11-30 Ear to the Ground Bowl Update

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
OK, this is what I am hearing right now, and the information comes from a collection of sources, people I know that know other people with bowl sources, my own travel partner sources, etc.

OUTBACK: I believe they prefer Penn State

GATOR: I know they prefer Penn State, but they don't think they will get the Nits as they will go to the Outback. If Michigan fires Rich Rodriguez this week, then I believe Iowa will be their choice. The Gator folks are saying they like Iowa too, but they say they like everybody because they dont want to tick off a fan base. I don't think Michigan will fire Rich Rod this week, based on comments their AD made yesterday that I linked on the board.

So as of right now, I am sticking with my thoughts from Saturday night, that the Insight is the most likely destination for Iowa.

As always, don't go buying tickets or airfare just yet, because while I am giving you my best educated guess, there are no guarantees. I've gotten these things right more than wrong, but whenever I have been wrong, there have been people ticked off because they went and bought tickets for a game Iowa didn't play in. if you do that, it's totally your decision as I always remind folks to not jump the gun.
 
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JonDMiller said:
As always, don't go buying tickets or airfare just yet, because while I am giving you my best educated guess, there are no guarantees. I've gotten these things right more than wrong, but whenever I have been wrong, there have been people ticked off because they went and bought tickets for a game Iowa didn't play in. if you do that, it's totally your decision as I always remind folks to not jump the gun.
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Do you think it would be wise to maybe at least hedge on ticket purchases at this point given our fan base's tendency to travel so well and the high demand for tickets that will exist?

Second question, if Illinois wins on Saturday, do you think they could possibly jump us if a bowl rep thinks their fans are hungry to travel to a bowl game? I know they only drew like 55k for their home game against Purdue, but the Illini fans I have been talking to are pretty stoked about going to their first bowl game since their Rose Bowl appearance a few years ago.
 
I wonder how much money the unversity loses with these bowl games?

There was a great article in Sports Illustrated regarding the BCS, Bowls, and a playoff.

The article stated that these CEO's of the bowl games will never give in towards a playoff as they make too much money.

Yet for a majority of schools, they end up losing money. The bowls make each school buy a certain amount of tickets, and if those aren't sold, the school foots the bill. and after everything is said and done, travel, tickets, hotel, etc, most schools end up owing money after the game is done.

Even mentioned the Iowa Orange Bowl game about how the school had to pay for the band to travel to the game.

It's a good read if you can find it. I'll see if i can find it online and link to it.
 
I hope we play someone really good (Nebraska) otherwise the players will not showup, seeing how talented we are, and how many NFL players we have on the roster
 
PSU to Outback. Their fans can book travel and game tickets.

Iowa will play in the Gator Bowl vs Miss St or Georgia. I think the Gator bowl passes on Florida this year. Last year Gator fans didn't buy many tickets to the Sugar bowl and they probably won't buy many this year. Add in that Jacksonville is only 1 1/2 hrs from Gainesville, you don't get the economic impact that the bowls are looking for. Hotels, dining, tourism, etc. These bowl games are about money and Florida simply isn't going to bring money to Jacksonville.
 
Here we go:

TCU unleashed its purple power against - 11.15.10 - SI Vault

An exerpt:

"
Of the 120 athletic departments that play I-A football, 106 lost money in 2009, according to an NCAA report. Budget shortfalls forced the University of California in September to cut five sports. Virginia hit up students for $11.9 million in fees for the 2008--09 school year to offset athletic department operating expenses. Cincinnati reached two consecutive BCS bowls and still found itself $24 million in debt. All over the country, schools are turning to student fees, academic funds and taxpayer support to balance the athletic department's books, which helps explain the uptick in so-called pay games (Hey, LSU, good luck this Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe!), conference realignments and expansion of the men's basketball tournament."

"
Ask Iowa. Halftime entertainment at the Jan. 1, 2009, Outback Bowl was provided by the Hawkeye Marching Band. And how did the Tampa Bay Bowl Association, which runs the game, thank the band for that gratis performance? By charging the university $65 a head for each of the 346 band members. According to university records submitted to the NCAA, the school was forced to purchase face-value tickets totaling $22,490 for the band, even though the game wasn't sold out."

"
Ohio State ate $1.01 million in unsold tickets at the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. Smaller bowls do similar damage to schools thrilled by a mere invitation. The euphoria of playing in the postseason quickly wore off for Western Michigan two years ago when the Broncos' athletic department was able to unload only 548 of the 11,000 tickets it was required to purchase by the good folks at the Texas Bowl. Western Michigan's loss of $462,535 (before adding in travel and lodging costs) probably hurt more than its subsequent 38--14 defeat at the hands of Rice."
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HawkeyeNTexas said:
Insight vs Nebraska would be a great match-up.
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It would be an intriguing pre-conference realignment game. Wonder, though, whether the Insight folks would be worried about a limited TV audience (although certainly a cold environment one that may see some appeal to visiting some place sunny.)
 
okeefe4prez said:
Do you think it would be wise to maybe at least hedge on ticket purchases at this point given our fan base's tendency to travel so well and the high demand for tickets that will exist?

Second question, if Illinois wins on Saturday, do you think they could possibly jump us if a bowl rep thinks their fans are hungry to travel to a bowl game? I know they only drew like 55k for their home game against Purdue, but the Illini fans I have been talking to are pretty stoked about going to their first bowl game since their Rose Bowl appearance a few years ago.
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ok4prez, when we returned to Albuquerque over Thanksgiving we stopped in a home power equipment store and lo and behold ran into the individual in your avatar making a deal. He was polite enough but said he didn't want anything more to do with Iowa or its fan base, and said instead Hawkeye faithful should support the current coach. So I'm sure he would want you to change your avatar.
 
tweeterhawk said:
It would be an intriguing pre-conference realignment game. Wonder, though, whether the Insight folks would be worried about a limited TV audience (although certainly a cold environment one that may see some appeal to visiting some place sunny.)
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Nah. They'd jump on that match up like a tweener would jump on Bieber.
 
I don't see Nebraska falling to the Insight Bowl. I think if we end up in Tempe we would be playing Missouri or A&M.
 
I just don't want to play Oklahoma State. That's the one team I think we would have major trouble against. It is very difficult to predict how the Big XII will turn out. If the Cotton takes A&M, who will the Alamo Bowl take? Then the Insight gets next pick and could have Ok State, Mizzou or Nebraska/Oklahoma loser as possibilities depending on the Alamo. Any way you slice it Iowa would be facing a tougher opponent playing in the Insight than the Gator.
 
DBAHawkFan said:
I wonder how much money the unversity loses with these bowl games?

There was a great article in Sports Illustrated regarding the BCS, Bowls, and a playoff.

The article stated that these CEO's of the bowl games will never give in towards a playoff as they make too much money.

Yet for a majority of schools, they end up losing money. The bowls make each school buy a certain amount of tickets, and if those aren't sold, the school foots the bill. and after everything is said and done, travel, tickets, hotel, etc, most schools end up owing money after the game is done.

Even mentioned the Iowa Orange Bowl game about how the school had to pay for the band to travel to the game.

It's a good read if you can find it. I'll see if i can find it online and link to it.
Click to expand...

The Big Ten schools make millions off bowl season every year. That's because a) they have the most lucrative bowl tie-ins of any conference and b) they share revenue equally after expenses.

Iowa did not lose money on the Orange Bowl, all expenses including team and band and cheerleader travel are deducted from the bowl payout prior to pooling.
 
TecmoSuperHawk said:
I just don't want to play Oklahoma State. That's the one team I think we would have major trouble against. It is very difficult to predict how the Big XII will turn out. If the Cotton takes A&M, who will the Alamo Bowl take? Then the Insight gets next pick and could have Ok State, Mizzou or Nebraska/Oklahoma loser as possibilities depending on the Alamo. Any way you slice it Iowa would be facing a tougher opponent playing in the Insight than the Gator.
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Unless something changes prior to the bowl. Iowa will have trouble against any opponent.:D
 
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