Playing a game at a neutral site?

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Go Gophers Rah

Go Gophers Rah

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Illinois and Mizzou have played each other in St. Louis for a few years now. I believe that Iowa has played Northern Illinois in Chicago and Wisconsin has that same matchup scheduled in 2010. Colorado and CSU have played in Denver. Navy typically plays at least one big game in Baltimore. And now Notre Dame is doing some goofy neutral-site games (such as versus Washington State in San Antonio this coming season).

So, my question is, would there be any benefit to the Gophers playing a neutral-site game? If so, any ideas?

To me, the only two reasons to play such a game would be TV exposure (a la Illinois vs. Mizzou), perhaps increased ticket revenues for a bigger venue than typical (I bet they fill Mile High for the CU-CSU game whereas neither team's home stadiums fit more than 50,000) or to play where your recruits are (such as Iowa playing in Chicago).

I think a game at Soldier Field (against either Northwestern or Northern Illinois) would be cool, but I don't think the attendance would warrant us playing there. If we could schedule Notre Dame in Arizona (where a lot of our snowbird fans are) that would be awesome.
 

Go Gophers Rah said:
Illinois and Mizzou have played each other in St. Louis for a few years now. I believe that Iowa has played Northern Illinois in Chicago and Wisconsin has that same matchup scheduled in 2010. Colorado and CSU have played in Denver. Navy typically plays at least one big game in Baltimore. And now Notre Dame is doing some goofy neutral-site games (such as versus Washington State in San Antonio this coming season).

So, my question is, would there be any benefit to the Gophers playing a neutral-site game? If so, any ideas?

To me, the only two reasons to play such a game would be TV exposure (a la Illinois vs. Mizzou), perhaps increased ticket revenues for a bigger venue than typical (I bet they fill Mile High for the CU-CSU game whereas neither team's home stadiums fit more than 50,000) or to play where your recruits are (such as Iowa playing in Chicago).

I think a game at Soldier Field (against either Northwestern or Northern Illinois) would be cool, but I don't think the attendance would warrant us playing there. If we could schedule Notre Dame in Arizona (where a lot of our snowbird fans are) that would be awesome.
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If playing a neutral site game involves us giving up a home game then I think the answer is an emphatic NO! I don't think ticket revenue is worth giving up home field advantage. It would have to be pretty much a guaranteed sell out to make it worth considering...We don't have the fan base to make this an attractive option (see empty blue seats in the Dome) which means the other team would get more fans. Plus, if it were a home game that would mean the likely neutral site would be the Dome and that would make no sense at all given that we just moved out of that dump. There is no way we'd be able to pull off a weird game in a far off local like Notre Dame can with their alumni base and again, why give up a home game for that?

However, if some other team wanted to give up a home game to do this then I suppose I'd be in favor of it (assuming we get a cut of the $$$). This would have to be a non-conference opponent though...no B10 team will give up a home conference game.
 

A review of my media guide shows that we played a game versus Nebraska in Omaha in 1909.
 

I concur with GoAUpher.

Being the only DI team in the state and being located in the largest city/metro area with no other legitimate metro areas in the state does not lend itself well to playing a neutral site game. The Illinois/Mizzou game makes sense because each team gives up the same thing (home game/road game over 2 years) and reaches into St. Louis which is a neutral city (both recruit well there, both receive press coverage as "the local team", both have alumni there). The same can be said for the Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas played in Dallas every year. If the U was located in Duluth it may make sense to play Wisconsin, Iowa, ISU or one of the Dakota schools in Minneapolis to reach our fans and give us a money making opportunity (like CU vs. CSU).

Minnesota should not give up a home game at TCF to play at a neutral site. If Wisconsin wants to play a "home" game at Lambeau against us that is cool and I'll go. If NU wants to play us at Soldier Field they won't fill it but it'll be cool and I'll go (but why would they pick us at Soldier instead of OSU or Michigan).

I'm fine with the idea of it but it really doesn't make any sense for it to happen with the Gophers because the only legit stadiums in Minnesota are in Minneapolis and the border states only legit stadiums are in their college towns or Green Bay.
 

Go Gophers Rah said:
A review of my media guide shows that we played a game versus Nebraska in Omaha in 1909.
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Would you actually call that a neutral site? I wouldn't. It was probably Nebraska's choice to play a game in the largest city in the state. Football in 2009 is much bigger than football in 1909 and Nebraska doesn't have to go to Omaha to fill a stadium. If we played a home/home with Nebraska neither team would want to play anywhere but their own stadium. The only "neutral" site that would make any sense would be KC at Arrowhead Stadium and I don't think that playing in KC would make more money that playing in Mpls & Lincoln and it is not a recruiting hot bed.
 


Won't ever happen. There are common themes among the games you've mentioned. Teams with small fan bases trying to draw interest by playing in larger cities/stadiums. Or conversely, teams with fan bases larger than their stadiums, so they take advantage of a larger, nicer stadium in a nearby city. Teams that play in relatively small cities. Or, an attempt to make an in-state (or for Illinois vs. Mizzou, close geographical proximity) rivalry more competitive by scheduling at a neutral site. And, all games you mentioned are non-conference.

We have none of these things. The only games we play that it would make any sense for would be to play NU in Chicago, or Indiana in Indianapolis. But as other posters have mentioned, no way a BT team gives up homefield advantage. And why would Notre Dame (or Minnesota, for that matter) want to play a regular season game in Arizona???

I like your line of thinking, but it just doesn't make any sense for Minnesota. Geographically, economically, or competitively.
 

This thread got me thinking. Indiana and Purdue should set up 2 years of their rivalry series at Lucas Oil field in Indianapolis.

Illinois playing a game at Soldier Field against someone makes sense too.
 

The game that comes the closest to making sense would be Minnesota vs. Notre Dame at Soldier Field. However, if you were to tell me we get 2 games against the Domers I would rather do a home/home because it would be cool having them here and that would be an epic road trip.
 

The only way it makes sense is to use a road game against a MAC team and turn it into a neutral game. That's what Wisconsin and Iowa did. Wisconsin's home-and-home against Bowling Green featured the usual game at Camp Randall, then they played the game "at" Bowling Green at the Browns Stadium in Cleveland. Iowa's home-and-home against Northern Illinois featured the Northern Illinois "home" game being played before a sold out Soldier Field in Chicago.

Maybe we can do that with a home-and-home with a MAC school.

The problem is we don't travel well enough to make it worthwhile for the host facility/community or the designated home team. And, geography doesn't bode well for us, either. Not a good enough "neutral" site in close enough proximity to make it worthwhile.
 



IMHO, we just finished a 26 year strech of playing all of our games at a neutral site. Now if Notre Dame wanted a home and home series where their "home" game was in Texas or Arizona, I guess I wouldn't be totally opposed to that.

On a related note, I have this nagging fear that if the Vikings ever build a 80K+ seat stadium and TCF has not been expanded, some genius over at the U will recommend playing the Badgers and Hawkeyes at the bigger stadium because of the extra ticket revenue.
 

HopHead said:
On a related note, I have this nagging fear that if the Vikings ever build a 80K+ seat stadium and TCF has not been expanded, some genius over at the U will recommend playing the Badgers and Hawkeyes at the bigger stadium because of the extra ticket revenue.
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I really hope that this 'genius' gets punched in the mouth when he recommends it.
 

HopHead said:
IMHO, we just finished a 26 year strech of playing all of our games at a neutral site. Now if Notre Dame wanted a home and home series where their "home" game was in Texas or Arizona, I guess I wouldn't be totally opposed to that.

On a related note, I have this nagging fear that if the Vikings ever build a 80K+ seat stadium and TCF has not been expanded, some genius over at the U will recommend playing the Badgers and Hawkeyes at the bigger stadium because of the extra ticket revenue.
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I would have to think that the head coach would get some small say (not decision making power but voice) in this and I can't see Brew agreeing to it. In fact, I suspect Brew would be willing to voice his displeasure publicly if forced into this sort of a scenario.
 




NDSU, Wisconsin and Iowa have been neutral site games at the Dome for years. It will be nice to do away with neutral site games for once.
 

There will be only one 80,000 seat stadium

HopHead said:
IMHO, we just finished a 26 year strech of playing all of our games at a neutral site. Now if Notre Dame wanted a home and home series where their "home" game was in Texas or Arizona, I guess I wouldn't be totally opposed to that.

On a related note, I have this nagging fear that if the Vikings ever build a 80K+ seat stadium and TCF has not been expanded, some genius over at the U will recommend playing the Badgers and Hawkeyes at the bigger stadium because of the extra ticket revenue.
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There will be no Vikings stadium. Ever. The only 80K stadium will be TCF when it is expanded in 2020. There will be no Vikings by then.

Think about it...it may be 10 years before any government funding for a stadium in Minnesota may be considered.

Considered.

A 80,000 seat stadium is approved and breaking ground in City of Industry, CA. And it will be purple and gold...http://losangelesfootballstadium.com/

Good riddence.
 

Why 80K?

I don't understand why the Vikes would want an 80,000 seat stadium. They barely sell out the Dome as it is. And being blacked out is not something any NFL owner wants.

Personally, I don't give a damn if the Vikes stay or go. It would be fun to watch them leave and then watch all the sports reporters in town (Sid, PA, Mike Max, etc.) crap their pants as they realize their relevance just left too.
 

Did you see in the new stimulus bill the part that ruled out stadiums was eliminated in the final version!!! Don't count it out yet. There is a reason the Wilfs are still pushing.
 

The Vikings will never build an 80,000 seat stadium. They'd never fill it. The NFL builds stadiums in sizes that they know they can sell out (or at least close enough for a buyout).
 

highwayman said:
A 80,000 seat stadium is approved and breaking ground in City of Industry, CA.
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That stadium has not been approved yet. In fact, a vote is scheduled this coming week at the Industry city council meeting. And, even if they approve it, they still need proof that this guy can privately finance this project as he says. There's growing doubt that in this economy that he can do that. Therefore, ground has certainly not been broken yet.
 

No stimulus money will help the Vikes

littlebigboy said:
Did you see in the new stimulus bill the part that ruled out stadiums was eliminated in the final version!!! Don't count it out yet. There is a reason the Wilfs are still pushing.
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There is no way any stimulus money gets put into a Vikings Stadium. Besides the fact that it would be suicide for the elected officials who proposed it, the money for infrastructure is set aside for "shovel ready" projects...and the Vikes are nowhere near being ready to break ground. Ziggy can huff and puff all he wants. The fact of the matter is that public money is not going to be headed his way anytime soon.
 

Neutral site games can bring in a lot of extra revenue to the AD. Texas/Oklahoma, Florida/Georgia, and recently Kansas/Mizzou are all conference games that are annually played on neutral sites. They give up home field advantage every other year but they make up the home game on by adding another non-con. Each of these schools are guaranteed a payday in the millions every year. KU and I believe Mizzou actually make more from their game at Arrowhead than they do with a true home game. Add in the fact that it is every year and it is a no brainer financially. What these games have going for them which would be a huge obstacle for the Gophers is location. Each of these games is played in an NFL stadium halfway between the two schools, or least in a location with an equal number of alumni from each school.
 

Never enter a "neutral" site agreement with Notre Dame. They act like they are God's gift to college football(kinda like IU basketball fans...wait it's the same group sorry). Anyways, Wazzou got screwd having the game in Texas. I promise you the crowd will be 75% ND fans. UConn also folded to ND and hosting there game of a "home and home" in Giants Stadium. Again that crowd will be about 75% ND fans. Any time you entre a deal like that ND basically are playing in South Bend and sub-way alum central. Atleast the Rutgers AD had the balls to say no to ND.

Now if ND wants to do a real home and home, I say go for it. Everyone wins there, mainly if Charlie is still in South Bend.
 

Never even consider giving up a home game for a neutral site game. I don't care how much money is offered.
 

It's hard to imagine a venue that would make sense unless it's late in the year in Arizona or something against another team with snowbirds for fans.
 

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