I assume most of the success is due to location. We are playing relatively close to campus and in the middle of a huge alumni population. However, future bowl organizers don't need to know that. We can spin the demand for this game in multiple ways: "BC will sell out a bowl game when we face a team from a major conference", or "We will sell out our tickets when we travel to a desirable destination" or "Addazio has changed the culture of BC Football." All of that is completely subjective, but it makes sense to a bowl organizer.
The Pinstripe is truly excited to have us. They were one of the first bowls to sell out this year. Even before we take the field, we have done enough that they will select us in the future. But this is about more than the Pinstripe. We need to turn this success into future bowl opportunities.
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13 comments:
Atl
You are great at putting this stuff up.
When was the last time we played in a Bowl that was sold out? Even at the Cotton Bowl I remeber plenty of empty seats.
I think the school should explore the possibility of playing 1 game every year at the Stadium. Rotate amongst PSU, MD, RU, CT, and I bet the results would be good, as certainly has been the case w/ the Pinestripe. We could even agree w/ SU to play every year there at Thanksgiving. You wrote previously how tough that is on campus and I bet SU would love to play in NYC.
I'll be there! Can't wait!
Herzylax22
Me too. I can't remember a better BC vibe down here. Everyone is going or wants to. I'm hearing from people who I haven't been in touch w/ for a while. This is how a Bowl game is supposed to be, not the snooze fests we've become accustomed to.
BC brought a real solid crowd down to Orlando for the Champs Sports Bowl vs. Michigan State in 2007. Considering we were coming off the disappointment of missing out on the Orange Bowl, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of fans in Orlando. (It was also nice that BC provided free tickets for students!) Granted, we were outnumbered by MSU fans, and the upper decks of the Citrus Bowl were empty - but I would say that the stadium was about 60/40 MSU to BC fans, which isn't too bad considering.
There's going to a lot of maroon and gold at the Stadium on the 27th. Can't wait!
I don't know if another bowl, unless a big bowl, would come close to the draw of this bowl. NYC, our second largest alumni base, within a drive from our largest alumni base and locale are all significant factors alone in its appeal much less combined. So I don't know if we should try to "play" this for something that it is not - that BC travels to (all) bowls. But, at the very least, we have become very attractive to the Pinstripe Bowl in years to come.
I would compare the excitement in NJ/NY right now to be the equivalent of 100 Days Until Reunion. BC Alumni are coming out of the wood work and you're hearing from old friends you had no clue were even living here.
I'll never forgive the Chik fil a crap bowl for passing on us in 07. BC would have sold out their allotment too and had a lot more dollars spent in ATL than the folks driving down from Clemson.
BCAA is reporting Daz's contract has been extended until 2020.
Re: Cotton Bowl 1985--seats were empty because Dallas residents were astonished to wake up to snow and ice storm and stayed home in droves. BC fans made their way to the Cotton Bowl.
Dallas had no snow plows or sand trucks, only a handful of garbage trucks with plows. All of the major highways are elevated and promptly froze over.
Driving was a mess because locals had no idea how to drive on slippery snow and ice covered roads.
Scalping was legal in Texas and I walked up and bought Seats one and two in Corporate Box no. 1 on the 50-yard...best seats ever. Froze, but it was worth it to see Flutie's last college game and victory over Houston.
Played "bump'm" cars on the elevated freeway back to Amfac hotel at airport. I wasn't worried as I had rented what Texas rental agencies terms a "compact"; i.e. a humongous Lincoln Continental.
Largest movement of people from New England by air (till that time) since WW II.
Lenny
Good recall. I bet it will be warmer for the Pinstripe than it was in Dallas that day. The night before the CB was incredibly bad, I recall.
I remember the '85 Cotton Bowl well. We decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up, and booked airline tickets and hotel last minute, leaving our two little ones with grandparents. We took what we could get, hotel-wise; the hotel was closed the day after we checked out to turn it into a prison... honest to God!
I don't think I've ever been so cold as I was at that game... but it was worth it to see Flutie play.
Chicagofire,
Um. No.
No offense. But to suggest that BC would outspend Clemson fans in the Chik Fil A bowl?
Yikes.
Way to disparage the best non-BCS bowl. Now an access bowl. Good luck with that.
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