No TV Coverage

[HeHateGriz]

I seriously doubt that the lack of TV coverage has anything to do with some conspiracy to sell tickets. Keep in mind that Carroll and the Griz having home playoff games is no surprise. The Cats game was obviously a surprise. There's only a few organizations in the state that have the resources to execute a broadcast. It's a holiday week...potential announcers, camera operators and producers probably had vacation plans. The company airing the Griz game has probably been out for weeks selling sponsors to offset the cost of production and rights fees.

So here's a likely scenario...the station manager arrives at work Monday morning of a short holiday week and asks the staff, "can we pull off a quality broadcast with half our crew out for Thanksgiving and can we make a profit with just 2-3 workdays to sell sponsors"? That question was probably met with silence or laughter. I doubt that anybody even made a serious bid to air the game.

[GOKATS]

So it sounds like you overbid and thus can't afford for it to be on TV because you can't afford to not fill up the stadium. $30 for tickets is higher than I've ever paid for a first round game. Heck, I'm not sure I've paid that for a 2nd round game. Perhaps you bid a little bit too much?

MSU had nothing to do with ticket prices- they came from NCAA and are slightly higher than normal game tickets. It's our stadium, but for the playoffs it belongs to NCAA- no noise makers, all advertising has to be removed or covered up , etc.

Gotta love the NCAA

I'm not buying this 'ticket prices are set by the NCAA' line. Tickets cost $5 for students and $25 for the general public at Washington Grizzly stadium this weekend. So, it makes zero sense that tickets would cost different amounts at Reno H. Sales if the prices are set by the NCAA.

There's something real fishy going on here....

I'm just going on what was reported in the Chronicle story this morning.

[PapaG]

I seriously doubt that the lack of TV coverage has anything to do with some conspiracy to sell tickets. Keep in mind that Carroll and the Griz having home playoff games is no surprise. The Cats game was obviously a surprise. There's only a few organizations in the state that have the resources to execute a broadcast. It's a holiday week...potential announcers, camera operators and producers probably had vacation plans. The company airing the Griz game has probably been out for weeks selling sponsors to offset the cost of production and rights fees.

So here's a likely scenario...the station manager arrives at work Monday morning of a short holiday week and asks the staff, "can we pull off a quality broadcast with half our crew out for Thanksgiving and can we make a profit with just 2-3 workdays to sell sponsors"? That question was probably met with silence or laughter. I doubt that anybody even made a serious bid to air the game.

That's fine and all, but I remember the 'Cat/Northern Iowa game being televised over Thanksgiving with 'Cat announcers at the game. Carroll played Southern Oregon that weekend on a game I caught the end of at the Stocks on TV, and the Griz played at home (Eastern Illinois perhaps?) and lost.

Are you telling me that more people in the state want to see a Carroll College game over an MSU game? I can't see how that is possible. Because that seems like the choice that is being made right now.

[kmax]

Found on Furman board:

From the president of MaxMedia of Montana...

Unfortunately we couldn’t pull it together. The MSU AD had concerns about the gate plus we couldn’t pull all our regular season sponsors together in time to foot the bill. Sorry to disappoint.

I thanked her for her efforts. We all know the AD's concerns. Thanksgiving weekend, no students on campus, poor weather forecast, and he guaranteed his mother to the NCAA.

[PapaG]

Found on Furman board:

From the president of MaxMedia of Montana...

Unfortunately we couldn’t pull it together. The MSU AD had concerns about the gate plus we couldn’t pull all our regular season sponsors together in time to foot the bill. Sorry to disappoint.

I thanked her for her efforts. We all know the AD's concerns. Thanksgiving weekend, no students on campus, poor weather forecast, and he guaranteed his mother to the NCAA.

Other than the bolded being completely uncalled for, I still think there is possibly a small chance this game will be availalble on TV for satellite. It's odd enough that UM and MSU would have home play-off games scheduled to overlap; it's odder that MSU would decide it's better to not have their game televised at all while the UM game is on the air.

HELLO! RECRUITING??? Answer the phone please.

[FU97]

Found on Furman board:

From the president of MaxMedia of Montana...

Unfortunately we couldn’t pull it together. The MSU AD had concerns about the gate plus we couldn’t pull all our regular season sponsors together in time to foot the bill. Sorry to disappoint.

I thanked her for her efforts. We all know the AD's concerns. Thanksgiving weekend, no students on campus, poor weather forecast, and he guaranteed his mother to the NCAA.

Other than the bolded being completely uncalled for, I still think there is possibly a small chance this game will be availalble on TV for satellite. It's odd enough that UM and MSU would have home play-off games scheduled to overlap; it's odder that MSU would decide it's better to not have their game televised at all while the UM game is on the air.

HELLO! RECRUITING??? Answer the phone please.

Obviously the bolding was a joke, though it does go to the point that MSU overbid for the game. Maybe it ends up being a "loss leader", but since it appears that the Griz will be on TV and you won't it seems like a double loss.

As for the game time, since you don't have lights, it has to be played when it is.

[BobCatFan]

I seriously doubt that the lack of TV coverage has anything to do with some conspiracy to sell tickets. Keep in mind that Carroll and the Griz having home playoff games is no surprise. The Cats game was obviously a surprise. There's only a few organizations in the state that have the resources to execute a broadcast. It's a holiday week...potential announcers, camera operators and producers probably had vacation plans. The company airing the Griz game has probably been out for weeks selling sponsors to offset the cost of production and rights fees.

So here's a likely scenario...the station manager arrives at work Monday morning of a short holiday week and asks the staff, "can we pull off a quality broadcast with half our crew out for Thanksgiving and can we make a profit with just 2-3 workdays to sell sponsors"? That question was probably met with silence or laughter. I doubt that anybody even made a serious bid to air the game.

The contract from Max Media should have this requirement: Home field playoff games will be covered. If contract does not have this clause, shame on MSU. We have been under paid for playing a D-1 games, now this. I think MSU needs to look at who is negotiating their contracts. He/She/They seem to be clueless IMHO.

[BigSkyCat]

I agree with your comments about the TV contract and somehow still believe we will be on this weekend. I would argue our TV deal is better than UM's not knowing anything about the $$'s. All of our games were on for the second consecutive season except for the CU game, and none were preempted/shown tape-delayed by the network like several of the Griz non-conference games this year.

Also, next year's game with Texas A&M is a pretty well negotiated deal IMO.

The Bobcats are scheduled to play the Aggies Sept. 8 in College Station and will receive a $450,000 payout, according to MSU senior associate athletic director Dan Davies.

$450K is not too shabby and compares well with what the Griz received for being Iowa's sacrificial lamb in their new stadium.

Plus it's harder for the Cats to get that kind of a deal when there is a chance they may spoil the party.

[CatRowdy]

Obviously the bolding was a joke, though it does go to the point that MSU overbid for the game. Maybe it ends up being a "loss leader", but since it appears that the Griz will be on TV and you won't it seems like a double loss.

As for the game time, since you don't have lights, it has to be played when it is.

We haven't had a home playoff game for 22 years; unless we go bankrupt is there really any over bidding!?
There are plenty of plans in the process and using a playoff game to get people to the stadium is a great idea. Reading this board it sounds like there are a lot of people going to the game who normally don't go; and that builds fans; and fans build stadums. We didn't over bid; it's 3rd and short!

[Paladinfan]

Furman fans are very used to catching the Paladins via internet radio. We are hardly the only show in town....or even in the South Carolina upstate with all the football powerhouses in the area.

If they are streaming the game over Big Sky TV I think that will be more than enough to quell your typical Furman fan.

[torrybruce]

Obviously the bolding was a joke, though it does go to the point that MSU overbid for the game. Maybe it ends up being a "loss leader", but since it appears that the Griz will be on TV and you won't it seems like a double loss.

As for the game time, since you don't have lights, it has to be played when it is.

We haven't had a home playoff game for 22 years; unless we go bankrupt is there really any over bidding!?
There are plenty of plans in the process and using a playoff game to get people to the stadium is a great idea. Reading this board it sounds like there are a lot of people going to the game who normally don't go; and that builds fans; and fans build stadums. We didn't over bid; it's 3rd and short!

I wouldn't even say we over bid...I think that if we lose a little money on this deal in the long run it is still gonna get us some good recruits and get us some more seats filled in the falls...great marketing scheme!

[jagur1]

Obviously the bolding was a joke, though it does go to the point that MSU overbid for the game. Maybe it ends up being a "loss leader", but since it appears that the Griz will be on TV and you won't it seems like a double loss.

As for the game time, since you don't have lights, it has to be played when it is.

We haven't had a home playoff game for 22 years; unless we go bankrupt is there really any over bidding!?
There are plenty of plans in the process and using a playoff game to get people to the stadium is a great idea. Reading this board it sounds like there are a lot of people going to the game who normally don't go; and that builds fans; and fans build stadums. We didn't over bid; it's 3rd and short!

I wouldn't even say we over bid...I think that if we lose a little money on this deal in the long run it is still gonna get us some good recruits and get us some more seats filled in the falls...great marketing scheme!

Recruits? If it's not on TV all the Montana boys will be watching the Griz. I say IF because I still think this one will be on TV. IF it's not than it just shows how unimportant the cats are in terms of things.

[SonomaCat]

Or maybe it shows that MSU is serious about selling out the stadium, making a victory more likely, and providing MSU fans and the state another opportunity to watch the Cats in round 2 of the playoffs.

The "Montana boys" will be in Bozeman this weekend, taking in the grand time!

[CatRowdy]

[quote="jagur1] Recruits? If it's not on TV all the Montana boys will be watching the Griz. I say IF because I still think this one will be on TV. IF it's not than it just shows how unimportant the cats are in terms of things.[quote]

If we aren't on TV that makes us unimportant?? Wow!
This is great Marketing...
Puts fans and new fans in the stadium
Elevates us in the eyes of the MT Boys to playoff potential; and I imagine a few of them will be in the stands live!
Plus when it comes down to it; radio isn't a bad way to listen to a game when you can't get to it.
But I do have to agree; I think there is certainly a chance we'll get on television in the end.

[LoyalCat]

sell 9,000 tickets and we will be on TV. its that simple
if you can't be there purchase a ticket and consider it a donation to the school and you can then watch it on TV

[kmax]

sell 9,000 tickets and we will be on TV. its that simple
if you can't be there purchase a ticket and consider it a donation to the school and you can then watch it on TV

Do you have a source for this information or is this just your opinion?

[LoyalCat]

I have a good soucre of what the bid was and additional costs and we just need to break even and it will be on TV

[q2photo]

Sorry folks we can sell 15,000 tickets and there still will be no TV coverage. Max Media did not put a bid together, appearantly MSU hosting a playoff game caught them by surprise, and the Griz game will be on the MTN stations. Altitude was also not interested in bidding the game. That simply leaves no other Montana outlets capable of producing and airing a game.

[bcats]

This absolutely sucks! How can you get a home playoff bid and not televise it across the state for all to see. I will be at the game but won't be able to record it home. There is no way that every Cat fan can get to the game and they deserve to be able to watch the game on television. Somebody completely dropped the ball on this and I am calling for their job. This is pathetic.

[FU97]

Furman sent out an email to all alumni yesterday saying that BigSkyTV was the only TV of the game. There would be no other outlets.