15,475

[SMU2007]

what are the rules about alcohol in ncaa stadiums? only if they aren't "on campus"?

UH sold beer in their stadium - would bring in more people for sure

[Topper]

The quickest way to get up overall annual attendance is to schedule North Texas every year in addition to TCU and to bring in Tech and OSU as the second non-conference game as frequently as possible.

We have had this sort of attendance problem going back to the 60s. Our best crowds were always against the big state schools, not just because they bring a lot of people, but because our fans are more interested in seeing us play them than Tulane, for instance, and are more likely to turn out. Unless we can get situated in a conference like the SEC or the Big 12, this will be a chronic issue. I am really excited about this team and about the direction we are headed, but the typical SMU fan is not interested in UTEP, Marshall, ECU, or whichever one of those Florida teams is in CUSA. For better or worse SMU students and alums like the big time whether it is in choosing cars, clothes, or sporting events. There may be more SMU alums at the Cowboys games than at Ford.

[bagice]

what are the rules about alcohol in ncaa stadiums? only if they aren't "on campus"?

UH sold beer in their stadium - would bring in more people for sure

No real rule, it is by team and conference...C-USA has no rule against it...Hell, on the West Coast beer at the stadiums is the rule not the exception.

Probably some city ordinances against it and a lot of university pressure against it as well, so not likely...

We need JJ to take up the "beer at Ford" campaign and dump his bid for a big horse....Now that is a cause I could get behind!

[SMU2007]

The quickest way to get up overall annual attendance is to schedule North Texas every year in addition to TCU and to bring in Tech and OSU as the second non-conference game as frequently as possible.

We have had this sort of attendance problem going back to the 60s. Our best crowds were always against the big state schools, not just because they bring a lot of people, but because our fans are more interested in seeing us play them than Tulane, for instance, and are more likely to turn out. Unless we can get situated in a conference like the SEC or the Big 12, this will be a chronic issue. I am really excited about this team and about the direction we are headed, but the typical SMU fan is not interested in UTEP, Marshall, ECU, or whichever one of those Florida teams is in CUSA. For better or worse SMU students and alums like the big time whether it is in choosing cars, clothes, or sporting events. There may be more SMU alums at the Cowboys games than at Ford.

i couldn't agree more with your post. that is the main problem is the appeal of seeing most of the other c-usa teams is next to nothing for the average fan.

[PonySnob]

We did have more in attendance yesterday than our last home game against Rice back in 2007 when we were 1-8 heading into the game.

[mr. pony]

The home side looked pretty good.
Rice is never going to bring many. I remember 6,000 total once in the Cotton Bowl for Rice in the 70s.

I expect 27,OOO in Ford for UTEP. They'll have a contingent.

[CalallenStang]

The home side looked pretty good.
Rice is never going to bring many. I remember 6,000 total once in the Cotton Bowl for Rice in the 70s.

I expect 27,OOO in Ford for UTEP. They'll have a contingent.

The "home" sections on the east side were pretty sparsely populated. Those are tickets that we should be selling to alums coming back to campus for Homecoming.

[PonyKai]

Dollar beers, dollar hot dogs.

[ponyfan84]

I was expecting 20k + since we had a 4-4 record, 3-1 conference record, the team was finally winning games, a rejuvinated fanbase, plus homecoming....nope.

Pathetic.

That's what you get when you have the fans we do. I spoke to a lot of people at my tent on the boulevard and none said they had any desire to go.

Pathetic.

Also not shocked that half the student body left (wasn't even that good of a turn out i thought) after the homecoming awards.

Beer would be cool but because of all the alcohol related incidents on campus recently, I highly doubt this will be done anytime soon.

Just lower ticket prices, get corporate sponsors and youth groups out there, and promote the heck out of this team to say that we're going bowling (should be going bowling at this rate).

[mrydel]

If you go back and look at the historical numbers and take out Texas and A&M, and on occasion Arkansas, we have never averaged more than the low 30s even in our Pony Express days. We are going to have to face the fact that SMU is not going to draw huge crowds without the help of our oppositon. The best thing we have going for us is Ford Stadium that allows a feeling of a good crowd when 20,000 are in the stands. Much better than 20,000 at the Cotton Bowl or Texas Stadium. Just hope they never decide to move to Jerry World.

[bagice]

If you go back and look at the historical numbers and take out Texas and A&M, and on occasion Arkansas, we have never averaged more than the low 30s even in our Pony Express days. We are going to have to face the fact that SMU is not going to draw huge crowds without the help of our oppositon. The best thing we have going for us is Ford Stadium that allows a feeling of a good crowd when 20,000 are in the stands. Much better than 20,000 at the Cotton Bowl or Texas Stadium. Just hope they never decide to move to Jerry World.

Very good post, people really do seem to forget that a SMU - Rice game back in good ole days of the "Pony Express" would be a crap attendance game. We benefitted from being able to play UT, A@M, TT, and Arkansas every year...and even some of those were not that well attended. Hell, I remember one of our last pre death penalty games at Texas Stadium against Arkanasas being pretty sparsely populated, something that would be hard to believe if you werent there.

We will never have huge crowds....Shoot for 20k plus a game and be happy with anything over that.

[Mustangsabu]

I have to say I was very surprised by the lack of attendance at the game yesterday. I do not know if the boulevard stayed lively after the game started but it seemed to me that there were lots of people there. The student section only filled before halftime, but I really thought with the increased publicity about the game, and about this team, we would break 20K.

But I don't want to be negative given that we have 5 wins! Next week is going to be HUGE. With UTEP losing to Tulane but scoring a lot of points this game should present our defense with an opportunity to show that the Rice game was a one-off poor performance.

[bagice]

I have to say I was very surprised by the lack of attendance at the game yesterday. I do not know if the boulevard stayed lively after the game started but it seemed to me that there were lots of people there. The student section only filled before halftime, but I really thought with the increased publicity about the game, and about this team, we would break 20K.

But I don't want to be negative given that we have 5 wins! Next week is going to be HUGE. With UTEP losing to Tulane but scoring a lot of points this game should present our defense with an opportunity to show that the Rice game was a one-off poor performance.

No doubt the Boulevard is a double edged sword, SMU made it so much of an event that people do not go to the game...they stay on the BLVD for as long as they can and then go home. You could have filled Ford to capacity with just the people on the Blvd....

[Mexmustang]

I really think that the fraternity tailgate tents need to be closer to the stadium than their fraternity houses. Move them to near the front of the Blvd. or even near Doak's statue. Make it easier to go to the game than their houses. I really feel that the school is for the students. Their energy and presence near the stadium and being part of the Blvd. are important for the atmosphere (yes and the viewing). Where they are now is very isolated and might just as well be fraternity parties in their houses, not the Blvd. I really don't care about mascots, the tradition of going to games and supporting the team and university are the true traditions we need to build upon and it must begin with these classes.

Some other ideas:

Let people in and out at half time.

Sell beer in the stadium or outside if we have to make a political fight, at halftime.

Move our day games to 3:00PM, not 2:00PM. Allow tailgaiting to begin as early as 9:00AM.

Shut down the "bars" at orgainized tents (fraternity, Dedman, Cox, Mustang Club, Alumni) 30 minutes before gametime. Yesterday Dedman Law had a big sign saying that the bar shut down at 2:00PM, the start of the game.

The Mustang Club still doesn't get it. I am a member despite their ineptitude. It is the only orgainized tent that still requires wristbands to get a beer! None of the others require it. The young lady said I had to get a wristband, I laughed and said where? She said that long line over there--about a block long. I handed back her meal ticket and she said where are you going? I replied Cox, I will have had two beers and a meal before I could ever get a wristband in that line! God heavens I over 50! She incorrectly said everyone required it. I said no only you peole, (I then re-checked other school sponsored tents, and no one required it)...they still don't know how to run a big time program!

Finally, we need to play better at home. Next year our big conference games are at Ford, hopefully we will be more up for the games. But, we really haven't played that well at Ford this year.

[mrydel]

I was pleasantly surprised with the number of students that stayed for the 2nd half. Usually on homecoming they all leave but I would guess 70% to 75% stayed until the end. Not that I would not want more, but it was better than the past few years.

Also, a lot of students leave the student section at halftime and come over to our side (west) to get out of the sun. And more so on family weekend because the parents are on the west side.