CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: medinabuckeye1 on July 08, 2020, 10:05:43 AM
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What will it be?
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A lost season almost certainly. Lost records, eligibility, no NC for the year, etc.
We might all need to carry certification of vaccination to attend future games.
Recruiting, wow, who can predict that impact?
Any freshmen this year would be able to be drafted after their second year playing.
I don't know what they do for seniors and eligibility, likely give them a pass even if they have no RS left.
The NFL draft next year will be .... a crap shoot ... ha.
Some fans will find other hobbies to entertain themselves and it could take a while for eyeballs to return.
We all may get even more used to "working at home" which could mean watching at home instead of attending games.
It may take a decade to feel normal.
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My guess is that the long-term impact of COVID on CFB will be to dramatically accelerate the pre-existing issue that it was already becoming increasingly difficult for teams to sell tickets.
When I was a kid, Ohio State tickets were like GOLD. If somebody offered you tickets to an Ohio State game, you took them without hesitating because they were near-impossible to get. Going to the 'Shoe was special even if the opponent was Directional U.
For many years I shared season tickets with my Dad and my brother. We had two tickets to each home game and approximately rotated between Dad and I, Dad and brother, brother and I, brother and a friend, or a friend and I going to the games. I haven't had that for a while now and I DO miss it when Ohio State has a BIG home game but to be perfectly honest I don't really miss the 4 hour (plus traffic) round-trip and associated hassles to go to Columbus and watch the Buckeyes pound the snot out of some hopeless opponent only there because their AD needed to pay the bills.
Nearly all games are now televised and television is much better than it used to be. My dad used to listen to games on the radio or watch on a B&W TV. I used to watch on non-HD. Now all the games are on HDTV and the view from my recliner is actually better than the view from my old upper-deck seat.
I still like to go once in a while because the atmosphere of being there, especially for a BIG game is always amazing but if I ever go to the 'Shoe for another early-season creampuff game it is probably only going to be because I am taking my family.
I'm not the only former season ticket holder on this board either. I know that @847badgerfan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5) has done the same thing and I think our resident Longhorn has as well.
My guess here is that CFB is going to be either cancelled or significantly disrupted for the 2020 season and a LOT of the ticket-buyers up through 2019 will not come back when CFB and everything else (hopefully) returns to normal in 2021.
I also think that we ARE going to an 8-team CFP in the very near future. My best guess is that the combination of increased difficulty selling tickets and decreased pressure to "never schedule a loss" (due to an 8-team playoff) will substantially improve future schedules for us as fans. If Ohio State can't fill the 'Shoe for a game against Kent State and Bama can't fill Bryant-Denny for a game against Western Carolina then it seems like the obvious solution is for tOSU and Bama to play a H&H which would obviously pack fans into the 'Shoe one year and Bryant-Denny the next (or vice-versa).
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So, if there is no season, and current year seniors are given another year, do they expand roster limits?
Teams have ca. 25 freshmen coming in, and they won't have 20+ seniors going out.
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So, if there is no season, and current year seniors are given another year, do they expand roster limits?
Teams have ca. 25 freshmen coming in, and they won't have 20+ seniors going out.
They'll have to but the long-term question is what about next year and beyond.
First, do you give an extra year to everybody or only the Seniors? If you give everybody an extra year then the roster-limit expansion would have to last until the 2020 freshman run out of eligibility. Otherwise you just push the problem down the road a year.
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I'd think the seniors-to-be will be SOL, unfortunately, and I think it will be an NCAA mandate.
Lots of schools are losing money with 85 players on their rosters. Having 105-110 would kill some programs.
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I'd think the seniors-to-be will be SOL, unfortunately, and I think it will be an NCAA mandate.
Lots of schools are losing money with 85 players on their rosters. Having 105-110 would kill some programs.
I hadn't thought about that but you are right.
These are short-term issues though. I'm more interested in this thread in what people think the long-term impact will be.
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I'm not the only former season ticket holder on this board either. I know that @847badgerfan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5) has done the same thing and I think our resident Longhorn has as well.
Yep, UTee and I both let our tickets go, for similar reasons.
Here is another problem. Students. That is the future, unfortunately, and the future MIGHT show up by the start of the 2nd quarter, or even later. I see it all over the country.
And then, as an example in Madison, unless the game is close or it's against a blue blood or Minnie or Iowa, the student section empties out after Jump Around.
This does not bode well for future attendance. Kids show up to be seen, not to watch.
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I hadn't thought about that but you are right.
These are short-term issues though. I'm more interested in this thread in what people think the long-term impact will be.
Well, for those seniors who will miss out, the long-term impact is HUGE.
As for the Virus impact? Until we see a vaccine, or somehow get herd immunity going, I don't think we see football.
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I'm an ex-season ticket holder as well. But mine is less about TV and more about UNL clearly was indifferent regarding my donations. So I chose to go elsewhere with my money and watch from home... when I can.
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Well, for those seniors who will miss out, the long-term impact is HUGE.
As for the Virus impact? Until we see a vaccine, or somehow get herd immunity going, I don't think we see football.
Agreed on both points.
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Yep, UTee and I both let our tickets go, for similar reasons.
Here is another problem. Students. That is the future, unfortunately, and the future MIGHT show up by the start of the 2nd quarter, or even later. I see it all over the country.
And then, as an example in Madison, unless the game is close or it's against a blue blood or Minnie or Iowa, the student section empties out after Jump Around.
This does not bode well for future attendance. Kids show up to be seen, not to watch.
I agree with all of this and we've discussed it before.
Assuming the 2020 season is cancelled or played without fans, do you think that will accelerate the trend toward people doing what you, UTee, and I have already done?
I do. People are creatures of habit. A lot of season ticket holders buy them every year out of habit and if that habit is broken by unavailability inn 2020 then I think it is likely that a LOT of them will not return to their previous habit in 2021 even if everything is back to pre-COVID normal.
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There will also be political reactions when it comes to renewals. Our current culture can't separate them so some will cancel because the answer doesn't fit their political views. Playing games without fans might have the biggest impact as the middle road seems to be hated by both sides. jmo
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I'm an ex-season ticket holder as well. But mine is less about TV and more about UNL clearly was indifferent regarding my donations. So I chose to go elsewhere with my money and watch from home... when I can.
I found the last three words of your post very interesting.
I think that your reason for dropping season tickets isn't substantially different from mine, @847badgerfan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5) 's, or @utee94 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=15) 's. I'm not even sure how much the schools care. Ticket and donation revenue is obviously important but most of the money comes from TV anyway. That is where your statement that you now watch UNL's games "when you can" is potentially very interesting and potentially devastating to CFB revenues.
I don't know about Badge and Utee but even after dropping season tickets, my school's games are still "appointment viewing". If Ohio State is playing and I'm not watching it is almost always because a very close relative was born, hospitalized, died, or got married (inconsiderately on CFB Saturday). Otherwise, I'm watching the game.
Maybe you mean the same thing by your statement but I didn't read it that way. I read it as "I like to watch but if the lawn needs mowed . . ." For you to drop from a season ticket holder attending all the home games and presumably watching all of the road games on TV to something more like a "casual" fan is a MUCH bigger step.
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I found the last three words of your post very interesting.
I think that your reason for dropping season tickets isn't substantially different from mine, @847badgerfan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5) 's, or @utee94 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=15) 's. I'm not even sure how much the schools care. Ticket and donation revenue is obviously important but most of the money comes from TV anyway. That is where your statement that you now watch UNL's games "when you can" is potentially very interesting and potentially devastating to CFB revenues.
I don't know about Badge and Utee but even after dropping season tickets, my school's games are still "appointment viewing". If Ohio State is playing and I'm not watching it is almost always because a very close relative was born, hospitalized, died, or got married (inconsiderately on CFB Saturday). Otherwise, I'm watching the game.
Maybe you mean the same thing by your statement but I didn't read it that way. I read it as "I like to watch but if the lawn needs mowed . . ." For you to drop from a season ticket holder attending all the home games and presumably watching all of the road games on TV to something more like a "casual" fan is a MUCH bigger step.
I'd say I went from a rabid CF fan to casual. No question. Life used to evolve around Saturday football and UNL games. Now games evolve around life. Most of that is having kids and making them a priority. Part of it is being slightly bitter... I can admit it.
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We've mused a lot about the lingering impact of the work from home aspect of this, and I think most of us think it will be significant and lasting.
The same could be true for sports.
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Yeah, I have to watch every Florida game, even from across the country. Even if it's not live, it's actually great to start it about 45 min late and catch up to the live action near the end of the game.
This year could just be a hiccup, I don't know. Can you imagine stadiums knocking seats out, leaving only spaced out, fixed seating for 2021? A new normal?
Anyway, about going to games - if I still lived in Gainesville, I'd still go when tickets came my way, but it's 100% worth it for a big opponent. I assume there are only a handful of places like it, but the Swamp vs a good Tennessee, LSU, or good FSU is a special place.
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My guess is that the long-term impact of COVID on CFB will be to dramatically accelerate the pre-existing issue that it was already becoming increasingly difficult for teams to sell tickets.
When I was a kid, Ohio State tickets were like GOLD. If somebody offered you tickets to an Ohio State game, you took them without hesitating because they were near-impossible to get. Going to the 'Shoe was special even if the opponent was Directional U.
Was thinking the same. We had UM season tickets, but I remember friends, who would score one offs from like someone their dad worked with for a terrible game, and it was like they won the lottery. Granted I don't think UM started playing non-BCS schools until the late 90s, and at first it was like Miami(Ohio) and Memphis. I remember when they first played my dad's alma mater (EMU), he started to question what he was paying for.
Hell I remember ditching the game in the video below at halftime, being ill dressed for it, only to find out my best friend stayed til the bitter end, because it was the only game he went to that year. Now I know my dad struggles to find someone who wants his for free unless it's a big time game.
https://youtu.be/j460bLNZ6To
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Was thinking the same. We had UM season tickets, but I remember friends, who would score one offs from like someone their dad worked with for a terrible game, and it was like they won the lottery. Granted I don't think UM started playing non-BCS schools until the late 90s, and at first it was like Miami(Ohio) and Memphis. I remember when they first played my dad's alma mater (EMU), he started to question what he was paying for.
Hell I remember ditching the game in the video below at halftime, being ill dressed for it, only to find out my best friend stayed til the bitter end, because it was the only game he went to that year. Now I know my dad struggles to find someone who wants his for free unless it's a big time game.
https://youtu.be/j460bLNZ6To
Exactly the same. Back in the early 1990's (before I went to tOSU) I got to go to Ohio State vs Louisville and I thought I was the luckiest guy alive even though Louisville was terrible and tOSU was merely pedestrian.
The last few years that we had our season tickets if we couldn't make it to a crap game we had the same experience as your dad. We literally had trouble finding people to use them even when we were giving away tickets.
When we bought them I felt somewhat obligated to use them but now I just don't care. I go to a game or two every year but I pick the games and pay the price. I don't pay for crap games that I don't care to see anyway.
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How many attendees are present more as a social event than a football game, including students?
I know some folks go and tailgate and watch the games on TV, they don't bother going to the stadium.
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The long term effects on football will be to slow the arms race in
- Building structures and indoor practice facilities;
- Building stadium improvements;
- Lowering coaches salaries.
The larger effect is now being felt in other sports. Stanford just cut 11 nonrevenue sports. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/08/us/stanford-varsity-spt-trnd/index.html (https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/08/us/stanford-varsity-spt-trnd/index.html)
"school leaders said the Covid-19 impact could equal a $70 million shortfall over the next three years if changes aren't made . . ."
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Exactly the same. Back in the early 1990's (before I went to tOSU) I got to go to Ohio State vs Louisville and I thought I was the luckiest guy alive even though Louisville was terrible and tOSU was merely pedestrian.
The last few years that we had our season tickets if we couldn't make it to a crap game we had the same experience as your dad. We literally had trouble finding people to use them even when we were giving away tickets.
When we bought them I felt somewhat obligated to use them but now I just don't care. I go to a game or two every year but I pick the games and pay the price. I don't pay for crap games that I don't care to see anyway.
Hmmm, in college, I went to most every game, give or take other responsibilities or the odd hangover. Wasn't much of a social butterfly, so I didn't have a great pregame crew.
I have a job that makes weekends dicy schedule-wise, but I can't imagine getting too deep into it. I guess if I lived in my hometown and could walk to the stadium, maybe. Or maybe the act of standing for four hours has lost its luster.
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As I said in the other thread/ as long as positive tests are the barometer we could be looking at next season being cancelled too.
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counting positive tests is asinine
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I guess we can see the impact on college athletics in broader terms than just CFB already.
More to come. The knives are out, and Title IX is going to be stretched.
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I guess we can see the impact on college athletics in broader terms than just CFB already.
More to come. The knives are out, and Title IX is going to be stretched.
Title IX is also being stretched by the concept of gender fluidity.
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How many attendees are present more as a social event than a football game, including students?
I know some folks go and tailgate and watch the games on TV, they don't bother going to the stadium.
This was me at the end, to be honest. I'd sell my tickets for what I could get, and watch it in the parking lot, where the grills, porta-john and drinks were.
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I haven't been to Madison since 2016. I might never go back. Not sure. I can get BTN in Florida, or stream.
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I haven't been to Madison since 2016. I might never go back. Not sure. I can get BTN in Florida, or stream.
I get BTN here, and ACC and whatever else. We get a zillion channels, courtesy of the HOA, which of course I pay for.
I was paying $171 a month in Cincy for cable and internet. The only issue I have here is weather and reception at times. But that takes some of the bote out of paying the HOA each month. I also like having the front desk and security and the pool, I used to use the gym almost daily. The house in Cincy was of course a money pit in some ways, and a new roof was probably 2-3-4 years out.
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No matter where I live, I'd plan at least one trip to UNL for a game each fall
while my body would support it
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I went to a game in 2006 when I lived in GA, and went to one last year. I made it to the chicken bowl in Santa Clara as well.
I really want to see Purdue schedule something (football or basketball) out here on the West Coast.
One day though I want to take my wife to a basketball game in Mackey Arena. She's more interested in that because it's less depressing that Purdue football anyway lol... Only problem is that I don't like the idea of scheduling a trip to the Midwest during conference basketball season--especially not with a native Southern Californian!