SMUer wrote:How many clapping hands and smiling faces (approximately) would be the minimum amount we should expect our players to muster the bravery to walk out of the tunnel and make the enormous sacrifice of giving their best effort in sport?
If it really mattered to them how many people were in the stands, they should have gone to Michigan where they could stand on the sideline for 3 to 4 years at a minimum and look at 100K+ in the stands. I would hope their passion for the game and competitive nature is what drives them out of the tunnel. If there were 5 NFL scouts in attendance, that would make a much more significant impact than an additional 500 students. Our attendance didn't seem to derail the alumni we have playing professionally. Did Courtland return because he wanted to see SMU's football attendance increase? He has a passion for this team and his coaches and wants to see them be champions - measured by wins and losses, not attendance. Is it disappointing - sure, but if they all focus on what they have the potential to build, they will be able to share it with more people who are interested in observing first hand and being a part of that success.
Also - I was at the Westgate in Vegas this weekend for the games and the SMU/UConn game was up. Lots of people apparently took SMU in this one, which was a good sign that people are paying attention (SMU -16.5 is what I got),
Unfortunately I know people were paying attention because I heard lots of people laughing about the "200 people" at the game. Ouch.
Factors include: Technology - I can watch from my living room easier than I could 10 years ago. Wonder if the attendance numbers will soon reflect electronic as well - # viewers. Tradition - My family has been attending games for 3 generations and I could see myself no where else than at the game on Saturdays. Success - changes in attendance are influenced by team success - something to play for - conf title, etc.
Note no significant change in the P5 schools. Average attendance going down is a mirage because now there are 129 FBS schools rather than 95 decades ago. In fact over the last 3-4 decades attendance at P5 schools has significantly increased because the stadiums are much bigger. When I was a kid A&M had trouble getting 45,000 to their games. Tech had trouble getting 30,000. Texas used to get 65,000. Now there are 30,000-50,000 more at those games
"With a quarter of a tank of gas, we can get everything we need right here in DFW." -SMU Head Coach Chad Morris
When momentum starts rolling downhill in recruiting-WATCH OUT.
I spoke with Coach Morris when he first arrived on campus as he spoke to our SMU PLC. I told him he should not get too down on the attendance as I had lived through a worse college football experience at K-State as a lifelong fan and college student in the early 80's. Our fan base was at least 3 years behind the level the program had advanced since Bill Snyder arrived with consistent crowds below 15,000 and only sometimes better depending on opponent. Coach Morris shared with me he speaks with Snyder about those days and he inherited much worse at KSU then he has. After almost 100 years of being humiliated on the field and being called "Futility U" on the cover of the 1989 Sports Illustrated College Football Issue...it took our fans years to wake-up to the fact this was not the same old, embarrassing program and attendance began to grow and sustain.
I believe the same can happen at SMU as I also have had season tickets since Ford Stadium opened and still have my KSU season tickets. What it will take in IMHO is to have a coach (I hope it is Morris) who decides they like the school and want to see the rebuilding project go as far as they can take it as was, and remains the case with Bill Snyder. He turned down numerous offers to larger schools, more money, etc...he is a different kind of coach to be sure.
If SMU can keep a winning coach, win more games each year and start beating teams the "experts" tell you can't...attendance will grow over the seasons. K-State now sells out every game regardless of opponent and has never had a Heisman winner or National Champion as SMU has so I am still keeping the faith attendance will grow IF we can keep the right components in place. Hard to find a more beautiful place to attend games than SMU. 4-1 is a great start in year 3 with a good shot to return to playing in a bowl game.
BTW, I attended the K-State at TCU game first Saturday of December last season on a cold, drizzle rain day...K-State fans far outnumbered Frog fans, stomped them in their house and Gary Patterson (who played at K-State when I was an undergrad there) called out their fans for their lack of support.
For PonyFans looking for extra SMU tickets...stop by Boulevard Spot #82 most home games as I work hard to hand out the extra season tickets burning a hole in my pocket with no takers...walked into SFA game with 8 extra so gave them to a ticket taker and begged her to find anyone who wanted them. Almost same story for UNT and ASU.
SmooBoy wrote: We do have students and you will see many of them at homecoming. In the stands. For a half.
Fake them out and postpone the "festivities" until the 4th quarter. Keep it a secret or they wouldn't show up til after the half. They deserve to be punked.
According to Wikipedia we have just over 6500 undergrad students (and close to 12,000 students when our Grad populations are added), if we can get 2,000 to attend the game that would make a huge difference. That’s a goal that Turner and Hart should set for themselves.
But, I started thinking if a section holds 750 (just guessing) people then when coupled with the band, cheer, Peruna handlers, and football team are we getting close to that number? It seems like the first two games had a lot of students in at least two sections. And the third game had tons of students sitting with their parents. Just wondering?
03Mustang wrote:I think we should all just enjoy what we have this season and hope the next guy can keep it going...CM will be somewhere else next season, and that's not necessarily because of attendance, it's because we were always going to be a stepping stone.
If attendance gets better one day then that's great, but I have accepted that I can't control that (beyond my trying to get friends/others to come) and it's unlikely it will ever be much better.
Until we break away from the perception of the small private school that is detached from the greater Dallas community nothing changes, and I honestly believe that most alums don't WANT that to change. Students coming on here and talking about brunch is a perfect example of the problem...same with people bringing their f'ing dogs to the Boulevard.
Make fun of TCU/Ft Worth all you want but they don't have the same elitist rep over there and that's a big part of why the city and their t-shirt fans love them. We aren't viewed as welcoming or accessible, so even if fans outside the SMU community are interested they don't feel welcome.
Ding, ding, ding...............we have a winner folks.
The typical SMU student prefers tennis, golf, or swimming over football anyways.
ATLPonyDad wrote: What it will take in IMHO is to have a coach (I hope it is Morris) who decides they like the school and want to see the rebuilding project go as far as they can take it as was, and remains the case with Bill Snyder.
We'd have better luck finding a magic unicorn.
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security
ATLPonyDad wrote: What it will take in IMHO is to have a coach (I hope it is Morris) who decides they like the school and want to see the rebuilding project go as far as they can take it as was, and remains the case with Bill Snyder.
We'd have better luck finding a magic unicorn.
Stop referring to SMU as ΓÇ£weΓÇ¥. You are not SMU.
