Friday's DMN: OC hired!; and confirms attempts to buy out OSU.

[GoRedGoBlue]

I doubt many would travel to dallas regardless, since many are going to come for the state fair later on.

Originally posted by Diehard Pony:
I'm all for Grambling as an opponent at Ford. One problem that we are going to run into unless the ticket office addresses it is the price of our ticktets. Tickets to games in Grambling's conference are about half (or less) than ours. If you ever look at the pricing for the State Fair game they are incredibly cheap (e.g. $5 for the lesser quality, and $15 for the best seats).

IMO, our standard pricing would reduce the Grambling turnout substantially. That said, even with our standard pricing, it would be a far larger crowd than we typically see.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Grambling poses the same problem that UT posed when we had them in the Cotton Bowl...they didn't show up because 2 weeks later they were playing OU anyway (in the cotton bowl).

I think we had 25k in attendance for that last UT game. Pathetic.

[PlanoStang]

Actually, now days, 25000 in Ford Stadium sounds pretty good.

[NavyCrimson]

well, just look @ the record book, outside of austin texas travels terribly....they're lucky to get the $%$## holiday bowl as for as i'm concerned!

[cowboypony]

This has nothing to do with how well Grambling travels. This has everything to do with how well Grambling would help fill the stadium from people in the City of Dallas. Putting Grambling on our home schedule for a few years would do wonders for our attendance and help in the win-loss column.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Originally posted by cowboypony:
This has nothing to do with how well Grambling travels. This has everything to do with how well Grambling would help fill the stadium from people in the City of Dallas. Putting Grambling on our home schedule for a few years would do wonders for our attendance and help in the win-loss column.

I am not doubting the importance of putting people in the seats of Ford, but how does Grambling do this? Am I missing something? Or do you think just because Grambling is an historically black college it will gather the attention of all those persons of color to attend SMU vs Grambling? Not many alumni of Grambling live in Dallas, so I don't quite see the connection, but I could be wrong, I just don't see it.

I think that of all the Div-1AA schools we could play to (hopefull) get our cheap win, this one poses the BEST opportunity to get the most people in the stands, but I hardly think it will come close to a legit Div1-A school (like UNT) in attendance. I think the primary purpose of this is to trade a probably loss to OSU next year for an easier WIN at home. The secondary factor is attendance at that easy win, and Grambling sounds better than SFASU or McNeese state or some such.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Originally posted by PlanoStang:
Actually, now days, 25000 in Ford Stadium sounds pretty good.

My point was that UT didn't travel to play SMU because they were coming back to Dallas two weeks later to play OU. The same scenario would exist if we played Grambling - they already have a sold out game during the cotton bowl vs. Prarie View EVERY year. I don't think that many people from Grambling would travel TWICE to see them play.

Now, as for City of Dallas residents, I just don't know if there are that many 'GRAMBLING' fans in Dallas. Could be, but I doubt it.

The travel issue is the same problem that you would have with a Div1A playoff...ATTENDANCE.

If you had a 16 team playoff, then you would have very few fans that could afford to travel to 'all' of their team's games.

1-AA works becuse you play on the home field of the better team, until the Champ game.

In Div-1a you'd have to have Umiami playing game1 in the Cotton Bowl, then IF they win, go play in Sugar Bowl, etc... not many fans are going to be able to afford all these trips at last minute to get hotels and reservations during christmas time across the country...more likely, they would schedule one potential game they might go to (so in the case of better teams, they'd set reservations for the Semi-s or the Finals in hopes that they'd make it.

Which means the first few games would be low in attendance if the teams were too far from their home bases.

Granted, the first few years of this 'playoff' would have honeymoon status - and you'd draw local fans, but after a few years, it would tail off.

[cowboypony]

GRGB, yes, that's what I mean. Who do you think fills up the Cotton Bowl for them? It's certainly not their alums - it's people from Dallas and kids from DISD. I think this type of game could bring a lot of people from Dallas into Ford that might not otherwise ever set foot on our campus to watch a game. Whether or not it puts 32K into the stands reamins to be seen. However, I think it would put 25K in the stands. Most of our other non-conference games - other than Tech or OSU - usually don't bring this much attendance, or attention. Plus, as I stated, the other added benefit is a little more media exposure for SMU and a likely win. Additionally, this is the time of year that we usually have recruits on the sidelines. Gettting a W in front of a bigger crowd is much better than getting slaughtered in front of OSU (who usually gets several recruits per year that we want). I just think there is much upside to a game like this. Also, this game would be before the game that Grambling plays in the Cotton Bowl so this would help sell it.

[PK]

The real draw of the Grambling vs Prairie View A&M game in the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair is the half time show...the football game is secondary. It's not about alums showing up...it's about the entertainment.

[cowboypony]

No doubt it would be critical for us to make their band's attendance part of the contract.

[Stallion]

as usual GRGB is off in left field. Yes you are missing something-again. Grambling has easily drawn well into at least the 40,000 range in its last 20 trips to Dallas. I doubt if 20% of those fans are students, faculty or alumni traveling from Louisiana. I'll go so far as to say that if SMU can't sellout a Grambling game in Dallas Texas then somebody ought to be fired immediately. I guess some idiot in the Athletics office could decide to raise the ticket price to $50 to see a Division 1-AA team though.

[Bergermeister]

If you schedule it they will come.

P.S. I like that "persons of color" bit... cute!

[GoRedGoBlue]

Oh supreme commander of tireless insults...

You forgot to point out that Prarie View vs. Grambling and the BAND is the SHOW they are coming to see, not Grambling Football...and Prairie View brings fans from Navasota for a big trip to Big D during the fair...all elements missing in an SMU vs Grambling affair.

As I said earlier, SMU looks like they are trying to get a win with a Div1AA team, and no doubt GRAMBLING is the most attractive team at that level. But that's it. Don't expect some big sell out unless the marketing department sells to S Dallas.

Originally posted by Stallion:
as usual GRGB is off in left field. Yes you are missing something-again. Grambling has easily drawn well into at least the 40,000 range in its last 20 trips to Dallas. I doubt if 20% of those fans are students, faculty or alumni traveling from Louisiana. I'll go so far as to say that if SMU can't sellout a Grambling game in Dallas Texas then somebody ought to be fired immediately. I guess some idiot in the Athletics office could decide to raise the ticket price to $50 to see a Division 1-AA team though.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Oh supreme commander of tireless insults...

You forgot to point out that Prarie View vs. Grambling and the BAND is the SHOW they are coming to see, not Grambling Football...and Prairie View brings fans from Navasota for a big trip to Big D during the fair...all elements missing in an SMU vs Grambling affair.

As I said earlier, SMU looks like they are trying to get a win with a Div1AA team, and no doubt GRAMBLING is the most attractive team at that level. But that's it. Don't expect some big sell out unless the marketing department sells to S Dallas.

Originally posted by Stallion:
as usual GRGB is off in left field. Yes you are missing something-again. Grambling has easily drawn well into at least the 40,000 range in its last 20 trips to Dallas. I doubt if 20% of those fans are students, faculty or alumni traveling from Louisiana. I'll go so far as to say that if SMU can't sellout a Grambling game in Dallas Texas then somebody ought to be fired immediately. I guess some idiot in the Athletics office could decide to raise the ticket price to $50 to see a Division 1-AA team though.