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The best fans in the land are Nebraska fans. If you don't believe me, just ask them, and they'll tell you the same. Famous for their devotion, Cornhusker fans travel politely and in great numbers, so if they're declining the opportunity to go to their bowl game, you know things are bad for the bowls' revenues this season. And they are bad.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has about 3,900 unsold tickets to the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, which is rare for the Huskers, who are known for packing fans into home and away stadiums.
Nebraska fans would like you to know they said "No thank you," which is an important distinction given their rep. Nebraska's doing very well relative to other schools in selling their tickets. Michigan sold only 7,000 of their 12,500 allotted tickets for the Gator Bowl. West Virginia, another traditional ticket-gobbling horde, hasn't sold half of their Champs Sports Bowl tickets. Iowa, UConn, and Oklahoma are ganging up to depress the market for all non-BCS Title game Arizona bowl games, a market already suffering from dramatic price hikes.
Tulsa and Florida International may have the worst situations of all. Tulsa has sold 800 of its 10,000 tickets for the Hawai'i Bowl, and stands poised to take a substantial financial hit as the result of making a bowl game. Meanwhile, the Sun Belt has had to bail out FIU with a $300,000 travel subsidy for the Golden Panthers' bowl appearance because FIU has only sold a few hundred tickets for the Little Caesar's Bowl. I didn't know a simple trip to Birmingham for 100 people could cost that much, but life's about learning something every day.
Bowl supporters often cite tradition when defending the system, but one thing they neglect to tell you: traditions can be quite expensive, and often vary greatly in quality and investment value.
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Comments
This just shows
How flawed the bowl system is. You make a bowl game but sell enough tickets and end up losing money. If big schools with football traditions like Nebraska or Michigan can’t drum up interest, it is time to rethink the system.
The Mikan Drill
by JoshuaR on Dec 21, 2010 4:37 PM EST reply actions
well
Nebraska got rematched against Washington, a team we beat earlier, and a team we’ll play again next year. so… there’s a little bit of a reason for disinterest in our case.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Twitter!
cornnation@gmail.com
by Jon Johnston on Dec 21, 2010 9:30 PM EST up reply actions
That pretty much proves my point. What are the point to these games, especially in scenarios like this?
The Mikan Drill
by JoshuaR on Dec 21, 2010 9:36 PM EST up reply actions
given scheduling
it’s about the only way you’re going to see some of these teams ever play each other.
most of the SEC schools will never schedule someone decent during the non-conference season, and that won’t ever change. So – they get matched up with other conferences in the bowl games.
I don’t see the problem with that.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Twitter!
cornnation@gmail.com
by Jon Johnston on Dec 21, 2010 9:41 PM EST up reply actions
Didn’t the bowl system fail if they can’t drum up interest for their bowl?
The Mikan Drill
by JoshuaR on Dec 22, 2010 2:54 PM EST up reply actions
Bowls are unbearable.
Why? The only one that matters is the last one. Imagine the attendance for a crappy first-round NBA playoff series if neither team had a chance to advance to the championship round.
by wolfpack2454 on Dec 21, 2010 8:33 PM EST reply actions
i disagree
completely with this sentiment.
it’s more college football, and I don’t know why anyone who is a college football fan doesn’t want more college football.
You don’t like ‘em, don’t watch ‘em. But don’t pretend you’re a college football fan in the meantime.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Twitter!
cornnation@gmail.com
by Jon Johnston on Dec 21, 2010 9:32 PM EST up reply actions
This
is nonsense.
You can still have more college football with a playoff, and the key is that it’s more meaningfulfootball. You may not be a member of that majority, but I’ll allow you to retain your fan card, unlike your hasty revocation of mine.
I didn’t say I don’t want more college football – I want more good college football. I’d rather watch a tournament of the top 16 teams rather than single-game head-to-head snoozers between the “top” 70 teams, especially if many of those are 6-6 teams with 3 wins against non-conference cupcakes.
by wolfpack2454 on Dec 26, 2010 6:21 PM EST up reply actions
FIU is playing in Detroit
not Birmingham. Papa John’s was the sponsor of the Birmingham game until this year. Compass Bank is now the sponsor. Little Ceaser’s has never been involved in the Birmingham game. Nice work.
Stupid Llamas!.
by otisnixon'sparty on Dec 22, 2010 1:20 AM EST reply actions
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