Sun Belt Conf Attendance

May 16, 2009

The good news:

The average attendance has risen almost 6,000 since the initial season in 2001. Three teams, Arkansas State, Louisiana Cajuns, and Middle Tennessee averaged more than 20,000. Troy, for only the second time in the last six years fell below 20K but they, along with ULM still averaged more than nineteen. For the eighth straight year we exceeded the 15,000 (every other year) requirement, the only inaugural football school to do so. FAU also exceeded 15,000 for the second consecutive year.

Western Kentucky becomes official this year and based on last year's attendance should have no problem reaching the 15,000 standard. While it's still early for a startup program, it appears that USA won't have a problem either. League attendance is slowly building toward respectibility.

The bad news:

Florida International. For the second consecutive year FIU failed to meet the 15,000 minimum standard. If I understand the regulation correctly, they will be put on probation this year and barred from postseason activities. If they fail this year then they will be expelled from the FBS. That would be a disaster to the league but even moreso to FIU after righting the ship on the playing field and redoing their on-campus stadium.

There may be some future concern for ULM. As long as the contract with the University of Arkansas is in effect there is no cause for worry they seem to struggle when the Razorbacks are not included in their home attendance.

The Sun Belt Conference is slowly rising toward respectibility in spite of an occasional hiccup but we still have a way to go.

UNTflyer · May 16, 2009

Poor FIU. Miami is a bad place for college football. Even the Hurricanes struggle for respectable attendance considering their 5 National Championships. Heck, you can say the same for the Florida Marlins.

NT80 · May 17, 2009

Arkansas State and ULM's "home" attendance average is skewed by having "designated home" games with Mizzou and Arkansas, in Kansas City and Little Rock.

TIgreen01 · May 18, 2009

Arkansas State and ULM's "home" attendance average is skewed by having "designated home" games with Mizzou and Arkansas, in Kansas City and Little Rock.

As long as any team in the Sun Belt has to schedule this way, we're going to struggle to get respect.

I was surprised to see Troy's attendance down....seemed like they were doing much better than that.

Shof · May 18, 2009

As long as any team in the Sun Belt has to schedule this way, we're going to struggle to get respect.
I was surprised to see Troy's attendance down....seemed like they were doing much better than that.

I don't know exactly how much it hurt; but the final game when the Cajuns visited Troy last season was freakin cold! That had to keep several thousand from the game.

Cajuns should be good attendance wise this year due to a couple of good home games early in the season. Southern should bring a good crowd (much like McNeese did a couple years ago), and after that we have Kansas St at home. Those two alone should put us upwards of 25,000 avg. Time will tell after those two as we have a couple of brutal road games (LSU and Nebraska); then conference starts. If things go south early on; expect attendance to follow.

MeanGreen61 · May 18, 2009

Arkansas State and ULM's "home" attendance average is skewed by having "designated home" games with Mizzou and Arkansas, in Kansas City and Little Rock.

ASU's "home game" with Mizzou at Kansas City was in 2005. ASU's 21,105 average in 2008 was for games at their home stadium (Tx. Southern, Southern Miss, Muts, ULM and FAU).

Edited May 18, 2009 by MeanGreen61

KAjunRaider · May 18, 2009

ASU's "home game" with Mizzou at Kansas City was in 2005. ASU's 21,105 average in 2008 was for games at their home stadium (Tx. Southern, Southern Miss, Muts, ULM and FAU).

stAte had a very impressive crowd against us last year. Probably 10K alone tailgating behind the stadium in what they call Tailgate City. In addition, almost every business on the way to the stadium had "Go Redwolves" signs and para"fan"alia throughout the town. You knew you were in stAte country, that is for sure. Then they proceeded to beat the bejeezus out of us.

GreenStreet · May 18, 2009

I think it is safe to say a big part of the low attdence is the due to the lack of traveling fans. More than likely Vans from UNT, ASU, Troy etc will pass on traveling down to Miami. Not to mention how many of these vans are living in Miami anyway.

stebo · May 19, 2009

That ASU game was like 3 or 4 years ago, why do people have to talk down to our conference brothers? Every single program in the Belt is in better shape than North Texas right now - maybe we should be asking ourselves if we are good enough to be in this group rather than trying to figure out how to "escape" them, lol.

NT80 · May 19, 2009

Every single program in the Belt is in better shape than North Texas right now - maybe we should be asking ourselves if we are good enough to be in this group rather than trying to figure out how to "escape" them, lol.

I assume you're talking football program here as we are in the upper tier of the SBC in basketball, tennis, soccer, etc. We still need baseball asap as the SBC is a good baseball league and we are missing the boat there. How are these other schools balancing baseball and Title IX and we can't??

Anyway, we used to be on top in football but then it just seemed to end quickly and fall off the cliff, both with Dickey and now extended into Dodge's era. I don't think anyone has come up with an exact reason for it. Recruiting dropoff, change of coaching and offenses, defects, injuries, graduation of key players? Football still drives the bus at NT as far as attendance and program interest, but if we don't get this bus going soon we'll see further decline in that interest.

Yes, I am no fan of us being in the SBC, but I do cheer for SBC teams against outsiders. I feel we had/have no other place to go (WAC anyone?) and had to settle for this geographic nightmare of a league. Give me some conference teams within 300 miles! The SBC is still a young and maturing football conference and has enjoyed a few nice wins over better programs, but it is still rarely mentioned in media polls and serious talk relating to the top level of college football.

greenjoe · May 19, 2009

Stebo brings up an interesting point.

If we weren't already in the Sun Belt Conference, would we be asked to join ?

TIgreen01 · May 19, 2009

Stebo brings up an interesting point.
If we weren't already in the Sun Belt Conference, would we be asked to join ?

Of course. We are already D1/FBS and the Sun Belt is mainly looking at FCS teams that are planning to move up for expansion.

We are still a top dog in this conference simply b/c of our location (DFW/Texas) and access to recruiting hotbeds and media. Once the stadium is completed, we will have either the best facilities in the conference or tied for the best. Does that mean we have the right to put down the rest of our conference? Absolutely not. There are some good schools in this conference, but even the best of them are not as far ahead of us as some on this board keep trying to convince everyone of. Very few schools stay on top every single year...there are ups and downs for everyone.

Edited May 19, 2009 by TIgreen01