Attendance/Marketing Project

[footballdad]

The million dollar question.....would people come out and fill the stadium if we were winning our conference and going 3-1 or 2-2 against the non-conference schedule mentioned above?

No, that slate you listed wouldn't move many season tickets to begin with and just going 3-1 or 2-2 against it wouldn't draw much of a walk-up crowd.

Exactly. So an undefeated conference championship season with 10 or 11 wins isn't good enough? Somebody finally admits the pathetic truth.

Hopefully the coaching candidates on our list won't realize this because it may be very difficult to fill the position if they realize this is the prevailing attitude among our fans.

[blackoutpony]

The million dollar question.....would people come out and fill the stadium if we were winning our conference and going 3-1 or 2-2 against the non-conference schedule mentioned above?

No, that slate you listed wouldn't move many season tickets to begin with and just going 3-1 or 2-2 against it wouldn't draw much of a walk-up crowd.

Exactly. So an undefeated conference championship season with 10 or 11 wins isn't good enough? Somebody finally admits the pathetic truth.

Hopefully the coaching candidates on our list won't realize this because it may be very difficult to fill the position if they realize this is the prevailing attitude among our fans.

Um, pretty sure that's exactly what I've been saying the whole time, but ok. Glad we agree on something (sort of).

[PerunasHoof]

If we are winning 10 or 11 games per season against a pretty good schedule (TCU, another P5, and some good AAC teams), chances are we are going to be ranked. A few years of success and yes, I think we will fill the stadium pretty well. Just because one person agreed with you doesn't prove your point that we will never have support/fans.

The truth is we don't know. I'm glad you've been here a year or two and made the judgement call, but I'd like to see the above scenario actually take place and see what happens. If we still draw poorly, then I'll agree with you. Until then, lets lay off the wild ranting.

[ideal]

even post dp, tcu was our poor relation, even though they always tried hard to climb at our expense.
what turned them, LaDainian Tomlinson. Can you imagine what a johnny football would do for us?
One or two great players with people skills can turn this around.
of course, they will need the help in the other areas discussed, as well.

[sbsmith]

Exactly. So an undefeated conference championship season with 10 or 11 wins isn't good enough? Somebody finally admits the pathetic truth.

Hopefully the coaching candidates on our list won't realize this because it may be very difficult to fill the position if they realize this is the prevailing attitude among our fans.

People have been admitting that on here for years. We're not all of a sudden going to have people filling Ford just because we won a few OOC games against crap and then won some conference they've never heard of. The coaching candidates definitely need to realize that before pursuing this job.

[footballdad]

If we are winning 10 or 11 games per season against a pretty good schedule (TCU, another P5, and some good AAC teams), chances are we are going to be ranked. A few years of success and yes, I think we will fill the stadium pretty well. Just because one person agreed with you doesn't prove your point that we will never have support/fans.

The truth is we don't know. I'm glad you've been here a year or two and made the judgement call, but I'd like to see the above scenario actually take place and see what happens. If we still draw poorly, then I'll agree with you. Until then, lets lay off the wild ranting.

Sure, it's 'ranting' when it's something people don't want to hear and/or admit.

You are correct, nobody really knows until we get a great coach in here to produce the wins. My judgement call is based on everything I've seen and read here from plenty of people who have been around the program for 10,20,30 years. My 1,2,3,4 years observing and listening are plenty to state the obvious about the lack of fan support for this program throughout it's entire history.

Yes, things can change with the right leadership. Let's hope the Larry Brown miracle happens for the football program.

[footballdad]

Exactly. So an undefeated conference championship season with 10 or 11 wins isn't good enough? Somebody finally admits the pathetic truth.

Hopefully the coaching candidates on our list won't realize this because it may be very difficult to fill the position if they realize this is the prevailing attitude among our fans.

People have been admitting that on here for years. We're not all of a sudden going to have people filling Ford just because we won a few OOC games against crap and then won some conference they've never heard of. The coaching candidates definitely need to realize that before pursuing this job.

"won some conference they've never heard of" ....... so I guess it's hopeless and we should just shut the program down now. I get it now, Thanks.

[tristatecoog]

even post dp, tcu was our poor relation, even though they always tried hard to climb at our expense.
what turned them, LaDainian Tomlinson. Can you imagine what a johnny football would do for us?
One or two great players with people skills can turn this around.
of course, they will need the help in the other areas discussed, as well.

Sullivan had LT for one year ('97) but the Frogs finished 1-10. They brought in Franchione who, In his six seasons at New Mexico, led the Lobos to a 33–36 record, including a 9–4 mark in 1997, which earned the Lobos a WAC Mountain Division Championship and an invitation to play in the Insight.com Bowl, their first bowl berth since 1961. [Is a modern day Franchione enough to excite the SMU fanbase? Well, the Frogs had LT ready to blossom!] Fran rode LT the next three years and left for Bama. A big turning point with LT was the '98 Sun Bowl win over USC. After the 2000 season, they promoted their defensive coordinator and went to C-USA for four years! In 2005, they went to the MWC and won conference that year and kept winning consistently until going to the Big 12.

Why was Gary Patterson successful when Phil Bennett was not? Were lower academic requirements the key factor?

[PerunasHoof]

I don't mind admitting the program hasn't had great support the last few years. I do get frustrated with the doom and gloom scenarios that people spout off on here. Its amazing that all of these posters supposedly graduated from SMU.

The lack of support is a result of the product on the field. It's not like the team has been exciting to watch. I've been to every home game the last five years (I was in a different state from when I graduated until then) and know full well the stadium hasn't been full. As we started winning and the school has instituted some things, attendance has gotten better. The student section used to be one section. There was spillover into three sections during the TCU game. There has been some progress.

The people and fans who talk about their experiences before are also talking about a different situation. The team played either at the Cotton Bowl or at Texas Stadium. We don't know what a really nice on-campus stadium will draw with a good team.

[sbsmith]

"won some conference they've never heard of" ....... so I guess it's hopeless and we should just shut the program down now. I get it now, Thanks.

It's hardly hopeless, but the AAC is never going to be a draw in this town. People aren't going to look at a SMU home slate with NTSU, FCS team and 4 AAC teams and run out and get tickets. We need to play a legit schedule and the new guy needs to build a team that at least split against it. The goal is to get people to trust SMU Football enough so that they want to see us play even against nondescript AAC competition. Obviously that will take some time and a lot of winning. If any candidate isn't up for that then this isn't the job for them.

[SMUer]

Idea: let's win 10 or 11 games and see what happens instead of bashing fans for not reacting to something that hasn't come close to happening in almost 30 years. Try it!

[Boston Pony]

When we drew 50k+ fans, the visiting teams (mostly from the SWC) brought about half of the fans, the marketing of the team brought another 10k+ and the SMU fans brought it the rest. We aren't in those days anymore, so those size crowds aren't possible....The average draw over the years at SMU is between 20-30K per game (even when we were winning SWC titles).

Good news is, Ford ain't the Cotton Bowl... getting 25k+ isn't that difficult with both an exciting product and who you are playing. The issue is the 'product' is not exciting (RnS should have been but didn't deliver) and the visiting teams aren't bringing too many of their own fans. When the team is exciting the larger crowds will come to the tune of 25 - 30K. Outside of the Mustang Mania days, our normal OOC draw was around 25k (non SWC teams such as NTSU) so it should be possible with some additional work. So the key is to fill (2/3 to 3/4 full) Ford so there is a vision and sound of support.

[Big12Mustang]

For all you folks complaining about how impossible it is for us to compete against the Big 12(ish), here's some perspective: Freaking North Dakota St. (an FCS school) has a better record against that conference (NDSU is 2-1 against Big 12 and Big 10, respectively) than our Mustangs. An FCS school in the middle of f-ing nowhere North Dakota. Just let that sink in for a sec. Say what you want about our talent level, but there is not one legitimate excuse that we have to not be able to field a team that can at least be respectable against our former SWC mates. For those questioning whether that should be the standard: OF COURSE IT SHOULD!!! If we can't find a way to make a game of it against the teams that supposedly represent the powers of college football, what the hell are we doing?? This isn't about reliving the glories of the past, it's about living up to the expectations of a competitive program. If that is too much to ask, then shut the damn thing down.

We don't play those teams NDSU plays (Iowa st., KSU, KU etc.) we play Texas b12 schools which would demolish NDSU.

[Big12Mustang]

"won some conference they've never heard of" ....... so I guess it's hopeless and we should just shut the program down now. I get it now, Thanks.

It's hardly hopeless, but the AAC is never going to be a draw in this town. People aren't going to look at a SMU home slate with NTSU, FCS team and 4 AAC teams and run out and get tickets. We need to play a legit schedule and the new guy needs to build a team that at least split against it. The goal is to get people to trust SMU Football enough so that they want to see us play even against nondescript AAC competition. Obviously that will take some time and a lot of winning. If any candidate isn't up for that then this isn't the job for them.

It's not about the schedule or the conference, can you get this through your head? Have a team people fear and can roll the crap out of the Big Boys. If you want to schedule SEC, Pac and Big 12 for OOC, go ahead and do it. It's about our team not the others. And by the way, people respect the stronger AAC teams (UCF for example)

[Big12Mustang]

TCU and BU bring 45K PURPLE AND GREEN fans to their stadiums. TCU is in our same city. Do not tell me it is impossible to reach those numbers.