Fanbase: What's a realistic expectation

[CoxMustangFan]

One of the better, most spot on posts in some time, Treadway

Completely agree. I guess the counter is that you should go and support the team no matter what, but that UCF game a couple weeks back was more soul sucking than the A&M game T mentions above.

[03Mustang]

Aside from the Tech game last season that 2007 game might be the most let down I've ever been as an SMU fan. I mean, generally speaking expectations haven't been very high during my fandom...

TCU '97.

True, that would have been worse. I was in high school then and not a fan of the school yet.

That being said, after thinking about it I take back my statement anyway...plenty of other examples of severe disappointment even going back to 02/03:

- The A&M game Treadway mentioned where Padron was pulled early.
- Rice 2006. Worst drive home up I-45 ever.
- PB's first game (against a Navy team that was 0-11 the prior year)
- Losing 66-8 at A&M the week after beating TCU in 2005
- Losing in Denton, 2007
- USM game, 2011
- Baylor opener, 2013

I'm sure there's more, but man...that sucks. I agree 100% with Treadway's post as well.

[Puckhead48E]

All of these examples, and all of the problems and pain associated with the past decades of failure, relate to integrity.

Fans will support a smaller program that doesn't show well when they have a connection to the program and know their team will give its all. Throughout the past 20+ seasons, at least one facet of the program has lacked the integrity to go all in. Whether it be the coaching, the school not supporting the program, or whatever other problem pops up, there is that constant expectation that the other shoe is going to drop and that cliff is just around the corner. When you have that emotional baggage sitting over your head, as a fan base, there comes a point where you refuse buy in 100% because you are tired of being made a fool by your own program.

That is where this new team is changing things. It may take some time, but they should and (I believe) will get buy in from students and alumni...and eventually from greater Dallas.

As for expectations...it is realistic to see a sea change in perception from inside the program immediately. We aren't going out to win the AAC next season, but competing in the games and getting those close wins is a must. Once the core is rebuilt, in 3+ seasons, that is when the final record must and will reflect the job that HCCM and his staff have done. So far...I'm confident.

[Treadway21]

Just heard about this on the radio - most college teams are struggling with home attendance (Even Texas - with a bad team, their attendance dropped 8%, see article). People would rather watch on TV, where they can pick and choose or watch multiple games, rather than pay to watch 1 team.

College football attendance: Home crowds drop to lowest in 14 years
JON SOLOMON
National College Football Writer

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/jon-solomon/24891415/college-football-attendance-home-crowds-drop-to-lowest-in-14-years

The good news: 72 percent of the top 25 attendance leaders experienced increases or remained the same (all of the top 25 were from Power Five conferences or Notre Dame). The bad news: Only 48 percent of the remaining Power Five schools maintained or increased their crowd average, and many schools in smaller conferences continued to decline.

So only 3/4 of the best 25 teams in the country had increased home attendance.

NCAA. College Presidents, ADs, and the TV execs better be wary. They are creating an environment where about 15 teams have fiscal success. That bubble will burst and hurt everyone.

[Stallion]

Love to see an examination of WHICH games they aren't going to. I bet further analysis would prove that the public does not want to see Alabama play Sewanee or Ohio St play Youngstown St or Florida play Jacksonville State. I bet the traditional games between evenly matched long time rivals are doing just fine. 30% of the inventory of college football games is trash. Same thing in College Basketball where fans don't care about meaningless December matchups. SMU plays Chicago Illinois instead the teams SMU fans want them to play.A lot of this is a result of greed and the enormous amounts of money pouring into revenue sources like season ticket sales and TV playing games on Tuesday through Sunday Nite and with starting times at 11:00 a.m. which are attendance killers in Central Time zone. Ticket sales between traditional rivals at a good starting time in this part of the country have never been hotter. NCAA needs to worry about putting a better, more consistent product on the market-pay attention to what the fans want. The NFL and NBA would have trouble selling tickets too if the Dallas Cowboys played games against the Dallas Desperados and the Mavericks scheduled the Twin City Lakers

[ghost]

Expectations are that this will be a much better coaching staff in most areas who will be aggressive recruiters and cutting-edge when it comes to offensive and defensive philosophies. Along with working hard hopefully Morris and Co will be positive influences and ambassadors for SMU and the North Texas community. It is not just wins, it is to get the Dallas area community to embrace this program as theirs for life. Kind of an us against them mentality or David vs Goliath.

[Treadway21]

Love to see an examination of WHICH games they aren't going to. I bet further analysis would prove that the public does not want to see Alabama play Sewanee or Ohio St play Youngstown St or Florida play Jacksonville State. I bet the traditional games between evenly matched long time rivals are doing just fine. 30% of the inventory of college football games is trash. Same thing in College Basketball where fans don't care about meaningless December matchups. SMU plays Chicago Illinois instead the teams SMU fans want them to play.A lot of this is a result of greed and the enormous amounts of money pouring into revenue sources like season ticket sales and TV playing games on Tuesday through Sunday Nite and with starting times at 11:00 a.m. which are attendance killers in Central Time zone. Ticket sales between traditional rivals at a good starting time in this part of the country have never been hotter. NCAA needs to worry about putting a better, more consistent product on the market-pay attention to what the fans want. The NFL and NBA would have trouble selling tickets too if the Dallas Cowboys played games against the Dallas Desperados and the Mavericks scheduled the Twin City Lakers

No doubt - with realignment and college playoffs, teams are more focused on TV money and having as few losable games as possible to get into the championship. The NCAA let it get out of hand with the realignment a long time ago. When Texas doesn't play A and M, Oklahoma doesn't play Nebraska, and teams in the SEC are playing the Savannah States of the world, at some point people are not going bother attending most of the schedule and getting season tickets so they can go to the big games. Plus they can watch the best game of the day on TV(and in some cases the tailgate) while skipping the alma mater's cruddy game.

Too bad we can't go back to the old days when teams played at least 1 intersectional a year, he rest were local battles and bowl games didn't have specific tie ins.

Not sure if final realignment will solve the problem.

[mrydel]

Realize the other side also. The Savannah States, the UAPBs, etc. need the money they are paid for these games to keep their programs alive. If they cannot get the payday games, they cease to exist.

[PonySnob]

Man, I was so pumped for that labor day game. Couldn't sleep and all that. Then we saw Crabtrees coming out party. Just like we saw the Woods kid coming out party. And Manziels coming out party. And... Well anyway.

A couple years before when the game was actually closer (was it the PB vs Leach confrontation?) was a very good crowd too.

We have definitely seen some unbelievable performances against our Mustangs over the years


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[PerunaPunch]

One stratagem that I believe will pay dividends long-term is the addition of the new residential commons and requiring students to stay on campus through soph year. When I was at SMU, and I assume it's the same now, it was "cool" to move out of the dorms and frat houses and into an apartment. The net result tho is that older students became prematurely distanced from the school, and thus school spirit is diminished. Dropping the hub of school spirit into the middle of the commons was a stroke of genius. If we could double the size and enthusiasm of the student section, I think that would bleed over into the rest of the crowd just as it has in basketball.

2. Long drives when pissed off at a loss is not fun. If it's not fun, people aren't going to go. You are sooo right about that. Me must at least become competitive.

3. Even Larry had to work the students and fans to fill the seats. June didn't/couldn't do that. I think students and fans will inherently like Chad just like they like Larry. So I think we'll be able to get some people to visit Ford, but we must give them something more entertaining than 3-and-out.

[Johnny Utah]

Any truth to the rumor that entry to home games next year will be free with the exception of those who want to pay to reserve seats? I think if they add free alcohol to the plan, it will be a home run!

[BigT3x]

When I was at SMU, and I assume it's the same now, it was "cool" to move out of the dorms and frat houses and into an apartment.

It's not that it's cool, it's that SMU housing is incredibly expensive. I lived in The Village because I could pay half the price... and I didn't have to worry about the morality patrol busting me for having a beer at age 20.