Bucket Game thought

[ESalum86]

Maybe this has been brought up before, but what if we reverse things and open the season playing for the Bucket? I hate the fact it is now played without students on campus, and also the same week as the IHSAA championship games.

I just believe the state's premier rivalry game should be played in front of students and it should also be a focus game for the state. Why go against OSU-UM, ND-USC (every other year), Bama-Auburn, etc., as another rivalry game. Even Army-Navy moved their game so they don't compete against conference championship games (which still ticks me off!).

Thoughts?

 

[FirstDownB]

I've wondered the same thing. The game would also have more hype since, let's just be honest, both teams would still have hopes for a bowl game.
I assume the protected rivalries are designated to be the final weekend by the conference, but that's just an assumption.

 

[TC4THREE]

Another positive from scheduling it earlier would be that the game retains more meaning. For example, if we lose at Iowa this week, we play the Bucket Game knowing that bowl eligibility is off the table. If we played it even a week earlier this season, it would for sure be played with bowl possibilities intact. The earlier in the season it is played, the more possibilities there are for both teams.

 

[Bippus33]

Maybe this has been brought up before, but what if we reverse things and open the season playing for the Bucket? I hate the fact it is now played without students on campus, and also the same week as the IHSAA championship games.

I just believe the state's premier rivalry game should be played in front of students and it should also be a focus game for the state. Why go against OSU-UM, ND-USC (every other year), Bama-Auburn, etc., as another rivalry game. Even Army-Navy moved their game so they don't compete against conference championship games (which still ticks me off!).

Thoughts?

Great Idea!!!

 

[SunnyFL24]

Maybe this has been brought up before, but what if we reverse things and open the season playing for the Bucket? I hate the fact it is now played without students on campus, and also the same week as the IHSAA championship games.

I just believe the state's premier rivalry game should be played in front of students and it should also be a focus game for the state. Why go against OSU-UM, ND-USC (every other year), Bama-Auburn, etc., as another rivalry game. Even Army-Navy moved their game so they don't compete against conference championship games (which still ticks me off!).

Thoughts?

Touche!!!!!!! Great idea..........opening weekend would be great........

 

[PaBoiler78]

Another positive from scheduling it earlier would be that the game retains more meaning. For example, if we lose at Iowa this week, we play the Bucket Game knowing that bowl eligibility is off the table. If we played it even a week earlier this season, it would for sure be played with bowl possibilities intact. The earlier in the season it is played, the more possibilities there are for both teams.

recently teams w/ 5-7 records have played in minor bowl games.

 

[TC4THREE]

recently teams w/ 5-7 records have played in minor bowl games.

OK

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

Maybe this has been brought up before, but what if we reverse things and open the season playing for the Bucket? I hate the fact it is now played without students on campus, and also the same week as the IHSAA championship games.

I just believe the state's premier rivalry game should be played in front of students and it should also be a focus game for the state. Why go against OSU-UM, ND-USC (every other year), Bama-Auburn, etc., as another rivalry game. Even Army-Navy moved their game so they don't compete against conference championship games (which still ticks me off!).

Thoughts?

good call.

 

[MilwaukeeBoilerFan]

Touche!!!!!!! Great idea..........opening weekend would be great........

Iowa and Iowa State kick it off every year against each other. I know it is non-conference but still an example of rivalry right out of the gate.

We should do the same. Don't like it being when students are on Thanksgiving break.

 

[DG10]

Maybe this has been brought up before, but what if we reverse things and open the season playing for the Bucket? I hate the fact it is now played without students on campus, and also the same week as the IHSAA championship games.

I just believe the state's premier rivalry game should be played in front of students and it should also be a focus game for the state. Why go against OSU-UM, ND-USC (every other year), Bama-Auburn, etc., as another rivalry game. Even Army-Navy moved their game so they don't compete against conference championship games (which still ticks me off!).

Thoughts?

Louisville and Kentucky used to play opening weekend...only downside of opening weekend is potentially Labor Day weekend, so, another Holiday that would potentially impact attendance.

Like you, as it is now just does not work...I remember having to race from the Bucket game to Lucas Oil a couple of years ago to see our HS play for the State Championship...only were able to do it because of the noon start, otherwise we would have missed the Purdue game for the HS game...and I am sure that happens now.

Having it after Thanksgiving has never been a good situation, and, your points about it also competing with HS finals and other rivalry games is valid as well.

 

[ESalum86]

The long term reality is if students don't attend it while in college it won't mean anything extra to them in 10 or 20 years. It will become "just another game.". I'd hate to see that happen.

 

[Wolegib]

I say if we are 9-3 or 8-4 it won't matter when we play this game! The students will come! And if the students don't come, it will be more tickets for the rest of us! And if you're worried, rather than moving it to the first week, move it back another week! A little cold temperature never hurt any true fan!

 

[RossMackey]

Maybe this has been brought up before, but what if we reverse things and open the season playing for the Bucket? I hate the fact it is now played without students on campus, and also the same week as the IHSAA championship games.

I just believe the state's premier rivalry game should be played in front of students and it should also be a focus game for the state. Why go against OSU-UM, ND-USC (every other year), Bama-Auburn, etc., as another rivalry game. Even Army-Navy moved their game so they don't compete against conference championship games (which still ticks me off!).

Thoughts?

GREAT idea.... build some early excitement ....now that both schools have lights, that should mitigate hot weather concerns

 

[TheBoris]

I say if we are 9-3 or 8-4 it won't matter when we play this game! The students will come!

No, the students will not come. They are going home for Thanksgiving and they aren't going come back in two days, then go home again and come back again the next day. Not for a game they can stay home and watch on TV.

Good example is Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. OU usually had 8-9 wins going into that game and often both teams did. Didn't make any difference. Either site, the stadium was half empty on Thanksgiving weekend. Now they've moved the game earlier in the season and it's always a packed house.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

No, the students will not come. They are going home for Thanksgiving and they aren't going come back in two days, than go home again and come back again the next day. Not for a game they can stay home and watch on TV.

Good example is Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. OU usually had 8-9 wins going into that game and often both teams did. Didn't make any difference. Either site, the stadium was half empty on Thanksgiving weekend. Now they've moved the game earlier in the season and it's always a packed house.

You could get some Indy kids and others who are within an hour or so of campus, IF the team is really good. After 2 days of sitting around the house, eating, watching football, and ordering Christmas presents on Amazon, I bet some are ready to get out of the house and do something.

But I still think it would be interesting to try it early in the season.

 

[bonefish1]

From just about every perspective, it's difficult to justify having this game on Thanksgiving weekend.
Granted, if the team is winning and the fan base is feeling good about it, that makes a big difference.
But then again, maybe the athletic admin has the data to support having it that weekend. Maybe they believe there's enough fans within a 2 hr drive to make it financially viable or that it's not a big deal for the students to return to campus on a Saturday vs a Sunday.
Does tv dictate the start time. If not, the 12pm kick sucks as well.

 

[FirstDownB]

I say if we are 9-3 or 8-4 it won't matter when we play this game! The students will come! And if the students don't come, it will be more tickets for the rest of us! And if you're worried, rather than moving it to the first week, move it back another week! A little cold temperature never hurt any true fan!

That's the championship game weekend.

 

[jsglenn4]

Either site, the stadium was half empty on Thanksgiving weekend. Now they've moved the game earlier in the season and it's always a packed house.

I wonder what kind of TV attention we might get if The Bucket were at risk this weekend instead of next? Admittedly neither team is star material this year, but it's a rivalry game in a sea of largely mediocre choices with regards to the TV schedule.

 

[TheBoris]

I wonder what kind of TV attention we might get if The Bucket were at risk this weekend instead of next? Admittedly neither team is star material this year, but it's a rivalry game in a sea of largely mediocre choices with regards to the TV schedule.

How about moving the whole schedule back one week and playing the Bucket game on the week before Thanksgiving, as was done for almost a century?

School starts earlier now. This year classes at Purdue began on August 21. Our first football game was Sept 2. We could easily have played our first game on Aug 26, retain a bye week and played our last game on Nov 18. And there were indeed several Div 1 colleges that began their football season on Aug 21, including Stanford. IU played their first game on Thurs, Aug 24.

https://www.purdue.edu/registrar/calendars/2017-18-Academic-Calendar.html

 

[PurdueTiger]

How about moving the whole schedule back one week and playing the Bucket game on the week before Thanksgiving, as was done for almost a century?

School starts earlier now. This year classes at Purdue began on August 21. Our first football game was Sept 2. We could easily have played our first game on Aug 26, retain a bye week and played our last game on Nov 18. And there were indeed several Div 1 colleges that began their football season on Aug 21, including Stanford. IU played their first game on Thurs, Aug 24.

https://www.purdue.edu/registrar/calendars/2017-18-Academic-Calendar.html

You may have a good idea,but IU and OSU played on August 31.Something needs to change in the Bucket series.I don't like it being on Thanksgiving weekend.