OT and not OT: Spotted in Ann Arbor

Submitted by MaizeAndBlueWahoo on

From the UVA Rivals board, this picture was supposedly taken in Ann Arbor:

Amusing explanation: It's there to pick up our new president, who starts in a few days.  Likely explanation: Supposedly the truck is actually owned by a former player and his moving company, and in the offseason he uses it for moving.  Possible: Maybe both are true.  Edit: some other more reliable posters confirm that that's exactly what's happening - if you see (or saw) this truck around town, it's got Teresa Sullivan's stuff inside, moving her to Charlottesville.

Anyway, I thought that was fun.  But here's the other nugget from the thread, the voracity of which I have no way of verifying:

not sure if it has been posted here yet, but we are very close to inking a deal with michigan in football. there are some hurdles to clear still, namely, michigan doesn't want to lose revenue by giving us a game in charlottesville. the last i had heard was that we would play at ann arbor and the virginia 'home' game would be at redskins stadium.

At least an even chance of that just being idle board gossip, but hey.

Feat of Clay

July 27th, 2010 at 10:21 AM ^

I will never, ever forget that I first learned about Sullivan's appointment here at MGoBoard.  I ended up breaking the story to my officemates--and people, here's the thing, we worked for her.

You never know what you're going to learn on a football blogging site, now do you?

MGoShoe

July 27th, 2010 at 10:22 AM ^

...what I'm talking about.  I'm up for a game against UVA in C-ville or FedEx Field.  My daughter's sorority weekend this year includes the UVA - EMU game.  When I told my wife I would be cheering for EMU (hey my brother played football for the Hurons), I got the major stinkeye.

Hurons, Hurons hats off to you

Fight, fight for old EMU

That's all I remember.

Don

July 27th, 2010 at 10:22 AM ^

More importantly, what financial difference would it make to UM whether the game was at UVA or at Redskins stadium? Don't they "lose" revenue either way? Or would UM get a share of the proceeds if the game was in the latter?

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

July 27th, 2010 at 1:42 PM ^

Which I'd love for Michigan to do if they can get someone to agree to it - anyone but UVA.  For that I'd rather see a straight-up home-and-home.  I mean, USC wasn't too good to visit Scott Stadium.

Besides, UVA can seat almost 65,000 in a full sellout, so a 50/50 split of the proceeds at FedEx is a bad, bad deal for UVA, since it doesn't seat more than twice what Scott can.

MGoShoe

July 27th, 2010 at 1:57 PM ^

...that up with higher ticket prices.  UVA tickets are $38 and $25 depending on location (public price).  So about $2M per game.  Charge $65 at FedEX (apparently the Redskins ticket office sold VT-BSU tix for $63) and subtract 3,000 for suites and club seats from the 91K capacity and you've got $5.7M or $2.86M per team.  I don't know what sort of take the Redskins would take, but give them $1M ($500K from each team) plus concessions and parking ($20 a car) and you're still ahead.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

July 27th, 2010 at 4:06 PM ^

Maybe ahead.  UVA averages about $45 a ticket, or about $2.4M a game in ticket revenue (several thousand seats are student seating and so no revenue there.)  Concessions and parking would probably come out neutral at best, probably worse since they'd have to split it; they'd have to subtract from the revenue they get for all those reserved parking places at Scott (it's a LOT), and I don't know how they'd do it for season ticket holders, but it's not likely that'd be much better than revenue-neutral either.  If it ends up ahead I doubt it'd be much more than a couple hundred grand, tops, which isn't worth it.

C'mon, if U-M can go to UConn's home stadium, what's wrong with Charlottesville?  Bad enough for UVA that Michigan, which is already overlapping UVA's recruiting grounds now, would get that exposure in DC or VA.

Besides, I'm against the idea on principle.

MGoShoe

July 27th, 2010 at 4:34 PM ^

...game in C-ville, big time.

I was just pointing out that a game at FedEx Field is feasible from a revenue standpoint for UVA.

The other thing about such a game is that it would be a huge early season TV game simply because it would be neutral site. Such games immediately become tagged as significant just because. The extra attention can only help recruiting - for both teams.

Mike London strikes me as the kind of guy who would go for something like this.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

July 27th, 2010 at 4:43 PM ^

Thing is, I don't think it does make sense for UVA from a revenue standpoint.  UVA would gain nothing in revenue from going up to Ann Arbor and I don't see there being much of a boost, if any at all, in going to FedEx vice Scott.  I wouldn't even be against a two-for-one if they were all at home sites, but I feel like Michigan would need to sweeten the pot to make a neutral-site "home" game worth UVA's while.

hailtothevictors08

July 27th, 2010 at 12:07 PM ^

while im sure she did not actually write them ...

sullivan's name was on all the annoying emails from the school reminding us to do things such as lock our doors when we go home for break ... very useless

however, getting to be a university president (at damn good school too) is quite an honor and i wish her the best

jmblue

July 27th, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^

I'd go for a series with UVa.  Our one meeting with them was certainly a classic.  It's also a very fertile recruiting area.