Iowa's bowl and opponent

[Lime]

Vote early and vote often.

[mobyditch]

TCU

[Wild Onion]

I voted for Fiesta vs. Boise St., but I'd really like to see it end up being Fiesta vs. Nebraska.

[Corporate Raider]

I voted for Fiesta vs. Boise St., but I'd really like to see it end up being Fiesta vs. Nebraska.

Playing Nebraska would practically be a bye.

[Mr. Hawk]

I'd love nothing more than to pound Nebraska. However, a loss to them would be worse than a loss to Boise, imo.

Secondly, Iowa deserves a better opponent than Nebraska.

[Corporate Raider]

I'd love nothing more than to pound Nebraska. However, a loss to them would be worse than a loss to Boise, imo.

Secondly, Iowa deserves a better opponent than Nebraska.

I agree on both counts--except I don't see how the Cornholers could even try to match with us--we beat them on coaching, talent, depth, there is no matchup the Cornholers come even close to Iowa.

[Lime]

I'd love nothing more than to pound Nebraska. However, a loss to them would be worse than a loss to Boise, imo.

Secondly, Iowa deserves a better opponent than Nebraska.

Playing Nebraska would be a bit of a buzzkill end to the season.

[hawkeyenerd]

I hope Iowa makes it to the Fiesta Bowl. You guys will LOVE U of Phoenix stadium decked out in Black and Gold.

[PlannedSickDays]

I'd love nothing more than to pound Nebraska. However, a loss to them would be worse than a loss to Boise, imo.

Secondly, Iowa deserves a better opponent than Nebraska.

Playing Nebraska would be a bit of a buzzkill end to the season.

i was thinking about it and i think if Nebraska pulls the miracle against Texas the Fiesta would take PSU to diversify the television market. Two states next to each other may not be as attractive. And the travelling fan benefit Iowa provides is moot when Nebraska comes into the equation. However, the prospect of an Iowa/Nebraska match-up means more fans than tickets. But I think PSU still travels well to Tempe, but not as well as the Hawks will.

[nolookpass]

Jon Miller claims TV ratings wont matter in who the Fiesta picks.I find that hard to believe.

[The Incredible Hawk]

the contract is up this year and switching to ESPN next year, so TV ratings aren't as big of an issue. I would love to see Iowa play Nebraska and beat them. I would send 5987649564 emails to soundoff.

[JD720]

I'd love nothing more than to pound Nebraska. However, a loss to them would be worse than a loss to Boise, imo.

Secondly, Iowa deserves a better opponent than Nebraska.

Playing Nebraska would be a bit of a buzzkill end to the season.

i was thinking about it and i think if Nebraska pulls the miracle against Texas the Fiesta would take PSU to diversify the television market. Two states next to each other may not be as attractive. And the travelling fan benefit Iowa provides is moot when Nebraska comes into the equation. However, the prospect of an Iowa/Nebraska match-up means more fans than tickets. But I think PSU still travels well to Tempe, but not as well as the Hawks will.

Keep in mind the selection order would change if Nebraska wins and the fiesta doesn't lose the Big 12 to the title game. The sugar would still pick first and certainly take the loser of the SEC title game. Then the Orange bowl would pick between PSU, Iowa, Texas, TCU, Boise, and Cincy. I think the orange would go Big Ten in that scenario. The fiesta would probably be stuck with TCU (who would then bitch slap Nebraska and all of the non BCS apoligist would say "see they deserved to be there"), leaving the sugar with a dream matchup of Alabama vs Texas.

[PlannedSickDays]

the orange takes texas in a heart beat

[nolookpass]

the contract is up this year and switching to ESPN next year, so TV ratings aren't as big of an issue. I would love to see Iowa play Nebraska and beat them. I would send 5987649564 emails to soundoff.

so they wont want good tv ratings to sell to advertisers next year?

OK.

[Lime]

the orange takes texas in a heart beat

If Texas loses to Nebraska the Orange Bowl will be phoning in their selection before the confetti had started falling.

[Lime]

the contract is up this year and switching to ESPN next year, so TV ratings aren't as big of an issue. I would love to see Iowa play Nebraska and beat them. I would send 5987649564 emails to soundoff.

so they wont want good tv ratings to sell to advertisers next year?

OK.

The Fiesta Bowl isn't selling commercial slots. They sold their TV rights to ESPN for 2010-2013; ESPN is in charge of selling the commercial slots for the 2010-2013 games (the rates of which will be determined in part by whatever ratings past BCS games have earned).

In economics terms, we have a moral hazard and an agency problem. The Fiesta Bowl already has their TV money from Fox, so they might act differently in their teams selections than if they they got paid by Fox based on their Nielsen number. We also have some of what is called an agency problem in that the group selecting the teams for TV has different interests than the group televising.

In short, the Fiesta Bowl is worried about how many tickets they sell (and to a great but lesser extent, hotel rooms, restaurant sales, etc.) FOX has probably already sold most if not all of the advertising, so they don't really care (especially with an expiring contract). ESPN has already booked through 2013, so they want good ratings to sell on, but they have no input. Plus, to a large extent the BCS is going to sell itself.

[JD720]

the orange takes texas in a heart beat

If Texas loses to Nebraska the Orange Bowl will be phoning in their selection before the confetti had started falling.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think you two are right.

[newsbreaker]

The TV "ratings" issue is an identical problem this year as to any other year. The "contract is up" folks are finding something to discuss where nothing exists.

If the Fiesta Bowl wasn't going to be a BCS bowl next year, then you'd have an issue.

Yes, the BCS has sold next year's TV rights, but I'm not under the impression that the structure of the contract has been changed in some way. The Fiesta Bowl hasn't been getting paid by Fox according to eyeballs. Fox cares about eyeballs because they guarantee a number of viewers to advertisers and sell based upon that - if they don't get that number of viewers they have to refund money. That rarely happens.

The Fiesta Bowl's piece of the pie goes up next year just like everybody else because of the new deal. If you think, however, that a company who just paid a half-billion dollars to televise these games for the next 4 years doesn't have just as much "input" as Fox has had the past few years then you're crazy.

In other words, the TV issue is identical to any other year.

From a TV standpoint, Nebraska v Iowa isn't appreciably better or worse than Iowa v Boise. Nebraska brings a bigger home market than Boise (Iowa bigger than both), and being fresh off a major upset would bring considerable national interest (plus the return of the historic program to national prominance). Iowa still brings the Big Ten which only comprises about 50% of TV households in the country...but Penn State brings a few more.

The ticket issue is moot between PSU and Iowa no matter how you slice it, so then it simply becomes an issue of diversifying the game a bit, and I think Nebraska in the game is the only way Iowa ends up left out of the BCS right now.

[HawkLax6]

I just hope FOX hires Mac McCausland, so he can tell the Iowa crowd to break out the chips and salsa.

[valp0guy]

Who cares who they play as long as the Fiesta Bowl lets us pump up the burrito (!!!!!!!)

[bigazzturkeylegs]

It's the only game on that night. I can't see TV ratings varying greatly one way or the other.

[bigazzturkeylegs]

Also, what are the chances the Fiesta takes Va Tech instead of Boise State? That is a more high profile and favorable matchup, imo.

[Corporate Raider]

I just hope FOX hires Mac McCausland, so he can tell the Iowa crowd to break out the chips and salsa.

OH MY! This!