By Aren Dow
For SIUE to secure a deal with Carbondale to put the Cougars on their basketball schedule is a massive achievement for the university. The Dec. 19 match is already generating buzz on both campuses – for different reasons – and is sure to be a highlight game for the Cougars this season.
The trouble with scheduling mid-majors is that, well, they don’t want to be scheduled. Those schools were in the position SIUE was in one time, and they are not looking to go back anytime soon. School like Carbondale and Illinois State have no interest in playing the Cougars; there is little upside. If they win, well, they were supposed to. But if they lose, that prompts angry questions from the fan base and later pops up on ESPN as a “bad loss” come March. And for mid-majors, they need every advantage they can get in as an at-large bid.
SIUE is not an attractive name for many of the neighboring universities like SLU, Illinois State and Evansville. Of course, they will schedule SIUE because they have the same problem the Cougars have – the U of I’s and Mizzou’s have no interest in losing to the mid-majors.
For SIUC, it is a little different; it does make some sense for the Salukis to schedule SIUE. It means a slightly larger crowd, which means more revenue for those games. And for the way the Saluki program is heading, they need any revenue they can muster right now.
But above all, this is huge for SIUE. This is the biggest thing to happen to the men’s basketball program since they announced the jump to D-I. Fielding a good basketball team is incredibly tough during the transition phase, and many familiar with the process expect few wins during its time.
But perhaps an even larger challenge to foster an environment fans can get excited about. When the product can’t sell it itself, you turn to atmosphere and rivalries. The former has been adequately met as the stadium’s facilities have been improved and a decent small-school atmosphere has been developed. There is finally a band back in the stands, promotions highlight games and a seemingly well-organized student fan section is underway.
Rivalries, though, take years to develop. You need familiarity, the memory of sweet victories and agonizing losses. You need stories for fans to talk about the time back, oh 15 years ago, where we stormed back from a double-digit loss to stun our rival. History does not come quickly with new schools, schools we haven’t played but a handful of times. And really, a rivalry cannot develop unless each team wins a few games. Geography only goes so far if the contest is one-sided.
But Carbondale is different. Many at SIUE seem to have this little-brother mentality when it comes to our sister school from the south, that they think they are better than us. Coming from Springfield, I had no idea coming in, but it’s clear that those who grew up in the area have a slight bitterness towards Carbondale. I myself have never made my way down there; maybe they aren’t so bad.
Either way, this drives revenue, especially for SIUE.
When Illinois State made their way to the Vadalabene Center last year for the Cougars’ opener, more than 3,600 fans packed the building. This past year, there was not one home game out of the 15 where the VC housed even 2,000 fans. That’s not an attractive number for ticket sales and concessions. And with the costs needed to transition up to D-I, it’s just another punch. For the university’s sake, they are probably just thankful they are dealing in basketball costs rather than football costs.
A four-year contract with Carbondale means they have two games with huge expected attendance figures. It means they have two games they can generate a marketing plan around. Remember the ‘BEAT ISU’ marketing plan from a couple of years ago? SIUE now has that small bump in revenue given to them on a silver platter. It doesn’t matter if the Cougars just have a small chance to come out ahead in the actual game.
By the time the contract ends, SIUE will have been a full member of the OVC – complete with a chance to upset a team or two in the postseason tournament and generate a little buzz. It’s the perfect set-up man until we hit the closer of whomever the Cougars can rough up (providing they can).
Wishful thinking in full force, this game with Carbondale should turn into yearly deal. Granted, it will take some time before the Cougars are on the Saluki’s level, but it makes too much sense for the two to create a little out-of-conference rivalry. The tension is already there and it will drive revenue.
Of course, that is if the Salukis want it that way.
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