{"id":2637,"date":"2011-06-28T01:03:10","date_gmt":"2011-06-28T05:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=2637"},"modified":"2014-08-19T13:01:48","modified_gmt":"2014-08-19T17:01:48","slug":"jmu-v-wvu-at-fedex-field-september-15-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=2637","title":{"rendered":"JMU v. WVU at FedEx Field September 15, 2012 Worth the Investment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The headline says it all.\u00a0 Ok, I’ll give you a second to reread, and another to let it sink in.\u00a0 The Charleston (WV) Daily Mail first reported this morning <\/a>that the West Virginia Mountaineers have scheduled a “home” game at Fed Ex Field, home to the Washington Redskins, against our very own Dukes during the third week of the 2012 season.\u00a0 To say that I flipped out when I first got a tweet (@jmusportsblog by the way) referencing this on my way in to work this morning would be vastly understating the situation.\u00a0 Near hyperventilation while I waited for my stupid phone to fully load the webpage to confirm it was more than\u00a0a rumor would be more accurate.\u00a0 Almost immediately I tried to contextualize this with other offseason lightning bolts that came so out of the blue.\u00a0 Gibbs 2.0 announcement (knew already the Skins couldn’t win regardless due to Snyder).\u00a0 MJ returning to the court for the Wiz (knew already the Wiz couldn’t work due to creaky knees and terrifying roster).\u00a0 Basically nothing I can recall from an offseason perspective had prepared me for something so world-view changing.\u00a0 Those other events seemed great but had glaringly obvious downsides and pitfalls.\u00a0 This is the very definition of\u00a0a win-win.\u00a0 Exposure, money, and opportunity will all be second to none. (although we do need to show up in droves)<\/p>\n

What it Means<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, it means serious credibility with recruits and casual alumni and fans.\u00a0 Quick poll<\/a> in the office and most everyone who normally thinks I’m whackadoodle for my JMU obsessions perked up when you say the Dukes are playing at FedEx.\u00a0 It also means you Skins ticket holders can finally leverage that waste of money into something better than a half-full country show.\u00a0 Next, it means some folks, in this case WVU, has taken notice of the program JMU’s been steadily building.\u00a0 Not just the Tech win or the Nat’l Championship, but the solid fanbase that’s been developing and potential for a solid turnout.\u00a0 Even though WVU’s getting a fat $2M guarantee<\/a> for taking this home game to the DC area, don’t underestimate the confidence they must’ve had that the Dukes will seriously assist them in selling tix in the huge monstrosity that is the concrete disaster in PG County.\u00a0 Third, it means the folks in the Athletics department down in the ‘Burg have been gettin’ it done!<\/p>\n

Lastly, this is an enormous opportunity to essentially have a tryout for FBS conferences, in particular the Big East.\u00a0 After all, West Virginia (and Pitt) is the one who just shot down Villanova’s chance to move up in football due to their weakassed fanbase, lack of facilities, and\u00a0lack of hunger for the trappings of big-time football (stadium, tailgating, etc.).\u00a0 Needless to say, JMU is fast becoming the antithesis of that profile and should be primed to show off their wares after a year in New Bridgeforth.<\/p>\n

Our Take on the Particulars<\/strong><\/p>\n

JMU’s taking down 350k no matter what, but folks are discussing the “incentives” that could take the deal to 500k ($10 per ticket for every seat over 42,500 up to 57,000).\u00a0 Ain’t happening.\u00a0 I’m all for trying and am absolutely giddy about the opportunity to persuade the unconvinced on the magic of JMU football, but<\/del> 40,000 tickets would be an UNBELIEVABLY unqualified success for the Dukes given our recent history (maybe 5-10k at Maryland and VT), but even 25-30k would be amazing!\u00a0 Yes, we’ve got tons of alums in the area and this will be a glamour matchup, but that will be nearly half the capacity of the now-reduced FedEx Field (party decks debacle brought to you by the danny).\u00a0 <\/del>Folks were seriously impressed that Boise turned out maybe 25,000 and took over a solid 1\/4 of the joint last year and I’ll bet we’ll turn lots of heads by surpassing that number. (editor’s note:\u00a0 I mistakenly interpreted the incentives to read that JMU alone had to sell 42k plus tix while the word we’re getting today – thanks foati – is that 42-57 includes both JMU and WVU tix meaning this could really happen)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Now imagine a less offensive mascot and thousands of purple and gold streamers!<\/p><\/div>\n

But the great news is as follows.\u00a0 While this won’t be VT\/Boise in terms of a tv deal, it should be televised and we can show out some serious purple. I also think the tailgate atmosphere has a great chance to rival anything I saw at VT\/BSU last year.\u00a0 I mean seriously, this is James Madison and West Virginia we’re talking about and I say that with pride!\u00a0 Just the excitement of rolling to a game like this with flags and magnets and full coolers and all the accoutrement is unreal and it will be incredible to have our own Dukes involved and see the purple and gold caravan rolling out to Raljon.<\/p>\n

Oh yeah, and there will be beers sold\u00a0DURING the game.\u00a0 Doubt most fans will need them by gametime, but it’s a rare treat for a college game and can make for a serious bowlgame atmosphere.<\/p>\n

What Needs to Happen<\/strong><\/p>\n

1)\u00a0 Start spreading the word to anyone and everyone in JMU Nation.\u00a0 Serious stage and HUGE tailgates should be surprisingly strong selling points.\u00a0 Really, there’s no reason at all the tailgate itself shouldn’t be LEGENDARY in terms of JMU events.\u00a0 Did I mention in-stadium beer sales?<\/p>\n

1a)\u00a0 When spreading the word, begin warning people that weddings, especially those where Dukes are parties, are absolutely inappropriate on September 15, 2012.\u00a0 Might also want to consider firing up the contraceptives during late December and early January.\u00a0 (over the line?\u00a0 No way, this is Standard T we’re talking here)<\/p>\n

2) Buy your tickets from JMU as soon as they go on sale.\u00a0 I cannot emphasize this enough.\u00a0 Forget about the ticket incentives and just focus on the “trying out for FBS” and showing off JMU Nation angles.\u00a0 We only get credit for tix bought through JMU so don’t pussyfoot around and wait for “better deals” on Craig’s List.\u00a0 Yes, they’ll be out there, but you suck if you don’t help.<\/p>\n

3) Get down to Bridgeforth and cheer this year.\u00a0 The team will need all the help it can get in the new stadium THIS season and winning games and making the playoffs will go a long way in building momentum for this unprecedented game.<\/p>\n