Blogs › Buffzone Blog
Buffs going bowling, are you?
Posted November 26, 2007
![KYLE RINGO373[1]](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1282/1339606186_8edb1020c0_t.jpg)
Now that the Buffs have earned a bowl trip, I'm wondering how many fans will actually make the trip.
I'm not ripping anyone or trying to be negative when I say this, but CU has a reputation for poor fan support at both bowl games and at Big 12 Championship games it has played in in the past.
I know a ton of factors contribute to this. I mean, people in the Boulder-Denver area just have many more options in terms of what they spend their time and money doing for entertainment than people from Waco, Texas; Lincoln, Neb.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Manhattan, Kan. That's just the way it is.
Bowl games also are played around the holidays when people have plans to be with family and generally don't have a ton of disposable income.
Having said that, I have always kind of felt like those issues are a bit of a cop out and something some CU officials tend to use as an excuse for failing to energize fans and improve attendance and support for the team at these games.
So what I want to know from Buffs fans is, are you considering going to see the Buffs in a bowl game this year, even though we don't yet know where it is or who they might play?
What has to happen to convince you to go? Does it have to be for all the marbles -- a national championship? Does it have to be a warm weather place such as Tempe, Ariz., as opposed to a place that can be chilly such as Shreveport, La.?
I'd love to hear why you think CU has never developed the sort of following to these games that a Kansas State, Oklahoma State or Kansas might enjoy?
...
About a week ago, a regular reader e-mailed me with a great story idea that I will do. I won't share it now cause I don't want to give it away to the competition.
Anyway, it got me thinking that I ought to occasionally remind readers that you all should feel free to share your ideas with me either via e-mail or in the story commenting at the end of the blog.
I know most of the requests will be for recruiting stories and that's fine. Just let me know what you're interested in reading. You can e-mail me ideas, questions for the mailbag and complaints (not that you would have any, right?) to ringok@dailycamera.com.
Another reader wanted to know if I would continue to do football related mailbags in the offseason. The answer is, yes. You can ask me anything about CU sports any time of year, and I'll do my best to answer your questions.
...
Here are a few links to some interesting blogs around the Big 12 Conference and the rest of college football, including coach Dan Hawkins' blog.
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below -- responsibility lies with the relevant reader alone. Read our privacy agreement.
Posted by phatmack on November 26, 2007 at 2:23 p.m.
Kyle:
For me, it would be hard to get off of work and take the vacation time. We're always short handed around the holidays so it is tough to get the time off, unless you get a vacation request in ahead of time. I wonder if others experience the same issue...
Regardless, I'd LOVE to go... I'd go if I could get the time off work and had the money to spare for travel.
Oh well, I'll watch it on TV and hope the snow is falling so I can ski/snowboard on the days not spent traveling! ;)
Posted by JimmytheBuffalo on November 26, 2007 at 2:49 p.m.
I think one of the primary reasons is that, sadly, the Buffs have too much competition from pro sports in the Denver area for anyone to care enough to travel. Compare this with other college campuses in the Big XII and that's your reason - Boulder is too close to Denver, and gets page 5 sports page coverage. We don't even sell out home games let alone travel well to bowl games. You can count me in, though - I'll be at the bowl game as always, no matter where it is. Give me college sports over pro sports any day.
Posted by SnowBuff on November 26, 2007 at 3:47 p.m.
Depends on where it is... Being west coast centered (and not getting vacation days), most bowl games are not in my financial reach. My only hope is really the insight bowl... Hell ya baby!
Posted by LJBUFFS on November 26, 2007 at 4:29 p.m.
I'm going to try my hardest to go. I hate the fact that CU doesn't have a strong crowd at road games. I did make it to the Big 12 Champioship game @ Arrowhead. If we go to the Insight bowl, i'll be there. I also think that as a Buff fan it's my duty to be there.
Posted by bzainthemd on November 26, 2007 at 5:42 p.m.
I live on the east coast, and I've gone to 3 of the past 4 and have had a blast. I do however think that CU should make it a better experience for us alumns, such as more organized parties, tailgates, hotel deals, airline deals (if possible), and anything else that would let us know that this is going to be a CU event and not just show up to the game. I know I was kind of jealous of what Wisconsin had going on a few years back at the Alamo Bowl. I will try to be there, but as others said, these mid-level bowls are played mid week a lot of times when people can't get off work or are planning vacation elsewhere for New Years. I'll try my best.
GO BUFFS.
Posted by DallasBuff on November 26, 2007 at 6:25 p.m.
To say the reason that Buffs fans do not travel to see games because of competition is bogus. I live in Dallas, and the support you see from UT fans is the model we should be striving to achieve. These fans have MORE choices than CU fans in Denver (and most places) to spend their money on sporting events. These folks are die-hards...and well-educated (unlike other Big 12 schools that I will not name). CU needs to figure out a way to tap into the alumni in Colorado and elsewhere. We should take pride in saying we are Buffs. Once that happens, the support will come. It starts with building winning programs in football AND basketball.
Posted by IAM4CUINIOWA on November 26, 2007 at 7:39 p.m.
Hey Kyle,
I'm gonna do my darnedest to get there, wherever there is. With living in Iowa and having season tickets, and making 4 home games already this year(including the Neb. game - Great game by the way!), my finances have taken a little hit. But if I can make it happen, which I usually will find a way, and if my wife and I can get someone to stay with the 5 kids, we will be there!
We've made it to 2 Big XII Championship games (Dallas in '01 and K.C. in '04), but no Bowl games yet. So this could be the one!
So as for us, it usually comes down to those 2 things, kids and $$.
We hope to see you there this year! Go Buffs!
Dave Casotti
Posted by rbboulder on November 26, 2007 at 9:09 p.m.
I have been to the Big XII ch games. I will go this year to the bowl. Wherever it is. A warm place with things to do helps in the decission. I hope is Tempe, you can fly or drive
Posted by JimmytheBuffalo on November 27, 2007 at 7:44 a.m.
DallasBuff - the distance from Dallas to Austin is 200 miles; Denver to Boulder is 25. If there were no Broncos, Rockies, Nugggets, and Avalanche in Denver, the Buff following in Colorado would be like Bronco Mania. If people have only one team to support (eg Nebraska, KSU, OU, and yes, I'd even throw in UT) plus toss in the fact that Texas has over twice the alumni base as CU, and there are the primarly reasons for the larger following. I'm not saying I'm happy about it, but that's reality. Again, as a CU alum, I'll do my part again this year - it's not only fun for me and my family, but the boys deserve our support, especially the seniors.
Posted by rnorthro14 on November 27, 2007 at 7:51 a.m.
Its pretty clear that more CU fans are likely to go "bowling" if the location is in Tempe. That being said, I will be investigating packages to make it down there if CU finds themselves in the Insight Bowl.
I agree that the competition argument is weak. I would place the blame on the two previous athletic administrations. Neither Tharp nor Marolt were very big on PR and fostering/building fan relations.
Posted by trubuff on November 27, 2007 at 8:44 a.m.
Another problem is that schools like UT, NU, KSU, etc. have a huge percentage of students who are from that state and then live in that state after college. CU is different, we have a huge out of state percentage of students who move somewhere else after college and lose touch with CU, which is too bad. I live here but none of my friends who I went to school with live here. That being said I think if the school helped out with package deals and lots of get-togethers at the bowl game it would help.
Posted by KyleRingo on November 27, 2007 at 9:16 a.m.
Thanks for all your responses. I can totally relate to a lot of these issues, especially the money part. Like I said in the blog, it's already an expensive time of year. Sounds like CU has plans to change things this time and add some perks for fans who travel. I'm still waiting to hear the details on it. Trubuff makes a very good point about the percentage of in-state students. That is a problem for CU.
Posted by esoldinger on November 27, 2007 at 10:14 a.m.
If they play in Arizona or Southern California, our six family members from California will be at the game.
Posted by archalon on November 27, 2007 at 11:36 a.m.
CU fans and grads tend to be productive members of society with careers, family and responsibilities. It is hard to justify.
Ive been to 5 games in 3 years - which is tough enough to do with air travel from the upper midwest, time off work and the fact that cost of living continues to soar everywhere.Reality is that travelling for a bowl game is a luxury most cant afford.
Doesnt mean we dont love our team, but even Shrevport is a 1100 mile drive from where Im at and airfare would be $500 dollars. What would it be to Arizona over the holidays ?
Think Id rather pay my mortgage, thank you
Posted by cubuffone on November 28, 2007 at 9:09 p.m.
The last two times we went to a bowl fans received information ahead of time. Unfortunately the bowls were unexciting and or very far and coming of a very rough patch of negative publicity for the program. You may recall that our Fiesta Bowl trips were well attended.
This year however I did not receve any bowl info with my season tickets- I guess the Bohner and his staff were anticipating another 2-10 season. what happened to reaching out to the fans and making things positive and customer friendly. Is it just hot air from the AD?
Posted by Imabuffalo on November 18, 2008 at 6:48 p.m.
For those of you who think some of us fans are just "whining" and Bohn doesn't read our comments.... Maybe HE SHOULD. Afterall, we're the ones putting out all of the money that goes into this pathetic program... BOHN: Bring Back Barnett!!!