I like the way buffnik took this topic and ran with it. So sure, CU isn't where Stanford is now (but furd has been horrible at times) and CSU isn't as lowly as SJSU (though who knows in the future).
Some other interesting things:
CU v CSU (60-21-2), .746
Stan v SJSU (50-14-1), .776
Active NFL players (from ESPN.com)
SJSU: 12
CSU: 8
I don't think anyone should advocate playing something like 61 out of 65 matches in Boulder, but playing at Invesco is garbage. Another telling statistic that puts the lambs in more of the SJSU category is their AD finances. From the
USA Today database of public schools AD finances:
SJSU revenue:
ticket sales: $0.8m
contributions: $1.3m
conference rights: $2.9m (that will equalize with CSU when they are both MWC members)
student fees: $4.5m
school funds: $6.9m
CSU revenue:
ticket sales: $3m
contributions: $3m
conference rights: $7m (that will equalize with SJSU when they are both MWC members)
student fees: $5m
schools funds: $9m
CU
ticket sales: $13.4m
contributions: $13.5m
conference rights: $16m (likely to go to $30-35m and escalate $40-45m over 12 years with P12 net, Rose Bowl rights, playoff rights)
student fees: $1.5m (can reduce to 0 with above new revenue)
school funds: $5.7m (can reduce to 0 with above new revenue)
So SJSU really does suck in their revenues streams, but CSU only does better because they A) bring in 4 million more from the MWC (which equalizes when both are in the same conference), B) from 4 million more in ticket sales/ contributions, and C) from $2.1 million more out of CSU's general coffers. That's just more than a little worrying as a Colorado taxpayer. CSU wants to build a $260 million dollar stadium 'with no public money' but from donors and ticket sales.... but their AD survives on just $6 million per year raised by fan participation. Is that going to magically quadruple with a new stadium? Because no other revenue streams are going up, unless they want to pass it on to teh students in fees or take more from their general fund and divert it from education? Does anyone really beleive CSU will have equal ticket sales/ donor contributions to CU after their new stadium is built because that's about what it would take to pay for it. It's even harder for CSU since they'll have a hard time playing as many home games as CU since they are not in a position to pull home and homes from 1/2 of the teams out there.
Being from northern CA, I wouldn't consider Stan v sjsu a rivalry. It's just a game that sjsu fans get to drive a shirt distance to watch their team get slaughtered by a better team. There are too many universities in CA to make a CU/CSU (power house vs crap hole) comparison. Fresno State, San Diego State, UC Davis (482-363-35 .568, 30 D2 conf championships), etc. by that I mean, the winner of a CA game like Stan/sjsu doesn't get to claim statewide bragging rights like the RMS.
That is true, but you can't exactly compare a state with 40 million to a state of 5 million when it comes to schools playing for bragging rights. The biggest difference is in the conference structure where Stanford plays 1) Cal, 2) USC 3) UCLA every year and has done so IN conference for 90-120 years. The team Stanford plays most OOC is SJSU, and they have played far more than say Notre Dame, which their fans would likely say now is their #4 'rivalry' game due to the whole private schools thing (obviously Oregon is a great team as of late, but they are very different schools).
I just don't see anyone else in CFB giving a home and home like CU does for CSU with such a wide difference in their stature - if you look at all the other notable
OOC rivalries, they are far more equal in stature. And with the new order of conferences, it's likely CSU falls back and CU can obviously only move up given the past 5 years.
The CSU-CU game should look more like the 1983- 1997 time period:
1983 @ Folsom
1985 @ Folsom
1986 @ Folsom
1987 @ Hughes
1988 @ Hughes
1989 @ Folsom
1992 @ Folsom
1995 @ Folsom
1996 @ Hughes
1997 @ Folsom
None of this Denver BS. CFB is about coming home to a great campus and promoting the University. If for some reason it has to be yearly, CU should play its game at home every other year (and time it during the 4 home game P12 years), and if CSU wants Invesco instead of Hughes, let them do that with some revenue sharing based on ticket splits... advantage CU since the split is 60/40 CU anyway and it's not a true road game. On top of that, give the TV rights to P12 so it doesn't end up on freaking CBS college sports channel after toledo vs bowling green.
CU should really be looking at rotating some other nearby teams in the schedule as part of 2 for 1's. hell, pay them a little to come here, but get 6-7 home games instead of 5-6. Rotate between close schools like Air Force, Wyoming, UNM, and CSU .... they already have 2 for 1's with SJSU and Fresno. hell even getting home and homes with smaller majors like Boise, SDSU, BYU would be favorable compared to Invesco. Though for pay games @ Mich, @ tOSU and the @Hawaii game )which gets a no bye week 13 games schedule as the 'reward') aren't that great, they at least have the chance of raising CU's stature, while playing @ Invesco on CBS College Sports versus CSU is always a losing propostion whether CU wins or loses.