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FAU Football near bottom in attendance

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Attendance Rankings No. 1-130: 2019 CFN Five-Year Program Analysis

Based on 2019 numbers, there were only 14 D1 schools in the country who averaged less attendance than FAU - 3 of those were other CUSA schools.  These attendance numbers also included a huge home crowd for the UCF game and came in an 11-win, bowl-winning campaign.  Given that interest, hard to see where a big TV contract or a huge naming-rights check would come from.  The school needs a marketing campaign to basically raise those attendance numbers to be more like that UCF game for every home contest to generate revenue and interest from another conference.  
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@Owlsdad…this is wayyyy over due. I've watched college football all over the country. In some of the most iconic  venues. FAU  stadium is right at the top for comfort and quality. We field top quality football at a very affordable price. I still have tons of friends that are sports fans, outdoorsman, business owners etc, that have never attended a home game. I've introduced as many as I can. But FAU  needs a major commitment  in getting the word out. It may be too late, but this season , post lock down, would have been the perfect opportunity.
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If the spring game attendance is any indication of attendance for next season I think we might be in for a nice surprise
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+1

I'd like to see 2020 numbers…

Granted some programs didn't allow fans, but still, we didn't do too bad there.
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Local Owl said

@Owlsdad…this is wayyyy over due. I've watched college football all over the country. In some of the most iconic  venues. FAU  stadium is right at the top for comfort and quality. We field top quality football at a very affordable price. I still have tons of friends that are sports fans, outdoorsman, business owners etc, that have never attended a home game. I've introduced as many as I can. But FAU  needs a major commitment  in getting the word out. It may be too late, but this season , post lock down, would have been the perfect opportunity.
Posted On: Apr 17th 2021, 10:24 AM #401735

A lot of people say FAU needs marketing, but what exactly does that mean? I never thought dumping money into radio ads and billboards sell tickets.

We had a coach who brought "national attention'' but still I saw 7-8 thousand people in the stands for a championship game.

I do not care much for the opponent argumernt as there is video of UCF packing nearly 40k into a C-USA champ game to vs. Tulsa in 2007.

People know FAU football is here and they just choose other options.

For football to support a college football team there need to be more of an emotional connection.

I think there was some good momentum before Coivd and Taggart was definitely be more involved in being out in the community.

FAU hired Haiden Nagal (former player) to be a community ambassador.  Be an FAU rep at little baseball jamberees and other community events.

I have said FAU needs to be very grassroots and fight to sell 3-4 season tickets at a time.

Own Deerfield to Jupiter and you can get 20k-25k a game.
 
Lets also remember FAU doesn't even have full ticket office up and running after the Coivd cuts.
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I wasn’t blaming the ticket office or COVID.  I was just pointing out lots of conversation happens on here about going to another conference and in reality, FAU football has enjoyed two different 11-win seasons recently, had the “headliner” coach, etc. and still found themselves with poor attendance.  

I don’t know what the answer is - I am sure FAU is trying.   The community ambassador thing sounds like a good plan, but I don’t see it making huge differences with long-term attendance.  Winning usually solves this, but it hasn’t.  I think it is more the options people have, and that is something I am not sure there is an answer for.  App State has great crowds because a football game in Boone, NC is the biggest thing going on.  FAU marketing and events have to figure out how to make tailgating and the game an event.

I get UCF is a bigger school with a lot more alumni, but I see and hear ads for them in Orlando all the time (well - pre-COVID).   They did what Shane said about the Boca area and really focused on the Orlando market, getting alumni back on campus, and in having the students be part of the game with the flashlight thing and their chants. I don’t know how FAU can do it, but any grand schemes with growing the football program and revenues has to start with outreach and getting butts in seats.

Also, marketing would also include opening up practices and having more media coverage.  The spring game was a nice move, but right before that everybody was complaining about limited access, the spring game originally was going to be closed, etc.  FAU needs to do everything they can to make sure there is coverage of everything they do by as many outlets as possible.  
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Dolphins, Panthers and Marlins all ask the same questions.
What does it take in South Florida to consistently fill a stadium.
When we find that answer, someone will be considered a genius!
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FAU Fan said

Dolphins, Panthers and Marlins all ask the same questions.
What does it take in South Florida to consistently fill a stadium.
When we find that answer, someone will be considered a genius!
Posted On: Apr 18th 2021, 8:41 AM #401752

I do not think we fall under the "South Florida'' category.

Winning and superstars simply solve those issues. The Heat have sold out for 451 games in a row now.

FAU is a college and our "fans'' come from all over the state. UCF sells out and they have thousands and thousands of alum from here in South Florida.

College football attendance has been dropping for some time now for many reasons.

The median age of season ticket holders keep growing as schools are having a hard time getting young alum.

The issues is most young alum are still paying the school.

Imagine hitting up a 31 year old alum who still have 25k in loans and asking them drop money on season tickets, donations, parking.
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Imagine hitting up a middle-aged guy who didn’t go to FAU but has a daughter there and 2 others at a different college asking the same thing (season tickets, donations, etc.).  I do get e-mails every once in awhile, but I get calls, e-mails, and stuff in the mail at a significantly higher rate from FSU (where my other daughters are).  This isn’t a question about the people getting the requests, it is more about what can the school and football program do to be more visible and put something in place to try and attract more fans.

I still get more calls and e-mails from UCF dating back to when I bought tickets to the FAU game in Orlando than I do from FAU.

Great stadium and location, pretty successful recent seasons, on a second consecutive head coach with name recognition - those things should add up to more excitement and bigger crowds.  Not asking over and over and putting out lots of marketing material because you think people might say no is not a good plan.
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If we could get 5-7k students and 10-15k alum/other fans per game then the stadium would’ve pretty full and the GAMEDAY atmosphere would be really good.

We are not that far from that.

Each of us needs to do our part too. I have 6 season tickets and encourage my friends to go and buy season tickets as well. For 60 bucks it’s a no-brainer. Team is good. Weather gorgeous. Stadium gorgeous. Keeps us on touch with our alma mater.

I think we may have a nice surprise this season for attendance too. What was spring game attendance? 2k? Most crowded I’ve ever seen it!

Also move the students back to there spot in the north end zone. Maybe give them some of the corner end zone and sideline too.


                                         ROLL OWLS
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