Bowl Distance Traveled- B1G v $EC

[B1GR3D]

It's obvious a lot of the bowl games are in the southeast, which is SEC's backyard. In this post I figured the distance for each team that qualified for bowl games. Big 10- 7 SEC- 10.

 

SEC:

 

South Carolina- Columbia, SC -----> Orlando, FL 430 miles, 6 hours

 

LSU- Baton Rouge, LA -----> Tampa, FL 712 miles, 10 hours

 

Texas A&M- College Station, TX -----> Atlanta, GA 825 miles, 12 hours

 

Georiga- Athens, GA -----> Jacksonville, FL 340 miles, 5.5 hours

 

Mississippi State- Starkville, MS -----> Memphis, TN 182 miles, 2.8 hours

 

Ole Miss- Oxford, MS -----> Nashville, TN 231 miles, 3.4 hours

 

Missouri- Columbia, MO -----> Arlington, TX 600 miles, 9 hours

 

Vanderbilt- Nashville, TN -----> Birmingham, AL 192 miles, 2.8 hours

 

Alabama- Tuscaloosa, AL -----> New Orleans, LA 292 miles, 4 hours

 

Auburn- Auburn, AL -----> Pasadena, CA 2137 miles, 30 hours

 

Average Distanced Traveled- 594 miles

 

Now, factoring out BCS bowl games, because fans will travel no matter what- 439 miles

 

Big 10:

 

Michigan State- East Lansing, MI -----> Pasadena, CA 2212 miles, 31 hours

 

Wisconsin- Madison, WI -----> Orlando, FL 1304 miles, 19 hours

 

Iowa- Iowa City, IA ------> Tampa, FL 1269 miles, 18.5 hours

 

Nebraska- Lincoln, NE -----> Jacksonville, FL 1338 miles, 19.5 hours

 

Michigan- Ann Arbor, MI -----> Tempe, AZ 1957 miles, 29 hours

 

Minnesota- Minneapolis, MN -----> Houston, TX 1177 miles, 17 hours

 

Ohio State- Columbus, OH -----> Miami, FL 1152, 17 hours

 

Average Distance Traveled- 1487 miles

 

Without BCS bowls- 1409 miles

 

 

Final thoughts:

Obviously you can't change geography, and the Big 10 is at a disadvantage when it comes to bowl traveling. The SEC, in my opinion, have a HUGE advantage when it comes to bowl selection. Some of the stadiums that the bowls are played in, some of the teams have played in before.. Georgia v Florida game is played in Jacksonville... Chick-Fil-A bowl, Georgia Dome. The average fan isn't going to fly, or drive cross country to watch a bowl game. But, if the game was an average of 439 miles away, and tickets running 30$, who wouldn't? If only bowl games weren't in Indy, Chicago, etc. That's my 2 cents.

[deedsker]

Good breakdown. Puts stats to a highly held opinion.

[Creed]

The B1G needs its own bowl vs the SEC up north, I say in Chicago as opposed to Indy/Detroit so weather plays more of a factor. I heard Rick Nueheisel on the radio and he was talking about how PAC teams were more speed and spread focused and B1G played you in a box, which is solely predicated on the weather.

[QMany]

Not only the fact that they didn't travel very far, they ONLY traveled to other SEC school states (exception obviously being Auburn (just because the Rose Bowl happen to have the bid this year)). How about Georgia comes to play us in Minneapolis, or LSU v. Iowa and USC v. Wisconsin in Chicago and Indianapolis? I understand it is a bowl venue, yada yada yada. So maybe they should come play an non-con up here.

[True2tRA]

+1 to the OP. I see this as a huge problem myself. It's a major bias to warm weather teams and climates. I get it, trust me, I understand, but people act like Big Ten country has nothing to offer simply becuase it may be a bit chilly. People, in general, need to man up. There's some damn great venues out there outside of the south. These places need to be considered more often for Bowl games and Championship games. I'm willing to bet if they move the venues closer to the location of the teams playing, they will gain more attendance than they would lose, regardless of the weather. Fans of these teams are used to this stuff. Also, who would it kill to make a southern team come North for a bowl game? It can be just as difficult for a cold weather team to deal with heat and humidity as it is for a hot weather team to deal with cold.

[2ndNnine]

nobody wants to deal with chicago in january cold, plus run the risk of having your bowl game snowed out.

[QMany]

I wish Chicago had a venue like Lucas Oil Stadium. I would love to go see Nebraska beat an SEC team in Chicago. On the night before, go out on the town and eat some good food. Plus, it isn't nearly as cost prohibitive as Florida/Arizona.

[In the Deed the Glory]

nobody wants to deal with chicago in january cold, plus run the risk of having your bowl game snowed out.

 

St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Syracuse (small venue bowl) all say hello and don't worry about snow.

[California Husker]

Okay, being from California, I may have a different perspective on this than those of you from NE. But this is one of those "it is what it is" situations. These bowls have to be (as much as possible) in warm weather cities. Who wants to go to the Idaho Potato Bowl? or the Pinstripe Bowl? Unless you are wealthy, the bowl game is kind of like a vacation for the average fan. Most don't want to vacation in downtown Chicago in late December/early January. Florida and California are nice places to be during this time of year. Sure Jacksonville was a little chilly, but not as bad as New York, Chicago or Indianapolis. The high today (January 2nd) here where I live in So. Cal. is going to be 75 (with no wind chill). The high in Chicago today is going to be 22. So like it or not, the fans of USC, UCLA, Arizona and ASU, Texas teams, and SEC teams are going to be at an advantage. But seriously, that isn't going to change.

 

As far as the playing conditions for the teams...just prepare better and play better and the "home field advantage" won't matter. When Nebraska had superior teams...we won those games in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. When we were not the better team, we lost.

[In the Deed the Glory]

Okay, being from California, I may have a different perspective on this than those of you from NE. But this is one of those "it is what it is" situations. These bowls have to be (as much as possible) in warm weather cities. Who wants to go to the Idaho Potato Bowl? or the Pinstripe Bowl? Unless you are wealthy, the bowl game is kind of like a vacation for the average fan. Most don't want to vacation in downtown Chicago in late December/early January. Florida and California are nice places to be during this time of year. Sure Jacksonville was a little chilly, but not as bad as New York, Chicago or Indianapolis. The high today (January 2nd) here where I live in So. Cal. is going to be 75 (with no wind chill). The high in Chicago today is going to be 22. So like it or not, the fans of USC, UCLA, Arizona and ASU, Texas teams, and SEC teams are going to be at an advantage. But seriously, that isn't going to change.

 

As far as the playing conditions for the teams...just prepare better and play better and the "home field advantage" won't matter. When Nebraska had superior teams...we won those games in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. When we were not the better team, we lost.

 

Have you ever been to downtown Chicago during this time frame? It is awesome and beautiful with the Christmas decorations everywhere. Maybe I'm weird.

[deedsker]

Okay, being from California, I may have a different perspective on this than those of you from NE. But this is one of those "it is what it is" situations. These bowls have to be (as much as possible) in warm weather cities. Who wants to go to the Idaho Potato Bowl? or the Pinstripe Bowl? Unless you are wealthy, the bowl game is kind of like a vacation for the average fan. Most don't want to vacation in downtown Chicago in late December/early January. Florida and California are nice places to be during this time of year. Sure Jacksonville was a little chilly, but not as bad as New York, Chicago or Indianapolis. The high today (January 2nd) here where I live in So. Cal. is going to be 75 (with no wind chill). The high in Chicago today is going to be 22. So like it or not, the fans of USC, UCLA, Arizona and ASU, Texas teams, and SEC teams are going to be at an advantage. But seriously, that isn't going to change.

 

As far as the playing conditions for the teams...just prepare better and play better and the "home field advantage" won't matter. When Nebraska had superior teams...we won those games in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. When we were not the better team, we lost.

 

Have you ever been to downtown Chicago during this time frame? It is awesome and beautiful with the Christmas decorations everywhere. Maybe I'm weird.

I actually feel the same way.

 

Plus, da Bears don't seem to mind having playoff games there in January.

[QMany]

Chicago would be a fun trip during this time of year, despite the cold. However, a game outside in Chicago would not. I'm fine with walking around to dinner and bars, but I don't want to sit outside in these conditions for 3-4 hours. They need a nice indoor facility. Indianapolis isn't bad at all, I liked their downtown and had a blast (before the game happened).

[Michiganball]

Soldier field January first sounds like a man's game already.

[Creed]

Chicago would be awesome but it can be pricey. People need to look at the NFL to see how weather affects teams style and play. How many stories do we hear this time of year of warm weather or dome teams having poor records traveling to cold weather teams??? It took Tampa Bay years to get its first NFC playoff win up north. Peyton Manning is miserable in cold weather.

 

This would be a huge advantage for the B1G teams weather (pun) it be in the playoff or a mid-tier bowl game vs the SEC.

[California Husker]

Okay, being from California, I may have a different perspective on this than those of you from NE. But this is one of those "it is what it is" situations. These bowls have to be (as much as possible) in warm weather cities. Who wants to go to the Idaho Potato Bowl? or the Pinstripe Bowl? Unless you are wealthy, the bowl game is kind of like a vacation for the average fan. Most don't want to vacation in downtown Chicago in late December/early January. Florida and California are nice places to be during this time of year. Sure Jacksonville was a little chilly, but not as bad as New York, Chicago or Indianapolis. The high today (January 2nd) here where I live in So. Cal. is going to be 75 (with no wind chill). The high in Chicago today is going to be 22. So like it or not, the fans of USC, UCLA, Arizona and ASU, Texas teams, and SEC teams are going to be at an advantage. But seriously, that isn't going to change.

 

As far as the playing conditions for the teams...just prepare better and play better and the "home field advantage" won't matter. When Nebraska had superior teams...we won those games in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. When we were not the better team, we lost.

 

Have you ever been to downtown Chicago during this time frame? It is awesome and beautiful with the Christmas decorations everywhere. Maybe I'm weird.

No, I have to admit that I have not. However, I have been to Minnesota in late December and it was tough for a So. Cal. guy to take.

 

I am not sure if I made my point as well as I should have. It's not that people who are focused on nothing more than the game wouldn't enjoy it. I am not even saying that it wouldn't kind of be a novelty for warm weather folks to experience the snow (although it would require me to buy a whole new wardrobe). What I am saying is that when a team travels to the Rose Bowl (for example)...they can go to the beach, walk along Hollywood Blvd., tour Universal Studios, go to Disneyland and/or Six flags, etc. In So. Cal. you can just grab your car keys and go...no bundleing up, no parka, scarf, wool hat, snow boots....just shorts and a t-shirt. If you are on vacation (and many bowl attendees make it into a vacation), it is just more convenient to be in a warm weather spot. Some people can only afford one vacation a year...I'm just saying that So. Cal at 75 degrees with no windchill is more appealing than Chicago at 22 (-13 with windchill). I may be wrong, but that is my perception.