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After two home games, San Jose State has the worst attendance in the nation among the 117 Division I-A teams.

Saturday night, in a game featuring one of the biggest comebacks in SJSU history, just 4,093 fans showed up at Spartan Stadium. It was the smallest crowd in 15 years and dropped the Spartans' average home attendance to 7,252.

Andy Ghiggeri, a booster who has attended every game, home and away, since 1979, described Saturday's attendance as ``terrible. We have to sustain some winning at home to get the old fan base back,'' he said.

Under current NCAA requirements, Division I-A schools must have an average home attendance of 15,000. San Jose State needs to draw almost 60,000 over its three remaining home games or risk a first-offense warning from the NCAA. A second offense could result in a one-year bowl ban and a third could lead to expulsion from Division I-A status.

However, many college officials believe that the attendance requirement will never be enforced because of potential legal action. The Division I Board of Directors will make a determination at the end of the 2004-05 academic year.

Still, SJSU has a problem. Some of its most loyal supporters are staying away.

Ghiggeri estimates there is a core group of 10,000 fans who attend Spartans games on a regular basis. The Spartans averaged 15,080 per game last season, a number skewed by the opening-day sellout against Grambling State. In their other four home games, the Spartans averaged 10,929.

Both Ghiggeri and SJSU Coach Fitz Hill know of one surefire way to boost attendance: win. The Spartans (2-2) have had just one winning season in the past 11 years.

``To get them back you have to win them back,'' Hill said. ``I'm sure our fans were very disappointed after the SMU game.''

On Sept. 25, the Spartans were beaten 36-13 by a Southern Methodist team that had lost 15 consecutive games, sparking calls for Hill's job on a fan Web site.

``I think the SMU game disillusioned people,'' said Ghiggeri. ``That was one -- even though we're on the road -- that was almost even. And we played so poorly.''

Last week. SJSU found itself a 14 1/2-point underdog, at home, to Rice. Trailing 34-7 in the second quarter, the Spartans rallied for a record-setting 70-63 victory.

``I think this got some interest back,'' Ghiggeri said.

San Jose State Athletic Director Chuck Bell declined to be interviewed about the attendance problem. Through a university spokesman, he said: ``We are doing all we can possibly do and all we can possibly think of.''

In an effort to boost attendance, the athletic department has implemented a new program aimed at students, called ``Attend and Win.'' Students, including those from area junior colleges, are allowed to enter Spartan Stadium for free and instantly can win prizes such as computers, vacation getaways and i-Pods. The grand prize, to be awarded at the season finale Nov. 27, is an H3 Hummer. The prizes were donated by campus and community sponsors.

The university also sponsored the Read-2-Lead Classic for a second consecutive year, hoping to cash in on the overwhelming success of last year's game against Grambling (dubbed the Literacy Classic). However, the Sept. 18 game against Morgan State drew just 10,411.

San Jose State's three remaining home games are against Texas-El Paso, Boise State and Fresno State. The games against Boise State (Nov. 13) and Fresno State (Nov. 27) could produce big crowds as they are top draws in the Western Athletic Conference. The game against UTEP is Oct. 30, and it's homecoming.

Ghiggeri, who sits on the Spartan Foundation Board and was once president of the Spartan Foundation and quarterback club, hopes the win against Rice helps.

``If we can sustain this and show people it will be fun, homecoming should be respectable,'' Ghiggeri said.

I guess they could blame it on fear of exploding transformers?

So SMU scheduling big names schools like TT/OKC instead of Morgan State and Grambling, division 3 schools, proves to generate an advantage by jacking up the average attendance. personally, I'm not interested in beating division 3 schools and so it seems nor are the san diego fans.

At this rate it will take San Jose State 5 years for its attendance to match 1 home game for many top state schools such as Michigan and Ohio State.

The state of California is currently some $35 BILLION dollars in debt.

San Jose State does not deserve to be in Division 1-A football.

Truth is they should probably shut down their program.

Before we talk about others closing their programs, I think it might be well to remember that we have had some pretty poor crowds ourselves. I believe I remember a Rice game in the Cotton Bowl with about 5,000 fans. Talk about feeling lonely. We must continue to play teams that Dallas area folks care about. Putting patsies on the schedule may be helpful to beef up a record but it could haved disastrous consequences.

OldPony wrote:Before we talk about others closing their programs, I think it might be well to remember that we have had some pretty poor crowds ourselves. I believe I remember a Rice game in the Cotton Bowl with about 5,000 fans. Talk about feeling lonely.

What about that weeknight game against Fresno St during Cavan's tenure here. We had maybe 2,000 people in the stands for that one. The TV crew had to do a hell of a job to not show all of those empty seats at the Cotton Bowl. If memory serves me correct, I believe that game was even a victory for us.

Right you are - that was a great win.

In the past 10 years, Pacific, Long Beach State and Fullerton State have all shut down their programs, so there is precedent out here.

I stand by statement and believe most objective fans of college athletics would agree.

I also believe SMU is in a somewhat different position given its location, history and investment in Ford.

By the way, I was at that Rice game, had great seats...

We beat Fresno St. 24-14 on Thursday, Oct. 14, 1999. Televised nationally on FSN, 6:00 kickoff. Attendance: 8211. Temperature 90. Yes, at 6 o'clock in the middle of October. Fresno St. went on to lose in the Las Vegas bowl that year and finished 8-5. I believe they were 3rd in the WAC.

That happens to be my first win as an SMU fan.

"On April 21, 2004, the Academic Senate voted in favor of terminating the 110 year old football program and withdrawing from the WAC for budgetary reasons. Although the senate only has advisory power, the vote was seen to put pressure on the new president, due to be announced later that week. The university has had problems with the football program, almost failing to meet the NCAA 15,000 per game attendance requirement to continue competing in division 1-A in 2003, and not fielding a winning record in football following the 1990 season. Additionally, Spartan Stadium will require significant upgrades in the near future for the university to stay in division 1-A. Opponents of the resolution felt the senate was acting too quickly to put pressure on the new president, as no report from the athletic department was available at the time of the decision."

Having been to a game out there, I have to agree - San Jose's stadium is terrible!

OldPony wrote:Before we talk about others closing their programs, I think it might be well to remember that we have had some pretty poor crowds ourselves. I believe I remember a Rice game in the Cotton Bowl with about 5,000 fans. Talk about feeling lonely. We must continue to play teams that Dallas area folks care about. Putting patsies on the schedule may be helpful to beef up a record but it could haved disastrous consequences.

To be specific, the attendance was 6,918 and I was one of them. We beat Rice that day 41-24 and the thing I remember is how incredibly supportive and loud that little "crowd" was. It was Ron Meyer's first year, and we were still a pretty bad football team. And then there was the Cotton Bowl (that place needs to be imploded). That was a long way to drive and dodge the muggers to see a pretty bad team, although you knew with Meyer that brighter days were ahead (unfortunately followed by darker days).

Diehard Pony wrote:And then there was the Cotton Bowl (that place needs to be imploded).

I guess that means you're in favor of the OU-UT game moving to Arlington once the Cowboys get their new stadium built?

Something needs to be done with the Cotton Bowl- if not an outright replacement, a serious rennovation, if not a rebuilding.

Yeah, but where is the money going to come from, to do that? I don't know of any organizations that would be willing to fund it.