Student Support?

[MrMustang1965]

Just a comment: I am continually amazed at the lack of student support at SMU games. (yeah, I know..."win and they will come"...but I doubt it.) Plenty of the students seem to line the Boulevard for the tailgate atmosphere but that number incredibly decreases when kick-off time arrives.

[ponygrad90]

SMU needs to change the way they organize The Boulevard- Make it so the main area requires Game Tickets to get into- then require people to be in the Stadium by kickoff. I have been to Notre Dame games where the COPS come around and make you go into the game- they ask to see your tickets and will make you leave the Campus or buy tickets to the game. Have the Fraternity's and Sorority's create booths on Parents weekend in the area before the game!

[Mike Damone]

I think instead of getting more people to go to the games, you'll instead get less going the boulevard.

SMU has many problems with its students. First, the team hasn't been good in years. Second, it has such a large out-of-state population that many aren't SMU fans growing up. They instead root for the teams from their home state. Third, many of the students that are from in-state, grew up fans of UT, A&M, etc. and would rather watch them on TV than go to the SMU game. Finally, whether we admit it or not, SMU has many trendy little brats that won't attend a game because going to an SMU football game just isn't cool.

And after all that, you have to remember that there's only about 5,000 of them in the first place and how many of those are even football fans? So after you take out all the above, you're only left with 500-1000 that attend.

[Mustangs35SMU]

SMU needs to change the way they organize The Boulevard- Make it so the main area requires Game Tickets to get into- then require people to be in the Stadium by kickoff. I have been to Notre Dame games where the COPS come around and make you go into the game- they ask to see your tickets and will make you leave the Campus or buy tickets to the game. Have the Fraternity's and Sorority's create booths on Parents weekend in the area before the game!

I like that idea

[KnuckleStang]

I like the ND gustapo tactics idea. Maybe we should try that.

This is another subject that gets brought up all the time, and I don't think there's much we can do to change their attitudes. College students, by and large, like to be where things are "happenin'." The Boulevard is "happenin'," and students like to go there. Ownby, the Cotton Bowl, and Ford are different. They have not been "happenin'" for some time, and the students stay away. (Do people still say "happenin'?")

I hate to say it, but I don't think winning alone will be enough to get students there. Yes, we have to win, but more importantly, we're going to have to significantly improve our non-student attendance. We'll need to consistently put at least 25,000 LOUD people in the stands (enough to be heard past the SAE house when somebody scores), and put a decent product on the field. Let them physically feel a dull roar under their feet in front of Dallas Hall at about 2:38 p.m. on a Saturday, and wonder what just happened in the stadium. Surprise them with a couple victorious highlights of their school on ESPN ("Possum on a gum bush! They're showing SMU! I go there!"). And even then, it might take a couple of years before these kids pay any attention.

College kids don't really like to go places where it looks like not that many people want to be. And that's the way our stadiums have looked for the last 15 years. I've come to believe our fan support will have to be built independently of them, and it's going to have to be people like us that spearhead it. We will not get any help. They've got better things to do than watch a bad team in a 1/4-full stadium. I attended every game in '86 and '89 as a student, and it was the same way then--these kids would much rather join an established crowd than help to create one.

[GoRedGoBlue]

[quote="Mike Damone"]I think instead of getting more people to go to the games, you'll instead get less going the boulevard.[quote]

Damone his it on the head.

When (if) we win, they will come. Not until then.

[SWC2010]

SUGGESTION:
How about 'preferred seating' for a football version of the basketball "Mustang Maniacs"???

[PlanoStang]

Hmmm, since most of the games are at 5pm, have the cafeteria serve Saturday dinner picnic style in the Student section of the stadium only.
Then block the exits so they can't leave

[OldPony]

Arrest them for underage drinking and let them go if they go to the game

[smu'06]

Among the reasons I choose the University of South Carolina over SMU two years ago was football and school spirit. However, I still remain a pony fan, and wanted to add my two cents from a thousand miles away in Columbia, SC.

Looking at SMU's social atmosphere, it may not be a bad idea to have block seating at the games, with each fraternity/sorority having their own area. Then work out a deal with both IFC and Sorority Council to force non-initiated members (pledges) to include "school spirit" in their membership education i.e. pledge process.

Another would be until wining becomes the norm again, which I think it will on the hilltop, create a more social atmosphere at the football games. Make it coordinate with mixers, etc...

Then gimmick it up a little bit with promotions that play to the students interests.

In closing, I just wanted to leave y'all a link of how loud Williams Brice Stadium can get, and why other than travel distance, I choose USC:
http://mistershadez.com/2001-UF2001.wmv

With all that said, SMU is still near the top of my list for law school, and I wish everyone the best of success for 2004.

[Charleston Pony]

06: I will soon be movng to Columbia and have marveled for years at the fanatical support there is for the South Carolina football program. Sure hope you've been able to get tickets to all the games. USC has by far the most loyal football fans of any program in the country, as evidenced by the fact they sold out 75,000 seats all year long when they went 0-11 in Holtz's 1st year. I'm sure Dave Odoms wishes they felt the same about his hoops program.

The one thing you are missing out on by not selecting SMU is the cozy size of our campus and facilities...not to mention the ease of obtaining good seats for football and bball games. It's a two edged sword, having lots of fans.

[EastStang]

I like the cafeteria idea. I'd like it if they stayed, but just run them through the turnstiles to get their dinner works for me just to get them counted. Also, I think that to get on the Boulevard you need to go through a turnstile and have a ticket. Make the Boulevard in essence part of the stadium. I think the rule is actually tickets torn, not actual butts in seats.

[Diehard Pony]

This issue has been discussed so many times, I apologize to any of you that have read these points too many times.

1. In the 80's applications to SMU were at an all time high, and successful big time football was a significant factor. Many students came to SMU for all the great things it has to offer, including exciting and winning football. It was cool to be an SMU fan, and there weren't any students walking around campus in UT or A&M tee shirts. We traveled 17,000 fans to Austin for the '82 SMU-Texas game.

2. Starting with the 2 years we did not play football ('87 & '88), and for all the years since, precious few (if any) students have made the decision to come to SMU based at least partially on football. Think about it, thats 17 years of students coming to SMU without football being at least a partial factor in the decision making process.

3. During that 17 year period it went from being "cool" to be an SMU fan to being embarassing. I am sure that very few of today's students tell their friends at UT and others that football was one of the reasons they chose SMU. I am guessing it is hot chicks, great fraternities, the quality of the business school, or whatever. As a result, the vast majority of the students find something else to do during game times. The games aren't even on their radar screen. Besides that, they wouldn't be caught dead at one of the games for fear someone might see them and think them uncool.

How can this be changed?? Well I think we all know that winning, and doing so consistently is going to have to be a major component of the plan. That's up to Coach Bennett, Copeland and others. Let's hope this happens and does so soon. As a side note, winning will need to include beating some teams that someone cares about such as T.Tech, OSU, TCU, and the like. San Jose State (and the like) will not get people's attention unless you beat them all by 20 point margins.

Secondly, agreeing with some of the posts above, SMU needs to find a way to translate the fun of the Boulevard to Ford. I think this new Stables thing, or whatever they are calling it, is a step in the right direction. Do something to assure the attendees that they are going to have a good time at the game even if we don't win (provided we play competively and do so in an entertaining way).

Finally, they need to discourage the fraternities and sororities from forcing pledges to go in blocks and wear their greek letters. This only perpetuates the current notion that it is "hip" to not be an SMU fan, and once you become an active you no longer have to attend games.

Changing attitudes that have become ingrained over a very long period is not going to be easy, or likely quick. Some nice wins by the football team would certainly be a big step in the right direction.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Agreed. It is so ordered.

[RGV Pony]

I agree, Diehard Pony. Another reason why I think EVERY Mustang Club member should challenge themselves to recruit two more members. Let's turn 1700 into 5100.