Cowlishaw Article 8.17.2011

[LA_Mustang]

The small alumni base can be overcome by winning and stadium expansion, see TCU.

[Pony ^]

WIN. Just WIN.

[SoCal_Pony]

Alumni base would seem to be the major argument. An example is when TTech comes we fill up the stadium but mostly with TTech fans. We need the major portion of the stadium to be SMU fans.

Over the past several years I have spent thousands of dollars trying to get people interested in SMU athletics.

Purchasing tickets, buying meals, even covering transportation.

What I have discovered is what I knew from the get-go.

Unless you are a die-hard fan, you could care less about most of our opponents. Also, when you attend a game and the stadium is less than 1/2 filled you start asking yourself, why am I here????

I have no problem getting people to attend the Baylor, OK State, TTech and TCU games. Even if SMU loses, the atmosphere makes up for it, especially on the Blvd. On the other end of the spectrum, I have offered nice dinners (SMU BB games), free snacks at the game, and good tickets for our lesser opponents. Answer is almost always, thanks but no thanks. In fact, I now do not offer tickets to the lesser opponents as I am afraid they will be turned off by SMU altogether.

[PK]

Another factor we should emphasize is that even though everyone says the B-12 already has the Dallas market, without a member school in Dallas, how many of the B-12 schools besides UT and OU get to play games in Dallas on any kind of regular basis? That should be worth some points for SMU.

[ponyinNC]

Another factor we should emphasize is that even though everyone says the B-12 already has the Dallas market, without a member school in Dallas, how many of the B-12 schools besides UT and OU get to play games in Dallas on any kind of regular basis? That should be worth some points for SMU.

Yes, finally someone gets it. B12 may have the D/FW tv market, but they only PLAY there once a year. I know that TV is God when it comes to cfb, but think about the added increase in share when one team actually sits in Dallas. We would sell out every game.

[goldenstang]

Tech and Baylor play each other either in Dallas or Arlington every year. Aggy plays piggy in Arlington every year. I kinda of think this might make a better case for Houston because no teams play there on a regular basis.

[MustangNation05]

Amen, PK and ponyinNC!!!

[leopold]

Another factor we should emphasize is that even though everyone says the B-12 already has the Dallas market, without a member school in Dallas, how many of the B-12 schools besides UT and OU get to play games in Dallas on any kind of regular basis? That should be worth some points for SMU.

Yes, finally someone gets it. B12 may have the D/FW tv market, but they only PLAY there once a year. I know that TV is God when it comes to cfb, but think about the added increase in share when one team actually sits in Dallas. We would sell out every game.

You do have a minor point, but I believe you're wrong. Again, I point to the Memphis, Louisville, Southern Miss, Tulane, and UAB examples. The media markets, even in a place like Memphis where the UM grads outnumber the grads of the combined schools of the SEC, focus on the schools who alumni by and in large care, and until the school and its alumni show up and care, they can't expect conference support.

Memphis is going to play Mississippi State at home in it's opener. Memphis has, I think, 70,000 undergraduate alumni in the city (base on a recent newspaper article), they play in a 62,000 seat stadium, they are going to play a school close by who will bring, say, 15-20k fans, MSU is in a conference they have longed to be in. There may, may be 50,000 people at that game, it's own home opener, and it's the school and thier alumni's fault.

And it's not just Memphis. Tulane didn't sell out for LSU, UAB doesn't sell out for it's few SEC home games, even USM, who is the biggest school in Mississippi and has a bit of tradition and passion, has problems selling out their games. Louisiville, on the other hand, has gotten off their butts and made it happen and sells out their hwom games regardless.
Lesson: You have to make it happen yourselves.

[mavsrage311]

Alumni base would seem to be the major argument. An example is when TTech comes we fill up the stadium but mostly with TTech fans. We need the major portion of the stadium to be SMU fans.

Over the past several years I have spent thousands of dollars trying to get people interested in SMU athletics.

Purchasing tickets, buying meals, even covering transportation.

What I have discovered is what I knew from the get-go.

Unless you are a die-hard fan, you could care less about most of our opponents. Also, when you attend a game and the stadium is less than 1/2 filled you start asking yourself, why am I here????

I have no problem getting people to attend the Baylor, OK State, TTech and TCU games. Even if SMU loses, the atmosphere makes up for it, especially on the Blvd. On the other end of the spectrum, I have offered nice dinners (SMU BB games), free snacks at the game, and good tickets for our lesser opponents. Answer is almost always, thanks but no thanks. In fact, I now do not offer tickets to the lesser opponents as I am afraid they will be turned off by SMU altogether.

Because you love SMU, as does everyone on here. You can't make everyone else love it too, but at least we can all show up at games and encourage others to come as you have been doing, it's the least we can do

[PK]

Tech and Baylor play each other either in Dallas or Arlington every year. Aggy plays piggy in Arlington every year. I kinda of think this might make a better case for Houston because no teams play there on a regular basis.

Yes, and UT and OU, but what about OSU, Kansas, KS, MIzzo, IS? Think they might like to play down here in Dallas too every once in a while? They all have fans in the Dallas area, but no games to go to. I still think it is a selling point to the B12 we should be making.

[lwjr]

Okay, you guys go on being rational and talking amongst yourselves. But you are forgetting, none of this is rational!!! Go out, make some noise, tell everyone how great SMU is and where our trend line is going and get on board. Houston is doing it, and that's a glorified commuter school. Baylor does it because they know they have to to save their [deleted].

You all need to show a little fire.

MustangNation05,
Welcome to ponyfans, this debate comes up at least two or three times a year, or when the conference expansion rumors heat up, on this board. NOBODY is sitting on thier hands, we have talked about this and debated till everyone is blue in the face. The money is available, but the fan support still lacks. Yes playing teams from Southern Mississipii, Tulane, Memphis and teams that do not bring any support does not help. But the SMU base has to step up and show it's support not only with dollars but also attending SMU football and basketball games. We have to start winning every year, SMU season tickets are FLAT this year according to Stevo O. We need to start scheduling the old SWC teams, which SMU is doing. I think that will help not only fill the stadium with visiting team support but hopefully more SMU alumni, supporters, fans, will take more interest and start showing up and hopefully that will mean increase season tickets. SMU also needs a marketing arm to help promote the athletic teams, I think all of us on this board are very confused why SMU will not do this. The TCU game was encouraging, I think most of us on this board were very concerned that TCU fans would out number SMU fans. When the SMU fans out numbered the TCU fans that gave us all hope, especially when 2/3 of the stadium was wearing red and blue.
Say what you want about TCU, but they put together an agressive plan to put themselves in the position they are today and now they have a nationally ranked team, tickets are hard to come by for games and they are moving to a BCS conference, it also took them 10 years to get to this point. SMU is only four years into the make over but exposure and recognition is gaining momentum. I believe we can achieve what TCU did in a quicker time period. If SMU will stay the course and continue the direction it is headed we should be in good shape. Having said that, with the way the college football landscape is changing almost daily, we do not have 10 years, we have to start winning now. We have to start beating the A&M's and TCU's of the world now. The adm and athletic department also needs to get out and hustle and sell sell sell this program and the benefits it will bring to a BCS conference, but the bottom line is winning.

Also, please see future OCC schedule.

[Comet]

Alumni base would seem to be the major argument. An example is when TTech comes we fill up the stadium but mostly with TTech fans. We need the major portion of the stadium to be SMU fans.

Over the past several years I have spent thousands of dollars trying to get people interested in SMU athletics.

Purchasing tickets, buying meals, even covering transportation.

What I have discovered is what I knew from the get-go.

Unless you are a die-hard fan, you could care less about most of our opponents. Also, when you attend a game and the stadium is less than 1/2 filled you start asking yourself, why am I here????

I have no problem getting people to attend the Baylor, OK State, TTech and TCU games. Even if SMU loses, the atmosphere makes up for it, especially on the Blvd. On the other end of the spectrum, I have offered nice dinners (SMU BB games), free snacks at the game, and good tickets for our lesser opponents. Answer is almost always, thanks but no thanks. In fact, I now do not offer tickets to the lesser opponents as I am afraid they will be turned off by SMU altogether.

I have a ton of non-SMU friends who would eat up any SMU football/bball tickets I can get a hold of. If you're serious about wanting to get more people interested, let me know :p

[lwjr]

Alumni base would seem to be the major argument. An example is when TTech comes we fill up the stadium but mostly with TTech fans. We need the major portion of the stadium to be SMU fans.

Over the past several years I have spent thousands of dollars trying to get people interested in SMU athletics.

Purchasing tickets, buying meals, even covering transportation.

What I have discovered is what I knew from the get-go.

Unless you are a die-hard fan, you could care less about most of our opponents. Also, when you attend a game and the stadium is less than 1/2 filled you start asking yourself, why am I here????

I have no problem getting people to attend the Baylor, OK State, TTech and TCU games. Even if SMU loses, the atmosphere makes up for it, especially on the Blvd. On the other end of the spectrum, I have offered nice dinners (SMU BB games), free snacks at the game, and good tickets for our lesser opponents. Answer is almost always, thanks but no thanks. In fact, I now do not offer tickets to the lesser opponents as I am afraid they will be turned off by SMU altogether.

I have a ton of non-SMU friends who would eat up any SMU football/bball tickets I can get a hold of. If you're serious about wanting to get more people interested, let me know :p

why can't they go buy thier own tickets?

[ponydawg]

have you tried to give away SMU vs Houston Baptist......It's a hard enough sell to give them away, let alone make someone PAY money at this point to watch that fierce rivalry

[Big Hoss]

Win and everything else falls into place. We've only been winning for 2 years, and that's not long enough to make a BCS conference pay attention. Besides, if the Big 12 had their [deleted] together, they would have invited TCU before the Big East did, or maybe a couple of the other old MWC schools to stay at 12 so they could keep a conference title game.

In my opinion, the Big 12 has already set themselves up to be the first BCS conference to implode if any more shuffling occurs. Every other conference has either gotten up to 12 teams to get a title game, or is on their way to trying to get there. So how does it make sense to be okay at just 10 teams? It's idiotic.

Anyway, as far as the size of our stadium goes, when we start filling it up every week, so much so that when visiting teams like Tech or whoever can't get any seats but the single tiny [deleted] visitors section, then there is absolutely no need for us to talk about expanding.

Yeah, we've got a lot going us now, but 2 years of just better than par football isn't a sustained long-term trend, and it isn't going to convince the big schools to share their wallet with us.