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Does the attendance figures include sold tickets who don't show up? Is part of the attendance problem include possibly that SMU alumni and fans are more affluent over-all and also have season tickets to RAngers, Mavericks, Stars and Cowboys games and therefore it is more a problem of just too many good alternatives for the sports ticket and is more a problem of time than cost or caring? Still seems they should be able to fill Ford.

SMU Fans are so full of [deleted]. Its a cop out that we really can't be expected to sell more than 6-8,000 season tickets when TCU sells 24,000 season tickets. TCU has had about 40% at least better attendance at each stage of development of their respective programs. Its SMU's own alumni, family and friends that let this school's athletic program down NOT the City of Dallas. SMU fans really just don't care too much about College Football

Stallion wrote:SMU Fans are so full of [deleted]. Its a cop out that we really can't be expected to sell more than 6-8,000 season tickets when TCU sells 24,000 season tickets. TCU has had about 40% at least better attendance at each stage of development of their respective programs. Its SMU's own alumni, family and friends that let this school's athletic program down NOT the City of Dallas. SMU fans really just don't care too much about College Football

So What?

40% more is a rather wide gap. Care to show some numbers to back up your claims? 40% more would mean we we get 20k they were getting 28k at the same stage of development.

Also is TCU's attendance down this year due to lack of seating or are we seeing the signs of fair weather fans? Last year they averaged 40k+ per home game and this year it is around 33K per home game.

Stallion wrote: Its SMU's own alumni, family and friends that let this school's athletic program down NOT the City of Dallas. SMU fans really just don't care too much about College Football

Thank you, Capt. Obvious. Let's think about this, the football program was shut down for two years, then irrelevant for 25 more. That's almost 7 complete graduating classes (assuming a 4 year graduation average) that knew SMU athletics as nothing but a joke. Add to that the fact that signs of improvement have been steady the past few years but not exactly meteoric or consistent (Hawaii Bowl year being the notable exception), and what exactly draws these people back in? A commitment to a better product is part of it (done, still a work in progress but the commitment is there). The other part of it is hard core outreach to these lost fans BY THE SCHOOL, which has not happened well if at all. I think it is great that season ticket holders buy extra seats and bring friends, strangers and anyone who will take a ticket; that is certainly a useful way to spread the brand. But that grassroots effort alone is not going to get it done. The AD and Alumni Association need to launch a coordinated effort to get local alums back involved with the school and interested in the athletic experience they never really had when they were students. Don't know about you, but the only contact I ever have with the Alumni Association is when they send me an envelope asking for money. Development is more than cash flow - it is about engaging local alums to come back into the SMU community. You do that, and the attendance and cash flow issues have a way of correcting themselves.

MustangSTATS wrote:40% more is a rather wide gap. Care to show some numbers to back up your claims? 40% more would mean we we get 20k they were getting 28k at the same stage of development.

Also is TCU's attendance down this year due to lack of seating or are we seeing the signs of fair weather fans? Last year they averaged 40k+ per home game and this year it is around 33K per home game.

I've already posted these numbers over more than a decade-showing that this is a Fact. TCU has sold out their season-in fact 33,000 is above present capacity.

Once Again..I dont see the point..

This is a known fact we don't draw well...

NickSMU17 wrote:Once Again..I dont see the point..

This is a known fact we don't draw well...

the point is that something needs to be done or we will end up playing with UNT and La-Monroe as we watch UTSA pass us by to play with the big boys

stadiums full of rabid fans help recruiting and I think we all understand the college game is about recruiting. Yes, we lost a generation of fans due to the SMU administration's apathy towards athletics. In our situation, increasing fan support starts with more student interest and that has improved somewhat, but we still have a long ways to go. Then we need to reach out to any local alumni with any interest in sports and get that group on board (call them the band wagoners). Getting the casual sports fans in Dallas to adopt SMU is not going to happen unless/until we are consistently a top 10 program and bring in top competition

That wasn't his point. At least not how I read it. I thought his point was SMU alumni traditionally don't give a damn about SMU sports. And it is what it is, live with it.

Stallion wrote:I've already posted these numbers over more than a decade-showing that this is a Fact....

Can you repost them? Not saying you are wrong, just want to see the numbers form year one of SMU's revival (2008 June Jones) as compared to year one of TCU's revival (1998 with Dennis Franchione).

Here is the link to official NCAA attendance numbers for 2010.

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_ ... e/2010.pdf

You can change out the year to access any other years records as far back as 2003. TCU had about 36k in 2003 compared to SMUs 17k.

TCU's 2003 season would equate to SMU's 2013 season if we are comparing teams from the time they decided to start rebuilding.

TCU's rebuild arguably started in 1998 with the hire of Dennis Franchione, since he was the first to turn around the program and get it ranked (Not Garry Patterson). By 2003 TCU had finished in the Top 25 three times (00,02,03), won two wac titles (99,00) and a CUSA title (02). TCUs rebuild started with the 98 season and SMU's started with the 08 season. Compare those four years. Compare TCU 1998-2001 vs SMU 2008-11 (present).

You're the STATS guy. You look it up. I just tried to show you where you can find some data.

No offense but what you offered was pointless for comparing rebuild to rebuild.

Looking for someone to back up the claim many here keep stating that TCU has out performed SMU in attendance in every step of the way when comparing rebuild to rebuild. I haven't been able to find the records, but I also have not made claims one way or the other. Will be interesting to see how Stallion gets to his 40% out-performance. Not saying he is wrong, I just want to see the numbers first.

Go find the stats yourself. I tried to help point you in the right direction.

I disagree with a lot of the hate Stallion throws out, but he's one of the few people that have numbers to back what he claims. If you think he's wrong, do the research and prove it.

Don't make a contrary claim for someone else to prove wrong.