FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE !!!

[bull2saintleo]

I really have not attended many games over the past 3 years, but I did go to the FAMU, UCF, and UofL games, and one way to get more students out is to offer more free stuff at games like t-shirts, free food, thunderstix, and a chance to run on the field after a big win.  Also, have more afternoon or night games, don't have games the same time as other big games going on in the state, and games on national TV even if that means weeknights, those have been the games most attended by students since I've been here.  

Just a reflection on this post:

-I agree with free stuff, but thunderstix probably wont be allowed (kinda goes along the no cowbell rule)

-Afternoon games will flop for USF, look at total attendance for all of USF's home day games and you will see a HUGE difference between them and the night games.

I was at USF from the 2003 and 2004 season and now that I go to Saint Leo, I did only get to attend one game this year (WVU).  The student crowd at that game was larger than anything I have seen in the 2 previous seasons.

[bulls96go]

graduate more students who had bcs/ be football for 4 yrs

ps the first such class is 3 years away!

[BigShoop]

I really have not attended many games over the past 3 years, but I did go to the FAMU, UCF, and UofL games, and one way to get more students out is to offer more free stuff at games like t-shirts, free food, thunderstix, and a chance to run on the field after a big win.  Also, have more afternoon or night games, don't have games the same time as other big games going on in the state, and games on national TV even if that means weeknights, those have been the games most attended by students since I've been here.  

Wow, college students want MORE for free? Hell, they already get a free ticket! Somehow, I dont think a free tshirt and a thunderstick is gonna persuade someone whos not going to come, to come.

Also, the games being at 7pm keep them from being at the same time as "the big 3" about 80% of the time. That's a TERRIBLE excuse. Earlier games have ALL had terrible attendance, and weeknight games wont be any better.

Look, I sit in the student section. I've never been a student and I've sat there for 4 1/2 years now. Not once have I asked a "1st timer" if they were gonna come back and they said "no." It's our job, everyone one of us who DO go to every game, to get new people to the games. If you have a friend who is not a believer, tell them about the tailgate parties, tell them about the hot chicks, tell them about the excitement, tell them about post game festivities, tell them it's FREE to get in!!!

.......blah, it's too early for me to be getting fired up...

[Guest BullsFans]

Obviously you don't realize that the reason the students get in free is because they pay an athletic fee as part of their semester tuition.  They can't charge them for tickets.

I'm well aware of of the existence of the athletic fee.

Have you ever heard the old sayings  "subject to change" and "not written in stone"?

[Guest BullsFans]

I was at USF from the 2003 and 2004 season and now that I go to Saint Leo, I did only get to attend one game this year (WVU).  The student crowd at that game was larger than anything I have seen in the 2 previous seasons.

It's a sad fact that America's youth are growning in size at an alarming rate.  

Super size it and they will come.  

[Guest BullsFans]

Wow, college students want MORE for free? Hell, they already get a free ticket! Somehow, I dont think a free tshirt and a thunderstick is gonna persuade someone whos not going to come, to come.

Also, the games being at 7pm keep them from being at the same time as "the big 3" about 80% of the time. That's a TERRIBLE excuse. Earlier games have ALL had terrible attendance, and weeknight games wont be any better.

AMEN!

“If you give a mouse a cookie he will probably want a glass of milk"

[Joe]

Wow, college students want MORE for free? Hell, they already get a free ticket! Somehow, I dont think a free tshirt and a thunderstick is gonna persuade someone whos not going to come, to come.

I don't see it either, but something like a sponsored Tshirt might be nice for a big game. It would look cool to see the student section wearing all green.

As for more for free. USF has some of the highest athletic fees in the country added to their tution at 8.75 a credit hour. Don't try and act like the student are not paying because that is about 200 bucks a year (on 2, 12 hour semesters) for those people that were students prior to the football program the fee was 1.75.

To students that don't care about sports, thats a lot of money.

[Guest Student1]

Sadly, only a handful of students care about our teams.  I like the suggestion of playing more regional and Florida teams and national teams, those are the only games I get excited for.  The Big East football teams don't excite me or the general student and I doubt it ever will because we lack rivals, we are far away from the other schools, and BE football is seen as on par with the last conference we were in accept we now can go to a BCS bowl.  We need to go to the  ACC or SEC, period.  Until then, student support for our sports programs will be weak.  There was a big difference between the Central game and the UofL and WVU games, students cared about the Central game, at first the UofL game was one of those typical to be seen and then we started to blow them out so some started to care, but the WVU game, it was like no one cared and you are just there to be seen and to chill with friends.  

[BigEastBeasts]

Sadly, only a handful of students care about our teams.  I like the suggestion of playing more regional and Florida teams and national teams, those are the only games I get excited for.  The Big East football teams don't excite me or the general student and I doubt it ever will because we lack rivals, we are far away from the other schools, and BE football is seen as on par with the last conference we were in accept we now can go to a BCS bowl.  We need to go to the  ACC or SEC, period.  Until then, student support for our sports programs will be weak.  There was a big difference between the Central game and the UofL and WVU games, students cared about the Central game, at first the UofL game was one of those typical to be seen and then we started to blow them out so some started to care, but the WVU game, it was like no one cared and you are just there to be seen and to chill with friends.  

This post puts it in a nutshell.

Until the attitude changes we're going to be rowing this boat in circles. The excitement should come from going and seeing OUR team and cheering OUR team on. The excuse that the opponents don't excite you is downright pathetic.

Playing more regional and Florida teams is all well and good, but you have to take some things into consideration. One, OCC games are generally scheduled years in advance, so you can't just snap your fingers and schedule a game with UF, FSU, Miami, Georgia, Alabama, etc.. Two, if we do schedule those teams, you'll have to travel to be at the game, cause they're not coming here to play us (with the exception of Miami, props to them for making the series a home and home).

And if opponents that don't excite people is what is keeping them away from games, what good would a move to the ACC do? After Miami, Va Tech and Boston College, who is "exciting" in that conference? The BE has Louisville, WVU and Pitt, all opponents I find just as "exciting" as any ACC school.

[WoolyBully]

when someone says this:

We need to go to the  ACC or SEC, period

it sounds to me like they're more interested in the opponents than the home team. Surely you're not chomping at the bits to see Virginia, Duke, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Clemson and Wake Forest....right ?  

Or does it really mean that - here in Florida - if it ain't the big-3, it don't count?

Just making sure I understand the perspective...