PSU only gets the blue with PSU on the front

 

[CaliCuse]

We need WRs that can 1) get separation and 2) win 50/50 balls.

Until I see that in a game, I'm going to be worried.

Worrying is part of the process when the team has so many questions unanswered up to the kickoff. By the time the whistle blows and the ball is kicked I am pretty much a mess. I know that many here will think thats merely status quo. Yeah very funny. If you aren't geared up to a frenzy ,you aren't a real Orangemen fan.

 

[Full_Rebar]

theyre not getting out of this and nor should they.

whats the break even/drop the series point??

Syracuse is making $$ on this so they dont care..

I thought SU got $5 million for last year's game alone- anyone hear something different?

 

[Chip]

I claim anyone dressed in white for this game as an SU fan...plus anyone in orange, of course. Some of the blue is Syracuse too. PSU only gets the blue with PSU on the front

Can we have gray too? We get a lot of that.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Can we have gray too? We get a lot of that.

dont see why not.

nike made gray an official color for the school and the hoop team a number of years ago.

come to think of it, they should have that new alma mater done any day now.

 

[Chip]

I thought SU got $5 million for last year's game alone- anyone hear something different?

$5M would be a tough number to compete with. Even if that's all inclusive (gate, concessions, parking, etc.). Subtract the cost of getting the team down there and staying over at least one night. But how much would that dent?

Even a full Dome at full price (which we never get), you figure what, 50k people (sigh) * average price of $50 (again, sigh), that's $2.5M, less the cost of operating the Dome. Throw in concessions and parking.

I think the math would still greatly favor NYC.

Question remains, to me, is that extra $ worth it, if SU isn't showing up in droves and therefore not holding its own on the marketing SU in NYC side of the house. Because we're in a safer, more revenue generating place now.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

When was the last time SU had 4 return td's in a season (special teams and d)? I hope your predictions are as good as your avatar choices.

Quinton Spotswood perhaps?

 

[Full_Rebar]

$5M would be a tough number to compete with. Even if that's all inclusive (gate, concessions, parking, etc.). Subtract the cost of getting the team down there and staying over at least one night. But how much would that dent?

Even a full Dome at full price (which we never get), you figure what, 50k people (sigh) * average price of $50 (again, sigh), that's $2.5M, less the cost of operating the Dome. Throw in concessions and parking.

I think the math would still greatly favor NYC.

Question remains, to me, is that extra $ worth it, if SU isn't showing up in droves and therefore not holding its own on the marketing SU in NYC side of the house. Because we're in a safer, more revenue generating place now.

From what I've been told, your math is right. The MetLife games brought SU double what a sold-out Dome would...not sure SU would turn that down, plus the fact that it seems to be a popular idea with the tri-state area boosters.

 

[dollarbill44]

Good points, wtih Broyld/Estime I think the ability for bigger plays is there. In fact thats probably the one aspect Marrone and Hackett could never get going offensively in there four years here. Every scoring drive had to be a 12-15 play series where as you noted scheme and execution were critical because we werent getting much YAC or any big plays ( 30 yards +). My only concern is that if the WR's struggle we have to resort to a short passing game that teams eventually catch up to (see the 2011 season). Regardless of who wins the QB battle I hope they are prepared to take a few shots deep and really utilize that 15-25 yard intermediate passing game. Last year Hackett and Marrone really started throwing the ball downfield after the Rutgers game and we were torchign teams with it (USF/Mizzou etc)

Don't lose sight of the fact that Pugh didn't come back until the Rutgers game. The improved OL play from that point forward was a huge factor in the success of the offense.

 

[FAL]

Don't lose sight of the fact that Pugh didn't come back until the Rutgers game. The improved OL play from that point forward was a huge factor in the success of the offense.

So friggin' true! And wasn't Lemon out as well?

 

[JeremyCuse]

Don't lose sight of the fact that Pugh didn't come back until the Rutgers game. The improved OL play from that point forward was a huge factor in the success of the offense.

I agree Pugh was a huge help, but he was out for the NW game where SU was passing the ball like we had reincarnated the fun and gun Florida teams of the early 90's.

 

[dollarbill44]

I agree Pugh was a huge help, but he was out for the NW game where SU was passing the ball like we had reincarnated the fun and gun Florida teams of the early 90's.

But NW had no D. Stoney Brook's D was better than NW.

 

[Scooch]

From what I've been told, your math is right. The MetLife games brought SU double what a sold-out Dome would...not sure SU would turn that down, plus the fact that it seems to be a popular idea with the tri-state area boosters.

I would love to know if this is true, because I'm skeptical to be honest. Maybe we make more than we do with a full Dome. Double seems excessive.

Would love to know.

And it's so popular that we sell 20K tickets, some of which is probably to CNYers who travel downstate. So... not super popular.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I certainly understand the skepticism, but from what I'm told, the AD doesn't get any of the parking money, however they are responsible for paying the SPD officers(typically overtime). Not sure how the concessions money is shared, but I'll see if I can find out. The way that SU figures out finances is what limits some of the Athletics income for football and hoops.

The popularity I was referring to was some of the big donor$ in that area- not in the ticket sales. Bottom line is that the impetus for playing games at MetLife is primarily financial with the recruiting benefit secondary.

 

[chakka3421]

$5 million is correct.

Remember this deal with MetLife was done way before our entry into the ACC. The good Doctor needed revenue sources (look at our in the black budget) and you aren't going to get that at the Dome at $20 per ticket in a half empty stadium. The minimum price for a ticket should be $50 - CNYers have no appreciation - and the Dome should be full every game at that price point.

 

[anomander]

SU could have easily lost to Pitt, South Florida and Mizz last year... so sure if we caught a couple more breaks in a coulpe more games we could have been 10-2 or we could have won 4 games (no bowl win if we lose to USF, Mizz and Pitt in the regular season)...

Not trying to be negative, I think we have as deep a squad as we have had since Coach P, just being realistic. Rutgers had some drops too if I remember correctly, they could have beat us by multiple TD's.

Overall my opninion is other than Wanger and Tulane... we could lose to any team on the schedule... but I also honestly believe we can beat any team on the schedule... Florida State and Clemson will be tough-- but they aren't Bama or LSU good.

actually we out gained EVERYBODY last season except USC, and some of those games (NW, Rutgers) by a ton, so really we could have been 10-2.