I saw an article today which referred to Miami and Notre Dame potentially renewing one of college football’s most storied rivalries. Months back you mentioned your desire to schedule a home and home with the Fighting Irish and with a new athletic director in South Bend, it seems that there’s finally interest on both sides for the first time in almost two decades.
As a long-time Cane, I digest this news with cautious optimism. I won’t legitimately be excited until I actually see Notre Dame running out the tunnel at Dolphin Stadium. Only then will I know this is real. A road game in South Bend or another at a “neutral” site? Both could happen, but that return game to Miami will be a sticking point — as is the case with a big time, big money rival who feels they call the shots. Sadly, that became the norm on former AD Paul Dee’s watch and it’s something that needs to change during your regime. Miami doesn’t have to bow down to anybody.
Should another bully AD try to paint you into a corner regarding Miami’s fan base and lack of road support, remind him (or her) about TV ratings when the Canes play a big time foe. Last year’s September showdown at The Swamp pitting an unranked Miami squad against a top five Florida bunch. The result? The eighth highest-rated show of the week, with 6,954,000 viewers. Florida wasn’t drawing those numbers for SEC foes, but people tuned in when the Canes came to town.
The Miami/Florida contest was the third most watched regular-season college game in ESPN history. The second most watched? Florida State at Miami in 1994, with 7,667,000 households tuning in.
ESPN’s most-viewed college football game in history remains the 2006 Labor Day match up between Miami and Florida State, two teams then barely clinging to top 15 rankings. The game earned a 6.9 rating with upwards of 6,330,000 households tuning in, edging out the highly-ranked Labor Day match ups of 2004 and 2005 for the Canes and Noles.
Even this recent post-season, a then 7-5 Miami team trekked west to play the unranked Cal Bears in the Emerald Bowl and drew a 4.6 rating with 4,535,000 homes tuning in. ESPN “won the night” on December 27th among all TV networks and was the ninth highest-rated bowl game last season (out of 34).
The common denominator here; Miami.
The Gators see their best regular season TV numbers when playing the Canes. Florida v. Florida State battle every year, both both see their best numbers against Miami. Same for Miami and Notre Dame. Last year’s SEC Championship (Florida v. Alabama) was the highest rated non-bowl game or the year, with a 9.3 rating — behind Miami and Notre Dame’s last meeting in 1990, which registered at a 9.7 rating. No matter the foe, played out as the phrase is – it really is all about The U.
Rumors were swirling this week that Florida is looking to get out of their 2013 return game to Miami. This was on the heels of Kansas State bagging out of an upcoming home and home. (Bill Snyder’s name is barely on the head coach’s office door and he’s already resuming his vintage cupcake scheduling…)
Once a Gator, always a Gator, Paul Dee lost the negotiating battle with UF’s Jeremy Foley. Miami trekked to Florida in 2008 and the Gators have five years to weasel out of the return trip, attempting to pay the Canes off in favor of scheduling another home game against Nobody U. That’ll be followed by a weekly reminder that the SEC conference is the toughest in the game.
I’ll bet the farm Florida doesn’t head south in five years. College football is cyclical and odds are Miami is back on top, while Urban Meyer has taken his road show to either South Bend or the NFL. No way he’s still kicking around Gainesville in ’13. Like Steve Spurrier before him, at some point the nature of the game will make it impossible to live up to the high expectations.
Don’t let Notre Dame pull a Florida. If Miami goes on the road first for a home and home, make the return date within a year or two and raise the stakes so no one can pull out. Should a “neutral” site be chosen for a third game, make sure it’s somewhere between Orlando and Jacksonville. Make it clear that Soldier Field in Chicago isn’t exactly “neutral”.
The upper portion of the Sunshine State would serve as a great locations. Local Domers and national diehard fans would fill any central or northern Florida stadium in fall. Look back at a recent home and home with Florida State, which was beneficial for both programs and UND was well represented, figuratively speaking.
Also, don’t let Notre Dame treat Miami like Boston College, drumming up a bogus reason to end the rivalry because the Irish simply couldn’t hang anymore. Nobody loves to take their ball and go home after a beating like UND.
College football fanatics are clamoring for a Miami v. Notre Dame series. This has to happen. That said, don’t sell your soul to get the holier than thou Irish back on the schedule. It has to be beneficial to Miami.
If not, get a Notre Dame rival on the phone as I’m sure college football wouldn’t mind a Southern Cal v. Miami showdown in the coming years.
Sincerely,
allCanesBlog.com
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GREAT PIECE, ALLCANES. LIKE YOU, I WANT TO SEE THE MIAMI AND NOTRE DAME RIVALRY RENEWED, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SEE KIRBY SELL OUT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THE DAYS OF MIAMI BOWING DOWN TO OTHER SCHOOLS IS LONG GONE. TV REVENUE IS BIG WHEN UM COMES TO TOWN AND A HOME GAME AT DOLPHIN STADIUM SHOULD BE PACKED WITH NOTRE DAME FANS, WHICH MAKE THEIR PRESENCE FELT IN SOUTH FLORIDA. COME TO MIAMI TO SUPPORT YOUR TEAM. A MUCH BETTER PLACE TO HANG OUT IN FALL THAN SOUTH BEND.
PUT A DEAL TOGETHER, MR. HOCUTT AND PROTECT MIAMI'S INTEGRITY IN THE PROCESS!!!!!!
Please tell me you sent this to him.
Great article.
I hadn't heard about UF trying to bail out on us again, but it doesn't surprise me.
I'd love to see The U play ND again, but, like this article states, we need to start seeing more respect in these agreements.
-Tampa Cane
Where are those rumors UF is trying to pull out of the 2013 matchup?
Always knew UF had NO intention of coming to Miami in 2013. (Typical Gator arrogance.) Playing ND is nothing special anymore. They stink. Schedule USC or Texas instead!
I'm tired of us acting like some mid-major when negotiating with these holier-than-thou SOBs. The hypocrisy in CFB is just ridiculous!
Either they play us at home or not at all!
Great piece, Canes. A nice little jab at powers like Florida and Notre Dame, who think they can simply dictate the rules because they are wealthier programs. Our new AD needs to remind them that the Canes are still the most dominant program in college football the past 25 years.
Where are those rumors UF is trying to pull out of the 2013 matchup?
I saw on a message board and a few guys have emailed to me. Nothing has been confirmed, but I don't doubt this happens.
Florida got what they wanted from Miami -- a big time 2008 home game, where they sold out and had great TV coverage. They made their money.
Regarding a return game, Florida doesn't benefit from playing in Miami... which is why they push for a home and home, where the opponents heads to their house first.
From a financial standpoint, Florida is better off buying their way out of the road game at Miami and scheduling another home game against a lesser opponent. Outside of the 'guaranteed' win, they get to keep the gate, concessions and merch sales -- while paying some small school a few hundred thousand dollars to come to The Swamp.
A cowardice move to drop Miami - especially with UM turning things around - but it'd make good business sense on their part. We'll see what happens.
Canes vs irish would be a nice game if everything works out...as for southern cal vs miami no thanks; well not now the young canes are not ready plus as for texas not a game to watch anyone remember the 91 cotton bowl? as a southern cal resident i dont want to see miami go down this route not until a championship game then the yes.
A couple more years and the Canes will be fully stacked again, just like they were in '00, '01, '02. Unfortunately, the one negative with that is a whole bunch of other programs (ND, UF, KSU) get scared because they know the U gets the TV ratings and they don't want to get obliterated on national television. (Remember Washington getting slammed 65-7 in a night game at the O.B. back in '02) This is why I love the U; we've been down these past few years but we'll still play anyone, anywhere.
No guts, no glory! Too bad the Domers and Gators don't have any.
we just cannot pick and choose who we play...as far as picking top comp to play when we want...if usc wanted to get on our schedule...then i say lets do it...it gives the young boys the experience they need of a big game...it also provides money...would be a nice tv game...and it helps with recruiting...for miami...alot of positives come from a usc home/home deal...not only that there is a reason why they play the game...any day someone can lose...did usc lose to oregon state this past year?...yeah i think miami could get them...so shit why not...miami needs to get more big names on the schedule..so big time players with continue to come...you come to miami to play big games...like oklahoma this year...you dont come to miami to play usf and ucf and fiu and some other cupcake every year...that is not how miami got big in the football world...we got big by beating everyone we played ...beating all the people we were not supposed to beat...it is possible...shannon is getting back to old miami football you can see it in the confidence in these kids...they all think they can big things at a early age like kosar did...like the great ones did...cant wait for the spring game...hey southern cal guy come on down to miami for the spring game...support your young men..peace
va cane