PonyFans.com

Here are the lowest attended games so far this football season of which SMU has been a participant in 5 of these games.

4,311 -- Louisiana-Lafayette at Middle Tennessee State (11-15)
4,423 -- Ohio at Buffalo (10-25)
5,075 -- Ball State at Eastern Michigan (11-15)
5,127 -- Northern Illinois at Buffalo (11-8)
5,150 -- Central Florida at Eastern Michigan (11-6)
6,154 -- Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan (10-18)
6,385 -- Akron at Buffalo (9-27)
6,563 -- Troy State at Middle Tennessee State (11-8)
6,728 -- Central Florida at Kent State (9-27)
6,988 -- Middle Tennessee State at Utah State (11-1)
7,108 -- New Mexico State at Louisiana-Monroe (10-25)
8,113 -- Central Florida at Akron (10-18)
8,172 -- Idaho at Louisiana-Monroe (11-15)
8,228 -- Connecticut at Kent State (10-18)
8,391 -- Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan (11-1)
8,662 -- Ball State at Western Michigan (11-8)
9,049 -- North Texas at Middle Tennessee State (10-25)
9,102 -- Ohio at Akron (11-15)
9,114 -- New Mexico State at Middle Tennessee State (10-11)
9,213 -- Idaho at Louisiana-Lafayette (10-25)
9,222 -- Akron at Central Michigan (11-8)
9,291 -- Troy State at Utah State (11-15)
9,752 -- Middle Tennessee State at Idaho (10-18)
10,107 -- Connecticut at Buffalo (9-20)
10,109 -- Boise State at Southern Methodist (10-18)
10,118 -- Marshall at Buffalo (10-18)
10,121 -- North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe (11-8)
10,173 -- Nevada at San Jose State (9-18)
10,173 -- SE Missouri State at Ohio (8-29)
10,261 -- Ball State at Kent State (10-4)
10,262 -- Eastern Michigan at Akron (9-14)
10,289 -- Central Michigan at Ball State (9-20)
10,318 -- Utah State at New Mexico State (11-6)
10,327 -- Toledo at Ball State (10-25)
10,693 -- Miami, Ohio at Kent State (10-25)
10,846 -- Tulsa at Rice (11-8)
11,123 -- Western Illinois at Eastern Michigan (9-7)
11,127 -- Houston at Louisiana-Lafayette (9-14)
11,128 -- Troy State State at North Texas (10-30)
11,343 -- Toledo at Central Michigan (10-18)
11,725 -- East Tennessee State at Eastern Michigan (8-31)
11,856 -- Rice at Southern Methodist (11-15)
12,035 -- Kent State at Bowling Green (11-15)
12,128 -- Eastern Kentucky at Central Michigan (9-14)
12,308 -- New Mexico State at Louisiana-Lafayette (10-18)
12,403 -- Southern Methodist at San Jose State (10-11)
12,519 -- Arkansas State at Utah State (10-25)
12,839 -- Idaho at Arkansas State (11-8)
12,845 -- North Texas at Idaho (10-11)
12,976 -- Georgia Tech at Duke (11-8)
13,011 -- Nevada at Rice (11-1)
13,096 -- Liberty at Bowling Green (9-14)
13,523 -- Hawaii at San Jose State (11-1)
13,540 -- Louisiana-Monroe at Louisiana-Lafayette (10-11)
13,556 -- Eastern Washington at Idaho (9-7)
13,571 -- Florida International at Louisiana-Lafayette (11-8)
13,829 -- Temple at Middle Tennessee State (10-4)
14,006 -- Rhode Island at Cincinnati (11-8)
14,014 -- Fresno State at Southern Methodist (11-1)
14,213 -- Tulane at Alabama-Birmingham (11-8)
14,281 -- Western Michigan at Ohio (9-27)
14,320 -- Boise State at Idaho (9-14)
14,827 -- Kent State at Ohio (11-8)
14,872 -- Southern Methodist at Louisiana Tech (11-8)
15,056 -- Stephen F. Austin at Louisiana-Monroe (9-7)
15,153 -- San Jose State at Rice (10-4)
15,268 -- Hawaii at Nevada (11-15)
15,669 -- Eastern Kentucky at Bowling Green (8-31)
15,812 -- Wyoming at San Diego State (10-25)
15,878 -- Marshall at Western Michigan (10-25)
16,231 -- Arkansas State at Tulsa (9-20)
16,305 -- Northwestern State at Louisiana-Monroe (9-20)
16,394 -- Arkansas State at North Texas (11-15)
16,733 -- Southern Methodist at Tulsa (10-25)
17,072 -- Cincinnati at Alabama-Birmingham (10-11)
17,095 -- Tulsa at Texas-El Paso (11-1)
17,211 -- Sam Houston State at Texas-El Paso (9-27)
17,239 -- Utah State at North Texas (10-18)
17,314 -- Wake Forest at Duke (10-18)
17,342 -- Hawaii at Tulsa (10-4)
17,346 -- Central Michigan at Western Michigan (11-15)
17,407 -- Montana State at Wyoming (8-31)
17,731 -- Missouri at Ball State (9-7)
17,816 -- Nevada at Tulsa (10-18)
17,837 -- Fresno State at Nevada (11-8)
17,859 -- Boise State at Louisiana Tech (10-4)
18,001 -- Buffalo at Toledo (11-1)
18,329 -- Kansas at Wyoming (9-14)
18,022 -- Western Carolina at Duke (9-7)
18,095 -- San Jose State at Texas-El Paso (11-8)
18,123 -- Tennessee Tech at Northern Illinois (9-7)
18,195 -- San Diego State at Texas-El Paso (9-14)
18,216 -- Troy State at Alabama-Birmingham (9-14)
18,376 -- Rutgers at Temple (10-25)
18,396 -- Miami, Ohio at Ball State (10-18)
18,511 -- Colorado State at Wyoming (11-1)
18,624 -- Idaho at New Mexico State (10-4)
18,742 -- Rice at Duke (9-14)
19,128 -- Hawaii at Louisiana Tech (10-18)
19,147 -- Florida International at Troy State (10-18)
19,215 -- Louisiana-Monroe at Utah State (9-27)
19,357 -- Memphis at Tulane (10-25)
19,628 -- Maryland at Eastern Michigan (9-27)
19,702 -- Arkansas State at New Mexico State (11-1)
19,889 -- SE Louisiana at Troy State (9-20)
19,963 -- Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan (10-4)

Yeah, but BUFFALO was at 6 of them.

Yeah but unfortunately for us, they've actually won a game.

Bowling Green making that list several times has to be a huge disappointment for that program now that they are playing well enough to earn top 25 votes.

SMU needs to be thankful we are still able to get home games with OSU, TTech and the like so we can retain our I-A status despite our conference attendance.

<small>[ 11-16-2003, 07:17 AM: Message edited by: Charleston Pony ]</small>

But is it really smart to keep playing teams like OSU and Tech? Certainly it does help attendance but surely our attendance would be better if we won more games - even against weaker teams. Don't we need to try to fill the stadium with people that are for SMU, not the visiting team?

The only realistic compromise I see is NTSU. We should be able to draw 25k+ if it is both teams’ season openers and would be far more competitive than OSU or TTech. It also speaks to the ridiculousness of Bennett’s comments that we shun TCU. We need TCU and their fans, and are in no position to speak otherwise, period.

Note the following games that made this Dubious Attendance List:

Tulsa at Rice - 10,846
SMU at Tulsa – 16,733
Rice at SMU – 11,856

While you applaud the move to C-USA, don’t forget the above stats.

When in a situtation like SMU trying to draw recruits and exposure you have to play the big boys. The payoff is usually good, and a chance for upset. The Houston Cougars did it to help get membership in SWC. Hayden Fry beat Tennessee while at North Texas. It takes time, but hopefully SMU will get the same hunger it had during the 1970's to win and generate some excitement in Dallas. :w00t:

I like the idea of resuming a series with UNT, too, but not until we can generate a good crowd on our own. In case nobody noticed, UNT drew only 166 for their game yesterday when all that was at stake was their conference championship and a bowl game. They've improved on the field, but for a school with as many students as they have, they really should'nt have this much trouble filling Fouts. I expect a SMU/UNT matchup at Ford might only draw 15-20,000 right now and we need our non-conference games to draw near 30k.