The Real UCF Rivalry in Primetime!

[Confident Carl]

This is the kind of National exposure for the American that Mike Aresco was taking about! ESPN airing UCF-USF on Thanksgiving in prime time! Great job by Mike!

http://theamerican.org/news/2015/8/13/FB_0813154855.aspx?path=

 

[pepband99]

...against the NFL. BFD. It will be seen by friends and family.

 

[Adios]

Bears vs Packers at 8:30 that day. Panthers at Cowboys at 4:30. Kickoff for this game better be at 6:30-7PM.

 

[Confident Carl]

Bears vs Packers at 8:30 that day. Panthers at Cowboys at 4:30. Kickoff for this game better be at 6:30-7PM.

Good point Bears Packers will capture interest. The game is slotted in between Panthers -Cowboys and Bears Packers. College football fans will watch because other than bowl season rivalry week is the most watch during the college football season and the UCF/USF game launches rivalry week. ESPN will have promos on upcoming weekend rivalry games:
WEEK 13 [Nov. 24-28]

Iowa at Nebraska | Washington State at Washington | Missouri at Arkansas | Oregon State at Oregon | Baylor at TCU | Oklahoma at Oklahoma State | Ohio State at Michigan | Penn State at Michigan State | Alabama at Auburn | Florida State at Florida | Georgia at Georgia Tech | Louisville at Kentucky | Texas A&M at LSU | Ole Miss at Mississippi State | Clemson at South Carolina | UCLA at USC | Notre Dame at Stanford | North Carolina at N.C. State

Rivalry Week. Obtain extra screens. Stay hydrated. Clear the social calendar. Cordon off the family. The Iron Bowl. Harbaugh vs. Meyer. The Civil War. The Egg Bowl. The Apple Cup. Bedlam. Toss in a potential playoff eliminator Friday night when Baylor travels to TCU. Nothing borderline erotic about this one. It’s going to be a hell of a holiday weekend, folks.

On time change...
“ESPN called regarding a possible change from an early Friday game to a Thursday night game on national TV. All parties concerned agreed to the change,” Interim Director of Athletics and head coach George O’Leary said. “I think it’s great for both teams who are playing as well as the American Athletic Conference for this game to be featured on a huge stage like this.”

The game, UCF's first on Thanksgiving in school history, will kick off at Bright House Networks Stadium.

 

[whaler11]

UCF and USF last year was one of (if not the only time) FS1 outrated ESPN on a weeknight primetime game.

Fox has Texas and Texas Tech at the same time.

USF might be one of the worst teams in the country.

Chance to run the streak to two for FS1 against the I-4 game.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I guess living in the Southeast gives me a different perspective...but...there are many football fans that would rather watch any college game than a pro game. And I am one of them. I know that it isn't the same with the northeast...which is one of the reasons why UConn is stuck in the AAC. I would rather watch USF-UCF than Bears-Packers. I think putting a rivalry AAC game on Thanksgiving day is a great idea.

 

[UConn9604]

I guess living in the Southeast gives me a different perspective...but...there are many football fans that would rather watch any college game than a pro game. And I am one of them. I know that it isn't the same with the northeast...which is one of the reasons why UConn is stuck in the AAC. I would rather watch USF-UCF than Bears-Packers. I think putting a rivalry AAC game on Thanksgiving day is a great idea.

It's certainly not a bad idea. We played Rutgers on Thanksgiving in 2004 and I think that people just want to watch football on Thanksgiving, without regard to a specific team or even whether it's pro or college.

 

[Drew]

I guess living in the Southeast gives me a different perspective...but...there are many football fans that would rather watch any college game than a pro game. And I am one of them. I know that it isn't the same with the northeast...which is one of the reasons why UConn is stuck in the AAC. I would rather watch USF-UCF than Bears-Packers. I think putting a rivalry AAC game on Thanksgiving day is a great idea.

I can 100% attest to this attitude towards football viewership. I always plan on being a lazy couch bug come 12 oclock on a Saturday, getting a majority of my errands/laundry/lawn work/other items done on Sundays. A ton of my friends are the same way.

I asked a group of UConn alumni friends if they wanted to go to the opening UConn game with me and I would fly up from NC for it. They said they would love to, when is the date? I told them September 3 and they said "We can't, we already bought tickets for the Giants/Patriots pre-season game that night". Absolutely floored by that, but pro sports are a MUCH bigger deal in the Northeast than Southeast and other parts of the country. By the time the first two NFL games are over with I'm salivating for college football at night.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I guess living in the Southeast gives me a different perspective...but...there are many football fans that would rather watch any college game than a pro game. And I am one of them. I know that it isn't the same with the northeast...which is one of the reasons why UConn is stuck in the AAC. I would rather watch USF-UCF than Bears-Packers. I think putting a rivalry AAC game on Thanksgiving day is a great idea.

I can say this. After a full day of college football on Saturday, the NFL better have good 1pm and 4pm games or I'm catching up on chores. The Sunday night game has become must see TV and Monday night football doesn't exist in my house unless I'm watching UConn players.

 

[whaler11]

Ok back here on earth...

Thanksgiving 2014:

Night NFL: 23 million viewers

LSU and A&M: 3 million viewers

Texas and TCU: 700,000 viewers

The only people watching UCF and USF will be those who fell in front of their televisions with it on ESPN. m

There is no perspective that is different than those two college games in 2015 will combine to have fewer than 10% of the NFL viewers. They will be lucky to crack 2.5 million combined.

 

[Drew]

Ok back here on earth...

Thanksgiving 2014:

Night NFL: 23 million viewers

LSU and A&M: 3 million viewers

Texas and TCU: 700,000 viewers

The only people watching UCF and USF will be those who fell in front of their televisions with it on ESPN. m

There is no perspective that is different than those two college games in 2015 will combine to have fewer than 10% of the NFL viewers. They will be lucky to crack 2.5 million combined.

I don't think anyone is saying the NFL isn't more popular than college football, just that the potential for 3 million viewers for UCF/USF is a hell of a lot more than they would get playing the next day or the Saturday after Thanksgiving

 

[whaler11]

I don't think anyone is saying the NFL isn't more popular than college football, just that the potential for 3 million viewers for UCF/USF is a hell of a lot more than they would get playing the next day or the Saturday after Thanksgiving

They will be lucky to get 1.5. Which I guess is better than their usual few hundred thousand, but ESPN has sort of a built in rating floor.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Being on ESPN is better than not being on ESPN. That's what I think. I hope that by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I hope the people that passed out from too much turkey and wine with ESPN still on, wake up around 9:30 or so at half time and all they hear about is how UCONN still has the civil conflict trophy and is hoping that USF pulls off the upset so we can win a division title, and that game played earlier in the month drew all kinds of attention, and maybe USF should have tried something similar to generate viewership.

Ground control to Major Tom.

 

[NYUConn]

Trophy or it doesn't count. Civil ConFLict forever.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Ok back here on earth...

Thanksgiving 2014:

Night NFL: 23 million viewers

LSU and A&M: 3 million viewers

Texas and TCU: 700,000 viewers

The only people watching UCF and USF will be those who fell in front of their televisions with it on ESPN. m

There is no perspective that is different than those two college games in 2015 will combine to have fewer than 10% of the NFL viewers. They will be lucky to crack 2.5 million combined.

Yeah...I was responding to the "only friends and family" would watch. It isn't the NFL...but it will still do well in parts of the country that aren't enamored with the NFL...and it will do better than Kardashian marathons (maybe)

 

[weyuo]

Thanksgiving, my favorite day of the year. Eat during the Lion's snore-a-thon. Kick back with Chevas & Budweisers for America's Team, The Dallas Cowboys Show and now the AAC commish wisely negotiated an interesting Turkey Night brawl on ESPN....Brilliant!! A lot of AAC fans will be watching as well as college football fans in general who aren't Packers or Bears fans. Great exposure for the league. How anyone could say this is a bad thing is just looking for something to complain about. Debbie Downers... go stand in the corner!!

 

[whaler11]

Thanksgiving, my favorite day of the year. Eat during the Lion's snore-a-thon. Kick back with Chevas & Budweisers for America's Team, The Dallas Cowboys Show and now the AAC commish wisely negotiated an interesting Turkey Night brawl on ESPN....Brilliant!! A lot of AAC fans will be watching as well as college football fans in general who aren't Packers or Bears fans. Great exposure for the league. How anyone could say this is a bad thing is just looking for something to complain about. Debbie Downers... go stand in the corner!!

Nobody said it's a bad thing. It's just not a big deal. Certainly nothing to celebrate Mike Aresco for - Will you move this Friday game to Thursday? Sure?

Who cares about the people that actually attend the games right? It's not like any of them have anything to do on Thanksgiving.

 

[Exit 4]

I'm excited about it. The alternative is this game is played on ESPN 3. I'll take the national coverage and the ratings schalacking anyday of the week vs blackout.

 

[NYUConn]

I'm excited about it. The alternative is this game is played on ESPN 3. I'll take the national coverage and the ratings schalacking anyday of the week vs blackout.

Yeah I mean who cares if nobody watches, the fact that Aresco was able to get an AAC game on ESPN on Thanksgiving night is an accomplishment in its own right. If you think other conferences weren't jockeying for that spot you're crazy.

 

[whaler11]

Yeah I mean who cares if nobody watches, the fact that Aresco was able to get an AAC game on ESPN on Thanksgiving night is an accomplishment in its own right. If you think other conferences weren't jockeying for that spot you're crazy.

Yes, everyone wants Thanksgiving night. They want to enfuriate their fanbase that you know... actually buys tickets and goes to games.

It's not an accomplishment to answer the phone and say yes to provide throwaway content to ESPN.

Maybe next time Aresco can negotiate a TV deal that gets more for UConn than they could get for their women's basketball games on a regional cable outlet. You know before we start talking about his 'accomplishments'.

 

[NYUConn]

Yes, everyone wants Thanksgiving night. They want to enfuriate their fanbase that you know... actually buys tickets and goes to games.

It's not an accomplishment to answer the phone and say yes to provide throwaway content to ESPN.

Maybe next time Aresco can negotiate a TV deal that gets more for UConn than they could get for their women's basketball games on a regional cable outlet. You know before we start talking about his 'accomplishments'.

Good, good. Let the hate run through you.

If you think that having a conference game on National TV on a night when most of America is glued to their televisions doesn't outweigh the risk of alienating the hundreds of Floridians who will now be irritated about having to deep fry their Turkeys in a parking lot as opposed to their backyard I don't know what to tell you.

I bet you that the MWC would kill to have UNLV-Nevada air during that time slot.

This is good for the conference. To spin it any other way is just trying to be negative for the sake of being negative.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Yes, everyone wants Thanksgiving night. They want to enfuriate their fanbase that you know... actually buys tickets and goes to games.

It's not an accomplishment to answer the phone and say yes to provide throwaway content to ESPN.

Maybe next time Aresco can negotiate a TV deal that gets more for UConn than they could get for their women's basketball games on a regional cable outlet. You know before we start talking about his 'accomplishments'.

I agree with you on most of this, but you crossed the line with the last statement. Aresco was in a negotiation situation that is almost comical, from the outside, based on the agreements that Tranghese put in place with ESPN. He managed to leverage tons of air time on ESPN for the entire conference, for pennies on the dollar out of a very bad negotiating position. It was a tradeoff - money for airtime.

UCONN content is worth a hell of a lot more than what we're getting right now, and we've got no choice to ride it out until the current contract is over, and make the best of our situation that we can control.

That means, beyond the obvious of supporting our own programs, supporting other AAC teams and their work to develop bigger followings within their respective cities.

This game on national TV on Thursday night, is filler for ESPN, for sure. The conference needs to produce winning teams though that people will be interested in, from those cities around the map.

 

[Exit 4]

Yes, everyone wants Thanksgiving night. They want to enfuriate their fanbase that you know... actually buys tickets and goes to games.

It's not an accomplishment to answer the phone and say yes to provide throwaway content to ESPN.

Maybe next time Aresco can negotiate a TV deal that gets more for UConn than they could get for their women's basketball games on a regional cable outlet. You know before we start talking about his 'accomplishments'.

So we'll pen you down for disapproving. You can pen me down for approving. And yes, I don't care about the season ticket holders. Frankly, as the modern american family dis-evolves, there maybe a surprising number of people looking for something to do on this evening. Its not like we're disrupting the game day rituals of B1G football or SEC with Old Miss.

With some luck a decent game will be played. Something people might talk about. We need any and all chances to be talked about.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Welp it looks like it'll be Turkey sandwiches w/ a little American Conf. football for my Thanksgiving night! Love it!

 

[Confident Carl]

Thanksgiving, my favorite day of the year. Eat during the Lion's snore-a-thon. Kick back with Chevas & Budweisers for America's Team, The Dallas Cowboys Show and now the AAC commish wisely negotiated an interesting Turkey Night brawl on ESPN....Brilliant!! A lot of AAC fans will be watching as well as college football fans in general who aren't Packers or Bears fans. Great exposure for the league. How anyone could say this is a bad thing is just looking for something to complain about. Debbie Downers... go stand in the corner!!

Weyuo - Very well said. I get that EVERYONE wants UCONN out of the AAC and into a P5, me included but anytime
ANYONE mentions anything positive about the AAC many on the yard squash it. I say, be the best you can be where you are at. The AAC hired a big time TV guy to help build the league and gain exposure and notoriety and in that regard this is a major achievement. Here we go with the glass half empty guys again.

Here is what it sounds like. Someone saw your wife at the store and say's I met your wife and she is an attractive lady.
Instead of saying thanks for the kind words, the negativos would say something like, well she gained a few pounds recently and she is really a bad housekeeper and she spends money like a drunken sailor...