Mustang Nation in Orlando

[RGV Pony]

Pony_Fan and I witnessed firsthand how our fandom needs improvement on a grassroots level. Some students that were there (yay for going) showed up late, left early, werent even aware we scored, nor were they aware of what the score was at that time, had their minds on anything and everything but the game, and b!tched about it being hot. When those 'fans' are 30, I don't see them making a road trip.

We need more crazy, embarrassing, outlandish, psycho, over the line type fans.

The AD needs to hire someone who will approach the fanbase, the alumni, the incoming students, everything, with a guerilla marketing approach.

Those same folks who embrace d-baggery (and there's nothing wrong with that), would be the types if they were at other schools who would insist daddy or whomever pay for the stretch hummer limo with SMU flags on front, a horn blasting peruna, signs on the sign saying "SMU > UCF" or some such.

The showing at the championship game owes its genesis to the same problems we have at home.

[Charleston Pony]

guys and gals: nobody on this board needs to "explain themselves". I've missed some road trips I'm not proud of (ECU because it was the day after Thanksgiving and that date just didn't sit well with Mrs CP). Bottom line is that those of us who hang around on this board are fanatics. We can't all be Paul Lane (who was spotted yesterday...streak still alive). We all have classmates we know who are sports fans and do little or nothing to support the Mustangs. That's frustrating. Nothing like meeting up with a bunch of old friends and making a road trip...but it has to start at home. Let's pack Ford and Moody before we worry about how well we travel. It has to start with developing a culture where the students want to be involved...and then hoping they stay that way as alumni

[MiracleOnMockingbird]

I was at the game and and was surprised to see some folks in blue or red shirts leaving at the start of the fourth quarter! That disappointed me more than the turnout.

[JesuitPony]

My wife and I were there with our 9 and 2 year old girls. Despite the [deleted] UCF fan sitting over by the Mustang Band, we had a pretty good time. We live here, so it was not a big deal to go to the game. I know a number of local alums who also showed up and brought friends with them. I think we had a better turn out for this game then we did for the 2007 game. Nevertheless, if we are ever going to be seriously considered for conference expansion or big boy bowl games, we need to start traveling better. Winning games year in and year out should help.

I am not sure I can make it home for the Bowl game (I have three closings that week), but will buy tickets for my dad and brother to go in my place.

[CalallenStang]

I was at the game. I thought the attendance was actually pretty solid considering that people had a week to finalize plans for a trip to Florida. This wasn't a bowl game where people have three weeks notice to get airline tickets, hotels, etc.

How would you have liked to have been UCF and had several thousand empty seats in your home stadium, even though the stadium seats 45,000 and there are 53,000 students on campus?

[Pony_Fan]

CalallenStang, I'll have to disagree on that one.

Anyone, here are some pics and a video.

[Charleston Pony]

If you were there, you know how few we had in our section and as for those 50,000 students...if you explored the campus, it's easy to see that they probably have more commuters than any large public university I've seen. Not a lot of campus housing or even nearby apartments. Walking the campus (for me) gave me the same feel as places I've been that have only 20-25,000 students.

[RGV Pony]

Not a lot of campus housing or even nearby apartments. Walking the campus (for me) gave me the same feel as places I've been that have only 20-25,000 students.

ditto. With the palm trees, if you took out the cool part around Gemini drive (that looked like the Shops at Legacy), it's not altogether dissimilar to Texas-Pan American

[smusic 00]

Hey, I'm in one of those pics...I did not sign a release

[CalallenStang]

Not a lot of campus housing or even nearby apartments. Walking the campus (for me) gave me the same feel as places I've been that have only 20-25,000 students.

ditto. With the palm trees, if you took out the cool part around Gemini drive (that looked like the Shops at Legacy), it's not altogether dissimilar to Texas-Pan American

The area around Gemini was pretty nice.

There were a lot of apartments south of campus (between University and Waterford Lakes Center) and I also saw a few complexes off of McCulloch. Not a lot of housing around when compared to universities of similar size but definitely more than Pan Am.

[Dukster]

An interesting tidbit of information....all UCF students got in FREE with their student ID. There were a lot of students at the game. Wonder what the revenue was with all the freebies?

[Peruna88]

Thanks for only getting a pic of the top of my hat and not my sunburned face.

Southwest Airlines via Rapid Rewards: $0
LaQuinta Inn & Suites Airport North - $56
Enterprise Car: $28
2 tickets: $60
Assorted food/gas/etc: $30-40

Not too bad for one weeks notice.

[drewbz71]

Buddy Passes from Southwest Airlines: $0
Tickets to the game : $120 (4 of us)
Staying at alumnis house: $0
Watching the Mustangs in a CUSA Championship a year removed from graduation: PRICELESS!

People can complain all they want about people not showing up.... I took a different view of the fans that showed up. It was clear to see that the majority of the fans that came were mid 40s and up. There was a group of 8 of us under 30 I believe and we have to realize that there are a lot limitations on us young folk. If I didnt have a friend that worked for Southwest, there is no chance that Im at that game. Let's worry about ourselves before we get after everyone else.
WE ALL HAVE A PART IN THIS IF IT IS GOING TO TURN AROUND! BABY STEPS!

[mustang addict]

We have got to make going to an SMU game a PRIORITY. That's home and AWAY games. I truly believe SMU fans and the casual Dallas fan cares about SMU and wants to see us do great. They watch it on TV, listen on the radio, or just check the scores periodically on the radio, check the news or newspaper. However, if they have anything else to even possibly do they will put going to the game on the "back burner". (Their wife may say we have to go to that wedding or dinner party, or just shop some more, etc.)

I honestly think most of our fans get the schedule and only look at the home line-up not the away games. We have to change this mentality and make SMU a priority. Away games are great. The fans that do go are really into it and as June says there is no feeling like that of winning a road game! Believe it or not, with our team's much improvement the last 2 years our away crowds are much smaller than they were in previous losing seasons (like 1-11 years). We had so many more people those years at East Carolina, UTEP, and Central Florida to name a few. I believe we had at least 3 times more people at those games in the past vs. this season.

I am a positive person. And very positive when it comes to SMU, but I was glad to see this post so I could say how I felt. The SMU crowd for a CHAMPIONSHIP game was very slim in numbers and disappointing. Folks, if we are to improve our conference status (and I hope we will) we have got to support our coaches and players who are trying so hard! They are giving it their best effort and it's time to do OUR part. And that is to show up and have fun. I have been doing it for 38 years (407 straight home and away games). I love every second of it - especially the road games!!! See you at the Bowl game at OUR stadium. When we win our 2nd Bowl game in a row we can be proud of our Mustangs and our future! Lets please make going to the games a PRIORITY.

Sorry for the length of this - but this is something I'm passionate about.

[PoconoPony]

I am not self employed nor do I work for "daddy" - we have a lot of Alumni in the Southeast that should have been there.

You are a great fan and don't have to explain yourself. Understandably the quick turnaround was tough for most people. I don't think anyone is comparing SMU to UCF, that would be stupid. It was just sad for a Championship game turnout.

You mentioned quick turn around which I believe is the major issue against a national championship playoff in football. Even the big schools with the huge alumni groups would have trouble traveling if their team traveled for 3 weeks in a row. Imagine finding and booking hotel and plane reservations and getting time off from work based on a game by game situation where you would not know if or where you may be traveling.