While we're at it, let's beat this dead horse, too

[falconfan1]

Our schedule this year was very poorly set up- thanks to our MAC office/ schedule, ESPN/MAC, etc. This was not an athletic dept. problem as others have also pointed out. This was a MAC problem.

When you are the last D1A team to open at home in the nation with the team we had going in, that is really amazing. The last team to open at home. Our freshmen had been on campus for six full weeks without a home game. Absolutely unfortunate and unfair. Our school needs momentum- we are not a Wisconsin.

We played a home game over fall break- the first time many students plan to go home. Again- MAC office/schedule and a very, very bad move.

We played our UT rivalry game during the week at night again per TV on the take off day for students going home for Thanksgiving and res halls closing the next day at noon. That's two home games out of five with the students "gone" or "nearly gone". Kudos to our students who stayed- there were many. Weeknight games with work the next day naturally holds back sales from two hours plus away. Late year midweek games carry extra weather risk. We know that, the MAC knows that and we just have to decide what is best. That is what our AD does and I support him 100%.

We played a very disappointing game early at Boise watched by our fans all over the country- we played exceptionally poorly and that certainly cost us in many ways.

Omar was and is Omar. When you have the preseason pub he got (all deserved) and he goes down, casual fans are given another reason not to show- see Akron.

Having said all the above and much more (and could add small population base etc), our fans just need to show. Don't just post, don't just complain- make sure the first thing you do is support. EVERY game. EVERY way. We have a great school and a good program. We need to be there for them. They deserve it- I sure make and have made many mistakes or fallen short in my endeavors and I have also appreciated the many people who have supported me. Be a Falcon fan.

Doesn't mean we aren't disappointed. I am terribly disappointed. Doesn't mean we can't criticize. We can constructively. But support our school.

Buy season tickets- and GET TO CLEVELAND. This is important for our school, our team and our future. See you Sept 2 in Cleveland. Beat Wisconsin!

Go Falcons!

[Schadenfreude]

I think we need to make our rivalry game easier for students to attend. Every year its the same story, a lot of students have to leave town for vacation. Maybe they should move the BG v UT game back a week or something. I think by making the game as accessable as possible, more students may get excited for football games throughout the seasons.

I can understand students not wanting the game to occur while they are away.

But the flip side is this: If our final home game was Kent State, the place would have been empty indeed.

Toledo makes sense to close the season. It's a must-see sort of game.

[orangeandbrown]

Toledo is the only consistently drawing game we have, year in and year out. You want to put it in the situation where it can help make a bad date good. You don't want to make it homecoming, for example.

I remember (old fogey alert) when the season used to end on the first Saturday in November. Of course, that's not possible with the MACC...not to mention November and ESPN.

[CapitalFalcon]

I have a novel idea...Why not win some games? Maybe a MACC? We are very good at beating bad teams. But when there is a good opponent, we usually lose. I think if we could take care of business on the field consistently, attendance would follow. Thoughts?

[BelieveNBG]

As I stated before, win first and then I will come is the typical band wagon fan support. How about show up, give fan support, help provide excitement, and boost the teams to a win? Now that's a thought. Teams with large fan support are pretty good at helping push a team to a win...thus "home field" advantage. Our guys truly feel like they have very little fan support. They have grown accustomed to the fact that they will run out into a half empty stadium. They have grown accustomed to the fact that they MUST pump theirselves up and not depend on a crowd to give them a lift when all seems to be going bad...ala Western, Akron, etc.

[1987alum]

I have a novel idea...Why not win some games? Maybe a MACC? We are very good at beating bad teams. But when there is a good opponent, we usually lose. I think if we could take care of business on the field consistently, attendance would follow. Thoughts?

Well, yes. That being said, in 2003, with a division title hanging in the balance, we drew 11,000 for a home game late in the season. We drew well last year at home, but didn't exactly pack them in. And we were playing for a division title this year against Akron. I'd like to think that playing for a division title would be enough to draw fans to a BG game, especially on the heels of two bowl seasons.

And Western Michigan drew awfully well for coming off a 1-10 season.

[BGDrew]

Attendance will come with annual wins and titles.

[BGSUFootballFan]

i've been keeping track on my own accord since 2002. Here the #s i came up with for all those seasons!

2002
15,696 vs Tenn Tech
21,969 vs Mizzou
20,069 vs Ohio
15,169 vs WMU
21,039 vs Ball St
12,974 vs EMU

106,916 tot 17,819 average

2003
15,669 vs EKU
13,096 vs Liberty
20,649 vs CMU
31,007 vs NIU
12,035 vs Kent
29,724 vs UT

122,180 tot 20,363 average

2004
23,088 vs SEMO
16,669 vs Ball St
10,731 vs EMU
18,439 vs WMU
18,187 vs Marshall

87,034 tot 17,407 average

2005
19,462 vs Temple
14,177 vs Ohio
13,959 vs WMU
9,608 vs Akrone
17,438 vs UT

74,824 tot 14,965 average



When it rains, it pours. Some observations that i made, that in terms of attendance we arent bad off at all playing a 1-AA team early on in the season at home. 1st off it gives us an easy win. 2nd of all it gives us another home game giving us 6 total. 3rd it is usually the best day weather wise. And lastly 5,000 more people came to watch us smoke Southeast Missouri St than came to watch us play a great game against Marshall both in 2004. I am dissapointed with what our attendance is right now, i mean we played 5 games and finished with 74k. Purdue is always complaining about their small stadium and poor ticket sales and they put 67k in a game. I know you are thinking its PU and i shouldnt compare, but hey this is a team that we beat in 2003 and defn could have beaten this year! And its not like i am comparing them to the top of the big 10, like PSU with 113k per game. I think 18k is a very realistic goal that we could achieve and my only hope is that we can strive to do better than we have been. Hopefully that Wiscy and Boise game will be so huge that we can cruise to a 20k next year! That would be a heck of a comeback and i am looking foward to it.

[CapitalFalcon]

I have a novel idea...Why not win some games? Maybe a MACC? We are very good at beating bad teams. But when there is a good opponent, we usually lose. I think if we could take care of business on the field consistently, attendance would follow. Thoughts?

Well, yes. That being said, in 2003, with a division title hanging in the balance, we drew 11,000 for a home game late in the season. We drew well last year at home, but didn't exactly pack them in. And we were playing for a division title this year against Akron. I'd like to think that playing for a division title would be enough to draw fans to a BG game, especially on the heels of two bowl seasons.

And Western Michigan drew awfully well for coming off a 1-10 season.

I'm not talking about doing well one season out of 15. Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan don't bring over 100,000 a game by having one divisional title hanging in the balance in some random season....It's year after year that they have big games and actually win against good teams, instead of beating the ever living crap out of crappy teams...

[Columbus Falcon]

Are the games interfering with precious Ohio State games where the students would rather sit in their dorms?

[BGorDeath]

I have said it before and I will say it again. Who gives a s**t what the attendance is? Go to the game, cheer for BG, eat a Doyt dog, have a bowel movement, go home. Be happy you are there at an affordable price with your family. If we only have 17,000 in the stadium then I guess 8,000 are losing out. I could care less if there are 2,000,000 or 2 at the game.

[orangeandbrown]

You know, in some senses I hear you. Its a great experience--enjoy it. But, its a lot more fun when the stadium is full....

[CapitalFalcon]

I have said it before and I will say it again. Who gives a s**t what the attendance is? Go to the game, cheer for BG, eat a Doyt dog, have a bowel movement, go home. Be happy you are there at an affordable price with your family. If we only have 17,000 in the stadium then I guess 8,000 are losing out. I could care less if there are 2,000,000 or 2 at the game.

Ok...That's all well and good...But when more chunks of the Doyt come crashing down, Anderson Arena's roof leaks, the Ice Arena keeps limping along, and other MAC schools continue to improve their facilities to attract better talent, then maybe attendance and dollars spent at sporting events will begin to matter. I'm sure you and your friend will have a great time as the two spectators at a BG sporting event....

[BGorDeath]

I have said it before and I will say it again. Who gives a s**t what the attendance is? Go to the game, cheer for BG, eat a Doyt dog, have a bowel movement, go home. Be happy you are there at an affordable price with your family. If we only have 17,000 in the stadium then I guess 8,000 are losing out. I could care less if there are 2,000,000 or 2 at the game.

Ok...That's all well and good...But when more chunks of the Doyt come crashing down, Anderson Arena's roof leaks, the Ice Arena keeps limping along, and other MAC schools continue to improve their facilities to attract better talent, then maybe attendance and dollars spent at sporting events will begin to matter. I'm sure you and your friend will have a great time as the two spectators at a BG sporting event....

Yes we will. It will make for one hell of a wave. Plus, when we bitch about the coach, they can resond first hand to our comments.

[Falcon52]

2 huge factors that contribute to attendance. 1. Weather and 2. Time in which the games are played. Out of towners have a difficult time getting to those weekday games. That hurt the TU game attendance. Maybe the MAC should consider having more important games played earlier in the season when there is better weather.

If I had my wish, the stadium would have some type of cover over some of the seating. My Browns season tickets are under cover and it's the best thing going. It can absolutely pore rain and I stay nice and dry. I always feel like we are figuring out what the weather is going to be like before we make the 2 hour trek to BG's games.

Let's talk crazy and build a 3 in one 35,000 seat dome that can have football, basketball, and hockey.