My main problem with the money games, aside from the lopsided losses, is that while the money is nice, it is such a short-sighted way to fund the program.  The goal should be to fund our program by filling our stadium.  You are making the task that much more difficult by playing these games every year.  It's hard to sell tickets for a home opener when the team is always entering that game 0-2 while being outscored by 80 points.  It also hurts the programs reputation throughout the country if all anyone knows about us is that we are the team that plays on national TV and gets slaughtered consistently by great programs.  

There is a place for the "money game" in college football.  I even understood having two of them a season while we were stuck in Lockhart.  However, now we have a stadium to fill and a program to grow.  One of these games per year is fine I suppose.  You can even make the case that having a game like this every year can be a good thing, as it gives you some semblance of a measuring stick for the program.  Two of these games is dumb though, and having both back-to-back, before you play a home game, is just insane.  

In the future, the schedule needs to have 6 home games and no more than 1 money game (preferably not against a top-rated conference opponent). At the very least, if you are going to schedule a money game every year against a traditional power team, please don't schedule it for opening weekend…and please have it coming AFTER the home opener (either against a similar-type conference opponent or an FCS team).   

fauowls44 said

My main problem with the money games, aside from the lopsided losses, is that while the money is nice, it is such a short-sighted way to fund the program.  The goal should be to fund our program by filling our stadium.  You are making the task that much more difficult by playing these games every year.  It's hard to sell tickets for a home opener when the team is always entering that game 0-2 while being outscored by 80 points.  It also hurts the programs reputation throughout the country if all anyone knows about us is that we are the team that plays on national TV and gets slaughtered consistently by great programs.  

There is a place for the "money game" in college football.  I even understood having two of them a season while we were stuck in Lockhart.  However, now we have a stadium to fill and a program to grow.  One of these games per year is fine I suppose.  You can even make the case that having a game like this every year can be a good thing, as it gives you some semblance of a measuring stick for the program.  Two of these games is dumb though, and having both back-to-back, before you play a home game, is just insane.  

In the future, the schedule needs to have 6 home games and no more than 1 money game (preferably not against a top-rated conference opponent). At the very least, if you are going to schedule a money game every year against a traditional power team, please don't schedule it for opening weekend…and please have it coming AFTER the home opener (either against a similar-type conference opponent or an FCS team).   

Posted On: Sep 4th 2014, 9:27 AM #334062

Some good points…but lets remember 2010.  The stadium broke ground October of 2010 and it basically was just pulled together all at once, and until ground was broken their was uncertainty that the stadium would be built.  My point is that schedules aren't made now for next season, they are made 3 or 4 years down the road and some times more.  So we flushed through our old scheduling and it looks like starting next year we will have 6 home games, which means only room for one money game.  

Someone suggested that these money games should be played against the mid tier or lower tier of the SEC and other big conferences….is it a money game if we aren't getting a $1 million?  Cause the Vanderbilts and Maryland's aren't paying $1 million to play them.

Yes it would be nice to have a home game before we hit the road, but the nature of money games is they pay us, and tell what date and what time to be there.  Someone made a comment that they would want the money game in the middle of the season…I would hate that!  Plus I believe I read that C-USA wants on OOC games finished by the 4th or 5th week.  As for scheduling FCS teams, this should be done very sparingly.  And people t throw around Bethune Cookman or FAMU to be scheduled.  Scheduling a team for the band is bad practice.  Putting aside Miami next year, I am really looking forward to playing Buffalo.  It's a team we are playing on a level playing field.  Criticize Miami as much as you want, but the most likely scenario is that they will be beating us down to open the season next year.  They may be down, but they are light years ahead of us.

IMO, the quickest way to fill the stadium is to build a winning program with personality - something to grab onto.  

It's a 3-5 year mission not go the feint of heart.  If I were scheduling, I'd schedule one FCS, two mid major (prefer one MAC for a mid week attention gathering game and one from some other cold desolate place where half the reason for the game is selling the idea of playing in Florida to future recruits), and one power 5 Conf team that has holes (Iowa State, Purdue, Colorado, etc).  You would gets one 1-1 home aways and some 2-1 home aways and balance with an FCS home only game each year.  

You could get 6 home games, build a better record, build a brand.  

I'd also take a page out of Bill Snyder's book at KSU and be THE place for killer jucos to find a home, make some noise, jump start the program.  And recruit those studs stuck in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Coffeyville Kansas and the like.  

I'd bite the bullet on expenses - less money games especially, and get that recruiting budget geared up.  I'm thinking half the recruits the next two years are Juco or military prep school guys with a point to make.  

Wins = seats sold.  

Ronniehuskerron said

IMO, the quickest way to fill the stadium is to build a winning program with personality - something to grab onto.  

It's a 3-5 year mission not go the feint of heart.  If I were scheduling, I'd schedule one FCS, two mid major (prefer one MAC for a mid week attention gathering game and one from some other cold desolate place where half the reason for the game is selling the idea of playing in Florida to future recruits), and one power 5 Conf team that has holes (Iowa State, Purdue, Colorado, etc).  You would gets one 1-1 home aways and some 2-1 home aways and balance with an FCS home only game each year.  

You could get 6 home games, build a better record, build a brand.  

I'd also take a page out of Bill Snyder's book at KSU and be THE place for killer jucos to find a home, make some noise, jump start the program.  And recruit those studs stuck in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Coffeyville Kansas and the like.  

I'd bite the bullet on expenses - less money games especially, and get that recruiting budget geared up.  I'm thinking half the recruits the next two years are Juco or military prep school guys with a point to make.  

Wins = seats sold.  

Posted On: Sep 4th 2014, 10:54 AM #334065

FCS home game = 10,000 in attendance reported, which means 3,500 show.  We need a rotation of USF and UCF scheduled.  Cheap travel and good interest from the general population.

Building the program with out of state JUCO's are not an option, the scholarship cost twice as much to have them.  Not economically viable.  2-1 deals are horrible.  We already have bitten the bullet on expenses (been there done that), I would say that everyone on this board will agree their are no frivolous expenses being incurred.

Winning will put people in the seats, it won't sell it out, but it will bring nice crowds.  Winning is the key to everything.

Tim FAU98 said

Ronniehuskerron said

IMO, the quickest way to fill the stadium is to build a winning program with personality - something to grab onto.  

It's a 3-5 year mission not go the feint of heart.  If I were scheduling, I'd schedule one FCS, two mid major (prefer one MAC for a mid week attention gathering game and one from some other cold desolate place where half the reason for the game is selling the idea of playing in Florida to future recruits), and one power 5 Conf team that has holes (Iowa State, Purdue, Colorado, etc).  You would gets one 1-1 home aways and some 2-1 home aways and balance with an FCS home only game each year.  

You could get 6 home games, build a better record, build a brand.  

I'd also take a page out of Bill Snyder's book at KSU and be THE place for killer jucos to find a home, make some noise, jump start the program.  And recruit those studs stuck in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Coffeyville Kansas and the like.  

I'd bite the bullet on expenses - less money games especially, and get that recruiting budget geared up.  I'm thinking half the recruits the next two years are Juco or military prep school guys with a point to make.  

Wins = seats sold.  

Posted On: Sep 4th 2014, 10:54 AM #334065

FCS home game = 10,000 in attendance reported, which means 3,500 show.  We need a rotation of USF and UCF scheduled.  Cheap travel and good interest from the general population.

Building the program with out of state JUCO's are not an option, the scholarship cost twice as much to have them.  Not economically viable.  2-1 deals are horrible.  We already have bitten the bullet on expenses (been there done that), I would say that everyone on this board will agree their are no frivolous expenses being incurred.

Winning will put people in the seats, it won't sell it out, but it will bring nice crowds.  Winning is the key to everything.

Posted On: Sep 4th 2014, 11:05 AM #334066

It's likely I'm off on this.  

I'm thinking biting the bullet as in not reducing expenses, but raising them in strategic areas - I should have been more clear.  

My thinking on the FCS games, they are 'family night' or 'student night' or some promo thing.  $5 gets you in, and one lucky fan wins a game for four (the best game on the schedule) in the AD or University Head's suite with them or Howard or something, and a grand to throw a party. Give the prize ticks away between the 3rd and 4th qtr of that FCS family night game.  

I understand the Juco cost issue - but is small dollars to create a recruiting niche.  So you bring 10 in from out if state, is that a hundred grand a year?

I do like the local rivalry idea a lot - but it sure seems like some investment spending has got to be part of growing this.  

Ronniehuskerron said

Tim FAU98 said

Ronniehuskerron said

IMO, the quickest way to fill the stadium is to build a winning program with personality - something to grab onto.  

It's a 3-5 year mission not go the feint of heart.  If I were scheduling, I'd schedule one FCS, two mid major (prefer one MAC for a mid week attention gathering game and one from some other cold desolate place where half the reason for the game is selling the idea of playing in Florida to future recruits), and one power 5 Conf team that has holes (Iowa State, Purdue, Colorado, etc).  You would gets one 1-1 home aways and some 2-1 home aways and balance with an FCS home only game each year.  

You could get 6 home games, build a better record, build a brand.  

I'd also take a page out of Bill Snyder's book at KSU and be THE place for killer jucos to find a home, make some noise, jump start the program.  And recruit those studs stuck in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Coffeyville Kansas and the like.  

I'd bite the bullet on expenses - less money games especially, and get that recruiting budget geared up.  I'm thinking half the recruits the next two years are Juco or military prep school guys with a point to make.  

Wins = seats sold.  

Posted On: Sep 4th 2014, 10:54 AM #334065

FCS home game = 10,000 in attendance reported, which means 3,500 show.  We need a rotation of USF and UCF scheduled.  Cheap travel and good interest from the general population.

Building the program with out of state JUCO's are not an option, the scholarship cost twice as much to have them.  Not economically viable.  2-1 deals are horrible.  We already have bitten the bullet on expenses (been there done that), I would say that everyone on this board will agree their are no frivolous expenses being incurred.

Winning will put people in the seats, it won't sell it out, but it will bring nice crowds.  Winning is the key to everything.

Posted On: Sep 4th 2014, 11:05 AM #334066

It's likely I'm off on this.  

I'm thinking biting the bullet as in not reducing expenses, but raising them in strategic areas - I should have been more clear.  

My thinking on the FCS games, they are 'family night' or 'student night' or some promo thing.  $5 gets you in, and one lucky fan wins a game for four (the best game on the schedule) in the AD or University Head's suite with them or Howard or something, and a grand to throw a party. Give the prize ticks away between the 3rd and 4th qtr of that FCS family night game.  

I understand the Juco cost issue - but is small dollars to create a recruiting niche.  So you bring 10 in from out if state, is that a hundred grand a year?

I do like the local rivalry idea a lot - but it sure seems like some investment spending has got to be part of growing this.  

Posted On: Sep 4th 2014, 11:36 AM #334067

Family night doesn't work down here.  Say what you want…but we aren't the only game in town, some will say its an excuse, but I say its a reality.  We had a Friday night game several years ago…that will never compete with South Florida high school football games.  The recruiting niche will be capturing South Florida kids, a lacking niche in the past, Partrich is making in-roads there.  Partrich says we are recruiting Florida almost exclusively, so I don't see us leaving the state unless the guy is real special.  Your ideas are good, just not relevant to South Florida realities.