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Charleston Pony wrote:the point is that SMU doesn't...and hasn't ever...had the numbers of rabid fans we see at so many other schools every college gameday. Granted we are a small private school, but there are other small private schools that do far better than we do in the area of fan support.

I've been meaning to make a comment like this for almost a year. People who claim that the support was so much better in the heyday of the 80's were either not there, living in a revisionist universe, or just plain delusional.

Yes, the attendance numbers were better.

Those were Texas fans. TCU fans. A&M fans. Baylor fans. We were CONSTANTLY outnumbered in Texas Stadium. Look at the pre-conference games when we played NTSU, Tulane, or some other poor sisters of the blind school. You'll see numbers like 17k, 22k, 19k. Numbers like we draw today.

I was sitting next to a Baylor grad who had purchased season tickets simply because he lived in Dallas, and wanted to support the local team. There's an opportunity for fan base growth. Think he'll buy season tickets again next year? Doubtful.

Teams succeed attendance-wise for 1 of three reasons (I'll cite examples that are similar to SMU in terms of alumni base, and being a private school):
1) They out an outstanding product on the field (TCU - this result is measurable. Compare their attendance to a decade ago, with largely similar level of opponent, until this year)
2) They have absolutely no regional competition at all (Baylor)
3) Spectacular conference, which provides them a steady stream of strong-traveling opponents (Vanderbilt, and in an earlier life, SMU)

SMU is unbelievably disadvantaged in cases 2&3. The success in the 80's was not long enough to see if an SMU fan base can be built around #1.

Back to silver linings, Houston lost to UCLA and is now 0-3.

Students don't show up/stay for the game because the team sucks. When it comes down to it, marketing strategies and all of that other crap doesn't matter, if the team is good, people will come. When we don't score a touchdown and lose by 46, there is no reason for anyone to show.

+1

hoyas29 wrote:Students don't show up/stay for the game because the team sucks. When it comes down to it, marketing strategies and all of that other crap doesn't matter, if the team is good, people will come. When we don't score a touchdown and lose by 46, there is no reason for anyone to show.

bingo. the majority of SMU students are spoiled rich kids who will only participate if it's "the thing to do". They aren't EVER going to support a losing program because it's not about being loyal to your school or supporting your classmates. They have disposable income (thanks to Mommy & Daddy) and they might be fine with coming out to the Blvd, but then it's off to shopping, or dinner or whatever party is going on wher they will hang out with others who could'nt care less about SMU athletics. It's what got us to where we are today.

Back to football.
Hopefully coaches realize Dieter should be playing the entire game. Holman just has not worked out. Hated seeing dieter go out after catching the ball.

so - whats wrong with that? and by the way, of all the things to complain about, the students were not one of them. We had at least 50% of our student body there - it was an enthosiastic turn out. Had we achieved more then 50 yds of offense they would have stayed.

If you are stuck in Lubbock, Waco or college station you have no choice, so your life revolves around football since there aint nothing else to do. Austin is a big town with no pro sports - so of course the world comes out for their games and to see a good program.

In Dallas we are lucky enough to all have options. Put something good on the field and our students and alumni will come. If not - there are other options.

By now we should be filling our stands due to the product instead of hoping blind loyalty will fill our seats.

Just about every post defending the students and alumni pretty much prove exactly what we are talking about-really just too busy to give a [deleted]. The score was 20-0 at halftime-SMU was playing hard despite the score. 60% of the students-gone because it was "cool". Time to shop, dinner reservations, late date, drunk from Boulevard. SMU had 18,000 fans for game on the campus-not 15 miles in Irving.

gostangs wrote:so - whats wrong with that? and by the way, of all the things to complain about, the students were not one of them. We had at least 50% of our student body there - it was an enthosiastic turn out. Had we achieved more then 50 yds of offense they would have stayed.

If you are stuck in Lubbock, Waco or college station you have no choice, so your life revolves around football since there aint nothing else to do. Austin is a big town with no pro sports - so of course the world comes out for their games and to see a good program.

In Dallas we are lucky enough to all have options. Put something good on the field and our students and alumni will come. If not - there are other options.

By now we should be filling our stands due to the product instead of hoping blind loyalty will fill our seats.

Agreed

Comet wrote:Cheerleaders are better looking this year

When you're worth a penny, and you add a penny, you've doubled your money. But you're still only worth 2 cents.

gostangs wrote:so - whats wrong with that? and by the way, of all the things to complain about, the students were not one of them. We had at least 50% of our student body there - it was an enthosiastic turn out. Had we achieved more then 50 yds of offense they would have stayed.

If you are stuck in Lubbock, Waco or college station you have no choice, so your life revolves around football since there aint nothing else to do. Austin is a big town with no pro sports - so of course the world comes out for their games and to see a good program.

In Dallas we are lucky enough to all have options. Put something good on the field and our students and alumni will come. If not - there are other options.

By now we should be filling our stands due to the product instead of hoping blind loyalty will fill our seats.

This is absolutely spot on. I stayed, but I am a glutton for punishment. Was there a whole lot to stay for in the second half - no. More of the same.

Stallion wrote:Just about every post defending the students and alumni pretty much prove exactly what we are talking about-really just too busy to give a [deleted]. The score was 20-0 at halftime-SMU was playing hard despite the score. 60% of the students-gone because it was "cool". Time to shop, dinner reservations, late date, drunk from Boulevard. SMU had 18,000 fans for game on the campus-not 15 miles in Irving.

I'm going to take the other side of this argument. SMU students and alums are no different than any other Dallas fans. We like winners and expect to be entertained. This town has too many options and money for fans to accept less.

I point to the previously average Rangers...and Mavericks...the average Stars...the pre Jerry Jones Cowboys...all had attendance problems.

Second point has been made over and over...and I agree...we cannot force people to "want" to be at our games. It's just not entertaining.

Silver linings . . .

- The game is over.
- Not a conference game.
- Zach is a beast.
- Some on our defense can play really hard (and well) in spurts.

Struggling with anything else at the moment.

Not sure if this is a silver lining but...

We might get 3 people into the draft: ZL, Margud, Reed... Just maybe

bye is on our schedule this week and we will not be an underdog...at least I hope not