Fees for OPSU, from Wyo and UW, and for home games

[goatcreekgriz]

Not saying it will happen, but it's indeed possible, if the Griz lose to Wyoming and NDSU and are 0-2 next year, the bitching will be 1,OOO times worse than complaining about playing a DII.

No doubt.

 

[thatguy800]

I would bet over 10,000 Griz fans made it to at least one EWU game at Joe Albi. We consistently outnumbered EWU fans when we played there, and had some good crowds. That's why EWU quit scheduling us in Spokane.

That's quite the factpinion you have there. Do you really a cash strapped program like EWU would stop scheduling this game at Joe Albi because more Griz fans showed up? Can I have some of what you're smoking? It must be some real good stuff.

 

[putter]

We could probably visit the Ohio State forums or the Florida State forums and find the same conversations. They paid Florida A&M a chunk of change for a glorified scrimmage as did the Seminoles with Samford. We are some FBS teams money games.......

 

[Grizzlies1982]

There is no road game, anywhere, that's going to draw 10,000 Griz fans. Hell, we couldn't even get 10,000 people at the championship games...

Yet alone > 20,000 for a FCS Playoff game played in Missoula?

As was pointed out "Timing" is the issue with reduced numbers at both home playoff games and the Championships. A regular season scheduled game in Spokane has a fair chance of turning out 10,000 Griz fans, especially against Idaho. Though you'd probably get about half that number if it was in Seattle. If people can look at a scheduled game for 'next year' there is a chance we might be surprised at the turnout. Yet that is predicated on knowing far in advance to make plans.

Having been to our games at both Huntington, West Virginia and Chattanooga, Tennessee I was pleasantly surprised at the number of Griz fans who did make those trips (4,000 to 5,000?). Neither location is particularly easy, nor inexpensive, to reach from Montana.

Though if we play a Championship in Frisco, Texas (Dallas) I can confidently predict we would bring 10,000 fans. It is a much easier city to reach via both air and driving. Further the new playoff schedule allows a couple weeks planning versus the 5 or 6 days available at the former locations. That would make a significant difference in fan turnout.
I'd like to be proven right this January. You with me? :ugeek:

 

[AZGrizFan]

There is no road game, anywhere, that's going to draw 10,000 Griz fans. Hell, we couldn't even get 10,000 people at the championship games...

Yet alone > 20,000 for a FCS Playoff game played in Missoula?

As was pointed out "Timing" is the issue with reduced numbers at both home playoff games and the Championships. A regular season scheduled game in Spokane has a fair chance of turning out 10,000 Griz fans, especially against Idaho. Though you'd probably get about half that number if it was in Seattle. If people can look at a scheduled game for 'next year' there is a chance we might be surprised at the turnout. Yet that is predicated on knowing far in advance to make plans.

Having been to our games at both Huntington, West Virginia and Chattanooga, Tennessee I was pleasantly surprised at the number of Griz fans who did make those trips (4,000 to 5,000?). Neither location is particularly easy, nor inexpensive, to reach from Montana.

Though if we play a Championship in Frisco, Texas (Dallas) I can confidently predict we would bring 10,000 fans. It is a much easier city to reach via both air and driving. Further the new playoff schedule allows a couple weeks planning versus the 5 or 6 days available at the former locations. That would make a significant difference in fan turnout.
I'd like to be proven right this January. You with me? :ugeek:

Then why don't we get 10,000 to PSU? That city is easy to get to. Or Weber? Even easier to get to.

And yes, I'm with you. I live in San Antonio now, so I'm going to the NC regardless... :lol:

 

[Bluenoser]

I would bet over 10,000 Griz fans made it to at least one EWU game at Joe Albi. We consistently outnumbered EWU fans when we played there, and had some good crowds. That's why EWU quit scheduling us in Spokane.

That's quite the factpinion you have there. Do you really a cash strapped program like EWU would stop scheduling this game at Joe Albi because more Griz fans showed up? Can I have some of what you're smoking? It must be some real good stuff.

If you have a better explanation let's hear it. I was at a few of those games with announced attendance of 20K+ where it was pretty obvious it was 60%+ Griz fans.

To me it was pretty obvious EWU wanted to build a program towards what UM has had over the years. One way to do it was to build fan interest so that they actually put butts in the seats for home games other than just for Montana. To do that they need to stop being Montana's bitch in Joe Albi Stadium, also known as Montana's Washington Grizzly Stadium. Which was in essence a road game for them based on fan attendance.

Everyone (at least the Muppers do) bitches about lack of competition in the BSC. Even though I'm not a fan of Spokompton and it's distant suburbs, I at least am able to applaud EWU for making an effort. With an FCS title more recent than the Griz and a current #3 ranking I think they have done a decent job of becoming relevant at the FCS level. Which puts fans in the seats for games other than the Griz game every other year.

In the stadium's 47 years history including when it was Woodward Field, the top 5 attended games have been against Montana. 5 of the top 6 non-Montana games in attendance have been in the last two years. 31 of their top 38 have been since 2004 (2 of the other 7 were against Montana).

I would say they've done a good job of moving their program from waiting for the biannual payday against Montana to being self sufficient in their on-campus stadium.

11,702 - 9/18/10 - Montana
11,583 - 10/7/06 - Montana
10,830 - 10/11/08 - Montana
10,754 - 10/16/04 - Montana
10,529 - 9/29/12 - Montana
10,422 - 9/24/11 - Montana State
8,742 - 10/15/11 - Northern Colo.
8,714 - 10/20/12 - Sacramento St.
8,696 - 10/22/05 - Weber State
8,646 - 10/6/12 - North Dakota
8,644 - 11/3/12 - Cal Poly
8,399 - 11/12/05 - Montana State
7,943 - 9/16/06 - Central Wash.
7,633 - 12/5/04 - Sam Houston State
7,615 - 12/15/12 - Sam Houston State
7,512 - 12/8/12 - Illinois State
7,499 - 9/20/08 - Western Wash.
7,472 - 10/9/10 - Northern Arizona
7,427 - 10/1/11 - Weber State
7,326 - 12/13/07 - Montana State
7,147 - 10/23/10 - Sacramento St.
7,110 - 9/17/05 - Western Oregon
7,039 - 12/1/12 - Wagner
6,879 - 10/17/92 - Idaho
6,738 - 9/30/06 - Sacramento St.
6,632 - 10/31/09 - Montana State
6,605 - 10/19/96 - Montana
6,600 - 12/17/10 - Villanova
6,425 - 9/18/04 - Central Wash.
6,384 - 10/11/03 - Portland State
6,349 - 9/7/13 - Western Oregon
6,257 - 10/21/00 - Sacramento St.
6,231 - 9/29/07 - Portland State
6,201 - 9/21/03 - Southern Utah
6,043 - 10/16/99 - Idaho State
6,011 - 11/10/12 - UC Davis
5,970 - 9/25/93 - Montana
5,902 - 10/1/05 - Portland State

 

[Bluenoser]

Then why don't we get 10,000 to PSU? That city is easy to get to. Or Weber? Even easier to get to.

And yes, I'm with you. I live in San Antonio now, so I'm going to the NC regardless... :lol:

If you check the #'s PSU highest attended home games are easily against Montana. Depending on whether they play at PGE or not, the Griz on their schedule adds up to 5K fans compared to the rest of their home schedule. The games I've been to there feel like it is 60% Montana / 40% PSU.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Then why don't we get 10,000 to PSU? That city is easy to get to. Or Weber? Even easier to get to.

And yes, I'm with you. I live in San Antonio now, so I'm going to the NC regardless... :lol:

If you check the #'s PSU highest attended home games are easily against Montana. Depending on whether they play at PGE or not, the Griz on their schedule adds up to 5K fans compared to the rest of their home schedule. The games I've been to there feel like it is 60% Montana / 40% PSU.

That statement could be said about virtually any program in the BSC. Their highest attended games are against Montana. We're everybody's Super Bowl...have been for 20 years. But the numbers do NOT vary by 10,000. Not even close.

 

[Willie]

We could probably visit the Ohio State forums or the Florida State forums and find the same conversations. They paid Florida A&M a chunk of change for a glorified scrimmage as did the Seminoles with Samford. We are some FBS teams money games.......

I'm a regular on two Ohio State boards, and I can tell you they HATE scheduling down, or scheduling lesser FBS teams for that matter. They'd rather see the Bucks play a PAC or SEC school any day.

 

[Bluenoser]

That statement could be said about virtually any program in the BSC. Their highest attended games are against Montana. We're everybody's Super Bowl...have been for 20 years. But the numbers do NOT vary by 10,000. Not even close.

The last year we played at PGE was 2008. They got 12,071 for the Griz and two weeks later got 5,143 for Northern Colorado. Their highest attended game after UM was 8,239 but that was against another Oregon school an hour and a half away. We added about 5K to their average attendance and 7K to their lowest attended.

Last week against Idaho State I could count on two hands the # of ISU fans in the stands against UW. In 2017 - if neither team backs out and the Griz are still rolling - I wouldn't be surprised if there are close to 10K Griz fans in attendance vs. UW.

 

[ranco]

I would bet over 10,000 Griz fans made it to at least one EWU game at Joe Albi. We consistently outnumbered EWU fans when we played there, and had some good crowds. That's why EWU quit scheduling us in Spokane.

That's quite the factpinion you have there. Do you really a cash strapped program like EWU would stop scheduling this game at Joe Albi because more Griz fans showed up? Can I have some of what you're smoking? It must be some real good stuff.

We know that griz fans outnumbered EWU fans by a large majority when they played at Joe Albi. So if that wasn't the reason, what was?

 

[AZGrizFan]

That statement could be said about virtually any program in the BSC. Their highest attended games are against Montana. We're everybody's Super Bowl...have been for 20 years. But the numbers do NOT vary by 10,000. Not even close.

The last year we played at PGE was 2008. They got 12,071 for the Griz and two weeks later got 5,143 for Northern Colorado. Their highest attended game after UM was 8,239 but that was against another Oregon school an hour and a half away. We added about 5K to their average attendance and 7K to their lowest attended.

Last week against Idaho State I could count on two hands the # of ISU fans in the stands against UW. In 2017 - if neither team backs out and the Griz are still rolling - I wouldn't be surprised if there are close to 10K Griz fans in attendance vs. UW.

I think where you're mistaken is that we may SOUND like 10,000 fans, when in actuality we're closer to 5000-6000. I can assure you, the 2500 Griz fans in the NAU walkup Skydome will be louder than the NAU fans. Guaranteed.

 

[Bluenoser]

I think where you're mistaken is that we may SOUND like 10,000 fans, when in actuality we're closer to 5000-6000. I can assure you, the 2500 Griz fans in the NAU walkup Skydome will be louder than the NAU fans. Guaranteed.

I'm starting to wonder whether we're both arguing about the same thing. The only issue I really had was your statement "But the numbers do NOT vary by 10,000. Not even close."

On occasion they do.

In the last decade we have on occasion added close to 10K to opposing team's home attendance. I know we did for a couple games against EWU in Washington's Grizzly Stadium; and there were games at Portland State's PGE where they can accommodate the #'s where we were close to 10K of the total attendance.

I think a neutral site series in Seattle with Idaho is a great idea. With the # of Montanans that live here, along with the ones that would come up from Portland, as well as the #'s that would come from Missoula, 10K wouldn't be a stretch.

I think it is worth trying at least once. If nothing else than for the additional recruiting exposure of both schools in the Seattle market.

 

[goatcreekgriz]

I would bet over 10,000 Griz fans made it to at least one EWU game at Joe Albi. We consistently outnumbered EWU fans when we played there, and had some good crowds. That's why EWU quit scheduling us in Spokane.

That's quite the factpinion you have there. Do you really a cash strapped program like EWU would stop scheduling this game at Joe Albi because more Griz fans showed up? Can I have some of what you're smoking? It must be some real good stuff.

We know that griz fans outnumbered EWU fans by a large majority when they played at Joe Albi. So if that wasn't the reason, what was?

I was living in Spokane for at least two of those Joe Albi games. There was plenty of grumbling from the (small) EWU crowd around town that they were tired of being outnumbered by Griz fans at their "home" games. There was no other reason for moving the UM game back out to Cheney.