MEAC commissioner is aiming to revive the Heritage Bowl


J-State Tiger

J-State Tiger

Senate Candidate #7
MEAC commissioner is aiming to revive the Heritage Bowl
The Virginian-Pilot
? September 12, 2002

New MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said he would like to renew the Heritage Bowl postseason football game, which matched the champions of the MEAC and the Southwestern Athletic Conference until 1999.
The game lost much of its luster when the MEAC began receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, meaning the SWAC champion would play the MEAC runner-up.

The SWAC does not always receive an NCAA bid. Its two powerhouse programs ? Southern and Grambling ? are ineligible because they meet in the annual Bayou Classic at the New Orleans Superdome. The game, held during the NCAA playoffs, usually draws a capacity crowd and is televised nationally by NBC.

Thomas said the MEAC would be willing to forego its automatic NCAA bid if a postseason bowl game can be renewed.

?Both conferences will have to want the game,? he said. ?The major obstacle is not going to be the I-AA playoffs. That can be overcome if we can make it financially advantageous for the champions to play in a bowl.?

If the leagues were able to find corporate sponsorship to underwrite guarantees for both league champions, it would increase the chance the game would be played.
 
This is a great idea and I hope both sides get it worked out. We need to send our champion somewhere.

I always thought it was ridiculous for the SWAC and MEAC to let a NBC televised bowl game go down the tubes.
 



This would be the worstest, most terriblest move that we could possibly make.

If we want to bring back to HB, we need to figure out a way to play it, and still go to the playoffs. Maybe play the game in January or something.
 
Originally posted by A&T Brandmasta
This would be the worstest, most terriblest move that we could possibly make.

If we want to bring back to HB, we need to figure out a way to play it, and still go to the playoffs. Maybe play the game in January or something.
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Can't participate in the playoffs, and then go to a bowl. Onliest way the SWAC agrees is if the MEAC sends it's champ. I can't see FAMU liking this at all, since they been the one going the last few years.
 
Originally posted by A&T Brandmasta
This would be the worstest, most terriblest move that we could possibly make.

If we want to bring back to HB, we need to figure out a way to play it, and still go to the playoffs. Maybe play the game in January or something.
Click to expand...

What has the playoffs offered you and your team.........nothing.
Nothing financially, nothing in championships, nothing but heartaches.
 
Originally posted by Fiyah


What has the playoffs offered you and your team.........nothing.
Nothing financially, nothing in championships, nothing but heartaches.
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ANd what has the SCG brought your team? Does that mean you stop trying to get there and win it?

You gotta play the game to win, and you have to beat the best in order to be considered the best. Was Grambling the best 1-AA team last year? We will never know since they didnt face Montana, Furman, Ga Southern, etc. in playoffs to prove that they were the best.
 
Once teams in the SWAC (WEST) step up and knock GSU or SU out of the championship race, then we can get on with a playoff. This way, the BC is not in the way of the playoff.
 
Originally posted by J-State Tiger


?Both conferences will have to want the game,? he said. ?The major obstacle is not going to be the I-AA playoffs. That can be overcome if we can make it financially advantageous for the champions to play in a bowl.?
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Actually it's the fans who will have to want the game. Higher attemdane and tv ratings brings more money and sponsors. THe fans will have to support it.
 
I guess it's worth a last shot. Maybe they should try moving it around each year, like they do with some other Bowls.
 
GR is right we need someone with a brain to make this what it should have been a major BCF event.We can have the playoffs and the Heritage Bowl.I t doesn't make sense to me just play for a conference championship there needs to be a higher goal.The SWAC would really help BCF by participating in the playoffs and winning.I think JSU with a new coach would dominate and Alcst is on the rise.
 
Originally posted by Da_Sperm
Once teams in the SWAC (WEST) step up and knock GSU or SU out of the championship race, then we can get on with a playoff. This way, the BC is not in the way of the playoff.
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Frat,
Beating SU or GSU is not the issue. The SWAC has no bid because of the game itself, not the outcome of it. Both schools could be 1-9 going in. The 1-AA committee has already determined before the season ever starts. Also Bama State plays Tuskegee on Thanksgiving. So those 2 games make the conference ineligible for an automatic bid because of their dates.

Teams have been going in recent times from the SWAC(before we had the SCG) with an at-large berth do to their 1-AA ranking whether they won the SWAC or not(except for SU/GSU/Ala. State). Now we have the SCG, which is doing the playoffs and that is the second thing that keeps the SWAC from have an automatic bid plus we know the East and West champs will not be able to receive an at large berth because of their SCG obligation.

The only way a SWAC team can go is that are ranked high enough in the 1-AA poll, but for some reason fell short in reaching the SCG. Say JSU beats everybody but Bama State in the East. And ASU goes undefeated and heads to the SCG. Well a 10-1 JSU may get an invite as an at-large team. Surely with that kind of record they would be ranked high in the poll. The key for the SWAC to get an automatic bid for its winner is for the BC and Turkey Day Classic be moved up and we cancel the SCG. Or the 1-AA playoffs get moved to accomadate. We know that isn't likely.
 
The only way that I can see the SWAC champs in the I-AA playoffs is if the Bayou Classic and other big games get moved from Thanksgiving Weekend to Labor Day weekend. I'm not in favor of that for several reasons. Let's face it, I-AA isn't going to move their playoffs back a week or two, so it would take the conference(s) in question to move their schedules UP a week or two. I don't see that happening.
 
Who was the 1-AA champion last year? I'll bet only a handful of you "devoted sports fans" can tell me.

The playoffs is a bottomless pit. Why do you think 1-A hasn't gone to it. It's not because of the number of games that the student-athletes would have to play because they keep trying to increase the number of regular season games. It's because the bowl system is a money-maker. That's why the MEAC is doing an "about-face". They were dead set on going to the playoffs each year. But a funny thing happened on the way to the bank.....

If anyone doesn't understand that, because of money, there really is no debate on the issue of bowls vs. playoffs, then they need to stick to commenting on the individual players because you don't understand the business of sports.
 



Originally posted by BIGCAT3000

If anyone doesn't understand that, because of money, there really is no debate on the issue of bowls vs. playoffs, then they need to stick to commenting on the individual players because you don't understand the business of sports.
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Please help me to understand then.

How much money has the SWAC made off the SCG and how is that money divided between the schools?
 
Here we go again bending our @ss over to get the approval of white folks.
Move this move that hurry hurry!!! we gotta get that pat on the back.
The truth of the matter is the reason and only reason the heritage bowl failed is because the MEAC wanted to get approval from the pwcs to feel validated.
At the beganing of this contest everyear there was improvements on attendence when the SWAC champs and the MEAC champs both were there.
The moment that the MEAC chumpout is when it went down the tubes and the MEAC gave the usual excuses why they stop sending their champs recruiting and money personally I think it was because SU dominated the series.
Well if you think the new commish wanting to renew the contest it doesn't have anything to do with money your smoking CRACK!
Now back to this moving everything we do crap all you have to do is play the game at the beganing of the season and make it a classic that way attendence will be great because of it being the first game and not be stupid enough to play this late when the SWAC has the SGC and everybody is burnout inculding fans.
As for as the SGC and what it has done it truly help the schools that participate with recruiting and would have made money the first couple of years if it were not for sticky fingers rudy.
So in short negros don't start this tried @ss debate again because we all know why it failed and we all know why the MEAC want to come back.
DUMB@SSES should have listen at first....
:redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot:
 
Originally posted by bluedog
The truth of the matter is the reason and only reason the heritage bowl failed is because the MEAC wanted to get approval from the pwcs to feel validated.
At the beganing of this contest everyear there was improvements on attendence when the SWAC champs and the MEAC champs both were there.
The moment that the MEAC chumpout is when it went down the tubes and the MEAC gave the usual excuses why they stop sending their champs recruiting and money personally I think it was because SU dominated the series.
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Let's not forget....

The last year of the HB, the MEAC had 3 teams in the post season: A&T and FAMU in the playoffs, and 3rd place Hampton in the HB against your champion. The SWAC felt slighted because we sent our 3rd place team to beat up your champion SU, which is why the game failed.

2 or 3 teams in the post season is better than 1, especially when those teams are winning.
 
Originally posted by A&T Brandmasta
Let's not forget....

The last year of the HB, the MEAC had 3 teams in the post season: A&T and FAMU in the playoffs, and 3rd place Hampton in the HB against your champion. The SWAC felt slighted because we sent our 3rd place team to beat up your champion SU, which is why the game failed.
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That makes no sense at all! One game will not have that kind of impact. Attendance was starting to drop when the MEAC stop sending the Conference Champs! I would prefer you stop reaching for stars and be a little more realistic :redhot:
 
Originally posted by Miami Jag


Attendance was starting to drop when the MEAC stop sending the Conference Champs!
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This assumption is not based on facts. The last year the MEAC sent conference champs to the HB was 95 when FAMU played SU. Attendance was a lil over 25k. In 98 when SU played BCC (the second place MEAC squad), attendance was a lil over 32k, second highest in the history of the HB. I'll assume that the highest attended HB was SU vs SCState but I cant find the numbers for those just yet.
 
Here are the numbers if you want to think the decision to end the Heritage bowl was based on declining attendance. (the dotted line seperates when the MEAC stopped sending the conference Champion)...

91 - ASU vs NCA&T (Miami, FL) --   7,724
93 - Gram vs FAM (Tallahassee, FL) --   11,273
94 - SU vs SCState (Atl) --   over 35K
95 - SU vs FAM (ATL) --   25, 164
------------------------------------
96 - SU vs HoU (atl) --   18 ,126
97 - SU vs ScState (atl) --   32,029
98 - SU vs BCC (atl) --   32, 955
99 - SU vs Hampton (atl) --   29,000

I got these figures from a variety of places...
 
Originally posted by Venom Skywalker
Here are the numbers if you want to think the decision to end the Heritage bowl was based on declining attendance. (the dotted line seperates when the MEAC stopped sending the conference Champion)...

91 - ASU vs NCA&T (Miami, FL) --   7,724
93 - Gram vs FAM (Tallahassee, FL) --   11,273
94 - SU vs SCState (Atl) --   over 35K
95 - SU vs FAM (ATL) --   25, 164
------------------------------------
96 - SU vs HoU (atl) --   18 ,126
97 - SU vs ScState (atl) --   32,029
98 - SU vs BCC (atl) --   32, 955
99 - SU vs Hampton (atl) --   29,000

I got these figures from a variety of places...
Click to expand...

Some things that jump out:

The attendance dropped when SU went for the third consecutive time, but only after an increase due to the Jaguar Nation. It remained constant after The Nation claimed ATL as Its second home. The problem is that we can't count on SU to provide the people every year if this is to be profitable. Does anyone know how the HB affected the ATL economy?
 
I know for me, the last year we had to play a 3rd place Hampton team THAT WE HAD ALREADY BEATEN THAT YEAR (We beat them in the Circle City Classic) really put a dent in the game. I know we should have won the game and I am not making excuses for losing. But in the big picture, how much interest can a game have with a Conference Champ playing a 3rd place team they already beat. (and the game is set up that way) I said a long time ago, we should say f*(&^k the MEAC and make the oppenent in the Heratige bowl the highest rank team we could find that make sense. For example, last year invite Tuskegee, or the last PWC that got left out of the playoffs that is located in the south or east (don't invite no montana states, if they ain't gonna bring no fans.) I woulda been told the meac to keep thier 3 place team. If not, we should have been lobbying for the other spot in the New Orleans bowl.
 
BIGCAT,

You are sorely mistaken if you think that a playoff wouldn't make money in I-A. Those guys will continue to get the corporate sponsorship, regardless of the format. I-AA can't get that kinda money. It's only ticket sales and concessions. And then they gotta pay the NCAA. But the dollars would definitely flow for a I-A playoff. NBC paid a ton of money just to show Notre Dame. Don't think for a second that one or two of the networks won't drop nearly a cool bil to show those games.
 
Originally posted by Venom Skywalker
Here are the numbers if you want to think the decision to end the Heritage bowl was based on declining attendance. (the dotted line seperates when the MEAC stopped sending the conference Champion)...

91 - ASU vs NCA&T (Miami, FL) --   7,724
93 - Gram vs FAM (Tallahassee, FL) --   11,273
94 - SU vs SCState (Atl) --   over 35K
95 - SU vs FAM (ATL) --   25, 164
------------------------------------
96 - SU vs HoU (atl) --   18 ,126
97 - SU vs ScState (atl) --   32,029
98 - SU vs BCC (atl) --   32, 955
99 - SU vs Hampton (atl) --   29,000

I got these figures from a variety of places...
Click to expand...

There is something missing. The attendence may be right, but the years and teams are off. 92 was left out. The 93 teams are really 92. Here were the correct matchups.

91 Bama St vs NC A&T- Miami
92 Grambling vs FAMU - Tally Ho
93 SU vs SC State - ATL (this may have been the 35 k)
94 Grambling vs SC State - ATL
95 SU vs FAMU No 1 and No 2 in BCF that year. - ATL
96 SU vs Howard - ATL
97 SU vs SC State - ATL
98 SU vs BCC- ATL
99 SU vs Hampton - ATL

My take is it was a combination of things that ended the HB. Sponsorship at the beginning, MEAC stopped sending Champ in 95, The local ATL folk did not support this game, The dates for the game never was set in stone, always changing. No promotion of this game whatsoever. Jag Nation was getting wore the hell out by time HB arrived. Let's face it , only a few MEAC schools have fans and since SU went all the time, our fans may love to travel, but that is alot to ask of black folks considering the BC had just emptied alot of pockets. I never miss a BC, but I made only one HB. Too close to CHristmas was my reason. Unlike White America who will have Christmas on the road during bowl season. We won't. Even the lower tier PWC bowls suffer around that time. New Year's Eve was the best date for that game. Then you could make it a party. Maybe not in the ATL, but somewhere. Then it would not be way after the playoffs. Just my 2 cents.
 
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