How is Attendance?

[meanrob]

4 minutes ago, KRAM1 said:

Going to be a lot of people sorry they missed seeing that game.  But, of course, they will claim they were there in numbers that would have made it a sellout.  Great effort over a "name" team within our own conference.  People say if we bring in name teams fans will show up.  Well, so much for that theory.  Sure, Marshall isn't a Big XII or SEC team, but they are most certainly a "name" team folks recognize.  Heck, they even have that "we Are Marshall" movie thing going for them.  Alas, a very small crowd.

But, I had a great time.  Saw a great game.  Met some new folks. And even Got accused in the tailgate area of stealing some guy's beer out of his cooler....I had one of my Yuenglings and the guy had some himself...actually came up to me and said "You steal that beer out of my cooler?  I can tell because I have counted them".  Ha!  Told the guy it was mine and that I did not need to steal beer at tailgates.  Geeezzzzzzz...a first, but since he was wearing Mean Green and not Marshall green, all was good.  But, guy needs to work on his first impressions!  

Great football weather as well.  Hard to understand Mean Green fans who chose to not come to this game.  But, is what it is.  Those that cared enough and were available and close enough to come showed up.  As the team is growing into a winner, our fan base is doing the same.  Keep winning and they will come.  Bandwagon or not...we need 'em.

It's humorous (actually it's more annoying) that you and you know who are on different sides of the coin yet still find anything to complain about. 

Great win and great to watch the kids play with enthusiasm. All of the issues of this program, and there are many, won't get solved overnight. 

Chill out and enjoy the ride. 

[KRAM1]

2 minutes ago, meanrob said:

It's humorous (actually it's more annoying) that you and you know who are on different sides of the coin yet still find anything to complain about. 

Great win and great to watch the kids play with enthusiasm. All of the issues of this program, and there are many, won't get solved overnight. 

Chill out and enjoy the ride. 

Just hit the ignore button.  If the shoe fits...wear it.  Sorry if it hit too close to home for you.  We were discussing attendance and folks were giving their opinions.  I gave mine.  Don't like mine, fine, put me on ignore.

By the way, was that you accusing me of stealing your beer?  

[KingDL1]

1 hour ago, EagleMBA said:

It sure didn't seem like there were that many in attendance. There were a LOT of empty seats in my area that are normally occupied...always.

It felt a lot closer to Butt-Cookman's 15,609.  The tailgate scene also seemed to be the most sparsely-attended, least-energized of the year so far. I am a positive supporter but those are the facts as I sensed and observed them.

I would just about guarantee you there were less than 12000 there or at least in their seats, they can count all tickets sold or given away I believe. The good news is if we ever really fill that thing up to standing room only and we teach everyone to cheer when the defense is on the field, it will make the place a real home field advantage, it will be near deathening for our opponents. Thank you for the tickets.

[NM Green]

It was a very low energy tailgate and first half.  I almost felt like the bottom was about to fall out from under us but not in an anxious "I hope it doesn't happen,"  but rather a "When is the 3rd and 49 going to happen?"  

Then the fake punt and fight happened.  

It was totally on after that and those 15k or whatever were there were off the chain for the rest of the game.  It was awesome.  I have witnessed 2 of the most incredible nights of Mean Green football in a span of a few weeks - Rice was epic.  Marshall was stunning and just fun!

GMG

P.S. - Yes we need the words to the fight song and alma mater up there so we can boom it out!

[PlummMeanGreen]

I know a spot in the Upper Wing Zone that needs to be filled with kids & at least 1 parent who paid every game.  I know that is easier said than done as it would take much footwork to promote that every Fall & I assure you.....someone would need to take that on as their baby.

Hellsbells!  Next thing you know some idiot will be talking about having a Band Day at a North Texas football game.   Late Michigan Wolverine A.D. Don Canham had a huge Band Day every Fall until they couldn't afford to give up all the seats to those who wanted to pay to get in.

I was not at the game last night.  I had a wedding booked 6 months earlier I had to DJ but I snuck out to my car during the dinner portion & got all inspired. 

Then post-wedding reception and about 11 PM I called SUMG & asked how the game went and he "only" gave me a score.  Then he said:  NORTH TEXAS WON!  I gave out a yell heard 'round Parker County, Texas!   

GMG!

PS:  If you've ever played the game at any level there is nothing more demoralizing than coming out of the locker room into an almost empty stadium. 

Edited October 9, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

[EagleMBA]

46 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

I would just about guarantee you there were less than 12000 there or at least in their seats, they can count all tickets sold or given away I believe. The good news is if we ever really fill that thing up to standing room only and we teach everyone to cheer when the defense is on the field, it will make the place a real home field advantage, it will be near deathening for our opponents. Thank you for the tickets.

Say no more. The pleasure was mine...it makes me feel good when I can get my extras to folks who enjoy them.

[untcampbell]

10 hours ago, SlimSlamSlum said:

As we pulled into the blue lot there were Denton PD officers looking in cars. An officer took a drivers license from someone in the truck in front of us and kept it. She looked to have about a dozen in her hand already. She waved us through. Last week there was talk about a crackdown on student drinking. Was there an incident that prompted this?

Some in my group were able to come into the parking area to drop off stuff or humans. This is an upgrade in my mind, as they used to be much more strict about letting people in. It appears they put in a system that allows it while assuring the driver comes back for his DL in a timely manner.

GMG

[DemolitionDan]

On 10/8/2016 at 6:38 PM, Silent Eagle said:

State Fair and Tu/Joklohomo are playing.  Gotta get those corn dogs and watch teams towards whom they have no affiliation.  My sister is one of them (she went to UNT is a TCU/TAMU/insert flavor of the week t-shirt fan).

I went to the OU/Texas game and still managed to make it to the UNT game. No excuses.

[KingDL1]

6 minutes ago, DemolitionDan said:

I went to the OU/Texas game and still managed to make it to the UNT game. No excuses.

You can not blame the customer. 

It is better to understand the customer. 

[Ben Gooding]

2 hours ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

I know a spot in the Upper Wing Zone that needs to be filled with kids & at least 1 parent who paid every game.  I know that is easier said than done as it would take much footwork to promote that every Fall & I assure you.....someone would need to take that on as their baby.

Hellsbells!  Next thing you know some idiot will be talking about having a Band Day at a North Texas football game.   Late Michigan Wolverine A.D. Don Canham had a huge Band Day every Fall until they couldn't afford to give up all the seats to those who wanted to pay to get in.

I was not at the game last night.  I had a wedding booked 6 months earlier I had to DJ but I snuck out to my car during the dinner portion & got all inspired. 

Then post-wedding reception and about 11 PM I called SUMG & asked how the game went and he "only" gave me a score.  Then he said:  NORTH TEXAS WON!  I gave out a yell heard 'round Parker County, Texas!   

GMG!

PS:  If you've ever played the game at any level there is nothing more demoralizing than coming out of the locker room into an almost empty stadium. 

This is so true and even as a fan is kind of demoralizing in its own right. At the D1 level for a player I can only begin to imgaine the frustration associated with it. It's embarrassing for everyone involved and THIS team THIS year deserves better. I hate to sound as if I am putting the burden on the students, but at an enrollment of 38K in Texas of all places it pours a little salt in the wound. They alone should have Apogee at 50% capacity on any given Saturday, easy. 

[JesseMartin]

Ugh...another cricket attack on Denton?  I remember a couple of years where the whole campus stank of dead and rotting crickets.  Another year it was grasshoppers.  I think there was even something else at one point.  Are we just a focal point for biblical-type plagues?  So gross.

[PlummMeanGreen]

5 hours ago, JesseMartin said:

Ugh...another cricket attack on Denton?  I remember a couple of years where the whole campus stank of dead and rotting crickets.  Another year it was grasshoppers.  I think there was even something else at one point.  Are we just a focal point for biblical-type plagues?  So gross.

...or have we built a venue or 2 over a sacred burial ground?  

 

Seriously, I think AD Wren Baker & staff will study our forever lack of a consistent marketing plan & come up with one that increases attendance.  

A year in & year out winning football program would help the cause, but it seems that is on the way of being solved now.

GMG !

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

[Mike Jackson]

I really think we forget that sports programs/franchises around here that get loyal support are high school football team and the Dallas Cowboys.  And the Cowboys are a national brand and easily 20% or more of their attendance comes outside a 80 mile radius of Arlington so it is not fair comparison.  I am also old enough to remember blacked out Cowboys games too after just 2 years of crappy play.  SMU has similar attendance issues.  And you could bet your bottom dollar if TCU spent most of the last 20+ years below .500 their attendance would struggle to get over 23,000 playing the teams that we play.  Their stadiums have the advantage of being in the center of the DFW metroplex too.  Challenging as it maybe the only way to change this is a sustain run of success.  And that means 3 to 4 losses max over a period of 5 years.  And after that run you can't return to having 3 win max years.  You have to keep bowl eligibility as reachable goal until you reach the first game in November at the very least every year.  The DFW region has a very front running culture.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Mike Jackson

[PlummMeanGreen]

A thought to ponder for all of us:

1.  We can spend the next 5 years of being (always) right & say "we have no problem with an empty Upper Wing Zone (which was not even filled at Apogee's debut) or...

2.  Sure would be nice to see kids under 12  with 1 or 2 ticket paying parents pack out that section of the stadium every home game because that even adds to our own Game Day experience & we know our football team would dig it.

Sure it's a no-brainer,  but such an under-taking would probably take an Athletic Dept. marketing "high energy" staff member to work such a promo almost full time so....would putting more young fans in seats be cost effective?  

GMG!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNTLifer]

I hate the comparisons to SMU, and TCU when they are struggling, concerning attendance.  We have almost 4 times the students as these universities and over 100,000 alumni living within a stone's throw of Apogee.  At minimum, we should have 10,000 alumni at every game and the same amount of students.  We should never be below 20,000, ever.

Edited October 10, 2016 by UNTLifer

[KRAM1]

15 hours ago, DemolitionDan said:

I went to the OU/Texas game and still managed to make it to the UNT game. No excuses.

This! Thank you Sir!

[Green Mean]

It's not rocket science people.  What incentive has the school and program given alums and people in general to attend games and do it consistently?  This program has been a joke and embarrassment for a very very very long time.  If you win they will come.  The thougth that Apogee would be the savior was foolish because the product inside it has still been a big turd with the exception of one flukey season.  So when you're awful combined with the fact that there are A TON of other entertainment options you can put your dollars to we know why people don't show up to our games.  Just keep on winning and building the program the right way and the attendance will take care of itself.  

 

[Army of Dad]

15 minutes ago, Green Mean said:

It's not rocket science people.  What incentive has the school and program given alums and people in general to attend games and do it consistently?  This program has been a joke and embarrassment for a very very very long time.  If you win they will come.  The thougth that Apogee would be the savior was foolish because the product inside it has still been a big turd with the exception of one flukey season.  So when you're awful combined with the fact that there are A TON of other entertainment options you can put your dollars to we know why people don't show up to our games.  Just keep on winning and building the program the right way and the attendance will take care of itself.  

 

Win and proper marketing/salesmanship and attendance issues will improve considerably.

[Mike Jackson]

On 10/10/2016 at 8:35 AM, UNTLifer said:

I hate the comparisons to SMU, and TCU when they are struggling, concerning attendance.  We have almost 4 times the students as these universities and over 100,000 alumni living within a stone's throw of Apogee.  At minimum, we should have 10,000 alumni at every game and the same amount of students.  We should never be below 20,000, ever.

I understand but it is a valid comparison.  No sports organization in the area is immune to the front running culture of DFW.  Whether it be public university, a private university or a professional sports franchise.  Why would any alumni that has been on campus 4 years and never saw a competitive season travel back to Denton and pay for something they use to get "free" (with student fees it really isn't free just part of your bill)?   Maybe AD department could do a classroom survey at the end of the year to find out why students don't come.  While I was there I never was surveyed about the Sports Department.  Half of my classmates did not live in town while attending UNT.  So there is 1/2 of the undergrad students driving back to town to go to a game.   Out of the half that lived in Denton maybe 1/2 were general football fans and 1/2 those general football fans paid attention to college football.   Long story short, I know of only 2 of my classmates that attended a game while they were a student.  And I only know of 1 alumni from my class that attends more than just the homecoming game in a given season.