(07-03-2015 05:46 PM)Usajags Wrote:  If F_U wins, does anyone in south Florida notice, or care.

That is the big issue.

No. If Miami is struggling to draw, the F_U schools are never going to draw well with any consistency.

If I lived in that area, I probably wouldn't care about football either. You can go to the beach and actually get in the water from March to November there.

Not to mention all the other amenities that come with living in a major metro area that is also a huge tourist destination.

(07-06-2015 02:47 PM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-03-2015 05:46 PM)Usajags Wrote:  If F_U wins, does anyone in south Florida notice, or care.

That is the big issue.

No. If Miami is struggling to draw, the F_U schools are never going to draw well with any consistency.

If I lived in that area, I probably wouldn't care about football either. You can go to the beach and actually get in the water from March to November there.

Not to mention all the other amenities that come with living in a major metro area that is also a huge tourist destination.

You can get in the water year round....

If not for Western football and basketball we would be living Nov-March in Ft Lauderdale. The highs are usually in the high 70s to low 80s in dead of winter.

I love the area (Ft Lauderdale) so much we made the 14 hour drive 6 times since this past Jan. I'm not into the bar scene (hardly ever drink and then only 1 beer every now and then) but a person could go to a different bar or out to eat every night for 6 months and not touch 75% of them. There's just so much stuff to do with in a hours drive (30-45 mile) that is fighting for the time and the dollars.

(07-06-2015 01:27 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(07-06-2015 12:53 PM)panama Wrote:  So youre happy with whom you have now?

Me personally, so far, yes. We've been in the top 4 or 5 the past couple of years with recruits, our decimated OL has been rebuilt, our APR is on track, the team is still young and our wins are improving. The offense he has run is very Big10'esque, however, given what he has had to work with, I have seen no glaring game-day management issues. Hopefully as his team's mature he will begin to open up the offense.

To the point of the article, if you win the next two years , will that translate to community support?

(07-06-2015 03:22 PM)panama Wrote:  To the point of the article, if you win the next two years , will that translate to community support?

I didn't read the article (opinions are like belly-buttons, everybodies got one), however, community support is a relative term, esp. down here in S. Fla. Students have been known to fill the east endzone stands from the NE to SE corner or spend the entire game in the parking lot 'partying'; just depends on their mood. Casual fans (alumni, administration and local community) will be more inclined to come as the wins pile up. The 6 to 10 thousand die-hards will be there unless we've entirely given up on the season.

Sounds pretty much like other pro towns that don't place the highest of priorites on college sports. Houston, Chicago, NY, Dallas, Atlanta, Philly, DC all come to mind. Doesn't mean we can't or won't be competitive, just the velocity of fan participation is exacerbated by performance on the field.