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i think someone who loves a particular game would go see one played regardless of the level it's at. But if someone loves only a particular team--that may be as far as they go.
The big difference, a pro team (A, AA, AAA, etc) is ABOUT the city they play in. They are there for all people of a said city regardless of that persons past affiliation. They do promos that benefit and highlight the city.
A college team is ABOUT the college. They are there first and foremost for the students and graduates of the institution, and someone with a different / rival past affiliation may not feel any sense of belonging at the games. They do promos that benefit and highlight the college first and then possibly the city.
You can't have it both ways. You call Columbia a college town. USC's winning is good for the city regardless of whether everyone pulls for them. And the way pro teams hop from city to city I disagree that they're about the city they play in anyway. USC isn't going anywhere.
The big difference, a pro team (A, AA, AAA, etc) is ABOUT the city they play in. They are there for all people of a said city regardless of that persons past affiliation. They do promos that benefit and highlight the city.
A college team is ABOUT the college. They are there first and foremost for the students and graduates of the institution, and someone with a different / rival past affiliation may not feel any sense of belonging at the games. They do promos that benefit and highlight the college first and then possibly the city.
Big difference.
true. back home the UW dropped mens baseball years ago ( title 9 issue I believe ) which wasnt the force for that school that it is down here at USC. Over the years Madison went thru several minor league baseball teams/affiliations ( including ties to the A's & Cards ) but nothing really stuck long term. You could see a big leaguer come thru on a rehab stint but single A just didn't maintain a strong draw year after year. About 10 yrs back Madison finally got in a summer league which is for college players only, and with excellent family promotions ( and good solid baseball to watch ) their attendence was over 200k people for only 30+ home games this season. And they've hit that mark in the past as well. Now that's a good fan base. But it took serious trial and error to find the right mix of pricing/ballpark/entertainment value to make it work.
The big difference, a pro team (A, AA, AAA, etc) is ABOUT the city they play in. They are there for all people of a said city regardless of that persons past affiliation. They do promos that benefit and highlight the city.
A college team is ABOUT the college. They are there first and foremost for the students and graduates of the institution, and someone with a different / rival past affiliation may not feel any sense of belonging at the games. They do promos that benefit and highlight the college first and then possibly the city.
Big difference.
I agree that non Carolina fans in Columbia will not have a strong attachment to watching USC sporting events. There are true fans of the game who will go simply to be in a stadium but, that is a very small number of people.
That being said, the question is not about minor league teams v. a university, the question in this thread is whether or not Carolina works to prevent minor league sports in Columbia. And, in my opinion, today, Carolina does not work to prevent minor league sports in Columbia. Carolina may not offer up facilities which is different than discouraging minor league sports in Columbia. I hope a minor league team does not play in Carolina Stadium, it was built specifically for Carolina Baseball and, I hope it stays that way.
However, Columbia could support a single A baseball team if it wants to get a team (Afterall, Kannapolis and Hickory have teams). I think it falls upon the city/county to work towards getting a team in the city, not Carolina.
However, Columbia could support a single A baseball team if it wants to get a team (Afterall, Kannapolis and Hickory have teams). I think it falls upon the city/county to work towards getting a team in the city, not Carolina.
Is there a college in Kannapolis or Hickory? Augusta has a team so you could always drive down there if you wanted to catch a minor league game.
Is there a college in Kannapolis or Hickory? Augusta has a team so you could always drive down there if you wanted to catch a minor league game.
Why are you asking about a college in Kannapolis or Hickory? If the insinuation is that having Carolina in Columbia prevents a minor league team then, that is not the premise of the thread. I don't think Carolina discourages minor league sports. And, based on what I read, I don't see much to suggest that the school is actively discouraging minor league sports.
As for driving to Augusta, it is hard to get people to drive a small distance for a minor league game.....look no further than the Charlotte Knights in Fort Mill for an example.
As for Columbia, a more relevant question is would the citizens support financial incentives to build a minor league stadium similar to Greenville?
Why are you asking about a college in Kannapolis or Hickory? If the insinuation is that having Carolina in Columbia prevents a minor league team then, that is not the premise of the thread. I don't think Carolina discourages minor league sports. And, based on what I read, I don't see much to suggest that the school is actively discouraging minor league sports.
As for driving to Augusta, it is hard to get people to drive a small distance for a minor league game.....look no further than the Charlotte Knights in Fort Mill for an example.
As for Columbia, a more relevant question is would the citizens support financial incentives to build a minor league stadium similar to Greenville?
The only direct financial investment Greenville citizens provided was to purchase the land, which had been vacant and decaying for years. The entire award-winning stadium and marketing strategy was conceived and paid for by the franchise. The end result has exceeded all expectations so far.
The only direct financial investment Greenville citizens provided was to purchase the land, which had been vacant and decaying for years. The entire award-winning stadium and marketing strategy was conceived and paid for by the franchise. The end result has exceeded all expectations so far.
Sky..that is exactly the question. Would Columbia/Richland/Lexington be willing to pay for the land to build a stadium. That seems to be the model for minor league franchises across the country. And, is there enough usable land available for a minor league team in The Vista/CBD?
While Carolina's stadium has been described on a national level as one of the best stadiums in the country for college or minor league teams, I don't want to see a minor league team play there. Carolina put up the $40m to build the park and it is not the job of the school to subsidize a minor league team.
While there are lots of non-USC fans in the Columbia area, I wouldn't expect a high enough percentage of them to be interested in attending minor league baseball games to justify putting much money into a stadium. And the USC fans here are good with what we've got in baseball. Sure, baseball is the so-called American pastime, but at some point it's time to go home to cook and clean.
While there are lots of non-USC fans in the Columbia area, I wouldn't expect a high enough percentage of them to be interested in attending minor league baseball games to justify putting much money into a stadium. And the USC fans here are good with what we've got in baseball. Sure, baseball is the so-called American pastime, but at some point it's time to go home to cook and clean.
College baseball ends in June. I'm sure you would get plenty of fans for games from June to September. Even though, I really think you could get enough fans during the college season too.
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