Was 36K fans real?

Stan R · November 4, 2015

SO... We had over 36K fans at the Heart of Dallas bowl. Umm. What was that? We're missing (even when we were still doing well prior to Mac's collapse), probably 16K of those fans. I think I have some important questions:

1.) What/who were those "extra" 16K fans that we never see at Apogee?

2.) Can we get them back? If so, how? Can we do it next year with the right hire and promotions?

3.) Are you one of the 16K and you are just lurking on this board? If so.. GREAT! Punch yourself in the face.

MGNation92 · November 4, 2015

Step 1: Win

Step 2: See Step 1

GoMeanGreen1999 · November 4, 2015

I think that Bowl shows you how many Alums and fans there are in the DFW are who are willing to support a winning Mean Green team.

GreenTexan13 · November 4, 2015

SO... We had over 36K fans at the Heart of Dallas bowl. Umm. What was that? We're missing (even when we were still doing well prior to Mac's collapse), probably 16K of those fans. I think I have some important questions:
1.) What/who were those "extra" 16K fans that we never see at Apogee?
2.) Can we get them back? If so, how? Can we do it next year with the right hire and promotions?
3.) Are you one of the 16K and you are just lurking on this board? If so.. GREAT! Punch yourself in the face.

They are a mix of the alumni who don't care about UNT football until we are actually noticeable and the casual fan.(ex. I had a lady who cut my hair at one of the hairdressers in Denton tell me that she attended the bowl game just because she is from Denton).

If UNT ever breaks the curse and we transform into the next Boise State, I think we are going to turn into the Seattle Seahawks of Conference USA. You are going to see a lot more of those fairweather/bandwagon fans that you haven't seen before.

*I actually want this to happen too

Edited November 4, 2015 by GreenTexan13

risinggreen · November 4, 2015

SO... We had over 36K fans at the Heart of Dallas bowl. Umm. What was that? We're missing (even when we were still doing well prior to Mac's collapse), probably 16K of those fans. I think I have some important questions:
1.) What/who were those "extra" 16K fans that we never see at Apogee?
2.) Can we get them back? If so, how? Can we do it next year with the right hire and promotions?
3.) Are you one of the 16K and you are just lurking on this board? If so.. GREAT! Punch yourself in the face.

There were a lot of freebies for that game, and as we well know, a lot of Dallas people are too lazy to make the Denton drive unless it's against a very recognizable opponent. Plus we have to be pretty good of course.

untjim1995 · November 4, 2015

Its like when we made the NO Bowls and went to the NCAA Tournament in New Orleans and Oklahoma City. We had fans there that probably had never once stepped into Fouts/Apogee or The Super Pit in their lives and probably couldn't even find them on a map of the campus. But they had somebody tell them about the bowl berths and the tourney invites and they were in for a fun trip.

Eagle1855 · November 4, 2015

There are like 300k people in DFW with ties to UNT, between current students, alums, and former students. 10% showed up to a bowl game in their own backyard.

I guess that's good?

aztecskin · November 4, 2015

There are like 300k people in DFW with ties to UNT, between current students, alums, and former students. 10% showed up to a bowl game in their own backyard.
I guess that's good?

That's about expected. Lots of current students do not care about sports ball at all. So we'd need to adjust the percentage of attendees at the bowl game to be of the ones who actually care about sports at all. That number is lower than the 300K in the area.

Christopher Walker · November 4, 2015

It was actually 38,380 IIRC.

Ben Gooding · November 4, 2015

There are like 300k people in DFW with ties to UNT, between current students, alums, and former students. 10% showed up to a bowl game in their own backyard.
I guess that's good?

Better than the current 5%. So yes it is good. If we had that '10%" show up at Apogee through the thick and the thin we would be the best G5 program in the country. The revenue stream attached to that would allow even RV to stumble upon good football coaches. Also, with 36K+ showing up every home game we would be expanding to that sacred 50K plateau. The P5 would take extreme notice to us, they would have no choice. So, yes, that is good.

Withers940 · November 4, 2015

I bet we get a good crowd at our first home game against SMU because Everyone hates SMU, People are always excited about a product they dont yet know about and we will have a new and exciting coach...Hopefully

Stan R · November 4, 2015

I bet we get a good crowd at our first home game against SMU because Everyone hates SMU, People are always excited about a product they dont yet know about and we will have a new and exciting coach...Hopefully

At our last home game vs. Portland State, I was sitting there talking to my dad about the 1st year and the 1st home game of the year vs. I believe Houston (we were both there as well). It was so loud and so electric in there I was just thinking to myself something like this at the time:

"ho...ly...shite. Are you freaking kidding me? Is it going to be like this every home game this year? If so we are going to have to expand this thing REAL soon".

And then well, we sort of slowly dropped in attendance and the team well, fell apart etc.

But MAN, if we could just get up to that 28K range consistently, it is a CRAZY FUN place to watch a game. It is amazing how just even having the place full enhances the experience.

untjim1995 · November 4, 2015

I bet we get a good crowd at our first home game against SMU because Everyone hates SMU, People are always excited about a product they dont yet know about and we will have a new and exciting coach...Hopefully

Denton always turns out well for old SWC opponents, compared to attendance for the rest of the teams we play in Denton. That SMU game will get over 20k for sure, possibly 25k if it is scheduled at the right time--as in 6pm, not 11am or 2pm on a Saturday afternoon in early September.

drex · November 4, 2015

There are people who are looking for a college to follow who never even went to college. I think UT is a good example of that.

CMJ · November 4, 2015

Some folks from out of town came in for the HOD Bowl too.

Ben Gooding · November 4, 2015

There are people who are looking for a college to follow who never even went to college. I think UT is a good example of that.

yeah like 85% of UT's fan base.

Stix · November 4, 2015

Some folks from out of town came in for the HOD Bowl too.

You need some lessons from Coach Chico as to how to talk in the 3rd person.

DeepGreen · November 4, 2015

Enough of the HOD attendance numbers, etc., etc. We need to find a coach. A coach that sees the potential in UNT and what winning will do to energize the fan base.

NorthTexan95 · November 4, 2015

As I've said before, the bowl game showed that if we put a good product on the field, people will come. RV can beg and plead and try to guilt the fans into attending but he's given them no reason to do so.

It's the same way with any other sports team in DFW - win and the fans will come. Lose and they disappear. The Cowboys have the best following in the area and even they weren't selling out when they were horrible in the late 80's.

rws69 · November 5, 2015

The bowl game was big deal to a lot of folks who otherwise would not go to a football game. On January 1, 2014, I noticed a few well-known people from Denton and Denton County who I have never seen at Apogee. It was probably just a status thing for some folks who are not true fans like many of us who show up at every game. And yes, I suspect there were a lot of Dallas area alumni who have not made the trip to Denton recently. We need a better team and then perhaps we will see some of the outsiders become true fans.

Army of Dad · November 5, 2015

SO... We had over 36K fans at the Heart of Dallas bowl. Umm. What was that? We're missing (even when we were still doing well prior to Mac's collapse), probably 16K of those fans. I think I have some important questions:
1.) What/who were those "extra" 16K fans that we never see at Apogee?
2.) Can we get them back? If so, how? Can we do it next year with the right hire and promotions?
3.) Are you one of the 16K and you are just lurking on this board? If so.. GREAT! Punch yourself in the face.

You have a very interesting take on how to get people more engaged with UNT athletics. Not sure it's going to be successful, but it's certainly an innovative approach.

DeepGreen · November 5, 2015

Wednesday night game or night, very few fans in attendance for last nights No. Illinois vs Bowling Green game. And those teams played some good football. Lot of players from Florida.