Topic: NIU/Orange Bowl tickets

[ThunderDent]

"NIU has sold more than 3,000 tickets, has given away 2,800 to students and has used 1,000 for its band and team guests, Compher said. Another 7,000 to 8,000 have been donated to Miami-area charities in an arrangement with the Orange Bowl."

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/17271077-419/schools-such-as-niu-will-become-regulars-in-a-top-tier-bowl.html

The MAC is buying all their unused tickets for them. They are responsible for 17,500.

I have to think, even with us being down recently (and not having the yearly enthusiasm that we used to have as a fan base) that in a year when we get ranked and make a BCS bowl we sell far more than 3,000 tickets. And take quite a few fans, especially to a place like Miami.

Hopefully next year will be that year to test it out.

I just feel that for all the talk of expansion and markets (NIU is mentioned over us for their Chicago "market"), that the actual fan base is overlooked.

I know we have fairweather fans (winning/losing and actual bad weather), but considering the fans we traveled to South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, etc, I think WHEN The Herd is in this situation, we travel much better than this.

[carolinaherdfan]

I am with you TV...given the same scenario, we take 20,000 fans + many herdfans who live in the Carolina's, Ga. And Florida....

[herd2win]

At a minimum you would have 15000 Herd fans in the Orange Bowl...that would be a once in a lifetime situation.

[Huffnagel]

At a minimum you would have 15000 Herd fans in the Orange Bowl...that would be a once in a lifetime situation.

last year watching the Rose Bowl my wife asked if Marshall was ever selected would I want to go. I said the entire family would be there!

[jstherd]

Folks, all you have to do is attend a MAC game (I saw Miami - Kent this year) and you will see how PATHETIC the crowds are. Although the "announnced" crowd was higher, my guess was that approximately 2,500 - 3,000 were there. Marshall holds the top 2 attendance records at Miami's stadium. A top tier administrator at Miami told me, "When Marshall came to our stadium, we had not seen anything close to that (Iowa played there) and still haven't." If we ever get back to the top, we'll still travel with 12 - 15,000. We had approximately 14,000 at Clemson. Give us a winner and we'll give MU great attendance.

[SuperAnjario]

"NIU has sold more than 3,000 tickets, has given away 2,800 to students and has used 1,000 for its band and team guests, Compher said. Another 7,000 to 8,000 have been donated to Miami-area charities in an arrangement with the Orange Bowl."

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/17271077-419/schools-such-as-niu-will-become-regulars-in-a-top-tier-bowl.html

The MAC is buying all their unused tickets for them. They are responsible for 17,500.

I have to think, even with us being down recently (and not having the yearly enthusiasm that we used to have as a fan base) that in a year when we get ranked and make a BCS bowl we sell far more than 3,000 tickets. And take quite a few fans, especially to a place like Miami.

Hopefully next year will be that year to test it out.

I just feel that for all the talk of expansion and markets (NIU is mentioned over us for their Chicago "market"), that the actual fan base is overlooked.

I know we have fairweather fans (winning/losing and actual bad weather), but considering the fans we traveled to South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, etc, I think WHEN The Herd is in this situation, we travel much better than this.

NIU is mentioned by some fans on message boards "above us for expansion."  I've been there.  They're not going anywhere.  Not really that close to Chicago in the middle of nowhere beside Wisconsin.  They command Chicago about as well as we command Columbus. 

We'd take 15k+ to a bowl game like the Orange.

[MarshallGrad]

....NIU is mentioned over us for their Chicago "market"...

The irrational sports talk that associates a team with its so called "market" will never end. It is as silly and irrational as what coaches say, what sportscasters say, what fans predict.....it is a part of the head shaking dialog that accompanies sports and all that goes with it. Chicago is the NIU market as Dallas is for North Texas.

[wasbarryb]

The irrational sports talk that associates a team with its so called "market" will never end. It is as silly and irrational as what coaches say, what sportscasters say, what fans predict.....it is a part of the headshaking dialog that accompanies sports and all that goes with it.

We could always talk about the weather. That's usually as enlightening.

[Big City]

Our fans are starving for success. This shouldnt even be up for discussion. Hands down Marshall would travel a big group to a BCS game. Hell, I was even impressed with the crowd we had last year in St. Pete a few days before one of the biggest holidays on the calendar.

[TomorrowHERD]

If we were in a BcS bowl, I would be there and I would take all of my nephews with me. 

[luvherd]

I would be there with at least 10.

[bbcard1]

The national casual fan base Marshall has...the We Are Marshall angle and storyline of our program...would result in far more tickets sold than any institution of comparable scope, IMO....

Had the current structure been in place, we would have been in a BCS bowl in 1999 and been margin in 2002. As odd as it sounds, we would had been in the conversation in 2001 had we beat Toledo in the MAC championship, which I think we would have had a BCS bowl been on the line...as I recall we had already committed to Mobile....for that matter, I think the 1998 team would have been in the conversation.  I think all four of those teams absolutely destroy the current NIU team which does nothing to change the fact that they are in a BCS game and we have never been.

[Greg H]

The national casual fan base Marshall has...the We Are Marshall angle and storyline of our program...would result in far more tickets sold than any institution of comparable scope, IMO....

Had the current structure been in place, we would have been in a BCS bowl in 1999 and been margin in 2002. As odd as it sounds, we would had been in the conversation in 2001 had we beat Toledo in the MAC championship, which I think we would have had a BCS bowl been on the line...as I recall we had already committed to Mobile....for that matter, I think the 1998 team would have been in the conversation.  I think all four of those teams absolutely destroy the current NIU team which does nothing to change the fact that they are in a BCS game and we have never been.

Yep.  And I bet if we snuck in next year, we would travel at least 20K

[herdfan429]

Yep.  And I bet if we snuck in next year, we would travel at least 20K

We barely get 20k at home, actual not announced, theres no way we take that many to a bcs game. 

[DC01HERD]

I think 20,000 is a realistic number. We had about 15,000 at Clemson in 1999? It's easier for Herd fans living in Boston, New York and Chicago to get to Miami compared to Huntington. We would have a lot of alumni that have become disinterested in traveling to Huntington that would be all over a trip to Miami.