2012 FCS Title Game Moved to Saturday

[BisonKent]

This is this season's title game. The game is now on a Saturday, Jan. 7 at noon central. It has been on a Friday night for quite some time. This is a good thing in my opinion. It will allow those that can't get off work to travel to the game on a weekend date. It also is on NFL wild card weekend but those games don't start until 3:30 so the TV audience will be watching on ESPN 2. Also, if you like FBS college football, you can take in the Cotton Bowl that Friday night before the game.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/2011-07-28/2012-fcs-title-game-set-jan-7

[Bisonguy]

It's a good thing, IMO, but we'll see how the TV rankings compare to the Friday night championships.

[NDSUstudent]

This is the ideal time for the game, nothing going on at the same time and Saturday is much better for TV ratings than Friday night.

[onbison09]

They had to move it from competing with the Cotton Bowl. That definitely hurt some attendance with the locals and probably TV ratings for sure. I was pissed about the noon start but you almost need to do that for the Wild Card games. I hope they can build this into something big for Frisco because the atmosphere is badass (only my opinion though)

[ndsubison1]

looks like were playing on saturday

[344Johnson]

Methinks they should move it to florence alabama?

[onbison09]

Methinks they should move it to florence alabama?

You obviously have never been to Frisco http://www.twinpeaksrestaurant.com/home/

[SDbison]

I just wish they played the FCS championship at a real college football venue in Texas, not a soccer complex. The Saturday time is OK. I really like the fact that the game is now close to the same time as the bigger FBS bowl games. Now need to build some advertising around the FCS championship and get the average college football fan to tune in........DI teams that actually play in a championship game that is seeded by playoffs. Novel idea!

[onbison09]

I just wish they played the FCS championship at a real college football venue in Texas, not a soccer complex. The Saturday time is OK. I really like the fact that the game is now close to the same time as the bigger FBS bowl games. Now need to build some advertising around the FCS championship and get the average college football fan to tune in........DI teams that actually play in a championship game that is seeded by playoffs. Novel idea!

I get your point completely and I was thinking the same thing before I went to the game last year but it is a pretty nice place to watch a game.

[SDbison]

I get your point completely and I was thinking the same thing before I went to the game last year but it is a pretty nice place to watch a game.
Still doesn't have a college game venue look or feel. Sure its a nice facility for a soccer field........just doesn't fit for a DI football championship game or lend much credibility to FCS as compared to FBS.

[mnriverbison]

Still doesn't have a college game venue look or feel. Sure its a nice facility for a soccer field........just doesn't fit for a DI football championship game or lend much credibility to FCS as compared to FBS.

I wonder if the FCS title game could fill a legit BCS stadium. It sure wouldn't lend much credibility to FCS to have its championship broadcast in a half empty stadium.

And as a side note-what does it mean for the FCS league to be credible? If you mean people will suddenly think that FCS teams are as good as FBS teams, that will not ever happen. Because it probably won't ever be true. And a champion-caliber FCS team knocking off a few bottom-feeder FBS programs in their one FBS game of the year won't change anything.

[SDbison]

I wonder if the FCS title game could fill a legit BCS stadium. It sure wouldn't lend much credibility to FCS to have its championship broadcast in a half empty stadium.

And as a side note-what does it mean for the FCS league to be credible? If you mean people will suddenly think that FCS teams are as good as FBS teams, that will not ever happen. Because it probably won't ever be true. And a champion-caliber FCS team knocking off a few bottom-feeder FBS programs in their one FBS game of the year won't change anything.
Well Einstein, think about it. At least have the game in a stadium fitting some of the bigger FCS programs out there. Sure the FCS championship would look poor in a huge stadium, but maybe find a smaller FBS home field or a nice FCS home field someplace in the south. No reason to have the FCS chanpionship in a high school football / soccer field even though it is one in Texas. All those soccer field lines in the field look tacky. Also no reason to make FCS look DII. Get rid of that stupid football stick man painted on the field and come up with something deserving of a DI national championship game at mid-field.

[WYOBISONMAN]

A great move and I suspect the effects will be very positive.

[mnriverbison]

Well Einstein, think about it. At least have the game in a stadium fitting some of the bigger FCS programs out there. Sure the FCS championship would look poor in a huge stadium, but maybe find a smaller FBS home field or a nice FCS home field someplace in the south.

There is no need to get sarcastic or insulting. They are playing in a stadium which is probably about correct in capacity for FCS schools. According to NDSU marketing materials (which are in my hand and were sent to me 2 weeks ago by the AD) the Bison average just under 16k in attendance and that puts us 11th in the FCS. They are putting this game on in a stadium which holds 67% more than we average for attendance. That doesn't seem too outrageous to me.

What do you suggest would be the proper capacity/venue for this game?

[BisonKent]

Here is a picture from the game last year. There are no soccer lines.


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1338.snc4/163095_482602597014_280343377014_6438664_4499328_n .jpg

[344Johnson]

I hope the move works out well. I think it should, like someone may have said earlier, people will be watching ESPN2 and stuff leading up to the Wild Card games and hopefully will see the Bison, it'd be pretty cool to get our name out there as a good football program with the BCS/NFL fans.

As for the facilities, I think it looks pretty good in there. Looks like it holds around 25-30,000? As much support as NDSU would get for making it to the championship, I don't think that there would be any lack of seating to complain about.

[BisonKent]

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/ae/47/8b/pizza-hut-park-home-of.jpg

Capacity is over 21,000 but has room to grow in the one endzone where the stage is.

[56BISON73]

Here is a picture from the game last year. There are no soccer lines.


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1338.snc4/163095_482602597014_280343377014_6438664_4499328_n .jpg

Looks like a nice place to watch a game.

[onbison09]

Looks like a nice place to watch a game.

We were down in a corner and it kind of sucked being down low but if you get tickets in the middle and up high, it shouldn't be a problem. Also they really did try to put on a show. They had signs and stuff around advertising the game and they had a story on the news. They tried to put on a big show at the game. They had fireworks and stuff. It sure felt like they were trying to me.