Worst Student Attendance for Football

[SmooBoy]

I know several predate my following SMU football since 1979, but today was a new low in student apathy. Besides the band, cheer, and handlers, I counted around 65 students in the stands at its peak, with about 25 hanging around for the 4th quarter and OT.

Many hated Chad, but he was rightly frustrated by lack of butts in seats. Literally nowhere to go but up. Wow.

[Charleston Pony]

I know several predate my following SMU football since 1979, but today was a new low in student apathy. Besides the band, cheer, and handlers, I counted around 65 students in the stands at its peak, with about 25 hanging around for the 4th quarter and OT.

Many hated Chad, but he was rightly frustrated by lack of butts in seats. Literally nowhere to go but up. Wow.

Chad and June before him. This is a tough gig when so few seem to care about SMU football.

[docabel]

By the 4th quarter on the new corral/stands we were counting 2 yellow shirts for each student

[Jackets N Pones]

Bringing dates to the game needs to brought back

Also start assigning sections to campus organizations and reward the organizations based on attendance/crowd noise. Start by dividing up the stables into four sections and go from there...you don’t have to be in the organization to be in the section but people in the organizations can invite non members tot he section. Just like frat/sorority parties aren’t only for the members in those organizations. Hang your organization flag on the stables railings next to all the “pony up!” flags to designate which is your secrion in the stables and get crazy all game for whatever the reward is. Intramural spirit points/Stables DJ is in your section/winner stays for the next game/homecoming points/etc. The flags and representation can only be good for rush/TV etc but most importantly go to the game and have fun, plus players will see your section holding it down and feed off that. All of the organizations have “tailgate” chairs so make that into the game day experience role. Plus there are so many professions now related to sports marketing/social media promotion etc so make the tailgate chair a role that works with those types of roles with the school. SMU is 40% Greek or something like that so let’s use that to our advantage.

Campus organizations always pair up for homecoming and tailgates in general. Countless hours spent designing/building floats to “win” homecoming. Parlay that into the games and make it a portion of the homecoming competition. Homecoming, the “Sing Song” competition, intramural sports are all signs that the student body is willing to put time into campus involvement, now just bring it into the stadium and make it competitive but most importantly bring people together to have fun, get crazy and support the school.

I know the ultimate answer is just start winning games and people will show up but those are my scattershot thoughts on what can be done

Go Mustangs Beat U of H

JNP

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

It has been bad for a while, but yesterday was orders of magnitude worse for some reason.

In the pre-Stables days there would always be at least 2-3 rows of students at the end of the game but yesterday to have under 20? Especially on a beautiful day in a conference game that went to overtime.

Inexplicable and inexcusable.

[03Mustang]

SMU football isn’t important to most people affiliated with SMU, students included.

They just don’t care and likely won’t ever again save for an occasional year or two if we catch lightning in a bottle and go on a UCF-like streak. Even then attendance will suck on a beautiful Saturday afternoon against an opponent people don’t care about.

Remember UCF post-TCU win in 2011? Make all the World Series excuses you want but that is what our program is.

And we do have room to drop. Those 25 probably won’t be there against Memphis either.

[PonyTime]

You are correct that the student section was empty and the pavilion cleared out by the half. So was the entire east stands. A large number of students chose to move into my section which was in the shade on the north side of the West stands. In fact - the upper section, which is usually empty was pretty much filled with students looking for the shaded seats. They were all there well into the 4thQ. By halftime they were all calling their friends and telling them to move to the shade of the west stands.

I am not so sure that there were not just as many students as usual - just in a different location.

By the second half - A lot of the Cincy fans moved into the south end zone on the hill and sat in the shade of the scoreboard.

The optics on TV were really bad - it looked like absolutely no-one was at the game.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

You are correct that the student section was empty and the pavilion cleared out by the half. So was the entire east stands. A large number of students chose to move into my section which was in the shade on the north side of the West stands. In fact - the upper section, which is usually empty was pretty much filled with students looking for the shaded seats. They were all there well into the 4thQ. By halftime they were all calling their friends and telling them to move to the shade of the west stands.

That is good to know! Glad some were there.

[SMU_Alum11]

Yeah but the problem is our students are now “triggered” if you yell or cheer. It becomes not a safe space anymore.

[BIGHORSE]

Also all the freebie guest tickets we give out to teachers, military, and kids, the attendance

would look a little better if we would put them in the lower sections.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

In the pre-Stables days there would always be at least 2-3 rows of students at the end of the game but yesterday to have under 20?

The Stable has aggravated an already abysmal student participation. The Stable has taken an already small looking student section and diluted it to the point of embarrassment. I agree we must have the worst student attendance in college football. Hell there was no students in the Stable or the student section by the middle of the 3rd quarter in a tight over-time game against a good opponent. I am not kidding....I saw people bailing around my section during the coin-toss for overtime. They stay for 4 quarters and bail on the overtime? I guess people just don't care!

[TidePony]

Bringing dates to the game needs to brought back

Also start assigning sections to campus organizations and reward the organizations based on attendance/crowd noise. Start by dividing up the stables into four sections and go from there...you don’t have to be in the organization to be in the section but people in the organizations can invite non members tot he section. Just like frat/sorority parties aren’t only for the members in those organizations. Hang your organization flag on the stables railings next to all the “pony up!” flags to designate which is your secrion in the stables and get crazy all game for whatever the reward is. Intramural spirit points/Stables DJ is in your section/winner stays for the next game/homecoming points/etc. The flags and representation can only be good for rush/TV etc but most importantly go to the game and have fun, plus players will see your section holding it down and feed off that. All of the organizations have “tailgate” chairs so make that into the game day experience role. Plus there are so many professions now related to sports marketing/social media promotion etc so make the tailgate chair a role that works with those types of roles with the school. SMU is 40% Greek or something like that so let’s use that to our advantage.

Campus organizations always pair up for homecoming and tailgates in general. Countless hours spent designing/building floats to “win” homecoming. Parlay that into the games and make it a portion of the homecoming competition. Homecoming, the “Sing Song” competition, intramural sports are all signs that the student body is willing to put time into campus involvement, now just bring it into the stadium and make it competitive but most importantly bring people together to have fun, get crazy and support the school.

I know the ultimate answer is just start winning games and people will show up but those are my scattershot thoughts on what can be done

Go Mustangs Beat U of H

JNP

Stop being logical. This is too much like the right thing to do.

[SMU Pom Mom]

When I was in college, we had a Spirit Keg for the loudest student group. Those were the days.

[edwa]

I dunno what happened to Mustang 11, but they are non existant this year, them plus their alums were the first 2 -3 rows and held down attendance. Many of my friends moved into shaded areas for the game yesturday.

[Timothythegreat]

I’ve even reading this board since 2009 and one thing few people seem to realize or will accept is that smu football has not been a quality product. A few years over .500 with an above average offensive show against low level cusA opponents and you want the stands full? What about after that when the team had the worst defense in the NCAA for four years in a row and barely any d1 talent to speak of?

“Yeah let’s go to the SMU game and watch Baylor try to set the record for offensive yards in a single game!”

Hahaha. Sorry, I know there is school pride and all that Jazz, but football is entertainment. If it’s not entertaining, I’m going to find something else to do. Sorry, but it’s not fun to watch a team [deleted] the bed every week and people have better things to do with their Saturday and money.

Even at 5-1 in 2011, the team was still streaky on offense and quite frankly, not overly entertaining to watch.

No one should be saying “we should do _____ to get attendance up.” Unless the blank is filled with have a quality team on the field that scores points and has entertainment value. Any suggestion before taking care of that is pointless.