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FAU Football near bottom in attendance

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Rick said

When we play fellow Florida programs that are established we do well.

But nobody cares to watch MTSU, WKU, UTEP, UTSA, Old Dominion, Charlotte, even FIU, etc…that's really it.

People in South Florida are spoiled with way too many other "quality" options of things to do.

Even when we had a near Top 25 Team (Kiffin's last season) folks didn't show up aside from a couple games - and those weren't really that filled either.

It has nothing to do with our product, but everything to do with who we bring into the stadium to go up against.

Just see the 2015 Miami game. Bad Team, still filled. Enough said.

Want to fill it up more consistently? Find a way to get out of C-USA and also bring in better non-conference opponents.

Wagner? Fordham? Or any C-USA opponent for that matter? LOL. PUH-lease.

People can just watch the broadcast, drink cheap beer at their own house, not have to deal with parking, and use their own toilet.

Posted On: Apr 19th 2021, 8:56 PM #401775


Again, UCF filled a stadium in CUSA title game vs Tulsa.

UCF that same season (2007) played UTEP at home November 24th at noon and announced 41k.

We are looking for 20k-25k

Many if not most of their students/alum hail from South Florida.

A lot of FAU students are from Orlando, Jax, Tampa.

We are not getting out of CUSA until we become more attractive, no conference wants to hear how we need them to fill the stadium.

I want to see where our attendence after we pull off a couple nice upsets or put on a good show in our own satin in one of these big games. 





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DeltAlumnus said

Personally I am little worried about attendance maybe being the worst it has ever been for this upcoming season. I am concerned that people who didn’t attend games last year with Covid will realize even more so that they didn’t really miss going to games and tailgating. A year out of place and out of mind was not good for this program. Hopefully I am wrong, but I think it will be even more important to what Shane said, and dragging friends to games.


Posted On: Apr 19th 2021, 7:25 PM #401773

I am on the other side of the fence lol

I am hopfull people are anxious to get back.

Last year I was talking to one of the ticket guys and they did say season tickets before Covid were ahead of the year prior even when UCF was on the schedule.
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Shane Marinelli OC40 said

Rick said

When we play fellow Florida programs that are established we do well.

But nobody cares to watch MTSU, WKU, UTEP, UTSA, Old Dominion, Charlotte, even FIU, etc…that's really it.

People in South Florida are spoiled with way too many other "quality" options of things to do.

Even when we had a near Top 25 Team (Kiffin's last season) folks didn't show up aside from a couple games - and those weren't really that filled either.

It has nothing to do with our product, but everything to do with who we bring into the stadium to go up against.

Just see the 2015 Miami game. Bad Team, still filled. Enough said.

Want to fill it up more consistently? Find a way to get out of C-USA and also bring in better non-conference opponents.

Wagner? Fordham? Or any C-USA opponent for that matter? LOL. PUH-lease.

People can just watch the broadcast, drink cheap beer at their own house, not have to deal with parking, and use their own toilet.

Posted On: Apr 19th 2021, 8:56 PM #401775


Again, UCF filled a stadium in CUSA title game vs Tulsa.

UCF that same season (2007) played UTEP at home November 24th at noon and announced 41k.

We are looking for 20k-25k

Many if not most of their students/alum hail from South Florida.

A lot of FAU students are from Orlando, Jax, Tampa.

We are not getting out of CUSA until we become more attractive, no conference wants to hear how we need them to fill the stadium.

I want to see where our attendence after we pull off a couple nice upsets or put on a good show in our own satin in one of these big games. 






Posted On: Apr 20th 2021, 8:12 AM #401777


I think that’s the other issue too. Our three biggest home games ever, UCF, Miami and WKU in 2011 for the stadium debut, all were losses and pretty bad ones too with the exception of the first half against Miami. If we can’t win in front of a big crowd at home, you wonder if that has any bearing on fan attendance. Especially in a place like Boca where you can literally do anything you want to do. For the casual fan, why watch two mid major teams play when you go on a boat in late October? 
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Shane Marinelli OC40 said

Again, UCF filled a stadium in CUSA title game vs Tulsa.

Posted On: Apr 20th 2021, 8:12 AM #401777

PHI 2010 refresher:

This is South Florida, not Orlando.
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UCF also has 2.5x the student population and 2.5x the alumni, and 2.5x the attendance. I really don't think we are that far off. There's never going to be a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday that we are the only thing in town. We have enough "Influencers" that went to FAU, have them all show up to the same game after posting about it on IG and watch the attendance numbers go up. I'm half joking, but that really is South Florida in a nutshell. it's not about football, we put a quality product on the field. I remember back in my day (early days of social media) I went to Murphy's line was around the block and they were charging more than usual because someone from MTV was there.

While we are at it, we should have bottle service, but not like box seats, nobody can see you and be jealous if you're up there. Like a velvet rope section in the stands, where good looking people bring you beers all game with sparklers (or glow sticks for safety). Go ahead and have the marketing dept get in touch with me, I'm on fire with great ideas.
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Good conversation here.  The 3 biggest attended games were mentioned, but I would also throw in Lane's home debut against Navy - which was another poor outing by the team but a big crowd.  All of those go to show that if there is some kind of buzz around a game (be it opponent, the opening of the stadium, or the start of a headliner coach's stint), people are willing to come to the game.

It is very hard to manufacture the allure of those 4 games that are being mentioned all the time, but finding some way to get buzz out about games or (as mentioned by multiple people) figuring out a way to play bigger names at home would help.  Even losses with 25-30k fans ends up being a win for the program - and if the team can start figuring out ways to play good in those games it would be even bigger.  I know it is very hard to convince name schools to play away from home, but offer up some 2 or even 3 for 1s or at least play other well known G5 schools instead of teams nobody has heard of or cares about.

And of course also as mentioned, I was at 2 of the 4 games (my daughter's freshman year was Lane's first season), so figuring out a way to be prepared and handle a big crowd is also paramount.  Getting in and getting service was ugly for UCF and the Navy games, and I would expect the same for the other 2 or any time there have been close to 25k actual fans at the game.
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owlmart said

UCF also has 2.5x the student population…
Posted On: Apr 20th 2021, 12:01 PM #401781

2.07 x, but understand your point…they are also completely different demographically and culturally in Orlando - night and day to South Florida. Very home town feel like Gainesville…notice it every single time I go there…

Not apples to apples.

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The thread kind of by default looked at/compared FAU to UCF, and many conversations on the board have been around moving "up" in conferences.  For some additional perspective, based on the 2019 numbers not only was FAU behind most of the other CUSA schools but they were also behind many of the Sun Belt schools.  Here are the SB numbers:

2019 Sun Belt average attendance



So 7 of the 10 schools in that conference averaged more attendance than FAU.  10 other CUSA teams average higher attendance.  Regarding being attractive to another conference, those numbers would be exactly why the AAC or somebody else would not be interested in FAU.  Wins and potential TV market might draw some attention, but at the end of the day being able to generate money for the conference is what drives any kind of interest and an actual invite.

If you were being brutally honest and were another AAC school, would you vote to add FAU or would you want to add App State (average more than 10 wins and have won a bowl game all 6 years since they moved up to FBS, average nearly 25k attendance, and have the huge Michigan upset win on their resume)?

I am not trying to put FAU down - I am a big fan.  I am saying it takes all of this to realistically alter the future of the football program:
  • Buy-in from administration (check)
  • Winning (check)
  • Marketability (check on location and check on the current and last head coach)
  • Exposure (need a big win or at least close loss to a big-time opponent, and lacking on home game opponent recognition)
  • Dedicated fan interest (what this thread is about)
It is that last 2 parts that need to change if there will be an opportunity to move past being in C-USA or the Sun Belt or similar conference.  We can all say would you rather live in Boca or Boone, but that is not at all the question other AAC presidents and ADs are asking.

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Rick said

Shane Marinelli OC40 said

Again, UCF filled a stadium in CUSA title game vs Tulsa.

Posted On: Apr 20th 2021, 8:12 AM #401777

PHI 2010 refresher:

This is South Florida, not Orlando.
Posted On: Apr 20th 2021, 10:21 AM #401780

My point is demographically a lot of UCF fans are from here anyways.

It's not directly apples to apples, but I am not comparing us to a fan base like App State.

Also, I do not expect UCF numbers with their population of alum and students, but a true 20k butts in seats would be nice.

We do still have to remember how young FAU still is.  

UCF had football program for decades before ours.

It's really just in the last ten years or so FAU has moved away from the full commuter feel.

Many of the FAU alum that will have a true impact on attendence are in 22-30 demo.

The first 6 years of stadium being open the team was terrible. There has only been two winnings (three if you count Covid) seasons since it opened. Even the two CUSA title years the home openers started with blow out losses to UCF and Navy.

It will take more to truly build a base.
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I agree, Shane. We were never going to build a fanbase at Lockhart, so it's really been the last 10 years. I'm thinking people missed live sports last year, so many should be anxious to get back out
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