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I think it's a bit ridiculous to say that we need to average any number for home games. We've seen demonstrated clearly and repeatedly that stadium attendance is virtually irrelevant anymore, it's TV that matters. A million people tuning into the Pac-12 network, and paying their Dish Network premium, trump the 30K that bought a ticket and sat in Martin. Besides, if the requirement is 40K we're in serious trouble - Martin only holds 32,952, and has 40K+ in it exactly six times in its history.No, CougPatrol's comment is based on the financials that WSU brings to the conference. Unfortunately, that's the only thing that matters anymore.
Conference affiliation is changing all the time now. We're even starting to see members belong to a league for only one sport. Like it or not, the Wal-Mart/Costco/Power5 business model is here to stay. At the very least, WSU needs to average 40K fans for home games and become regionally relevant in the major sports.
If you were to poll all Pac-12 fans, conference employees, and media members and asked them which school(s) should be concerned if realignment were to hit again, do you not think WSU and OSU would be first on the list? That's the only point I'm trying to make. WSU should consider anything that could lead to increased ticket sales and TV marketing exposure.
If we have the opportunity to schedule a home and home series with a big power 5 program in Seattle, we take it; especially in years when we play 7 home games.
WSU would be wise to look at ways to increase their home attendance average. We offer the conference little to nothing in the grand scheme of things; attendance, TV market, etc.
I think it's a bit ridiculous to say that we need to average any number for home games. We've seen demonstrated clearly and repeatedly that stadium attendance is virtually irrelevant anymore, it's TV that matters. A million people tuning into the Pac-12 network, and paying their Dish Network premium, trump the 30K that bought a ticket and sat in Martin. Besides, if the requirement is 40K we're in serious trouble - Martin only holds 32,952, and has 40K+ in it exactly six times in its history.
WSU or OSU getting dropped due to realignment is not a significant concern. P5 conferences aren't interested in getting smaller, they're only looking at getting bigger. And, considering the lack of options for getting bigger, getting replaced by someone better also isn't a real concern.
Bingo. If nothing else, there is no one in the west to replace us with.
The only concern that schools like WSU or OSU have when it comes to realignment is if there ever comes a day when the Power 5 gets blown up and consolidated into four conferences with twelve or sixteen teams each. If that day never happens, WSU has nothing to be concerned about. If it does happen, hold onto your shorts because that could get crazy. Good news is that I don't think anything like that is eminent.
I still don't see an issue. There just aren't enough teams in the west to require anyone to get bumped.
If it's consolidated into 16-team conferences, there's no problem. That means 64 teams, which is exactly the number that are currently in the P-5, so that scenario means re-shuffling of existing teams, not a replacement. It means the Pac-12 adds 4 teams.
Consolidating into 4 12-team conferences seems so highly unlikely it's barely even worth discussing. Nobody's going to demote 16 teams, and even if they did, we're somewhat geographically protected - there just aren't that many teams out here that we could be replaced by.
In my mind, the most likely scenario is the collapse of the Big 12, and the surviving conferences cannibalize the members. The Pac-12 has an advantage in that it's the only conference that can add 4 teams, so we can better accommodate regional rivalries, and we can pretty easily make geographical divisions, especially in the lower Midwest.
I don't see ND joining the Big Ten, or BYU making much effort to get into a conference, or any of the academies trying to get promoted. Notre Dame gains little or no benefit from joining any conference. BYU is possibly a bit more likely than the Irish to gain some benefit, but they'd probably have to occasionally play on Sundays, and they'd probably lose a lot more games. Based on their limited recruiting pool, none of the academies are likely to be competitive in a major conference (they're barely competitive as mid-majors and independents), they know it, and they see to be OK with it. And, under your scenario, I think if Notre Dame joined a conference, there's a fair chance that Iowa State would be left without a seat when the music stopped.Agree that the collapse of the Big 12 is the most likely scenario with West Virginia going to the ACC, Iowa State going to the B1G with Notre Dame, and two teams going to the SEC. The Pac-12 would take the best four that are left. The only thing that muddies the water, and I already mentioned it, is that ND, BYU, Army, Navy and Air Force would all make plays to get into the mix. UConn would be a great choice to fill out the ACC if one of those others isn't included. If there was a complete reshuffling, there are probably 75 teams that would have legitimate claims for inclusion. Would the Pac-12 leave WSU and OSU out to dry? Probably not, but we did get booted in 1959 and the four members that did so were happy to abandon everyone else for a national power conference that never happened. So we can never say never. I agree with you that I'm not worried about it though.
The only thing that we learned about this comment is that we need to host the first game. Wisconsin bought their way out of their obligation to play us in Seattle a while back. I agree that if it's the only way to get someone like Auburn, Wisconsin, Michigan or the like to Washington, it's better to play in Seattle than not at all. FWIW, I believe that a game with that caliber of opponent will have great attendance.
I don't think there is any way that those types of schools agree to allow us to host the first game.
Just look at our series with BSU too. They get the first game. I assume they will come to Pullman as they are playing a Pac-12 school, but still they got the first game.
Even in our series with Central Michigan, guess where the first game will be played?
Finally, do you think BYU will ever come to Pullman for the second game of our series with them?
I don't think there is any way that those types of schools agree to allow us to host the first game.
Just look at our series with BSU too. They get the first game. I assume they will come to Pullman as they are playing a Pac-12 school, but still they got the first game.
Even in our series with Central Michigan, guess where the first game will be played?
Finally, do you think BYU will ever come to Pullman for the second game of our series with them?
I'm actually OK with getting rid of FCS. I was on the fence, I wanted the smaller schools to have the opportunity to show their worth but with time, I'm just tired of seeing other programs take on the Appalachian States of the world, 2 or 3 times a year. We schedule 1. They schedule 2 or 3. And it's as if no one notices when it comes to the rankings. LameScheduling...... ggggrrrrrrr
Play other P5 schools only. No more FCS. No more non P5 schools. Write the contract so there's a return trip or a $5M dollar buyout. End of story.
One day, when I'm in charge, there will be a season opening series between conferences. P5 versus P5, draw opponents out of a hat, flip for home or away. The following year whoever played away is now at home, draw a new name out of a hat.
How'd you like to see Alabama in Martin Stadium? Or go watch WSU play at Florida? No other way to get it done...
Scheduling...... ggggrrrrrrr
Play other P5 schools only. No more FCS. No more non P5 schools. Write the contract so there's a return trip or a $5M dollar buyout. End of story.
One day, when I'm in charge, there will be a season opening series between conferences. P5 versus P5, draw opponents out of a hat, flip for home or away. The following year whoever played away is now at home, draw a new name out of a hat.
How'd you like to see Alabama in Martin Stadium? Or go watch WSU play at Florida? No other way to get it done...
I'll make two exceptions:Scheduling...... ggggrrrrrrr
Play other P5 schools only. No more FCS. No more non P5 schools. Write the contract so there's a return trip or a $5M dollar buyout. End of story.
One day, when I'm in charge, there will be a season opening series between conferences. P5 versus P5, draw opponents out of a hat, flip for home or away. The following year whoever played away is now at home, draw a new name out of a hat.
How'd you like to see Alabama in Martin Stadium? Or go watch WSU play at Florida? No other way to get it done...
Limiting to 1 conference game would be a mistake.Too much thinking. 1 non league game in season opening conference vs conference challenge. Play 11 league games. Not in a conference? Don't care. ND joins or gets left behind.
Pull out your swords and fight for your school!