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So there is no way to draw in more fans and we should just quit trying? You must be a very successful businessman.

CalallenStang, pretty funny calling it the Ford Morgue.

While it was under construction, I told Dr Turner that unless he changed his approach to our FB team, he was simply building an expensive mausoleum.

He did not appreciate my comment, but I think I was proven right.

WorldStang wrote:I have had season tickets since 2000 and I'm done with football. Giving up a great tailgating spot, sold my trailer earlier in the week.

I'm turning 100% of my focus to basketball.

Larry Brown and his staff can coach can coach, recruit, he actually likes our fans, they play hard and don't give up.

I'm finally to the point that we should just give up on football. No one cares and I'm too tired of caring.

I'm not judging you WorldStang, but you've been a season ticket holder for 13 years and you couldn't wait a couple more months to see how this drama unfolds?

I see it as a problem of momentum (or lack of, I suppose). Since June arrived, we have won 3 games in a row once, and 5 games in a row once. And after that famous 5-1 start, we lost 4 of the next 5. Other than that, we haven't won more than 2 games consecutively. Even this season, we started out 1-3, most people know that we obviously have no relevance on the national scale at that point and we are only left with the diehards. But wait, we still might make a BCS bowl after that craptastic start? Oh, nevermind, we pissed away a chance at that in Cincinnati. It feels like we have a hard time building any sort of organic excitement around the team and what they are doing. Sure, we have a great home record in conference, but our road record is pathetic and you cant just ignore that and expect people to be stoked about only the home wins. A softer OOC schedule will definitely help, as I think most casual fans check out after we get utterly destroyed by the Big XII South every September.

SMUPhil wrote:I see it as a problem of momentum (or lack of, I suppose). Since June arrived, we have won 3 games in a row once, and 5 games in a row once. And after that famous 5-1 start, we lost 4 of the next 5. Other than that, we haven't won more than 2 games consecutively. Even this season, we started out 1-3, most people know that we obviously have no relevance on the national scale at that point and we are only left with the diehards. But wait, we still might make a BCS bowl after that craptastic start? Oh, nevermind, we [deleted] away a chance at that in Cincinnati. It feels like we have a hard time building any sort of organic excitement around the team and what they are doing. Sure, we have a great home record in conference, but our road record is pathetic and you cant just ignore that and expect people to be stoked about only the home wins. A softer OOC schedule will definitely help, as I think most casual fans check out after we get utterly destroyed by the Big XII South every September.

....

a plea to WorldStang: don't quit. Stop buying season tickets, but come on out and buy an endzone seat or the cheapest ticket you can find and go sit at midfield on the visitor's side. We need everyone who might be the least bit interested in this program to continue supporting it.

Everyone try and calm down: we are playing zero regional teams, few people even know anything about the teams we are playing (including myself), and having said that, it is hard to power up interest in a "pro town."

Can our culture change? Absolutely. Will it happen over night? No. Do we need to go beyond social media? Yes.

Jones (if he even cares) and Brown need to start with our students, first. Brown is doing this now. They must target Undergrads and Grads both. Hart and Turner need to reach out to the big area Methodist Churches: Highland Park, Lovers Lane, St. Andrew (Plano), Christ (Plano), and others of this size and have a holiday Methodist day at the UCF game. Discount the tickets and get these good Methodists in the stands. Our product is good. They likely will comeback.

We don't need tarps, platforms, or more drunks (well, the kids can be drunk if they show up.....just kidding!), we need a plan. And, yes I was at the game yesterday. I love and support both of my schools: Bama and SMU. I want SMU to be successful, and who on here doesn't? Just saying...

They should have a game that is free to anybody that wants to attend.........

Raise the student activity fee by 500%. Reduce it by a fraction for each game they attend. That way they still support the athletic programs with money or attendance. And the high cost of games may encourage attendance since they would be throwing a lot money away for not attending.

Attendance has always been an issue, even in the good years when I was there. For some reason, SMU just doesn't attract students that are sports fans.

I agree with TidePony. I don't know what the relationship is between SMU and the Methodist Church, but at one time the Church supported SMU. That is a large built in fan base to work with. In days gone by there was a Methodist Day where churches got free tickets. We could do that again...Give a special halftime show honoring the Methodist Church and I would bet you SMU would have some new interest. There could be other groups we honor and give tickets to. Perhaps there will be a day when we no longer can give away tickets. But this is not that time. We need butts in seats.

The churches would be a good start. How about the youth leagues and Boys & Girls Club of Dallas. . . Seems like you need to reach out beyond the Highland Park/University Park, Preston Rd, I-635/US 75 area of Dallas.

LHS81 wrote:The churches would be a good start. How about the youth leagues and Boys & Girls Club of Dallas. . . Seems like you need to reach out beyond the Highland Park/University Park, Preston Rd, I-635/US 75 area of Dallas.

Agreed!

Some of you are aware that I helped bring a group from a local school that gave tickets to reward school attendance. What I was told by SMU ticket office was that they have a problem with youth groups getting to games - paying for bus trips, etc.

I hear that dart thing is pretty efficient