Random Question for Georgetowners

[PCbluehose]

I was bored and looking on your website and was wondering... How are you D1-FCS in football and in the patriot league, but play in the big east for basketball? Just a little confused how that works.

[DFW HOYA]

I was bored and looking on your website and was wondering... How are you D1-FCS in football and in the patriot league, but play in the big east for basketball? Just a little confused how that works.

1. The Big East does not require that its schools participate in football within the confernece--hence, ND is a I-A independent, Villanova and Georgetown play in I-AA, etc.

2. Georgetown downgraded from what is now I-A in 1951, one season after a Sun Bowl appearance. After bouncing across club, D-II, and D-III status, it joined I-AA in 1993 in what used to be the MAAC and soon domianted that league. It joined the Patriot in 2001 at a funding level of about half of the rest of the league, and the results bear this out.

3. The major obstacle for both Georgetown and Villanova to the Big East is facilities. The Big East mandates ownership (or significant scheduling control) of a stadium capable of averaging over 30,000 per game, and neither has the stadium to do so. In the past, the Big East commissioner has publicly rejected talk of adding Georgetown, so the league does not consider this a priority.

See the following article for more information.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/13/sports/ncaafootball/13georgetown.htm

[MplsBison]

They could play at FedEx easily.


They'd have to do is sack up and add the scholarships.

[Franks Tanks]

I was bored and looking on your website and was wondering... How are you D1-FCS in football and in the patriot league, but play in the big east for basketball? Just a little confused how that works.

Georgetown is not the only team who has plays in a conference just for football. In fact Fordham is also a FB only member of the Patriot League. UNH, Maine, Albany, and Stony Brook are in the America East for most sports and the CAA, NEC, and Big South for football. Football is the odd duck many times when it comes to conference affiliations.

[DFW HOYA]

They could play at FedEx easily.They'd have to do is sack up and add the scholarships.

"Easily"? Again, false.

Dan Snyder has backed away from events that could tear up the FedEx turf and his previous rental fees for college games have been exorbitant enough that the new Congressional Bowl will either be at Nationals Park or vacant RFK Stadium as a result.

[89Hen]

They could play at FedEx easily.


They'd have to do is sack up and add the scholarships.
xcoffeex xrolleyesx xcoffeex xnutsx

[PCbluehose]

Thanks guys, this helps a lot. Being a noob in DI (PC is entering 2nd year), there seems to be some differences that I have to get use to. I forgot about Stony Brook doing that with the Big South.

[TheBisonator]

"Easily"? Again, false.

Dan Snyder has backed away from events that could tear up the FedEx turf and his previous rental fees for college games have been exorbitant enough that the new Congressional Bowl will either be at Nationals Park or vacant RFK Stadium as a result.

FedEx Field needs field turf!!!

xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[MplsBison]

They will have it soon.


Same as their sister stadium in Baltimore.

[carney2]

They could play at FedEx easily.


They'd have to do is sack up and add the scholarships.

As if this the biggest obstacle. How many major American cities with pro sports franchises - make that NFL franchises - also have thriving D-I football programs in that same city? Here is the average attendance for FBS schools in NFL cities (2006):

Minneapolis: Minnesota = 52,207
Atlanta: Georgia Tech = 50,617
DC: Maryland = 49,393 (The Terps are located "inside the Beltway.")
Pittsburgh: Pitt = 43,305, but considerably less if you take out the automatic Notre Dame sellout. Normal is more like 30,000-35,000.
Miami: Miami = 41,908
Boston: Boston College = 38,843
Chicago: Northwestern = 27,996
Houston: Houston = 21,910
Cincinnati: Cincinnati = 20,373
New Orleans: Tulane = 18,942
Buffalo: Buffalo = 16,417
Philadelphia: Temple = 15,810

FBS football is a tough sell in NFL cities.

[Hoyadestroya85]

Temple is a pathetic program.. we could sell more tickets than them..

[813Jag]

As if this the biggest obstacle. How many major American cities with pro sports franchises - make that NFL franchises - also have thriving D-I football programs in that same city? Here is the average attendance for FBS schools in NFL cities (2006):

Minneapolis: Minnesota = 52,207
Atlanta: Georgia Tech = 50,617
DC: Maryland = 49,393 (The Terps are located "inside the Beltway.")
Pittsburgh: Pitt = 43,305, but considerably less if you take out the automatic Notre Dame sellout. Normal is more like 30,000-35,000.
Miami: Miami = 41,908
Boston: Boston College = 38,843
Chicago: Northwestern = 27,996
Houston: Houston = 21,910
Cincinnati: Cincinnati = 20,373
New Orleans: Tulane = 18,942
Buffalo: Buffalo = 16,417
Philadelphia: Temple = 15,810

FBS football is a tough sell in NFL cities.

You forgot Tampa: USF = 30,222 (2006) 53,170 (2007)
Seattle: Washinton = 57,483

[jcf5445]

Actually, Temple averaged over 28000 fans per home game in 2007, more than doubling there mark for previous years. Maybe they're taking things a little more serious after getting the boot from the Big East and losing all that BCS money.

[Franks Tanks]

Actually, Temple averaged over 28000 fans per home game in 2007, more than doubling there mark for previous years. Maybe they're taking things a little more serious after getting the boot from the Big East and losing all that BCS money.

That is only because Penn State played Temple at the Linc and everyone was there to see Penn State. Remove that game and they averaged about 12k probably. I was at a Temple game is 2006, what a pathetic experience.

[andy7171]

They will have it soon.


Same as their sister stadium in Baltimore.

Calling M&T Bank Stadium FedEx Field Sister stadium is comical. And it has been Field Turf for several years now.


As if this the biggest obstacle. How many major American cities with pro sports franchises - make that NFL franchises - also have thriving D-I football programs in that same city? Here is the average attendance for FBS schools in NFL cities (2006):

Minneapolis: Minnesota = 52,207
Atlanta: Georgia Tech = 50,617
DC: Maryland = 49,393 (The Terps are located "inside the Beltway.")
Pittsburgh: Pitt = 43,305, but considerably less if you take out the automatic Notre Dame sellout. Normal is more like 30,000-35,000.
Miami: Miami = 41,908
Boston: Boston College = 38,843
Chicago: Northwestern = 27,996
Houston: Houston = 21,910
Cincinnati: Cincinnati = 20,373
New Orleans: Tulane = 18,942
Buffalo: Buffalo = 16,417
Philadelphia: Temple = 15,810

FBS football is a tough sell in NFL cities.
Try being a FCS school in one. :(

[jcf5445]

That is only because Penn State played Temple at the Linc and everyone was there to see Penn State. Remove that game and they averaged about 12k probably. I was at a Temple game is 2006, what a pathetic experience.

That explanation makes things right. I was wondering how a team as bad as Temple has been year in and year out could increase attendance so much in one year playing in the MAC, lol.

[carney2]

You forgot Tampa: USF = 30,222 (2006) 53,170 (2007)
Seattle: Washinton = 57,483

Oops and apologies. I am truly ashamed to have missed the Washington-Seattle connection, but must admit that even if I had the 50% that KenZ allows me when he calls me a half wit, I would not have made the Southern Florida-Tampa connection. None of those new kids in Florida (USF, UCF U?F) are on my radar screen yet.

[813Jag]

Oops and apologies. I am truly ashamed to have missed the Washington-Seattle connection, but must admit that even if I had the 50% that KenZ allows me when he calls me a half wit, I would not have made the Southern Florida-Tampa connection. None of those new kids in Florida (USF, UCF U?F) are on my radar screen yet.
That's understandable, they're just getting on the radar around here.

[carney2]

That explanation makes things right. I was wondering how a team as bad as Temple has been year in and year out could increase attendance so much in one year playing in the MAC, lol.

Just as I tried to point out with Pitt. If they have a home game with Notre Dame or Penn State, their stats will look OK. If not, they are playing to about 50-60% capacity. Even back in 1976 when they won their last national championship (Tony Dorsett), they only played to 75% capacity at home. There doesn't seem to be much up side to some of these urban programs.

[bostonspider]

Of course you cannot really call Maryland or BC an urban program, maybe that is why both of those have done relatively well as of late. They are really no more urban than UC-Berkely (SF/Oakland), and probably less so than Arizona State (Phoenix). One should also look at how Vandy (Nashville) and SMU (Dallas) are drawing. Of course CU is only 30 minutes from Denver as well,

[catdaddy2402]

As if this the biggest obstacle. How many major American cities with pro sports franchises - make that NFL franchises - also have thriving D-I football programs in that same city? Here is the average attendance for FBS schools in NFL cities (2006):

Minneapolis: Minnesota = 52,207
Atlanta: Georgia Tech = 50,617
DC: Maryland = 49,393 (The Terps are located "inside the Beltway.")
Pittsburgh: Pitt = 43,305, but considerably less if you take out the automatic Notre Dame sellout. Normal is more like 30,000-35,000.
Miami: Miami = 41,908
Boston: Boston College = 38,843
Chicago: Northwestern = 27,996
Houston: Houston = 21,910
Cincinnati: Cincinnati = 20,373
New Orleans: Tulane = 18,942
Buffalo: Buffalo = 16,417
Philadelphia: Temple = 15,810

FBS football is a tough sell in NFL cities.

Of course, some of those teams are either at or approaching sellouts in their stadiums

Maryland's Byrd Stadium officially seats a little over 48k, so the 49k listed is >100% capacity.

GT's Bobby Dodd Stadium seats 55k, so they were within 5k of selling out. They were also in the process of running off a coach, so fan apathy has to be considered. I imagine they will average more this year, and if things under Johnson look good they will be even better in '09 with a more favorable home schedule (Clemson and Georgia visit in '09)
Some of the schools listed also have far flung alumni bases. Miami, Georgia Tech, and Tulane are examples of that. That's why Miami never had great attendance even when they were the best program in college football.

[813Jag]

Of course, some of those teams are either at or approaching sellouts in their stadiums

Maryland's Byrd Stadium officially seats a little over 48k, so the 49k listed is >100% capacity.

GT's Bobby Dodd Stadium seats 55k, so they were within 5k of selling out. They were also in the process of running off a coach, so fan apathy has to be considered. I imagine they will average more this year, and if things under Johnson look good they will be even better in '09 with a more favorable home schedule (Clemson and Georgia visit in '09)
Some of the schools listed also have far flung alumni bases. Miami, Georgia Tech, and Tulane are examples of that. That's why Miami never had great attendance even when they were the best program in college football.
Tulane doesn't get much love in Louisiana and I understand why. They have a horrible atmosphere at their games. Of course most people follow LSU. Lack of success also hurts the Greenies.