I know that many of us dislike televising the games live in hopes of a larger crowd. However, lets put ourselves in the athletics department shoes.
With the projected weather of cold, wet, snow, etc. lets say we (now in the athletic dept, marketing, etc.) spend [insert your own $ figure here] in funds to hash out more than normal free tickets and put out a comercial to come down to the ICE CASTLE, or other marketing scheme you wish. Do you really think that will attract more visitors for this game? Will it give them (now us, we are in there shoes afterall) any benefit?
Now, lets say we put the game on TV. I see no major downward shift in attendance, maybe down 1-2k (because really...they are fair weather fans). Those fans are happy to watch the game in their own comfortable living rooms and it will hit a larger audience that are less-likely to come to a regular season game. However, this group does buy playoff tickets and championship t-shirts.
Stay with me here...
I see both cases being similar benefit to YSU...yet the game will be channeled to a larger audience via WFMJ. The costs and benefits (key to what happens next) will be readily determinable Saturday around 5:10pm. A win will push more fans out to the stadium the next week and a loss (as many of you believe) would put us our of the playoff picture...and you can all start planning where to watch the OSU-Michigan game.
Z