Neutral Site Games, Love or Hate them?

[ASU33]

It seems that neural site games have really caught on here recently at all levels of football. I remember when it was limited to a few schools and HBCU Classic games but now it seems that the neutral site games are sprouting up everywhere. How do you feel about neutral site games? Would you rather travel to a cool city or stadium to play one or do you prefer home and home matchups?

[CHIP72]

I personally liked the result of the neutral site game that was played in early February this year. 😉😁


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[Lion1983]

I like them if it turns into tradition. I dont like the, let's play each other 1 time in a neutral site. I like 2 rivals playing each other in the same place every year.

Examples- the way the Iron Bowl used to be. A&M &Bama St, Pitt St and NWMS, Oklahoma and Texas and so on.

[UNAPride]

I only voted "Love them" because I wouldn't want to see them go away. Yes, more are adding them and I think they are cool for a one-time (maybe a couple) per season.

But, I much prefer campus-hosted games.

[ASU33]

I like them if it turns into tradition. I dont like the, let's play each other 1 time in a neutral site. I like 2 rivals playing each other in the same place every year.

Examples- the way the Iron Bowl used to be. A&M &Bama St, Pitt St and NWMS, Oklahoma and Texas and so on.

I'm in the same boat. I think sometimes people force a rivalry that's not there. Traditionally in the past we would have 3 neutral site games per year(Magic City Classic, Gulf Coast Classic, and Down East Classic). We pulled out of the Gulf Coast Classic in Mobile back in 2009 and the Down East Classic in Columbus, Ga vs Savannah State hasn't been played since 2009. Now with the opening of our new stadium there has been more of a focus on home and homes and playing more home games.

[Panther88]

One here or there is good, imho. For PVAMU, there is no way we could ever move our game vs Grambling State Univ from the tx state fair opening w/e. And, it's a very sizable payday for both schools as well. We are looking to eclipse that 60K+ attendance figure this fall.

"The classic has an annual estimated economic impact of $8.5 million for the City of Dallas. The official 2017 game attendance was 55,231 which solidified the event as one of the largest HBCU football classics in the nation and the largest Division I FCS football game in Texas."

[ASU33]

One here or there is good, imho. For PVAMU, there is no way we could ever move our game vs Grambling State Univ from the tx state fair opening w/e. And, it's a very sizable payday for both schools as well. We are looking to eclipse that 60K+ attendance figure this fall.

"The classic has an annual estimated economic impact of $8.5 million for the City of Dallas. The official 2017 game attendance was 55,231 which solidified the event as one of the largest HBCU football classics in the nation and the largest Division I FCS football game in Texas."

That game will exceed 60k this year just with the story lines of Dooley leaving Grambling for PV. I see Southern and Texas Southern are playing at the Cotton Bowl too this year.

[Evolution Prime]

I voted hate them. I am all for the traditional neutral site games that have been played a long time, as given by previous examples. I hate it when its not really a "neutral" site. I know it may not be on one of the schools campus, but it is far from neutral. Example is when Oregon played LSU in Dallas. Sure it may be in a big stadium that neither team regularly plays in, but I be there were a far number more LSU fans in the Dallas area then there were Oregon fans. If you want a true neutral site game, put it where its out of each fan base, but still able to draw a crowd. The die hard fans will still travel, but still have a good neutral crowd.

[katss07]

Not for the FCS...I would rather see a game in Montana or Jacksonville or North Dakota St than the bowl in Montgomery. I guess I like the BOTPW game though.

[Evolution Prime]

Worst neutral site game for FCS has to be the USD vs NDSU game in Sioux Falls several years back. SDSU played a neutral site game in Sioux Falls once against I severely doubt they do it again.

[JSUSoutherner]

Depends on where. Nice facilities are nice to play in, like Suntrust this fall. But games like the Cramton Bowl are bad.

[AmsterBison]

I like the one in Frisco.

[Laker]

I hate them! They lack the excitement of on campus games. If you look in the stands there are huge areas with no fans. Keep them on campus! HATE HATE HATE!

http://chicagosportsbums.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/hate-hate-hate.jpeg

[Bisonoline]

Nope. xthumbsdownx

[woffordgrad94]

I picked love them because I think they are great for FBS Bowl games, especially traditional ones like the Orange, Rose, and Cotton...those can’t ever go away. But I’d rather have regular season games played on college campuses at the home of one of the participants. And neutral games are a no-no for FCS (apart from the national title game) as there just isn’t enough interest to get decent attendance.

[Twentysix]

I both love and hate them with qualifiers. Some are awful and some are legendary. No idea how to vote.


NDSU vs UNI at TCF or the Vikings place would fall under the legendary category.

The national championship also falls under the legendary category.

NDSU vs Butler in Minneapolis, not as legendary.

NDSU vs USD in Sioux Falls, awful.

[Laker]

MSU Mankato used to have one game a year in the Metrodome. The first year it was exciting- I think that we played St. Cloud back when we were bigger rivals. Then it was Augustana and not as big of a crowd. Finally it was South Dakota on a Thursday night and a terrible crowd. I'm glad that idea died.

[Bison56]

It's a no for me dog.

[SUPharmacist]

Like a lot of you, I think it is a very mixed bag. Traditional games and championships it can make a lot of sense, but neutral site games in areas that won’t draw a lot of fans or against non-rivals or cupcakes can be problematic. I would think maybe occasional neutral site games would make sense. Against rivals, maybe every 5 years at a venue that would accommodate sizable contingents from both sides, but I would not want to lose the on campus games very often.

[Panther88]

That game will exceed 60k this year just with the story lines of Dooley leaving Grambling for PV. I see Southern and Texas Southern are playing at the Cotton Bowl too this year.

W/ the lineups et al, we are looking to do 60K+ this fall. AAMU vs AlaSU will do their annual 70K+ and naturally SU vs GSU will do their ~65K+. I guess those #s prove some fcs teams have fan interest in neutral site areas and some do not. PVAMU vs GSU is the largest fcs game played in tejas. That’s a cold hard fact.

[MR. CHICKEN]

W/ the lineups et al, we are looking to do 60K+ this fall. AAMU vs AlaSU will do their annual 70K+ and naturally SU vs GSU will do their ~65K+. I guess those #s prove some fcs teams have fan interest in neutral site areas and some do not. PVAMU vs GSU is the largest fcs game played in tejas. That’s a cold hard fact.



.....IT'S UH SOLIDARITY THIN'.....WHIFF DUH HBCU'S................BRAWK!

[Panther88]

.....IT'S UH SOLIDARITY THIN'.....WHIFF DUH HBCU'S................BRAWK!

IT’S UH SOLIDARITY THIN’....WHIFF txa&m, ut-austin, ou, ok st, usc, ucla, bama, oh st, michigan, fl st, et al ...... (no brawking)

Isn’t that something?

[ASU33]

W/ the lineups et al, we are looking to do 60K+ this fall. AAMU vs AlaSU will do their annual 70K+ and naturally SU vs GSU will do their ~65K+. I guess those #s prove some fcs teams have fan interest in neutral site areas and some do not. PVAMU vs GSU is the largest fcs game played in tejas. That’s a cold hard fact.

Dont forget the Southern Heritage Classic this weekend in Memphis between Tennessee State and Jackson State will get 50k or close to it.

[Bisonator]

They are OK for a championship game but the atmosphere is way better at a teams home site more often.

[ST_Lawson]

IT’S UH SOLIDARITY THIN’....WHIFF txa&m, ut-austin, ou, ok st, usc, ucla, bama, oh st, michigan, fl st, et al ...... (no brawking)

Isn’t that something?

I think he was just saying with regards to FCS. FBS teams, especially the teams that are good or have been good historically, have enough fans and alumni to be able to pull 60k+ just about anywhere in the country.

Outside of some P5 teams and the HBCU's, almost nobody is getting that many people (they're not even getting them at home, there's no way they're getting those numbers at a neutral site). HBCU's have a somewhat unique situation for FCS teams where there's the football game itself, but there's also the whole "experience"...the bands...the tailgating...the "bragging rights". Other teams have some of that, but there's something about the HBCU "classics" that makes fans really show up. Honestly, I'm jealous. I wish we had half the interest that even an "average" HBCU team does.

So, as for neutral-site games...I'm fine with it if there's a historical reason/tradition or if it's a certain combination that might work.
PVA&M vs Grambling in Dallas, Grambling and Southern in New Orleans...those work.
Yale vs Harvard could work at Gillette Stadium, Lafayette vs Lehigh was at Yankee Stadium and sold out the place...I could also see something like NDSU vs SDSU at US Bank Stadium (Vikings) pulling a lot of people.

Western...we're not going to neutral-site with anyone and be successful.

[MR. CHICKEN]

IT’S UH SOLIDARITY THIN’....WHIFF txa&m, ut-austin, ou, ok st, usc, ucla, bama, oh st, michigan, fl st, et al ...... (no brawking)

Isn’t that something?


......NAW........'CAUSE.......MOST WHOM SHOW UP........HAVE NO ALLEGIANCE......TUH.....TWO TEAMS......PLAYIN'.....(IN OTHER WORDS....NOT FANS)......xsighx......AWK!!

[fmftballmgr]

I would rather see games played at a true neutral site (same distance between both schools or just go to campuses.

[Panther88]

Dont forget the Southern Heritage Classic this weekend in Memphis between Tennessee State and Jackson State will get 50k or close to it.

Forgot, they are projecting 50K+ this w/e as well. But, will weather be a factor? I haven't tracked that hurricane/tropical system lately but I thought it was headed in that direction this upcoming w/e???

[ST_Lawson]

Forgot, they are projecting 50K+ this w/e as well. But, will weather be a factor? I haven't tracked that hurricane/tropical system lately but I thought it was headed in that direction this upcoming w/e???

Scattered thunderstorms in the morning, high chance of thunderstorms during afternoon, tapering off early evening ending around 7ish probably.
That's the current forecast anyway.

I think a lot of the games in the upper south and lower midwest regions are going to be getting quite a bit of rain this weekend.

[Panther88]

......NAW........'CAUSE.......MOST WHOM SHOW UP........HAVE NO ALLEGIANCE......TUH.....TWO TEAMS......PLAYIN'.....(IN OTHER WORDS....NOT FANS)......xsighx......AWK!!

I'm not so sure, CHICKEN. Check this out, from 2008 when Prairie View A&M University and Morehouse College went head to head in Los Angeles, CA. It was a first ever meeting for both: "These (historically) black colleges are pillars in our community," said entertainer Nick Cannon, who addressed the crowd of 52,487.

I won't go into history too much but I'm sure you and others are aware of the Great Migration from Tejas to California, correct? There are a TON of folks connected to PVAMU who live in the greater Los Angeles area. Even in my maternal family alone, several upon several left and started big branches of family which have the same common root(s). Obviously in LA, PVAMU and Morehouse have fans.

[Panther88]

I think he was just saying with regards to FCS. FBS teams, especially the teams that are good or have been good historically, have enough fans and alumni to be able to pull 60k+ just about anywhere in the country.

Outside of some P5 teams and the HBCU's, almost nobody is getting that many people (they're not even getting them at home, there's no way they're getting those numbers at a neutral site). HBCU's have a somewhat unique situation for FCS teams where there's the football game itself, but there's also the whole "experience"...the bands...the tailgating...the "bragging rights". Other teams have some of that, but there's something about the HBCU "classics" that makes fans really show up. Honestly, I'm jealous. I wish we had half the interest that even an "average" HBCU team does.

So, as for neutral-site games...I'm fine with it if there's a historical reason/tradition or if it's a certain combination that might work.
PVA&M vs Grambling in Dallas, Grambling and Southern in New Orleans...those work.
Yale vs Harvard could work at Gillette Stadium, Lafayette vs Lehigh was at Yankee Stadium and sold out the place...I could also see something like NDSU vs SDSU at US Bank Stadium (Vikings) pulling a lot of people.

Western...we're not going to neutral-site with anyone and be successful.

Understood.

It's more than simply getting sh&t-faced pre-game lol. Some allude to the pageantry of the entire w/e. It's the Friday before, the day of (early w/ camaraderie), and the night of (more camaraderie). Even the day after w/ clean-up/pre-travel is filled w/ feelings of camaraderie. I attended a few OhSt/Michigan games @ the horseshoe and I never EVER felt the same around those 100K+ folks.

[Gil Dobie]

Love the Frisco neutral site game.

Also having NDSU play within 20 minutes of my house next year will be great.

[AmsterBison]

I'm ambivalent about neutral site games - kind of ironic that it wasn't one of the poll choices.

[MR. CHICKEN]

Love the Frisco neutral site game.

Also having NDSU play within 20 minutes of my house next year will be great.

.....DELAWARE STADIUM....(GUESS DUH BIZONSSS CAN FIND IT).........
......................IS LESS DAN 15 MINUTES....FROM MAH COOP.....xrotatehx...AWK!

[Reign of Terrier]

I don't have a strong opinion, but I can see why people dislike them.

I'd love to see Wofford play one against Furman or the Citadel, but the catch is that there's not really a good place in SC that isn't one of the home venues, given the forecast of the size of the crowd (10-25k I would guess)

[MarkCCU]

Love them. It's a new dynamic that throws both teams off their game. Also, allows you to see teams that you might not ordinarily see (like WV and Tenn last weekend)

[ST_Lawson]

I don't have a strong opinion, but I can see why people dislike them.

I'd love to see Wofford play one against Furman or the Citadel, but the catch is that there's not really a good place in SC that isn't one of the home venues, given the forecast of the size of the crowd (10-25k I would guess)

"Pardon me, USC, but do you mind if we borrow Williams-Brice for our game against Furman?"

Yeah...that probably wouldn't go over too well.

[bostonspider]

Besides the national title game, UR has not played in a neutral site game since the Oyster Bowl of 1992 against VMI. That was held annually at ODU's Foreman Field from 1948 until 1995.

[Hammerhead]

I voted "hate 'em" even though I'm planning to attend the Butler vs. NDSU game at Target field next year. The only ones I really like are those with the same teams every year like Colorado and Colorado State in Denver.

As someone else mentioned, neutral site games where one school is much closer like Auburn vs. Washington in Atlanta are dumb.

[Derby City Duke]

I like home and home -- unless it's Frisco. It's especially fun to turn Richmond's stadium into Bridgeforth East. Purple clad fans generally outnumber the sweat vest crew every year the Dukes visit their nice little stadium.

[CHIP72]

A good neutral site game will attract a large crowd and similar numbers of fans of both teams to the game. The Lehigh/Lafayette (or Lafayette/Lehigh) 150 game at Yankee Stadium in 2014 had a very good atmosphere because the crowd was roughly 50/50, and the announced attendance was 48,256.

[GAD]

LOVE EM
The team likes them because they get to play in an arena that they normally wouldn't get to play in. Coaches like it because it gives them a chance to scout new talent in a new area
It also helps on the academic side, we get a lot of kids who come here saying they had never even heard of the school but they went to the game and saw our team, band and fans and they leave saying I want to be a part of that, we'll have kids coming from that area for the next few years.