New Orleans Bowl Rumor

[MeanGreen61]

From the Troy board via the MUTS board

comments off troy board, FWIW:

...While in New Orleans I talked to a Bowl Official (NO Sports Authority Board member actually) and my soucre in the Athletic Department confirmed that Wright Waters is in negotiations with the Big 10 and Big 12 to bring down the number 6 team in either league to play the SBC Champ. Both conferences want to trade off either the Detroit Bowl (Big 10) or the Independence Bowl (Big 12). Seems our game and increased crowd not only impressed bowl officials but caught the eye of the other schools. They are looking to give their teams rewards with nice trips, not sentence them to Shreveport or Detroit for a week. New Orleans is obviously more fun.

My source was pretty dead on about ticket sales lets hope he is close on this one. Bowl officials are really pushing for it as well. Although Rice brought a great crowd, they are nervous about CUSA's poor performance on the field as well as in the stands. I guess ECU didn't bring many foks to B'ham (they are locked in for another couple of years though), Houston stunk up Memphis, Tulsa brought about 3k to FTW and Southern drew by default.

Waters is also talking to the Mobile Bowl as a second bowl for the league. The MAC's luster is wearing off.

More details to come, but talk about a coup for the league.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...First, the SunBelt Champ will play in the New Orleans Bowl.

Second, Bowl and town officials would love to host EITHER a Big 10 or Big 12 school in replace of the current CUSA school. It's economics. And yes, it would be muched funner playing Big 10/12 6th place rather than CUSA 4th place. Come on are you kiddnig me Rice over Michigan State, Wisconsin, Colorado or Texas Tech or someone like that?

Third, the Mobile Bowl, or whatever its called, would like to see a more regional team participate. Ohio didn't bring many fans and Mobile is just not interested in the MAC.

Forth, the Big 10 isn't interested in playing Detroit. They already own the market and it isn't much fun for their Alumni to travel to Detroit, when a lot of them live there anyway. The Big 12 would like to travel to NO as well. OkState drove in a ton people to Shreveport, but the excitement level just isn't there.

That's it in a nutshell.....

THREAD FROM MUTS BOARD

http://middletennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....142&style=2

THREAD FROM TROY BOARD

http://www.gotroytrojans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5970

CUSA FOLKS REACT (Posted thread on their board. You can imagine some of the responses)

http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/cusa/phpbb/v...pic.php?t=45640

Edited January 13, 2007 by MeanGreen61

[NT80]

New Orleans is a much better tourist destination than Shreveport and Detroit. And the weather is always perfect in the 'Dome. Like UNT, it sometimes comes down to plain location, location, location.

[FirefightnRick]

That would be great if it happens. As alway's, we need to continue to build the Belt.

After considering all the numbers that have shown up around the country for programs fans traveling to their bowl games I'm still proud that NT was able to take over 10,000 on a Tuesday night, over nine hours to drive in, four years in a row. It shows how much potential we truly have for the future.

Rick

[Smitty]

Fantastic! That is just what the bowl, UNT, and the SunBelt need. And another reason to stay in the SunBelt.

How about a North Texas vs. Texas Tech New Orleans Bowl? Or Troy vs. Missouri? Or North Texas vs. Iowa?

[e-bone ver2.awesome]

Fantastic! That is just what the bowl, UNT, and the SunBelt need. And another reason to stay in the SunBelt.

How about a North Texas vs. Texas Tech New Orleans Bowl? Or Troy vs. Missouri? Or North Texas vs. Iowa?

We should stay in the Sun Belt because someone who posts on the MTSU board heard that a Big Ten or Big 12 time might play in the NO Bowl in the future? That is looking pretty hard to find reasons to stay in the Sun Belt. If CUSA ever came available, we would be fools to turn that down.

[DeepGreen]

That would be great if it happens. As alway's, we need to continue to build the Belt.

After considering all the numbers that have shown up around the country for programs fans traveling to their bowl games I'm still proud that NT was able to take over 10,000 on a Tuesday night, over nine hours to drive in, four years in a row. It shows how much potential we truly have for the future.

Rick

With all due respect, Rick, I think you're a little light on the 10,000 number. I will say that I did not attend the NT vs So Miss game, but up to that point I'd say we brought 10,000-12,000 for Colorado State and 15,000 for both Cincy and Memphis. We had damn good attendance by NT fans at those games.

[SUMG]

I would love to see this happen. Playing a Big Ten school or Big 12 school, would be a lot more fun, than playing the 4th place CUSA team.

But, I don't think it has a chance until the NO Bowl guarantee is increased. Our guarantee this year, was listed at $300,000+ (when we had always thought that the minimum was $750,000).

As for the Indy Bowl, their payout is well over a million (I think a $1.5 million or so).

Anyway, I don't see this happening...until our guarantee is closer to what they've been getting in Shreveport. Not sure, what the Detroit bowl payed (guessing it was $750,000)...

[good_ken]

Think what you want about the Sunbelt; Wright Waters is a pretty kick-ass commissioner. He always seems to be planning towards the next step.

If he can pull any of these off, he deserves major kudos.

[ADLER]

Of our opponents in the New Orleans Bowl, Memphis was the only one that even contributed to the New Orleans economy. Colorado State and Cincinatti both brought few fans, and Southern Miss had the majority of it's fans drive in the day of the game and go home that night.

Personally, I would love to see the size of the crowds that North Texas could bring to either Shreveport or even to the Fort Worth Bowl. North Texas may not book a lot of Fort Worth hotel rooms, but it would sell a shipload of tickets.

In Shreveport I think we would likely outsell many of the Big 12 and SEC schools. Many of their fans view that bowl as unworthy of their presence and don't bother to attend.

Edited January 13, 2007 by ADLER

[MeanGreen61]

Think what you want about the Sunbelt; Wright Waters is a pretty kick-ass commissioner. He always seems to be planning towards the next step.

If he can pull any of these off, he deserves major kudos.

Waters has done some very good things, however he needs to be very cautious about how much he tries to get involved in individual school athletic decisions.

[TIgreen01]

Question....what is keeping the NO Bowl from becoming a game between the Big 10 and Big 12? How is the Sun Belt staying in it?

[gksmith]

That will be GREAT if the Sun Belt can get a second bowl game. More payout to the league, more exposure to the media.

Only having one bowl to go to was pretty disapointing to me. I was glad MTSU got an invite because they had a really good season this year and deserved to go somewhere. I thought I read on this board that initially, the ticket sales for MTSU were not so good. I hope they brought fans to the game though the team did not look very good on the field.

This is "Share the wealth" that should benifit everyone. The BCS schools have more bowls and can go deeper (note the #6 Big 10/Big 12 team...what did the #6 SBC team end up with?) which means more payouts to the conference schools. It is good to get more of the SBC, WAC, MWC, MAC schools into bowls.

[NT80]

We should stay in the Sun Belt because someone who posts on the MTSU board heard that a Big Ten or Big 12 time might play in the NO Bowl in the future? That is looking pretty hard to find reasons to stay in the Sun Belt. If CUSA ever came available, we would be fools to turn that down.

Agree. We need OUT of the SunBelt ASAP! Think CUSA.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Question....what is keeping the NO Bowl from becoming a game between the Big 10 and Big 12? How is the Sun Belt staying in it?

What would be even more a kick in the butt is if CUSA took over the host spot of the NO's Bowl. In today's NCAA, never say never, but maybe Waters and the SBC being headquarted in the Big Easy (and staying put after Katrina) would make that an impossibility.

The Big 10 and Big 12 scenarios as an opponent would give an SBC football champion more opportunities in the final polls with a win by the SBC champion I would think and polls is what most use as a barometer of a school or conference's progress, right?

As much as CUSA would be better for us, you still have the (potential) problem of 4 Texas schools in that league already and we still have SMU as our good neighbor to the south. We need to be realistic about the fact that their attitude toward UNT may not change for the next few generations because how many us have seen any change from the Hilltop crowd since the 1970's?

Bloom where planted for now?

Edited January 14, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[greenminer]

I find there to be a funny irony in our gideenes over this. You all are putting in great arguments for a #6 BCS team over a #4 non-BCS team as a foe in the NO Bowl. Weren't we saying not too long ago that giving those BCSers this many bids is the exact reason us hard-working Belters are only afforded 1 automatic bid?

My, when we're givin the opportunity to face them on the field, instead of shaking our fist at them from the stands, how our stance change. FWIW, I don't mean to sound opposed to this. I don't know where I stand as of right now.

Actually, I'm sitting down. with Keystone in hand and a bowl of corn in my lap. yum

gmg spelling traditions are upheld, thankyouverymuch. I type not to loose.

[MootPoint]

Question....what is keeping the NO Bowl from becoming a game between the Big 10 and Big 12? How is the Sun Belt staying in it?

We, uh, kind of own the game b/c we (the SBC), uh, kind of started it.

[GrandGreen]

Lots of people seem to be on the band wagon to dump a non-power conference team while many at the same time complain about the lack of respect giving to lower tier conferences. Actually I think that CUSA has done a good job in supplying opponents. Only Cincinatti was not a regional opponent and they were the CUSA champion that year. Of course, CUSA is weaker than it was and I think the NO bowl should try to get a better guarantee of bowl teams. But a 6th or 7th power league team does not excite me at all.

[runt96]

Lots of people seem to be on the band wagon to dump a non-power conference team while many at the same time complain about the lack of respect giving to lower tier conferences. Actually I think that CUSA has done a good job in supplying opponents. Only Cincinatti was not a regional opponent and they were the CUSA champion that year. Of course, CUSA is weaker than it was and I think the NO bowl should try to get a better guarantee of bowl teams. But a 6th or 7th power league team does not excite me at all.

N.O. bowl having the status of the Indepenence Bowl would enlighten all of us.

[Zeke]

Lots of people seem to be on the band wagon to dump a non-power conference team while many at the same time complain about the lack of respect giving to lower tier conferences. Actually I think that CUSA has done a good job in supplying opponents. Only Cincinatti was not a regional opponent and they were the CUSA champion that year. Of course, CUSA is weaker than it was and I think the NO bowl should try to get a better guarantee of bowl teams. But a 6th or 7th power league team does not excite me at all.

But it isn't you we are trying to excite - you will be there regardless. It is Mr. I only follow the big 12 even though I graduated from North Texas. When is the last time we pretty much sold Fouts out? Baylor. It wasn't the 6th or 7th team from a power league, it was the 12th----but it brought out fans. I think we would see something similar in a bowl with wtih a lower Big 12 team.

I do agree that CUSA has done us pretty well though. Cinci was horrible. They had a big bball game that night and their fans just didn't seem to care.

[NT80]

But it isn't you we are trying to excite - you will be there regardless. It is Mr. I only follow the big 12 even though I graduated from North Texas. When is the last time we pretty much sold Fouts out? Baylor. It wasn't the 6th or 7th team from a power league, it was the 12th----but it brought out fans. I think we would see something similar in a bowl with wtih a lower Big 12 team.

I do agree that CUSA has done us pretty well though. Cinci was horrible. They had a big bball game that night and their fans just didn't seem to care.

We played some fine programs and fans in Memphis, USM, and Colorado State. I'm glad we didn't have to see UCF, ECU, UAB, et al. I also agree facing any Big?10 or Big?12 team will draw better local crowds and more UNT fans.

[SouthernMissFan]

I was in New Orleans the other day when a guy with a Sugar Bowl polo shirt began chatting me up. He stated he was on the Board for the Sugar bowl and they just arent excited about having the National championship every fourth year and a SEC representative anymore. According to this inside source they are in negotations right now with the Sunbelt to send their champ to the Sugar Bowl because they have been impressed with their attendance lately. I dont know how reliable this is but he also told me how much gas cost per gallon at the station so he seems pretty accurate.

[Zeke]

I was in New Orleans the other day when a guy with a Sugar Bowl polo shirt began chatting me up. He stated he was on the Board for the Sugar bowl and they just arent excited about having the National championship every fourth year and a SEC representative anymore. According to this inside source they are in negotations right now with the Sunbelt to send their champ to the Sugar Bowl because they have been impressed with their attendance lately. I dont know how reliable this is but he also told me how much gas cost per gallon at the station so he seems pretty accurate.

You might also want to ask him to explain to you how the BCS now has a championship game and doesn't rotate between the 4 bowls.

[FirefightnRick]

But it isn't you we are trying to excite - you will be there regardless. It is Mr. I only follow the big 12 even though I graduated from North Texas. When is the last time we pretty much sold Fouts out? Baylor. It wasn't the 6th or 7th team from a power league, it was the 12th----but it brought out fans. I think we would see something similar in a bowl with wtih a lower Big 12 team.

Exactly.

I do agree that CUSA has done us pretty well though. Cinci was horrible. They had a big bball game that night and their fans just didn't seem to care.

I guessed about 300 to N.O. But I'm not buying the basketball story as they didn't bring much more than that to Fort Worth a year or two later.

Rick

[GrandGreen]

But it isn't you we are trying to excite - you will be there regardless. It is Mr. I only follow the big 12 even though I graduated from North Texas. When is the last time we pretty much sold Fouts out? Baylor. It wasn't the 6th or 7th team from a power league, it was the 12th----but it brought out fans. I think we would see something similar in a bowl with wtih a lower Big 12 team.

I do agree that CUSA has done us pretty well though. Cinci was horrible. They had a big bball game that night and their fans just didn't seem to care.

Let see a big 12 school 100 miles away plays a good NT team at Fouts and draws a big crowd. Our best crowd by far last year was SMU a CUSA member, I don't buy your logic. While my post as you pointed out was about personal preference; I will comment on your apparent focus, attendance. You are correct that most NT fans are going to attend no matter who the opponent is. Imo, the primary factors in the opponent's attendance is going to be proximity to New Orleans and their record. As far as getting casual fans from the NO area, I don't the NO bowl is ever going to be a big draw to the locals unless you got get LSU.

[FirefightnRick]

Let see a big 12 school 100 miles away plays a good NT team at Fouts and draws a big crowd. Our best crowd by far last year was SMU a CUSA member, I don't buy your logic. While my post as you pointed out was about personal preference; I will comment on your apparent focus, attendance. You are correct that most NT fans are going to attend no matter who the opponent is. Imo, the primary factors in the opponent's attendance is going to be proximity to New Orleans and their record. As far as getting casual fans from the NO area, I don't the NO bowl is ever going to be a big draw to the locals unless you got get LSU.

By " a good NT team", do you mean we were coming off a 2-9 previous season, or that we ended up 3-8 that year?

Rick