Mustang Nation in Orlando

[gallop]

LAME showing folks. What the heck is wrong with our fans??
I'd say no more than a few hundred. Really frustrating.

Championship Game - it's time to Pony Up and SHOW UP to games! Get out from behind the TV and SUPPORT THE KIDS!!

Their stadium isn't all that impressive for $50M.

If we don't fill our own stadium for a bowl.....no excuse.

[sbsmith]

Probably waiting for some real winning to occur before they bother to come out. Gonna take awhile to get any real support for the program.

[Comet]

I'm a grad student, I don't have that kind of money and time I'm afraid Perhaps later, but I do my part to fill up our stadium throughout the year :p

[ThadFilms]

I have $300 in my bank account and I managed to make it! Of course I know people with jets and folks at the network broadcasting it.

I think I spent 36 bucks. For the entire trip... last nights dnner/hotel bar tab.

Great experience! Loved being there.

...

But I note this because here are a lot of us who just can't afford it....I'm lucky and I realize it.... Never could have gone to Hawaii unless I was making this movie/All Grit.

[Comet]

Well when I get a film on ESPN, hopefully I'll have that luxury as well :p

[gallop]

There are plenty of people out there with $300-350 for a quick trip to Orlando from Dallas. SMU is being competitive - time to show up for a championship game.

Even a lot of the big boosters didn't show up either. - I just don't understand it.

[gallop]

Probably waiting for some real winning to occur before they bother to come out. Gonna take awhile to get any real support for the program.

Yes, that is pathetic. These kids need support.

[Stallion]

It was unacceptable showing in a Championship-that is if you have any hopes of this program going to the next level. If SMU had won that game-the Liberty Bowl would been silly to pick SMU. Bowls look at that type of thing-and I really don't think there is much excuse

[SoCal_Pony]

Bowls look at that type of thing-and I really don't think there is much excuse

NCAA Basketball does not look at these type of things (NIT does of course)

ADVANTAGE SMU BB

[Charleston Pony]

I've been preaching for years that our students/alumni are the ones holding us back because we do such a poor job supporting our teams. Can't change the fact we are small in numbers...but it hurts that we lost almost a full generation of sports fans fielding 1-10 teams for 20 yrs. I appreciate all of our "hard core" fans who made the trip from Dallas on such short notice. Expensive trip. It was an easy 6-7 hr drive for me from Charleston. Thanks to all who made the trip...and long live the 1500

[mustangbill67]

It was unacceptable showing in a Championship-that is if you have any hopes of this program going to the next level. If SMU had won that game-the Liberty Bowl would been silly to pick SMU. Bowls look at that type of thing-and I really don't think there is much excuse

I just got back from the ECU game where we won the western division. I did not see you there. I would have turned around and gone to Orlando if you would have paid for it. I am tapped out.

[ALEX LIFESON]

There are plenty of people out there with $300-350 for a quick trip to Orlando from Dallas. SMU is being competitive - time to show up for a championship game.

Even a lot of the big boosters didn't show up either. - I just don't understand it.

Take away players families and SMU employees, there couldn't have been 200 fans in Orlando. Even Stallion made the trip, he was sitting a few rows in front of me. If you can't afford it, it's understandable and no need to respond. But there are plenty of people that can afford it, and just want to roll out of bed, head to a watching party and complain about Padron etc...Championship Game experience was great, you missed it. You demand our players and administration are held accountable, what the SMU fans? I sat with my group of five, and only one is an SMU alum. GONE were the normel excuses for missing a road game---"too hot" "too cold" "7 hour flight" "going to rain" "too expensive" "too dangerous" "don't like the city" "we're not playing for anything" blah blah blah! I wouldn't want Steve Orsini's job, of trying to sell this apathetic fan base to a BCS conference.
Look in the mirror and ask yourself, are you a Top 25 fan?

[Pony_Fan]

yep, poor attendance. Thanks to all those that made the trip and attended road games this year. We had better attendance at Rice and Tulane than yesterday. If you haven't been to a road game, at least plan on one next year. It is kind of embarrassing the way we support.

I have to think there are plenty of alumni who can afford a trip to Orlando. Most of our alumni are wealthy. We flew in Fri and came back Sat after the game. It was easy.

The excuses are over, it is time to be a fan again. What are people waiting for? We have been absolutely terrible forever and won the division. That is enough reason to get excited.

I agree with So Cal - advantage BB if we could ever get good again, much easier to support too.

Beat Army!!

[mrydel]

Come on guys. There are also some of us that are not self employed or that do not work for daddy or are not unemployed. I have clients wanting to move into their new homes and they schedule appointments in advance to meet or closings to buy. They would not appreciate it if I called them and said that SMU got into the Conference Championship game at the last moment after blowing their chance 2 times previously, so we have to delay your dream of becoming a first time home buyer. If I could have arranged an in and out on Saturday I would have but from Little Rock it was not available. And the closest I found to it was around $900.

I purchased my tickets to the Armed Forces Bowl 6 months ago, made flight arrangements and car rental just in case we got there. I could have canceled if we had not made it there. But regardless of whether or not we were going to make it to the Championship game, I still could not get in and out on Saturday, and a weeks notice is not enough time for me.

The broad brush being used to criticize fans that cannot make it to games is probably a contributing factor as to why we lose fans. No one appreciates being ridiculed just because occasionally something does take priority over a football game. Yes we need better fan support, but to compare our crowd to that of UCF is a little absurd considering they have 40,000 students and had 75 feet to travel to the game which they were able to attend for free.

[Pony_Fan]

I am not self employed nor do I work for "daddy" - we have a lot of Alumni in the Southeast that should have been there.

You are a great fan and don't have to explain yourself. Understandably the quick turnaround was tough for most people. I don't think anyone is comparing SMU to UCF, that would be stupid. It was just sad for a Championship game turnout.