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Topic: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Topic: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

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colobobcat66
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2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 10:00:54 AM

After seeing the USA Today article this morning, I continue to be dismayed by our ticket sales numbers and our contributions numbers. I may be beating a dead horse here, but unless these go up, athletics is going to be a drain, mostly, on the students. When schools like Marshall and Miami have 3-5 times as much ticket sales revenue as we do and 5-10 times as much donations(tied to ticket sales for sure) as Ohio, our program is not solidly based. Ultimately, the program will come under more and more pressure to do something about that. It's just a downer to start off the day by being reminded about such negative data.

(I'll get over it, I 'm flying to Seattle this afternoon to celebrate my twin granddaughters' first birthday.)

L.C.
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 1:33:26 PM

This year should be a good test of the theory "build it and they will come". In a sense you have a "perfect storm". You have a program that has risen, and now has a good team. You have a winnable schedule. And you have some difficulties in the OSU program. If Ohio is going to attract new fans, and fill the stadium, this year is a critical test, in my opinion. If Ohio has a 10+ win season, and they still can't fill the stands, then I can't imagine any circumstances that will fill them.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

sargentfan
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 2:06:51 PM

Unless OSU somehow tanks their season their is no way OHIO is going to see any residual uptick for it. I sincerely doubt that the students who skip OHIO games for OSU games are going to start coming just because of a little turmoil. We would need a Michigan like slip by the Buckeyes to have a chance at gaining any residual growth.

Bobcatbob
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 5:03:46 PM

Ordinarily I would agree with the assessment but TV might be the wildcard. If A&M is not shown on TV as a penalty or if they just don't get picked up in a given week, there might be a boost to our attendance but I am skeptical, too.

BattleCat
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 5:48:12 PM

Wouldn't tv have the potential to hurt game day attendance? If I can catch the game on tv, why drive and spend the $$$$$$

Doc Bobcat
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 6:05:47 PM

BattleCat wrote:

Wouldn't tv have the potential to hurt game day attendance? If I can catch the game on tv, why drive and spend the $$$$$$

Maybe during bad weather.....but good weather and a home football game is my favorite thing to do.

BattleCat
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 10:13:09 PM

I understand that Doc from you and let's be serious about 5,000 other diehard fans. But to Joe Blow who we are trying to win over in the most economically depressed area in the State would probably stay home. Face it, Professional Sports did not develop "black-out" rules for poops and giggles. There is an economic realitity behind their rule.

Monroe Slavin
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 11:08:41 PM

Congrats 66. L.C. is correct about the confluence of favorable factors. Getting off to a roaring start is absolutely vital. I'll go on record right now as saying that I expect us to thrash NMSU and G-W to start. If we get d-line play and steadiness (no turnovers!) at qb, it's gonna be a ride.

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BattleCat
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 11:19:49 PM

Monroe Slavin wrote:

Is there a "LIKE" button?

OhioCatFan
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/16/2011 11:43:17 PM

BattleCat wrote:

I understand that Doc from you and let's be serious about 5,000 other diehard fans. But to Joe Blow who we are trying to win over in the most economically depressed area in the State would probably stay home. Face it, Professional Sports did not develop "black-out" rules for poops and giggles. There is an economic realitity behind their rule.

Unemployment rates by county.

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Doc Bobcat
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 7:27:35 AM

OhioCatFan wrote:

BattleCat wrote:

Unemployment rates by county.

I "sorta" get the economic thing.....but not the "I'd rather watch it on TV."

A fan like me could stay home and watch the game....

....on the same TV that the family fights over on who gets to watch what.

....with a lovely wife who hates football.

....drinking beer in a town with the worst beer selection on the planet.

....while eating the same hum-drum food.

....by myself.

Or I could.....

....visit my favorite town on the planet.

.....see the game in person which is much better than the telly.

....attend tailgates like G-mans and laugh with friends.

....have a mushroom burger from the Pub.

...drink some really good beer.

Those are not in any priority order.....yet the beer one usually moves to the top.

JSF
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 8:16:52 AM

There are a lot of people out there that prefer watching sports on TV to seeing it in person.

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Doc Bobcat
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 9:23:15 AM

JSF wrote:

There are a lot of people out there that prefer watching sports on TV to seeing it in person.

To each his own.

I guess I should have turned down those free all inclusive baseball tickets last year. When the roll gets called up yonder though I can't imagine any TV event winning over any live event....unless it would be watching the Cats win a national championship.

Bert Presley
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 9:35:50 AM

There are a lot of people who prefer to watch sports on TV, yet how many have seen an OHIO Football game?

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TWT
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 10:15:43 AM

OhioCatFan wrote:

Unemployment rates by county.

Numbers here are interesting. Athens County at 8.4 percent unemployment is actually in the lowwer third of the state with Franklin and Fairfield Counties along the US 33 near the lowest. Once that bypass around 33 is finished that will tie Athens County more into the growing Central Ohio economy than before. The UConn and Pitt games proved that the stadium can pack for big games and it would be safe to assume it could do so for a ranked Bobcat team based on what I've seen at other MAC campuses. I think the hope would be to be able to pack the stadium for Friday/Saturday games. The community is too small to pack it on a Tuesday night in late November. If a few bio tech companies decided to move into Athens providing 1,000 professional jobs or so that would be a game changer as far as the support base is concerned.

Last Edited: 6/17/2011 10:18:21 AM by TWT

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Jeff McKinney
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 1:13:46 PM

But regionally, SE Ohio still has more than it's share of counties in the lowest 25% of the counties for unemployment. Since we are trying to draw regionally, that hurts us.

Also, there are other economic indicators (such as disposable household income) where the SE Ohio region ranks at the bottom of the state.

We have to get a significant drawing of fans from Columbus and Parkersburg.

Monroe Slavin
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 2:14:25 PM

Doubtless many more prefer to watch on TV than be their live. I don't get that at all though. TV follows the ball whereas live at a football game you can see the whole field. It's a blast to see the blocking working and the filed opening up for a running back before he gets there...or a defensive guy spurting to close an apparent hole...or a receiver breaking wide open...and maybe the qb throws the ball elsewhere...or maybe you want to concentrate more on watching which lines are dominating. You get a world more game view when you're there live.

Plus, if you don't appreciate the crowd hysteria of being there live, then you just don't know. (Speaking generally, JSF, not about you; I know you like appreciate being there live.)

L.C.
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 4:09:35 PM

sargentfan wrote:

Of course there will be some sort of "residual uptick", but what remains to be seen is if that uptick is 5 people or 500, and whether they are largely loyal OSU fans trying something different, or upset OSU fans looking for alternative ways to satisfy their fall craving for football. Perhaps the two most likely groups that could potentially gain interest in Ohio football are friends and family of Ohio players recruited in recent years, and Ohio alums who have been converted to OSU fans over the years. Perhaps this will be a year for a few of them to come home.

Obviously the difficulties up north are affecting their recruiting, and it surely is going to have some impact in other areas. I would guess that the biggest beneficiary will be Cincinnati, if they are having a good season, but Ohio will probably pick up a few casual fans, too. Growing any brand is all about adding one customer at a time, and satisfying them by delivering a good product, and I think Ohio can do that.

Perhaps the biggest opportunity will come at bowl time. OSU will not be going bowling for awhile, I am fairly certain. This would be an ideal year for Ohio to land a GMAC bowl bid, or better. Perhaps some Ohio alums that have traditionally taken winter vacations to coincide with OSU bowls might vacation with the Bobcat bowl instead. As good a time as the Ohio fans had in Mobile, a return trip their might really help.

This is a year when the athletic department really needs to think through their advertising messages, and make careful decisions on targeting. Perhaps an extra mailing touting the pre-season ratings and bowl expectations of the Bobcats might be useful, especially if targeted to Ohio alums who live within 200 miles, but who haven't come to an Ohio game in years.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

bobcat28
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 6:09:19 PM

There's a pretty good chance OSU's bowl ban will now allow an 8-4 MAC team who might not have previously gotten a bid to now get a bid.

Monroe Slavin
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/17/2011 6:40:40 PM

Too bad. The dream end to the season would be a bowl game against a team about 65 miles to the northwest.

BattleCat
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RE: 2009-2010 athletic dept. budgets

Posted: 6/18/2011 6:29:47 PM

If people would rather watch live, why do we not sell out? Why do we sell $5.00 tickets? Guarantee you more people in the region watch the Cats from home than do so at Peden Stadium.

And SE Ohio is by far the poorest part of the State. The unemployment statistics do not even begin to tell the story of this region, ignoring the under employed and the chronically unemployed.

Last Edited: 6/18/2011 6:33:31 PM by BattleCat

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