Lubbock business don't want A&M game moved to Dal

NT80 · July 16, 2005

Local business owners oppose Texas A&M game's move to Dallas

By Jeremy Reynolds, University Daily

July 15, 2005

(U-WIRE) LUBBOCK, Texas -- The announcement of a possible move to Dallas for the Texas Tech and Texas A&M football game could be more than six months away, but local business owners are making their voices heard now.

The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey of the business community, and its general feel of what a move from Lubbock, Texas, to Dallas for the game would entail for their businesses.

Eddie McBride, president of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, said he received 448 responses.

"It was an outstanding response," McBride said. "We got a 16 percent response rate."

Of the 448 who responded, 40 percent took the time to write in comments. McBride said that it is uncommon to get even 10 percent to write comments. He said the initial reason for the survey was to get a feel of the community as well as gain information that can be presented to the athletic department so they can make a more informed decision.

McBride said 90 percent of the business owners who answered the survey were opposed to the move, and 63 percent said home-game weekends have a positive impact on their business for the year. Nineteen businesses said the impact for them is more than $100,000.

"I like to see games stay on the campus from a business and student perspective," McBride said. "All homes games are big games for the business community. There is a great relationship between Texas Tech and the city of Lubbock."

McBride said that Tech students believe that the city does nothing for them and does not care about them one way or another. He said that that is not true and city does care about what happens on the Tech campus because what is good for Tech is good for the city, and what is good for the city is good for Tech.

Christina Roe, manager at Chili's Bar and Grill, said home football games have a significant impact on her business.

"We wouldn't get the extra business that we usually depend on in the past," Roe said. "I don't think it is fair to anyone."

Troy Davidson, general manager for TGI Friday's restaurant, said he feels very strongly about the game staying in Lubbock. He said moving the game is bad for the economy and for the university.

"We do about 30 percent more on the Tech A&M weekend," Davidson said.

Jenny Altman, manager for the Outdoorsman, said she had heard about the possibility of the move and her store, which her parents own, does not want it to move.

"Our store has been here for 25 years; it's a mom and pop store," Altman said. "Common sense tells us that many people come to Tech for home games and they come to shop. We get lots of parents coming in to buy clothes for the kiddos."

Hotels such as the Howard Johnson Inn look forward to Tech home games and moving one could hurt their overall business. Jay Patel, general manager of the hotel, said his business would lose approximately $10,000 in business if the game were moved.

"Hotels and restaurants are starving in October and November," he said. "Because there is no other business besides the Tech football games."

Edited July 16, 2005 by NT80

DallasGreen · July 16, 2005

For close to 50 years Denton has shown it doesn't give a rat's a__ about UNT FB why should now be any different??

PlummMeanGreen · July 16, 2005

For close to 50 years Denton has shown it doesn't give a rat's a__ about UNT FB why should now be any different??

Come on, Jim, we've obviously seen much of the bad and ugly up there, but what gives us a chance IMHO to see the good is the new population who don't know any better than to support their home town's ONLY college football team. NT officials needs to quit going back to the same well to get the same kick in the ass from the same people I believe you are referring to DG.

We need to go after the new demographic of Denton (County) by going to all the areas where all the Texas and non-Texas transplants are moving to. Denton's Robson City with all those thousands of retired people who have nice retirements would not be a bad place to start. How about "AARP Night @ Fouts Field?"

Edited July 16, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

GrayEagle · July 16, 2005

The past is past. We can either bitch about it for the rest of your life or we can try to do something about it.

When's the last time we made a concerted effort to involve the townspeople? As best I can remember it was the Denton Chamber of Commerce supported game against Baylor. The results? Our all-time record Fouts Field crowd of (borrowing a page from Plummer) nearly 30,000.

When I first came to Denton it had a population of 12,000+. North Texas had about 4,000 students. Yet, it was the rule, not the exception, that half that combined number attend NT football games.

Plumm's right in that half of the population of Denton has been here a relatively short time. They undoubtedly know of North Texas' existence but has anyone appealed to them to attend a North Texas game? I doubt it. We need to continue making the effort to include as many Dentonites as possible. Eventually, the new breed will catch on

bison · July 16, 2005

The same could be said about Ft Worth -- the drive is not that far and TCU is definiately not making any effort to get local attendance - ie last years increase in tickets both season and individual. UNT could and IMO could draw a large crowd from Ft Worth of both alumni and non-alumni with the right marketing.

bison · July 16, 2005

I meant could and would

DallasGreen · July 16, 2005

The past is past. We can either bitch about it for the rest of your life or we can try to do something about it.
When's the last time we made a concerted effort to involve the townspeople? As best I can remember it was the Denton Chamber of Commerce supported game against Baylor. The results? Our all-time record Fouts Field crowd of (borrowing a page from Plummer) nearly 30,000.
When I first came to Denton it had a population of 12,000+. North Texas had about 4,000 students. Yet, it was the rule, not the exception, that half that combined number attend NT football games.
Plumm's right in that half of the population of Denton has been here a relatively short time. They undoubtedly know of North Texas' existence but has anyone appealed to them to attend a North Texas game? I doubt it. We need to continue making the effort to include as many Dentonites as possible. Eventually, the new breed will catch on

I'll bet that out of towners in the West stands far outnumber Dentonites and that it will not change anytime soon. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it ( to challenge GE's past is past line).

PlummMeanGreen · July 16, 2005

The same could be said about Ft Worth -- the drive is not that far and TCU is definately not making any effort to get local attendance - ie last years increase in tickets both season and individual. UNT could and IMO could draw a large crowd from Ft Worth of both alumni and non-alumni with the right marketing.

Sorry, bison, but I have to disagree with you about TCU because that school of all the ex SWC schools in the non BCS are drawing the most fans averaging over 30K for most home games. Living in the FW area, I've observed fairly close what the Frogs have been doing. We just need to get our NT Exes in Tarrant County and Fort Worth out to Fouts Field. If we cannot afford to mass market Denton due to our budget limitations, I'm sure marketing FW would be out of the question.

BUT.......North Texas has to only go out and reach its own of which most are within 45 minutes from Fouts Field.

.........................................................................................................................................

Our NT constituency and Greater Denton numbers:

NT Enrollment: approx. 32,000

NT Employees: approx. 4-6,000 (a local gold mine if we start digging)

NT D-FW Exes : approx 100,000

City of Denton: approx. 100,000

Denton County:approx. 500,000 (includes Denton's 100K)

.........................................................................................................................................

All we need (at present) is "only" 30,500 from the above numbers. Doesn't seem like it should be as difficult as we seem to be making it at times.

Edited July 16, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

GrayEagle · July 16, 2005

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it ( to challenge GE's past is past line).

There's part of the key DG. If we make the same mistakes we'll get the same results. But, if we LEARN from history not to make identical mistakes then we can be successful.

Or, vice versa, if we had a success (i.e. the Baylor home game of 2000 which had a very large number of Dentonites attending), then we should see if we can do the same thing with the same results. In other words, if our staff can't do it, then hire someone who can get it done.