16,612

[Mestengo]

Some one help me with the numbers. How many graduate each year from SMU? The life expectancy of a fan and the number of potential football fans from these groups’ times the last 50 years… Never mind.

[abezontar]

I think SMU's website reports a current undergraduate enrollment of 6240. Assuming equal class sizes that would be 1560 students per class. Assuming that every graduate for the last 50 years was still alive and that 1560 students graduated every year, there would be 78,000 undergraduate alumni.

[Mestengo]

So, If you win they will come? They multiply also...

[Charleston Pony]

our biggest problem is the size of our school. I went through this with a buddy this last week end. our average class size has been around 1,500, an optimistic view point would be that 1/3 of these students are football fans that would purchase season tickets. out of that 500, maybe 350 live in the dallas area or could easily drive to the games. As it is easy to see, we will forever have a hard time filling the stadium until we convert local college football fans to become SMU fans.

size of the school hasn't hurt Notre Dame. I know, not a fair example. Lots of Catholic kids all over the country grow up rooting for Notre Dame

as for percentages of participants, just look at Mustang Club membership to see how small a percentage care enough to contribute...even the minimum.

[Treadway21]

The ticket office and athletic department should be leveraging new ideas and particularly some of the ideas expressed on this board. We cannot sit back and conduct business as usual when we have been so bad for 20 years and expect success in attendance. With so many alternative media sources, there could be a lot to be gained to work those sources as well.

Also, why not use some Bill Veeck type promotions to bring attention and add some fun until our on field product speaks for itself?

There should be not be an idea that isn't at least given a try. Especially those that don't cost anything, like selling tickets on the BLVD. If an idea fails so be it, and if it brings a few extra fans, it is worth it.

My two cents.

[Charleston Pony]

it's simple supply and demand; for the majority of our games, we have a lot of empty seats we cant give away...but that doesn't mean we can't try.

When you know in advance the stadium will be half empty, would it hurt to distribute "vouchers" for cheap tickets? Leave them at area businesses, give them to school kids, church groups, etc... all kids under 18 get in for a buck...or buy one adult ticket at full price, bring up to 3 guests free. You can restrict to end zone sections in an attempt to not offend those who are paying full price to support the program.

Of course...this can create problems when you are staffed for a 12k crowd and suddenly 18k show up. I can hear the complaints now...

[SMU2007]

Nothing is going to put butts in the seats besides winning. Look at the Rangers. They are actually selling out games now that they are headed to the post season.

This isn't going to happen overnight and I'm shocked that so many people around here think that the casual dallas football fan cares about seeing SMU play UAB even if it is a conference game and/or the home opener.

Let's keep winning and see what happens. That's where this all has to start. That and a strong showing by the students which looks like we achieved. Let's see how many people show up to a game like TCU where people are actually half interested in seeing the opponent.

[stc9]

it's simple supply and demand; for the majority of our games, we have a lot of empty seats we cant give away...but that doesn't mean we can't try.

When you know in advance the stadium will be half empty, would it hurt to distribute "vouchers" for cheap tickets? Leave them at area businesses, give them to school kids, church groups, etc... all kids under 18 get in for a buck...or buy one adult ticket at full price, bring up to 3 guests free. You can restrict to end zone sections in an attempt to not offend those who are paying full price to support the program.

I am willing to wager that the cheap tickets are the problem. I can already hear the argument in the Athletic Department's conference room. 1) Cheap tickets will anger season ticket holders. 2) We are devaluing the brand. 3) This will not help us make our budget #s.

Answers: 1) Angering the season ticket holders is a legitimate fear, but season ticket holders are not currently casual fans. They will gripe a little and stick around. 2) The brand is just begining to have value. 25 Years with 3 winning seasons = little to no value. 3) You are not making your budget #s with 10k empty seats. Discounted family tickets will introduce people to the product you are trying to sell. Write them off the budget as marketing expense.

[Mestengo]

It's hot.

[ALEX LIFESON]

And the scary part is more than half of the fans I know are not connected with SMU. So their already taking up a LOT of the slack

SMU alum, families, and their friends need to go to work. Not withstanding the loyal fans that are Alum

Kudos to RVGPony who single handedly recruited a new fan last week. He even joined the Mustang Club.

A Texas alum, no less

Way to go RGVPony!

[RGV Pony]

The ticket office and athletic department should be leveraging new ideas and particularly some of the ideas expressed on this board. .

And we have some brilliant people at Cox in the world of marketing. People who are sought out and hired by huge well-known brands for their insight. And exactly 1,0001 MBA/BBA students. If we can't support a sports marketing department, we should at least use the resources we have.

[ParkyPony]

I actually saw tickets for Saturday's game for $10.00 Let's keep marketing THAT and maybe we will get the casual Dallas college football fan.

[fivemon]

our biggest problem is the size of our school. I went through this with a buddy this last week end. our average class size has been around 1,500, an optimistic view point would be that 1/3 of these students are football fans that would purchase season tickets. out of that 500, maybe 350 live in the dallas area or could easily drive to the games. As it is easy to see, we will forever have a hard time filling the stadium until we convert local college football fans to become SMU fans.

size of the school hasn't hurt Notre Dame. I know, not a fair example. Lots of Catholic kids all over the country grow up rooting for Notre Dame

as for percentages of participants, just look at Mustang Club membership to see how small a percentage care enough to contribute...even the minimum.

now even though notre dame has about 2,000 more undergraduates, i would say they for the most part have all of their students at games. they also have the key of being good over time, and while growing up in the midwest, everyone wants to go to a game there...i made a trip to south bend while an undergraduate and it was an amazing experience

[Pony ^]

It is going to take a while for sure. Look at TCU...they are just now starting to sell out a couple of games and they have been ranked for a few years

[Treadway21]

The ticket office and athletic department should be leveraging new ideas and particularly some of the ideas expressed on this board. .

And we have some brilliant people at Cox in the world of marketing. People who are sought out and hired by huge well-known brands for their insight. And exactly 1,0001 MBA/BBA students. If we can't support a sports marketing department, we should at least use the resources we have.

Agreed, it seems so obvious; why can't the administration see it. We actually have something worth promoting now!