The Michigan State Spartans' showdown with the Florida Atlantic Owls at Ford Field in Detroit is just a few weeks away and the excitement is building for the players. Spartans players even got a chance to experience the intimate feeling of an NFL stadium by practicing at the facility on Thursday after a press conference involving both teams' head coaches.
↵For many of the Spartans players (61 from Michigan and 28 from the Metro-Detroit area) the game provides an opportunity for family and friends to travel shorter distances to be at the game in the state's largest city. As of now, though, family and friends might be all they'll be playing in front of -- ticket sales are not going so hot:
↵↵↵The most recent figure from some Michigan State sources is fewer than 10,000 and I hear that MSU officials are getting a little antsy up there. [...]
↵[...] With a sideline ticket going for $69 (and the most expensive ticket topping out at $79 or $88.10 with fees) the game just may be a little steep for the citizens of Detroit, whose economy is in ruins.
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FAU is trying to help the cause by amping up their marketing campaign for the game, but I honestly don't know how much good it will do. It's the weekend after Labor Day, when a lot of people travel. Factor in that it's an MSU/FAU game in Detroit and, it pains me to say this, it isn't exactly the strongest attraction.
↵I know MSU has plans to create the buzz that surrounded Michigan State's basketball games at Ford Field. That's just not realistic. They couldn't possibly believe it'd reach the level of a Final Four weekend or a game between two of the best programs in college basketball (referring to the MSU/UK game). There's still time for it to pick up steam, but right now it sounds like this football game is going to be as barren as a Thanksgiving weekend MHSAA championship game.