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Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
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inductchuck16 Offline
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Exclamation Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(This post was last modified: 10-29-2016 10:30 PM by inductchuck16.)
10-29-2016 10:25 PM
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Bronco'14 Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
It really is sad.
These schools all have thousands of alumni. No reason they shouldn't be packing the stadiums.

FIU and FAU really are the EMU's of CUSA. Not only is the state of Florida dominated by 3 P5 schools, but there's just a ton more to do in Florida then watch college football.

Everytime I see Purdue/Rutgers/horrible Big 10 teams stadiums I am reminded there are the haves and the have-nots in the Big 10. Not every Big 10 team has a 5,000,000 seat stadium like UofM and Ohio St.

I saw on the main board earlier in the year mockery of TCU's attendance.

The point is, as you said, attendance criticism shouldn't be directed to just the MAC.
10-29-2016 10:41 PM
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emu steve Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
NFL television ratings are down significantly this year.

I think we now have a glut of football on television and saturation is having an affect.
10-29-2016 11:21 PM
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Kittonhead Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
With the consolidation of the P5 its hurt attendance at the second tier programs.

Some of them are only 30k paid attendance.

A 20,000 seat stadium is what a 30,000 seat stadium was years before as far as an entry level FBS stadium capacity. Anything over 30,000 at the G5 level is large.
10-29-2016 11:41 PM
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NIUSox10 Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
I just think its gotten to the point where tv/social media > attending a live event thats not a marque game. Sports Arenas need to innovate and increase the attraction and experience.
10-29-2016 11:57 PM
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pono Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
Reasons:

4 hour games

Replay delays stopping the excitement every other big play

TV timeouts creating dead time throughout the game

decline in the sense of community in many places. people are less social (when not on media). it's harder to create cheers and rituals that bring folks together at games (notice that at places that have great fan participation traditions-i.e. Wisconsin, BYU, Florida St-you don't see a decline in attendance).

oh, and playing on Wednesday nights till 11 pm doesn't help either
TV saturation. Gameday is anticipated less when there's been football on tv all week.

Emphasis on the playoff overshadows everyone outside of 10-12 teams.

Glut of Bowl games means everyone who is 500 or better goes bowling. This eliminates the excitement of your 7-2 team fighting for a hard to get bowl berth.

oh, and playing on Wednesday night till 11 pm isn't helping either
(This post was last modified: 10-30-2016 12:49 AM by pono.)
10-30-2016 12:48 AM
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Bronco'14 Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
The big one is over-emphasis on the Top 10 fighting for the playoff IMO
10-30-2016 06:44 AM
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MacLord Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
Another reason is some of these conference match-ups between schools with zero geographical connection. (Not that closeness helps the MAC a ton.)
10-30-2016 07:50 AM
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Blue N. Goldman Jr. Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
Unless you are a tailgater, there is no reason to go to the game.
10-30-2016 10:08 AM
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Copy Cat Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(10-30-2016 10:08 AM)Blue N. Goldman Jr. Wrote:  Unless you are a tailgater, there is no reason to go to the game.

This is a little bit extreme, but a lot of the points being made in this tread are valid. I do think football is a better viewing experience on television, and when you throw in the chill and rain of autumn, that gap gets wider. The MAC schools that do OK on attendance have solid alumni support, decent tailgating cultures and produce an overall nice gameday atmosphere. In terms of solutions, even the biggest and most successful programs are wringing their hands and trying to figure it out. Interesting story here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/what-do-coll...1437080251
10-30-2016 10:37 AM
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UAZippers Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
I feel the biggest problem countrywide is the focus on the absolute pinnacle of the league. The majority of fans now believe that if a team doesn't win a national championship, it is not worth putting in the effort to watch. Blame it on the media, or whatever else, but a conference championship and big regular season wins don't mean anything. This sets up 90% of the teams in division 1 for failure before the season even begins.
10-30-2016 01:34 PM
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toddjnsn Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
It's because everything is on TV. Especially in the colder months, and ticket prices not so cheap in many places, why not sit at a bar or at home watching the game?
10-30-2016 02:48 PM
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Bronco'14 Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(10-30-2016 01:34 PM)UAZippers Wrote:  I feel the biggest problem countrywide is the focus on the absolute pinnacle of the league. The majority of fans now believe that if a team doesn't win a national championship, it is not worth putting in the effort to watch. Blame it on the media, or whatever else, but a conference championship and big regular season wins don't mean anything. This sets up 90% of the teams in division 1 for failure before the season even begins.

So true.

When you turn on ESPN and when they talk about college football all they do is talk about the Top 10 teams, the remaining 115 FBS schools just don't matter. It stinks, and it's not just ESPN, but Fox Sports and CBS Sports.

This is why a Power 5 complete split would doom the Purdues/Wake Forests/Washington Sts/Vanderbilts of the world.

I know there's a ton of bowl games, and quite a few should definitely be dropped, but I like how it brings solid teams some post-season action.
(This post was last modified: 10-30-2016 04:20 PM by Bronco'14.)
10-30-2016 04:18 PM
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NIU007 Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(10-30-2016 04:18 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  
(10-30-2016 01:34 PM)UAZippers Wrote:  I feel the biggest problem countrywide is the focus on the absolute pinnacle of the league. The majority of fans now believe that if a team doesn't win a national championship, it is not worth putting in the effort to watch. Blame it on the media, or whatever else, but a conference championship and big regular season wins don't mean anything. This sets up 90% of the teams in division 1 for failure before the season even begins.

So true.

When you turn on ESPN and when they talk about college football all they do is talk about the Top 10 teams, the remaining 115 FBS schools just don't matter. It stinks, and it's not just ESPN, but Fox Sports and CBS Sports.

This is why a Power 5 complete split would doom the Purdues/Wake Forests/Washington Sts/Vanderbilts of the world.

I know there's a ton of bowl games, and quite a few should definitely be dropped, but I like how it brings solid teams some post-season action.

Very true. It would only be Karma if their own actions started adversely affecting their own ratings.
10-30-2016 05:10 PM
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pono Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
more good points

what some of the younger fans don't get is that for decades if you had a university connection - students, alumni, faculty, staff- or were a fan of the hometown team, saturday football for 5 or 6 fall saturday afternoons or evenings was the thing. it didn't matter that much if they were good or great. as long as they played hard the fans would try to will them to victory. a good season might mean going 7-4, but beating your rival and everyone else at home. even if your team kinda sucked, you would show up to the home games and - unless it was a total blowout - stay to the end. the game took 2 hours and 45 minutes. breaks for turnovers and after scores were short. and the game kept peoples attention. college football was far more popular than pro football for most of the history of the game. pro football was about the physicality and the championship. college football had the traditions. the university community coming together for tailgates and conversation. locals supporting the nearby university or college (even if they weren't big time). the win at all costs culture of football (and really the country and much of the world) makes everyone want to be a fan of an ohio st or michigan or alabama.

now, attention spans are shorter. the game has lots of 2 or 3 minute stoppages. the no huddle, the passing game, and sideline to sideline style (a lot of teams in the past were north and south) means more plays and stopped clocks to lengthen the game, it's a style that's good for tv.

it's really a no brainer for 85% (or whatever, I just randomly inserted that %) of the FBS schools to go back to what worked. play football on saturdays. consider shortening the season so games aren't played around or after thanksgiving (unless that's a final game tradition or bowl). take the tv delays out of games. take the big money control out of most games. this is a paper chase for all but the huge programs. none of the 85% are making money for their school. have a real 8 or 16 team playoff at the end. let, the huge programs play their december and january tv games, with replays and dozens of commercial breaks, in huge stadiums usually away from campuses. there will still be good money to primarily benefit the programs and conferences that play the extra games.
10-30-2016 06:42 PM
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Love and Honor Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(10-30-2016 06:42 PM)pono Wrote:  it's really a no brainer for 85% (or whatever, I just randomly inserted that %) of the FBS schools to go back to what worked. play football on saturdays. consider shortening the season so games aren't played around or after thanksgiving (unless that's a final game tradition or bowl). take the tv delays out of games. take the big money control out of most games. this is a paper chase for all but the huge programs. none of the 85% are making money for their school. have a real 8 or 16 team playoff at the end. let, the huge programs play their december and january tv games, with replays and dozens of commercial breaks, in huge stadiums usually away from campuses. there will still be good money to primarily benefit the programs and conferences that play the extra games.

Agree for the most part. I for one am willing to play some weeknight games in exchange for TV exposure, and while there's an attendance hit, at the end of the day a November Saturday in the midwest is going to have less-than-stellar weather. The good teams on a roll may take a bit of a loss, but the bad teams will still draw peanuts whether or not they're playing on a Tuesday or Saturday. I'm willing to make that tradeoff, there's still at least three or four other Saturdays in September or October that fans can go to if they're willing and able.

Part of the decline has to do with the disconnect between college and athletics imo. All of the scandals with law-breaking athletes, shady boosters, immoral coaches, massive student subsidies, etc. drain the fan base and student support over time, it's hard to turn a blind eye to all of that. And because sports media basically treats the big programs like the Dallas Cowboys and everyone else like the a nuisance to appease, it takes away from the amateur aspect of college athletics that has contributed so much to the emotional connection that makes college football what it is.
10-30-2016 07:14 PM
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pono Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(10-30-2016 07:14 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  
(10-30-2016 06:42 PM)pono Wrote:  it's really a no brainer for 85% (or whatever, I just randomly inserted that %) of the FBS schools to go back to what worked. play football on saturdays. consider shortening the season so games aren't played around or after thanksgiving (unless that's a final game tradition or bowl). take the tv delays out of games. take the big money control out of most games. this is a paper chase for all but the huge programs. none of the 85% are making money for their school. have a real 8 or 16 team playoff at the end. let, the huge programs play their december and january tv games, with replays and dozens of commercial breaks, in huge stadiums usually away from campuses. there will still be good money to primarily benefit the programs and conferences that play the extra games.

Agree for the most part. I for one am willing to play some weeknight games in exchange for TV exposure, and while there's an attendance hit, at the end of the day a November Saturday in the midwest is going to have less-than-stellar weather. The good teams on a roll may take a bit of a loss, but the bad teams will still draw peanuts whether or not they're playing on a Tuesday or Saturday. I'm willing to make that tradeoff, there's still at least three or four other Saturdays in September or October that fans can go to if they're willing and able.

Part of the decline has to do with the disconnect between college and athletics imo. All of the scandals with law-breaking athletes, shady boosters, immoral coaches, massive student subsidies, etc. drain the fan base and student support over time, it's hard to turn a blind eye to all of that. And because sports media basically treats the big programs like the Dallas Cowboys and everyone else like the a nuisance to appease, it takes away from the amateur aspect of college athletics that has contributed so much to the emotional connection that makes college football what it is.

i sort of see the point but that still means sacrificing senior night. this used to be one of the big games of the year (opening night, HC, Senior night) where everyone turned out to honor the seniors. maybe folks left early if the weather or game was bad. but it gave the seniors a chance for all their friends and family and classmates to come to the game and give it up for them. you talk about the disconnect between college and athletics and suggest a compromise that severs one of the main connections.

there have been scandals and corruption of money and boosters, I agree, it contributes. i still see mostly mature behavior from most programs. The rockets for example have had a really good culture under all coaches (other than amstutz) of being good students, managing the busy schedules, being decent citizens, and avoiding all the pitfalls of youthful college indiscretions that are magnified if you are an athlete. i see pretty accessible and positive athletes at the MAC level. A lot of kids who haven't had the easiest paths but are doing pretty well in college as student athletes.
10-30-2016 07:35 PM
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wmubroncopilot Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
I'm young but in my recent experience in the MAC Senior Nights don't seem to bring much if any extra attendance whether played on Tuesday, Black Friday or Saturday.
10-30-2016 10:08 PM
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cleveland Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(10-30-2016 06:42 PM)pono Wrote:  more good points

what some of the younger fans don't get is that for decades if you had a university connection - students, alumni, faculty, staff- or were a fan of the hometown team, saturday football for 5 or 6 fall saturday afternoons or evenings was the thing. it didn't matter that much if they were good or great. as long as they played hard the fans would try to will them to victory. a good season might mean going 7-4, but beating your rival and everyone else at home. even if your team kinda sucked, you would show up to the home games and - unless it was a total blowout - stay to the end. the game took 2 hours and 45 minutes. breaks for turnovers and after scores were short. and the game kept peoples attention. college football was far more popular than pro football for most of the history of the game. pro football was about the physicality and the championship. college football had the traditions. the university community coming together for tailgates and conversation. locals supporting the nearby university or college (even if they weren't big time). the win at all costs culture of football (and really the country and much of the world) makes everyone want to be a fan of an ohio st or michigan or alabama.

now, attention spans are shorter. the game has lots of 2 or 3 minute stoppages. the no huddle, the passing game, and sideline to sideline style (a lot of teams in the past were north and south) means more plays and stopped clocks to lengthen the game, it's a style that's good for tv.

it's really a no brainer for 85% (or whatever, I just randomly inserted that %) of the FBS schools to go back to what worked. play football on saturdays. consider shortening the season so games aren't played around or after thanksgiving (unless that's a final game tradition or bowl). take the tv delays out of games. take the big money control out of most games. this is a paper chase for all but the huge programs. none of the 85% are making money for their school. have a real 8 or 16 team playoff at the end. let, the huge programs play their december and january tv games, with replays and dozens of commercial breaks, in huge stadiums usually away from campuses. there will still be good money to primarily benefit the programs and conferences that play the extra games.

All of this sounds good, but .... the genie is out of the bottle. Sports has sold out to TV, and TV dictates when, where and what time. If you want fast Saturday 1 p.m. games go to 1-AA, D-II or D-111. Otherwise live with it.

These P-5 leagues ... and TV ... are slowly killing the game.
10-31-2016 02:32 AM
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JHG722 Offline
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RE: Attendance Struggles Happening Nationwide (in pictures)
(10-29-2016 10:25 PM)inductchuck16 Wrote:  *Temple of the American Athletic Conference...but this comes as no surprise

First of all, this picture doesn't show the other side, which is where my season tix are, and which was pretty well-filled.

Second of all, we had nearly 30K people at the game (in a 70K seat stadium)

Third of all, you had 16,154 people in a just over 26K capacity stadium. You shouldn't talk.
10-31-2016 02:59 PM
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