I think we (CUAD) are holding ourselves back by trying to

...my letter to the AD. Yes, I know ticket revenue is just a part of the equation-- there are many other financial factors. However, I think they average out:

Ticket revenue is a wash (or better) for a big-time game vs. two FCS opponents. You don't have to pay for clean-up-- which is a huge expense-- and you don't have to pay upwards of $500k for a team to visit. You also don't have to pay for the additional police, state troopers, and internal personnel that must be paid out for home games. On the flip side, you do have travel costs, but those are very much limited, especially when you're playing a team you can bus to.

At the end of the day, I think that Clemson actually saves money. Remember, this is not sacrificing a home game EVERY year, only EVERY OTHER year. It is 13 home games over a two-year span as opposed to 14.

The "argument", which I believe to be an excuse, is that we need the 7th home game for revenues and for the city. But I simply don't buy it-- I think it is to get an easy win and pad the schedule. It just isn't that much more money to go on the road once more every two years.

For those that argue you want the 7 games, regardless of the opponent: Sure, you marginally enjoy those two FCS games that kick off at Noon. You show up, drink some beer, watch us go up by 35, and head out to the car for some more beer and chips. Now, think about what it's like when Texas A&M and Georgia come to town. Which one do you honestly prefer? It's a no brainer. Again, you're sacrificing one garbage game every two years in excange for an awesome home game and an awesome road trip.

uproar84

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This "need" for a 7th home game is a crock...

May 12, 2014, 2:41 PM

We just want the extra win, pure and simple. I posted this on 247 a couple weeks ago as people debated 8 vs. 9 game conf schedule. In my opinion, we need to drop a cupcake and get a 3rd big OOC game:

I've debated Ryan (somewhat at length) over Twitter about our scheduling and the 8 vs. 9 game conference schedule. I believe we should stick with an 8-game schedule, but for different reasons than what Ryan outlines in his article. I also believe that something very important gets lost in this debate, and that's the insistence on playing two cupcake (FCS or equivalents) every year and this belief that major programs "must" play 7 home games. I think it's a crock. To me, it's the biggest culprit to the scheduling debate. Allow me to explain:

- Simply put, we should stick to 8 games because the ACC is weak. We are not going to get more respect by going 8-1 in the ACC as opposed to 7-1if we still lose to the only other good team in the conference. It just doesn't matter. That's why the Georgia game was so big last year. That win showed the rest of the country we belong. Our 7 ACC wins proved nothing. Sorry, but those teams were garbage. Until this conference steps it up, a 9th conference game does not help us. I would much prefer that 9th game is scheduled against a Georgia, Auburn, Oklahoma State, etc. A win against those teams gets us national respect; An 8th ACC win-- against Pitt-- does not.

- This myth that we have to play 7 home games for financial reasons is just that: A myth. I can (and have) made the argument that one game against the likes of a Georgia means twice as much financially to Clemson and to the community as two games against an SC State and a Furman. The ticket price alone can justify it: $70 (sold-out) for Georgia and $35 (60,000) for SC State. So can the cost of hotel rooms, bar tabs, and just about everything else. The financial impact isn't close. We play two cupcakes to ensure bowl eligibility, get maximum wins to enhance our bowl prospects, and because it benefits the Head Coach: More wins means a bowl game, more practice time, more exposure to recruits... and more job stability in the end. The second cupcake is a freebie for coaches to pad their resumes. They love those games-- everyone else in the world hates them.

- Does everyone remember when the ACC changed to 9 games? It wasn't either of the cupcake games that Clemson decided to cancel. Instead, it was the game that the fans and players were most excited about: Our home-and-homes against Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. So, along with South Carolina, all we were going to get was ACC games and cupcakes. Georgia, luckily, was not canceled, but that was only because those games were too close. Could you imagine not having Texas A&M, Georgia, Auburn, etc. coming to Death Valley? I can't. Now let me ask you this: Would you prefer 7 games EVERY year, along with your two cupcakes... Or would you prefer 7 games EVERY OTHER year, with a big home-and-home on the schedule? It's not even debatable. Give me Georgia at home, an awesome road trip to their place the next year, and just one cupcake. I'll gladly make that trade, and I think 99.9% of all other fans would too.

- We should treat SCar like an ACC game in that it's built into the schedule. It's on there every year. Outside of that game, we should have AT LEAST one big home-and-home. In fact, I'd like to stick with 8 ACC games and have TWO home-and-homes. Fine, keep the one cupcake, but there's just no justification for two. For instance: This year we're at Georgia and have SCar at home. If we had a real schedule, we'd have another big OOC game, but at home (for hypothetical purposes, let's say it's Ok State). In 2016, we'd have ND at home and Ok State on the road (along with SCar on the road). We'd still have the one cupcake. Again, this would mean 13 home games every two years as opposed to 14. Would any fan not love this arrangement?

A schedule that includes the SCar game and two home-and-homes would make us the darlings of the playoff era. We would always get the benefit of the doubt with the media, in voters' minds, as well as the committee's collective mindset. Our fans would love the new power coming to Death Valley every year and would relish one unique road trip every year as well. Again, the problem is not the 9th game-- it's the two cupcakes. That's why Clemson is for 8 conference games instead of 9. It's our insistence on playing two cupcakes and seven home games every single year that makes us so adamant about playing just 8 games: We won't cancel the garbage games, we'll cancel the one all the fans want to see.

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Will ewe be writing a check for the difference in revenue?

Why not just make them all home games? LOL

As far as I can remember we've played more home than away

So, Clemson has sold out to the "local economy?"

Unfortunately, these days in college football it's all about

Yep. And they would make a ton every other year with a HUGE

Years ago we used to buy Wake and Duke out of their home

Thats happened 2 times

I went into much more detail about the finances in...

One of the draws for Clemson is the great partnership btw

Re: So, Clemson has sold out to the "local economy?"

I heard that TTT brought in $40,000 on Friday before the

We could schedule a HOME-HOME- NEUTRAL

This "need" for a 7th home game is a crock...

Yep. TU!***

Wish could give many TUs***

Agreed..TU

No offense, but give me 7 at home. To me it's Clemson, &

I agree with you. Just check the out of conference

Good post, but a couple concerns

If you are a true fan, you are there no matter the opponent.

Therein lies the problem...

He's definitely a coot.***

Who?

Re: I think we (CUAD) are holding ourselves back by trying to

I disagree. You don't need a harder schedule than

Re: I disagree. You don't need a harder schedule than

Re: I think we (CUAD) are holding ourselves back by trying to

Are you nucking futs?

^^^This. We beat FSU and USuCk and we would have been

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