Attendance Ideas

HILLTOP63 · Post by **HILLTOP63** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:13 pm

One of the major problems with the general public attending SMU games is understanding parking options and availability of ammenities on campus such as food, beverage, restroom facilities outside the stadium. Until these issues are addressed, SMU games will not be an attractive option for folks not affiliated with the schools involved in a game. We need to look at better ways to get pedestrian traffic accross central expressway from Mockingbird station and promote "Train to the Game" Also what about making Moody Coliseum available for restroom and food service to the general public. SMU has a great Business School and an Advertising department in the Meadows school of the arts. Can we get students and faculty involved in research and marketing ideas to promote SMU athletics? I know there are more and better ideas available if we get talented folks to work the problem.

davidpaul123 · Post by **davidpaul123** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:23 pm

HILLTOP63 wrote:One of the major problems with the general public attending SMU games is understanding parking options and availability of ammenities on campus such as food, beverage, restroom facilities outside the stadium. Until these issues are addressed, SMU games will not be an attractive option for folks not affiliated with the schools involved in a game. We need to look at better ways to get pedestrian traffic accross central expressway from Mockingbird station and promote "Train to the Game" Also what about making Moody Coliseum available for restroom and food service to the general public. SMU has a great Business School and an Advertising department in the Meadows school of the arts. Can we get students and faculty involved in research and marketing ideas to promote SMU athletics? I know there are more and better ideas available if we get talented folks to work the problem.

Dont know if parking is really the issue (there were tons of available spots in the lot by Sorority Park) but I do really like the idea of having the marketing/business school participate in generating more interested in SMUs athletics programs as some kind of a class project.

johnangle · Post by **johnangle** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:29 pm

Where do casual visitors eat when they go to the Boulevard? Cox tent is kinda open to all, but I had friends of a friend ask me where people like themselves - who had never been before - can buy on the Blvd.

GiddyUp · Post by **GiddyUp** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:34 pm

johnangle wrote:Where do casual visitors eat when they go to the Boulevard? Cox tent is kinda open to all, but I had friends of a friend ask me where people like themselves - who had never been before - can buy on the Blvd.

This is actually a valid concern. I think we should open up a vendor area right where the sponsors are in the middle to buy food/beer. Joe Schmo who doesnt have any friends on the Blvd. from Allen or Plano isn't going to know what to do or where to go. They can go to the MC tent for $10 or the Alumni tent for $5 right now. That is where I would direct them.

HorseSense · Post by **HorseSense** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:47 pm

See my idea in the other thread with same name (started by LakeHighlands Pony).

S....M....U · Post by **S....M....U** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:47 pm

for every 4 tickets purchased you should get 1 or 2 free to give away to friends/family...that would solve everything...

Wuba · Post by **Wuba** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:34 pm

S....M....U wrote:for every 4 tickets purchased you should get 1 or 2 free to give away to friends/family...that would solve everything...

Except that a lot of the people who already buy extra tickets to give away might reduce their orders, so you could see a reduction in sales...

S....M....U · Post by **S....M....U** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:42 pm

true...but at this point i don't think we are making money anyway....it's called an investment, something our Athletic Department should try out

S....M....U · Post by **S....M....U** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:43 pm

thanks for finding a flaw in my idea though haha. constructive criticism is always welcome here on pfans.

3500

Wuba · Post by **Wuba** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 5:26 pm

I was just thinking of myself, I buy 2 extras to give away and often struggle to get them used. If they told me I got 2 free with the 4 I buy to use then I would just get the four.

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 5:31 pm

Maybe smu should contact local vendors and have a taste of Dallas every home game...

MustangSTATS · Post by **MustangSTATS** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:03 pm

Getting people more involved with the BLVD is a great idea. This lets people feel more connected to the team and School and not merely visitors to the often perceived bubble surrounding SMU/UP&HP. This would go a long way in getting people to see us as Dallas' team, and more area students/athletes to see us as the school to attend.

The BLVD is based off of The Grove at Ole Miss, but placed in an urban environment. The Grove is ten acres, while the BLVD is much smaller and runs down the heart of campus. If we want to pump in 20k+ on the BLVD, more "casual fan zones" would go a long way. A casual fan cannot as easily set up a tent on the BLVD as they can in The Grove. Its my understanding that at The Grove people simply stake there claims the night before. We want to have the college feel, but being in an urban environment and the need for non-alumni fans makes for an interesting challenge.

Also DFW is a hotbed for Alumni for lots of schools we play, so even though they are the "enemy", getting them to spend their dollars on game day is great for SMU. For Example: What is there for someone coming from Houston [UH], or UH alumni in DFW, to do on the BLVD? Most visiting students to games, always note SMU's southern hospitality, but there isn't always that much for them to do on the BLVD.

This may be a chicken and egg problem at this point, but as SMU continues to win, more and more people will be coming to the games and the opportunity to turn casual fans into die-hards will be possible. We can become the best college game day experience in Texas!

2ndandlong · Post by **2ndandlong** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:12 pm

NickSMU17 wrote:Maybe smu should contact local vendors and have a taste of Dallas every home game...

This could actually be one of the few good ideas I've read.

SMU80MSD · Post by **SMU80MSD** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:47 pm

My first post here. I have been a long time fan and letterman and have been a season ticket holder at the Cotton Bowl, Texas Stadium, Ownby and now Ford.

Through good times and bad I have observed that the majority of SMU's fan b ase is more interested in attending the game as a social event rather then as a truly passionate Mustang fan. There is nothing wrong with that...it just is what it is.

What we have done very well since Ford opened is to create the Boulevard tailgate experience that is second to none so let's play to that. People love coming to the Boulevard so lets build on that and get butts into seats when the game starts.

So here's my idea:

Why can't we combine with the Mustang Club fundraiser a program aimed at the business community in which those of us with influence in various business sectors reach out to firms and offer a game/tailgate experience for their employees?

Turn the practice field into a tailgae pavillion in which each company has it's own area, food/beverage/entertainment provided. A main tent with TV's showing other games, etc.

This is a way that the business community, regardless of school afiliation can support SMU by giving their employees a fun family outing. Over time individuals will come back because they've enjoyed the experience.

There is no reason we can't target 5000 people a game if we work it.

The business relationships we have locally are second to none among our alumni and it is quite easy to have 100 or more individuals from a company when families are included. Think about spending $25 a head to entertain your own employees for 5 hours of fun. This could catch on and build support for SMU as Dallas's team and we don't even need marketing dollars to accomplish it.

Larger firms could host a couple of hundred of their employees/families at each game throughout the season if it catches on.

Mustang Club Board members let's quit listening to excuses and begin to take action now for 2012!

Thoughts from others?

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:06 pm

Not bad...