I moved, what's your excuse

[asu24]

I saw a lot of people that weren't quite dressed for the conditions. It was cold and the wind chill was rough. I could understand them leaving.

[WASU 93]

Who in the SoCon moved the needle?

And honestly, who in the AAC (outside of ECU) moves the needle? Our fan base is not going to turn our to see Cincy, Temple or Memphis. I think fan bases turn out to see the home team, period.

With that said, the NCAA at the P5 level needs to transition to regional conferences. Drivable games (bordering states) allow fan bases to travel.

My guess is that we’ll have a bigger App State crowd as Georgia State than we did at USA. While the Georgia State could matter this year, in general the drivability is key.

Sure a game like Miami is going to create a buzz at Kidd Brewer, but those are few and far between.

Last point, I love our student participation and their enthusiasm. But, my guess is 1/4 (4500-5000) of our student body was in attendance. More students = fuller stadium.

Also, for TV purposes, perhaps it’s time to put the students in the lower half of the East Side, behind the Visitors bench.

[canes_mj]

Several factors combined.

1. Weekday game...much of our fanbase lives 1.5+ hrs away...people work....when fans who normally come on Saturdays can't make a weekday game, our fanbase isn't large enough to replace them.

2. Weather...for me weather isn't a factor, but for many it is.

3. Halloween...many parents chose to stay home to take their kids out trick or treating. This is what I did. I'm a season ticket holder...but you only get a short period of time with your kids to experience these moments...and I'd make the same choice again next time.

[Saint3333]

I’ve never sat in worse conditions for a football game than last night. Mix of cold, rain and very high winds. I’ve been at Wyoming and SIU at home. I stayed the entire game for all three of those.

I commend those they came to the game rather than degrade those that left early.

Many fans took a day or two off work, some with small children on Halloween night to make this game.

[appgrad95&97]

Who in the SoCon moved the needle?

And honestly, who in the AAC (outside of ECU) moves the needle? Our fan base is not going to turn our to see Cincy, Temple or Memphis. I think fan bases turn out to see the home team, period.

With that said, the NCAA at the P5 level needs to transition to regional conferences. Drivable games (bordering states) allow fan bases to travel.

My guess is that we’ll have a bigger App State crowd as Georgia State than we did at USA. While the Georgia State could matter this year, in general the drivability is key.

Sure a game like Miami is going to create a buzz at Kidd Brewer, but those are few and far between.

Last point, I love our student participation and their enthusiasm. But, my guess is 1/4 (4500-5000) of our student body was in attendance. More students = fuller stadium.

Also, for TV purposes, perhaps it’s time to put the students in the lower half of the East Side, behind the Visitors bench.

The NCAA has nothing to do with this. College football is a partnership between the P5 conferences and ESPN.

[appchicago]

There are a lot of big assumptions being thrown around on this thread.

Have we seen a decline in attendance? Is there a slump?

Based on announced numbers, we've averaged 25,179 people per home game this year. That number will likely decrease after our 11/23 and (if we're very lucky) possible SB Championship game.

How's that stack up, historically? http://www.ncaa.org/championships/stati ... attendance
In 2018 that number was a good bit lower: 21,953, but again, that includes a championship game and, notably, no marquee home game like we had in 2017 or 2016.

2017 averaged 25,787 and 2016 averaged 26,153. Big games (WF and Miami) buoyed those totals and there was no extra game to dilute the numbers. 2013, 2014, and 2015 hovered between 21,500 and 24,500.

Going back to the late SoCon days:
2005: 17,917
2006: 20, 546
2007: 24,218
2008: 25,161
2009: 24,004
2010: 25,715
2011: 26,211
2012: 26,358

(For the record, the farthest back the NCAA site goes is 2003, when we averaged 14,661 over five home games. There were no playoff games to drag the average down.)

So we're talking about a major rise from 2005-2007, followed by a general trend of 24-26,500 (or so) fans per game from 2007 to now, with a few off years (including last year).

So I don't know. It's hard to see the slump in the numbers. Maybe fans stay longer and get louder, but I remember grousing about early departing fans in 2002.

[appchicago]

Also, if there is a decline in energy or passion, attributing it to unfamiliar teams has a major problem:
Our lowest attended game this season was last night against our most hated rival. If people are only turning out for games against teams they are familiar with, what's the deal there? Isn't it easier to believe that banal factors like timing and weather were bigger factors?

Plus I just don't see some of our old SoCon foes as moving the needle for most fans. Besides GaSo, the only ones that come to mind are Furman and Wofford--and Wofford was only with us for 15 years. It's not like that was a rivalry with deep, traditional roots. The Western rivalry was dead long before we left. Chattanooga never seemed to matter much to anyone when I was in school. Elon didn't even join until 2003 and left the same time we did, and they NEVER BEAT US in the Sun Belt era. Marshall and ETSU were gone long before we left. Samford was only there for a few years and is as far-flung as our SunBelt opponents.

Personally, I've already gotten invested in a few of our SBC opponents: Troy, Louisiana, and Arkansas State, especially. GaSt a bit too, but a lot of that is because of Elliott. But if they start knocking us off, it'll be easier to invest in the rivalry, emotionally. Coastal is nice since they're close, and they're entertaining to watch.

And our OOC has been great. We play what, maybe three games this year that aren't reasonably driveable from the areas where most App alums live?

I just don't think the scheduling argument passes the eye test.

[ASU843]

A good number of our fans are in their 60's and above and retired. The weather last night affected many health issues that Seniors deal with. I got pneumonia a couple of years ago after sitting in crappy weather and missed the bowl game. My tickets were paid for and given to someone and my donation has been received and cashed. I guess I won't receive my attendance certificate??

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Hopefully once the P5 breaks off into its own thing, G5 conferences will realign to more regional conferences. It would help with costs for schools travel as well. Imagine this conference...

App State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
ODU
UNCC
ECU
Middle Tennessee St
Marshall
Western Kentucky

With an opportunity to expand to two more schools like a JMU and Liberty (Should they decide to join a conference)

[bcoach]

Actually we had a great turn out considering it was a weeknight, Halloween, and crap weather. People leaving is nothing new it has been going on for years. Last night would be the very last time to complain about that.

[appbio91]

My church holds about 200 people. We have about 75 that are there every time the doors are open and carry the church financially, we have a huge endowment and are in the black, another 25 or so are there regularly, and the other 100 are there on Easter. Our preacher left because of the 100 that don’t come but once a year, he whined constantly about it. He was an idiot.

[Apptrain]

Hopefully once the P5 breaks off into its own thing, G5 conferences will realign to more regional conferences. It would help with costs for schools travel as well. Imagine this conference...

App State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
ODU
UNCC
ECU
Middle Tennessee St
Marshall
Western Kentucky

With an opportunity to expand to two more schools like a JMU and Liberty (Should they decide to join a conference)

Dream of this

[Rekdiver]

A good number of our fans are in their 60's and above and retired. The weather last night affected many health issues that Seniors deal with. I got pneumonia a couple of years ago after sitting in crappy weather and missed the bowl game. My tickets were paid for and given to someone and my donation has been received and cashed. I guess I won't receive my attendance certificate??

If the team and coaches gave as much effort as it took me (68) and my 67 year old buddy did to get there and stay until his feet were cold and we were down 24-7......( I know they do every game) Guys I get up and leave bad movies these days. Time is precious and sorry but this partly bionic body doesn’t do cold and hot like I used too.

[AppOrange]

Attendance is down across the country, tv access rules the day. Only the die hards go to week day games, and while we have lots of fans, on this night, with that weather, it was only die hards. I will say this, I stayed till the end, and the place was lit when we stopped them to get the ball back with 3:45 left. I really thought we had them.

[General Moore]

Georgia Southern had about 300 fans at the game and it did not effect thier ability to kick our ass.
Our guys should have been fired up to beat their asses if there were literally no one in the stadium!
It's not the fan base's fault dudes. It was playcalling, execution, lack of fired-upness and weather. The team that had 300 fans in the stadium beat the team with 18k fans in the stadium... Jeeesh
I was there from minute one to minute 60. I loved being there and I always do. Attendance is not the reason we got are butts whipped last night and no blame should be placed on fans that couldn't make it! It was a poorly prepared team and a bad gameplan.
I am sure Drink learned a little last night and he's our dude for now. We ain't going anywhere! We should be even better next year and hopefully we'll make a stronger run at the cotton bowl.
I am now hoping we can at least get back to NOLA!!
Let's Go!

[NewApp]

Several factors combined.

1. Weekday game...much of our fanbase lives 1.5+ hrs away...people work....when fans who normally come on Saturdays can't make a weekday game, our fanbase isn't large enough to replace them.

2. Weather...for me weather isn't a factor, but for many it is.

3. Halloween...many parents chose to stay home to take their kids out trick or treating. This is what I did. I'm a season ticket holder...but you only get a short period of time with your kids to experience these moments...and I'd make the same choice again next time.

Good point.