Big Ten Schedules Michigan vs. Rutgers at MSG, counts as a UM home game
[Ed-Seth]: The OP missed some crucial information and jumped into a frenzy.
The Big Ten scheduled its annual MSG game as a Michigan-Rutgers hoops/wrestling event. Because Michigan was to play Rutgers at home this year, this takes away a Michigan home game and places it in the nearest metropolitan area to their opponent, a controversial move if we didn't know Michigan fans were likely to make MSG a home game anyway because lolRutgers.
As far as we know, Michigan didn't have a choice in the matter.
[/end Seth]
Original Post:
Warde scheduled a home game at MSG vs Rutger
Why is he still employed
Per the report, this would be Michigan’s home game at MSG. So Wolverines would only play 9 Big Ten games at home. https://t.co/x5eFdqgumJ
— Dylan Burkhardt (@umhoops) July 18, 2019
Sure. Out of the two schools, it's obvious which one would have more difficulty filling their regular home arena. Makes perfect sense. ?
Here's hoping that the initial report is wrong.
I wouldn't say U of M basketball has a history of knocking the shit out of attendance.
To be fair, the team does pretty well in MSG and UM fans are already there in force.
But more actual home games are better - hate neutral site games, especially in football and hockey.
It's simple. Trade a low attendance home game against a nobody opponent to allow the students to play in a marquee arena in front of excited NYC fans.
And a byproduct is more reach for the Michigan brand that will have a halo effect both inside the athletic department as well as outside of athletics.
Hire Warde.
Fire OP.
You can tell who's thoughtful and who's just a "hawt take" machine. You clearly get it. Not everything Warde does is wrong.
This is... fucking idiotic.
Fire Bakich!
This is . . . fucking awesome.
I admit, however, that my perspective is skewed by the fact that I live in NY. It's nice to be able to see our bball team play without having to drop $1,500 on airfare for me, wife and 2 kids to fly to AA (which we already do once a year to attend a football game).
Setting aside my own situation, here are the arguments for this:
1. A home game against RU on a random Tuesday would be half empty and is not exactly a big draw. Instead, we get to play at arguably one of the best bball arenas in the world, where we will 100% sell out.
2. Recruiting. The east coast puts out a decent amount of bball talent. What's a better way to showcase the Michigan brand: having those recruits come out to AA to watch a lackluster crowd in a half-filled arena, or having those recruits watch an amped up crowd that, despite being in Rutgers' back yard is 75% or more pro-M?
3. The current players will absolutely love playing at MSG. While the knicks suck, MSG is still referred to as the Mecca of basketball.
HA It's actually me who is the idiot here. I honestly thought this was for football.
"When did MSG install a retractable roof?"
I am Jack's shame.
Well, we can at least fill that place up like we did for the Big Ten Tournament?
But the idea as a whole sounds terrible.
To sell out MSG, that would take almost 8K more than Crisler's average attendance.
The difference is not many Alums live near AA, most move on after graduation, and the one who don’t won’t care to go see Rutgers. The NYC alum base doesn’t get to see UM much and will jump at the opportunity even if it’s vs Rutgers
This is 100% correct. As soon as I saw this, I texted 5 UM alum who live in metro-NYC and all 5 wrote back within minutes that they, and their spouses and kids wanted to go.
For us NYC M fans and our families, this is a huge draw.
Wow that's dumb.
We have home games all over, Crisler, msg, Staples.
Play ball, Go Blue.
Thanks, Warde!
But he gave some money to Michigan football assistants which you would have to be a dumbfuck not to so he is amazing. Beilein's buyout and assistant pay was totally not his fault.
Yes, he should have demanded Beilein accept a big buyout clause. Make it a non-negotiable point. After all, Warde had all the leverage in those contract talks, didn't he? Let's pretend that Beilein didn't have a well documented hatred of buyouts, going back to when he had to write checks to WVU.
Anybody still beating that drum is trolling.
He’s employed because this will make a bunch of money. Michigan has participated in the Big Ten Super Saturday twice, once doing the full b-ball-hockey double header and once just playing hockey, and has yet to give up a home game. If they wanted to participate again, they were going to have to give one up. So Warde figured instead of a sparse 9:00pm Tuesday Crisler crowd against an opponent no one cares about, he’ll take his cut of the gate at MSG, in front of what will still likely be a Michigan-heavy crowd. I’m fine with that.
I went to the first one, the M/Penn St double header. It was a great time. If you’re in New York, go to this, and go to the wrestling meet.
You may be right, but (a) it's a negative for the players, who have to miss more class to travel, and (b) it's a negative for the students, who might want to go and see the team play.
If it's all about money, they may as well just merge with the G-League. The Gatorade NCAA Basketball Development League, Sponsored by Chevrolet, brought to you on FOX by Allstate.
“If it’s all about money...”
Welcome to NCAA athletics.
Maybe if we were selling out week night home games consistently, he wouldn't have done it. And do you think the players are pissed they will get the opportunity to play at MSG? Come on man, class room opportunities? Bitch about going to Hawaii, or the Bahamas in December, but not this.
right...and not all fans live in Michigan. If I want to see the basketball team play, the only 2 places within 4 hours are Maryland and NYC. It's ok, for OTHER people to be able to see games occasionally without traveling to Michigan from November to March.
Well... they already had a game scheduled in Piscataway, thanks to the fact that Rutgers is in the Big Ten in the first place.
Just a guess, but I suspect the players don’t bitch about going to Hawaii in December.
Psst. They probably don’t bitch about missing class to go play at MSG either.
Hawaii/Bahamas >>> Playing School
Dollar bills y'all seriously? Because donors alum and a lot of people live in NYC its a chance ot play in MSG which for basketball players is a huge deal. Its a chance to help expand the brand of Michigan. It's a chance to generate more revenue because lets be honest no one gives a crap about Michigan and RU basketball games or any RU athletic event for that matter. So why not move a pointless game to MSG and maximize the potential.
Connect the dots, win the game, this isnt hard to understand.
Expand the Michigan brand?
Does Michigan have some name-recognition issue I haven't heard about? Are people confusing Michigan with Eastern or something?
I don't have a problem with playing at MSG. I do have a problem with giving up a Michigan conference home game to get a game at MSG. Michigan is going to play 11 conference road games, Rutgers is going to play 9, and everybody else is going to to play 10. Sure, it'll be a Michigan crowd, but the players still have to travel.
Like I said they dont really care, its NYC its a plane ride (which most of these kids haven’t ever been on and they like them), its MSG the players are taking 6-9 credits which is easily manageable.
The game is about the program the kids and new recruits. You'll survive and you're going to be okay.
Do you seriously think most of these "kids" haven't been on a plane? Why would you think that?
LOL. Our incoming freshmen (the only ones who haven't already traveled the entire country to play NCAA basketball) are from Washington and Germany. What's an airplane?
I'm pretty sure Bajema arrived by bus.
Because back when Delta used to do NCAA Basketball charters (we only do football now) I'd talk to the kids and a lot of them have never been on a plane until they got to Michigan. Traveling was one of the things they thought was awesome.
Michigan basketball isnt like Michigan football, got news for you Michigan basketball isnt where you think it would be. It could use some expanding and attention gathering.
I’m sure the staff and players are not complaining about the travel to NYC. You guys are blowing this all out of proportion.
Why are you so concerned with the players having to travel? It's one of many trips they take. Would you also raise a big stink if they scheduled one fewer non-conference home game? There's no functional difference.
Other than the travel, this isn't a road game. Michigan is going to have the home crowd. They aren't playing on Rutgers court in front of their crowd. It will count as a neutral court game in the NET rankings. It was probably the only way to turn this into a quality win to help with tournament seeding.
Other than the travel, this isn't a road game. Michigan is going to have the home crowd. They aren't playing on Rutgers court in front of their crowd. It will count as a neutral court game in the NET rankings. It was probably the only way to turn this into a quality win to help with tournament seeding.
This point is being completely missed in all the "Fire Warde!" nonsense. Last season Rutgers was right around the 100 mark in the NET which is the cutoff of being a Q2 neutral site game (51-100). If this game were played in Ann Arbor it would almost assuredly be Q3 (76-160 at home) and thus essentially ignored for resume purposes. This likely will give Michigan an additional Q2 victory in a season where they will take anything they can get from a Q1/Q2 victory standpoint.
As a season ticket holder I’m pissed. There was a $50 increase as it is and now I’m getting less games??
FEWER games. s/ Stannis Baratheon
To me, season ticket holders that actually ATTEND the games should be the only ones truly upset. I would assume the holders could get this particular game ticket refunded.
Does anyone know the date to see if it is a typical low attendance day or when school is in session?
It’s not a given that the date of this game would have been the same if it weren’t at MSG. Presumably the MSG game is on a Saturday, but if Michigan didn’t play this one at MSG someone else would have, maybe still against Rutgers, and the schedule would have looked a bit different.
if ticket holders want to complain, they should compare the number of home (at Crisler) conference games on a weekend with last year, to see if they’re actually losing a game they would have attended. If you’ve got the same as last year, then presume this replaced a midweek game against a bad opponent, and don’t worry about it.
Season ticket holder here. Live in A2 so I make all the games. Still, I like this idea. Those watching on TV don't see the empty seats for 9 p.m. games against crappy opponents. Hell, I go, but grudgingly, to Rutgers and the "buy" games. Probably national TV, NY press, probably Caris in the house, good recruiting territory and, oh, probably a decent payday.
What would have made this GREAT would be a men's/women's doubleheader. (Season ticket holder there, too.) Would be great for KBA's recruiting and the Rutgers women are better than the men (relatively, but maybe actually). Just get a bigger plane and make it a PR home run.
You're welcome, Warde.
What if you got a $15 credit towards next years tickets for you and your girlfriend. You could use that rebate to buy 80% of a sweat stained shirt.
Or they could just be honest up front and not fleece me into thinking I’m getting what they’re showing on MGoBlue.
Despite living close enough to NYC to make this accessible for me whose only affiliation with the University of Michigan is that I'm the parent of a Michigan alumnus, this makes no sense for Michigan Athletics.
Giving up home events in both men's basketball AND wrestling for this coming season so that Madison Square Garden can try to fill the arena for Rutgers home events? Why?
It would be one thing if both Michigan men's basketball and wrestling recruited heavily in the NYC area. Only then would holding these events in NYC seem reasonable, but they don't recruit much there.
Also, if the events are scheduled for late January when Michigan classes are in session, why limit the number of Michigan students who'd be willing to make that trip to NYC for the weekend? What's next? Michigan baseball playing Rutgers at Citi Field in NYC, instead of in Ann Arbor?
Maybe Juwan has plans to recruit NYC more heavily, and this is part of that planning?