Here is a list of "Power 5" schools that had lower attendance than USF in 2012

[Hem]

It's the total package, not any single statistic, that matters.

 

And for most of the power brokers, WE don't matter.

Yea those total packages that Rutgers and Maryland had really tipped the scales

 

Market drives expansion

[BDYZR]

"decades of tradition" > attendance.

 

I wonder what is the youngest football program mentioned.

[Triple B]

"decades of tradition" > attendance.

 

I wonder what is the youngest football program mentioned.

 

[NAM37]

I love USF as much as the next guy, but at some point we have to accept our current place in the world and work to improve it.

[BDYZR]

What a joke. To think that there is something about these programs that justifies their difference in allocation of resources over USF is egregious. 

 

Baylor - 1898

Boston College - 1892

Duke - 1930

Georgia Tech - 1892

Kansas - 1890

Maryland - 1898

Northwestern - 1876

Oregon State - 1890

Pitt - 1890

Purdue - 1887

Stanford - 1891

Syracuse - 1889

Vanderbilt - 1890

Wake Forest - 1888

Washington State - 1894

 

Here is a link of NCAA attendance figures. If you think our 2012 numbers are distorted by the FSU game you're wrong, as ALL these programs have big games on their schedules, AND we had very similar attendance in 2011 (higher in fact). 

 

Bottom line: anyone that tells you there's something more powerful about the power 5 is wrong. There are programs there that are scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of attendance and competition. The only leg up some have is decades of tradition, and for us that's a matter of time. 

 

In an average year, USF would go at least .500 against these teams and put more fans in the stadium in the process. 

 

Other notable programs that had less bodies in seats than USF in 2012:

Boise State

Cincinnati

Connecticut

The Tin Men

I guess Duke is the youngest.

[BullFan98]

Surprised to see some names on that list. Our attendance has been awful, but for some of those schools to be on the list makes me feel a little better.

[Breedwell]

Stanford's numbers are the most surprising. They've had a pretty nationally relevant team for a few seasons in a row now. I mean they had a nasty streak in the early 2000's, but they've only had 1-3 losses the past 3-4 seasons now. 

[Raetus]

Stanford's numbers are the most surprising. They've had a pretty nationally relevant team for a few seasons in a row now. I mean they had a nasty streak in the early 2000's, but they've only had 1-3 losses the past 3-4 seasons now. 

 

I know; it's like their students are too busy curing cancer or something equally silly.

[Paisa el Toro]

Let's not forget that we also had an unsually favorable home schedule in 2012, which probably gave us a bump in attendence. FSU at Ray Jay put butts in seats.

[Joe]

Let's not forget that we also had an unsually favorable home schedule in 2012, which probably gave us a bump in attendence. FSU at Ray Jay put butts in seats.

and that the last two games of the year struggled to get 25,000 actual bodies into the stadium.

And that we have $75 season tickets. $10 seats. I'd venture to say most the programs listed don't offer those types of deals.