Attendance

[Mike Stuben]

I've said for years, fans travel (and often teams play) in bowl games one way if they are happy to be there and a different way if they are not. 

USF was not happy to be in the game, and after all those loses, they probably just wished the season ended. It showed on the field and in the stands. 

Now with that being said, we need to build a fan base that comes no matter what, in larger numbers, because our turnout for the bowl was horrible. 

[Outlaw]

26 minutes ago, Mike Stuben said:

I've said for years, fans travel (and often teams play) in bowl games one way if they are happy to be there and a different way if they are not. 

USF was not happy to be in the game, and after all those loses, they probably just wished the season ended. It showed on the field and in the stands. 

Now with that being said, we need to build a fan base that comes no matter what, in larger numbers, because our turnout for the bowl was horrible. 

The only way to build that is win and bring an exciting product on the field.

[USFBulls727]

15 minutes ago, Mike Stuben said:

I've said for years, fans travel (and often teams play) in bowl games one way if they are happy to be there and a different way if they are not. 

USF was not happy to be in the game, and after all those loses, they probably just wished the season ended. It showed on the field and in the stands. 

Now with that being said, we need to build a fan base that comes no matter what, in larger numbers, because our turnout for the bowl was horrible. 

How do we get people interested in AAC football though? Most AAC games I've seen on TV, no matter where, are in half-empty stadiums....stadiums that aren't huge to begin with. You'll find this throughout the G5. Throw in the uninspiring coach that we're stuck with, and there doesn't seem to be much on the horizon to be excited about. We were getting mediocre crowds during our best years in the AAC (2016, 2017), and that includes the best offense we've ever had here in 2016. Not sure what the ceiling is as far as our attendance in the AAC, but I doubt it would be much more than what we've seen the last few years. Not sure that winning the AAC will do anything to change that either, as some people think. Temple won it a couple years back. Hasn't exactly thrusted them into the upper echelon of CFB. 

[Rocky Style]

Also seen some bad P5 bowl attendance outside of the whole new status quo USF era.

[USFBulls12]

Is it illegal to pay people to attend games like an Attendance Wage?

[George_Bullnard_Shaw]

12 hours ago, USFBulls727 said:

How do we get people interested in AAC football though? Most AAC games I've seen on TV, no matter where, are in half-empty stadiums....stadiums that aren't huge to begin with. You'll find this throughout the G5. Throw in the uninspiring coach that we're stuck with, and there doesn't seem to be much on the horizon to be excited about. We were getting mediocre crowds during our best years in the AAC (2016, 2017), and that includes the best offense we've ever had here in 2016. Not sure what the ceiling is as far as our attendance in the AAC, but I doubt it would be much more than what we've seen the last few years. Not sure that winning the AAC will do anything to change that either, as some people think. Temple won it a couple years back. Hasn't exactly thrusted them into the upper echelon of CFB. 

Our numbers are pretty good for G5. Declining attendance is happening everywhere, even the P5. Throw in losing and a boring brand of football and our demotion from relevancy and you have the perfect recipe for lack of interest. I'm actually shocked we sell as many tickets as we do to minor league college football in a city with 3 major league sports teams, one of the best performing arts centers in the southeast and the beaches and theme parks. Just like Temple, Philadelphia has a lot to offer the sports fan at a professional level.

Attendance at our level is just a fact for the G5.

[Paisa el Toro]

14 hours ago, Mike Stuben said:

I've said for years, fans travel (and often teams play) in bowl games one way if they are happy to be there and a different way if they are not. 

USF was not happy to be in the game, and after all those loses, they probably just wished the season ended. It showed on the field and in the stands. 

Now with that being said, we need to build a fan base that comes no matter what, in larger numbers, because our turnout for the bowl was horrible. 

How? Our donor base is paltry compared to our conference mates. I'd be in sports administration, if I knew how to solve the attendance riddle.

[Mike Stuben]

37 minutes ago, Paisa el Toro said:

How? Our donor base is paltry compared to our conference mates. I'd be in sports administration, if I knew how to solve the attendance riddle.

I don't have the answers. I know the easiest place to start is students, since it requires the least commitment (ticket is already paid for, free rides to games). 

[Ned A Starr RIP]

1 hour ago, Mike Stuben said:

I don't have the answers. I know the easiest place to start is students, since it requires the least commitment (ticket is already paid for, free rides to games). 

But, that really doesn’t/hasn’t  increase/increased the donor base.

Edited January 2, 2019 by NAS Gone to Paradise

[SilverBull]

6 minutes ago, NAS Gone to Paradise said:

But, that really doesn’t/hasn’t  increase/increased the donor base.

Ultimately it does, but for a myriad of reasons we will always be fighting the attendance/fan base/donor battle at USF.

I think the only things we can do is to take small steps to gain traction, e.g.:

                Schedule better teams (home or away)

                Win those games

                Get a law passed to ban noon home games in September.