Bowling for Improvement

The Atlantic Coast Conference’s bowl system has been a point of significant contention recently. The selection process is set to change , but maybe Commissioner Swofford and crew can work on a few things related to the operations of the bowls with whom the conference has agreements.

We’ve recenlty heard some things from folks familiar with the situation that the Music City Bowl may be the worst administered bowl in the entire country. Considering the Music City’s place in the conference’s pecking order, let’s hope that the bowl improves its operations in the future. We will keep our eyes and ears open around the Virginia message boards to see how the Cavs’ experience goes this year.

Additionally, Fansblog.com shares some very interesting information regarding the MPC Computer Bowl’s preference for the home team. Maybe John Swofford and the ACC can work a deal out with the bowls in their smoke-filled rooms. Gotta feel sorry for Boston College this year.

General NCS Football

9 Responses to Bowling for Improvement

  1. lumberpack 12/29/2005 at 8:31 AM #

    The ACC office needs to become more involved with creating bowls at sites that do not have a bowl.

    The Palmetto Bowl could have recieved more help from the ACC but did not although I am oversimplifying the situation.

    A bowl could be created in Tallahassee and Washington DC without much trouble. It’s a long way to Nashville for anyteam other than Clemson or GT and the weather is less likely to be less appealing than Charlotte. Bad weather in DC near New Year’s is no big deal and the Bowl would be the biggest thing in town with the Congress home particularly if the Skins were not in the playoffs.

    Potential Scenario and likely pool of opponents:

    BCS
    FSU against Penn State
    Peach-against SEC #2-#3
    LSU and Miami this year (Alabama, Tenn, Florida, Auburn)
    Gator-against Big 10 or Big 12 #3-#4
    VT and Nebraska or Iowa (Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State)
    Tangerine-against Big 12 #5-#7
    Clemson against Colorado (Texas Tech, Iowa State, Texas A&M)
    Tire-against Big East #2-#4
    NCSU against Rutgers (Louisville, Syracuse, Connecticutt, Pittsburg, South Florida)
    Tallahassee-against SEC #5-#7
    GT against South Carolina (Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss)
    Washington/Charleston-against Big 10 #7-8 or Big East #3-#4
    Boston College against Minnesotta (Michigan State, Illinois, Connecticutt, South Florida)
    San Francisco-against Pac 10 #4-#6
    UVA versus Arizona State (Arizona, Washington State, Oregon State)

    New York City would make a good bowl site if they every build the West Side Stadium ( perhaps if they get the 2016 Olympics )

  2. Jeff 12/29/2005 at 9:15 AM #

    I think that anywhere north of Atlanta runs a potentially fatal with weather risk if they don’t have a dome – even Washington.

    Charlotte has been extremely lucky in this respect the first 3 years of the bowl.

  3. Rick Jernigan 12/29/2005 at 10:51 AM #

    Great point about the weather. Even the Peach Bowl had a terrible run of bad weather games in the past. Moving to the Georgia Dome moved this bowl to another level. Was our game with Mississippi State the first one in the Dome? Jeff – you sat in front of me and my two kids during this game. A couple of your friends were seriously inebriated and you were making a great effort to control their outbursts. I remember telling my daughter & son that real friends look out for each other. They are grown now but we still talk about that game with the fondest of memories.

  4. Mr. O 12/29/2005 at 11:04 AM #

    Personally, I don’t understand why anyone would care about weather. A bowl game in DC seems 100% logical based on having so many Va. Tech, UVa, and Maryland fans within driving distance. Not to mention the triangle schools and BC as well.

    DC has so much more to offer than Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando, Nashville, etc…so even if the weather was bad, then the great public transportation and numerous indoor activities with all of the museums and monuments give you options for bad weather.

    A bowl in Washington would sell so many tickets that it is a no-brainer just like a bowl in Charlotte was a a no-brainer. I would be willing to bet that a bowl in DC would be at worst the 3rd highest attended ACC bowl game consistently. Put UVa, Tech or Maryland in there every year and they would sell just as many tickets as the Charlotte bowls will for NC State or UNC.

    Spending 3-4 days in DC would be a very attractive option for a lot of fans. So in DC, they would also sell many more hotel rooms than Charlotte ever will.

  5. Jeff 12/29/2005 at 1:37 PM #

    Rick…oh my gosh…I now remember you telling me that…WOW!! Talk about a small world. And, what a weird feeling to realize that your children are now grown!! We are expecting our first child in March. So, in about 10 years, I’m sure that I’ll have to deal with some young, drunk, obnoxious kids at a bowl game.

    I remember taking shots with the woman from WRAL-TV5 before the game, and then stealing a kiss from her at some point in the evening.

    MrO, FedEx field holds 90,000 seats. NC State is selling significantly more tickets to this year’s Meineke Bowl than any other ACC school is selling to a single bowl. If NC State sold 25,000 tix to a bowl in DC. And, another school sold 25,000 tickets to a bowl in DC. You still need 40,000 locals to go to the game to fill it up. If you don’t understand the role that weather plays in that scenario, then all you need to do is look at the Peach Bowl BEFORE they moved indoors.

    Of course weather plays a role in such situations. If it was such a no-brainer, don’t you think someone would have done it by now?

  6. choppack 12/29/2005 at 11:01 PM #

    Watching the Em Bowl today and it looked like a poorly attended high school game. Swofford HAS to get better tie ins. Part of the problem may be Swofford basketball-type philosophy. Think about it, who wants to partner w/ a conference whose commish may make you host a bowl game that will lose money.

    Would have loved to have seen the Palmetto Bowl get off the ground. Lumberpack – are you saying that Swofford didn’t push them or express interest on the conferences part?

  7. Mr. O 12/30/2005 at 7:46 AM #

    A bowl in Charlotte now seems to be a no-brainer, yet it wasn’t tried until a few years ago.

    If a bowl in DC drew 50,000 fans, then it would be one of the highest attended bowl games every single year. With the ACC’s proximity to DC, it makes a whole heck of a lot more sense than Nashville, Boise or San Francisco. It would be a perfect location for 8 of the 12 conference teams.

  8. Jeff 12/30/2005 at 8:15 AM #

    Personally, I would love something in DC. It’s one of my favorite places.

  9. Bobs Bowling Shoes 01/27/2006 at 11:14 AM #

    Fun website.

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