Marinatto Has Thrown Down the Gauntlet

[orangenirvana]

They'd need to start up a new team first.

Marinatto wouldn't let something that minor stand in the way of his expansion plans. Hofstra is a sleeping giant.

 

[kingottoiii]

Just jumping into this thread, outside of Charlotte and maybe the Danny, that's about what you have in the ACC. Raleigh can host it also. Baltimore is a shade too north and too provincial and Atlanta is owned by the SEC.

That is my point. I don't think any location can guarantee 50k at its site. The ACC might have to go with the highest BCS school as host. Then make sure that 10k seats are available to the road team.

 

[Bayside44]

I think your best bet is those 3 locations. Outside of something like Duke playing Wake those three stadiums can get to 50K with just about everyone. Trying to shove this event in Florida was a major mistake based on the false assumptions of Miami and FSU. DC and Carolina are a lot more into the ACC and have the population to support it.

 

[SU2NASA]

The ACC football schools feel the same way about Syracuse and Pitt.

It depends on where the game is. If it's in Florida or Georgia, true story for SU, Pitt, BC (as we've seen). If it's in NY, true for GT, Wake, UNC, Miami.

People don't want to go to these conference championship games when there's BCS games and bowl games a few weeks later. Outside of the major programs, you're not going to fill stadiums a thousand miles away.

I don't know why they don't go with home championship games for the higher seed - guaranteed sellout in most places.

 

[kingottoiii]

I think your best bet is those 3 locations. Outside of something like Duke playing Wake those three stadiums can get to 50K with just about everyone. Trying to shove this event in Florida was a major mistake based on the false assumptions of Miami and FSU. DC and Carolina are a lot more into the ACC and have the population to support it.

Well we might see this year if Wake and GA Tech play. It might be better to move it to Carter Finley. A lot easier to sell 58k tickets than 74k. And NC St is never that good.

 

[Moontan]

I still disagree with that. Wake would bring how many to Charlotte? Maybe 15k? If they can't get 30k at home how would they get people to travel to Charlotte? UVA and MD would bring 10k each? Neither are known as travelling fanbases. Also they likely wouldn't know for sure that they are in the ACC CG until a week before. Would Duke bring anyone? They have a small fanbase and most of their alumni aren't in NC. So really IMO that is 4 out of 14 that would bring significant numbers to the game. No way you get 50k there if one of those 4 is not in it.

GT is only 4 hours from Charlotte.
I've driven further for games to Tampa and New Orleans. I'd make the drive. I don't know how many GT fans would, but they could if they wanted to.

 

[Chip]

I still disagree with that. Wake would bring how many to Charlotte? Maybe 15k? If they can't get 30k at home how would they get people to travel to Charlotte? UVA and MD would bring 10k each? Neither are known as travelling fanbases. Also they likely wouldn't know for sure that they are in the ACC CG until a week before. Would Duke bring anyone? They have a small fanbase and most of their alumni aren't in NC. So really IMO that is 4 out of 14 that would bring significant numbers to the game. No way you get 50k there if one of those 4 is not in it.

But what's the alternative if Duke or Wake make it into the game? Cancel it? Can't play in their 30k band boxes. So you're stuck either way.

 

[SU2NASA]

Well we might see this year if Wake and GA Tech play. It might be better to move it to Carter Finley. A lot easier to sell 58k tickets than 74k. And NC St is never that good.

At least it would be in Charlotte.

 

[kingottoiii]

GT is only 4 hours from Charlotte.
I've driven further for games to Tampa and New Orleans. I'd make the drive. I don't know how many GT fans would, but they could if they wanted to.

It isn't the distance that is the problem. IMO the problem is traveling fanbases, which the ACC lacks. GA Tech gets about 45k per game at home. How many of those would show up in Charlotte? If they were to bring 10k, I think that would be a lot given the size of their fanbase.

 

[DoctorBombay]

The ACC football schools feel the same way about Syracuse and Pitt.

 

[shantydaze]

It isn't the distance that is the problem. IMO the problem is traveling fanbases, which the ACC lacks. GA Tech gets about 45k per game at home. How many of those would show up in Charlotte? If they were to bring 10k, I think that would be a lot given the size of their fanbase.

It is not only the fan bases of the schools playing in the game that are an issue. It is also the fans of other ACC schools. The SEC Championship is already sold out and has a waiting list for tickets. The Big Ten Championship sold out in two hours (to be fair, we will have to wait and see whether this continues after the inaugural game). These championship games are an event that fans want to be at regardless of who is playing. Therefore, playing at a set location each year makes sense to allow the fans going to the game regardless of the teams the ability to set their travel plans and get hotels in advance.

For a variety of reasons, the areas represented by ACC schools do not have these types of fans and neither does the BE. Unlike at the SEC Championship Game, the vast majority of the fans attending the ACC and BE Championship Games will be fans of the teams playing. As these fans do not need to make travel plans in advance, having the best record host the game would be fine.

 

[kingottoiii]

Just for reference the average home attendance of the 14 ACC schools last year was 50,250.

I think you can get 25k locals to show up regardless of who plays. So how many traveling fans can you expect? Maybe 25% of one's fanbase? If you use that as a guess then on average you should expect about 25k from the teams involved. That gets you to 50k in a 74k stadium. Where are those other 24k coming from if you do not have two of FSU, VT, Clemson, UNC, or NC St involved?

BC averaged 38k last year. They would not sell out their 10k allotment.

SU averaged 40k last year. We might be able to sell out our 10k allotment.

Pitt averaged 52k last year. See SU.

MD averaged 39k. See SU.

VT averaged 66k. They likely could double that 10k allotment.

UVA averaged 45k. See SU.

NC St averaged nearly 57k. See VT.

UNC averaged 58k. See VT.

Duke averaged nearly 29k. See BC.

Wake averaged 30k. See BC.

Clemson averaged 77k. See VT.

GA Tech averaged 46k. They likely sell out their allotment but not a whole lot more than that 10k.

FSU averaged 71k. See VT.

Miami averaged 52k. See BC.

So IMO there are 4 teams who have no shot at selling their 10k. There are 4 teams that would bring about 10k. One team that would bring around 15k. And 5 teams that would bring about 20k. I look at that and think a 74k stadium is too big.

I agree that Charlotte is the best place for a neutral site game. And you will never see a crowd like the 27k in Tampa. However IMO the average ACC CG will be around 60k. So why have it in a stadium where there are nearly 15k empty seats? Why not have it at the highest ranked team in the BCS? Or move it to NC St or UNC, where it would sell out every time? Raleigh isn't as nice as Charlotte but people are going to the game, not planning a vacation. This isn't a Bowl where you have time to prepare. This is a decision you need to make the week of the game.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Yeah- keep it here in Charlotte...we'll leave the light on for ya'!

 

[Orangello]

Why not just host it in Providence at the Brown University football field. The Commissioner's box can be the seat of the bike mounted hot dog vending cart.

 

[Bayside44]

Just for reference the average home attendance of the 14 ACC schools last year was 50,250.

I think you can get 25k locals to show up regardless of who plays. So how many traveling fans can you expect? Maybe 25% of one's fanbase? If you use that as a guess then on average you should expect about 25k from the teams involved. That gets you to 50k in a 74k stadium. Where are those other 24k coming from if you do not have two of FSU, VT, Clemson, UNC, or NC St involved?

BC averaged 38k last year. They would not sell out their 10k allotment.

SU averaged 40k last year. We might be able to sell out our 10k allotment.

Pitt averaged 52k last year. See SU.

MD averaged 39k. See SU.

VT averaged 66k. They likely could double that 10k allotment.

UVA averaged 45k. See SU.

NC St averaged nearly 57k. See VT.

UNC averaged 58k. See VT.

Duke averaged nearly 29k. See BC.

Wake averaged 30k. See BC.

Clemson averaged 77k. See VT.

GA Tech averaged 46k. They likely sell out their allotment but not a whole lot more than that 10k.

FSU averaged 71k. See VT.

Miami averaged 52k. See BC.

So IMO there are 4 teams who have no shot at selling their 10k. There are 4 teams that would bring about 10k. One team that would bring around 15k. And 5 teams that would bring about 20k. I look at that and think a 74k stadium is too big.

I agree that Charlotte is the best place for a neutral site game. And you will never see a crowd like the 27k in Tampa. However IMO the average ACC CG will be around 60k. So why have it in a stadium where there are nearly 15k empty seats? Why not have it at the highest ranked team in the BCS? Or move it to NC St or UNC, where it would sell out every time? Raleigh isn't as nice as Charlotte but people are going to the game, not planning a vacation. This isn't a Bowl where you have time to prepare. This is a decision you need to make the week of the game.

Raleigh is easier to get to...fine by me. Will txt Swofford in the AM.