Joining the BE in 05 was Positive for Attendance for New Adds

[UConnJim]

It seems this board is constantly debating the merits of the new additions to the BE. Some think the new adds have rising programs and some are skeptical. But, how have Louisville, Cincy, and South Florida fared since they were added to the BE? Specifically, what happened to attendance?

The newbies were added for the 2005 football season, so I selected 2003 as the baseline for attendance and compared it to last seasons attendance, which was somewhat negatively impacted by the economy.

Louisville: 40,047 in 2003, 48,538 in 2011, up 8,491
South Florida: 30,512 in 2003, 44,550 in 2011, up 14,038
Cincy: 21,961 in 2003, 32,293 in 2011, up 10,332

Clearly, attendance has surged for the newbies after joining the BE. I think it's fair to say that interest in football increased as the schools joined the BE. Will the same happen for the current new adds? I think so as most of the schools are in football hotbeds.

One last point. Look at the three recent detections, WV, Syracuse, and Pitt. Obviously, WV is a huge loss for the conference as they took advantage of the first raid on the BE and became the marquee football team in the BE. Syracuse and Pitt? Yes, they have tradition, but the two programs have been stagnant for over a decade and did not take advantage of the first raid on the BE, yet they seem to blame their mediocrity on the BE. I would still like to be in a conference with Syracuse and Pitt, but the new additions are hungry risers which will be tough to beat.

 

[coachcap]

You could make the same argument in UConn's ascendence also. The Huskies went from @ 16 K in attendance at Memorial Stadium to @ 32K when the Rent first opened. Sections 104-06 rarely had consistant fans in the seats & those tickets were comped to high school football teams (Southington High's team were regulars in those days.) Once UConn was officially in the Big East for football regular sellouts for "BIG" games became the norm.

 

[UCFBfan]

Clearly, attendance has surged for the newbies after joining the BE. I think it's fair to say that interest in football increased as the schools joined the BE. Will the same happen for the current new adds? I think so as most of the schools are in football hotbeds.

I disagree with this. Louisville, USF, and Cincy joined a conference with teams competing at a higher level and the ability to make a BCS bowl. They joined a Big East that was still semi-relevant. With recent events, Big-12 expansion, Champions Bowl, Big 4 conferences, elimination of AQ status, the Big East is now no better or exciting than the C-USA the new schools are leaving behind.

Who is UCF, Houston, SMU, or Memphis fans going to get excited about seeing? The same schools they already compete against or used to compete against 8 or so years ago? UConn or Rutgers? A former MAC team in Temple? A team from California in SDSU? The only team I see creating any excitement is Boise St.

You can't compare what the three teams that entered into after the 2003 raid did with what the new teams will be entering in 2013 do. It's a completely different CFB world now and I can't see any of these new teams building a fan base around the new Big East product.

 

[Adios]

I think UConn will remain one of the elite athletic institutions for years to come. We have no top-tier pro team. Besides the Connecticut Sun. If the B1G took us in, the athletic department would become huge. I honestly think we can be one of the better B1G athletic departments.

 

[Husky1964]

Be serious. I thought after the 04 raid we would eventually be in the ACC. Still feel that way. My opinion we willl never join the Big 10!!!

 

[Nostical]

In 1964, my opinions weren't very accurate either.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I disagree with this. Louisville, USF, and Cincy joined a conference with teams competing at a higher level and the ability to make a BCS bowl. They joined a Big East that was still semi-relevant. With recent events, Big-12 expansion, Champions Bowl, Big 4 conferences, elimination of AQ status, the Big East is now no better or exciting than the C-USA the new schools are leaving behind.

Who is UCF, Houston, SMU, or Memphis fans going to get excited about seeing? The same schools they already compete against or used to compete against 8 or so years ago? UConn or Rutgers? A former MAC team in Temple? A team from California in SDSU? The only team I see creating any excitement is Boise St.

You can't compare what the three teams that entered into after the 2003 raid did with what the new teams will be entering in 2013 do. It's a completely different CFB world now and I can't see any of these new teams building a fan base around the new Big East product.

I think the BE still seemed pretty irrelevant after the 03 raid. We had a WVU team that had not yet become dominant in the league, Syracuse and Pitt who had both been down recently, Rutgers who had not yet reached their current level of mediocrity, Temple was kicked out, UConn moved up from FCS, and we recruited Louisville, who was rising, and Cincy and USF from the minor leagues. It didn't look much better for the BE then than it does now if you really think about it. There was no team in the NBE of 05 comparable to Boise's recent level of success.

 

[Pudge]

we recruited Louisville, who was rising, and Cincy and USF from the minor leagues.

Hate to pick on this ... but who are we to say this? UConn was nowhere & we were in the BE because we had existed in that related thing (o ... the Hoop Big East). Minor leagues?

Louisville, Cincy, USF ... Rutgers ... Boise ... maybe even Temple & UCF ... all have made huge improvements since 2003. And UConn. Frankly, I am proud to be on this path. Would I rather be a SU or a BC fan? F--- no.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

we recruited Louisville, who was rising, and Cincy and USF from the minor leagues.

Hate to pick on this ... but who are we to say this? UConn was nowhere & we were in the BE because we had existed in that related thing (o ... the Hoop Big East). Minor leagues?

Louisville, Cincy, USF ... Rutgers ... Boise ... maybe even Temple & UCF ... all have made huge improvements since 2003. And UConn. Frankly, I am proud to be on this path. Would I rather be a SU or a BC fan? F--- no.

I actually agree with you. I'm not saying we as in UConn. I mean the Big East as a more major football conference than CUSA. Louisville and Cincy both have more FBS football history than UConn. So do SMU and Houston for that matter. Temple and SDSU have been playing for longer than us and Boise moved to FBS in 96 but has had far more success than us. As a football program I have a hard time justifying why we don't actually deserve to be with the upstarts.