[Liberty22]

I couldn’t find a proper place for this so feel free to move it if need be.

CUSA announced a tv rights deal with CBS Soorts and ESPN for weeknight football in October.



IMO say goodbye to our incredible student section and great crowds. I could be wrong but weeknights don’t draw crowds. The only good thing about CUSA imo is the playoff possibility. Otherwise this blows.

[cruzan_flame13]

I couldn’t find a proper place for this so feel free to move it if need be.

CUSA announced a tv rights deal with CBS Soorts and ESPN for weeknight football in October.



IMO say goodbye to our incredible student section and great crowds. I could be wrong but weeknights don’t draw crowds. The only good thing about CUSA imo is the playoff possibility. Otherwise this blows.

True, but it could get some okay crowds on Thursdays especially on Friday. Overall though, the only benefit for us is the playoffs as mentioned. How many recruits want to play during the weekday? Not much, I'll tell you that.

[Liberty22]

Exactly. How many Mac games are talked about on college Gameday each weekend? Virtually never because they’re played during the week. The excitement is because what that day holds.

[LUOrange]

Only because this is a Liberty/Christian sports message board, but who in the "H-E-double hockey sticks" agreed to this? Thursday and Friday nights, sure. But "H-E-double hockey sticks" NO to the Tuesday and Wednesday nights! Who wants to buy season tickets for that!?

[aredd33]

Only because this is a Liberty/Christian sports message board, but who in the "H-E-double hockey sticks" agreed to this? Thursday and Friday nights, sure. But "H-E-double hockey sticks" NO to the Tuesday and Wednesday nights! Who wants to buy season tickets for that!?

I agree. This is very stupid and very little league. There’s nothing respectable about Tuesday night games.

[willflop]

I posted in the other thread on this, but maybe between a bye week, out of conference game, and then a home and away, only one home game is affected?

[ALAFlamesFan]

We have got to get out of this league ASAP! Mid-week games are a terrible idea!

[ALAFlamesFan]

The MAC is not a league to emulate! Huge disappointment.

[stokesjokes]

A mid-week game in prime time on ESPN is a million times better than a 6pm game on ESPN+

How many MAC games have you watched that you wouldn’t touch (or find) on a Saturday?

[prototype]

A mid-week game in prime time on ESPN is a million times better than a 6pm game on ESPN+

How many MAC games have you watched that you wouldn’t touch (or find) on a Saturday?

I agree. It's all about getting the most views and I'm sure I'm not alone. Nothing on - Guess what - I find myself watching a MAC game. I don't mind going to night games during the week. I think the students will show up too. It will be one or two times a year.

[AATL]

We're probably only talking about 4 games - maybe 3 with a bye. 1-2 home games. And in October, so prior to CFP rankings.

In an ideal world, I don't care for it. But I think the impact on the larger goal of a CFP appearance is probably minimal. At the very least, I'll enjoy watching other meaningful conference games to fill the midweek

[Ill flame]

I don't like this deal at all. Not only are we being forced to play mid week games but we are doing it on cbssn which isn't a channel many casual fans watch. We are getting the worst of both worlds here. I believe the sunbelt and Mac is making around $500k per school while this deal is worth around $750k. I would've preferred to take a hit on the dollar amount for at least Friday night games.

I guess this creates a new debate. Is the 3-4 nationally televised games with 400k (on a good day) viewers worth the hit to attendance for a school trying to balance growing local support while building a national brand? I can't imagine much more than 15,000 people attending a tuesday night game but I can't imagine many people are watching our games on espn+ with our current TV deal.

[tyndal23]

Make weeknight games count for 2 convo credits for on campus students and 3 for off campus and a $100 bonus for each faculty member and family seat used with exit punch verification starting last 5 minutes of 4th qtr...

[tyndal23]

Make weeknight games count for 2 convo credits for on campus students and 3 for off campus and a $100 bonus for each faculty member and family seat used with exit punch verification starting last 5 minutes of 4th qtr...

Free Nachos 3rd qtr on, IFC loaded with daycare beds and sitters and security - we got this...

[ALAFlamesFan]

We gave up P5 games to play midweek games that no one will see?! The playoff committee already ignores us when we beat SEC programs. Now our resume will be all G5 played on Wednesdays?! MACaction is almost a pejorative! Two thumbs down on this one Ian. You've done a phenomenal job for us so far but this is a step back. This will kill our home field GameDay atmosphere not to mention season ticket sales.

I have 6 season tickets this year and was planning to renew but I am 8 hours away. No way I could make a midweek game and I seriously doubt I could sell them either.

[Have_a_Gansett_2011]

Ticket sales are going to absolutely plummet for those midweek games. There are a lot of people like me (in NoVa) that come down on Saturdays from places 2-4 hours away. Won't be possible midweek with work happening the next day for many of us. So disappointed in the deal, but it doesn't surprise me at all. Out of the CUSA as soon as possible! I almost don't care where we landed. it'd be great to negotiate a football only move with the big 12 as a partner for Gonzaga. I know BSU is already talked about in that specific scenario but something in that vein should absolutely be what we're exploring.

[SumItUp]

Mid-week games will work for students and most locals. If you live a few hours away or have to fly to games, it becomes more difficult during the work week.

Positive comparative outlook - CUSA night games in October have warmer weather than MAC night games in November.

[AATL]

The playoff committee already ignores us when we beat SEC programs.

Exactly - the current format isn't cracking the Top 25. I love watching the P5 games and hope they return post-2026 in the non-conference schedule. But for what it's worth, the committee put a 2020 Coastal team (one win better than us) at #12 with a nearly identical strength of schedule to 2022 Liberty and only one P5 win over pre-Leipold, 0-9 Kansas. Strictly within the CFP argument, I think there's merit to the "run your conference" formula.

[tyndal23]

The playoff committee already ignores us when we beat SEC programs.

Exactly - the current format isn't cracking the Top 25. I love watching the P5 games and hope they return post-2026 in the non-conference schedule. But for what it's worth, the committee put a 2020 Coastal team (one win better than us) at #12 with a nearly identical strength of schedule to 2022 Liberty and only one P5 win over pre-Leipold, 0-9 Kansas. Strictly within the CFP argument, I think there's merit to the "run your conference" formula.

2020 was a complete anomaly in which LU was late to the party by not scheduling one of the multiple open P5 games that were available week 1. We could have been right where Coastal was and getting “ all the attention” early. They built a brand off of it - we didn’t. Life isn’t fair. As of now - coastal is behind LU as the only other 8-1 team not ranked by CFP and they aren’t ranked AP or Coaches either ( thanks ODU ). As for those of you whining about CUSA - where were you 2 years ago ? As for those arguing the merits of CUSA and complaining about CFP - what makes you think CUSA schedule with no P5 games or wins and CFP SOS philosophy gets us? - either SOS matters or it doesn’t....quoting 2020 doesn’t count.

[AATL]

Sub it out for a 2021 Louisiana team with a SOS in the 80s, a loss, and near losses to Nicholls State and Arkansas State; they still finished as a CFP ranked team.

[jimflamesfan]

Yes. The run your conference formula is a better ticket to the CFP. Second, it's only Conference games that will be played midweek in October. And it will probably be split between home and away. What that means is for most CUSA teams...they will probably have one or at most two weeknight home games in a season. That's it. For an example....in an October with 4 Saturdays...one week you play a CUSA away game midweek...the next week you play a CUSA home game midweek....the week after that you have homecoming against an fcs school and then the week after that you have your bye. That:s one mid week game on your home schedule. The most games you could possibly have midweek is 2...and correct me If I'm wrong but don't we have 7 home games next year? So even if you are out of town and we have 2 midweek games...still 5 will be doable.

All is good. This is a good deal for where we are right now and where CUSA is.

[Tnobes]

Big 10 plays Thursday night games from time to time, I've watched Minnesota vs Michigan State, I believe Minnesota played Michigan on a Friday night, it's fantastic, you don't need to wait until Saturday to watch your team, it's on primetime, you are playing under the lights which is always better than an 11:00 am CST time kickoff. Attendance isn't affected negatively, usually it goes up because people are less busy week nights. It's only a few games that are like that, not the whole season

[Tnobes]

A mid-week game in prime time on ESPN is a million times better than a 6pm game on ESPN+

How many MAC games have you watched that you wouldn’t touch (or find) on a Saturday?

I agree. It's all about getting the most views and I'm sure I'm not alone. Nothing on - Guess what - I find myself watching a MAC game. I don't mind going to night games during the week. I think the students will show up too. It will be one or two times a year.

Student attendance will be the same or increased, no decline

[TH Spangler]

I don't see my group attending any mid-week games. We don't care for night games to begin with. October games were our favorite. I'll think twice before buying season tickets .

[TH Spangler]

Ticket sales are going to absolutely plummet for those midweek games. There are a lot of people like me (in NoVa) that come down on Saturdays from places 2-4 hours away. Won't be possible midweek with work happening the next day for many of us. So disappointed in the deal, but it doesn't surprise me at all. Out of the CUSA as soon as possible! I almost don't care where we landed. it'd be great to negotiate a football only move with the big 12 as a partner for Gonzaga. I know BSU is already talked about in that specific scenario but something in that vein should absolutely be what we're exploring.

This, ASAP.