I am not a research person but I'm very curious: How did our TV ratings in each of our national championship games and other ESPN/ESPN 2 TV games stack up against ballgames this year like Little Caesars Bowl, etc. Anyone have information like that?

Don't know, but I am watching the Little Caesar's Bowl as I type this. Central Michigan just went up with a td with 5:11 left in game. Entertaining game.

That game drew 23,000 or so.

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

ASUMountaineer wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

I know, but I found it interesting that a bowl game drew less than 30K.

JCline0429 wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

I know, but I found it interesting that a bowl game drew less than 30K.

About the same attendance as the best attended I-AA National Championship games.

TheMoody1 wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

I know, but I found it interesting that a bowl game drew less than 30K.

About the same attendance as the best attended I-AA National Championship games.

Yes, but we could have filled bank of America stadium during our 2nd and 3rd championship games. Tickets were selling at $80-$100 a piece on average. You could have gotten in the bowl game last night for under $5.

ggasu wrote:

TheMoody1 wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

I know, but I found it interesting that a bowl game drew less than 30K.

About the same attendance as the best attended I-AA National Championship games.

Yes, but we could have filled bank of America stadium during our 2nd and 3rd championship games. Tickets were selling at $80-$100 a piece on average. You could have gotten in the bowl game last night for under $5.

I love my Apps and we travel very well regionally but there is no way we could have even come close to filling BOA Stadium, it holds 74K. With enough advance notice, we could very likely bring 35K-40K but even VA Tech and Florida State didn't sell it out for the ACC Championship game, nor did ECU and South Carolina when they played there last year.

For a snowy Wednesday night after Christmas in Detroit, 23K is better than I would have thought. Not sure what the ratings were but I'd imagine they were decent since it was on ESPN and had zero competition.

JCline0429 wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

I know, but I found it interesting that a bowl game drew less than 30K.

I find it interesting too. I would have not suspected such a big turnout for that game...very interesting.

Not a surprise at all. CMU is close by and would draw big for that game.

TheMoody1 wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

I know, but I found it interesting that a bowl game drew less than 30K.

About the same attendance as the best attended I-AA National Championship games.

Yes, but FCS is JV, remember. FBS is big time. To me, a bowl game is not a bowl game with that kind of crowd. Just an extra game on a neutral field.

What difference does "what our ratings might have been" if we can never get on TV? The Sun Belt gets national coverage at least once a week throughout the season, and then additional bowl games.

Why dont you compare the PBS ratings to regular season Sun Belt game ratings? I expect that wont make your rosy stats look so rosy.

Take the SB invite when it comes, plain and simple.

JCline0429 wrote:

TheMoody1 wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote:

JCline0429 wrote:That game drew 23,000 or so.

TV ratings, not announced attendance.

I know, but I found it interesting that a bowl game drew less than 30K.

About the same attendance as the best attended I-AA National Championship games.

Yes, but FCS is JV, remember. FBS is big time. To me, a bowl game is not a bowl game with that kind of crowd. Just an extra game on a neutral field.

Why do you think the FCS is JV? With that said, you have some mighty high expectations for bowl games played in December if you think that is poor attendance. If the FCS National Championship is as big in reality as it is to you, shouldn't it's attendance dwarf all bowl/exhibition games--save the BCS games?

There really are no winners with this discussion, just people arguing the same points that have been argued since the study was announced (and probably before that). Can anyone be convinced to join the other side at this point?

ASUMountaineer wrote: There really are no winners with this discussion, just people arguing the same points that have been argued since the study was announced (and probably before that). Can anyone be convinced to join the other side at this point?

Bam. And there you go. Same people with the same thinly veiled argument, and virtually no reason to back it up other than playing lighter competition means more winning. Maybe you FCSers would like to drop the FBS games too, we can add another banner win over the blue hose.

The Sun Belt > The Socon. Its really not even dabatable. TV exposure, attendance #s, facilities, athletes, there is no comparison. Take away App and GS and the gap widens even more.

GlassOnion wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote: There really are no winners with this discussion, just people arguing the same points that have been argued since the study was announced (and probably before that). Can anyone be convinced to join the other side at this point?

Bam. And there you go. Same people with the same thinly veiled argument, and virtually no reason to back it up other than playing lighter competition means more winning. Maybe you FCSers would like to drop the FBS games too, we can add another banner win over the blue hose.

The Sun Belt > The Socon. Its really not even dabatable. TV exposure, attendance #s, facilities, athletes, there is no comparison. Take away App and GS and the gap widens even more.

Just for the record, I'm pro-FBS.

ASUMountaineer wrote: Just for the record, I'm pro-FBS.

I know, I was just agreeing with you, and you gave me a nice launch point for a jab at the FCS nutters.

GlassOnion wrote:

ASUMountaineer wrote: Just for the record, I'm pro-FBS.

I know, I was just agreeing with you, and you gave me a nice launch point for a jab at the FCS nutters.

Well then, in that case, you're welcome.

Okay, I'm using the ASU-Montana game as an idicator of potential FCS tv audience, as it drew a 1.9 share.

Quick research shows that in 2011, 7 bowl games pulled less than the 1.9:
BOWL TV SHARE ATTN TEAMS
New Orleans 1.53 29,159 Troy-Ohio
Armed Forces 1.55 36,742 Army-SMU
Little Caesars 1.63 32,431 Fla. International-Toldeo
Independence 1.68 39,362 Air Force-Georgia Tech
Gator 1.71 68,325 Michigan-Mississippi State
Military 1.72 38,062 Maryland-East Carolina
Fight Hunger 1.87 41,063 Boston College-Nevada

A good FCS game certainly can compete with many bowl games. These are most likely the kind of bowls ASU would play and I wonder what the attendance and ratings would be for us.

The ASU-Montana game was as good a contest as I've ever seen but is not a great indicator for an average FCS game in terms of TV viewership. It was the highest rated televised FCS game of all time and most do not pull nearly that much. For example, the national championship between Montana and Villanova the next week drew a 1.3 which is lower than every bowl game.

Didn't we have this same debate/argument last year? and the year before? and the year before? and the year before? and the year before? and during all 3 National Championship years? Yep, thought so. Everyone head over to the old MMB and read those threads again and we can all save some time.