CORTACA 2019- Metlife Stadium

[Bartman]

Congrats to Ithaca and Cortland for being invited to this venue for 2019. Maybe RPI-Union Shoes should be the warm-up game

[Pat Coleman]

Here's our story -- there's not much in it that isn't in the schools' news releases, but there is our listing of the top-attended games in Division III history and such:
http://www.d3football.com/notables/2018/11/cortaca-moves-to-metlife-eyes-attendance-mark

[BomberJeff]

I am... a bit shocked. Really?  This is happening?

I... ok, sure.  Not really sure what kind of attendance this will get but if somebody's gonna pay for it, I guess why not.

[Oline89]

Congrats to Ithaca and Cortland for being invited to this venue for 2019. Maybe RPI-Union Shoes should be the warm-up game

Having the RPI-Union game same day is not a bad idea.  One game at 1, next at 4.  Would make more of a spectacle, cut down on the cost, draw 4 teams fans, and probably a lot more D3 fans, who just would want to spend a day tailgating and watching football.  Never going to happen, but is an intriguing idea....

[Bombers798891]

Regarding the attendance questions raised elsewhere and here.

I think you're selling somewhat short the fact that attendees aren't just going to be students and alums.

I think the hope is that the alums and current students from the area are not just going to go, but bring their families with them. For instance, my brother and I are alums, as is his wife. We're planning to go. So are our parents, children (because they have no choice, of course), my wife, and my father-in-law. None of them are students/alums. So there's actually 11 of us from one family, eight of whom are not students or alums.

In fact, I could see some of the draw for this game being that it isn't going to be held in a stadium that will be filled twice over. As someone in a wheelchair, the crowdedness of Cortaca always makes it a no go for me when it's on campus. Now? No such issue.

[jamtod]

Regarding the attendance questions raised elsewhere and here.

I think you're selling somewhat short the fact that attendees aren't just going to be students and alums.

I think the hope is that the alums and current students from the area are not just going to go, but bring their families with them. For instance, my brother and I are alums, as is his wife. We're planning to go. So are our parents, children (because they have no choice, of course), my wife, and my father-in-law. None of them are students/alums. So there's actually 11 of us from one family, eight of whom are not students or alums.

In fact, I could see some of the draw for this game being that it isn't going to be held in a stadium that will be filled twice over. As someone in a wheelchair, the crowdedness of Cortaca always makes it a no go for me when it's on campus. Now? No such issue.

A lot of the same criticisms came up before Tommie-Johnnie at Target Field last year and that attracted a huge crowd, although both schools and fanbases are in close proximity to the location of that game. I will be watching very curiously to see how this shakes out. Dealing with 10-11k on the UST campus was nuts, while bumping that to 37k at a larger venue still had a different level of insanity, but the stadium was prepared for it.

The announcement indicated something like 15k alumni in the NYC area. That doesn't seem like a huge number when you consider that a small percentage of that will attend (and yes, bring family from outside the Cortaca club).

[Bartman]

Regarding the attendance questions raised elsewhere and here.

I think you're selling somewhat short the fact that attendees aren't just going to be students and alums.

I think the hope is that the alums and current students from the area are not just going to go, but bring their families with them. For instance, my brother and I are alums, as is his wife. We're planning to go. So are our parents, children (because they have no choice, of course), my wife, and my father-in-law. None of them are students/alums. So there's actually 11 of us from one family, eight of whom are not students or alums.

In fact, I could see some of the draw for this game being that it isn't going to be held in a stadium that will be filled twice over. As someone in a wheelchair, the crowdedness of Cortaca always makes it a no go for me when it's on campus. Now? No such issue.

Bombers,
      I hope they open up the Luxury Club seats, that would be a perfect spot to watch the game. I have season giant tix there and my best friend in wheelchair zips up in the elevator and it is an awesome way to see the game with easy ingress/egress and preferred parking .  You are also very close to the Jumbo TV's and replay , very cool. I am jealous of the Cortaca participants.

[Bombers798891]

Regarding the attendance questions raised elsewhere and here.

I think you're selling somewhat short the fact that attendees aren't just going to be students and alums.

I think the hope is that the alums and current students from the area are not just going to go, but bring their families with them. For instance, my brother and I are alums, as is his wife. We're planning to go. So are our parents, children (because they have no choice, of course), my wife, and my father-in-law. None of them are students/alums. So there's actually 11 of us from one family, eight of whom are not students or alums.

In fact, I could see some of the draw for this game being that it isn't going to be held in a stadium that will be filled twice over. As someone in a wheelchair, the crowdedness of Cortaca always makes it a no go for me when it's on campus. Now? No such issue.

A lot of the same criticisms came up before Tommie-Johnnie at Target Field last year and that attracted a huge crowd, although both schools and fanbases are in close proximity to the location of that game. I will be watching very curiously to see how this shakes out. Dealing with 10-11k on the UST campus was nuts, while bumping that to 37k at a larger venue still had a different level of insanity, but the stadium was prepared for it.

The announcement indicated something like 15k alumni in the NYC area. That doesn't seem like a huge number when you consider that a small percentage of that will attend (and yes, bring family from outside the Cortaca club).

There's 35,000 between the two schools, which is why they're confident about the attendance. But time will tell

[jamtod]

Regarding the attendance questions raised elsewhere and here.

I think you're selling somewhat short the fact that attendees aren't just going to be students and alums.

I think the hope is that the alums and current students from the area are not just going to go, but bring their families with them. For instance, my brother and I are alums, as is his wife. We're planning to go. So are our parents, children (because they have no choice, of course), my wife, and my father-in-law. None of them are students/alums. So there's actually 11 of us from one family, eight of whom are not students or alums.

In fact, I could see some of the draw for this game being that it isn't going to be held in a stadium that will be filled twice over. As someone in a wheelchair, the crowdedness of Cortaca always makes it a no go for me when it's on campus. Now? No such issue.

A lot of the same criticisms came up before Tommie-Johnnie at Target Field last year and that attracted a huge crowd, although both schools and fanbases are in close proximity to the location of that game. I will be watching very curiously to see how this shakes out. Dealing with 10-11k on the UST campus was nuts, while bumping that to 37k at a larger venue still had a different level of insanity, but the stadium was prepared for it.

The announcement indicated something like 15k alumni in the NYC area. That doesn't seem like a huge number when you consider that a small percentage of that will attend (and yes, bring family from outside the Cortaca club).

There's 35,000 between the two schools, which is why they're confident about the attendance. But time will tell

Thanks. I misread the articles and was thinking it was 17k combined for the schools.

[XREDDRAGON77]

It's that week again! Unfortunately most of the hype is gone unless you're  a fan of one of these schools! Should be an amazing experience regardless! A few weeks ago I thought Cortland had no shot as IC was carving teams up. We've struggled a bit on the back half of the schedule, but at this point I have no idea what to expect!

[Bartman]

Good luck to Cortland and Ithaca this week. Represent D3 Football well at Metlife. I am rooting for the game going to 3 OTs where both teams and D3 Football are winners

[UfanBill]

Congrats to Ithaca and Cortland for being invited to this venue for 2019. Maybe RPI-Union Shoes should be the warm-up game

Having the RPI-Union game same day is not a bad idea.  One game at 1, next at 4.  Would make more of a spectacle, cut down on the cost, draw 4 teams fans, and probably a lot more D3 fans, who just would want to spend a day tailgating and watching football.  Never going to happen, but is an intriguing idea....

I would be OK with that double header scenario BUT how about playing it in the state of New York at the Carrier Dome...Again...never going to happen.

[Ithaca798891]

The schools believed that their massive alumni bases in the tri-state area were going to carry the day, and they were dead on. And they did so while still getting great campus support (on-campus ticket sales for IC students, faculty, and staff were so good, they had to order extra tickets and extend the sales a day.) I don't think they get this figure if the game is in Syracuse.

Adding another game to it would have probably been a massive logistical nightmare, I think.

[IC798891]

Having the RPI-Union game same day is not a bad idea.  One game at 1, next at 4.  Would make more of a spectacle, cut down on the cost, draw 4 teams fans, and probably a lot more D3 fans, who just would want to spend a day tailgating and watching football.  Never going to happen, but is an intriguing idea....

I would be OK with that double header scenario BUT how about playing it in the state of New York at the Carrier Dome...Again...never going to happen.
[/quote]

Six (or three) years later, because I was just talking about this with a buddy of mine who suggested the same thing if they were to do it again.

This would likely be a 100% non-starter for Ithaca, who competes with Syracuse directly for students, in the Communications school in particular. There's so much value in the media publicity of this, and every article mentioning a school you're competing with — not to mention sending students to the school itself on game day — defeats the purpose. It sends the message that to do something big, they rely on Syracuse to pull it off.