Gotta ask a question......

[DBAR4WVU]

One point I think that is missed in all this reflection on the BE and WVUs place in it is this.... the Big East was competative. The 4 or 5 teams at the top (sometimes 3, sometimes 4, etc.) we very good at times. Even with the 3 losers depature, the BE was a hard road to navigate.

And while everyone from other conferences ragged on how weak the BE was, BE teams consistantly beat them in OOC games and in the bowls. I think the perception of BE weakness was a little exagerated.

 

[Slaton10]

I honestly don't understand why it matters how far away our conference opponents are. Do fans of Pac 12 schools like Zona, ASU, UW, WSU look at this as a negative? I live in Syracuse, it wasn't like a ton of WVU fans came in for every game in the Dome. It wasn't like a ton of BE fans traveled to Motown. Shit… there have been more Big 12 fans filling up their section than BE fans ever did.

Slaton is absolutely right… after the traitor schools left… how many years was WVU picked to win the BE? How many years did WVU finish lower than 2nd?

You can add to that how many fans traveled to UCONN, USF, Rutgers or Louisville?

Maybe it's easy to say, well they "Felt" close enough to get to....really? Who's driving to Tampa, or Storrs or Louisville?...It's just a different name on the gate you go to at the airport...and frankly how many away games does one household attend anyhow?..one or two if they make a bowl game?


Maybe Geographically the ACC would have been easier, but that would have been the only conference that would have served that purpose...

Who's driving to Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, Auburn Starkville or Baton Rouge? Or Iowa City, East Lansing Ann Arbour or Chicago?

It's all the same...it's an airplane ride if we are any other conference no different than the BIG12

 

[wvu_man]

You can add to that how many fans traveled to UCONN, USF, Rutgers or Louisville?

Maybe it's easy to say, well they "Felt" close enough to get to....really? Who's driving to Tampa, or Storrs or Louisville?...It's just a different name on the gate you go to at the airport...and frankly how many away games does one household attend anyhow?..one or two if they make a bowl game?


Maybe Geographically the ACC would have been easier, but that would have been the only conference that would have served that purpose...

Who's driving to Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, Auburn Starkville or Baton Rouge? Or Iowa City, East Lansing Ann Arbour or Chicago?

It's all the same...it's an airplane ride if we are any other conference no different than the BIG12

I've thought same thing about the argument of the distance that the team has to travel. I'm not sure how often the team took a plane to games in the BE (maybe South Florida??) but I would rather get on a plane and fly 3-4 hours to TX than ride a bus for 6 hours to Louisville. It may cost more to fly athletes but we're making a lot more $$ in the Big XII too.

 

[bbwvfan]

Prior to WVU's game against TT, Dana was asked about the difficulty of traveling to Lubbock. He commented… to paraphrase… it is a 2 1/2 hr plane ride. We spent 4 hrs on a bus to Maryland.

 

[DCWV4life]

The travel thing has always been one of those arguments for the people who hate everything about the changes Luck has implemented. As pointed out, any power 5 conf besides the ACC would have had great travel burdens on fans. Honestly though the people who have complained about the travel are more than likely people who never went to away games. Seems like we are still traveling with a pretty good group of fans on away games and I know the other Big 12 teams are coming with a pretty full allotment.

 

[WVUDAD]

Prior to WVU's game against TT, Dana was asked about the difficulty of traveling to Lubbock. He commented… to paraphrase… it is a 2 1/2 hr plane ride. We spent 4 hrs on a bus to Maryland.

YET, two years ago, the quartet complained that back to back trips to Texas is what started the freefall, and dad pointed out that a three hour plane ride is less stressful on the team than a four hour bus ride.... WOW. The travel sucks for the fans and the Olympic sport athletes, NOT the football players.............

 

[bbwvfan]

One point I think that is missed in all this reflection on the BE and WVUs place in it is this.... the Big East was competative. The 4 or 5 teams at the top (sometimes 3, sometimes 4, etc.) we very good at times. Even with the 3 losers depature, the BE was a hard road to navigate.

And while everyone from other conferences ragged on how weak the BE was, BE teams consistantly beat them in OOC games and in the bowls. I think the perception of BE weakness was a little exagerated.

Were you aware that the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee had to grant the BE a waiver for the 2004-2007 evaluation period in order for the conference to retain its AQ status?

Were you aware that the BE would not have passed the criteria to retain its AQ status for the next evaluation period unless TCU was added and the conference was granted permission to include its record from 2008-2011 while playing in the MWC?

The BE had the worst bowl arrangements among the AQ conferences. Not much to brag about…

 

[WVUDAD]

The travel thing has always been one of those arguments for the people who hate everything about the changes Luck has implemented. As pointed out, any power 5 conf besides the ACC would have had great travel burdens on fans. Honestly though the people who have complained about the travel are more than likely people who never went to away games. Seems like we are still traveling with a pretty good group of fans on away games and I know the other Big 12 teams are coming with a pretty full allotment.

I live in Columbus, and used to go to SOME away games, sPitt, UL, 'Cuse, Cinci several times. I went down here to the shoe when WVU came here to play OSU, Ive been to VPI, went to Purdue when we played there, but I cant afford the time to go to Texas or Oklahoma to see an away game.

 

[bbwvfan]

YET, two years ago, the quartet complained that back to back trips to Texas is what started the freefall, and dad pointed out that a three hour plane ride is less stressful on the team than a four hour bus ride.... WOW. The travel sucks for the fans and the Olympic sport athletes, NOT the football players.............

How does the travel suck for the fans? Because they can't get into a car and drive? I see as many Mountaineer fans at away games as I saw when WVU played in the BE.

Big difference between now and two years ago DAD. WVU returned from the Texas game at 5am… on Sunday. Had to turn around and travel back to Lubbock that Friday. Essentially lost two days of prep for TT.

Wonder why we don't see WVU traveling on back to back weeks this year….

 

[DCWV4life]

Were you aware that the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee had to grant the BE a waiver for the 2004-2007 evaluation period in order for the conference to retain its AQ status?

…

Were you aware that the ACC did not pass the same requirements put in place for the BE?

 

[DCWV4life]

I would love to know when I have ever said we lost because of travel????

I don't think travel is that hard at all, which you obviously agree with.

 

[WVUDAD]

How does the travel suck for the fans? Because they can't get into a car and drive? I see as many Mountaineer fans at away games as I saw when WVU played in the BE.

Big difference between now and two years ago DAD. WVU returned from the Texas game at 5am… on Sunday. Had to turn around and travel back to Lubbock that Friday. Essentially lost two days of prep for TT.

Wonder why we don't see WVU traveling on back to back weeks this year….

OHHHHHH, so BB says that instance travel caused great issue, but doesn't now???? The team has ALWAYS, from EVERY away game returned in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and left Friday for where they play Saturday, excuses, excuses. Hell, last year we went to Kansas, a two hour plane ride, got back early Sunday, then left Friday to go to Ft worth, a two and a half hour plane ride and won...................

 

[wvu_man]

How does the travel suck for the fans? Because they can't get into a car and drive? I see as many Mountaineer fans at away games as I saw when WVU played in the BE.

Big difference between now and two years ago DAD. WVU returned from the Texas game at 5am… on Sunday. Had to turn around and travel back to Lubbock that Friday. Essentially lost two days of prep for TT.

Wonder why we don't see WVU traveling on back to back weeks this year….

I think there was a learning curve on creating the schedule to help us out. I believe it has got a lot better this year.

I live in Columbus, and used to go to SOME away games, sPitt, UL, 'Cuse, Cinci several times. I went down here to the shoe when WVU came here to play OSU, Ive been to VPI, went to Purdue when we played there, but I cant afford the time to go to Texas or Oklahoma to see an away game.

Personally, my wife and I do pretty well financially but I still couldn't afford to go every away game even if we were still in the BE. There are plenty of great home games to go to now that I can't really see how people would complain about the distance. For example, the 3 home game ticket package this year included Oklahoma, Baylor, and K-State...potentially 3 TOP TEN opponents that I get to see for $175!! I'll leave the travel to those who can afford it...the upper class and retired old farts lol

 

[bbwvfan]

Were you aware that the ACC did not pass the same requirements put in place for the BE?

No I wasn't. I have looked at this several times, and not once saw that.

 

[bbwvfan]

OHHHHHH, so BB says that instance travel caused great issue, but doesn't now???? The team has ALWAYS, from EVERY away game returned in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and left Friday for where they play Saturday, excuses, excuses. Hell, last year we went to Kansas, a two hour plane ride, got back early Sunday, then left Friday to go to Ft worth, a two and a half hour plane ride and won...................

What??

You are getting agitated DAD… and you're not making sense… nor are your facts accurate. Calm down.

WVU didn't return home in the wee hours from its game in Maryland this year. Nor the game in Lubbock.

It did not return in the wee hours after the game in Kansas last year.

Those games were all noon KO's.

After the most recent TT game, the WVU players were home by 7:30pm.

 

[GoldRusher]

You can add to that how many fans traveled to UCONN, USF, Rutgers or Louisville?

Maybe it's easy to say, well they "Felt" close enough to get to....really? Who's driving to Tampa, or Storrs or Louisville?...It's just a different name on the gate you go to at the airport...and frankly how many away games does one household attend anyhow?..one or two if they make a bowl game?


Maybe Geographically the ACC would have been easier, but that would have been the only conference that would have served that purpose...

Who's driving to Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, Auburn Starkville or Baton Rouge? Or Iowa City, East Lansing Ann Arbour or Chicago?

It's all the same...it's an airplane ride if we are any other conference no different than the BIG12

That's true, IMHO I think a lot of that perception is from our (the CFB fan, myself included) indoctrination of CFB being regional. That's how it began and evolved so it "feels" like you should play everyone in you imidiate area but obviously in the modern era that's not the case at all.

 

[DCWV4life]

No I wasn't. I have looked at this several times, and not once saw that.

Yep and not one word because of TV money.

 

[bbwvfan]

How did the ACC fail to meet the criteria?

 

[Slaton10]

That's true, IMHO I think a lot of that perception is from our (the CFB fan, myself included) indoctrination of CFB being regional. That's how it began and evolved so it "feels" like you should play everyone in you imidiate area but obviously in the modern era that's not the case at all.

Well BBW made a great point about the Pac 12 err 16 whatever they are now, they have always traveled great distances to play each other....so to in the Big10...

The Big East had the least distance to travel among any of the other conferences...again..other than the ACC..

The Big12 even with it's original members still had to travel to Nebraska, Colorado and Mizzou..