What would a long NFL Strike mean to SMU attendance?

by **EastStang** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 9:34 am

Would a long NFL strike, help SMU attendance at football games? Would Cowboy fans needing a football fix, start coming to SMU games? Would Jerry Jones start scheduling some UNT, SMU and TCU games at Jerry World to help pay his mortgage (and make skybox owners have to pay for their suites during the strike?).

by **mustangxc** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 9:38 am

No change at all. Look at Houston and Rice attendance the years there was no NFL team in town.

by **rich59** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:07 am

Not much!

by **couch 'em** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:09 am

Very very little. Nobody is sitting around going "man, I'd go to SMU games if I weren't already going to Cowboy games".

by **ponyboy** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:17 am

I think you'd see a marginal effect, particularly if we attempted to capitalize via marketing.

by **One Trick Pony** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:23 pm

by **Pony_Law** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:37 pm

mustangxc wrote:No change at all. Look at Houston and Rice attendance the years there was no NFL team in town.

It's not about there not being an NFL team in town it is about no NFL anywhere, I think college football would see a slight bump in ratings and attendence because some people have a jones for a certain level of football and taking away 4 games they probably watch a week might shift them to games they don't normaly watch.
If it starts to look like no NFL season I think there is an 80% chance of the A&M game going to jerry's world, he needs the Money and it would still be a home game for A&M

by **leopold** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:16 pm

Depends on us.

If we win, if we realize the opportunity to fill a void and make an attempt to market ourselves, then we will see a slight change - and a slight change for us can have a large impact. If, if, if.....

HOPEFULLY SOMEBODY IN FORD/MOODY IS PAYING ATTENTION AND REALIZES THE OPPORTUNITY WE MIGHT BE HANDED.

Great question, BTW.

by **mrydel** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:31 pm

You just do a Mustang Mania promotion. "Free entry to an SMU game with your Dallas Cowboy season ticket for any Cowboy game not played". Get them in the stadium once and maybe they might come back.

by **skyscraper** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:35 pm

We would have to have an active marketing department ready pounce with some type of campaign for SMU to see any bump.
I can't see any type of walk-up crowd just showing up on their own because the NFL is gone.

by **GiddyUp** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:05 pm

no effect.

There also could be a NBA lockout as well coming up.

by **Longtime** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:23 pm

Biggest impact is that there would be more gambling on college games.

People go to Cowboys games because A) It's about status, impressing clients, friends, etc. or B) They are die-hard Cowboys fans.

I don't think SMU fulfills either of those needs. Might see a slight bump in attendance, but it's not like they play opposite each other and people have to make a choice.

Anyone needing a "football fix" will probably get it watching college games on TV, or attending a Big 12 game.

by **GiddyUp** » Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:14 pm

mrydel wrote:You just do a Mustang Mania promotion. "Free entry to an SMU game with your Dallas Cowboy season ticket for any Cowboy game not played". Get them in the stadium once and maybe they might come back.

They won't have season tickets if there is no season Mrydel

by **EastStang** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:08 am

GiddyUp wrote:They won't have season tickets if there is no season Mrydel

Actually they will. I know the Redskins have already sent out Season's ticket packages and expected payment by March 1. The party line is that if games aren't played the holder will either get a refund or a credit for games played the next year depending on what the holder elects. And by the way, if there are scab games, the ticket will be live. So, yes they will have a season's ticket.