Pros and Cons of playing “neutral” site games.

[Vfl2407]

With the Nashville Virginia game looking like it won’t be a sellout, thought I’d look at this.
Our neutral site games are usually in Nashville, Atlanta, or Charlotte.

Pros
Those cities are very important in recruiting.
Players from those areas get a game in front of family and friends.
Players get to play in a Pro Stadium (although some might also argue this as a con because of poor condition of turf in some stadiums).
Media coverage in those cities where we recruit.
Rewards UT fans in those areas with a game near their homes.

Cons
These games rarely sellout especially if we play a team that doesn’t travel well (eg. this year vs UVA).
Takes away a game of probable 90k-100k from UTAD coffers.
Travel costs to take team, staff, band, cheerleaders, etc. to another city.
Hurts the Knoxville and East Tennessee economy (Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, etc.).
One less opportunity to show off Neyland and UT facilities to recruits on official and unofficial visits.

Any other pros and cons you have?
So, where do you come down on this? Yes, or No on neutral field games.
I will post a poll.

 

[Sudden Impact]

It's all about recruiting.
Sell Outs debatable as we travel well.
Normally a marquee game with great Media Coverage.

Pros outweigh the Cons

 

[72 KPT VOL]

Another con:
Devalues season tickets by eliminating best non conference game from package.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Another con:
Devalues season tickets by eliminating best non conference game from package.

The product on the field devalues season tickets not a neutral site game. If you head into the Alabama game 5-0 or 6-0 do you think that is a devalued product?

 

[TAF]

I prefer Home/Home against BETTER teams which gives a chance to experience other types of college football OUTSIDE the South i.e. recent Norman, Autzen...

Would be great to have a Home/Home WITH Virginia Tech (although Bristol was an AMAZING atmosphere...it was better as a once in a lifetime...Wisconsin? USC or UCLA? Now with "Prime" out there...Colorado?

 

[72 KPT VOL]

Home and home against Power 5 teams is by far best for season ticket holders. Would a season ticket holder prefer to have a game at Neyland against Austin Peay or UCLA?
The quality of team is obviously important but not same issue.
Speaking as a former 40 year season ticket holder who dropped out partly because of recent tendency to move big non conference games out of package.

 

[Ratvol]

Pro: Recruiting, Recruiting, Recruiting....

GO VOLS!!!

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Cons: I thought what you could do with recruits at neutral sites are limited?

 

[BreatheUT]

With the Nashville Virginia game looking like it won’t be a sellout, thought I’d look at this.
Our neutral site games are usually in Nashville, Atlanta, or Charlotte.

Pros
Those cities are very important in recruiting.
Players from those areas get a game in front of family and friends.
Players get to play in a Pro Stadium (although some might also argue this as a con because of poor condition of turf in some stadiums).
Media coverage in those cities where we recruit.
Rewards UT fans in those areas with a game near their homes.

Cons
These games rarely sellout especially if we play a team that doesn’t travel well (eg. this year vs UVA).
Takes away a game of probable 90k-100k from UTAD coffers.
Travel costs to take team, staff, band, cheerleaders, etc. to another city.
Hurts the Knoxville and East Tennessee economy (Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, etc.).
One less opportunity to show off Neyland and UT facilities to recruits on official and unofficial visits.

Any other pros and cons you have?
So, where do you come down on this? Yes, or No on neutral field games.
I will post a poll.

Probably should've given posters an indifferent voting option.

 

[VolInDayton]

Probably should've given posters an indifferent voting option.

I don't know if I'm being asked if I approve or disapprove and the answers are yes or no.

 

[BreatheUT]

I don't know if I'm being asked if I approve or disapprove and the answers are yes or no.

Well it's do you like preseason type neutral games or not?

Some don't care as much as others so it's not a direct yea or nah. The poll sorta leaves that group out which could be a significant number.

The OP is probably just adding Pros/Cons for perspective to help voters reach a conclusion that may not have thought that hard about it.

 

[Vol865]

I'm tired of playing in Nashville all of the time especially.

 

[Volador]

As long as the neutral site/s is Nashville, there really cannot be any cons.

 

[Vfl2407]

Neutral site. Yes is approve.
No is disapprove.
I gave my pros and cons but those are just my own opinions.

 

[LordBolton]

Unfortunately the neutral sites are all far away from me. Charlotte is tolerable, but Nashville or Atlanta are overnight trips, which I'm not going to make to watch a beatdown of Virginia. If it were a big game like FSU, OSU, ND, or something I could justify it.

 

[fossilfiction]

One per season is good for the university and other cities. I would prefer it not to be in Nashville though. Tennessee goes to Nashville too damn much.

 

[sjt18]

See no reason that UT fans alone shouldn't make both venues a sellout. Turning a neutral site into a home field impresses recruits and others that matter like bowl committees.

 

[dobre_shunka]

I'm tired of playing in Nashville all of the time especially.

Amen to that. The UVA game will be 7th game in 8 years. Enough already

 

[Vfl2407]

See no reason that UT fans alone shouldn't make both venues a sellout. Turning a neutral site into a home field impresses recruits and others that matter like bowl committees.

The 11am central time kickoff doesn’t help.

 

[TrumpedUpVol]

I think it's important to play the occasional neutral site game in Nashville for a variety of reasons (recruit exposure, proximity to parts of the fan base who live in West/Middle Tennessee, et cetera), but I don't think it needs to be a P5 game. I'd rather have a home/home P5 with a notable program and play Austin Peay or UConn in Nashville.

I don't know anything about the finances driving the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff or Duke's Mayo Classic, so while I think playing in those markets is good I guess I'd question whether it's financially worth giving up a home game.

 

[VFLCodyGBO]

The product on the field devalues season tickets not a neutral site game. If you head into the Alabama game 5-0 or 6-0 do you think that is a devalued product?

Objectively, yea…1…fewer…home…game

 

[Volfan1000]

With the Nashville Virginia game looking like it won’t be a sellout, thought I’d look at this.
Our neutral site games are usually in Nashville, Atlanta, or Charlotte.

Pros
Those cities are very important in recruiting.
Players from those areas get a game in front of family and friends.
Players get to play in a Pro Stadium (although some might also argue this as a con because of poor condition of turf in some stadiums).
Media coverage in those cities where we recruit.
Rewards UT fans in those areas with a game near their homes.

Cons
These games rarely sellout especially if we play a team that doesn’t travel well (eg. this year vs UVA).
Takes away a game of probable 90k-100k from UTAD coffers.
Travel costs to take team, staff, band, cheerleaders, etc. to another city.
Hurts the Knoxville and East Tennessee economy (Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, etc.).
One less opportunity to show off Neyland and UT facilities to recruits on official and unofficial visits.

Any other pros and cons you have?
So, where do you come down on this? Yes, or No on neutral field games.
I will post a poll.

Denying Tennessee fans a road trip to Provo and see the BYU campus and stadium and perhaps do some other activities in Provo along with getting a few prospective recruits from Utah is a big CON in my book.

 

[KINGSVOL]

I'd rather us play neutral site games at someplace worth while, say at Jerry world against USC or at Green Bay against UNC or Wrigley Field against FSU. Get outta the box!!!!!
And while we're at it SEC Comsih, drop the neutral sit advantage game between UGA and FL. pure garbage and completely unfair to the rest of the SEC!!!!

 

[dobre_shunka]

Denying Tennessee fans a road trip to Provo and see the BYU campus and stadium and perhaps do some other activities in Provo along with getting a few prospective recruits from Utah is a big CON in my book.

I was looking forward to a trip to Utah also. Very disappointed that game was canceled especially for yet another game in Nashville against a third tier ACC opponent that no one really cares about. I get it's all about the money with the neutral sites but Danny White needs to start scheduling some OOC away games in addition to the Nebraska and Washington games.

 

[Vol865]

I was looking forward to a trip to Utah also. Very disappointed that game was canceled especially for yet another game in Nashville against a third tier ACC opponent that no one really cares about. I get it's all about the money with the neutral sites but Danny White needs to start scheduling some OOC away games in addition to the Nebraska and Washington games.

I miss home and homes with schools like Miami, UCLA, and Cal