Interesting Commentary by ND’s Swarbick on Independence/Conference affiliation | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Interesting Commentary by ND’s Swarbick on Independence/Conference affiliation

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I think UConn fans will like the TV contract. While FoxSports has a smaller casual audience than ESPN, every game is on national TV. It’s very convenient for the Big East fan.

Admittedly it took me a while to get FS1 a channel surfing habit, but I now check FS1 before ESPN. If there is a good Big East game I won’t look further. In general I also think the broadcast teams are better on FoxSports.

The real fans will find the content on FoxSports. The complete coverage of the Big East is very convenient.

No doubt ESPN has a larger natural viewership of casual watchers. That’s why FoxSports is paying fair value for the content, to grow its share.

First thing they need to do to enhance that network is can Steve Lappas. He's annoying as hell.
 
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Here we go again,..

1) Notre Dame should forever be grateful to Michigan for encouraging them to play elsewhere.

Likewise, should UConn and their fans be forever grateful to Boston College for encouraging them to play elsewhere, and not in the ACC.
 
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Likewise, should UConn and their fans be forever grateful to Boston College for encouraging them to play elsewhere, and not in the ACC.
That certainly is one way of stating it. It certainly has worked out a lot better for ND than it has for UConn.
 
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It took a while for Notre Dame...and before jet travel, through the 40's...their nationwide schedule wasn't terribly travel friendly...the '49 team took 70 hours roundtrip on trains to play Washington.

The Irish travelled to USC and back by train from 1926 into the 1950's.

The Irish did what it took...
 
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It took a while for Notre Dame...and before jet travel, through the 40's...their nationwide schedule wasn't terribly travel friendly...the '49 team took 70 hours roundtrip on trains to play Washington.

The Irish travelled to USC and back by train from 1926 into the 1950's.

The Irish did what it took...

the advantage and the curse of being an independent.
 

CL82

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Likewise, should UConn and their fans be forever grateful to Boston College for encouraging them to play elsewhere, and not in the ACC.
Lol, because the two schools are identically situated right now.
 
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Lol, because the two schools are identically situated right now.

not now. But probably not that different from where ND was when Michigan blackballed us. Let’s see where UConn football is in about 40 years.
 
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First thing they need to do to enhance that network is can Steve Lappas. He's annoying as hell.

Isn't Lappas CBS?

Gus is the Prime Time voice
 

CL82

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not now. But probably not that different from where ND was when Michigan blackballed us. Let’s see where UConn football is in about 40 years.
Lol, kind of a different climate right now, right? When ND was blackballed it wasn't costing them $30M a year in media money. It was a scheduling issue, that's all. We're working out the scheduling issues. The media rights issues, well we'll work on that as well but finding an extra $30M (+) maybe be challenging.
 
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Lol, kind of a different climate right now, right? When ND was blackballed it wasn't costing them $30M a year in media money. It was a scheduling issue, that's all. We're working out the scheduling issues. The media rights issues, well we'll work on that as well but finding an extra $30M (+) maybe be challenging.

It was a different climate in that football was the only sport that mattered. Being forced to take trains to Southern California or NYC to play teams that weren’t controlled by Michigan. UConn had an alternative when BC shut them out of the ACC, and they took that alternative, and then decided it made sense to leave that conference. ND did not have that option. The key was getting support from the alumni and building a fan base. There are over 120,000 UConn alumni in the state of Connecticut alone yet they seem to have a problem filling a 40,000 seat stadium. I think if UConn had a fan base willing to travel to see them play, they would have no problem generating invitations from various conferences when realignment opportunities surface.
 

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I think if UConn had a fan base willing to travel to see them play, they would have no problem generating invitations from various conferences when realignment opportunities surface.
Lol. UConn travels pretty well. If you've ever seen us play in our home court - south, MSG, you would see the depth of fan support. The opponents compare UConn woman's team games to "the circus coming to town." They have been packing opponents arenas for years.

As for football... well bad coaches kill attendance and UConn has had two horrible hires. Prior to that though turnout was pretty decent. Here's a list of sellouts:
1579891090889.png
 
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Lol. UConn travels pretty well. If you've ever seen us play in our home court - south, MSG, you would see the depth of fan support. The opponents compare UConn woman's team games to "the circus coming to town." They have been packing opponents arenas for years.

As for football... well bad coaches kill attendance and UConn has had two horrible hires. Prior to that though turnout was pretty decent. Here's a list of sellouts:
View attachment 50218

what has been the average attendance at home football games over the past five years? It appears from the list you provided that there has been only one sellout in the last 9 years.
 
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what has been the average attendance at home football games over the past five years? It appears from the list you provided that there has been only one sellout in the last 9 years.

On the UConn side of the argument - they have been bad recently. Their potential in the future is more gauged to a few years ago.

A note on the Irish attendance - I was at South Bend for the UGA game a few years ago and the stadium was 2/3 red! You get the credit for the attendance number, but your fans were sellouts!
 
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CL82

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what has been the average attendance at home football games over the past five years? It appears from the list you provided that there has been only one sellout in the last 9 years.
Google it if you are curious. As I noted it hasn't been great. The point remains that CT will support a winning team, much like most other places.

(Weird that you picked 9 years. Why not 10? It really doesn't matter if it's 4 sellouts or 1 does it?)
 
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what has been the average attendance at home football games over the past five years? It appears from the list you provided that there has been only one sellout in the last 9 years.

Yes.
We also have not had a true winning season in the last nine years.

These two things, one surmises, correlate pretty strongly.
 
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On the UConn side of the argument - they have been bad recently. There potential in the future is more gauged to a few years ago.

A note on the Irish attendance - I was at South Bend for the UGA game a few years ago and the stadium was 2/3 red! You get the credit for the attendance number, but your fans were sellouts!

ND actually counts tickets sold, not actual attendance. no doubt that a lack of recent success has led to a group of ND alumni not willing to make the trip to South Bend. Especially when other fans are willing to pay over $500 for the tickets. That is and might continue to be a problem for as long as we fail to live up to fan expectations.
 
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Google it if you are curious. As I noted it hasn't been great. The point remains that CT will support a winning team, much like most other places.

(Weird that you picked 9 years. Why not 10? It really doesn't matter if it's 4 sellouts or 1 does it?)

It might to the players.
 
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ND actually counts tickets sold, not actual attendance. no doubt that a lack of recent success has led to a group of ND alumni not willing to make the trip to South Bend. Especially when other fans are willing to pay over $500 for the tickets. That is and might continue to be a problem for as long as we fail to live up to fan expectations.
I paid $100 for tickets on the side. About goal line, half way up. Great seats. It was an amazing stadium take over, and a Georgia win.
 
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I paid $100 for tickets on the side. About goal line, half way up. Great seats. It was an amazing stadium take over, and a Georgia win.

$100 was a great price for those tickets. I was offered $250 per ticket for 4 tickets, but passed. I couldn’t imagine selling my tickets unless I got a truly ridiculous offer. ($500 per ticket might have done it)
 
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$100 was a great price for those tickets. I was offered $250 per ticket for 4 tickets, but passed. I couldn’t imagine selling my tickets unless I got a truly ridiculous offer. ($500 per ticket might have done it)
It was just a few minutes before kick off. There were still multiple sellers and prices were dropping. They would have been much more had a bought online a day earlier.

It was a beautiful day in South Bend. We tailgated and toured the campus. Even though the town and campus were full of fans in red, the ND folks were extremely gracious hosts.

It was a great road trip. Bucket list.
 
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I loved my trip to South Bend....very gracious home fans.

The Irish fans and the Husker fans are most memorable fans of my road trips.

The Buckeyes were great in Columbus as were the Colorado fans in Boulder. The LSU fans were fun to party with...you were handed zombies walking through their tailgate...rum and more rum (beware of that 151 rum).

Where I didn't care for the fans...Miami, Pitt, Auburn, Florida...I will never again attend a game at the Swamp.
 
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FSU and Auburn had a series going in the 80's...very physical football that became a sort of rivalry.

Guys like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders played in those games...and 5 of the 7 games in that run were decided by 8 points or less.

It was Auburn physicality vs FSU speed...during the three seasons to close out the 80's, Auburn only lost five games, three of them to FSU.

The fans at Auburn were proud and loud and the students often rowdy...I assume the Nole fans were the same at home.
 
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While it’s nice to be amongst the many clubs in the English Premiership ... Ooops ... wrong sport.

There’s a distinct platform & differentiation today between Clemson & Alabama & LSU & Ohio State & 2 or 3 others (not Notre Dame) ... then 58 others. Then 70

The Money will push this farther. No. Conference matters less & less of you have to right Platform.
 

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