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Old Cage
March 1st, 2008, 08:49 AM
The stadium lights were announced last night at the football banquet.

So, now the time, and maybe the date, of all the 2008 home games is officially set at "TBA".

A local paper suggests today that there may be a Thursday night game along with some Saturdays. Friday nights will be avoided. The opening game - versus Albany - looks for sure to be a night game if the installation goes well. It is the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend.

GGASU
March 1st, 2008, 08:53 AM
xthumbsupx xthumbsupx

I love night games. The crowd is usually much more energized.

Brad82
March 1st, 2008, 09:38 AM
Can you post a link?

Brad82
March 1st, 2008, 09:41 AM
found link on web-site.
Where is $$ coming from for the lights?
The "right" lighting system cost $1m.?

dgreco
March 1st, 2008, 09:53 AM
i hope the bryant game gets moved to a night game during the week and maybe I will come :D

Old Cage
March 1st, 2008, 09:58 AM
Brad - We have been talking $1.5M+ for a year or more as the total cost for site prep and generators and the lights and whatever else. I found more details here:

http://www.masslive.com/umass/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1204329304323060.xml&coll=1

furman94
March 1st, 2008, 10:05 AM
NO lights at UMass?

Dane96
March 1st, 2008, 10:08 AM
The stadium lights were announced last night at the football banquet.

So, now the time, and maybe the date, of all the 2008 home games is officially set at "TBA".

A local paper suggests today that there may be a Thursday night game along with some Saturdays. Friday nights will be avoided. The opening game - versus Albany - looks for sure to be a night game if the installation goes well. It is the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend.

Looks like I need a hotel room...because we are going to tailgate like crazy for that one!

SWEET!

Old Cage
March 1st, 2008, 10:30 AM
Do it now. I just did earlier today. Things are tight because that is the weekend that parents are bringing kids back to campus.

Brad82
March 1st, 2008, 10:32 AM
Good for UMASS!!

Dane96
March 1st, 2008, 11:08 AM
Do it now. I just did earlier today. Things are tight because that is the weekend that parents are bringing kids back to campus.

That sucks...my buddies are all last minute.

Eh...will have to get someone to be the DD-- it is only an hour and fifteen from Beantown.

Dane96
March 1st, 2008, 11:09 AM
Do it now. I just did earlier today. Things are tight because that is the weekend that parents are bringing kids back to campus.

Actually-- just in case (I can cancel) do you have a recommendation?

yorkcountyUNHfan
March 1st, 2008, 11:19 AM
what did UMass average for home attendance last year?

It will be interesting to see what the change is.

Old Cage
March 1st, 2008, 11:30 AM
Dane - If you want to stay close-in, this group dominates the motel scene with several properties (see left column):

www.hampshirehospitality.com

york - We have experimented with rented lights in recent seasons. We tried different start times. Attendance has been quite strong.

yorkcountyUNHfan
March 1st, 2008, 12:15 PM
Dane - If you want to stay close-in, this group dominates the motel scene with several properties (see left column):

www.hampshirehospitality.com

york - We have experimented with rented lights in recent seasons. We tried different start times. Attendance has been quite strong.

I figured it would go up.xthumbsupx

It would be nice to have the actual numbers of increase in attendance to bring to the people in Durham so they may looking to lights along with the other stadium upgrades.....oh ya, never mind.xbawlingx

Col Hogan
March 1st, 2008, 02:50 PM
Usually, I would let UMass74 post stuff from his own blog...but since this is good news...here's more...from one of the best sources of UMass football news on the web...

http://umass74.blogspot.com/

Seawolf97
March 1st, 2008, 08:58 PM
Night games ar fun -Congrats to UMass !

Hoyadestroya85
March 1st, 2008, 11:05 PM
Night games are awesome

RadMann
March 2nd, 2008, 01:00 AM
Congrats!

Umass74
March 2nd, 2008, 08:14 AM
UMass averaged 11,700 per game in 2007. That's third in the CAA behind Delaware and JMU. Our total attendance with 102,000, which was again third in the CAA. Of the cold weather schools, we trail only Montana and Montana state in total attendance. We also trail Delaware, WIU and SIU and it's up to you to decide if those are cold weather schools equal to November in New England. :p

The last few night games with rented lights drew very well. We had 16,400 for Colgate, 15,214 for Rhode Island and 10,177 for Albany. With McGuirk's current configuration only seating 17,000 that's pretty good.

Lights will add 2000-3000 to our average attendance and probably 15,000 to 20,000 to total depending on how many night games there are.

Maybe with lights we'll get more home playoff games instead of being farmed out all the time.

UNH_Alum_In_CT
March 2nd, 2008, 10:52 AM
Maybe with lights we'll get more home playoff games instead of being farmed out all the time.

Call me crazy, but I don't think night games in the Pioneer Valley after Thanksgiving will be a huge selling point!! I've frozen my tukkus off in McGuirk during day games before Thanksgiving!! :p :p xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

xpeacex xpeacex xpeacex xpeacex

Old Cage
March 2nd, 2008, 01:10 PM
Agreed, but a good laugh as Amherst is Palm Beach compared to the wind and the cold in Durham late in the year.

Monarch History
March 2nd, 2008, 05:18 PM
Congratulations to UMass!

When Old Dominion plays its first games in September 2009, it's my understanding that games in September and early October will be at night. VA heat in late Aug/Sept can be very oppressive.

Umass74
March 2nd, 2008, 05:47 PM
Thanks to all who expressed congratulations. After forty years of nothing, new turf and lights make UMass fans giddy. xrotatehx

There are rumors that we may get the press box renovated and even more improvements in the future. Be still my heart!

Col Hogan
March 2nd, 2008, 06:36 PM
Thanks to all who expressed congratulations. After forty years of nothing, new turf and lights make UMass fans giddy. xrotatehx

There are rumors that we may get the press box renovated and even more improvements in the future. Be still my heart!

I may have to start sending more $$$ than the usual scholarship donation IF they are going to keep this positive trend going...

Also, once again, thanks to UMass74 for the blog...xbowx

Umass74
March 2nd, 2008, 06:44 PM
I may have to start sending more $$$ than the usual scholarship donation IF they are going to keep this positive trend going...

Also, once again, thanks to UMass74 for the blog...

Thanks, it's been a hoot. BTW, I introduced myself to Coach Brown at the Banquet and he said "Nice work". :o xbeerchugx

BDKJMU
March 2nd, 2008, 07:39 PM
UMass averaged 11,700 per game in 2007. That's third in the CAA behind Delaware and JMU. Our total attendance with 102,000, which was again third in the CAA. Of the cold weather schools, we trail only Montana and Montana state in total attendance. We also trail Delaware, WIU and SIU and it's up to you to decide if those are cold weather schools equal to November in New England. :p

The last few night games with rented lights drew very well. We had 16,400 for Colgate, 15,214 for Rhode Island and 10,177 for Albany. With McGuirk's current configuration only seating 17,000 that's pretty good.

Lights will add 2000-3000 to our average attendance and probably 15,000 to 20,000 to total depending on how many night games there are.

Maybe with lights we'll get more home playoff games instead of being farmed out all the time.

Didn't even know you guys didn't have lights- thought W&M was the last CAA to not have lights and get them in 05'- I use to rag on them for having a worse than high school stadium, since I bet 95%+ of your public high school stadiums in the country have lights. I can't imagine they're THAT expensive. I bet most high schools don't pay anywhere near 1.5 mil for lights.

Speaking of night games, it would be nice to see the 2nd JMU home game on Sept 13th vs UMass be a night game- mid Sept in the afternoon could still be pretty hot in the Shenandoah Valley.

saint0917
March 3rd, 2008, 06:40 AM
NO lights at UMass?

Nope. But we will now. xthumbsupx

Brad82
March 3rd, 2008, 06:51 AM
JMU-Rhody has never had lights. Most of HS in state have them. I would be surprised if Rhody was only school that did not have them in CAA? Can't recall NE,ME or UNH playing night games? I know it sounds high,but I have heard from two different AD's-$1M to be done right.

bluehenbillk
March 3rd, 2008, 07:03 AM
None of those 3, Maine, UNH & N'Eastern have lights.

Umass74
March 3rd, 2008, 07:26 AM
Maine has lights. This image is from the 2007 UMass-Maine game.

UNH_Alum_In_CT
March 3rd, 2008, 09:55 AM
I will confirm that UNH doesn't have lights.

UNH_Alum_In_CT
March 3rd, 2008, 10:06 AM
Agreed, but a good laugh as Amherst is Palm Beach compared to the wind and the cold in Durham late in the year.

I don't know about that Old Cage, I recall two regular season finale UNH-UMass games in Amherst that were colder than ANY regular season game I've attended in Durham. We're farther north, but you're farther inland. Let's just agree that neither is in fact Palm Beach!! xlolx xlolx

Surprisingly though, the coldest football game I've ever attended was Nov. 21, 1987 when UNH closed the season in Storrs playing the Sled Dogs. I was among the 1.5K in attendance that day with wind chills around -30 IIRC.

DrG
March 3rd, 2008, 12:46 PM
Call me crazy, but I don't think night games in the Pioneer Valley after Thanksgiving will be a huge selling point!! I've frozen my tukkus off in McGuirk during day games before Thanksgiving!! :p :p xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

xpeacex xpeacex xpeacex xpeacex

Weren't you at the playoff game in '06, when the second half was played after dark under temporary lights? It was cold, but the place was banged out. Give people a reason to come - like a playoff game against a neighboring rival - and they'll show up in big numbers day or night.

Old Cage
March 3rd, 2008, 04:01 PM
To our Southern well-lit brethern: :p

Understand, guys, that at New England schools over the past twenty years the discussion has been more about whether or not there should be football, rather than whether or not there should be lights.

The only schools I can think of that permanently put out the lights are Boston University and Vermont, but there is always talk of downgrading or quitting somewhere (see recent Northeastern discussion).

I know you guys don't get this, but it is not a shock if a given Saturday night hockey game on campus in the late fall outdraws the football game. The students right now are really into hockey, more than hoops or football, and hockey was ranked #5 in the country early this year. (We won't mention the amazing downwards spiral of that team since.)

Those of us here are the diehards, and we represent just a fraction of what you consider the diehards at your school. Here's hoping the turf and lights can move the meter a bit.

UNH_Alum_In_CT
March 3rd, 2008, 04:02 PM
Weren't you at the playoff game in '06, when the second half was played after dark under temporary lights? It was cold, but the place was banged out. Give people a reason to come - like a playoff game against a neighboring rival - and they'll show up in big numbers day or night.

Exactly, they didn't come because it was a night game under the lights, they came because it was a playoff game against a neighboring rival (who brought a few thousand fans). It would have banged out with a Noon start, lights weren't the reason for the sellout. The discussion was about night games increasing attendance which is true for regular season games.

And yes, I was there.

DrG
March 3rd, 2008, 04:11 PM
I think the point UMass74 was trying to make is this allows more flexibility for playoff television scheduling if need be. UMass would still need to deliver the goods in the regular season to get to that point.

UNH_Alum_In_CT
March 3rd, 2008, 04:31 PM
To our Southern well-lit brethern: :p

Understand, guys, that at New England schools over the past twenty years the discussion has been more about whether or not there should be football, rather than whether or not there should be lights.

The only schools I can think of that permanently put out the lights are Boston University and Vermont, but there is always talk of downgrading or quitting somewhere (see recent Northeastern discussion).

I know you guys don't get this, but it is not a shock if a given Saturday night hockey game on campus in the late fall outdraws the football game. The students right now are really into hockey, more than hoops or football, and hockey was ranked #5 in the country early this year. (We won't mention the amazing downwards spiral of that team since.)

Those of us here are the diehards, and we represent just a fraction of what you consider the diehards at your school. Here's hoping the turf and lights can move the meter a bit.

Come on Old Cage, give your school some credit! Your football attendance will crush your hockey attendance on a poorly attended afternoon game and a well attended evening hockey game. Even UNH football attendance has increased to the point that unless there is a monsoon our football attendance will be greater than the usual sellout for hockey.

The other point about lights is that other than September and sometimes the first week or two of October, night games aren't always too comfortable in Amherst and Durham. Often both of us are already having nights with temps dropping into the 40's and even 30's. Why endure that when a pleasant day in the 60's or 70's is an option?

Plus, our schools aren't stupid enough to schedule head to head with an ice hockey game. Forget about the logistical nightmares with the conflicting events, it's pure financial suicide. No doubt a number of the football fans would opt for the hockey game despite it being so early in that season.

For folks outside hockey country, playing D-I hockey at the highest level against "big time" schools like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Boston College, etc. is a difficult dynamic and a challenge for our (UNH) hoop and football programs. That's why in terms of building fan support, UNH winning at Rutgers, Northwestern and Marshall might be more influential than winning in Chatty. Those wins really opened some eyes in Wildcat Nation while unfortunately winning in Chatty would have been viewed as "just winning a lower level championship". Unfortunately, too many of our hockey fans have that same "Divvy" mentality. And they conveniently overlook the fact that if the ACC, SEC, Pac 10, Big 12, Big East and all the Big Ten decided to play D-I Ice Hockey then UNH probably wouldn't be a perennial power. xtwocentsx

furman94
March 3rd, 2008, 04:40 PM
FU's had the lights on from the early days of College Football!




From the State Archives... "Furman Football at Manly Field 1929"

saint0917
March 3rd, 2008, 05:33 PM
The only schools I can think of that permanently put out the lights are Boston University and Vermont, but there is always talk of downgrading or quitting somewhere (see recent Northeastern discussion).

BU has a football team xconfusedx When did that happen. xeyebrowx

BDKJMU
March 3rd, 2008, 05:41 PM
None of those 3, Maine, UNH & N'Eastern have lights.

I was at JMU @ UNH in 06' when JMU thumped then #1 UNH :) Whats the deal with those New England schools? Even HS stadiums have lights.xconfusedx Its rather trivial to install them. I bet they could be done for a few hundred thousand- at least thats what the typical HS probably pays for them.

Old Cage
March 3rd, 2008, 07:43 PM
UNH - I did not suggest that we would put games head to head. We have had several "doubleheaders" in recent years - football/hockey, football/hoops, hoops/lax, etc. where there is a couple of hours for beer and burgers between games. That has worked well.

You stated: "Your football attendance will crush your hockey attendance on a poorly attended afternoon game and a well attended evening hockey game".

Not really, the highest number I remember for hockey in recent years - without doing any checking - is about 8,400. Last fall, in our second home game after going to Chatty, we had a very disappointing 8,200.

yorkcountyUNHfan
March 3rd, 2008, 07:47 PM
I was at JMU @ UNH in 06' when JMU thumped then #1 UNH :) Whats the deal with those New England schools? Even HS stadiums have lights.xconfusedx Its rather trivial to install them. I bet they could be done for a few hundred thousand- at least thats what the typical HS probably pays for them.

no lights is the least of our problems....

minuteman65
March 3rd, 2008, 10:21 PM
Damn, I can't wait. xnodx That UNH playoff game under the lights was something else. Student turnout will definitely be a lot better.

Husky Alum
March 4th, 2008, 07:54 AM
NU has lighting - I wouldn't call the lighting sufficient to play night football, but we have them. We turn them on for afternoon games if it's dark out, but I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes, since the lights are around the perimeter of Parsons (which is also our baseball field).

Since our field is in a residential neighborhood, it's unlikely we'll ever play a true night game at Parsons.

UNH_Alum_In_CT
March 4th, 2008, 09:48 AM
UNH - I did not suggest that we would put games head to head. We have had several "doubleheaders" in recent years - football/hockey, football/hoops, hoops/lax, etc. where there is a couple of hours for beer and burgers between games. That has worked well.

You stated: "Your football attendance will crush your hockey attendance on a poorly attended afternoon game and a well attended evening hockey game".

Not really, the highest number I remember for hockey in recent years - without doing any checking - is about 8,400. Last fall, in our second home game after going to Chatty, we had a very disappointing 8,200.

Wow, I hadn't seen any of your football games dip below 10K in attendance in a while! And the largest hockey crowd I'd read about recently was 6.6 or 6.8K. But I'm not sure how often your hockey crowds top the 6K mark (that's not meant to be a slam)? And how often does football dip below 10K in attendance?

What's the average attendance for both teams? I'm guessing football will draw at least 4K more per game than hockey, maybe even closer to 6K more per game. That's what I was getting at.

BTW, I love those types of doubleheaders as well and hope UNH plans more of them.

UNH_Alum_In_CT
March 4th, 2008, 10:08 AM
I was at JMU @ UNH in 06' when JMU thumped then #1 UNH :) Whats the deal with those New England schools? Even HS stadiums have lights.xconfusedx Its rather trivial to install them. I bet they could be done for a few hundred thousand- at least thats what the typical HS probably pays for them.


no lights is the least of our problems....

Agreed! More seats, better locker rooms, more bathrooms, better concessions, etc. are more important to me. And how about moving the fricken track somewhere else! And at this point I don't think they want to add lights until the stadium is enhanced because they might just have to install them again. They are part of the enhancement project that I've seen the plans for.

Frankly, there has never been a high demand for them in the past. We don't usually need to play games in September at night to avoid heat. And by October, the temperatures tend to plummet once the sun sets. Like I said in a prior post, why play at night in the 30's and 40's when you can play in the pleasant 60's or low 70's during the day? And during November it's cold enough during the day games!!!!

From what I've heard, much of the incentive for lights is to be able to hold multiple events during one weekend. They are trying to sell the enhancement as providing a venue for the HS Tournaments in Football, Field Hockey, Lacrosse and Soccer. And playing some UNH football games on Saturday night to avoid conflicts with HS athletic events to attract more fans.

FWIW, I don't think New England HS have lighted football fields at anywhere near the percentage of other parts of the country. My HS doesn't. They do play a lot of Friday night games, but at the city stadium rather than their HS field.