Attendance Woes

[Globetrotter]

Does any of this even matter? We have a base that buys about 15,000 seats. History says the maximum seasonal average interest built on years of winning is somewhere around 23,000 give or take a thousand. How much time, effort and energy do we want to put into the product right now when the real growth potential is somewhat minimal. From my perspective, it would be smarter to let things bounce along as they are until the Doyt gets renovated or replaced ...hopefully we're 5-10 years tops from that happening. Then you can take a look at incorporating different ideas to improve the game day experience into the stadium design and use the "new" factor to build interest. Then you have to hope that the buzz generated in town is something other than "you're raping us with these ticket prices" and "I wanna bring my own Milk Duds in rather than buying yours".

As it sits ...the Doyt is a rather unattractive concrete muffin that got dropped into the middle of a flood plane. It's our muffin and I'll fight for it until the beer runs out...but it is what it is...

I hadnt thought about replacing the stadium. But if that is on the horizon why not do that with all of these potential things in place? What good would it do to wait and then work out the bugs then? Why not get traditions and excitment in place now and then carry that over to the new stadium? Do more things then if you must. Just do something now.

[Globetrotter]

I know some here think he's coming off like a whiner, but I honestly couldn't agree more with Globe. His rationale is why I gave up my season tickets last year and I can see the lights of the Doyt from my back yard. If I lived in Columbus I probably wouldn't make it to more than 1 game year, if that.

I like BG football, but really there isn't that much draw to go to the games. I enjoy seeing all the AZZ crew out tailgating, and that is a good time. And I do have one good friend who is a die hard at every game. But most of my group of friends have no interest in going to the games anymore. And when I do get them out there it's to either tailgate & leave or they end up bolting at halftime.

As for me? I still have a rooting interest in BG football but there just isn't much of a draw to me. Like 24 stated, and I've been adamant about in the past...winning those games against BCS schools means far more for me than the MAC does. I won't go quite as far as saying I don't care about the MAC, but I'm real close to that feeling. This year I was actually getting excited again. The destruction of Tulsa energized me. Backing it up with a big win @KSU ramped it up even more. I was actually texting aforementioned die hard friend how I hadn't been this excited for BG football since '04-05 or so. Then we go to IU and don't even look like we belong on the same field. That's not just taking the wind out of the sails, it's like running those sails through a paper shredder while cannons are being fired at the ship and sharks are circling in the water.

To me the main thing I want from BG sports is to prove those idiot fans at OSU wrong. Those that say we don't deserve to be 1A and are a lesser class football team. There are millions of them, and when we get waxed by VaTech and IU we're proving them right. And sure a MAC title would be sweet for the team and coaches, but for my goal of actually looking like a higher level 1A program? Means next to nothing...

As for the other stuff Globe talks about I get that too. Go to an OSU game. Or a Browns game. The tailgating is insane, and because of the events going on people do go out there that aren't even able to get tickets for the game. Like he said, it's an event that draws people to the area of the stadium. I don't know if you can artificially create stuff like that or not, but it would be cool to see them do something like that...if not every week at least for Homecoming or Family Weekend...

There is definitely something lacking in the excitement of the program and the gameday experience. I know several people who did come into BG for homecoming and didn't even consider attending the game as an option. I don't know what really can be done, but it would be cool to see some new ideas brought forth. I can tell ya though the only things that I really care about are big wins against good competition, and top tier opponents coming to the Doyt.

Thanks, I am trying to be more matter of fact then whining but I can definitely see how it comes acrossed as whining.

I love that you all love what you love about falcon football. But you can't boost attendance by relying on simply the die hards.

[mscarn]

To further put this issue in context, this was a picture taken at TCU's home field last week during the fourth quarter of a one possession game against a Big 12 conference opponent. TCU is in the middle of football-crazy Texas and has averaged 10 wins a year for the past decade. It's a darn tough racket.

[transfer2BGSU]

To further put this issue in context, this was a picture taken at TCU's home field last week during the fourth quarter of a one possession game against a Big 12 conference opponent. TCU is in the middle of football-crazy Texas and has averaged 10 wins a year for the past decade. It's a darn tough racket.

And they just completed a massive multi-million dollar expansion of the stadium (took two years).

[Falcon137]

Attendance across college football is an issue.

Alabama's student section completely empty vs Georgia State this year.



Darrell K Royal stadium just before kickoff against K-State this year .



There were even large sections student sections empty for the Florida @ LSU game this past weekend.

Difference is. TCU still sold 41,000+, Alabama sold 101,000+, and Texas sold 95,000+. The real issue is going to be in 10-15 years when the students who don't care, are alums. Are they going to be paying $100 a seat per game? I doubt it.

I for one hope the renovations at the Doyt don't include more seats. If tickets are selling out, raise the prices before adding more seats.

[MarkL]

If / when there are Doyt renovations, I hope it is designed so it can be expanded but is aesthetically pleasing as designed.

[kdog27]

Would love to have a stadium like WKU or Troy. They ate small but don't have that high school feel.

[Flipper]

Seeing all those unexpectedly empty seats...you have to wonder if we've seen a kind of "bubble" in college football. Has the sport become overexposed on TV to the extent that fans a re getting fatigued with it?

[FalconTurf]

Ripping our stadium is funny to me. My parents were at BG when they went from HS to college facilities. It took Miami 20 years and tsun 30 years to catch up. We failed to move forward in many ways but we still have box seating that was far ahead of the majority of the conference. Indoor practice facilities before most. The seating angles are great while the pitch is slight. Think that may be the prairie winds that caused that decision. It's cold up top.

The biggest thing missing is a large number of volunteer spokespersons loyal to the cause. That's tough to artificially manufacture.

[BGSUFanatic7]

I would trade losses to teams like Indiana and Mississippi State for MAC Championships any day of the week. Any fan that wouldn't isn't a true fan. Don't get me wrong, those types of wins certainly go a long way and eventually, I think it's everyones dream to become a Boise State. But to realistically say that you would rather have big time wins rather than MAC titles is very short-sighted and dumb, IMO. And for true fans, the Toledo's, Ohio's, Kent's, ect are big time wins. I wanted BG to beat Mississippi State just as much as anyone else, but an hour of fame doesn't mean nearly as much to me as a MAC championship.

[zete]

It is always better to play in front of a full house. So if we build, make it better not bigger.

[Globetrotter]

I would trade losses to teams like Indiana and Mississippi State for MAC Championships any day of the week. Any fan that wouldn't isn't a true fan. Don't get me wrong, those types of wins certainly go a long way and eventually, I think it's everyones dream to become a Boise State. But to realistically say that you would rather have big time wins rather than MAC titles is very short-sighted and dumb, IMO. And for true fans, the Toledo's, Ohio's, Kent's, ect are big time wins. I wanted BG to beat Mississippi State just as much as anyone else, but an hour of fame doesn't mean nearly as much to me as a MAC championship.

Lol. Essentially. If you don't like falcon football for the reasons I do you are wrong?

Mississippi state wins are program builders. Kent wins are allow us to maintain.

[Globetrotter]

To further put this issue in context, this was a picture taken at TCU's home field last week during the fourth quarter of a one possession game against a Big 12 conference opponent. TCU is in the middle of football-crazy Texas and has averaged 10 wins a year for the past decade. It's a darn tough racket.

And they just completed a massive multi-million dollar expansion of the stadium (took two years).

And. Context

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/14 ... ested.html

[kdog27]

I would trade losses to teams like Indiana and Mississippi State for MAC Championships any day of the week. Any fan that wouldn't isn't a true fan. Don't get me wrong, those types of wins certainly go a long way and eventually, I think it's everyones dream to become a Boise State. But to realistically say that you would rather have big time wins rather than MAC titles is very short-sighted and dumb, IMO. And for true fans, the Toledo's, Ohio's, Kent's, ect are big time wins. I wanted BG to beat Mississippi State just as much as anyone else, but an hour of fame doesn't mean nearly as much to me as a MAC championship.

Glad to have the go to person on defining true fans here.

[kdog27]

Lol. Essentially. If you don't like falcon football for the reasons I do you are wrong?
.

Not wrong, you're just shortsighted and dumb.