December 12, 2007
ACC picks Tampa, Charlotte for future title games
The ACC conference has decided to take its show on the road, after smaller than anticipated crowds in Jacksonville the past two years.
The conference announced that the 2008 and 2009 games would be played in Tampa, while the 2010 and 2011 games will be played in Charlotte.
"We are extremely excited about the future of the ACC Football Championship game at these sites," said Swofford. "Both Tampa Bay and Charlotte are tremendous destinations in terms of their football venue, community support and partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Both locations have outstanding leadership as well as surrounding communities that have embraced the opportunity to continue the growth of our championship game."
The ACC's Football Championship Games on December 6, 2008 and December 5, 2009 will be held at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, the Outback Bowl, as well as Super Bowls XXXV (2001) and XLIII (2009)."We are excited about the opportunity to not only host, but to also grow this game to a level that's befitting of the Atlantic Coast Conference," said Jeff Adams, Chairman of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. "Based on the overwhelming support we have received from the Tampa Bay community, we are confident that we will meet and exceed the ACC’s expectations."
The Conference's title games on December 4, 2010 and December 3, 2011 will be held at Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers and the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
The first three ACC title games were played in Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium, but attendance declined from 72,749 to 62,850 to 53,212 over three years, in part due to several of the league's smallest schools making it to the title game - Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Boston College.
The decision to split the conference's title game means that all three cities that originally bid on the game will have hosted the championship by 2010.
Maybe the game will be more successful in Tampa and/or Charlotte, but I still think the ACC is missing the boat. The Big XII - with it's legendary football history and fandom - averages in the 60,000s for championship game attendance, but the ACC is hoping to average 72,000. I just don't think that is realistic for a neutral site game for a conference that is so spread out geographically.
I still contend that the best solution for the ACC is to take the Championship game on campus. That will guarantee a sellout, and you still have the television revenues that were one of the keys to the format. What you lose in ticket sales, you more than make up for in terms of public opinion (what do 40,000 empty seats say about ACC football?) and excitement. A home-game format would also add an additional element to the title game format, ensuring that the conference's best team is rewarded for its season.
Comments:
Zac said:
posted on December 12, 2007 2:45 PM — 209.36.193.14 — link — abuse?
I don't suppose they thought the diminishing crowds might have something to do with the price of fuel. If the ACC Championship Committee can figure out a way to offer the bulk of the fans some sort of economy package, they might get better attendance. Just a thought.
Diggs the Mountie said:
posted on December 12, 2007 3:16 PM — 76.114.231.180 — link — abuse?
Click here for a good time;)
http://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s261/diggs6979/?action=view¤t=AccChampionshipGame.jpg
Clemson Joe said:
posted on December 12, 2007 4:06 PM — 165.166.31.249 — link — abuse?
Put the game in Charlotte (like they're going to do) and it will sell out. There is only 1 school (Florida State) that would consider Jacksonville a relatively short drive (less than 3 hours). There are 6 schools (Virginia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, Duke, and Clemson) that are a 3 hour or less drive away from Charlotte. There are 2 other schools (Georgia Tech, and Virginia) that are just slightly further away. Charlotte makes too much sense.
Clemson Joe said:
posted on December 12, 2007 4:15 PM — 165.166.31.249 — link — abuse?
Actually, keeping in tune with the geographic logic applied to putting the game in Jacksonville, they should put the game in The Meadowlands. It's a good city for visitors, it's within 4 hours of 2 schools, and very far from all of the rest.
Tomcat said:
posted on December 12, 2007 4:22 PM — 69.148.199.64 — link — abuse?
Diggs,Zac,Kev I had no idea that, yall had difficulty selling tickets to a championship game.That really sucks, here in Texas it is the opposite most every game is a sellout especially a championship even if its two teams that have faced before.Visited with an OU buddy last night, said his ticket in S.A. for the XII game cost 100.
Hey Diggs I've seen bigger crowds at a Rice game that sucks, seems like yalls fan base ought to travel better BC fans are probably not as die hard as others, heck we have bigger crowds for Jr High ball than that.
Charlotte sounds better for yall
posted on December 12, 2007 4:39 PM — 205.188.116.136 — link — abuse?War Eagle Atlanta
said:
Maybe Atlanta should allow Birmingham to have the SEC championship game every third year or so? NOT! I wonder if Bama'ham still bills themselves as The College Football Capital of the South? Pretty lofty title, especially considering that not even the Crimson Tide play there any more. Take Legion Field, fill it with dirt, and turn it into a big green planter...
I do wonder when the SEC HQ is going to move to Atlanta, too...
ATL-ien said:
posted on December 12, 2007 4:55 PM — 160.10.98.217 — link — abuse?
Yeah move the game to Tampa, that's smart. I am sure moving the game 3 to 4 hours further south will bring in the fans. Charlotte is the obvious choice where to play the game.
Hmm!! What is the ACC's excuse now. 1st they said it was GaTech and WF but they had a better attendance than VaTech (one of the best fan bases) and BC.
***Oh yeah and it wasn't just BC's fault either, there were tons and loads of seats on the Virginia Tech's side.
ATL-ien said:
posted on December 12, 2007 5:05 PM — 160.10.98.217 — link — abuse?
The problem is that most of the ACC schools are within or close to a big city and pro sports market. So people have other things to do than suppoert their team like SEC fans.
Miami-Miami
BC-Boston
GaTech-Atlanta
Maryland-DC/Baltimore
Carolina schools-close to Charlotte/Raliegh-DurhamExceptiions: FSU, VaTech, UVA, Clemson all have the biggest fan bases
Diggs the Mountie said:
posted on December 12, 2007 5:13 PM — 76.114.231.180 — link — abuse?
Tomcat,
I'm a WVU Fan and WVU is in the Big East not the ACC.
I posted the pic because I thought it was relevant to the thread.
BTW, the WVU vs. UCONN game (The Big East Championship game) was sold out.
Supposedly e're allotted around 18,000 TIX for the Fiesta Bowl ......However, now that were not playing for the National Title any longer.....I doubt we sell all of those 18,000 TIX. Our Fans are devastated and when I say devastated I mean DEVASTATED.
Granted if we would've beat PITT......those would've sold in a week tops. Hell, a few thousand Fans had already purchased packages to New Orleans. Glad I didn't do that;)
40 Acres of Burnt Orange
posted on December 12, 2007 5:27 PM — 192.91.75.30 — link — abuse? said:
@ #16 I hear ya on the Devastation part. One of my buddies from the Navy attends WVU now and he was telling me instead of burning couches they were getting drunk trying to set each other on fire to end the pain. He also told me the place kicker was getting death threats and that his car was vandalized. Scary.
Diggs the Mountie said:
posted on December 12, 2007 5:41 PM — 76.114.231.180 — link — abuse?
@#17,
I heard about those little nincompoops doing that to Pat Mac as well......I really hope they're sniffed out like the vermin they are and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
There is no place for things such as this at WVU.
There were rumors of him transferrring because of these terrible things but they were quickly shot down by Pats own Dad who went online to dismiss those claims.
Pat is a strong kid and said that he knows 99.9% of WVU's Fanbase would never even conceive such things and that he's not going to let this incident affect him or his career at WVU.
I'm hoping he is able to kick the game winner in the Fiesta. That would be a huge uplifting moment for Pat Mac.
Zac said:
posted on December 12, 2007 9:05 PM — 205.188.116.136 — link — abuse?
Hey, Diggs, haven't heard from you in a while; welcome back. (Yeah, the melt-down against Pitt really sucked!!!) That photo of the stadium showing the attendance for the ACC Championship - pathetic!!!
Kev (Post 8), I didn't say I agreed with the KS City Star. I was just curious as to what you thought. Thanks for the feed-back. I do agree with you; KS/WVU would have been an outstanding match-up.
Ramblin Gator, I think the choice of Charlotte is a good one, given its proximity to all of the ACC schools, as in approximately mid-way between Miami and Boston; not to mention, it is a decent stadium.
1st_and_NOLE
posted on December 13, 2007 8:47 AM — 71.14.108.232 — link — abuse? said:
Playing the game in Tampa is moronic IMO. Like another poster pointed out, Tampa is a few hours even FURTHER south. Only FSU and Miami are close to Tampa. That tells me the ACC is hoping and praying FSU and Miami returns to prominence and make the ACC title game. FSU-Miami is really the only national big time match-up most of the nation would care about.
Playing the game in Charlotte makes the most geographical sense. HOWEVER, the ACC needs to realize that as a conference, they have some of the smallest schools and several private schools that can't have the fan base support the conference is looking for. So, if you get the same type of match-ups they've had the past couple years, the stadium is going to have 20-30 thousand empty seats in Tampa, Charlotte, or anywhere else.
gatorhippy
posted on December 13, 2007 9:11 AM — 209.16.115.5 — link — abuse? said:
SemiNat/1&Nole (#22):
That tells me the ACC is hoping and praying FSU and Miami returns to prominence and make the ACC title game. FSU-Miami is really the only national big time match-up most of the nation would care about.
And Gator fans get a bad rap on arrogance...
Neither have been relevant over the last three seasons and you think the ACC is putting their eggs in a basket over the next two years by moving the game to Tampa simply for the hope that FSU/UM will improve enough to meet up over the next two years in the ACC CG?
Right...
That being said...
I did think that Charlotte was the best bet, but now Kev got me to come around to his point of view...
Move it on campus alternating home field by division annually...
It works for the C-USA...
Ramblin' Gator said:
posted on December 13, 2007 11:55 AM — 216.10.193.20 — link — abuse?
#20: Zac,
I tend to agree that Charlotte is the best possible location from the league's perspective. My comment about not being "close" was in response to an earlier post suggesting RTP was close to Charlotte - actually, it's 150 miles+.
For purely selfish reasons, I wish the game would stay in Florida. :-)
Zac said:
posted on December 13, 2007 12:54 PM — 209.36.193.14 — link — abuse?
C-Dogg, that one's been sticking in my craw as well. For that team to be so close and to look so bad offensively (The defense played well.); not to mention, Pitt's defensive play was outstanding.
I hope the Mountaineers do remember, right up and through the day they visit the Panthers. As folks have been known to say, "Every dog has his day. What goes around, comes around." And, most people's favorite, "Pay-back's a bitch."
My personal favorite, being a quazi Trekor and all, is an old Klingon proverb: "Revenge is a dish best served cold." My guess: It'll be very cold in Pittsburgh next year, very cold indeed.
1st_and_NOLE
posted on December 13, 2007 9:56 PM — 71.14.108.232 — link — abuse? said:
gatorhippy # 23:
My statement is spot on.
There's NO logical reason to keep the game ANYWHERE in the state of Florida. Other then FSU and Miami, GT is the next closest school to Tampa... OVER SEVEN HOURS AWAY from Tampa. Clemson is roughly NINE hours away. BC is TWENTY ONE AND HALF HOURS AWAY (uhhh, didn't they just attend this past year???)
Show me ONE other conference that alienates every other school from their CCG game like this.
It's no secret the ACC originally planned for FSU and Miami to make the game most years when they originally held the game in Jax. The ONLY time the game sold out was when FSU made it.
It's not being arrogant, it's simply stating the facts.
The only reason to keep the game in FL is the HOPE of FSU and/or Miami making the game.
It's a stupid move by the ACC but that's what they're doing.
mtraininjax said:
posted on December 14, 2007 1:15 AM — 65.80.205.164 — link — abuse?
The reason the game is in Florida is that when the game was constructed (bringing Miami and VT into the ACC), Miami was a power, then Davis left, and they began to suck wind. FSU is sucking wind too. That leaves BC, WF, and GT to fill power voids. But there is a bigger issue here, the average size of the ACC stadiums.
BC, GT, Wake, Duke all hold 55k or less. UVA, UNC, MD, are around 65k. Only Clemson and FSU average 80k, which is average for an SEC school. So why does the ACC think they can charge $125, $80, $70 and $60 for seats to a game when the average size of stadiums is close to 65,000?
The ACC contract to Jax did not allow Jax to mandate that the schools had to buy some tickets to support the game. The SEC mandates that each school buy 2,000-2,500 seats. The ACC would not allow it, saying that the game has to support itself with local fans. How many local fans live in Jax for a BC team?
While I think Tampa will have problems selling the game out, a sellout is guarenteed by the host city, that way the ACC gets their money, what does a person want to do in Charlotte on December 1? What is there to do? Jacksonville's temp for the game this year was in the 70s. The high for Dec 1 in Charlotte was cloudy and 62. Not bad, but the area is prone to ice storms in December. I do not remember the last Super Bowl held in Charlotte, but both Florida cities have had at least 1, and they know how to handle crowds and traffic.
While I am a supporter of the game, I would rather it stay in a Florida town, but I realize that few people from Florida could care about any teams outside of the SEC. I think the ACC game will lose money for the host city for at least the next 10 years, while the game has a following of younger folks, who grow up around the ACC. Just look what USF and UCF have done in a state dominated by FSU and UF.
Of course, this is the same ACC that is moving the baseball from Jacksonville, after 2 years of record breaking crowds, to Boston's Fenway Park in 2009, just to have the priveledge of playing in Fenway. I wonder how many BC fans will show up for baseball?
mtraininjax said:
posted on December 14, 2007 1:19 AM — 65.80.205.164 — link — abuse?
One more thing just announced, the ACC geniouses have decided to lower the ticket prices, according to the Gator Bowl Association President:
"Catlett said for Tampa and Charlotte to succeed ticket prices must come down. The conference has decided to do just that; ticket prices will now start at $25 instead of $60. "They're making it reasonable for the average fan to afford to come to the championship game which allows it to grow."
Most Jaguar seats in the upper deck are $25, if we had those prices, we could have sold more seats too. Proves that the ACC does not understand how to market to the average fan.
gatorhippy
posted on December 14, 2007 9:15 AM — 70.121.185.56 — link — abuse? said:
SemiNat/1&Nole (#27):
My statement is spot on.
LMAO...
Spot on like that UF/FSU prediction you laid down in August?
Sorry, Nole but the ACC powers don't want a FSU/Miami ACC CG game annually...
It would be bad for business...
Competition is what fuels revenue for a conference...
If two schools are continually showing up in the game it kind of alienates fans and the media as there is no need to pay attention to what is going on in said conference...
Once again...
The ACC world does not, has not and will not revolve around FSU and UCG...
It's not practical...
gatorhippy
posted on December 14, 2007 9:46 AM — 70.121.185.56 — link — abuse? said:
SemiNat/1&Nole (#27):
And in after thought...
You apparently did NOT read the linked article...
As it explains precisely why the game will be in Tampa the next two years as opposed to heading to Charlotte right off the bat next season...
SURPRISE!!!
It has NOTHING, ZERO, NADA to do with FSU and/or UCG...
Clemson Joe said:
posted on December 14, 2007 10:01 AM — 165.166.31.249 — link — abuse?
Charlotte is by and large an ACC town. Charlotte is full of alumni of ACC schools. The X factor of this game will be the fact that in Charlotte, fans of neither of the teams playing will still attend. Watch what happens to attendance when the game is in Charlotte if any of the "close" teams (Clemson, UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, Duke, and Virginia Tech) make it to the game. Charlotte is definitely the best place for this game to be held, period.
On an unrelated side note, check out www.sportscrack.com. There are some hilarious college football related shirts for sale on there.
Clemson Joe said:
posted on December 14, 2007 10:10 AM — 165.166.31.249 — link — abuse?
Gatorhippy:
Granted I am at work and cannot devote too much time to thoroughly reading the articles, I did skim over them and do not see where it says why the game will be played in Tampa prior to Charlotte, but I do see where it says that they are excited about bringing the game to a centralized location (Charlotte) in a few years. It's good to see that logic will actually prevail in a few years. I would like to know what the reason is to take it to Tampa though.
Clemson Joe said:
posted on December 14, 2007 10:18 AM — 165.166.31.249 — link — abuse?
Gatorhippy:
Thank you. I guess having the game in the wrong city for 2 more years is better than nothing.
Imagine a Clemson/VT championship game located less than 3 hours from both campuses. Now that would be a tough ticket.
Zac said:
posted on December 14, 2007 4:44 PM — 209.36.193.14 — link — abuse?
GH, I wish I could argue with you, but I can’t. The game was there for the taking, and WVU didn’t get it done, offensively. They wasted a good defensive effort, by not finishing drives, and too many T.O.’s. I’ve said it before in other threads and blogs; Pitt deserved to win; WVU did not.
Still, ya hassta admit; given what was at stake, the results will lend some incentive for WVU to play far better in Pittsburgh next season.
Tomcat said:
posted on December 15, 2007 12:33 AM — 69.148.199.64 — link — abuse?
#29 I'm so confused? 25 dollar tickets for the average fan. You got me on that one bud.
DKR Memorial in Austin has sold out 44 consecutive games face value on tickets are 65 bucks for Ark St & Rice-75 bucks for everybody else. The OU and A&M games, no ordinary fan can attend, you have to be an alum,season ticket holder and big donater just to have a chance at tickets for those games.
As a Longhorn fan alot of the games we see in person are against teams like N Tex, La Laf,Rice and Baylor. Sometimes on those games we get the tickets from the other school like Baylor & Rice.
Or we miraculasly land upon some because some of those die-hard bleed orange guys dont give a sh--t about some of these early season OCC matchups against some perceived lesser opponents.
I really have a hard time understanding not selling out a CCG game. Heck in San Antonio it doesnt matter if its Michigan vs Nebraska they are going to sell 70,000 tickets to the Alamo bowl, its XII vs B10 and location doesnt matter.
Folks are going to travel & support their teams ticket price doesnt mean sh-t.
Sorry man, while I understand your veiwpoint and I agree that ticket prices should be reasonable for the average fan, I have a hard time understanding the ACC's difficulty in selling tickets and can really offer few solutions. No wonder Mack Brown left and took the job in Austin.
Hookem-Horns
Adios Tomcat
P.S. Hey folks from Fla Which way do yalls trees lean?
I've often thought about that, does the Gulf breeze blow stronger?Shrute said:
posted on December 15, 2007 11:11 AM — 76.24.85.72 — link — abuse?
The ACC Baseball CG will sell out Fenway for several reasons. First, it's baseball in Fenway and New Englander don't need another reason show up. Second, fans from other teams will also want to go to Fenway. Third, Boston is a good city to visit.
As for the football CG, there's nothing wrong with Florida. There is something wrong with Jacksonville. For many reasons, including weather, things to do, places to stay, etc, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami are better places to have the game.
Cane Mutiny
posted on December 15, 2007 1:47 PM — 76.110.77.142 — link — abuse? said:
As much as it pains me to say as a Miami fan and resident, the Championship Game would be better off somewhere like Charlotte.
I do agree with Shrute though - Jacksonville is the worst Florida city possible. Not much tourist appeal, and the weather isn't as nice as Miami or Tampa.
The ACC needs to get better before it worries about where its CG is going be though, because until the teams generate any fan interest, it's gonna be empty no matter where it is.
TE
said:
posted on December 12, 2007 12:34 PM — 204.68.245.11 — link — abuse?Jacksonville was doomed from the start...Cramped city, difficult to get in and out...and a long trip if you're from VT, but a pretty long trek if you're from BC...
They need to move it somewhere with a more centralized location, and perhaps with a few less seats...The ACC can talk smack about being a super-conference, but 40,000 empty seats in Jacksonville speaks VOLUMES...