Not FCS but...

[PlayerRep]

Anyone who believes WaGriz wouldn't be packed for a Wednesday night game with Wyoming or Colo State on national television is smoking goooood shit.

I can guarantee there would be substantially more people there than will be on WaGriz half way through the second quarter on Saturday.

I don't agree. Certainly, not over time at least. People just couldn't drive to Missoula, miss work, pay to stay overnight, and miss work the next morning. Locals would also be impacted by work. Watching on tv would work just fine for many. Also, some fans like myself don't go particularly excited by playing schools like Wyoming or Colo. St. If the Griz weren't winning, that would have decrease attendance. Plus, some fans like myself think night games suck.

Let's see how excited fans are about mid-way through the 2nd period Saturday. :roll: :roll:

But hey, at least we'll win, right? I mean, that's all that matters....

Hopefully, the weather will be good enough for nice beer drinking. It's not often that the Griz get to play the very lowest rated team in all of FCS. If you want to see our no. 2 and 3 qb's play, you had better stay for the second half. They will both play, hopefully a lot.

 

[marceagfan5]

Anyone watching the Arkansas State-Georgia Southern game? Not a horrid game, but an example of where the Griz would end up if they ever moved up ... playing on a Wednesday night, with 5000 people in the stands. Not exactly what I would aspire to.

Georgia Southern plays 12 games this year. Exactly THREE are on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Two of those three are on ESPNU (plus their Saturday game against App State is on ESPNU). It ain't like the entire conference is relegated to Wednesday nights...talk about much ado about nothing. Looks like Ga Southern and App State have longer term visions than how many people are going to be there Saturday and who would go out. What a ridiculously short-term view of things.

It appears the Wednesday night thing is working for them anyways. There is a current two page thread about the game on a Montana message board because they were able to watch the game. On top of that 500k viewers tuned into watch a random FBS game on last night, and thats competing with a major league baseball playoff game...It's good exposure for both programs and it was a good game.

Wasn't most of the discussion about attending on Wed. night game, not watching on tv? My belief is that some Griz fans watched only because they were familiar with Georgia Southern from when they were in FCS. That's the only reason I watched some of the game, plus I wanted them to get beat, and they did.

So you would rather attend a Saturday game where the Griz play Mississippi Valley State than a Wednesday night game where the Griz would play Georgia Southern on ESPNU? You really think that a game on national television against either one of those teams (Ark St or GSU) wouldn't sell out on a Wednesday night?

 

[AZGrizFan]

Anyone who believes WaGriz wouldn't be packed for a Wednesday night game with Wyoming or Colo State on national television is smoking goooood shit.

I can guarantee there would be substantially more people there than will be on WaGriz half way through the second quarter on Saturday.

I don't agree. Certainly, not over time at least. People just couldn't drive to Missoula, miss work, pay to stay overnight, and miss work the next morning. Locals would also be impacted by work. Watching on tv would work just fine for many. Also, some fans like myself don't go particularly excited by playing schools like Wyoming or Colo. St. If the Griz weren't winning, that would have decrease attendance. Plus, some fans like myself think night games suck.

Let's see how excited fans are about mid-way through the 2nd period Saturday. :roll: :roll:

But hey, at least we'll win, right? I mean, that's all that matters....

Hopefully, the weather will be good enough for nice beer drinking. It's not often that the Griz get to play the very lowest rated team in all of FCS. If you want to see our no. 2 and 3 qb's play, you had better stay for the second half. They will both play, hopefully a lot.

They'd fit right into the bottom half of the BSC. 57, 60, 64, 76, 79, 86, 99. Two of the top 6 teams (Massey rankings); even the MVFC can't say that....yet just the 5th best "conference" because of all the mediocrity after that.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Georgia Southern plays 12 games this year. Exactly THREE are on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Two of those three are on ESPNU (plus their Saturday game against App State is on ESPNU). It ain't like the entire conference is relegated to Wednesday nights...talk about much ado about nothing. Looks like Ga Southern and App State have longer term visions than how many people are going to be there Saturday and who would go out. What a ridiculously short-term view of things.

It appears the Wednesday night thing is working for them anyways. There is a current two page thread about the game on a Montana message board because they were able to watch the game. On top of that 500k viewers tuned into watch a random FBS game on last night, and thats competing with a major league baseball playoff game...It's good exposure for both programs and it was a good game.

Wasn't most of the discussion about attending on Wed. night game, not watching on tv? My belief is that some Griz fans watched only because they were familiar with Georgia Southern from when they were in FCS. That's the only reason I watched some of the game, plus I wanted them to get beat, and they did.

So you would rather attend a Saturday game where the Griz play Mississippi Valley State than a Wednesday night game where the Griz would play Georgia Southern on ESPNU? You really think that a game on national television against either one of those teams (Ark St or GSU) wouldn't sell out on a Wednesday night?

Yeah, I don't get it either.

 

[Raider]

In my opinion we have a somewhat fragile fan base when it comes to attendance. I mean, look at the fluctuation in attendance based on the weather for shit sakes. It’s ridiculous. The Big House (for example) has 100,000+, sun, rain, cold, snow or all the above. Our fans are in panic mode if it’s below 50 degrees outside. I know dozens of long time season ticket holders that make a game time decision, based solely on the weather. Then you add all the ancillary issues like hunting season, travel, holidays, etc., and it gets dicey. And, this is all assuming the Griz are winning.

In short, I think we have less stability in attendance than most of you assume we do......

 

[PlayerRep]

Georgia Southern plays 12 games this year. Exactly THREE are on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Two of those three are on ESPNU (plus their Saturday game against App State is on ESPNU). It ain't like the entire conference is relegated to Wednesday nights...talk about much ado about nothing. Looks like Ga Southern and App State have longer term visions than how many people are going to be there Saturday and who would go out. What a ridiculously short-term view of things.

It appears the Wednesday night thing is working for them anyways. There is a current two page thread about the game on a Montana message board because they were able to watch the game. On top of that 500k viewers tuned into watch a random FBS game on last night, and thats competing with a major league baseball playoff game...It's good exposure for both programs and it was a good game.

Wasn't most of the discussion about attending on Wed. night game, not watching on tv? My belief is that some Griz fans watched only because they were familiar with Georgia Southern from when they were in FCS. That's the only reason I watched some of the game, plus I wanted them to get beat, and they did.

So you would rather attend a Saturday game where the Griz play Mississippi Valley State than a Wednesday night game where the Griz would play Georgia Southern on ESPNU? You really think that a game on national television against either one of those teams (Ark St or GSU) wouldn't sell out on a Wednesday night?

Didn't say that. I said that people would have a hard time attending games on Wednesday night. Both people from out of town, and some people in Missoula. I said, separately, that I enjoy games, especially in Griz stadium and on Saturday afternoons, when I can drink beer at the games (Canyon Club, suites and tailgates). I also enjoy a game or two each year in which the younger and newer players get an opportunity to play a lot. I like to see what the new/young talent is about. I would rather watch UM play teams like EWU in Griz stadium, but beer on a nice days with younger guys playing is fine once in awhile too. Georgia Southern does nothing for me. Georgia does, though. I like to watch Georgia games in Athens.

 

[PlayerRep]

I don't agree. Certainly, not over time at least. People just couldn't drive to Missoula, miss work, pay to stay overnight, and miss work the next morning. Locals would also be impacted by work. Watching on tv would work just fine for many. Also, some fans like myself don't go particularly excited by playing schools like Wyoming or Colo. St. If the Griz weren't winning, that would have decrease attendance. Plus, some fans like myself think night games suck.

Let's see how excited fans are about mid-way through the 2nd period Saturday. :roll: :roll:

But hey, at least we'll win, right? I mean, that's all that matters....

Hopefully, the weather will be good enough for nice beer drinking. It's not often that the Griz get to play the very lowest rated team in all of FCS. If you want to see our no. 2 and 3 qb's play, you had better stay for the second half. They will both play, hopefully a lot.

They'd fit right into the bottom half of the BSC. 57, 60, 64, 76, 79, 86, 99. Two of the top 6 teams (Massey rankings); even the MVFC can't say that....yet just the 5th best "conference" because of all the mediocrity after that.

Don't understand what you are talking about.

 

[PlayerRep]

In my opinion we have a somewhat fragile fan base when it comes to attendance. I mean, look at the fluctuation in attendance based on the weather for shit sakes. It’s ridiculous. The Big House (for example) has 100,000+, sun, rain, cold, snow or all the above. Our fans are in panic mode if it’s below 50 degrees outside. I know dozens of long time season ticket holders that make a game time decision, based solely on the weather. Then you add all the ancillary issues like hunting season, travel, holidays, etc., and it gets dicey. And, this is all assuming the Griz are winning.

In short, I think we have less stability in attendance than most of you assume we do......

I agree. And then there are the out-of-towners who have to drive long distances.

 

[AZGrizFan]

There might be five or ten schools along with BSU have seen a breakthrough that lower level purgatory for short time periods. TCU being the other comparative to BSU, the rest (Marshall, Central Florida, Northern Illinois, others) haven't been able to sustain that national profile.

Boise State didn't achieve instant success. They went 2-10, 5-6 and 6-5 in their first three years. They're 199-56 since moving up.
Marshall's record since moving up: 152-88 (including 10-4, 13-1, 10-3 the last three years)
WKU - 44-44 (including 0-12 the first year and 12-2 last year)
Arkansas State - 44-17 last five years
UCF - Before last year's 0-12 debacle they were 69-49 since 2005. They were 46-55 in the years since moving up (prior to 2005)
GSU - 18-7 since moving up
Nevada - 159-133 since moving up
La Tech - 161-155 since moving up, including 39-25 the past 5 years
Troy - 83-88 since moving up
Texas State - 20-28 since moving up
Middle Tennesee State - 98-106 since moving up.
Idaho - 67-157 since moving up
UMass - 8-40 since moving up.

So basically, there's a handful of teams that have been successful, teams that have been mediocre, and a handful of teams that have sucked. Bottom line is: you won't know if you don't have the balls to try it. But for people to just assume we'll turn out like Idaho is just retarded...

 

[AZGrizFan]

Georgia Southern does nothing for me.

But MVSU does?

 

[AZGrizFan]

Let's see how excited fans are about mid-way through the 2nd period Saturday. :roll: :roll:

But hey, at least we'll win, right? I mean, that's all that matters....

Hopefully, the weather will be good enough for nice beer drinking. It's not often that the Griz get to play the very lowest rated team in all of FCS. If you want to see our no. 2 and 3 qb's play, you had better stay for the second half. They will both play, hopefully a lot.

They'd fit right into the bottom half of the BSC. 57, 60, 64, 76, 79, 86, 99. Two of the top 6 teams (Massey rankings); even the MVFC can't say that....yet just the 5th best "conference" because of all the mediocrity after that.

Don't understand what you are talking about.

I'm talking about the fact that MVSU isn't much worse than half of our yearly opponents IN CONFERENCE.

 

[garizzalies]

Sucks all you old frogs are so short-sighted and would rather rot on the vein. You are bigger anchors than the cats.
The ironic part is the same posters who are so afraid of change will claim that education and admin at UM is more important than FB, yet you fail to realize what a move up could do for our university (hell, even our state) as a whole. All because of a game on a school night. Get off my lawn!

 

[marceagfan5]

Sucks all you old frogs are so short-sighted and would rather rot on the vein. You are bigger anchors than the cats.
The ironic part is the same posters who are so afraid of change will claim that education and admin at UM is more important than FB, yet you fail to realize what a move up could do for our university (hell, even our state) as a whole. All because of a game on a school night. Get off my lawn!

Good point, a huge part of Georgia Southerns move up, at least what they stated was a huge increase in exposure and a chance to grow the University...imagine that...

 

[Buttegrizzle]

Anyone watching the Arkansas State-Georgia Southern game? Not a horrid game, but an example of where the Griz would end up if they ever moved up ... playing on a Wednesday night, with 5000 people in the stands. Not exactly what I would aspire to.

Speaking of empty stadiums, how about SacSt's Saturday...it looked like only parents were there. It's not like the BSC features good attendance outside MT. We'll likely see 4000 again when we play in Greeley.

Where or what is a Greeley?

A city in Colorado 50 miles north of Denver with roughly 30,000 more people than Missoula. And a college about the same size as u of Montana. I don't know it can't be all that bad.

Let's not forget the roughly 30,000 cattle that are in the feedlots nearby...

 

[PlayerRep]

Sucks all you old frogs are so short-sighted and would rather rot on the vein. You are bigger anchors than the cats.
The ironic part is the same posters who are so afraid of change will claim that education and admin at UM is more important than FB, yet you fail to realize what a move up could do for our university (hell, even our state) as a whole. All because of a game on a school night. Get off my lawn!

A move up could cost UM and the State millions of dollars (not covered by additional revenue, cause attendance to decline, and ruin Griz football as we know it. Note "could".

 

[mtgrizfankb]

Anyone watching the Arkansas State-Georgia Southern game? Not a horrid game, but an example of where the Griz would end up if they ever moved up ... playing on a Wednesday night, with 5000 people in the stands. Not exactly what I would aspire to.

Georgia Southern plays 12 games this year. Exactly THREE are on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Two of those three are on ESPNU (plus their Saturday game against App State is on ESPNU). It ain't like the entire conference is relegated to Wednesday nights...talk about much ado about nothing. Looks like Ga Southern and App State have longer term visions than how many people are going to be there Saturday and who would go out. What a ridiculously short-term view of things.

You really think we would get a crowd at Wa Griz on on a Thursday or wed night where it's 40 and raining? Yes maybe it's 4 times a year but that is 2 home games where attendance is MAYBE 10k. Nobody will be able to travel to the game and we will lose the fair weather fans with less wins. I understand what you are saying but as a University we can't afford for the Griz games to be low attended. I never have understood the move up argument. It's gonna cost more, we will lose MORE, fans will choose to do other things MORE, students will care LESS. The risk vs reward is astronomically poor. Even App state and Ga. southern who are success stories are successful because they play really bad FBS teams. I would wager that they have less income from football than they did at 1-AA and fans care less. Much less actually. What's the long term goal? Being 6-5, 7-4? Going to a bowl game played on a Thursday afternoon in Texas in front of 6000 fans? That's not a good goal. You are stepping down from being a proud strong program that has good roots and represents the university and state with pride to a program that is mediocre at best, plays at weird times against programs we don't care about. At least people know Idaho and EWU and Cal Poly from years of play. Nobody will care if we play New Mexico or New Mexico State or Wyoming even. They don't matter and they won't matter in 10 years when we are .500 or less with those teams. Take a dose of reality and realize that we can not and will not complete up a level. Not now, not in 10 years.

 

[PlayerRep]

Anyone watching the Arkansas State-Georgia Southern game? Not a horrid game, but an example of where the Griz would end up if they ever moved up ... playing on a Wednesday night, with 5000 people in the stands. Not exactly what I would aspire to.

Georgia Southern plays 12 games this year. Exactly THREE are on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Two of those three are on ESPNU (plus their Saturday game against App State is on ESPNU). It ain't like the entire conference is relegated to Wednesday nights...talk about much ado about nothing. Looks like Ga Southern and App State have longer term visions than how many people are going to be there Saturday and who would go out. What a ridiculously short-term view of things.

You really think we would get a crowd at Wa Griz on on a Thursday or wed night where it's 40 and raining? Yes maybe it's 4 times a year but that is 2 home games where attendance is MAYBE 10k. Nobody will be able to travel to the game and we will lose the fair weather fans with less wins. I understand what you are saying but as a University we can't afford for the Griz games to be low attended. I never have understood the move up argument. It's gonna cost more, we will lose MORE, fans will choose to do other things MORE, students will care LESS. The risk vs reward is astronomically poor. Even App state and Ga. southern who are success stories are successful because they play really bad FBS teams. I would wager that they have less income from football than they did at 1-AA and fans care less. Much less actually. What's the long term goal? Being 6-5, 7-4? Going to a bowl game played on a Thursday afternoon in Texas in front of 6000 fans? That's not a good goal. You are stepping down from being a proud strong program that has good roots and represents the university and state with pride to a program that is mediocre at best, plays at weird times against programs we don't care about. At least people know Idaho and EWU and Cal Poly from years of play. Nobody will care if we play New Mexico or New Mexico State or Wyoming even. They don't matter and they won't matter in 10 years when we are .500 or less with those teams. Take a dose of reality and realize that we can not and will not complete up a level. Not now, not in 10 years.

I agree with much of this. Given where App St and Geo. So. are located, i.e. in the midst of the big boys, I can see benefits for them that UM wouldn't have. UM is a big fish in small pond. App St and GS were little fish in big pond. They have a bit more prestige now. Don't think playing their weak conference and playing on Wed. nights would be much fun, tho. To each his own.

 

[GrizLA]

Anyone watching the Arkansas State-Georgia Southern game? Not a horrid game, but an example of where the Griz would end up if they ever moved up ... playing on a Wednesday night, with 5000 people in the stands. Not exactly what I would aspire to.

Georgia Southern plays 12 games this year. Exactly THREE are on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Two of those three are on ESPNU (plus their Saturday game against App State is on ESPNU). It ain't like the entire conference is relegated to Wednesday nights...talk about much ado about nothing. Looks like Ga Southern and App State have longer term visions than how many people are going to be there Saturday and who would go out. What a ridiculously short-term view of things.

You really think we would get a crowd at Wa Griz on on a Thursday or wed night where it's 40 and raining? Yes maybe it's 4 times a year but that is 2 home games where attendance is MAYBE 10k. Nobody will be able to travel to the game and we will lose the fair weather fans with less wins. I understand what you are saying but as a University we can't afford for the Griz games to be low attended. I never have understood the move up argument. It's gonna cost more, we will lose MORE, fans will choose to do other things MORE, students will care LESS. The risk vs reward is astronomically poor. Even App state and Ga. southern who are success stories are successful because they play really bad FBS teams. I would wager that they have less income from football than they did at 1-AA and fans care less. Much less actually. What's the long term goal? Being 6-5, 7-4? Going to a bowl game played on a Thursday afternoon in Texas in front of 6000 fans? That's not a good goal. You are stepping down from being a proud strong program that has good roots and represents the university and state with pride to a program that is mediocre at best, plays at weird times against programs we don't care about. At least people know Idaho and EWU and Cal Poly from years of play. Nobody will care if we play New Mexico or New Mexico State or Wyoming even. They don't matter and they won't matter in 10 years when we are .500 or less with those teams. Take a dose of reality and realize that we can not and will not complete up a level. Not now, not in 10 years.

I agree with much of this. Given where App St and Geo. So. are located, i.e. in the midst of the big boys, I can see benefits for them that UM wouldn't have. UM is a big fish in small pond. App St and GS were little fish in big pond. They have a bit more prestige now. Don't think playing their weak conference and playing on Wed. nights would be much fun, tho. To each his own.

I live a few months out of the year in South Carolina and trust me, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are no big deal, even in their immediate areas. Hell, there are 13 or so FCS teams within 200 miles from me, and two of them would most certainly be competitive with them. The politics in the South are far different than in the Rocky Mts. UM is just fine where it is. It is highly respected on both, the academic, and, the Athletic sides and that includes the Lady Griz, which, most of us know, are not the same as they were. But reputations are made, not bought.

 

[garizzalies]

Average age in this group has got to be pushing 72. All of your posts are basically fear mongering againt change.
I realize you all want to live out your days resisting all change, but your personal FB preferences are really not what's best for the U and the state as a whole.
If you're not growing, you're dying.....but I guess when you got one foot in the grave already..........ah never mind, I'm gonna stop talking now before one of you get all worked up and tips over

 

[AZGrizFan]

Anyone watching the Arkansas State-Georgia Southern game? Not a horrid game, but an example of where the Griz would end up if they ever moved up ... playing on a Wednesday night, with 5000 people in the stands. Not exactly what I would aspire to.

Georgia Southern plays 12 games this year. Exactly THREE are on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Two of those three are on ESPNU (plus their Saturday game against App State is on ESPNU). It ain't like the entire conference is relegated to Wednesday nights...talk about much ado about nothing. Looks like Ga Southern and App State have longer term visions than how many people are going to be there Saturday and who would go out. What a ridiculously short-term view of things.

You really think we would get a crowd at Wa Griz on on a Thursday or wed night where it's 40 and raining? Yes maybe it's 4 times a year but that is 2 home games where attendance is MAYBE 10k. Nobody will be able to travel to the game and we will lose the fair weather fans with less wins. I understand what you are saying but as a University we can't afford for the Griz games to be low attended. I never have understood the move up argument. It's gonna cost more, we will lose MORE, fans will choose to do other things MORE, students will care LESS. The risk vs reward is astronomically poor. Even App state and Ga. southern who are success stories are successful because they play really bad FBS teams. I would wager that they have less income from football than they did at 1-AA and fans care less. Much less actually. What's the long term goal? Being 6-5, 7-4? Going to a bowl game played on a Thursday afternoon in Texas in front of 6000 fans? That's not a good goal. You are stepping down from being a proud strong program that has good roots and represents the university and state with pride to a program that is mediocre at best, plays at weird times against programs we don't care about. At least people know Idaho and EWU and Cal Poly from years of play. Nobody will care if we play New Mexico or New Mexico State or Wyoming even. They don't matter and they won't matter in 10 years when we are .500 or less with those teams. Take a dose of reality and realize that we can not and will not complete up a level. Not now, not in 10 years.

Loser talk. The assumption we're going to lose more. The assumption we will suck. The assumption all fans care about is winning. We play 6 CONFERENCE teams in the bottom half of the Massey ratings....we play sucky FCS teams goddamned near every single week. There's two, maybe THREE games all year that even remotely pique my interest. This year it's UNI and EWU. That's it. There's not another team on the schedule worth two shits. We want to call ourselves the Harvard of the West, but we play mostly directional community colleges.....I think we got the "playing really bad...teams" thing down to a science. There's people ON THIS SITE who would rather play Colorado State, Air Force, Utah State, Wyoming, etc., etc., etc., with the chance of losing than to batter overwhelmed teams week in and week out so your statement about "nobody" cares about those programs is flat out wrong.. And as far as "competing up a level", guess what, we get 85 scholarships too...it's not like we have to play these teams with 22 less scholarships. Hell, we ALREADY beat many of these schools for recruits, so I'm not sure why people are so convinced we couldn't complete if we moved up a level...So, pretty much everything you've said is false....