Swarbrick on scheduling, ND Network, Jumbotron, etc.

Ironman8

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Definitely an interesting article. Seems like the Jumbotron idea isn't as impossible of an idea at ND as I thought. Thanks for posting it.
 

Praytorian

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Sounds good to me. No really definitive answers on anything except the playoffs (wich I'm against anyway). Personally I'd like to go with the Big 12 (soon to be 10) but thats mainly because I'm from Tx. Give us 2 more years and we will be blowing out all comers from the big east - the big 12 we would still have some good fights.

Go Irish
 

SLCIRISH

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Interesting, but I wish he was more in favor of a playoff, there could be some great playoff games in South Bend in January.
 

Rocket89

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1. Very excited he's trying to get an SEC team in one of the neutral game sites. I hope it's Georgia or Tennessee and not Vanderbilt.

2. I'm glad he's close to Texas and Dodd. It seems like we could see some new media coming out in the future. Definitely made it seem like we'll see increased exposure on different channels, which makes sense right now. We'll probably see replays on one channel, and coaches programs on another. I keep hoping there will be a lot of Notre Dame content on Versus sometime soon. This should be the first step towards obtaining our own channel like Texas. But our national presence does make it more difficult than Texas...it's very interesting to think about solutions.

3. I like that he's warming up to the jumbotron and FieldTurf. I think the latter is inevitable at some point. I really think ND can have a video board and do it in a classy manner and really pump the fans up and utulize the school's rich history in a proper way. Still waiting for the day when they play Rockne's locker room speech on the video board...let's create some new traditions!!

4. Kind of bummed that he's not behind the playoff. I wish Notre Dame would take a more active lead in this, but it looks like that's not going to happen.
 

jonesman

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Very nice read. Here are my thoughts on a couple of the major points.

JUMBOTRON - What the heck are we waiting for??? It can be placed at the south end of the stadium. Those who are opposed don't attend the games anyway. Ever look at those empty gold seats?? That is who is against it. Besides the one who do attend in those gold seats are sitting there like bumps most games. PLEASE Jack, bring on the Jumbo. Shucks, NBC would probably buy the darn thing.

SCHEDULING - I am really dissapointed that Jack was not asked about why he is creating murder's row for ND every year. I would have asked, "Why are you not giving BK a similar schedule to every other BCS school that is placing some softies on the schedule???" Instead, we are talking about adding an SEC school. Come on Jack!!! Why not just schedule the winner of every freaking BCS conference. I always want ND to play a solid schedule, but I also would like us to get a shot at a BCS.
I can actually picture ND playing USC, Miami, Michigan, Alabama, Texas, Stanford, BC, Pittsburgh, Navy, Michigan St and maybe Ohio St all in one season. There is NO way ND gets to a BCS trying to play all these beasts in one season.
In conclusion, I hope someone helps Jack see the light that is college football today. Just look at OSU, they have scheduled their way to a BCS game the last several years. They schedule 3 absolute dead fish out of conference. Then, they beat up a few Big Ten bottom feeders. All that is left is really about 3-4 tough games. Instead, ND decides we are going to slay the dragon every damn week.

FIELD TURF - I am 50/50 on this one. I like the grass, but see the merits of turf. I will support either direction. If we do go field turf, I say we make it GOLD. If Boise can do Blue, why can't ND do GOLD. Just kidding.
 

GoldenIsThyFame

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I know an alum that use to be an executive at a major electronic supply company, specializing in jumbotrons and theatre screens. He tried several times in the 90's to get the athletic department to install one but they kept telling him "can't do it, goes against the tradition". I am glad Swarbrick is warming up to it.
 

irishpat183

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Sounds good to me. No really definitive answers on anything except the playoffs (wich I'm against anyway). Personally I'd like to go with the Big 12 (soon to be 10) but thats mainly because I'm from Tx. Give us 2 more years and we will be blowing out all comers from the big east - the big 12 we would still have some good fights.

Go Irish

Big 12 would be awesome for us Texan ND fans!! But I like the independence better. Freedom of scheduling.
 

BGIF

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Jumbotron - Interesting comment about "we controlled the advertising".

Field - "We use the stadium for graduation." At Alabama if Saban wanted to pave the Field with concrete, the students would graduate on concrete IF Saban let them graduate there.
 
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Why can't ND put up a retractable jumbotron? Game day? Press a button and it's up in two minutes. Game over? Press a button and it slide down. It would require a substantial addition on the end but I think it would be worth it.

Just don't f*cking block Jesus with a gaudy television.
 

NeuteredDoomer

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Good read. I wonder how much ND's private school status vs tax funded institutions affects things. No NEED for jumbotron.

I am against college football playoffs. It seems more a demand of fans with no life. We are talking about college students who probably would rather get the season over with. Go to movies. Date pretty ladies. Get out of the grips of the controller. Go to the mall. Pee on lawns (that kinda thingy). Not get stalked nationally and have mothers spoken badly about.

Thing I like about college football is EVERY game matters. I'm starting to like the opportunity that multiple bowl games for anyone that shows up provides. It might provide a good experience and reward for the athletes' efforts.

A college football playoff system seems unfeasible and unnecessary.
 

irishff1014

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I think that the Turf idea is going to be the first of any changes that happen. Kelly gets what he wants. I am ok with it aslong as it stays the way the field is now.
 

RallySonsOfND

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Good read. I wonder how much ND's private school status vs tax funded institutions affects things.

Notre Dame still receives government money. Only 2 colleges in the United States that don't take ANY government money, Hillsdale College and I can't think of the other one.
 

Old Man Mike

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I found Swarbrick's view of the field condition hard to clearly read. It almost sounded to me that he was dissatisfied with its condition even as to graduation. If that's true [and my feeling about the remark can be way off], then that leaning plus Kelly's desire for a faster track might make some surface change a quick done-deal.

On "play-offs": everytime I hear a discussion on this, people seem to be talking without describing what sort of structure they're talking about---leading to maximum cross-purpose irrelevancy. I like, a lot, that there are a ton of bowl games. I think that they are great fun, if only for the teams and their fan bases. But I wouldn't mind a mini-playoff. That's the "top four" concept.

Two semi-finals & a championship. I like that because I believe that all big money bowls could still get their piece of this [rotating as they do now], the season could end at almost the same time [due to scheduling the semi's in the earlier bowl week; sort of like week-and- a half between games], and the whining coming from the FIFTH team on the list would almost always be pretty lame [if you can't make the top four, what's your gripe??].

Yeh, I know, you don't agree...for the several thousand reasons we can't agree on this thing. That's why we're not likely to change.
 

Old Man Mike

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As to Notre Dame and Federal monies: like any major research institution Notre Dame reaps great quantities of funding from the NSF, NIH, and many other less-famous basic-research offices in the government. This is vital for our country's scientific/technological progress as it ensures non-biased results, including the publishing of things which don't work. These publications then rapidly add to the cumulation of knowledge which accelerates invention, development, and growth.

Some folks don't realize that we had, and probably still have, a large funding source in the Atomic Energy Commission, originally focussed on the Van der Graf linear accelerator in the physics and chemistry programs. That machine was loaned freely by Notre Dame to the Manhattan Project during WWII as part of Enrico Fermi's team to accurately measure certain nuclear decay forces. The AEC and military were grateful ever since. ND, being what it is, evolved that relationship into testing nuclear radiation effects on bio-forms at places like the Lobund Institute [I showed off the accelerator at a science exhibition at ND once, so am familiar with that story; my info on Lobund is shakier]. Bottomline is: fed-funding of science research IS the Bottom Line.
 

DomeX2 eNVy

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I'm all for a jumbotron (as someone who goes to a couple of games a year) with one caveat- they don't put Tom Hammonds scary mug up there full screen. Having to hear him mispronounce names would ruin my wonderful gameday experience.
 

Praytorian

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Every time I hear someone being for the playoffs I keep thinking of that Coors Light - Jim Moora commercial.
In all of college world Money is a big need for teams. With the playoffs maybe 12 teams would get any money.
Right now we have what 20ish bowl games? Thats 40 teams, and their conferences getting money from those bowl games. Just because its not forefront in the news right now, don't forget all of the schools going bankrupt, having to cut out entire programs.
If you limit some of these schools from making money that way, think of what its going to do to alot more schools. Lets not let our greed of wanting to see a playoff interfere with a SWAC kid getting an art class (or whatever).

Playoffs? Playoffs?

Go Irish
 

ShamrockOnHelmet

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Every time I hear someone being for the playoffs I keep thinking of that Coors Light - Jim Moora commercial.
In all of college world Money is a big need for teams. With the playoffs maybe 12 teams would get any money.
Right now we have what 20ish bowl games? Thats 40 teams, and their conferences getting money from those bowl games. Just because its not forefront in the news right now, don't forget all of the schools going bankrupt, having to cut out entire programs.
If you limit some of these schools from making money that way, think of what its going to do to alot more schools. Lets not let our greed of wanting to see a playoff interfere with a SWAC kid getting an art class (or whatever).

Playoffs? Playoffs?

Go Irish


A playoff and bowls are not mutually exclusive propositions. I have never understood why people think that.
 

Praytorian

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The Bowls are a reward for having a sucessfull season (6 wins = a lesser bowl, while more wins will get you into a more prestigous one).
Say Boise state went undefeated this year, and everyone else had 1 loss. Why make them play (the STUDENTS not professional atheletes) more games just so a team that you might think is better, but had a loss gets a chance at a NC? If they wanted a shot at the NC they should have won all their games ala Boise St. (remember this is hypothetical).
You want to have bowl games and playoffs? How do you decide where to draw the line at? What rankings are you going to use? The BCS rankings? If so they are already in use to determine the BCS game.

Go Irish
 

GreatGolson

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When telling my brother in law (class of '06) about the jumbotron question, before i could even finish he said GOD NOOOOO and covered his ears. I think we know the opinion of many alums..
 
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People who don't want jumbotrons don't go to the games. A jumbotron would be great.

Also if you say you are against a playoffs I assume you are being sarcastic. If not I'll question your intelligence.
 

Rocket89

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Every time I hear someone being for the playoffs I keep thinking of that Coors Light - Jim Moora commercial.
In all of college world Money is a big need for teams. With the playoffs maybe 12 teams would get any money.
Right now we have what 20ish bowl games? Thats 40 teams, and their conferences getting money from those bowl games. Just because its not forefront in the news right now, don't forget all of the schools going bankrupt, having to cut out entire programs.
If you limit some of these schools from making money that way, think of what its going to do to alot more schools. Lets not let our greed of wanting to see a playoff interfere with a SWAC kid getting an art class (or whatever).

Playoffs? Playoffs?

Go Irish

A playoff system would bring teams a whole lot more money. The vast majority of teams lose money in order to go to bowl games. Even the most ardent BCS supporters like Jim Delany agree that a playoff would bring much, much more money to EVERY program in college football.

Saying we should keep the current BCS system because of the money it generates for schools is probably the weakest argument out there.
 

ShamrockOnHelmet

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The Bowls are a reward for having a sucessfull season (6 wins = a lesser bowl, while more wins will get you into a more prestigous one).
Say Boise state went undefeated this year, and everyone else had 1 loss. Why make them play (the STUDENTS not professional atheletes) more games just so a team that you might think is better, but had a loss gets a chance at a NC?

I don't know, ask the NCAA; they already in fact stage football tournaments, successfully, I might add, in D3, D2, and 1AA...

It would be less hypocritical if they did bowls in ALL divisions, or playoffs in ALL divisions.
 
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Praytorian

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Question my intelligence all you want, I really don't care.
I don't see Richmond playing in bowl games.
These kids (between 17-22) are STUDENT ATHELETES.
We root for the schools and for the students. We want to see our team win and be number 1 at the end of the year. Most of THESE KIDS are already playing 12 games a year. You want them to play what 16? They are STUDENTS.
And sory I don't see how if Utah State goes 6-6 andgets into a bowl, it will not be able to draw more recruits to get into a better bowl the next year and make more money, etc. That will minimize the air time of these lesser known schools who need air time to get better recruits.
The money comes with the bowls, the bowls bring air time, air time brings the kids, kids bring better quality, better quality brings better money.
Just cause it costs them more to play in a bowl it doesnt mean that they aren't reaping what they sow. $1Million payout for playing in a bowl, I dont see all schools spending that much more for going to one. (I will admit thats just a guesstimate not actual numbers)

Go Irish
 

IrishLax

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It's much easier than people make it sound to do a +1 or 8 team playoff. For an 8 team playoff you could simply use the Champ Sports Bowl, Gator Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl as the first round, Sugar and Organe as the second round, and Rose as the championship (or any similar permutation of bowls). Wouldn't extend the season at all, one team would play two more games and two teams would play four more games. The aggregate amount of total post season football games among all teams would remain the same.

How is one of these solutions not better than the current system? Every game would still matter a ton in a 4 or 8 team playoff, and at the same time one loss wouldn't automatically eliminate you from the running.
 

Praytorian

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How many lower tier teams do you kick out to do that tho? 6? Why should they get a boot when they worked hard?
 

Rocket89

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The Presidents hiding behind the argument that students would miss too much school is a joke. Basketball athletes play 35 games a year and miss a ton of classes every year, why no complaints about that?

I like Dan Wetzel's playoff system. 16-teams, KEEP THE BOWL GAMES, have every playoff game at the higher seeds home stadium. And the best part...the playoff occurs while most universities aren't in session, so the kids don't miss many classes, if any at all.

The current BCS system makes about $220 million and if you actually look at the dollar figures, many many teams, especially the smaller teams, lose money to go to bowl games.

It happens to the big programs as well. Florida went to the 2009 title game and ended up making a profit of $47,000 and the game was played in their state!

It is estimated a playoff would net these schools $750 to $900 million. On an average year, the SEC would generate more revenue from a playoff than the entire system does for everyone right now, PLUS there will be more money for the smaller teams in the Sun Belt, MAC, Conference USA.

The bowl games are full of tradition (well some of them anyway) and they do bring some schools good exposure, but they are terribly ineffecient and bring programs mere pennies in comparison to what a playoff could. And as we've seen, we don't need to get rid of the bowl games with a playoff. The bowls will take an estimated 30-50% revenue cut with a playoff and only generate $110 million, but that's offset by the $750 million earned by the playoff.

Is almost $1 billion in revenue better than $250 million for these struggling universities?
 
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