are the lows really going to be in the low 30's Sat night?

[RyanSMU98]

dang....those pictures are painful to look at.

Yeah, they really are. But, anyone who expected a packed house to watch a 1-win team play a 3-win team in frigid weather played in the fair-weather fan capital of the universe really needs to check their grip on reality. I was doing OK until the start of the 4th when the chill really seemed to sink in, but it was worth every minute! This team will become a team worth watching (to those who aren't already fully entrenched in the Peruna cult like most of us here), and if we're still seeing pictures like these when that happens then to paraphrase HCCM "SMU needs to fix SMU".

[footballdad]

dang....those pictures are painful to look at.

Yeah, they really are. But, anyone who expected a packed house to watch a 1-win team play a 3-win team in frigid weather played in the fair-weather fan capital of the universe really needs to check their grip on reality. I was doing OK until the start of the 4th when the chill really seemed to sink in, but it was worth every minute! This team will become a team worth watching (to those who aren't already fully entrenched in the Peruna cult like most of us here), and if we're still seeing pictures like these when that happens then to paraphrase HCCM "SMU needs to fix SMU".

The packed house straw man.

[Hoop Fan]

We have a core group of students that have been great, they sit down in the first several rows, they dance, make noise and stay through Varsity. Kudos to them. But we should have at least 3 or 4 times as many students there. Cmon, you live on or near campus, you know about the game and the weather isn't that bad. School pride is just severely lacking in some people. I wonder if the school is doing enough to indoctrinate the students and constantly communicate the importance of attendance at our most high profile events. Chad can't do it by himself with his golf cart. Without the games, there is no Boulevard and there is no party. Ever. That is a self evident truth that seems to be lost on a lot of people, young and old. That's the other thing, being on ESPN used to incite some real excitement/pride from the students. Not anymore. I really wonder the cost/benefit of the tv contract we have. Its nice, but we are not only giving the milk away for free, we are giving fans one more reason not to come to the stadium. Games like SMU vs Tulane have no business being on television when both teams are out of bowl contention this late in the year. Lets face it, with all the timeouts for commercials, TV games become very long with a lot of dead time for people in the stadium to sit through (like this post, sorry). Finally there is no easy solution for it, but the luxury boxes looked fairly full the other night. For such a small fan base to begin with, it really hurts to take 750-1000 people who would at least be visible on the 50 yard line and put them up in a fish bowl. Ford should have been designed differently with some sort of lower level section with an overhang that had outdoor seats but access to club amenities. Then the second level is a deck with still great seats but more vertical and on top of the field feeling. Like Navy has. Even a small stadium feels more big time that way and the crowd is closer to/on top of the action. Ford is like a movie theater concept. The players don't "feel" the crowd either, even when we have a decent one.

[RGV Pony]

What happened to the bro contingent that represented itself so well vs Baylor?

[PerunasHoof]

The students were there for the first few games. Once we started losing they went away. It sucks, but that's the way it is. I actually ran into a few students at the Barley House a month or so ago and asked if they went to the games. Each of them said no because the team was losing. That was their only reason.

I wish we had better school spirit because I still go regardless. Students also didn't go to basketball games before we started winning.

Win, and we SHOULD (key word there) see attendance rise.

[lwjr]

SMU students could care less about the football team. Can you blame them?

[PerunasHoof]

SMU students could care less about the football team. Can you blame them?

Could care less or couldn't?

[StallionsModelT]

Oh I'm shocked that people didn't show up to see a one win SMU team against a 3 win Tulane team on a chilly Saturday night with other meaningful games on TV.

[skyscraper]

1. A large number of students did show up - to the frat tents. Some good parties. Hung out up there for a bit since the rest of the Blvd was deader than dead. But once the game started the music stopped and they all left.
2. Students will show up in the stadium when we start winning meaningful games. Moody was the perfect storm with the remodel, beating a top team and sustained success. We haven't had anything like that in football. I actually think this group of students would like to support the team - they do a good job for basketball. But it's unrealistic to expect a large turnout when we're 1-9.
3. I more worry about the alumni who we've lost or are burning out. This season I had several friends who flat out told me they can't take it anymore in football. These were people who've regularly come to games and supported the program. The 1500 knows we're on the right path but the records posted recently just murder any momentum we're trying to build.

[Stallion]

I worry that so many think this is normal-5,000 to 8,000 fans in the seats for several games

[Pony Boss]

I worry that so many think this is normal-5,000 to 8,000 fans in the seats for several games

Think what is normal?

[StallionsModelT]

I worry that so many think this is normal-5,000 to 8,000 fans in the seats for several games

Third smallest enrollment of any school playing D1A football with one win (and only one previous home victory in the past TWO seasons) against another small private school with three wins on a cold Saturday night in late November in a city with unlimited entertainment options. I'm shocked we were able to get anyone to go to the game honestly.

[Pony Boss]

I worry that so many think this is normal-5,000 to 8,000 fans in the seats for several games

Third smallest enrollment of any school playing D1A football with one win (and only one previous home victory in the past TWO seasons) against another small private school with three wins on a cold Saturday night in late November in a city with unlimited entertainment options. I'm shocked we were able to get anyone to go to the game honestly.

95-205 from 1989-2014. Alabama of losing.

[Stallion]

I worry that so many think this is normal-5,000 to 8,000 fans in the seats for several games

Third smallest enrollment of any school playing D1A football with one win (and only one previous home victory in the past TWO seasons) against another small private school with three wins on a cold Saturday night in late November in a city with unlimited entertainment options. I'm shocked we were able to get anyone to go to the game honestly.

So you going to put that on our expansion/resume packet for P5 inclusion. Who in the hell cares. For ALL private G5 schools its about overachieving the small size of your school like TCU did before and after it started to rebuild its program. TCU never had 4,000-5,000 at their games for multiple games even when they were bad and EVEN when they had 5,000 undergraduates not too long ago. P5 conference don't give a [deleted] that we are a small private school-we will be compared to all G5 school regardless.

[Pony Boss]

I worry that so many think this is normal-5,000 to 8,000 fans in the seats for several games

Third smallest enrollment of any school playing D1A football with one win (and only one previous home victory in the past TWO seasons) against another small private school with three wins on a cold Saturday night in late November in a city with unlimited entertainment options. I'm shocked we were able to get anyone to go to the game honestly.

So you going to put that on our expansion/resume packet for P5 inclusion. Who in the hell cares. For ALL private G5 schools its about overachieving the small size of your school like TCU did before and after it started to rebuild its program. TCU never had 4,000-5,000 at their games for multiple games even when they were bad and EVEN when they had 5,000 undergraduates not too long ago. P5 conference don't give a [deleted] that we are a small private school-we will be compared to all G5 school regardless.

How do you go about solving that problem?