01-21-2008, 01:20 PM
After chewing around on this Texas Tech cancellation issue in my mind for the last few days, my thinking (which may be all wrong) is that TU is playing Arkansas as a negotiationg chip with Oklahoma State.
Tulsa previously agreed to play Okla State 2-1 in football PROVIDED OSU play TU 2-2 in basketball with one of the basketbal games in Tulsa to be played in the new downtown 18,000 seat Bank of Oklahoma arena...TU to keep all monies from ticket sales from that BOA Arena game.
This, I thought, would lay down the foundation how contracts would be written for future games. But, then, Ok State came back to extend the football series but 2-1 and no basketball games or other concessions. The TU AD publicly stated that he did not want to schedule that far in advance. To me, this was a very polite way to tell OSU to go to heck (TU has games with ISU and Vanderbilt schedule far out in the future as proposed by OSU). It appears to me that OSU tightened its negotiating stance, and TU rejected that.
But, TU needs another chip to play against OSU....another bargaining chip to get a better deal...and perhaps more money. Enter Arkansas and the Pigs.
By pure happenstance, the Pigs needed a home game because Utah State unexpectedly canceled the contract. The Pigs offered $850,000 to TU....whereas the TT game was worth $150,000. Could this be called a "one time" circumstance? A one time fluke? Or has the Arkansas game developed into something else?
The Pigs appeared and let's call that a fluke. But, I am guessing that TU will now take another look at Arkansas and re-evaluate this past long time series. TU might decide it is better to play @Arkansas annually for $850,000 than to play OSU 2-1. Three years @Arkansas is worth $2,550,000. Tell me, OSU, what is a 2-1 worth to me (Tulsa)? OSU, any offer you make me (TU) has got to be worth something around $2.5 million over a three year period. This one time fluke may evolve into either an annual @Arkansas series....or evolve into a bargaining chip for more concessions/money from OSU.
Tulsa is worth a lot of money to OSU. Playing 2-1, this means Tulsa will play 4 games in a six year period in Stillwater, bring about 10,000-15,000 fans each year or 40,000-60,000 fans over a six year period. At $50 per ticket, that is $2 to $3 million. Tell me, OSU, why should I (Tulsa) give you (OSU) $2 to $3 million in a six year period when @Arkansas gives me (Tulsa) $5.1 million in that same six year period? What is the big difference in playing @Arkansas for six years straight versus playing 4 out of 6 years at Stillwater? For 2 OSU games @Tulsa as compared to Arkansas in a six year period, I (Tulsa) am not going to do the 2-1 OSU deal. You (OSU) have got to put more on the table.
In a six year period, a Big 12 South team will play 3 times in Stillwater. No way, other than U of Okla, will a Big 12 South team bring 30,000-45,000 fans to Stillwater in 3 years of a 6 year period. Neither will Colorado, ISU, or Mizzouri. Nebraska, KU, and KSU come only 1 out of 4 years. Historically, TU has brought more fans to Stillwater than any other team other than OU. And OSU, which has not sold out its 40,000 seat stadium, will expand Pickens Stadium by 15,000 to 55,000 starting in 2008. It was for this reason that OSU probably agreed to resume playing TU.
Playing @Arkansas is problematic. But the circumstances of this series has changed from when TU decided to cancel the series. First, Arkansas is offering a lot more money than it did in the past. In addition, some of the problems for TU with playing @Arkansas have lessened (certainly not gone away). TU runs the no huddle offense...signs on the sidelines are used to send in plays...calling signals won't be the huge problem so much like in the past. (When the Arkansas fans call in the Pigs....sooooweeee, soooooweeee...I remember the OSU radio announcer just stopped calling the game because the noise was overwhelming). Also, TU can bring in a I-AA team to get back to a 1-1 home and home "arrangement" if you will...also made possible by the 12 game schedule and count that I-AA game to be bowl elgible.
As a Tulsa fan, CUSA fans will now call me a hypocrite for what I am going to say next. But let's pretend the city of Tulsa built a 60,000 football stadium and the Pigs agreed to play 1-1. What would happen? Probably the same as what happens playing in Fayetteville. There would be about 25,000 TU fans in attendance and the vast remaing fans in attendance are Arkansas fans. The game atmosphere and noise would be very similar, either in Tulsa or Fayetville. Fayetville is a 2 hour drive. So what I am going to catch heck for now is this statement....I don't mind playing @Arkansas annually. TU wants to recruit the state of Arkansas better...and this @Arkansas series would help...the money would help to increase coaches salaries and, if this helps us hold our coaches, then this provides more stability in the future...and more stability means more future winning records. For this (hypocritical) TU fan, I don't view playing @Arkansas as the body bag game like say Akron playing at Nebraska. It (@Arkansas) is a bit of a different thing. To me, with my Oklahoma background and Tulsa prejudice, it something akin to the proposed OSU/TT series to be played annually in Dallas.
See! I said you would call me a hypocrite for not calling @Arkansas a body bag game. But let me go on with this thread. At one time, TU vs Arkansas was the longest running football series west of the Mississippii. There is a lot of history here. And Tulsa represented the Pigs' longest running nonconference opponent and, just as the case with TT, Tulsa was generally the best nonconference opponent faced by Arkansas. TU became a benchmark to the Pigs...with Tulsa regarded as a very worthy opponent and held in high respect by Arkansas fans. TU and Arkansas have played over 70 football games. To this old guy, I enjoyed the long standing Arkansas/TU series and the OU/Texas in the old Big 8/SWC heydays.....two teams from the state of Oklahoma going against the best of what the state of Arkansas and and the state of Texas had to offer. ...and the best of what the SWC had to offer.
I think the criticism of TU scheduling which has focused on the "ethics" of TU cancelling TT has missed the point. My guess is TU, with its new stadium, good teams, and increased fan interest, is focusing on what to do with Arkansas....and what to do with Oklahoma State....and play one off the other....for TU's long run benefit.
In summary, as a Tulsa fan, I am going to wait and see what happens and I think it will go one of two ways or maybe both. Either Arkansas will reappear as an annual @Arkansas game and/or OSU is going to have to make some concessions from its 2-1 offer. That indication will probably occur with the 2009 football schedule. If @Arkansas appears again on TU's 2009 schedule, this fan will interpret that as a message to OSU to sweeten the pot.
In the old Missouri Valley days and also in recent times, Tulsa has played both Arkansas and OSU annually. I wouldn't mind seeing that happen again.
Speaking of the word hypocrite, please enjoy the following article.
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL ATTEMPTING UTEP BUYOUT
Daily Toreador, January 23, 2001
(Posted by Gold on Tulsa Scout Board)
"Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach and Athletic Director Gerald Myers are in the process of trying to revamp the 2001 Red Raiders schedule to help with the Tech budget."
"Originally, the Raiders were to travel to far West Texas to play the University of Texas-El Paso on Sept. 15 but Leach and Myers are hoping to pay a $50,000 penalty fee to UTEP to get out of the game and replace it with a home game."
"Although there are still trying, an agreement has yet to be reached."
".....Right now it is pretty late and schedules are full, Myers said. We would like to bring in a team that could make us $200,000 or $300,000. Right now we are hoping to locate one that might help our needs."
"The contract was inked in 1989 and featured Tech playing UTEP in 1998 in Jones Stadium and the Raiders returning the favor by playing at the Sun Bowl in 2001."
"If the buyout becomes official, Tech will not be breaking the contract because the agreement also incorporated a buyout clause."
Tulsa previously agreed to play Okla State 2-1 in football PROVIDED OSU play TU 2-2 in basketball with one of the basketbal games in Tulsa to be played in the new downtown 18,000 seat Bank of Oklahoma arena...TU to keep all monies from ticket sales from that BOA Arena game.
This, I thought, would lay down the foundation how contracts would be written for future games. But, then, Ok State came back to extend the football series but 2-1 and no basketball games or other concessions. The TU AD publicly stated that he did not want to schedule that far in advance. To me, this was a very polite way to tell OSU to go to heck (TU has games with ISU and Vanderbilt schedule far out in the future as proposed by OSU). It appears to me that OSU tightened its negotiating stance, and TU rejected that.
But, TU needs another chip to play against OSU....another bargaining chip to get a better deal...and perhaps more money. Enter Arkansas and the Pigs.
By pure happenstance, the Pigs needed a home game because Utah State unexpectedly canceled the contract. The Pigs offered $850,000 to TU....whereas the TT game was worth $150,000. Could this be called a "one time" circumstance? A one time fluke? Or has the Arkansas game developed into something else?
The Pigs appeared and let's call that a fluke. But, I am guessing that TU will now take another look at Arkansas and re-evaluate this past long time series. TU might decide it is better to play @Arkansas annually for $850,000 than to play OSU 2-1. Three years @Arkansas is worth $2,550,000. Tell me, OSU, what is a 2-1 worth to me (Tulsa)? OSU, any offer you make me (TU) has got to be worth something around $2.5 million over a three year period. This one time fluke may evolve into either an annual @Arkansas series....or evolve into a bargaining chip for more concessions/money from OSU.
Tulsa is worth a lot of money to OSU. Playing 2-1, this means Tulsa will play 4 games in a six year period in Stillwater, bring about 10,000-15,000 fans each year or 40,000-60,000 fans over a six year period. At $50 per ticket, that is $2 to $3 million. Tell me, OSU, why should I (Tulsa) give you (OSU) $2 to $3 million in a six year period when @Arkansas gives me (Tulsa) $5.1 million in that same six year period? What is the big difference in playing @Arkansas for six years straight versus playing 4 out of 6 years at Stillwater? For 2 OSU games @Tulsa as compared to Arkansas in a six year period, I (Tulsa) am not going to do the 2-1 OSU deal. You (OSU) have got to put more on the table.
In a six year period, a Big 12 South team will play 3 times in Stillwater. No way, other than U of Okla, will a Big 12 South team bring 30,000-45,000 fans to Stillwater in 3 years of a 6 year period. Neither will Colorado, ISU, or Mizzouri. Nebraska, KU, and KSU come only 1 out of 4 years. Historically, TU has brought more fans to Stillwater than any other team other than OU. And OSU, which has not sold out its 40,000 seat stadium, will expand Pickens Stadium by 15,000 to 55,000 starting in 2008. It was for this reason that OSU probably agreed to resume playing TU.
Playing @Arkansas is problematic. But the circumstances of this series has changed from when TU decided to cancel the series. First, Arkansas is offering a lot more money than it did in the past. In addition, some of the problems for TU with playing @Arkansas have lessened (certainly not gone away). TU runs the no huddle offense...signs on the sidelines are used to send in plays...calling signals won't be the huge problem so much like in the past. (When the Arkansas fans call in the Pigs....sooooweeee, soooooweeee...I remember the OSU radio announcer just stopped calling the game because the noise was overwhelming). Also, TU can bring in a I-AA team to get back to a 1-1 home and home "arrangement" if you will...also made possible by the 12 game schedule and count that I-AA game to be bowl elgible.
As a Tulsa fan, CUSA fans will now call me a hypocrite for what I am going to say next. But let's pretend the city of Tulsa built a 60,000 football stadium and the Pigs agreed to play 1-1. What would happen? Probably the same as what happens playing in Fayetteville. There would be about 25,000 TU fans in attendance and the vast remaing fans in attendance are Arkansas fans. The game atmosphere and noise would be very similar, either in Tulsa or Fayetville. Fayetville is a 2 hour drive. So what I am going to catch heck for now is this statement....I don't mind playing @Arkansas annually. TU wants to recruit the state of Arkansas better...and this @Arkansas series would help...the money would help to increase coaches salaries and, if this helps us hold our coaches, then this provides more stability in the future...and more stability means more future winning records. For this (hypocritical) TU fan, I don't view playing @Arkansas as the body bag game like say Akron playing at Nebraska. It (@Arkansas) is a bit of a different thing. To me, with my Oklahoma background and Tulsa prejudice, it something akin to the proposed OSU/TT series to be played annually in Dallas.
See! I said you would call me a hypocrite for not calling @Arkansas a body bag game. But let me go on with this thread. At one time, TU vs Arkansas was the longest running football series west of the Mississippii. There is a lot of history here. And Tulsa represented the Pigs' longest running nonconference opponent and, just as the case with TT, Tulsa was generally the best nonconference opponent faced by Arkansas. TU became a benchmark to the Pigs...with Tulsa regarded as a very worthy opponent and held in high respect by Arkansas fans. TU and Arkansas have played over 70 football games. To this old guy, I enjoyed the long standing Arkansas/TU series and the OU/Texas in the old Big 8/SWC heydays.....two teams from the state of Oklahoma going against the best of what the state of Arkansas and and the state of Texas had to offer. ...and the best of what the SWC had to offer.
I think the criticism of TU scheduling which has focused on the "ethics" of TU cancelling TT has missed the point. My guess is TU, with its new stadium, good teams, and increased fan interest, is focusing on what to do with Arkansas....and what to do with Oklahoma State....and play one off the other....for TU's long run benefit.
In summary, as a Tulsa fan, I am going to wait and see what happens and I think it will go one of two ways or maybe both. Either Arkansas will reappear as an annual @Arkansas game and/or OSU is going to have to make some concessions from its 2-1 offer. That indication will probably occur with the 2009 football schedule. If @Arkansas appears again on TU's 2009 schedule, this fan will interpret that as a message to OSU to sweeten the pot.
In the old Missouri Valley days and also in recent times, Tulsa has played both Arkansas and OSU annually. I wouldn't mind seeing that happen again.
Speaking of the word hypocrite, please enjoy the following article.
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL ATTEMPTING UTEP BUYOUT
Daily Toreador, January 23, 2001
(Posted by Gold on Tulsa Scout Board)
"Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach and Athletic Director Gerald Myers are in the process of trying to revamp the 2001 Red Raiders schedule to help with the Tech budget."
"Originally, the Raiders were to travel to far West Texas to play the University of Texas-El Paso on Sept. 15 but Leach and Myers are hoping to pay a $50,000 penalty fee to UTEP to get out of the game and replace it with a home game."
"Although there are still trying, an agreement has yet to be reached."
".....Right now it is pretty late and schedules are full, Myers said. We would like to bring in a team that could make us $200,000 or $300,000. Right now we are hoping to locate one that might help our needs."
"The contract was inked in 1989 and featured Tech playing UTEP in 1998 in Jones Stadium and the Raiders returning the favor by playing at the Sun Bowl in 2001."
"If the buyout becomes official, Tech will not be breaking the contract because the agreement also incorporated a buyout clause."