The Jacksonville Experiment is over for the ACC. On Wednesday, the league announced that it would be leaving Jax in favor of a rotating Championship game played in Tampa (2008 and 2009) and Charlotte (2010 and 2011).
Jacksonville lost the game as "announced attendance" declined from 72,749 to 62,850 to 53,212 over three years there. "Estimates of the actual crowds in 2006 and '07 were at least several thousand below the announced figures." (Source: Charlotte Observer)
Of course, the image above does the best job of giving you some idea of what the crowd was REALLY like in Jacksonville this season. It also gives you better insight into why Boston College gets shunned for bowls every year. (ht - Walt Geiger)
Fanblogs.com suggests the ACC move its game to campuses. It's really hard to argue this idea given that tiny Bobby Dodd Stadium could've played host to the 2006 title game, and the fans in attendance would've still had room to spread out and get comfortable.
I think the game leaving Jacksonville frees up that city to make a push for the SEC Title game. If UGA increases the frequency of our attendance at the Georgia Dome, other members of the conference may push for the game to start a rotating location similar to what the Big 12 does.
See Also
-- ACC leaves Jax - Jacksonville.com
PWD
16 comments:
Just wondering if anyone has received their Sugar bowl tickets yet? I'm a season ticket holder, but i'm low on the totem pole.
The attendance at the acc champioship game was a joke. I really don't think that moving the location will make a huge difference. It's the ACC.
They could probably fill Memorial Stadium in Columbus... provided there isn't a softball tournament in town to take all the hotels and parking.
Besides the UGA dome, JAX and the superdome, where else would they be likely to hold the SEC Champ? Nashville in the Titans stadium comes to mind, but you never know about the weather.
I think the SEC likes the size of the dome in ATL, and I think JAX is close if not slightly larger. The superdome holds no more than 70k while the Titans stadium holds less I think.
I doubt we'll see the SEC championship game move from Atlanta. It's the most centrally located large city that is accessible to nearly all the fan bases. Why would the SEC mess with the over whelming success of the championship game in Atlanta? If the SEC ever did decide to leave you just know the ACC would jump on Atlanta like Tech fans on a tickle pile.
I don't think a western Division coach whining every couple years about Georgia's advantage in the Dome will create enough sentiment to want it relocated.
And while the crowd in the Dome will always be pro-UGA if the are there, Atlanta is also home to MANY alum of other SEC schools. Moving the game out of Atlanta would be a HUGE mistake. And the Superdome is a horrible venue. With all of the other damage to NO, it's almost a same that the Superdome wasn't destroyed so they'ed have to build a better stadium.
They won't be holding the game at Bank of America (Panthers) Stadium when they have it here. Memorial Stadium (seats 15 - 20k) or the new stadium over at Johnson C. Smith University (DII) would work out just fine. Or Independence High School. Take your pick - none of them would be full anyway.
Too many SEC alumni to move it out of Atlanta.
if they ever put some money into legion field, i would mind seeing a rotation of GA Dome, Jax, Superdome, Legion Field. all four have decent airport access and easy to drive to. if legion didn't/couldn't put the money into, then nashville would be cool.
i like changes of scenery.
The problem for the ACC Championship game is this, the ACC schools are much smaller schools than the SEC or Big 12. The stadiums in the ACC only fit up to 65k a game and their enrollments of students and their bases of alumni are smaller. Wake and Tech was empty because they both are smaller schools. BC is a smaller school, Va Tech is also rather small. We seem to forget that.
I still say move the ACCCG to Atlanta and have it be the undercard for the SECCG.
Several reasons why the SECCG will not leave Atlanta.
#1. With the exception of Arky and LSU, Atlanta is within a 5-6 hour drive for every SEC school.
#2. It's a Dome. I know alot of people argue about football should be played outside, etc. But look at the first two SECCG games played in B'ham in 92 and 93. Cold, and raining like hell.
The only drawback about the dome is the capacity. Having seating in the 72-74,000 range makes it an average sized stadium by SEC standards. From what I've heard and read, the ACC is dying to have their game in Atlanta, but they realize they cannot match up with the SEC when it comes to $$$ and power.
Would be a COLOSSAL mistake for the SEC to move the game from Atlanta. Even a rotating basis would give the ACCn an opening to take the facility from the SEC since they could say they will be there every year. Arthur Blank is already talking about a new stadium once the dome is paid for (2018?) so maybe he will build something like what Jerry Jones is building in Texas that will allow for extra seating to be brough in for big events. 100,000 fans at the SEC championship game?
Atlanta is the captial city of the southeast, the SEC game is never leaving.
ACC moving to Tampa, that's worse than JAX, except of course if FL State and Miami make it in.
PWD...you really needed to put "ACC, this is why you suck" under that picture.
The SEC championship could be held in Seattle and it would still be sold out.
The ACC is all about basketball. Football is a distant second and may even be behind soccer and lacrosse...
strick9: Our Sugar Bowl tickets showed up yesterday (Friday, 12/14). 8 of them, section 606 (ugh).
Why did they choose Tampa?! If they can't get Va Tech and BC fans to travel to Jax, then why the hell would they travel even further south?! That is ridiculous.
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