MACHIAVELLI
Chairman/C.E.O.
Posted on Tue, Sep. 21, 2004
SJSU weighs future of game
ATTENDANCE DOWN FOR READ-2-LEAD CLASSIC
By Mark Gomez and Jon Wilner
Mercury News
The first Read-2-Lead Classic football game, which pitted San Jose State against Grambling State in August 2003, drew a sellout crowd to Spartan Stadium. On Saturday, the second installment, against Morgan State, attracted only 11,360 fans -- nearly two-thirds fewer -- and was a money-losing event.
San Jose State officials blamed the sparse crowd on the opponent's poor name recognition and on a late start in marketing the game. In the next month, SJSU will decide if the Read-2-Lead game will return next season.
``We're in serious discussions about repeating it, but we have to start early,'' SJSU's interim president, Don Kassing, said Monday. ``The last two years, we started in February, and that's not in the same cycle as corporate budgets.''
Spartans Coach Fitz Hill, the driving force behind the event, said he is moving forward with preparations for next year's game and hopes to lock in an opponent within the next 30 days. He would not elaborate on specifics but said that several historical black colleges are interested in participating.
``We have to find the right fit,'' Hill said.
The Grambling game, dubbed the Literacy Classic, drew 31,681 fans, the largest crowd in Spartan Stadium history. But SJSU had no financial stake in the event; it used an outside firm to cover all costs and reap the financial rewards.
This year, SJSU assumed financial responsibility, changed the name to the Read-2-Lead Classic and hoped for a crowd approaching 20,000.
``I was disappointed in the attendance,'' Kassing said. ``I'm not sure what that's about. Grambling has a strong name. With Morgan State, I think some people weren't sure where it was.
``I don't think it necessarily has to be Grambling. But some of the historical black colleges have more name recognition than others.''
Because of marketing expenses and a $400,000 guarantee paid to Morgan State for its football team and band, SJSU needed about 28,000 fans to attend to break even. The extent of the losses will not be known until the books close. Kassing said the debt will be paid out of university coffers, not by the cash-strapped athletic department.
Despite a potential six-figure loss, Kassing said he is optimistic about the event's future. Bill Cosby, who participated in an on-campus discussion last week about black youth and academic success, has agreed to return next year as an honorary coach.
``We're looking at this as a multi-year event,'' Kassing said. ``We went into the whole idea because we thought there was a very good connection between literacy and our academic missions, and we wanted to use sports as a platform.''
Hill said he believes the endorsement from Cosby will help generate interest and corporate sponsorship.
``When you have a celebrity such as Dr. Cosby committed for '05 and now know your opponent, you have a chance to make this something very, very special,'' Hill said. ``Now we're trying to let people get their calendars ready for Labor Day weekend, and I'm thinking the third strike is going to be on the money.''
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/merc.../9719495.htm?1c
SJSU weighs future of game
ATTENDANCE DOWN FOR READ-2-LEAD CLASSIC
By Mark Gomez and Jon Wilner
Mercury News
The first Read-2-Lead Classic football game, which pitted San Jose State against Grambling State in August 2003, drew a sellout crowd to Spartan Stadium. On Saturday, the second installment, against Morgan State, attracted only 11,360 fans -- nearly two-thirds fewer -- and was a money-losing event.
San Jose State officials blamed the sparse crowd on the opponent's poor name recognition and on a late start in marketing the game. In the next month, SJSU will decide if the Read-2-Lead game will return next season.
``We're in serious discussions about repeating it, but we have to start early,'' SJSU's interim president, Don Kassing, said Monday. ``The last two years, we started in February, and that's not in the same cycle as corporate budgets.''
Spartans Coach Fitz Hill, the driving force behind the event, said he is moving forward with preparations for next year's game and hopes to lock in an opponent within the next 30 days. He would not elaborate on specifics but said that several historical black colleges are interested in participating.
``We have to find the right fit,'' Hill said.
The Grambling game, dubbed the Literacy Classic, drew 31,681 fans, the largest crowd in Spartan Stadium history. But SJSU had no financial stake in the event; it used an outside firm to cover all costs and reap the financial rewards.
This year, SJSU assumed financial responsibility, changed the name to the Read-2-Lead Classic and hoped for a crowd approaching 20,000.
``I was disappointed in the attendance,'' Kassing said. ``I'm not sure what that's about. Grambling has a strong name. With Morgan State, I think some people weren't sure where it was.
``I don't think it necessarily has to be Grambling. But some of the historical black colleges have more name recognition than others.''
Because of marketing expenses and a $400,000 guarantee paid to Morgan State for its football team and band, SJSU needed about 28,000 fans to attend to break even. The extent of the losses will not be known until the books close. Kassing said the debt will be paid out of university coffers, not by the cash-strapped athletic department.
Despite a potential six-figure loss, Kassing said he is optimistic about the event's future. Bill Cosby, who participated in an on-campus discussion last week about black youth and academic success, has agreed to return next year as an honorary coach.
``We're looking at this as a multi-year event,'' Kassing said. ``We went into the whole idea because we thought there was a very good connection between literacy and our academic missions, and we wanted to use sports as a platform.''
Hill said he believes the endorsement from Cosby will help generate interest and corporate sponsorship.
``When you have a celebrity such as Dr. Cosby committed for '05 and now know your opponent, you have a chance to make this something very, very special,'' Hill said. ``Now we're trying to let people get their calendars ready for Labor Day weekend, and I'm thinking the third strike is going to be on the money.''
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/merc.../9719495.htm?1c
