TV Ratings for FCS Playoff Games

[ST_Lawson]

Anyone happen to know any TV ratings numbers for the FCS playoff games this year? Just happened to be reading an article talking about the declining ratings for most of the FBS bowl games (http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/college_football_average_bowl.html) and was wondering where in that list the FCS playoffs would rank.

I wasn't able to find anything for this year's playoffs, but this article (http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/dec/31/fcs-timing-slips-a-tick-or-two-for-eags/) mentions that when Villanova beat Montana in '09, it pulled a 1.52 rating. If this year's championship game pulled the same number, for example, then it'd be tied with the Beef O'Brady's bowl, and ahead of the Military, BBVA Compass, Hawaii, Armed Forces, and GoDaddy.com bowls.

In terms of actual game attendance, it looks like we were somewhere in the same neighborhood or maybe a little lower (http://helmetstickers.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-2012-bowl-attendance-figures.html), pulling 20.5k (although it was a sellout crowd and who knows how many people would have gone if it was in a stadium that held more like 30k people), which beats the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, and is within 5k of the New Mexico, Poinsettia, and Military Bowls.

[Twentysix]

Anyone happen to know any TV ratings numbers for the FCS playoff games this year? Just happened to be reading an article talking about the declining ratings for most of the FBS bowl games (http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/college_football_average_bowl.html) and was wondering where in that list the FCS playoffs would rank.

I wasn't able to find anything for this year's playoffs, but this article (http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/dec/31/fcs-timing-slips-a-tick-or-two-for-eags/) mentions that when Villanova beat Montana in '09, it pulled a 1.52 rating. If this year's championship game pulled the same number, for example, then it'd be tied with the Beef O'Brady's bowl, and ahead of the Military, BBVA Compass, Hawaii, Armed Forces, and GoDaddy.com bowls.

In terms of actual game attendance, it looks like we were somewhere in the same neighborhood or maybe a little lower (http://helmetstickers.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-2012-bowl-attendance-figures.html), pulling 20.5k (although it was a sellout crowd and who knows how many people would have gone if it was in a stadium that held more like 30k people), which beats the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, and is within 5k of the New Mexico, Poinsettia, and Military Bowls.

If Minneapolis was the host of this particular championship I personally gurantee 30,000 bison fans. SHSU would have probably only brought 500, though.

[apaladin]

Announced attendance in most bowl games are way overstated. I saw a couple where there couldn't have been 5k actually there.

[frozennorth]

Anyone happen to know any TV ratings numbers for the FCS playoff games this year? Just happened to be reading an article talking about the declining ratings for most of the FBS bowl games (http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/college_football_average_bowl.html) and was wondering where in that list the FCS playoffs would rank.

I wasn't able to find anything for this year's playoffs, but this article (http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/dec/31/fcs-timing-slips-a-tick-or-two-for-eags/) mentions that when Villanova beat Montana in '09, it pulled a 1.52 rating. If this year's championship game pulled the same number, for example, then it'd be tied with the Beef O'Brady's bowl, and ahead of the Military, BBVA Compass, Hawaii, Armed Forces, and GoDaddy.com bowls.

In terms of actual game attendance, it looks like we were somewhere in the same neighborhood or maybe a little lower (http://helmetstickers.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-2012-bowl-attendance-figures.html), pulling 20.5k (although it was a sellout crowd and who knows how many people would have gone if it was in a stadium that held more like 30k people), which beats the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, and is within 5k of the New Mexico, Poinsettia, and Military Bowls.

NDSU turned down something like 10k ticket requests, and that's with a large portion not even bothering (like my family) I think SHSU and NDSU could've put a big dent in the cotton bowl

[Twentysix]

NDSU turned down something like 10k ticket requests, and that's with a large portion not even bothering (like my family) I think SHSU and NDSU could've put a big dent in the cotton bowl


Imagine if espn actually talked about it for a month before it happened... I would bet the bandwagon following/ticket buying would be immense.

[asumike83]

NDSU turned down something like 10k ticket requests, and that's with a large portion not even bothering (like my family) I think SHSU and NDSU could've put a big dent in the cotton bowl

The turn out to the National Championship was very impressive but that may be a bit optimistic; the Cotton Bowl is a 92,000 seat stadium. I suppose it depends how you define a "big dent" but you could have doubled the total attendance and still been 5,000 shy of 1/2 full.

[Strommer10]

If there was no cap on the capacity, I think we could've doubled the attendance. But I'm not sure how much more than that.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Oh for the love of god.

It never fails man.

[BucBisonAtLarge]

As a fan of FCS football who lives a (long) day's drive from Frisco, my tentative, casual plans to go to the game blew away when NDSU and SHSU won their ways thru the tournament. It was clear that proximity and passion were gonna keep tickets scarce. Rather than having to bird-dog tickets online or make a ducat-less drive across West Texas, I opted for ESPN's unpromoted coverage. I did let my partner strut his YSU baseball jacket around the neighborhood for a day or so before, the Guins being the only team to tag a loss on either team.

PLU (general FCS fans with an interest in attending the game) will have to adjust our planning, buying when the NCAA opens up ticket sales. That shift in purchasing might ensure a 2nd Frisco sellout, but I would definitely hope that the NCAA look to change the venue within the next few years to allow for real expansion of attendance.

Someone might calculate how much the full tourney's attendance increase represents more than a statistical accident, but those numbers looked like a huge increase over last year, the first year of 20 teams. I did not catch that Ark. State / Northern Illinois thriller in the GoDaddy Bowl, but this year's final was a great watch. Thanks. The NCAA might have a product here, after all. See if they notice.

[MTfan4life]

Oh for the love of god.

It never fails man.

Come on ursus, you know it's true. They would've sold out the Rose Bowl.

[RabidRabbit]

How many teams would have traveled as well as NDSU did? IMHO, only 5 schools match NDSU. App St., Ga Southern, Del., JMU, Montana. No one else would bring that many to a game. Having one of the TX schools in the title game made the near perfect storm for attendance. Both up for their first D-I title, both with good fan bases.

Any other teams, and attendance will again be in the 14-17K range again.

[Professor Chaos]

Cowboys Stadium would've been more than half empty. I think NDSU was fairly close to maxing out with the 11-12K of us willing to attend the game 1100 miles away. There were plenty of tickets coming up the week of the game for face value or cheaper but unless you had already made trip/lodging plans you probably weren't gonna get those anyway. I'd say we could've brought 15K had we the tickets to accomodate. Keep in mind the 10K requests for tickets that came into NDSU's ticket office were some double dips from Bison fans (I know my group put in requests for 20 tickets that we knew would get denied after we realized how low on the priority point scale we were but we were able to get tickets from another request anyway). Some of those were also SHSU fans requesting tickets through NDSU not realizing how the priority points worked.

Had the game been played in the Metrodome in Minneapolis I think that NDSU could've come up with a legitimate 40K who would attend but all the way down in Dallas I think we would've really struggled to get even half of that. Like I said, 15K would've been what I would've expected had acquiring tickets not been an issue. That's still damn impressive for an FCS school but let's temper the enthusiasm about our fan support matching a K-State or an Arkansas.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Cowboys Stadium would've been more than half empty. I think NDSU was fairly close to maxing out with the 11-12K of us willing to attend the game 1100 miles away. There were plenty of tickets coming up the week of the game for face value or cheaper but unless you had already made trip/lodging plans you probably weren't gonna get those anyway. I'd say we could've brought 15K had we the tickets to accomodate. Keep in mind the 10K requests for tickets that came into NDSU's ticket office were some double dips from Bison fans (I know my group put in requests for 20 tickets that we knew would get denied after we realized how low on the priority point scale we were but we were able to get tickets from another request anyway). Some of those were also SHSU fans requesting tickets through NDSU not realizing how the priority points worked.

Had the game been played in the Metrodome in Minneapolis I think that NDSU could've come up with a legitimate 40K who would attend but all the way down in Dallas I think we would've really struggled to get even half of that. Like I said, 15K would've been what I would've expected had acquiring tickets not been an issue. That's still damn impressive for an FCS school but let's temper the enthusiasm about our fan support matching a K-State or an Arkansas.

Thank you PC. When NDSU does a really good thing and something you can sit back and say "hey, really nice job NDSU" I'd just once like to be able to feel good about it without some of the NDSU guys massively overvaluing themselves and making it hard to do.

You have more of a Michael Jordan style about doing well. Let others talk about your performance and don't go around puffing out your chest and severely overstating everything.

It's good to see.

[GAD]

How many teams would have traveled as well as NDSU did? IMHO, only 5 schools match NDSU. App St., Ga Southern, Del., JMU, Montana. No one else would bring that many to a game. Having one of the TX schools in the title game made the near perfect storm for attendance. Both up for their first D-I title, both with good fan bases.

Any other teams, and attendance will again be in the 14-17K range again.
You forgot FAMU, NC A&T, Tenn. St. these teams could match those numbers easily

[frozennorth]

If there was no cap on the capacity, I think we could've doubled the attendance. But I'm not sure how much more than that.

i would say half full is a good dent, and exactly what I meant.

[frozennorth]

Cowboys Stadium would've been more than half empty. I think NDSU was fairly close to maxing out with the 11-12K of us willing to attend the game 1100 miles away. There were plenty of tickets coming up the week of the game for face value or cheaper but unless you had already made trip/lodging plans you probably weren't gonna get those anyway. I'd say we could've brought 15K had we the tickets to accomodate. Keep in mind the 10K requests for tickets that came into NDSU's ticket office were some double dips from Bison fans (I know my group put in requests for 20 tickets that we knew would get denied after we realized how low on the priority point scale we were but we were able to get tickets from another request anyway). Some of those were also SHSU fans requesting tickets through NDSU not realizing how the priority points worked.

Had the game been played in the Metrodome in Minneapolis I think that NDSU could've come up with a legitimate 40K who would attend but all the way down in Dallas I think we would've really struggled to get even half of that. Like I said, 15K would've been what I would've expected had acquiring tickets not been an issue. That's still damn impressive for an FCS school but let's temper the enthusiasm about our fan support matching a K-State or an Arkansas.

I would guess ndsu and shsu could've each brought around 20,000. Alot of people gave up and never bothered after they heard it was sold out too. I love when ndsu people (which i assume I am being lumped into) make a perfectly reasonable statement and people flip ****.

[GAD]

You forgot FAMU, NC A&T, Tenn. St. these teams could match those numbers easily
McNeese could have brought a nice crowd also.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

McNeese could have brought a nice crowd also.

Would they have brought a nice crowd over 1000 miles? It appears that many of those schools are close enough to travel regardless.

[GAD]

Would they have brought a nice crowd over 1000 miles? It appears that many of those schools are close enough to travel regardless.
I think so, with three weeks notice

[Cocky]

JSU would bring a good crowd but we are only 600 or 700 miles away. Of course we dont have ND or TX oil well money. You need two teams to bring good crowds to add atmosphere.

[Mr. C]

Thank you PC. When NDSU does a really good thing and something you can sit back and say "hey, really nice job NDSU" I'd just once like to be able to feel good about it without some of the NDSU guys massively overvaluing themselves and making it hard to do.

You have more of a Michael Jordan style about doing well. Let others talk about your performance and don't go around puffing out your chest and severely overstating everything.

It's good to see.

As a veteran of AGS, you know this is typical of a team that wins an FCS championship. I remember the same with Delaware in 2003, JMU in 2004, App State in 2005 and onward. North Dakota State is just the latest group to get a little full of itself.

[DFW HOYA]

How many teams would have traveled as well as NDSU did? IMHO, only 5 schools match NDSU. App St., Ga Southern, Del., JMU, Montana. No one else would bring that many to a game. Having one of the TX schools in the title game made the near perfect storm for attendance. Both up for their first D-I title, both with good fan bases.

Let's not mistake "good" fan bases with "large" ones.

A school like Furman could make the title game but it only graduates 700 kids a year. State schools can count on a number of fans and alumni that may or may not have attended the school, but you're not going to find that among private schools who may be just as loyal a base, but less of one.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

As a veteran of AGS, you know this is typical of a team that wins an FCS championship. I remember the same with Delaware in 2003, JMU in 2004, App State in 2005 and onward. North Dakota State is just the latest group to get a little full of itself.

Of course, you expect it. NDSU didn't need a championship for some of their fans though. The absolute truth stretching and claims of being able to sell more tickets than they normally do for a home game though? Sure it's possible. It isn't likely that it could have happened.

What they actually did was more than impressive enough. It just didn't need the over the top claims and it could be appreciated by others for what it actually was.

[bisonnation]

Of course, you expect it. NDSU didn't need a championship for some of their fans though. The absolute truth stretching and claims of being able to sell more tickets than they normally do for a home game though? Sure it's possible. It isn't likely that it could have happened.

What they actually did was more than impressive enough. It just didn't need the over the top claims and it could be appreciated by others for what it actually was.

Home games happen all the time. For the Minnesota game in 2007 we drew 25,000 plus. ESPN claims 30K but I contend it was too high.
To give you an idea of ticket demand. I am a teammaker and we easily got tickets for the Minnesota game. The Championship game, one would assume I would get tickets, but I didn't make the list with the same number of seats. If we have more fans requesting tickets for a Championship game that is over 1,000 miles away than a Gophers game that is a 3 hour drive... how many would go to the Champonship game?? 40K Bison fans in Dallas Stadium? Doubtful. But considering NDSU already had 12K fans with many upset not being able to afford $300 tickets, 20K fans is realistic. Had it been in Minneapolis, 30-40K fans would have happened. There are tens of thousands of alumni living throughout Minnesota and we have a Championship Tradition that dates back to the 1960's. Not many teams have won Championships in the 60's, 80's, 90's, and 2010's. Keep in mind we were drawing 15K fans in the 80's as a D2 school.

[swaghook]

We did well traveling. Some missed out on attending due to lack of tickets but if it would have came down to NDSU Vs Montana/Montana St the ticket situation would have been a real bad deal as there would have been thousands of unhappy fans on both sides sitting at home instead of in the stands. The NCAA should work out a secondary contingency venue based on ticket sales the first week after the semis.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

We did well traveling. Some missed out on attending due to lack of tickets but if it would have came down to NDSU Vs Montana/Montana St the ticket situation would have been a real bad deal as there would have been thousands of unhappy fans on both sides sitting at home instead of in the stands. The NCAA should work out a secondary contingency venue based on ticket sales the first week after the semis.

Yeah it would suck but unless they can figure out a way to accommodate more at that stadium nothing can be done because that's Frisco's deal that they paid for and all that. In spite of it being a bad deal, I'd take that every year until they could find a 30K arena. These are good problems to have.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Home games happen all the time. For the Minnesota game in 2007 we drew 25,000 plus. ESPN claims 30K but I contend it was too high.
To give you an idea of ticket demand. I am a teammaker and we easily got tickets for the Minnesota game. The Championship game, one would assume I would get tickets, but I didn't make the list with the same number of seats. If we have more fans requesting tickets for a Championship game that is over 1,000 miles away than a Gophers game that is a 3 hour drive... how many would go to the Champonship game?? 40K Bison fans in Dallas Stadium? Doubtful. But considering NDSU already had 12K fans with many upset not being able to afford $300 tickets, 20K fans is realistic. Had it been in Minneapolis, 30-40K fans would have happened. There are tens of thousands of alumni living throughout Minnesota and we have a Championship Tradition that dates back to the 1960's. Not many teams have won Championships in the 60's, 80's, 90's, and 2010's. Keep in mind we were drawing 15K fans in the 80's as a D2 school.

I already know the parameters of what has happened as I've seen it many times on the boards. Having that in my back pocket and looking at what is being boasted by some I'll still just shake my head and say "it's possible it could have happened like that but not likely" and just move along with what I've already said about the subject.

BTW, I think we've had the sig rule talk already and in spite of the fact that you are well outside of it you can keep it "as is" until one week from tomorrow but I request you get it back down to size after that if you would. That does not mean that everyone else can oversize like that.

[DJKyR0]

I don't see where all this "puffery" talk is coming from. NDSU could easily sell out Beaver Stadium at Penn State or the Big House at Michigan any given week.

They don't have a stadium big enough for us.

xcoolx

[Hammerhead]

The numbers don't lie. Below are the attendance numbers for Gopher home games the past 3 years they have played NDSU. The Bison game even had higher attendance than the Wisconsin game in 2007.

2006
45612 Temple
50805 Michigan
45227 Penn State
62845 NDSU
44610 Indiana
64140 Iowa

2007
49253 Bowling Green
45383 Miami, Ohio
47483 Purdue
51611 Ohio State
63008 NDSU
46604 Illinois
59116 Wisconsin

2008
48807 New Mexico State
48802 NDSU
49187 Nebraska
46543 Iowa
49158 Wisconsin
41549 Northwestern

[Twentysix]

The numbers don't lie. Below are the attendance numbers for Gopher home games the past 3 years they have played NDSU. The Bison game even had higher attendance than the Wisconsin game in 2007.

2006
45612 Temple
50805 Michigan
45227 Penn State
62845 NDSU
44610 Indiana
64140 Iowa

2007
49253 Bowling Green
45383 Miami, Ohio
47483 Purdue
51611 Ohio State
63008 NDSU
46604 Illinois
59116 Wisconsin

2008
48807 New Mexico State
48802 NDSU
49187 Nebraska
46543 Iowa
49158 Wisconsin
41549 Northwestern

Facts - No one is interested.

[X-Factor]

The risk to playing the championship game in a 40k stadium is having another eastern washington or other fan base with no following make the title game. App, NDSU, GSU, Delaware, Montana, ODU are probably going to represent a good majority of title games but not all. If espn pimps out the game when its ewu/del you get a very disappointing atmosphere if its in a stadium larger than 20k.

Even still, i think it would be worth the small risk to play the game in a larger venue. If a smaller school happens to make it, just dont pan the crowd very much on tv!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Facts - No one is interested.

No one is interested because that fact was conceded. You feel like sticking to something that is already agreed to then why would anyone else care?

Ninneapolis a big hub of NDSU fans. You would certainly expect them to be at that game since they can't hit the Fargo ones that often and the Bison see those Minnesota games as big wins.

We were talking about the 10,000 extra fans that would have went to Frisco and so forth and the putting a dent in the cotton Bowl because NDSU was in it etc., etc. That Minneapolis was a red herring thrown in that I wasn't even acknowledging because every team with a good following has the ability to do that if it's a game in their proximity.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

The risk to playing the championship game in a 40k stadium is having another eastern washington or other fan base with no following make the title game. App, NDSU, GSU, Delaware, Montana, ODU are probably going to represent a good majority of title games but not all. If espn pimps out the game when its ewu/del you get a very disappointing atmosphere if its in a stadium larger than 20k.

Even still, i think it would be worth the small risk to play the game in a larger venue. If a smaller school happens to make it, just dont pan the crowd very much on tv!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

They are normally decent crowds X but they very rarely sell out. That could be changing and I hope you guys' showing impressed the promotions arena and it will become a yearly problem and the Championship game will need to be in a bigger stadium. The reason Griz tickets are fairly coveted by our fans is because everyone that wants to be a part of it can not go and when an expansion is done is already full with the waithing list.

[Twentysix]

No one is interested because that fact was conceded. You feel like sticking to something that is already agreed to then why would anyone else care?

Ninneapolis a big hub of NDSU fans. You would certainly expect them to be at that game since they can't hit the Fargo ones that often and the Bison see those Minnesota games as big wins.

We were talking about the 10,000 extra fans that would have went to Frisco and so forth and the putting a dent in the cotton Bowl because NDSU was in it etc., etc. That Minneapolis was a red herring thrown in that I wasn't even acknowledging because every team with a good following has the ability to do that if it's a game in their proximity.

Putting a dent in the cotton bowl... is bedlam.

If the tickets existed 15,000 NDSU fans instead of 11,000 (with tickets) is totally realistic.

In texas, much more than that is probably a stretch.


http://www.ndsuspectrum.com/north-dakota-state-wins-first-fcs-championship-in-frisco-texas-1.2740930

[darell1976]

The numbers don't lie. Below are the attendance numbers for Gopher home games the past 3 years they have played NDSU. The Bison game even had higher attendance than the Wisconsin game in 2007.

2006
45612 Temple
50805 Michigan
45227 Penn State
62845 NDSU
44610 Indiana
64140 Iowa

2007
49253 Bowling Green
45383 Miami, Ohio
47483 Purdue
51611 Ohio State
63008 NDSU
46604 Illinois
59116 Wisconsin

2008
48807 New Mexico State
48802 NDSU
49187 Nebraska
46543 Iowa
49158 Wisconsin
41549 Northwestern

I am sure the bolded teams brought more fans, than Gopher fans.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Putting a dent in the cotton bowl... is bedlam.

If the tickets existed 15,000 NDSU fans instead of 11,000 (with tickets) is totally realistic.

In texas, much more than that is probably a stretch.

See this is the point you just ain't f'n getting apparently. I do not disagree that 15K was possible and even consider it pretty likely that 14-15K would have been there.

That is a completely reasonable statement, so again, that point is conceded and we can all appreciate what NDSU did and could have done if the other superfluous BS stays out of the way. We're not a bunch of dummies that can't see things for ourselves.

You and I don't appear to have a difference of opinion but you keep trying to manufacture one here for some reason 26? I mean I'll play along in these issues of agreement and statements of merit if you want to keep making them.xthumbsupx

[Twentysix]

See this is the point you just ain't f'n getting apparently. I do not disagree that 15K was possible and even consider it pretty likely that 14-15K would have been there.

That is a completely reasonable statement, so again, that point is conceded and we can all appreciate what NDSU did and could have done if the other superfluous BS stays out of the way. We're not a bunch of dummies that can't see things for ourselves.

You and I don't appear to have a difference of opinion but you keep trying to manufacture one here for some reason 26? I mean I'll play along in these issues of agreement and statements of merit if you want to keep making them.xthumbsupx

I was more or less agreeing with you.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I was more or less agreeing with you.

NO WAY MAN! I WAS AGREEING WITH YOU!!!

:D

[BisonHype!]

My Motto: Everybody love everybody.....xthumbsupx

[BisonHype!]

Did anyone find the TV Ratings?

[Hammerhead]

The only ratings I could ever find are the top 15 or 20 cable programs for the week and I don't think any of the FCS games were anywhere close to that.

[bluehenbillk]

Did anyone find the TV Ratings?

I saw where the UNI-Montana game drew a dismal 0.4, nothing on the NC game though.

[Twentysix]

I saw where the UNI-Montana game drew a dismal 0.4, nothing on the NC game though.

.4 is probably a million or two million viewers.

[Redbird Ray]

NDSU brought a legit 25K to Minnesota this last year. Looked awesome on TV.