FB: Empire 8

[Doid23]

From Greg Easterbrook's TMQ Column:

Obscure College Score of the Week: Alfred 60, State University of New York-Maritime 0 (Division III playoff opening round). The Privateers of Maritime came into the contest undefeated at 10-0, then lost by 60 points, throwing more interceptions (four) than completions (two). Located in Alfred, N.Y., Alfred University has an art professor who paints about her experiences as a competitive acrobatics pilot. http://www.alfred.edu/pressreleases/viewrelease.cfm?ID=6168

Hmmm, I didn't have any professors like that at UColl (or students for that matter)...

[BoSox0322]

Yea I think kids are just too lazy for that too.

what about my plan for having a book lottery at halftime?  Or how about 1K off tuition for the next year or something?  Free meal plan?

I like your idea, but with two caveats:

1) If the raffle is held before the last non-Cortaca game, people won't go to any other games, but if you make it obvious it will be held in the last one, people will only show up for that.

2) Would that, from a cost perspective, help the school and would they sign off on it otherwise? If the tickets are free, does a free meal plan, free books drive the expense up? How can we get seniors/those living off campus involved if the prize is for next year or for an on campus only thing?

I tried to actually come up with the logistics for my idea, and here's how I would do it. Assume, if you would, a $10 Cortaca ticket and four non-cortaca home games.

Zero games = No tickets

One game = One ticket for half-price

Two or three games = One ticket for free or two tickets for half-price, their choice

Four games = Two tickets for free

Sell tickets at the gate only. This way, students have to go to the stadium, which encourages them to stay. Also, it allows for two weeks where, if you have a group meeting or work, you can still buy two tickets. If students are too lazy to do that, that's fine, because that's sort of the point. The student who doesn't care enough about the team to go doesn't get rewarded with Cortaca tickets, or only gets one for themselves and not their friend. The students who go to more games get Cortaca tix.

See, my goal isn't so much to raise money for the school (Honestly, at $50,000 a year, money from football tix will get lost in the rounding). It's to increase overall football support and make the crowd at Cortaca less of a "It's Cortacaaaaaaaa!! We're so waaaaasteeedddd!" and more of a "Oh man, it's Cortaca! Biggest game of the season. Go Bombers!"

I hear what youre saying but 5 dollars off a ticket i dont think will motivate college kids these days... i think the availability to get the tickets would be the way to go.... with that said I think forcing kids to go to games would kind of defeat the purpose.

[AUKaz00]

From Greg Easterbrook's TMQ Column:

Obscure College Score of the Week: Alfred 60, State University of New York-Maritime 0 (Division III playoff opening round). The Privateers of Maritime came into the contest undefeated at 10-0, then lost by 60 points, throwing more interceptions (four) than completions (two). Located in Alfred, N.Y., Alfred University has an art professor who paints about her experiences as a competitive acrobatics pilot. http://www.alfred.edu/pressreleases/viewrelease.cfm?ID=6168

Hmmm, I didn't have any professors like that at UColl (or students for that matter)...

Just to reinforce the small town nature of Mayberry, when she moved here she bought my in-laws' house and tragically her husband recently died in a plane crash.

[DanPadavona]

I know this is a week or two late, but as we've discussed attendance at Cortaca, I thought it pertinent.

Oklahoma State has a ticket plan where they identify one "Premium" home game every year. In order to buy a ticket to that game, you have to buy season tickets. Apparently, it's worked well for them, and increased attendance by over 10,000 per game.

Now, obviously, since Ithaca/Cortland are not selling tickets to other games, this would have to be modified. And yes, the students would complain, since that's what students are want to do, but I'd love to see the schools adopt something similar. It would encourage people to come to other games and increase overall support for the program, and, if you're the person who just wants to show up to Cortaca wasted and whatnot, maybe you'll just drink somewhere else, watch the game on TV and make the game that much more enjoyable for people who actually follow the football team on a regular basis.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OSU/article.aspx?subjectid=93&articleid=20101119_93_B1_CUTLIN989698

bombers I believe a lot of schools do that.  Boston College will not sell individual games until people buy the season ticket packages (since everyone would just buy the Notre Dame or other big game )

You could do the same for Ithaca but students get in for free anyway.  I'm not sure if it would work or not since they probably just make ok money on concessions and stuff.  I'm not sure they would go if they had to prepay for a season ticket.  At BC they actually throw you out of the tailgating spots because the ACC doesn't want to see empty seats on TV.

Good theory though.  I always thought they should give away a raffle at each game where one student could win a semester free of books from the bookstore.

Cortland has a season ticket package.  It's $55 for all home games, and you get one of the red C-Club reserved seats with the back rest.  So you can buy your season tickets in July or August, and have Cortaca reserved for you if the game is at Cortland that particular season.

Does Ithaca have a season ticket package?

[Bombers798891]

Cortland has a season ticket package.  It's $55 for all home games, and you get one of the red C-Club reserved seats with the back rest.  So you can buy your season tickets in July or August, and have Cortaca reserved for you if the game is at Cortland that particular season.

Does Ithaca have a season ticket package?

No because we only charge for Cortaca. Everything else is free, except, obviously playoff games

[jdex]

 Fact that Buff State found E8 acceptance is certainly a start. Now if only the rest of NYS could come together. Twas a dream of the late Cortland administrator Bob Weber who tried for years to get a Thruway conference in motion.

To their credit, Alfred, Ithaca and Hobart to some extent stuck with Cortland over the years. Cortland actually first pulled the plug on AU when the Corts no longer felt competitive. In fact, they were in such a rut that football was to be dropped about 30 years ago. Alums protested and by '86 and hiring of Dennis Kayser, the program truly began rise from the ashes. Time came when they could have resumed series. Alfred said no thanks, joining the majority of state privates. And in 2000 the Dragons were off to Jersey for scheduling purposes. Time heals. A state conference anyone?

Interesting aside that Alfred coach D. Murray was defensive architect of Cortland return to prominence in the late 80s into the 90s, first as a defensive coach and then head coach. All class as is current Cortland pilot D. MacNeill. Teams have scrimmaged in recent past, even when AU administration declined a regular season game despite same open dates. Just part of the private/public sector rift that sent Cortland to New Jersey. A softening? Is that Buffalo St. bound for E8?

administration denied a regular season game?  i hope you know that for a fact...

While I've not been in the conversations, obviously, I've also heard the same thing for some of the other state schools. 

Albany State, Brockport State, Buffalo State, Cortland State and even Plattsburgh State were all on the Alfred schedule for many years. Pep recalls a sudden halt to playing the state schools perhaps in late 1980s because AU had raised its admissions standards in the mid-70s and in the 80s felt it no longer could compete on a level playing field with the state schools which had lower admissions standards, thereby attracting and enrolling student-athletes who were inadmissable at AU. But that's just Pep's take on it.

I definitely understand the rationale.   Maybe, as discussed, it is being loosened now.  Especially since Buffalo State will be in the E8. 

[maxpower]

The Privateers of Maritime came into the contest undefeated at 10-0, then lost by 60 points, throwing more interceptions (four) than completions (two).

A-ma-zing.

[labart96]

There are several proponents, including SJFC HC Paul Vosburgh, for a NYS "superconference".  RT aka Eric Ren has gone so far to propose structuring it like the SEC with both "East" and "West" sub-divisions.

Below is my take on one way it could play out (certainly won't be the last time this comes up):

NYS East Division:

1. Springfield*
2. WPI*
3. Saint Lawrence
4. Merchant Marine
5. Hartwick
6. RPI
7. Union

NYS West Division:

1. Hobart
2. Rochester
3. SJFC
4. Ithaca
5. Alfred
6. Utica
7.  Cortland (assuming they left the NJAC could be Buff St in lieu or in addition to CSU)

* Grandfathered in due to LL/E8 alignments

The set up This would still allow for minimum of 2 OOC games and could add a 10th or 11th game to some schedules when the champs of the "NYS East" or "NYS West" battle it out.  

[maxpower]

Not sure if this is a concern, but one of those divisions looks a LOT stronger than the other...

[AUKaz00]

The bigger concern would be reducing all these teams to one AQ, placing everyone else in Pool C purgatory.

[union89]

Not sure if this is a concern, but one of those divisions looks a LOT stronger than the other...

Yup, that East Division is a, "Murderers Row".

[labart96]

The bigger concern would be reducing all these teams to one AQ, placing everyone else in Pool C purgatory.

Actually we proposed both division champs getting an AQ - maybe defeats the purpose of a "Superconference champion", but should have mentioned that in the prior post....

[BoSox0322]

There are several proponents, including SJFC HC Paul Vosburgh, for a NYS "superconference".  RT aka Eric Ren has gone so far to propose structuring it like the SEC with both "East" and "West" sub-divisions.

Below is my take on one way it could play out (certainly won't be the last time this comes up):

NYS East Division:

1. Springfield*
2. WPI*
3. Saint Lawrence
4. Merchant Marine
5. Hartwick
6. RPI
7. Union

NYS West Division:

1. Hobart
2. Rochester
3. SJFC
4. Ithaca
5. Alfred
6. Utica
7.  Cortland (assuming they left the NJAC could be Buff St in lieu or in addition to CSU)

* Grandfathered in due to LL/E8 alignments

The set up This would still allow for minimum of 2 OOC games and could add a 10th or 11th game to some schedules when the champs of the "NYS East" or "NYS West" battle it out.  

I love the idea... Would def. have to put some thought into the ncaa bid... if both champs get an AQ do they have an overall champion game?... if they do that could hurt a team for NCAA's (injuries)

[Knightstalker]

There are several proponents, including SJFC HC Paul Vosburgh, for a NYS "superconference".  RT aka Eric Ren has gone so far to propose structuring it like the SEC with both "East" and "West" sub-divisions.

Below is my take on one way it could play out (certainly won't be the last time this comes up):

NYS East Division:

1. Springfield*
2. WPI*
3. Saint Lawrence
4. Merchant Marine
5. Hartwick
6. RPI
7. Union

NYS West Division:

1. Hobart
2. Rochester
3. SJFC
4. Ithaca
5. Alfred
6. Utica
7.  Cortland (assuming they left the NJAC could be Buff St in lieu or in addition to CSU)

* Grandfathered in due to LL/E8 alignments

The set up This would still allow for minimum of 2 OOC games and could add a 10th or 11th game to some schedules when the champs of the "NYS East" or "NYS West" battle it out.  

I love the idea... Would def. have to put some thought into the ncaa bid... if both champs get an AQ do they have an overall champion game?... if they do that could hurt a team for NCAA's (injuries)

You could play a championship game but you would have to schedule one less regular season game.  The other option would be to do what the MAC did for basketball, create two independent conferences that each get an AQ.  Not sure if it is possible but those are two possibilities.  I often proposed the same sort of lineup with the NJAC, Frostburg and salisbury and the football SUNY'.

[BoSox0322]

Def some things to think about but in general I would love to see it.