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Why don’t we have a bowl game in Austin?

El Moco

By El Moco
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TKthunder2

TKthunder2 4,980

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1 hour ago, ATexanAbroad said:

every single loser supporting this 1.) doesnt live in Austin and 2.) didnt go to UT

we dont need more of you clogging up our city like you do our board

I live here and went to UT.

If they do it at Q2 Stadium and finally get the rail station built out to downtown then there really shouldn’t be an issue.

DKR or a new downtown build would be a nonstarter. COTA would be dumb as hell.

Like lobo said, if one of the 3 ‘other’ DFW bowls like the Frisco Bowl (formerly the Miami Beach Bowl that ESPN bought and moved to Frisco to save on costs) moved here it wouldn’t be a big deal. This year’s Frisco Bowl was Boise State versus UNT was played Saturday 12/17 at 8:30pm and they hosted a grand total of 12,211 fans. That’s basically a big nothing burger for this city. I could see that being a solid move for all involved.

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Sgt Hulk

Sgt Hulk 13,647

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11 hours ago, El Moco said:

It can be called The Lone Star Bowl sponsored by Dell or the Keep Austin Weird Bowl.  Austin has the stadium, the hotels, the entertainment venues and the fans willing to support it.  I know some will say we have too many bowls already, but with the increased number of FBS football schools, teams will be available.  Just an idea.

BecUse you touch yourself at night 

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Murfdogg21

Murfdogg21 4,412

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Weekends in Austin are already packed with one major event to the next, and highways are always jammed. What’s one more weekend in late December (when UT is out and lot of student have left)? Doing it at the MLS stadium with the Domain and all the breweries close by is kind of cool. Better destination for teams and fans than Shreveport, Detroit, Memphis, or Mobile. 

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19,449

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Another logistical issue would be locker rooms.  Q2's are built out for 23 players plus staff.  Obvious college football teams are vastly larger, plus more staff and medical.  I'm guessing there's some multi-purpose space down there that you could reconfigure temporarily.  There's about 5-6 bowl games now that use either a soccer-first stadium, or a baseball stadium.  

I dunno if any of y'all have ever taken a tour of Fenway Park.  But that locker room is a glorified walk-in closet.  And there's no other extra space down in those caverns.  I''m guessing they use the conference space of a nearby hotel for all the dress-out and prep.  Then bus over real fast to Fenway's locker rooms where it's SRO for speeches, etc.  and after the players take the field for kickoff proper, some staff turns the room over real fast for medical staff, trainers, injured players area, etc.  Probably same at Yankee Stadium and the couple of the soccer stadiums.  

Q2 could easily do the same if they can't configure the locker room levels into something both teams can fit in.  Or certainly plenty of large hotel ballroom spaces nearby to stage a locker room.  

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Stunns38

Stunns38 3,357

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I live here and went to UT.
If they do it at Q2 Stadium and finally get the rail station built out to downtown then there really shouldn’t be an issue.
DKR or a new downtown build would be a nonstarter. COTA would be dumb as hell.
Like lobo said, if one of the 3 ‘other’ DFW bowls like the Frisco Bowl (formerly the Miami Beach Bowl that ESPN bought and moved to Frisco to save on costs) moved here it wouldn’t be a big deal. This year’s Frisco Bowl was Boise State versus UNT was played Saturday 12/17 at 8:30pm and they hosted a grand total of 12,211 fans. That’s basically a big nothing burger for this city. I could see that being a solid move for all involved.

It was also 15 degrees during the Frisco Bowl.
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TKthunder2

TKthunder2 4,980

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1 hour ago, Stunns38 said:


It was also 15 degrees during the Frisco Bowl.

Their best year has been 15,800 fans. It’s not a great venue or very attractive city for a bowl from a tourist perspective, especially when you have 3 others in DFW already.

If they move the Frisco Bowl to Austin the list of Bowl games in/near Texas makes a lot of sense.

Albuquerque, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Shreveport, New Orleans x 2

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19,449

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Too Long, Don't Read.  

Frisco Bowl would be an ideal one to relocate.  As you say, it's not a nice place for tourists.  It's 30 miles from either airport.  That's not insane, but that's not good either.  

Two really great things going for it are it's affiliated with a number of conferences instead of the usual two (AAU, MWC, CUSA, MAC, SBC).  Sure you'd be waiting to receive the second-to-last bowl eligible team in that conference for the first few years...but you have really good odds of having one team from nearby given the geographic footprint of those leagues.  Also, there's no corporate title sponsor to piss off by moving the game.  Cursory glance shows that at least 2/3rds of the sponsors are national/online brands, they'll happily pay a bit more for exposure in Austin.  The rest that are local businesses can pound sand.  ESPN has a script for this because this very thing happens once an off-season (or more) and they know the legal way out.  

With only ~20% of the fans driving, parking would actually be easier than it is for Austin FC matches.  Use the bit of green space and a couple of the lots for tailgating (throw tailgate guys the contract if they agree to help sponsor the game, obviously).  But I suspect most fans will "pre-game" it on Rock Rose or other parts of the Domain.  And you get some airport shuttle bus-sized company to ferry them back and forth (and setup an uber stand for those that insist).  You could even host some premium pre-game events at the Pitch and shuttle people over in style.  And then I bet what most fans do...stay downtown, pre-game/eat downtown, train up to Q2 (more trains running, I'm looking at you CapMetro), setup a little food truck court with several mini-bars in one of the Q2 lots...and they can all grab a couple more drinks or a snack before heading in. 

One thing you're gonna need to figure out is where to put a fair sized live music stage since we can't have any event anymore unless Asleep at the Wheel or Ghostland Observatory of some other Austin stalwart.  You leave that to C3 Presents to produce (over by the food truck court/outdoor bar areas). 

I really don't see something this causing that much of a traffic headache given how few fans these days drive their own car or a rental car to a bowl game hundreds of miles away.  With a 20k target, I bet that maybe that adds an extra 2000 cars for one day between Christmas and New Year's.  Yeah, I guess my shuttle bus platform/uber station from the Domain will take up some serious road space, but who the fuck commutes on Rock Rose to/from home everyday?  If so, I have some better traffic tips for you.  

But that gets to another sticking point...if you have it effectively at the Domain...you really need it to happen between December 26th and December 30th.  If it happens the week before Christmas Eve.......then yes, the nightmare traffic scenario some of you are concerned with visits upon us ten-fold.  A bowl game happening next to the biggest shopping mecca for 200 miles in any direction becomes an utter and complete shitshow.  So I guess you have to make it a condition, ESPN/Austin/Q2 bails out a failed bowl but ESPN has to agree it happens between 12/26-12/30 (I guess maybe even an early day game on NYE would work too).  Obviously those games are higher levels in primetime that week.  But there's also one day and one late afternoon game everyday that week and on NYE.  So that's 12 options ESPN can work with to slot the game somewhere besides primetime.  That's a decent problem to have.

Next up, what kind of pre-bowl week events do you propose?  These players do a lot of good in the community that doesn't get but one 30-second montage at halftime.  They'd visit Dell Children's Hospital, host some kind of non-contact game (Punch Bowl Social, Top Golf, et. al.) that raises money for a local charity.  Have all 250 players show up to Franklin demanding a pound of brisket each.  Bonus night at Trail of Lights with some less-advantaged kids who couldn't afford to go.  Something nature related.  Something music related.  Something food related (beyond just team banquets I mean).  Go-Karts at COTA.  Obviously something at the Yellow Rose.    

Something fun would be to get a handful of Austin FC players that are stuck in town for the holidays because they live so far away (do I smell a Ted Lasso episode?!?), host 'em for a meal with the teams and then have a kicking contest.  FC players have to try to kick field goals or farthest punt.  Bowl game teams have their K/P or even skill players try and score on a proper goal.  Can't have 'em scrimmage because of turned ankles.

Anyway, besides the usual "Too many bowl games" and all those other festival you usually have to deal with on December 27th, any other legitimate concerns y'all can think of?   

     

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Slacks

Slacks 6,791

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19 hours ago, YGIFS said:

TexArcher brings up a good point that's been whispered around Belmont in years past.  You're from one of the big 2 high schools in the area or one of other half dozen we still actively recruit.  Friend calls you up and says, "We're on holiday break, wanna go to DKR and watch the bowl game?"  You'd organically have 100 local high school football players showing up in our stadium on our campus watching two teams that aren't ours.  It's not a huge issue to worry about, but it's an issue.  

Then again, didn't seem to bother TCU last few fucking years.  Shit, maybe we should play two bowl games at DKR.  

but yeah, look at that list of bowls played in college owned/on-campus stadiums.  Most aren't terribly recruiting rich locations.  So it's a nothing-burger to them.  But for a handful, it may present an issue every once in awhile.  Plus, the third tier bowl teams that may come to Austin, we're not gonna be competing with them for recruits but for some once-in-a-half-decade game when some P5 program slips down or the bowl game itself gets bumped up in the selection order.  

I didn't realize we were recruiting 100s of local Austin kids.  It seems like all we ever do is go get a an Austin QB and ruin him... 

Bowl games would be more fun, imo.

17 hours ago, Helobious said:

You seriously have no issue with other schools coming in and showing off for all the D1 studs that made up this years 7-5 Lake Travis squad? Or anyone from the Westlake team that got skullfucked by North Shore in the semis? Those are all can’t-miss players that will surely be swayed in their decision by watching one third rate bowl game in Austin. 

Yes. This here.

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ousux

ousux 5,586

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I havent lived in Austin for a good while now, but according to friends who do..there are like 2-3 weekends out of the entire year there isn't something going on that brings in out of Towner's and extra traffic, sometimes multiple things. Do those of y'all still in ATX really want to deal with a shitty 3rd tier bowl game?

I live in downtown FW and when I first moved into my highrise, free street parking wasn't much of an issue, 10 years later I own the condo but have to rent parking in a nearby garage due to endless "events" near year round that block off large swathes of street parking.

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utee94

utee94 15,745

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2 minutes ago, ousux said:

I havent lived in Austin for a good while now, but according to friends who do..there are like 2-3 weekends out of the entire year there isn't something going on that brings in out of Towner's and extra traffic, sometimes multiple things. Do those of y'all still in ATX really want to deal with a shitty 3rd tier bowl game?

I live in downtown FW and when I first moved into my highrise, free street parking wasn't much of an issue, 10 years later I own the condo but have to rent parking in a nearby garage due to endless "events" near year round that block off large swathes of street parking.

I don't care one way or the other about having a bowl game in Austin, but a crowd of 12-20K at Q2 stadium in NW Austin isn't going to do anything worse to Austin traffic than the already-existing 18 or so home soccer games already do. And as YGIFS points out, arguably a lot less, since there are likely a lot fewer people driving their cars to and from the stadium than there would be for a local FC Austin match.

As to the larger point, sure, there's a lot going on in Austin that messes up the roadways.  And there's no going back. 

But a minor bowl game like this really wouldn't make much of an impact.

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19,449

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I agree about the event/festival saturation (though other than ROTrally, ATXtv Festival (which is getting very large, very fast and will likely overtake Austin Film Festival soon), and Willie's Picnic............nothing over a couple thousand people happens in Austin between Memorial Day and Labor Day except those three things.  And all only occur for 2-3 days each.  But yes once "Fall" hits, it's throttle down until Memorial Day...but for Christmas to about Groundhog Day.  

I really can't wrap my head around being worried about maybe 2000 extra cars...at the absolute maximum...around the Domain a few days after Christmas.  Again, if that's gonna exacerbate some massive December 27th secret festival I don't know about and make things even worse, then I'll recant my interest.  Fans will be filling up hotels and restaurants that don't do any business between 12/26-12/30.  Traffic is at its lightest as tens and tens of thousands of UT students and staff are gone, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of Austinites travel back to their original homes to visit family for the holidays.  I mean, many of us had to work that week in between but it was by far the quietest week I've seen downtown and on Mopac since Quarantine.  

One of my favorite weekends of the year is in late February when I get to see a baseball game and a hoops game all in one Saturday or Sunday.  That's 15,000 total people between both venues.  With no other festival programming anywhere in the city.  And despite that many people, it goes on just fine.  Now do that during SXSW and it's a fucking nightmare.  You can have 7,000 fans take trains or busses from downtown, another 7,000 make the 1-mile jaunt from the Domain area, and another 7,000 take ubers from points afar/locals driving their own cars to check out the game.  On an idle Tuesday afternoon after Christmas.  With all the missing traffic from the aforementioned groups plus people still in town but who took off to work from home as is custom nowadays......I doubt anybody would even notice it.  Again, but for those people who apparently use Rock Rose to drive home after work for some goddamn bizarre reason.  Do these people get all pissy every time there's a home match for FC?  That's 17 nights I don't hear any bitching and moaning.  And a fuckton more of those people are driving 1- 2 people per car.  

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Armybrat

Armybrat 40,734

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23 hours ago, lemonandaturd said:

I don't want any bowl eligible college football teams playing each other in DKR in front of potential recruits.  Thy can play it in Hutto and call it the Hippo bowl.  

Hits close to home…. Mrs. Brat and I had lunch today at the Texan Cafe in Hutto. 
The CFS was pretty good, as was the slice of pecan pie.

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Hook1997

Hook1997 5,285

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Yeti Bowl

Chuy’s Bowl?

Everyone talking about it would be too packed in Austin and would be a cluster.  It wouldn’t be a big bowl game they would be getting, more then likely two very mediocre teams.  15-20 thousand fans If they have good attendance and it would be at Q2 up north.  12 thousand for the Frisco Bowl this year is definitely tickets sold and not people that attended at the game if you watched it.  

 

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Cairn Horn88

Cairn Horn88 8,167

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8 hours ago, Murfdogg21 said:

Weekends in Austin are already packed with one major event to the next, and highways are always jammed. What’s one more weekend in late December (when UT is out and lot of student have left)? Doing it at the MLS stadium with the Domain and all the breweries close by is kind of cool. Better destination for teams and fans than Shreveport, Detroit, Memphis, or Mobile. 

image.gif.f42adab8ab43863e3b3e10d3e001786b.gif

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bolverk

bolverk 29,399

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3 minutes ago, UTexasFight said:

Frisco

Fort Worth

University Park

Houston

San Antonio

El Paso

Arlington

 

I think Texas is good on bowls 

I, for one, won't be satisfied until there's one played at the granddaddy of all high school football venues: historic Ratliff Stadium in scenic Odessa, Texas.

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19,449

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19 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

I’m confident AFC wouldn’t want to damage their pitch by hosting the Cheesedick Bowl only two months away from the start of the season.

Fair point.  The Willie’s Picnic would have provided a good sense of what non-soccer trampling would do to the pitch.  But most people hung out under the overhangs so only a couple thousand stood/walked on the actual pitch out of many more thousands.  Then consider they were in boots and flip flops. But then consider they were shitfaced drunk/stoned.  However, it was also dead smack in the middle of the ATX season.  So they had to assume the worst when they agreed to it.  It coulda caused a lotta damage and they had a contingency plan.  So you’ve got a hair over two months to repair the pitch after a bowl game.  Which is not nothing, but it’s not a lot either.  Far fewer people, but they are massive and wearing cleats.  No practice on the pitch until pre game warmups unless they just wanna jog thru in tennis shoes.  And of course a generous set aside budget for sections to be repaired, obviously those between the hash marks and 20’s.  But certainly something to consider.  

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utee94

utee94 15,745

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Yeah, if you held all practices elsewhere and just played the actual game on the Q2 pitch, I can't imagine it would do enough damage to warrant any major concerns.  Unless it's pouring rain or something.  But since it never rains in Austin anyway, no biggie.

 

 

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