More good news

[Bullpride08]

ND never has to worry about sellouts on the road because everyone comes to see them play.  They once played Navy in the Citrus Bowl- a sellout.

Our actual attendance is irrelevant to ND just the potential stature of the game- if they believe there is meaning and the potential for a national tv audience then they will not be afraid to play the game.  FWIW.

Joe's suggestion of two straight games at RayJay of ND v. UF is unheard of, and unprecendented.  I could see no compelling reason either would forgo the millions in home ticket revenue and tv for a nuetral venue.  FSU once did it with ND only after Orlando offered something obsene like $2M for FSU to take the game to the Citrus Bowl from Doak.  Even then the fans hated it.  

That Navy game at the Citrus Bowl was a home game for the Middies.  Their relationship isn't like many in college football.  For example, ND and Navy once played in Dublin, Ireland in the mid 90s at Croke Park to a huge crowd.  Also, wasn't the FSU game during Doak's renovation??  I thought that had a lot to do with why the Citrus Bowl was chosen.

No it was not for FSU.  The payday came from Citrus Bowl after the 1993 Game of the Century...everyone expected 1994 to be equally entertaining.  Orlando, and the Citrus Bowl folks threw money at the game in hopes of getting a GOTC II.  Never materialized, and ND limped into that game something like 4-3...that was the year they made the Fiesta and didn't deserve it getting pummeled by Colorado Buff's and Rashad Saleem.

As for the Navy game, I realize it was Navy's Home game, because that's what Navy does with their home games with ND basically make serious coin by pimping it out- I am a reformed Dome fan.  Check it out, Navy has played ND in six different locations since 1990 for their home game- East Rutherford, Philly, Baltimore, DC, Orlando, Dublin, Ireland, whereas ND always plays their Navy home games in South Bend.  Notre Dame wouldn't pimp out their home games because they do not need to, nor can they afford too.  NBC gets the rights to their home games, their tixs go for a pretty penny and they've sold out their stadium every game since 1971, and the one time they didn't that year was due to a blizzard.

My point is I could never ever see a two year series for ND, and UF on a nuetral turf...each would be forgoing a home game and therefore forfeiting serious coin to play the game on a nuetral turf.  Maybe one year if the tv pay day was right like FSU and ND in Orlando, but not two straight years.  The tv offer would need to be massive....also RayJay is very limited during the middle of the season with times to play, with the Bucs and USF...no way I could imagine the tv folks would pay, and no way UF and ND would agree to play a nuetral game unless they were certain the stadium could be done up in full team regalia.  That would be a hard task scheduling Ray Jay that far out partially since the Bucs have it in their contract the field cannot be altered on weeks of home games.  That's the reason I said it was unprecendented and would be unbelievable to me.

[JoeB]

I'm not disagreeing with you.  ND would never do that.  ND wants 7 home games, 4 road games, and 1 floating 'neutral' game each season.  The neutral game will be switched from year to year in a four year cycle.  The areas they would like to hit in the four year cycle are New Jersey (East Rutherford), Florida (Tampa/Orlando), Texas (Dallas/Houston), and most likely Ohio (Cleveland/Cincinnati).  These are the four regions ND is trying to get a stronger recruiting base.  It really is a great strategy if they can pull it off.    

[Joe]

Bien,

That Orlando Notre Dame/FSU game was set in 1989 as part of the Texaco Star Classic, well before the game of the century in 1993 and before Doak's renovations were a reality.

Notre Dame did not want to play FSU at Doak because they were Notre Dame and were the biggest draw on TV in the days that the television was limited. To counter FSU said they'd be willing to play the return game elsewhere.

After which, FSU was payed big money and agreed to 4 games before 1995 in Orlando as part of the Texaco Star Classic, an annual football game that Florida Citrus Sports started with the intention of having an "in season bowl" with two big teams matching up. FSU on the other hand like the central location of Orlando and the 20,000 extra seats the stadium could offer over their current capacity at Doak Campbell.

Then FSU agreed to the series with Notre Dame, putting the return game in Orlando to fulfill their contract.

FSU began this contract in 1990 with their game against Memphis State in the inuagural Texaco Star Classic. In 1991 they played Virginia Tech in Orlando (but not as the Texaco Star Classic, instead that year it was filled with Mississippi St/ Florida, a Miss St. home game), however, FCS allowed this game to count towards their contract.

In 1994 they returned to Orlando to play ND. Finally in 1995, the last Texaco Star Classic was played as FSU layed it to Duke. After which FSU found the agreement with the Citrus Bowl to be worthless because Doak had a capacity of about 80,000 and were selling out every game. There was no point in centralizing their games and the venue size of the Citrus Bowl was no longer a plus.

As for Navy, it's the only way ND will stay on their schedule. They have threatend (especially in Navy's severe years of futility) to drop them from the schedule. To prevent this, Navy agreed for the game to be played at a neutral site.

As for the 2 games, where are you getting that from? I said 2011 OR 2012. If the game goes through (and I'm not sure if it will be Florida, it's just a rumor) it would be a one time thing not a 2 game series. Regardless of who the opponent is, I fully believe RJS will be hosting ND at least once in the regular season in the next 10 years, as they will be playing 1 nuetral game per year starting in 2010.

[nukebull]

The possibility exists for 2 games at Rayjay 1 against Bulls and 1 against Gators. The uproar from the Bulls of a ND - Gators game at Rayjay with nothing for the Bulls would be huge. So I think Joe is correct if 2 games in Tampa as I posted 1 would be against Gators.

[E.T.]

Keep us updated Nuke and hope your source is "spot on".

Go BULLS !!!

[BullyPulpit]

I hope that in order for RJS to host a college football game our lease with them requires USF's approval. There is no reason for other teams to get to use OUR house during the regular season.

[Joe]

I hope that in order for RJS to host a college football game our lease with them requires USF's approval. There is no reason for other teams to get to use OUR house during the regular season.

Not saying it will happen, but if ND wants to play in Tampa and it doesn't include USF, it will probably happen. Especially if it includes Florida.

USF will get compensated one way or the other. However, TSA isn't going to let a guarenteed sellout go to Orlando because USF didn't want them playing there. I can guarentee that...

[USF_Grouper]

I hope that in order for RJS to host a college football game our lease with them requires USF's approval. There is no reason for other teams to get to use OUR house during the regular season.

Not saying it will happen, but if ND wants to play in Tampa and it doesn't include USF, it will probably happen. Especially if it includes Florida.

USF will get compensated one way or the other. However, TSA isn't going to let a guarenteed sellout go to Orlando because USF didn't want them playing there. I can guarentee that...

Unless of course USF where to at least sound more serious about an on-campus stadium.  A threat of loosing USF Football 5 to 10 years earlier than expected may persuade them.

[HarveyGlass]

I hope nobody schedules Notre Dame ever again.

Of course, like the SEC, everyone would assume that ND is better than everyone since they don't play anyone.

[Joe]

Unless of course USF where to at least sound more serious about an on-campus stadium.  A threat of loosing USF Football 5 to 10 years earlier than expected may persuade them.

Maybe. But USF would have to seriously back that threat before they would believe it.

I still don't think USF could or would prevent ND from playing a nuetral game here. Especially if they were compensated enough.