We're about to lose the attendance record
https://twitter.com/BFeldmanCBS/status/388054891848941568
#VaTech to play #Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016, per source. Expected to draw a record 150,000-160k fans.
— Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) October 9, 2013
October 9th, 2013 at 5:41 PM ^
for this to happen. More of a stunt than anything. Suprised DB didn't thik of it first.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:25 PM ^
Great AD, but innovation isn't his strong suit.
October 9th, 2013 at 11:09 PM ^
This strikes me as a gimmick that would only fly in the South. Tennessee is the heart of NASCAR country. Michigan, not so much. Also, the only major racing venue in Michigan is MIS, and it actually seats fewer people than Michigan Stadium.
October 10th, 2013 at 10:25 AM ^
and what makes us unique. Clueless about both. But, he is excellent at rasing money and did make a good football coach hire.
October 9th, 2013 at 5:42 PM ^
Tennessee can't sell out Neyland anymore. How are they selling 150K tickets for a game in the middle of nowhere?
October 9th, 2013 at 5:46 PM ^
Well it's only like 1.5 hours from Knoxville, is in the middle of a huge UT stronghold, and it's not just UT. It's VT as well which is also huge in SW Virginia and travels very well. I live very close to Bristol actually. Have driven my car on the speedway track. I would go except that I have no interest in helping bastardized records be formed.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:16 PM ^
Yeah, but it's also two more hours away from the population centers. It's a hike to Blacksburg from coastal Virginia and even further to Bristol. I can't imagine selling 150K tickets at $80 per ticket to that game. Bristol is a long way from the population centers that hold those fan bases and you can't really fly into there. It's also not a place you vacation.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:47 PM ^
I'm guessing the tickets will be more in the $40 range with lots of money and effort going into promoting it as well.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:51 PM ^
from my experience ticket prices for these "event" type games are significantly elevated
October 10th, 2013 at 12:23 AM ^
I don't see this game having a big secondary market especially if both teams are not in the top 15.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:01 PM ^
Bristol is 1.5 hours from Knoxville and about the same from Blacksburg. Each year the two Bristol races sell 100K plus easily. It is the regions Super Bowl. Trust me, they will sell all those tickets. It is a great idea and look for it to become a semi-regular event.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:57 PM ^
Where are you at? We moved from Detroit when I was five and settled in the area. I camped at VT my senior year (90) and ended up playing ball at Emory & Henry. I live in Tampa now, however, we purchased 18 acres between Abingdon and Damascus right off the Creeper Trail. Are you close to there? Personally I think the game would great and would definitely draw over 120K.
October 9th, 2013 at 9:06 PM ^
They won't tell anyone there's a football game. They'll just advertise that it's going to be a NASCAR race.
October 9th, 2013 at 5:43 PM ^
Lose the attendance record because a game is played in a place that's not even a sports arena? Fine, whatever.
Secondly, this is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. You won't even be able to see any of the players!
October 9th, 2013 at 6:35 PM ^
You'd be surprised. It's only a half mile oval with a steep banked track raising the seated areas. Sightlines might be better than the Silverdome was.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:08 PM ^
Guys, we never had the attendance record; Notre Dame played USC in front of 123,000 people in 1929 at Soldier Field (link: http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/soldier-field-history/historical-timeline.html) There were only 90k people at the Cowboy Classic (link: http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090212aad.html), and Michigan Stadium doesn't hold 120,000 people...what am I missing here?
October 9th, 2013 at 7:21 PM ^
I believe we hold the record for an actual football stadium or something. Back then Soldier Field was used for much more than just football.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^
Very interesting. . . but without being too obvious here, isn't EVERY stadium used for something other than football at times? Michigan Stadium sure as heck is- weddings, graduations, ceremony honoring Bo Schembechler, spring (football, yes) game. .. IMO, that's an incredibly specious argument that the fact that the most people, ever, in one place to watch college football at one time "doesn't count." Frankly, I think any non-Michigan fan would roll their eyes if you tried to make that distinction; I know I don't see it as valid.
October 9th, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^
I'm saying the primary use of Michigan Stadium is football. Soldier Field back then was used for all sorts of things. They condensed it before the Chicago Bears moved in in the 70s.
October 10th, 2013 at 12:55 AM ^
Gimmicky nhl hockey game attendance record games in your list of Michigan stadium uses.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:23 PM ^
It's an NCAA record, at least according to Wiki. I guess the ND-USC game was not an NCAA event.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^
That's it- that's why. The NCAA hadn't been formed yet. So yes, we have the NCAA record, but not the college football record.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:59 PM ^
NCAA was formed in about 1905. The reason Notre Dame-USC doesn't have the record is because there is no verifiable way to confirm the 123,000, whereas Michigan has had the NCAA to confirm the records.
October 10th, 2013 at 12:34 AM ^
No way the sightlines are better than the Silverdome. I think you are underestimating how far away the field will be. Here is a photo from a Redskins/Eagles game played there in 1961. The sightlines from the endzones will be god awful.
Does the Bristol Speedway even have a Jumbotron?
October 10th, 2013 at 1:16 PM ^
I believe the game experience will be downright awful due to being miles away from the field...and any general admission ground level would be same unless one is 6' 10" or above.
I believe the parking situation will be wonderful as well as the days of pre- and post- game parties!!
October 9th, 2013 at 5:43 PM ^
Son of a bitch. I officially hate both teams now. Maybe if they crater bad enough on the next few years, no one will show up.
October 9th, 2013 at 5:47 PM ^
It's sad it has come to this. But there is only one thing left. Win the whole, fuckin' thing.
Indy (capacity 257,325)
October 9th, 2013 at 6:20 PM ^
...damn right.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:33 PM ^
Is that just those seats? We can add more on the ground right? No need to waste space in the center
October 9th, 2013 at 7:32 PM ^
no problem getting 300,000 people to come watch a Michigan/Indiana night game.
October 9th, 2013 at 5:47 PM ^
We'll still have records 2-∞
October 10th, 2013 at 8:14 AM ^
2-∞ and beyond?
October 9th, 2013 at 5:48 PM ^
this is the worst idea ever. 9/10ths of the fans won't notice the difference between halftime and game action.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:25 PM ^
That's what I was thinking. What a horrible place to watch a game for most of the fans. Ford Field for basketball wasn't good, but in that case only half the fans had a crummy view.
October 9th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
Michigan will have a game on the moon this century. Anyone with a telescope and a ticket will be able to watch.
October 9th, 2013 at 11:37 PM ^
DB will only let you use telescopes purchased thru the AD.
October 9th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
I think this has been floated around for a long time, but I believe that the track owner - at some point in the recent past - offered each team something like $15-$20 million EACH to play this game there. It might have even gone as far as a fairly organized plan to remove the garages and basically level the infield temporarily in order to accommodate the field.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:13 PM ^
They have been trying to make this happen for YEARS.
October 9th, 2013 at 5:59 PM ^
tickets better be $10 cause if not they won't sell out. besides who wants to sit 3/4 of a mile from the end zone?
October 9th, 2013 at 6:01 PM ^
The seats would be terrible for football, but watching Denard run around the track every minute would be fun.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:07 PM ^
The reason this doesn't bother me is the fact that these two teams will have to play at a venue that has nothing to do with college football. Our records are made in our own stadium. That means a lot more to me as a fan, than sending the team to a NASCAR venue of all places, just to break a record.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:09 PM ^
Fucking students fault
October 10th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^
My God. Just show up for games on time and STFU. Actually, don't STFU, cheer --- loud!
October 9th, 2013 at 6:11 PM ^
I mean, why not just hold the game on the national mall and claim everyone in DC is attending the game?
This is officially dumb.
October 9th, 2013 at 7:07 PM ^
If Larry Ellison throws his weight behind this, they could have the game on San Francisco Bay - a la America's Cup!
The world's first college football game on water.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:11 PM ^
Seriously, they can hoot and holler about "We got dat attendance record ya'll!" but will anyone be able to tell you what happened in the game? Nyet
October 9th, 2013 at 6:12 PM ^
Also, if both teams continue to be 6-6 type outfits, will anyone care?
"We're here live in front 150,000 fans and 20,000 TV viewers...."
October 9th, 2013 at 6:14 PM ^
Some one will make that happen.
Given the shear number of beer coolers that litter the stands at such events, this whole thing could break Ohio's "cooler pooper" record at the same time.
October 10th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^
likely to cede without a protracted fight.
October 9th, 2013 at 6:15 PM ^
I don't understand how some of you are calling this a bastardized record, when we brag about The Big Chill setting the record for a hockey game despite rhe fact that I'm pretty sure The Big House isn't a hockey venue. we should respect the record for what it is (unless of course there are like 30,000 empty seats, in which case that would be kind of pathetic)