Stadium's Impact On Attendance?

[houstonmeangreen]

How much of an impact will a new stadium have on attendence, by itself, not considering wins/loss for the team....just the the new stadium environment/atmosphere?

[KBJ]

Just like anything new at first it will increase attendence but after people have seen it it may increase attendence by 10%

[DeepGreen]

How much of an impact will a new stadium have on attendence, by itself, not considering wins/loss for the team....just the the new stadium environment/atmosphere?

Judging from UCF and their new stadium, they were able to schedule some nice teams to play there(Texas), and averaged over 40K plus in attendance. I'd say a new stadium has a tremendous impact. Of course, coming off of a bowl year in '06, and now heading to another bowl this season certainly helps with the excitement.

[KingDL1]

How much of an impact will a new stadium have on attendence, by itself, not considering wins/loss for the team....just the the new stadium environment/atmosphere?

Not much if any, but the teams we schedule and the win record will make the real impact. If we have 40.000 seats and schedule ATM or Tech you may see a sell out.

[Mean Green 93-98]

The whole gametime experience directly affects attendance. Obviously exciting games that result in wins will bring people (and their friends and family) back more than anything else. But right now, UNT has a stadium that detracts from the gametime experience by being so far removed from everything that takes place on the field. Bring the fans closer to the action, don't make them too spread out, build the stadium so as to contain noise, and make it attractive . . . you can't put a number on it, but there is no doubt that it can impact attendance significantly.

[NT80]

A new facility will affect attendance. It will also affect the image of the whole university. Fouts looks better after painting but still says 1952 and Lone Star Conference to visitors.

[filmerj]

Bring the fans closer to the action, don't make them too spread out, build the stadium so as to contain noise, and make it attractive . . . significantly.

Some of our fans need to learn when to cheer first.

[KingDL1]

Some of our fans need to learn when to cheer first.

Isn't that the truth, cheerleaders as well!

[ArkansasEagle]

"Build It and They Will Come" ...............new football stadium will have a HUGE impact. People will pay and see the Mean Green when you have lots of food, fun, atmosphere and flat screen TV's..........nice sky boxes, etc. Ask Arkansas........we had a poor stadium (49,000) and then spent $20M, and now average close to 70,000. GO MEAN GREEN !

[forevereagle]

"Build It and They Will Come" ...............new football stadium will have a HUGE impact. People will pay and see the Mean Green when you have lots of food, fun, atmosphere and flat screen TV's..........nice sky boxes, etc. Ask Arkansas........we had a poor stadium (49,000) and then spent $20M, and now average close to 70,000. GO MEAN GREEN !

I don't sunscribe to the Field of Dreams philosophy. A new stadium will increase attendance, but it will only be incremental in the long term if we aren't winning. Our fan base has proven that, beyond the hardcore (see GoMeanGreen.com members), they very quick to tune out when things are going badly. We had a lot of excitement this year with a new head coach and an exciting system. Once the New Stadium Smell goes away, if we don't have more in the win column, then we won't have a drastic increase in attendance. Wins put fans in seats, not a nicer seat.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I don't sunscribe to the Field of Dreams philosophy. A new stadium will increase attendance, but it will only be incremental in the long term if we aren't winning. Our fan base has proven that, beyond the hardcore (see GoMeanGreen.com members), they very quick to tune out when things are going badly. We had a lot of excitement this year with a new head coach and an exciting system. Once the New Stadium Smell goes away, if we don't have more in the win column, then we won't have a drastic increase in attendance. Wins put fans in seats, not a nicer seat.

-- I think you are missing the point..... A larger stadium means teams that will not come now will consider scheduling us in Denton.. ....... and bigger names will attract more local fans and in cases some of those will bring a large number of fans with them . It will help with our scheduling.

Name teams at home AND wins will increase attendance.

[NT80]

-- I think you are missing the point..... A larger stadium means teams that will not come now will consider scheduling us in Denton.. ....... and bigger names will attract more local fans and in cases some of those will bring a large number of fans with them . It will help with our scheduling.

Name teams at home AND wins will increase attendance.

A nicer venue would attract high school playoff games too = potential future UNT students to see campus.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Devil's advocate...

At best, you will have two non-conference games per year at the new facility, We won't get Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma State, all of whom will be playing in Dallas each year for awhile. We might get Baylor, Houston, Rice, TCU, SMU, Tulsa, UTEP; maybe others of that caliber. Maybe we can convince LSU that they owe us. Other Big 12 schools would draw more than we can get now but not as much as the six listed above.

What I'm saying is that we'll be lucky to add another 20,000 to our season attendance total. When you divide that by six games it will only increase our average attendance by about 3.000.

That's where CUSA has it over the Belt...attendance. They average about 30 thousand per contest while we average around 17 or 18. Even the WAC beats us in attendance in spite of two of the three 'dogs' that they got from the Sun Belt. I just think that it will take a different conference for the new stadium to really pay off.

Edited December 11, 2007 by GrayEagleOne

[oldschoollefty]

Devil's adversary...

You're right about Texas, OU, A&M, but don't rule out the second three. I think home and home series are real possibilities here especially with T Tech. Why wouldn't they want to make another trip to Dallas? The metroplex is right in just about everybody's wheelhouse when it comes to recruiting and I don't see why they wouldn't want the added exposure.

Don't forget the Big XII North schools. With the possible exception of Nebraska, who among those schools wouldn't want to dip their toes into the DFW recruiting experience?

Your second group is solid. All good regional opponents that would bring fans along with them. (OK, maybe not SMOOO)

I just think your per game average increase is a little conservative. Look in recent history at our "name" opponents re: Navy, Baylor, and SMU and the crowds they generated in a crappy stadium seating experience. Now put them in our new stadium with many fewer "bad" seats and more fan friendly sight lines and I see 35-40K easily for those games and 20-25K for the FIUs and MUTs of the world. (assuming we are still in the 'Belt)

Sorry to be drinking the Kool Aid but I am in the "build it and they will come" camp until proven otherwise.

[the real grad88]

How much of an impact will a new stadium have on attendence, by itself, not considering wins/loss for the team....just the the new stadium environment/atmosphere?

I really think in the case of North Texas, it will increase attendance substantially. Fouts is not just old, it is a horrible design. Fans truly do not feel a part of the game. I find myself watching the big screen more than I do the real game because the seats are so dang far away from the field. I find myself refraining from yelling at times because the sound doesn't actually catch with others' voices, because of the horrible accoustics. The crowd noise, instead of "gathering" on the field like at other stadiums just goes straight up into space. It's ridiculous. It really discourages fans from getting excited about coming to the stadium. I have heard high school crowds of 10,000 at other stadiums sound louder than 25K at Fouts...not because we weren't yelling but because of the above problem. Build it and they will come will work for UNT.

[GreenAlums]

I really think in the case of North Texas, it will increase attendance substantially. Fouts is not just old, it is a horrible design. Fans truly do not feel a part of the game. I find myself watching the big screen more than I do the real game because the seats are so dang far away from the field. I find myself refraining from yelling at times because the sound doesn't actually catch with others' voices, because of the horrible accoustics. The crowd noise, instead of "gathering" on the field like at other stadiums just goes straight up into space. It's ridiculous. It really discourages fans from getting excited about coming to the stadium. I have heard high school crowds of 10,000 at other stadiums sound louder than 25K at Fouts...not because we weren't yelling but because of the above problem. Build it and they will come will work for UNT.

I totally agree!! But I am going to miss Fouts. I played football (walk-on '74/'75) on it and I cheered (Cheerleader '78) a year on it. It is part of tradition and you can bet I'll walk around in it a while and take a lot of pictures before it turns in to dirt! I really believe some funding for the new stadium could come out of a planned demolition and sales of pieces parts as they go. I'd buy a square of the turf, unless they can move that to the new field. I'm tearing up......NOT! We need progress and a new stadium so we can start some new rich traditions!!

GMG!