THIS makes me nauseous.

[Husky25]

4. As to the comparison, here's the point. You are asking fans to travel potentially to 3 destinations in 3-4 weeks. And 2 of them are possibly long trips, maybe even all three. So this isn't like traveling to Washington for the 1st 2 rounds of the NCAA. Let's take an Ohio State fan from Dayton since they don't all live in Columbus. So He has to get to Indianapolis, not a terrible trip about 2-2.5 hours (I did it once). I-70. Easy. Then the Rose Bowl. Over 2000 miles so he's probably flying. Add hotel, maybe a rental. So Ohio State wins and the next week its off to Miami for the Championship. That's only 1200 miles, so you could drive it, if you have a spare 17 hours. So more likely another flight and another hotel stay. But one kid needs braces and the other one needs his tuition payment...so you have to choose one. LA for a guarenteed game or take the risk of waiting for the big one in Miami? And what I think these types of "semi-final" games, and conference championship games are a good example, don't have that much attraction to the local fans. The fans of the school, sure. But what we've seen is that the general public stays away in droves. the did it in Tampa, they did it in Indianapolis, they did it in northern California. They did it in Charlotte. And they'll do it in LA, and Miami and New Orleans and Phoenix and Dallas unless there is a local connection when those games become mere semi-final or quarter final events.

No, only two trips. I clearly have stated on two separate occasions that the first round of an 8 team play off should be played at the stadium of the higher seed. So yes, the Semis and the Championship game may be longer trips. So be it.

But you are projecting your own values on the fandom of these schools. Many teams that figure to be in the playoff are much closer to the destination bowl cities (Tallahasee, Jacksonville, Baton Rouge, Austin, Los Angeles. Tuscaloosa is a bit further away, but all those crazy fans have winnebagos and WILL take a two week drive cross country).

There are also variables in your scenerio depicting a worse case possibility for one particular fan. I'm not one to tell anyone how to spend their money. Choosing Johnny's arthodontal expense or Sally's tuition over entertainment is a personal decision. That's life. It's full of them. It doesn't make that person any less of a fan, at least in my view. Some people can afford it, some can't. It is what it is.

 

[B1GALUM]

No, only two trips. I clearly have stated on two separate occasions that the first round of an 8 team play off should be played at the stadium of the higher seed. So yes, the Semis and the Championship game may be longer trips. So be it.

But you are projecting your own values on the fandom of these schools. Many teams that figure to be in the playoff are much closer to the destination bowl cities (Tallahasee, Jacksonville, Baton Rouge, Austin, Los Angeles. Tuscaloosa is a bit further away, but all those crazy fans have winnebagos and WILL take a two week drive cross country).

There are also variables in your scenerio depicting a worse case possibility for one particular fan. I'm not one to tell anyone how to spend their money. Choosing Johnny's arthodontal expense or Sally's tuition over entertainment is a personal decision. That's life. It's full of them. It doesn't make that person any less of a fan, at least in my view. Some people can afford it, some can't. It is what it is.

Quite honestly, it really does not matter what the fans want or can afford. If the power conferences think a move to an 8 eight team playoff is in their (conference and respective universities) interest, financial or otherwise, it will get done. It was no longer about the fan, with respect to conference realignment and other changes, some time ago in my opinion.



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