WVU drops capital classic because of lack of fan interest
- Thread starter Geauxtherd
- Start date
...I thought it was because we hurt their RPI? But I lose track of their disingenuous excuses.
Regardless, the cousins can come up with some excuses.
Good thing they played us early on, now that Danny has the Herd 'back'.
Good thing they played us early on, now that Danny has the Herd 'back'.
With our second semester adds we are in the drivers seat for atleast an NIT bid
They said economics dictate that it be in Morgantown. I would think Marshalls economics dictate that it be in Huntington. It would be good to swap in between campuses like in the late 70s to early 90s. That won't happen because WVU can't win in Huntington though and they would risk the series evening up somewhat and that's not acceptable in terms of PR.
That made no sense and I was somewhat disappointed that Gee would spew that rubbish! The game at both home venues would be a sellout....I'd have more respect for the Cousins if they just said " we feel like we have too much to lose by another waxing in Huntington"....because, no matter how they spin it, that's exactly what it boils down to and everybody in the state knows it!
Some interesting rebuttal in this column
A Shame The Capital Classic Is Ending
James Collier | Columnist
Austin Loop looks to pass in the Capital Classic
Associated Press
Man, even when you’re winning its tough to get fan support. Don’t believe me; just ask West Virginia basketball head coach Bob Huggins. The skipper of the No. 9 ranked Mountaineers lashed out at the fans Tuesday night after his team picked up its 17th win of the season after hammering Kansas State by 15.
"We’re ninth in the country. We were sixth in the country, and we want to act like we are a big time program," Huggins said, before listing off others - like Iowa State and Kansas - that routinely sell out their arenas. "I told our guys before the game. We practice every day with nobody in here and if people don’t want to come see us, that's their loss."
Wow! Huggins sounds a bit salty. Especially after a 70-55 win over K-State, giving WVU its sixth win in the Big 12. Even with all nasty weather in Morgantown, the attendance was announced at 9,936, nearly 600 more than its 9,289 average this season. But the weather aside, students are back on campus and are piling in the Coliseum right?
Think again.
"All this stuff about we have the best student section. No we don’t. The truth is, we don’t," Huggins said. "We put 3,500 tickets out. There weren’t 3,500 students here."
Way to not pull any punches coach. Tell’em how you really feel. Don’t worry, he wasn’t done.
"We win a couple games in the NCAA tournament and everyone wants tickets and can’t figure out why they can't get ‘em," he said. "That’s our problem here. People don’t come here to see the Mountaineers. They come to see Kansas or they’ll come to see Iowa State. They don’t come to see us. That was pretty obvious tonight.”
Maybe he’s right. After all, the largest crowd in Morgantown this season was 12,097 against then No. 1 Kansas, a game WVU won 74-63.
Here’s where things get interesting. WVU’s second highest attended game in the mountain state, 11,748, came against Marshall at the Charleston Civic Center.
Yes Marshall. The team WVU fans think shouldn’t even be on the same planet as the Mountaineers. The same fan base that thinks playing Marshall every year is just a waste of time. But playing Northern Kentucky, Stetson, Bethune-Cookman and Kennesaw State in nonconference play all make perfect sense right?
Give me a break. After all, WVU played another game in Charleston this season, knocking off James Madison 86-73 in front of a capacity crowd of, what for it…8,101.Certainly it makes prefect economical sense for WVU to play host to a lowly, out of state team in Charleston in nonconference play. Especially when ticket sales are a blistering 8,100 compared to the 10,000+ each year for the series with Marshall in Charleston.
Confused?
You should be. But what’s even more confusing is WVU president Gordon Gee’scomments made on MetroNews “Talkline” earlier this month.
“We believe that a basketball game between Marshall and West Virginia University is a good idea,” Gee said. “We have said we would play but the economics dictate that it should be played in Morgantown.”
Would this be the same economics that dictate signing a home-and-home with Northern Kentucky Mr. Gee? That series had to have lined the wallets of the WVU athletic fund after the Norse barely filled the 10,000-seat BB&T Center to just more than half, 5,089, when then No.16/17 WVU visited lasted season.
Yet WVU thinks playing Marshall outside of Morgantown just isn’t economically smart.
But Huggins’ comment just before the December matchup with the Herd takes the cake, claiming ticket sales are indicative of the fan’s interest in the game.
“What I don’t want to do is get caught up in all that B.S. I want to stay above that,” Huggins joked.
Sorry coach, but the only B.S. here is WVU’s continual bucket of excuses of why it doesn’t want to play Marshall.
Considering ticket sales haven’t dropped below 10,000 since 1999 (9,532) in the 12,337-seat arena, it seems there exists a fan interest for the game.
Its been clearly noted that Marshall fans and administration want the game, but WVU continues to search for excuses of why the game shouldn’t be played. However, the next time WVU fires a claim about lack of fan support for a reason why not to play the game I offer this final thought, perhaps the one to blame is the one staring back in a mirror.
Perhaps a little more subtlety from the administration toward the fans that support the program would go a long way.
"We won 25 games a year ago, made it to the Sweet Sixteen,” Huggins said. “We’re top ten in the country, and people are picking us to go to the Final Four. If people don’t want to come, then fine, don’t come."
With a comment like that, I bet the fans are lining the streets in anticipation for the next Mountaineers matchup.
A Shame The Capital Classic Is Ending
James Collier | Columnist
Austin Loop looks to pass in the Capital Classic
Associated Press
Man, even when you’re winning its tough to get fan support. Don’t believe me; just ask West Virginia basketball head coach Bob Huggins. The skipper of the No. 9 ranked Mountaineers lashed out at the fans Tuesday night after his team picked up its 17th win of the season after hammering Kansas State by 15.
"We’re ninth in the country. We were sixth in the country, and we want to act like we are a big time program," Huggins said, before listing off others - like Iowa State and Kansas - that routinely sell out their arenas. "I told our guys before the game. We practice every day with nobody in here and if people don’t want to come see us, that's their loss."
Wow! Huggins sounds a bit salty. Especially after a 70-55 win over K-State, giving WVU its sixth win in the Big 12. Even with all nasty weather in Morgantown, the attendance was announced at 9,936, nearly 600 more than its 9,289 average this season. But the weather aside, students are back on campus and are piling in the Coliseum right?
Think again.
"All this stuff about we have the best student section. No we don’t. The truth is, we don’t," Huggins said. "We put 3,500 tickets out. There weren’t 3,500 students here."
Way to not pull any punches coach. Tell’em how you really feel. Don’t worry, he wasn’t done.
"We win a couple games in the NCAA tournament and everyone wants tickets and can’t figure out why they can't get ‘em," he said. "That’s our problem here. People don’t come here to see the Mountaineers. They come to see Kansas or they’ll come to see Iowa State. They don’t come to see us. That was pretty obvious tonight.”
Maybe he’s right. After all, the largest crowd in Morgantown this season was 12,097 against then No. 1 Kansas, a game WVU won 74-63.
Here’s where things get interesting. WVU’s second highest attended game in the mountain state, 11,748, came against Marshall at the Charleston Civic Center.
Yes Marshall. The team WVU fans think shouldn’t even be on the same planet as the Mountaineers. The same fan base that thinks playing Marshall every year is just a waste of time. But playing Northern Kentucky, Stetson, Bethune-Cookman and Kennesaw State in nonconference play all make perfect sense right?
Give me a break. After all, WVU played another game in Charleston this season, knocking off James Madison 86-73 in front of a capacity crowd of, what for it…8,101.Certainly it makes prefect economical sense for WVU to play host to a lowly, out of state team in Charleston in nonconference play. Especially when ticket sales are a blistering 8,100 compared to the 10,000+ each year for the series with Marshall in Charleston.
Confused?
You should be. But what’s even more confusing is WVU president Gordon Gee’scomments made on MetroNews “Talkline” earlier this month.
“We believe that a basketball game between Marshall and West Virginia University is a good idea,” Gee said. “We have said we would play but the economics dictate that it should be played in Morgantown.”
Would this be the same economics that dictate signing a home-and-home with Northern Kentucky Mr. Gee? That series had to have lined the wallets of the WVU athletic fund after the Norse barely filled the 10,000-seat BB&T Center to just more than half, 5,089, when then No.16/17 WVU visited lasted season.
Yet WVU thinks playing Marshall outside of Morgantown just isn’t economically smart.
But Huggins’ comment just before the December matchup with the Herd takes the cake, claiming ticket sales are indicative of the fan’s interest in the game.
“What I don’t want to do is get caught up in all that B.S. I want to stay above that,” Huggins joked.
Sorry coach, but the only B.S. here is WVU’s continual bucket of excuses of why it doesn’t want to play Marshall.
Considering ticket sales haven’t dropped below 10,000 since 1999 (9,532) in the 12,337-seat arena, it seems there exists a fan interest for the game.
Its been clearly noted that Marshall fans and administration want the game, but WVU continues to search for excuses of why the game shouldn’t be played. However, the next time WVU fires a claim about lack of fan support for a reason why not to play the game I offer this final thought, perhaps the one to blame is the one staring back in a mirror.
Perhaps a little more subtlety from the administration toward the fans that support the program would go a long way.
"We won 25 games a year ago, made it to the Sweet Sixteen,” Huggins said. “We’re top ten in the country, and people are picking us to go to the Final Four. If people don’t want to come, then fine, don’t come."
With a comment like that, I bet the fans are lining the streets in anticipation for the next Mountaineers matchup.
As a matter of fact they are. The Florida game is sold out, as are the remaining Saturday home games.
And, we make more money drawing 8000 to play JMU in Charleston than we do drawing 11,000 in Charleston playing Marshall.
This is like Pruett all over again ... coach runs his mouth and then everybody bitches and whines and complains that WVU doesn't bend over backwards for Marshall. As the article states ... look in the mirror. This probably wouldn't be an issue if Dumbtoni wouldn't have run his mouth.
As Tony is quick to point out, we played almost all of our OOC games at home or at a neutral site.
What's difficult to understand is exactly why Marshall thinks they deserve anything different than another program of their caliber would get from WVU? Other programs that don't have coaches, administration and fan bases that constantly run their mouths.
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What makes you think Marshall in Morgantown would be a sellout when it isn't a sellout in a closer venue? We can get a home-home with just about anybody that would sell out the Coliseum and be a nationally televised game, elevate our status/ranking when we win, etc. ala UCLA.
You need us ... we don't need you.
What exactly does Marshall bring to the table that benefits WVU's program?
Nothing. End of story. That's reality.
Anything else is just spin on your part to try to paint Marshall as anything other than what it is.
Laughable that we need you in anything. We do just fine with or without you. You blowhards sure do inflate your own self importance don't you?
Now just a damn minute, WTE, the Herd had over 5000 fans at their last game. At home.
I'm predicting as many as 6500 for their next game. At home.
BTW, when do they play again?
You're the ones crying because the series is ending ... quoting articles and whatnot. Seems like we are pretty damn important to James Collier, and important enough for you to copy the whole damn article into the post.
Rings hollow to do that and then accuse us of inflating our own self importance.
"back to back to back" ... sound familiar? You're so happy you got more points than us in the final tally you've repeated it 100 times ... but you don't need us?
![[roll]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/roll.r191677.gif "roll [roll]")
You're the ones crying because the series is ending ... quoting articles and whatnot. Seems like we are pretty damn important to James Collier, and important enough for you to copy the whole damn article into the post.
Rings hollow to do that and then accuse us of inflating our own self importance.
"back to back to back" ... sound familiar? You're so happy you got more points than us in the final tally you've repeated it 100 times ... but you don't need us?
Are you really that stupid. The article and the subject was about your administration and fan base citing every reason they could find not to play it. I don't think anyone of us really cares to play you its just fun pointing out the flaws, lies, and stupidity for the reasons given. Moron, the back to back to back is proof enough we don't need you.
back to back to back ... what? Exactly? You ended up with more points than us ... not championships, not major bowl victories, not top 10 finishes ... but you don't need us. Without us, back to back to back what?
Again ... an article about us not wanting to play is so important you have to copy it here ... but you don't care and don't need us.
You say "stupid" and "moron", but lack the ability to see that there weren't any "flaws, lies and stupidity" in the reasons given.
We make more getting 8000 people in Charleston to watch us play JMU than we do getting 11,000 playing Marshall. That's reality, there is no lie there. Furthermore, if the opponent is an NC State or another high profile team, we have a better chance of getting it nationally televised.
I could go through every supposed "point" in the article and show how they are in error.
Not to mention ... the whole thing means so little to you that you have to start hurling attempts at insults in your posts.
JAMES MADISON 4683
AKRON 4631
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4391
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4553
NC CENTRAL 4178
vs West Virginia 11748
WKU 4623
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 4577
FIU 5127
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 5724
Average Home Attendance 4720
Capital Classic 11748
Your average home attendance is WELL under half the attendance for the Capital Classic .... but you don't need us.
AKRON 4631
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4391
EASTERN KENTUCKY 4553
NC CENTRAL 4178
vs West Virginia 11748
WKU 4623
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 4577
FIU 5127
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 5724
Average Home Attendance 4720
Capital Classic 11748
Your average home attendance is WELL under half the attendance for the Capital Classic .... but you don't need us.
Every WVU-MU contest in both Men's sports that have been played in Huntington in the 40 years has been SRO and at premium ticket prices. However, I agree that neither team " needs" the game....in fact it's only a game!
It is just a game ... and if we're talking lame excuses/reasons for/against a series, "it's good for the state" has to be at the top of the list.
Neither game does anything at all for WVU ... they just don't. And "the state" would be better served by both teams bringing fans from outside of the state into the state.
So it's settled it doesn't nothing for either school and we don't need each other at all. I'm ok with that
...but it's what the state wants to see! At some level college sports are about entertainment....nothing more, why not give the folks what they want to see. After all they ultimately foot the bill for both schools!
I'm not sure most of the state really cares one way or another, and I don't know of too many WVU fans that really WANT to see it continue ... otherwise they'd be blowing up Shane Lyon's, Gee's, Holg's, Hugg's phones. Doesn't seem like that's happening.
The people that foot the bill for WVU aren't pining for it.
Both games are a lose-lose proposition for WVU ... they do nothing for us whatsoever other than state "bragging rights", which means absolutely nothing on the national scale. State bragging rights in football would mean something in Texas, and in basketball it would mean something in NC, but it doesn't mean anything here.
Just think about this, it took WVU to just around ww1 to attain the same amount of attendance as Marshall. This is even after the state was doing everything it could with wads of cash being poured into Morgantown all the while denying Marshall, university status for close to 50 years and also trying to block the medical and pharmacy schools in more recent times.
Why were WVU fans camped out on Marshalls smack board? Why do other states that have teams play each other even though they are in different conferences? Why doesn't Kansas want to play witchita state?
You think the WV guy who didn't go to either great school or who didn't go to college at all would rather see WVU-MU or WVU- NKU? I have to believe it's the former. I understand people who are vested in WVU don't want the game.
he's right....none of our fans our interested and you have no fans outside of Huntington....sounds about right to me
You're the ones crying because the series is ending ... quoting articles and whatnot. Seems like we are pretty damn important to James Collier, and important enough for you to copy the whole damn article into the post.
Rings hollow to do that and then accuse us of inflating our own self importance.
"back to back to back" ... sound familiar? You're so happy you got more points than us in the final tally you've repeated it 100 times ... but you don't need us?
"That's a win for Moral V" -Marine03
You sure are dumb. It's not a coincidence we all make fun of the kid in the corner that wears the dunce hat.
At 15-21, you know all about getting your asses kicked.
"We're just honored to be on the same playing field as the big boys, derp!" - WVu fans
Says an MVU fan whose team is 0-12 against WVU.
Also, MVU had to drop to below FCS-like schedules in order to have just a minute semblance of "success", as its fans flow here to rack up some moral victories.
"We play for moral victories!" -Moral V fans
Then I will assume this will be your last look-in, post, comment, inquiry, or whine, about WVU on this or any other sports forum(although it appears you live here)......Your quest from the labyrinth of irrelevance has but one ending, as it always has.......Run you cur....
Maybe if you spent half as much time worrying about your conference opponents as you do Marshall, you would actually win some games.
Then again, that's a huge maybe.
