tribecalledquest wrote:RoyalShock wrote:Three other reasons for playing at IBA that hasn't been mentioned yet here, but has been mentioned by Marshall:
1. The players like playing there.
2. Marshall likes to bring recruits to that game.
3. It's not part of the season ticket package so it's additional $$$ in WSU's pocket.
It's fairly well-known that it was a requirement to the Tennessee series, so it may very well have been a requirement of both the OSU and OU series. But there are several additional advantages to playing a game there for WSU.
The question is, why is playing there a requirement to these schools? It doesn't help get the game on TV. It may allow a few of their fans to attend, but let's be honest. How many UTenn/OU/OSU fans are going to attend an away basketball game before they've played their bowl game? The only reason that really makes sense is they think it helps to mitigate the Koch Arena advantage. I'm not sure that's true, seeing as how WSU is undefeated in IBA.
If it's not a part of the season ticket package I have a hard time calling it a "home game". Koch Arena is the home arena. Again, its semantics but its not a true home and home.
Right, wrong or indifferent 95% of the schools would rather play a game at an "in city" arena than on the other teams regular home court.
Meh. It's not part of the season ticket package because they tried that once and it was a disaster. Mapping seating from one arena to the other didn't work, and people were mad. So now they don't include it, but open sales to season ticket holders well before the general public.
I would imagine both WSU and OU want to play in IBA in 2017-2018 as it is an NCAA site that year. Familiarity can only help.
End of the day, WSU is absolutely going to play at least 1 game at IBA every year so long as Marshall is here, because he likes it. And selling 15k tickets is a little harder for South Carolina State.