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Noodles Offline
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Post: #1
Attendance question
What set of circumstances would it take for your school's fanbase to be the next East Carolina (gag) or Louisville, i.e. sellouts for most every game?

At Southern Miss, I almost believe that just returning to our former ways would mean much bigger crowds, because we've learned not to take winning for granted. In the past, we'd only get the really big crowds in years where we beat a "big" school, such as Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, etc. And it could very well be that way now; we are in uncharted waters with this hellish 3 seasons just past.

I really, really believe we were on the verge of taking it up a notch back in '11.

Obviously, this conversation doesn't really apply to Old Dominion, since you guys sell out your stadium before breakfast every day. But what's it going to take at Middle TN to pack the stadium? How many can Rice bring in with continued success? What will it take at the Florida schools? Can it happen at Marshall, where even a year like 2014 saw empty seats? Will North Texas fans support their team if they go on a run? Can Louisiana Tech fill Aillet Stadium against conference opponents?

What do you think?
04-17-2015 11:56 PM
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MinerInWisconsin Offline
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Post: #2
RE: Attendance question
(04-17-2015 11:56 PM)Noodles Wrote:  What set of circumstances would it take for your school's fanbase to be the next East Carolina (gag) or Louisville, i.e. sellouts for most every game?

At Southern Miss, I almost believe that just returning to our former ways would mean much bigger crowds, because we've learned not to take winning for granted. In the past, we'd only get the really big crowds in years where we beat a "big" school, such as Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, etc. And it could very well be that way now; we are in uncharted waters with this hellish 3 seasons just past.

I really, really believe we were on the verge of taking it up a notch back in '11.

Obviously, this conversation doesn't really apply to Old Dominion, since you guys sell out your stadium before breakfast every day. But what's it going to take at Middle TN to pack the stadium? How many can Rice bring in with continued success? What will it take at the Florida schools? Can it happen at Marshall, where even a year like 2014 saw empty seats? Will North Texas fans support their team if they go on a run? Can Louisiana Tech fill Aillet Stadium against conference opponents?

What do you think?

UTEP needs to win, just like everyone else. UTEP's best avg annual attendance is over 47k and several other years in the over 40k range. A number of games over 50k. UTEP can do it but winning and the expectation of winning is the key. Bandwagon fans need a reason to attend.
04-18-2015 06:09 AM
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blueraidermike Offline
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Post: #3
RE: Attendance question
As an MT fan I think our problem is bigger than college FB or creating a better atmosphere. Aside from winning big (going 10-2 4-5 years in a row and beating P5 schools more often) we have not captured many "new" fans since moving up in 1998. MT is the largest undergrad school in TN and yet very few of our grads over the last 15 years are attached and support the program. I think the mindset of a college student has changed. They have so many more entertainment options, distractions. TV and the massive increase in bowl games has impacted actual attendance. We have about 3 years from 2003-2005 where are attendence was horrific, but now its about the same today as it was in 2000-2002. In 2001 timeframe we would have all thought that we would have expanded the stadium by now.

The core fanbase has to have an affinity for the University and the team. If not, they will just be fickle. I wish I knew the answer.
(This post was last modified: 04-18-2015 06:29 AM by blueraidermike.)
04-18-2015 06:29 AM
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ODU Oldtimer Offline
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Post: #4
RE: Attendance question
In ODU's case.......... "If you build it, they will come"
04-18-2015 08:09 AM
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Cnelson203 Offline
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Post: #5
RE: Attendance question
blueraidermike makes an interesting observation about younger grads not being as fanatic due to more entertainment options. As I thought about that, I compared that to what I see at Marshall away games in Florida. There is always a great Marshall crowd but there is a large percentage of older folks...I recognize them because I'm one of the older crowd, as well Part of that could be the the demographics of Florida, but there have to be fairly large numbers of young'uns under 40 who graduated and moved to Florida, too. I wonder why I don't see more of them at our games.

What's the story at home games? Do students turn out to fill their sections? What's the observable divide between under 40 and over 40 at these games?
04-18-2015 08:11 AM
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FlyHawk98 Offline
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Post: #6
RE: Attendance question
I think Marshall is finally on the right track to do all the things you are talking about.

#1 We are winning.

#2 Our stance on 1-1s is starting to pay off because we are now having regional P5 teams coming to Huntington.

#3 We are finally marketing our team to the Tri-State area.


Before, we were winning, but we were never marketing our team and the upcoming game. We also, rarely had a P5 school at home.

We are making ticket prices reasonable, and pricing them in ways to grow the fan base. I'm excited to see how the new promotion ends up working. I think our goal right now is to increase from around 28,000-32,000 up to around 34,000-38,000.

Continued winning, consistent P5 schools at home, and better marketing/ticket prices makes me think we are either on our way, or we may never get there.

My personal goal is for Marshall to average over 30,000 for this season, or at least increase from last season. I think we can do it with Purdue, So Miss, and Old Dominion on the home schedule.
04-18-2015 08:52 AM
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Side Show Joe Offline
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Post: #7
RE: Attendance question
(04-17-2015 11:56 PM)Noodles Wrote:  What set of circumstances would it take for your school's fanbase to be the next East Carolina (gag) or Louisville, i.e. sellouts for most every game?

At Southern Miss, I almost believe that just returning to our former ways would mean much bigger crowds, because we've learned not to take winning for granted. In the past, we'd only get the really big crowds in years where we beat a "big" school, such as Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, etc. And it could very well be that way now; we are in uncharted waters with this hellish 3 seasons just past.

I really, really believe we were on the verge of taking it up a notch back in '11.

Obviously, this conversation doesn't really apply to Old Dominion, since you guys sell out your stadium before breakfast every day. But what's it going to take at Middle TN to pack the stadium? How many can Rice bring in with continued success? What will it take at the Florida schools? Can it happen at Marshall, where even a year like 2014 saw empty seats? Will North Texas fans support their team if they go on a run? Can Louisiana Tech fill Aillet Stadium against conference opponents?

What do you think?

1. North Texas has to do better in recruiting. We focus on the Dallas area because we have tons of talent here and it's cheaper to recruit locally. The problem is most of the better recruits still don't commit to UNT. We need to allocate more funds to the recruiting budget and spend more time focusing on top out of state talent. We need to sell our facilities and the Dallas area to those recruits. Should North Texas start getting serious looks from higher profile out-of-state prospects, our local recruiting issues will take care of itself.

2. North Texas has to win more games. Our HOD bowl season was nice, but we were not able to build on it last season. Like every team that hopes to improve attendance, stringing together multiple bowl winning seasons would certainly help.

3. Schedule Home and Home series with P5 programs. North Texas only has 5 home games this season. I believe we will not run into this problem again, but unfortunately, I don't believe UNT has any future Home and Home series scheduled with P5 programs. That sends the wrong message to fans and recruits, and doesn't help attendance. I don't mind us buying an annual win over an FCS team if we were also bringing P5's to Apogee.

4. C-USA needs to quit scheduling us to play every Texas programs either home or away every season. This actually helps attendance in when Rice, UTEP, and UTSA all visit UNT, but when we play them all on the road it is terrible for attendance. Rice, UTEP, and UTSA don't have to do this.

5. Promote! Promote!! Promote!!! The Game-Day experience at UNT is the best weekend value in DFW. Tailgating is great fun. There can't be too many other stadiums actually on a golf course. We tailgate on over a hundred acres of rolling hills with great shade trees. North Texas needs to advertize (T.V., radio, billboards, social media, local schools). UNT should be hosting the local sportscasters' weekend shows live from Apogee's Club Level after every home game. Apogee hosts high school games on Friday nights. Those teams and coaches, should be getting comp tickets for the Mean Green games on Saturday. North Texas has a great Battle Flag. We should be inviting notable alums (Don Henley, Nora Jones, Dr. Phil, Meat Loaf,....) to carry it and lead the team on to the field at every home game. "Beyond the Green" is a great show on the Fox networks, but North Texas needs to see about also having it air on a local broadcast network, and every season they should have an episode that focuses on the recruits that signed with UNT.

With well over 100,000 alums living within 75 miles of the stadium, North Texas has the ability to grow into something special. But to grow our attendance, I believe we need to focus more resources on the areas I listed.
04-18-2015 11:46 AM
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Ole Blue Offline
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Post: #8
RE: Attendance question
Biggest thing on the PLANET to me as a young'un compared to the majority of folks here is marketing. MT has done a horrible job marketing the sports events to the community, both the students at MT and the greater community. It's really insanely difficult to get any sort of sustained attendance increase without a concerted and successful marketing effort. Thankfully this year we have pieces in place to make it super easy to market some games, like the Charlotte game (Family Day) and freakin' Vanderbilt (Homecoming), which should be the easiest sellout we've ever had. If we don't have 31,000+ for that one... Sad day.
04-18-2015 01:11 PM
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wh49er Offline
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Post: #9
RE: Attendance question
For Charlotte it is winning and get rid our AD who does a horrible job of growing the fanbase. She has a country club mentality about our athletics program.
04-18-2015 01:31 PM
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davi78239 Offline
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Post: #10
RE: Attendance question
UTSA needs to keep up with the marketing and of course be a winner. This past yr, we still managed decent crowds despite the horrific injury plagued season. And it also might help to never get an NFL team (raiders rumored). Even though I'd love a pro team, lots argue that it would hurt UTSA football. I happen to think otherwise but that's just me..
04-18-2015 02:29 PM
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BlueRaiderBoy Offline
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Post: #11
RE: Attendance question
As an old MT alum: Deeply disappointed in my fellow Nashville based alums. In our 1-AA days, virtually all our grads pulled first for UT, a really distant second was Vandy, and a few loved Alabama! Until '98 we were small potatoes! Sadly, I can name 300 Alums that still drive to Knoxville, or attend a UT TV party, or jump in their car and drive down West End before they will go see a game at Middle! Most of them are proud of their degree but don't see MT as a Major Sports Venue! On weekends, they still morph into Orange, Dores, Bama, or Titans fans. And that's who gets their dollars! Many of our students today sit in their dorm or frat houses, or off campus apartment and watch whoever is on ESPN rather than walk 500 yards to Horace Jones Field! You don't overcome perception in just 18 years of Division 1! There is potential for Middle Tennessee. Now, if I can just live long enough to see us break 30,000 and average 25,000.
04-18-2015 02:51 PM
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olliebaba Offline
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Post: #12
RE: Attendance question
(04-18-2015 02:51 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  As an old MT alum: Deeply disappointed in my fellow Nashville based alums. In our 1-AA days, virtually all our grads pulled first for UT, a really distant second was Vandy, and a few loved Alabama! Until '98 we were small potatoes! Sadly, I can name 300 Alums that still drive to Knoxville, or attend a UT TV party, or jump in their car and drive down West End before they will go see a game at Middle! Most of them are proud of their degree but don't see MT as a Major Sports Venue! On weekends, they still morph into Orange, Dores, Bama, or Titans fans. And that's who gets their dollars! Many of our students today sit in their dorm or frat houses, or off campus apartment and watch whoever is on ESPN rather than walk 500 yards to Horace Jones Field! You don't overcome perception in just 18 years of Division 1! There is potential for Middle Tennessee. Now, if I can just live long enough to see us break 30,000 and average 25,000.



Wow, it is sad that in a town as big as yours you can't break 30k or average 25k. You guys have big problems. Maybe it's the name people hear MTU and they think small potatoes. Just saying, I really wouldn't know what rocks your boat in that part of the country.
04-18-2015 06:06 PM
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odubum Offline
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Post: #13
RE: Attendance question
AS somebody already said about ODU, you build it they will come. There are a few reason for this. One, we are relatively new with football and have been winning since the beginning. So we are a tad spoiled.

It also helps that Norfolk is one of the largest markets without a pro sports team. So this tends to make us the big deal in town.

Lastly our alumni are huge in supporting athletics at the school. Basketball draws on average over 7,000 and we sell out many of our games. Football has been sold out and had a waiting list since day one.
(This post was last modified: 04-18-2015 06:19 PM by odubum.)
04-18-2015 06:18 PM
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Ole Blue Offline
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Post: #14
RE: Attendance question
(04-18-2015 06:06 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  
(04-18-2015 02:51 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  As an old MT alum: Deeply disappointed in my fellow Nashville based alums. In our 1-AA days, virtually all our grads pulled first for UT, a really distant second was Vandy, and a few loved Alabama! Until '98 we were small potatoes! Sadly, I can name 300 Alums that still drive to Knoxville, or attend a UT TV party, or jump in their car and drive down West End before they will go see a game at Middle! Most of them are proud of their degree but don't see MT as a Major Sports Venue! On weekends, they still morph into Orange, Dores, Bama, or Titans fans. And that's who gets their dollars! Many of our students today sit in their dorm or frat houses, or off campus apartment and watch whoever is on ESPN rather than walk 500 yards to Horace Jones Field! You don't overcome perception in just 18 years of Division 1! There is potential for Middle Tennessee. Now, if I can just live long enough to see us break 30,000 and average 25,000.



Wow, it is sad that in a town as big as yours you can't break 30k or average 25k. You guys have big problems. Maybe it's the name people hear MTU and they think small potatoes. Just saying, I really wouldn't know what rocks your boat in that part of the country.

Similar problem to what has happened to FAU and FIU. Huge metro populations, yet the stadiums are not filled.
04-18-2015 07:05 PM
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Volkmar Offline
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Post: #15
RE: Attendance question
We won't sell out the Alamodome. Period.
04-18-2015 07:52 PM
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Ole Blue Offline
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RE: Attendance question
(04-18-2015 07:52 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  We won't sell out the Alamodome. Period.

What if you start a Boise-esque run?
04-18-2015 11:39 PM
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Irish Rowdy Offline
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Post: #17
RE: Attendance question
(04-18-2015 11:39 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  
(04-18-2015 07:52 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  We won't sell out the Alamodome. Period.

What if you start a Boise-esque run?

Alamodome is huge. Fun fact we already have better football attendance than Boise State.
04-19-2015 12:49 AM
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FAUAEPi Offline
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Post: #18
RE: Attendance question
A complete culture change. Not at FAU, but all of South Florida.
04-19-2015 01:44 AM
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Farmer Jack Offline
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Post: #19
RE: Attendance question
(04-18-2015 02:51 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  As an old MT alum: Deeply disappointed in my fellow Nashville based alums. In our 1-AA days, virtually all our grads pulled first for UT, a really distant second was Vandy, and a few loved Alabama! Until '98 we were small potatoes! Sadly, I can name 300 Alums that still drive to Knoxville, or attend a UT TV party, or jump in their car and drive down West End before they will go see a game at Middle! Most of them are proud of their degree but don't see MT as a Major Sports Venue! On weekends, they still morph into Orange, Dores, Bama, or Titans fans. And that's who gets their dollars! Many of our students today sit in their dorm or frat houses, or off campus apartment and watch whoever is on ESPN rather than walk 500 yards to Horace Jones Field! You don't overcome perception in just 18 years of Division 1! There is potential for Middle Tennessee. Now, if I can just live long enough to see us break 30,000 and average 25,000.

I never knew that Middle Tennessee never drew over 30k or ever averaged 25k. Like the UTEP poster said, perhaps it's the name that turns people off?
04-19-2015 06:35 AM
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Theflash Online
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Post: #20
RE: Attendance question
TV also hurts. Every game, nowadays, is watchable somewhere. It is just too easy to stay an front of the TV instead of driving up the road for a home game, or, in my case, driving an hour or 2 to a road game (such as Middle). I understand television is so important, but it hurts in a lot of ways as well.
04-19-2015 07:57 AM
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