Gordio Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 I was about to laugh off the thought of UB siphoning off interest from the Bills, but that's actually pretty spot on. For a shared stadium to even be considered, UB would need to beef up their program substantially. That means they might be more relevant in college than the Bills are in the NFL at some point down the road. That ends the discussion right there. No way would the Bills invite that possibility. I'll jump ahead now to the "there's plenty of room for both" argument. No, there's not. Not in Buffalo. Not currently. It doesn't have close to population, like Atlanta, where the sheer number of people makes it feasible. The culture isn't there to provide strong support for bother either. In other words, Buffalo isn't a "football town". Yes, Buffalo loves it's Bills, but it is a hockey town. Football isn't ingrained in the culture like it is in Ohio, Texas and Florida. Growing up in Cleveland, fall weekends were high school football on Fridays, Buckeyes on Saturdays and Browns on Sundays. Who here bothers with UB football, much less high school? They can't even get students to go with free tickets. I bother to follow UB football, but I should note I am kind of a degenerate gambler & I would watch the pee wees play Saturday mornings at Losson Park if they allowed me to put money on the games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) That's great that you and Promo support UB, but neither of you are refuting my points. And quite frankly, if UB playing in a small, generic venue that commands very low ticket prices keeps you away, then what would happen if they played in a brand new NFL stadium and their prices were as high as Bills tickets are now? (Bills ticket prices will undoubtedly increase in a new stadium.) That is not a given. It depends on what the Pegula's are looking for. When UB played Bowling Green at RWS they didn't charge $100 for tickets. They were around $20. If UB were invited to play at a new downtown stadium, the prices would be in line with what UB charges now. What the Pegula's would get is 6 more dates when their facility is being used and generating some income. As for who would bother with UB football, ever hear of Khalil Mack? Edited February 11, 2016 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Winning 5 games consistently is a step up from 0-for-everything, which is where they were. Progress has been slow for a number of reasons, the biggest being WNY doesn't not have a history of big time college athletics. But progress has been made. Sorry they aren't LSU or Alabama. That doesn't make them not worth following. Never said they weren't worth following--that's a personal decision one makes. I said they were in the bottom 10 for the division they have chosen to play in. They haven't consistently won 5 games per year. They have won more than 5 games only twice in their FBS history, the other 18 seasons, they have won 5 (4 times) or fewer games. If their problem is that WNY doesn't have a strong history of big time college athletics, then they are doomed, because their own history is part of their problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machine gun kelly Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 You have to realize that SUNY administration in Albany is a big boat anchor slowing down UB's athletic aspirations. They have rules limiting what coaches can make, which pretty much eliminates most of the P5 level coaching talent. Also the other SUNY centers are balking at Buffalo declaring itself the state's flagship University even though it's the largest and most prestigious of the four. The only way Buffalo (State University of NY) can keep climbing is with donations and those are increasing. They even have their own Phil Knight Nike-style patron in the guy who owns New Era who is an alum. And as easy as it is to scoff at them, the long view shows how far they have come. It wasn't that long ago when they were losing every game. Now they average 5 wins and reached their second bowl game. Plus they are putting players in the NFL. And the basketball team is contending even after their disastrous offseason. There is progress. PTR- I've been gone long enough that I'm not close to it, and you make some good points. So much of the dollars spent though in the SE are from Boosters. Down here, college football is God, so until Buffalo can compete, they will always be at a disadvantage. I wish nothing but the best for the UB program. It would be great to see another Buffalo program make progress. You just don't want to see empty stadiums. I know maybe it's not the best comparison, but my oldest is a very good lacrosse player. He plays for the Florida, and so on. We then watch a lot of college lax. When you see some of these big programs and they play on the football field and no one is there, it is unfortunate. We still love the sport, but you get the point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HT02 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Why would SU give up dome game revenue? Why would SU locals trek to Buffalo to watch that team? SU is supported regionally much like the Bills which draws fans from all over central and western ny. One or two games a year in an NFL Stadium against a big name opponent would help raise the profile nationally and help with recruiting and probably some donations from wealthy alum living in Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 SU is supported regionally much like the Bills which draws fans from all over central and western ny. One or two games a year in an NFL Stadium against a big name opponent would help raise the profile nationally and help with recruiting and probably some donations from wealthy alum living in Buffalo. I really don't see how 2 games a year in a nearly empty NFL stadium will bring them any closer to any of the things you list. SU has a long history of big time football and basketball. UB can't simply invent history or tradition. Since joining the FCS, its "national profile" is as one of those teams that top 25 schools pay to beat up on in the cupcake part of their non-conference schedule each fall. It doesn't matter who your coach is, top players will not come to UB to play. It's nice to find a Mack every several years, but that's about the best they can hope for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) Never said they weren't worth following--that's a personal decision one makes. I said they were in the bottom 10 for the division they have chosen to play in. They haven't consistently won 5 games per year. They have won more than 5 games only twice in their FBS history, the other 18 seasons, they have won 5 (4 times) or fewer games. If their problem is that WNY doesn't have a strong history of big time college athletics, then they are doomed, because their own history is part of their problem. Doomed? If the goal is to become 'Bama or LSU then they are never reaching that level. Temple? They were the dregs of college football playing in a pro market. Look at them now. I go to UB games whenever I get home and I see a lot of kids there. Probably because it's cheaper than a Bills and Sabres game. But there is a market for college sports in WNY. It's very small now. It could be bigger. And since NYS has no flagship public college sports program, why shouldn't UB strive for that mantle? They're doomed when they give up. Edited February 11, 2016 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Doomed? If the goal is to become 'Bama or LSU then they are never reaching that level. Temple? They were the dregs of college football playing in a pro market. Look at them now. I go to UB games whenever I get home and I see a lot of kids there. Probably because it's cheaper than a Bills and Sabres game. But there is a market for college sports in WNY. It's very small now. It could be bigger. And since NYS has no flagship public college sports program, why shouldn't UB strive for that mantle? They're doomed when they give up. They are doomed to be in the lowest ranks of the division that they have chosen to move up into. They cannot create history. As I said above, playing in a nearly empty Bills stadium would only accentuate the impression that they are a local afterthought. This is an NFL town for football. There are, I would imagine, many thousands of local alums and nearly 20,000 undergrads currently, yet they struggle to sell out their current venue. They can strive as they want--nothing wrong with that. But there is no obvious connection between the Bills new stadium and UBs future fortunes. And that is the topic of this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 They are doomed to be in the lowest ranks of the division that they have chosen to move up into. They cannot create history. As I said above, playing in a nearly empty Bills stadium would only accentuate the impression that they are a local afterthought. This is an NFL town for football. There are, I would imagine, many thousands of local alums and nearly 20,000 undergrads currently, yet they struggle to sell out their current venue. They can strive as they want--nothing wrong with that. But there is no obvious connection between the Bills new stadium and UBs future fortunes. And that is the topic of this thread. WEO...ever a ray of sunshine. I'm done debating with you. It's a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HT02 Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 I really don't see how 2 games a year in a nearly empty NFL stadium will bring them any closer to any of the things you list. SU has a long history of big time football and basketball. UB can't simply invent history or tradition. Since joining the FCS, its "national profile" is as one of those teams that top 25 schools pay to beat up on in the cupcake part of their non-conference schedule each fall. It doesn't matter who your coach is, top players will not come to UB to play. It's nice to find a Mack every several years, but that's about the best they can hope for. I think we may have gotten out wires crossed, I agree with you that it wouldn't help UB I was suggesting if anything that SU play one or two games in a new Bills Stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machine gun kelly Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Well, if you read the tea leaves, we'll probably open a stadium downtown within about 10 years. That is 10 years to invest in the Bulls, and if they can recruit well, and build a solid team, they might garner the support of more fans. I certainly hope so. It would be nice to have college football out of Buffalo as well as the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardcore Bills Fan Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 this has to be the dumbest idea i ever heard, next to using it for redneck, beer drink tractor pulls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardcore Bills Fan Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 "New" is not always"better" It's a fixation that Americans should get over. In the case of the Buffalo Bills, a new stadium is a bad investment, and the Pegula's realize it already. I dont get it either. This is Buffalo, where are the people who want to preserve everything? The Ralph is historic. There is only on thing I would change. build a better connecting road to the 219. I just came back from Tampa from vacation. I went to a concert and did the tourist thing. When we left the concert there was no, none, zero. traffic delays from the home of the Lighting. because the expressway was right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 As Buffalo-centric as Terry Pegula has become........I don't think he'd help UB football to the extent of sharing his new downtown palace. And why should he? He is a huge Penn State supporter and if UB were to ascend to even Syracuse-level football that would hurt recruiting at his school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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