Herman Challenges UH Fans

[footballdad]

What does that have to do with anything? Doesn't matter whether we're talking about the 1-11 team, the 5-7 Gilbert team, or previous June bowl teams, it's really no different. As much money as they're investing in coaches & facilities, let's hope they increase the marketing budget 10 fold in order to attract the casual Dallas fan or nothing will change all that much. Problem is much bigger than 'just win'. Low hanging fruit might be for Morris to issue a Herman type challenge to everyone on the blvd.

CFB attendance going down across the board only going to exaggerate problem in future. No easy fix, hopefully someone has a definitive plan.[/quote]

People bailed on the team last year because it was painful to watch. You (personally) can't blame the casual fan base for not coming when your son was part of that problem. Or, I guess you can, but you are ignoring the real problem.

I was at every game last year, besides Houston as I left for Thanksgiving, so it's not people like me that are the issue. The team needs to play good football and be competitive against every team we line up against. If they do that, the other fans will come. It's going to also help that we'll have a coach that doesn't go out of his way to [deleted] off the fan base.

If, however, in the next 2-3 years we beat a Big 12 team and go 11-1/10-2 and still have attendance issues I will cede the point to you. Until then, why don't we wait and see what happens?[/quote]

Wow, just wow YOU seem to be ignoring 'the real problem', which is historically poor attendance, for many years, winning or losing. Even if the team gets markedly better, it's going to take a much more comprehensive marketing and branding plan to consistently fill the stadium.

This didn't just start last year, with a 1-11 team, that my son is personally responsible for. (If that was some type of dig, it was a really lame attempt).......and you wonder why the average Dallas fan perceives the school the way they do.

[RGV Pony]

Message truncated

[Stallion]

with a 32,000 seat stadium we need to get season ticket sales up to about 15,000-16,000 which will go a long way toward creating the demand necessary to get us to sellouts. We basically need to double our historic average of season ticket sales. That's probably about 2,500-3,000 more alumni involved who will buy for their family and guests. TCU more than tripled their season ticket sales. 16,000 season tickets+2-4,000 guests+ 3,000-4,000 ungrad/graduate students + non-season ticket holders/single game buyers gets you above 25-27,000 and will create even more demand for season tickets for better seats like in Moody. Schools like Texas St. and NTSU are better than playing Montana St. and James Madison and will help you reach the goal. If SMU can't get to 16,000 or so season tickets-the P5 isn't happening period

[ojaipony]

with a 32,000 seat stadium we need to get season ticket sales up to about 15,000-16,000 which will go a long way toward creating the demand necessary to get us to sellouts. We basically need to double our historic average of season ticket sales. That's probably about 2,500-3,000 more alumni involved who will buy for their family and guests. TCU more than tripled their season ticket sales. 16,000 season tickets+2-4,000 guests+ 3,000-4,000 ungrad/graduate students + non-season ticket holders/single game buyers gets you above 25-27,000 and will create even more demand for season tickets for better seats like in Moody. Schools like Texas St. and NTSU are better than playing Montana St. and James Madison and will help you reach the goal. If SMU can't get to 16,000 or so season tickets-the P5 isn't happening period

Anyone know where we're at right now?

[ojaipony]

'the real problem', which is historically poor attendance, for many years, winning or losing. Even if the team gets markedly better, it's going to take a much more comprehensive marketing and branding plan to consistently fill the stadium.

This didn't just start last year, with a 1-11 team, that my son is personally responsible for. (If that was some type of dig, it was a really lame attempt).......and you wonder why the average Dallas fan perceives the school the way they do.

Truth.

But, I have a feeling that with this staff, the buzz will be there when we DO start winning . . . If this were 2012 and we beat a ranked TCU team, this staff would have a much more filled stadium against UCF. Beating UCF after that TCU win was, by far, the peak of this program post-DP. But we had a zombie at the helm and it was crickets. This staff would have pulled out all the stops. We'll get there. And I predict it will be in 2 seasons.

[PerunasHoof]

'the real problem', which is historically poor attendance, for many years, winning or losing. Even if the team gets markedly better, it's going to take a much more comprehensive marketing and branding plan to consistently fill the stadium.

This didn't just start last year, with a 1-11 team, that my son is personally responsible for. (If that was some type of dig, it was a really lame attempt).......and you wonder why the average Dallas fan perceives the school the way they do.

Truth.

But, I have a feeling that with this staff, the buzz will be there when we DO start winning . . . If this were 2012 and we beat a ranked TCU team, this staff would have a much more filled stadium against UCF. Beating UCF after that TCU win was, by far, the peak of this program post-DP. But we had a zombie at the helm and it was crickets. This staff would have pulled out all the stops. We'll get there. And I predict it will be in 2 seasons.

Agreed, so lets withhold judgment until that day comes. I just don't understand why someone would come on the board and place all the blame on the fan base that actually attends every game. If our school sucks so much, why are you here? I'm well aware that we have attendance issues, but that's not entirely because people think we are "elitist" or they are too afraid to walk up to tailgate spot and ask for a beer. There hasn't been a product worth watching.

[Blunt Pony]

Don't forget about the 11:00 starts that are reserved for the bottom feeders of the conference. These not only kill attendance, they kill the BLVD and any interest in the program. A solid argument can be made that these TV start times are killing our attendance figures. I know a lot of non-SMU people that would love to show up around 2:00 in the afternoon for a few hours of tailgating and then roll into a 6:00 game. This is how we attract the casual local fan who is looking to have a fun game day experience. In our case, TV is not good for our program other than putting dollars in our pocket. I know that we have a couple of 6:00 games on the schedule including Homecoming (which is great). It is the TBD games that I am worried about.

[East Coast Mustang]

So far, all of our announced home start times are good:

Baylor- 6pm
UNT- 6pm
JMU- 6pm
Temple- 7pm

[malonish]

Blah Blah Blah

I really don't understand how you can say what you say when your son is part of that team that went 1-11.

[smusportspage]

So far, all of our announced home start times are good:

Baylor- 6pm
UNT- 6pm
JMU- 6pm
Temple- 7pm

Yes, those times are great.

[smusic 00]

So far, all of our announced home start times are good:

Baylor- 6pm
UNT- 6pm
JMU- 6pm
Temple- 7pm

Yes, those times are great.

Two of them are on Fridays, so cue the long line of excuses i.e. traffic, high school games, new movie releases, happy hour specials, Boy Scout camp out, oil change, rehearsal dinner, night at the museum, late tee time, etc.

[footballdad]

'the real problem', which is historically poor attendance, for many years, winning or losing. Even if the team gets markedly better, it's going to take a much more comprehensive marketing and branding plan to consistently fill the stadium.

This didn't just start last year, with a 1-11 team, that my son is personally responsible for. (If that was some type of dig, it was a really lame attempt).......and you wonder why the average Dallas fan perceives the school the way they do.

Truth.

But, I have a feeling that with this staff, the buzz will be there when we DO start winning . . . If this were 2012 and we beat a ranked TCU team, this staff would have a much more filled stadium against UCF. Beating UCF after that TCU win was, by far, the peak of this program post-DP. But we had a zombie at the helm and it was crickets. This staff would have pulled out all the stops. We'll get there. And I predict it will be in 2 seasons.

Agreed, so lets withhold judgment until that day comes. I just don't understand why someone would come on the board and place all the blame on the fan base that actually attends every game. If our school sucks so much, why are you here? I'm well aware that we have attendance issues, but that's not entirely because people think we are "elitist" or they are too afraid to walk up to tailgate spot and ask for a beer. There hasn't been a product worth watching.

I'm placing 'all the blame on the fan base that actually attends every game'. Re-read your own comment and ask yourself how that makes any sense?

If you stop trying to make this so personal, the bigger point is obvious. The solution, not so much.

Based on your repeated comments about a 'product worth watching'.... I'd guess you're one of the many who stay out at your tailgate spot, drinking beer, because it's just not worth watching? Will you be drinking in your tailgate spot in the 3rd qtr of the Tulane game if we're 2-8 or 3-7....or inside supporting your school and your team, now that you at least have a coach you like?

[Charleston Pony]

our football attendance has been pretty weak dating back to when I was in school in the early 70's, even in the early 80's when we were steamrolling SWC opponents (our numbers were aided by visitors in those days). I was pleased to see Ford built to accommodate 32k and Moody downsized to 7k as those numbers fit SMU well. We don't need to sellout Ford for a good football environment. Just need about 25k and the place looks pretty good. That's why I like games with UNT, Texas State, etc...rather than Montana State and JMU. Unless/until this program reaches a Top 25 caliber of play on the field, we are going to need help from our visitors to even approach sellouts. I'm confident Chad and his staff will do a better job marketing the program than JJ and his did, so that's a start.

[BCS STANG]

As a student, I would have called myself an old grumpy gus for saying this but we really need to close down the boulevard with plenty of time for people to get in the stadium.

[smusic 00]

They tried that. Everyone just went home.