On the AE:
Seriously, the way the AE gets overrated by you guys shocks me sometimes.
Anyone who has ESPN Insider, go look at the conference RPIs, and the top teams in the NEC are right with the top in the AE. And UH had a whopping 1600 tonight.
I'm not knocking UH or the AE, just saying, you guys make it sound like the Big East when it's really not that much different.
(I re-submitted this one spellchecked)
ReplyDeleteHi Matt, it’s basically me who is beating the AE drum. The rest of the board seems against it. I'm not against the NEC on court of field competition. The actually athletic competition side of it is fine. I am however seeing that CCSU's NEC road attendance is less then desirable at rival schools like MU, RMU, and MSMU over the past several seasons. I've also tracked the University of Hartford's AE home and road attendance which is better then CCSU's NEC home and road attendance over the last few years.
That is where my argument has its roots. If the Hawks can draw well in the AE imagine how well a successful program with Howie Dickemman at the helm going up against other public institutions n the AE can draw.
I am looking at it from a totally marketing prospective. I firmly believe CCSU can boost its overall attendance and exposure if it were a member of the AE. Look at it this way. CCSU could trade in a game with 800 fans in Moon Township PA for a game attended by 2500 fans in Burlington Vermont. The Blue Devils could trade in a game attended by 1100 Mount fans in Emmetsburg for a game attended by 2200 Terrier fans in Boston. Even Maine would draw better vs. CCSU up in Bangor then FDU, LIU, SFNY, SNPA, or SHU draw at their respective home sites.
As a fan and alumnus, when I look at moving the program forward I look at more then wins or loses, I look at more then conference profile, and I look at more then "how good the NEC has been to CCSU". I am looking at how many college basketball fans can CCSU play in front of during a season. I'm looking at putting CCSU out there on the New England stage, not burying it down in Staten Island, Loreto PA, or Emmetsburg MD.
So, I'm looking at exposure and increased ticket sales at home and away games. Heck, maybe that New England high school BB player that wants to get away from home in Maine or Burlington comes to CCSU because his family can follow in him NESN or attend a game when CCSU visits Maine or Vermont.
CCSU is not selling itself in the NEC. CCSU may be good for the NEC and the NEC may serve its purpose on the fields and courts for CCSU but the NEC is not helping to grow a fan base, attract recruits, or most importantly sell CCSU to its students, alumni, and the CT public.
BB65