Make a nice little rule that tailgating must end 30 minutes after kickoff. It only makes sense that if people go to the game, they should actually go inside.
If people want to go back out at halftime, that is fine. At least they have already entered the game and been counted toward attendance.

We have the same problem at SIU. 12,000 people actually go to the game while another 4,000 stay outside tailgating.

GO OWLS!!!

I've gone to other games throughout the state and have seen the same thing. People will hang outside and tailgate instead of going inside. Ive also notice that a lot of them have a radio or TV tuned to another game.

i hate to say this but wininng solves everything...... i know that if i could go inside the stadium and watch my team get killed or stay in the parking lot and get hammered - i think i might choose the parking lot....

Peyton77 said

i hate to say this but wininng solves everything…… i know that if i could go inside the stadium and watch my team get killed or stay in the parking lot and get hammered - i think i might choose the parking lot….

This is southern football. Ever hear of a flask? Eliminates the need to choose.

Personally I never drink at football games. I've got a two hour drive ahead of me after each home game once I clear the parking lot.

I honestly know nothing about FAU. Where is it located? What's the population?

arkstfan said

Peyton77 said

i hate to say this but wininng solves everything…… i know that if i could go inside the stadium and watch my team get killed or stay in the parking lot and get hammered - i think i might choose the parking lot….

This is southern football. Ever hear of a flask? Eliminates the need to choose.

Personally I never drink at football games. I've got a two hour drive ahead of me after each home game once I clear the parking lot.

We could use some dedicated fans like that! Since our stadium isn't on campus, they can sell Alcohol inside up until the end of the 3rd so I usually drink until I run out of $$.

angus, FAU is in Boca Raton. South of West Palm Beach and just north of Ft Lauderdale. Most of the college fans in that area probably follow bigger more established schools like the Seminoles, Canes or Gators. However getting fans to most south Florida events have proven to be a major task.

Sports
http://fausports.collegesports.com/

Campus
http://www.fau.edu

At the MTSU game, i went to my car at half time and the lot was packed. Many said they never went in while others were disgusted with the performance and wanted to party.

UCF has tried for several years to force all tailgaters into the game. Legally, there is an issue however. If I pay $5 to park my car, who is to say I must leave my car and go into the game. Like Peyton77 said, winning solves everything. If we have a competative product on the field, more tailgaters will abandon their cars to catch the action. Until then, we can not expect everyone to have passion for a very sub-par product. This is south Florida, not Ann Arbor.

Winning does help, so does being the only draw in town. In 2003 and 2004 FAU had great seasons and still had problems drawing fans. I think when FAU has to compete with FSU, MIAMI, and UF to draw fans, winning isn't enough. The program needs to be a top 25 program with national recognition for fans to show up and fill the stands. GO OWLS!!!

I don't live down there anymore so it is hard for me to say what might work down there.

An on campus stadium will definitely help. Having that stadium on sitting on the campus will be like a huge billboard for the community saying "HEY we have a football team"!!!! Right now the program is so new and the team plays outside of the community in another county. I think this part of it we will have to be patient. People who live in college towns grew up with those teams. I guess FAU has to grow it's fans. If FAU keeps promoting the sports programs effectively, I would think a lot of those young kids in the area would naturally support the OWLS. Get them while their young. FAU has to effectivley promote the programs though. If you go to Tallahassee or Gainesville, the sporting goods stores in the malls are full of Gator and Seminole tee shirts, caps, jerseys, jackets, sweatshirts, etc.

And of course, yes, everyone loves a winner. This young program has to develop into a winner.