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FAU Football near bottom in attendance

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Many UCF fans drive from down here and the eastern parts of the state western parts of the state.

I have few local friends that make the 3 hour trip 6 times a year.

Orlando is a major metro area with plenty to do.

Also, college students mostly do not own boats.

And what percent of Saturday's in the fall have too much weather for fishing anyways?

Such a wild excuse.
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rob2313 said

walty12 said

The97Revolution said

This has been a question that has been on everyone minds since FAU stadium open. This has also been a question that I've poured into answering for 6+ years, as a student, alumnus, and FAU staff member. I think the answer start with us. If we're willing to talk to Athletics from our perspective as fans and diehards as people who care about the program, I think that could lead to making some of the changes we need so that our fans can be #WinningInParadise too.
Posted On: Apr 24th 2021, 6:25 PM #401840
When we were in Lockhart, it was always "build a beautiful on campus stadium and they will come".  Hasn't worked.

Then it was "build a winning team and they will come".  We won 2 CUSA championships, a RB with Heisman mentions, nationally recognized HC and had double digit wins in dominant fashion in conference.  Hasn't worked.

Bring bands, local breweries, jump houses for kids, etc.  Hasn't worked.

What has worked - opponent.  Be interesting experiment to have our exact schedule copied by UF and see what happens to their attendance.  As we've all discussed, we are not desirable for conference advancement and therefore will continue to play Fordham and have our most desirable game be Marshall at home.

It is painful, but I literally probably couldn't pay most of my friends/business associates outside of the FAU grads $100 to come to a game on this schedule with me.  There is literally no interest.  Trust me, I've tried.  Free tickets, drinks on me, tailgate setup with TV's just show up.   Nope.

Continued Winning - to me this is the only variable we haven't yet seen play out.  We simply cannot be as bad as we were last season (spare me the bowl game, the 2nd half of the season was some of the absolute worst football I've seen FAU play.  Offensively we were completely anemic.) and definitely cannot have 3-9 seasons.  We have to get to a place where 10-2 is a little bit of a let down, year in year out.  Then maybe things change.

Until then…it will be minor league baseball gimmicks to get fans to the game.


Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 10:20 AM #401866
  1. student engagement - its the lifeblood of the energy in the stadium.  Energy brings passion which will in time lead to more fans buying tickets.
  2. Fan engagement - tailgating and speeding time with friends and reliving your youth is what sells tickets.
  3. Consistent winning - going to bowls every year builds more success.
  4. Winning conferences and rivalry games helps build passion which brings in more $.
Both FIU/FAU need to quit trying to take shortcuts and build their fanbase. Treat your fans good and they will come back.  UCF found out during CUSA days if the fans need X to visit they are visiting to watch another team. You want fans but you need your fans and if other fans take over FAU stadium that can be the worst thing that can happen bc it breeds people who look down on the program.   Yes bringing big teams helps create excitement but you must have your fans and not other team's fans.  There is literally a saying and its "Protect this house"  that means passion but the energy should be your teams energy. 
Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 3:07 PM #401871
This is one of the best posts I have seen regarding attendance.

People like college sports environments because it brings them back.

The game is just part of the "event" that is a college gameday, people want to reconnect with their clubs, greek organizations, etc.

As local Owl pointed out about there crew he tailgate with its more about just having a good time with friends.

If FAU focuses on providing students a good experience they will want to come back.

 


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Shane Marinelli OC40 said

Many UCF fans drive from down here and the eastern parts of the state western parts of the state.

I have few local friends that make the 3 hour trip 6 times a year.

Orlando is a major metro area with plenty to do.

Also, college students mostly do not own boats.

And what percent of Saturday's in the fall have too much weather for fishing anyways?

Such a wild excuse.

Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 4:17 PM #401873

Agreed.  This argument applies to Auburn, GA and Oxford, MS.  

Not Orlando, FL.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Shane Marinelli OC40 said

rob2313 said

walty12 said

The97Revolution said

This has been a question that has been on everyone minds since FAU stadium open. This has also been a question that I've poured into answering for 6+ years, as a student, alumnus, and FAU staff member. I think the answer start with us. If we're willing to talk to Athletics from our perspective as fans and diehards as people who care about the program, I think that could lead to making some of the changes we need so that our fans can be #WinningInParadise too.
Posted On: Apr 24th 2021, 6:25 PM #401840
When we were in Lockhart, it was always "build a beautiful on campus stadium and they will come".  Hasn't worked.

Then it was "build a winning team and they will come".  We won 2 CUSA championships, a RB with Heisman mentions, nationally recognized HC and had double digit wins in dominant fashion in conference.  Hasn't worked.

Bring bands, local breweries, jump houses for kids, etc.  Hasn't worked.

What has worked - opponent.  Be interesting experiment to have our exact schedule copied by UF and see what happens to their attendance.  As we've all discussed, we are not desirable for conference advancement and therefore will continue to play Fordham and have our most desirable game be Marshall at home.

It is painful, but I literally probably couldn't pay most of my friends/business associates outside of the FAU grads $100 to come to a game on this schedule with me.  There is literally no interest.  Trust me, I've tried.  Free tickets, drinks on me, tailgate setup with TV's just show up.   Nope.

Continued Winning - to me this is the only variable we haven't yet seen play out.  We simply cannot be as bad as we were last season (spare me the bowl game, the 2nd half of the season was some of the absolute worst football I've seen FAU play.  Offensively we were completely anemic.) and definitely cannot have 3-9 seasons.  We have to get to a place where 10-2 is a little bit of a let down, year in year out.  Then maybe things change.

Until then…it will be minor league baseball gimmicks to get fans to the game.


Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 10:20 AM #401866
  1. student engagement - its the lifeblood of the energy in the stadium.  Energy brings passion which will in time lead to more fans buying tickets.
  2. Fan engagement - tailgating and speeding time with friends and reliving your youth is what sells tickets.
  3. Consistent winning - going to bowls every year builds more success.
  4. Winning conferences and rivalry games helps build passion which brings in more $.
Both FIU/FAU need to quit trying to take shortcuts and build their fanbase. Treat your fans good and they will come back.  UCF found out during CUSA days if the fans need X to visit they are visiting to watch another team. You want fans but you need your fans and if other fans take over FAU stadium that can be the worst thing that can happen bc it breeds people who look down on the program.   Yes bringing big teams helps create excitement but you must have your fans and not other team's fans.  There is literally a saying and its "Protect this house"  that means passion but the energy should be your teams energy. 
Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 3:07 PM #401871
This is one of the best posts I have seen regarding attendance.

People like college sports environments because it brings them back.

The game is just part of the "event" that is a college gameday, people want to reconnect with their clubs, greek organizations, etc.

As local Owl pointed out about there crew he tailgate with its more about just having a good time with friends.

If FAU focuses on providing students a good experience they will want to come back.

 



Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 4:24 PM #401875

It's pretty good.

Add band creating exciting atmosphere to it.  I am still in disbelief how little progress has been made on this front.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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I'm with you walty.  Hard to believe this is so difficult. But there are grads  that have zero interest in any sport. I was a sports freak. My kids are take it or leave it. Somehow, FAU  needs to capture the interst of the sports minded kid. But at 21 years old, kids hgave other things on their minds.  
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My oldest daughter (who graduates from FAU on Thursday!!!) loves college football.  My other two (both will be at FSU) could care less.  But even as bad as FSU has been, they are happy to go tailgate and go into a game in Tallahassee because as stated above it is still an “event” and they tend to really push the program via social media and try to engage students. 

As also mentioned, spending a little on upgrading WiFi in and around the stadium may be detrimental to fan attention, but with kids it would possibly help attendance.

And I live in Orlando, and find it laughable to suggest UCF gets big crowds because there is nothing else for students to do here 😀
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probably we all can agree that the reason UCF gets bigger crowds is 60K+ student body, team has been playing for a lot longer, team has had success and publicity and team plays in a better conference.
FAU has none of that to be honest!

Until someone shows me a metric where I can really see the growth in the last 10 years vs the student population growth in the school; I will say the needle won't move that much in the next five years.

FIU has a deeper problem in my opinion and it is called demographics. They have 60K students, i guess?… they can have 200K students and their attendance will always be below ours. The day I saw students dancing merengue in the parking lot and selling arepas during half time; I knew things would never change. BTW, those arepas are delicious!

Not sure why UMiami never fell in the demographic story,but I guess they had so much success that they will always attract the crowds but that 50K crowd average is also a lie, Miami does not average not even 30K.. that's a lie.

That chart with attendance is so skewed.
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NITE-OWL said

probably we all can agree that the reason UCF gets bigger crowds is 60K+ student body, team has been playing for a lot longer, team has had success and publicity and team plays in a better conference.
FAU has none of that to be honest!

Until someone shows me a metric where I can really see the growth in the last 10 years vs the student population growth in the school; I will say the needle won't move that much in the next five years.

FIU has a deeper problem in my opinion and it is called demographics. They have 60K students, i guess?… they can have 200K students and their attendance will always be below ours. The day I saw students dancing merengue in the parking lot and selling arepas during half time; I knew things would never change. BTW, those arepas are delicious!

Not sure why UMiami never fell in the demographic story,but I guess they had so much success that they will always attract the crowds but that 50K crowd average is also a lie, Miami does not average not even 30K.. that's a lie.

That chart with attendance is so skewed.
Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 11:43 PM #401884


Miami has always been viewed as almost a pro team down here while us and FIU have been viewed almost as division II programs which I never understood 
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LawOwl said

NITE-OWL said

probably we all can agree that the reason UCF gets bigger crowds is 60K+ student body, team has been playing for a lot longer, team has had success and publicity and team plays in a better conference.
FAU has none of that to be honest!

Until someone shows me a metric where I can really see the growth in the last 10 years vs the student population growth in the school; I will say the needle won't move that much in the next five years.

FIU has a deeper problem in my opinion and it is called demographics. They have 60K students, i guess?… they can have 200K students and their attendance will always be below ours. The day I saw students dancing merengue in the parking lot and selling arepas during half time; I knew things would never change. BTW, those arepas are delicious!

Not sure why UMiami never fell in the demographic story,but I guess they had so much success that they will always attract the crowds but that 50K crowd average is also a lie, Miami does not average not even 30K.. that's a lie.

That chart with attendance is so skewed.
Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 11:43 PM #401884


Miami has always been viewed as almost a pro team down here while us and FIU have been viewed almost as division II programs which I never understood 
Posted On: Apr 27th 2021, 8:31 AM #401885

They've won 5 national championships.

We beat Minnesota.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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How is it laughable to suggest Orlando has little to nothing to do compared to the tri county area? 

If you took away the people that vacation to Orlando for the theme parks, there’s basically no tourism.

Do you realize that tourists flock to the tri county area and not to Orlando? They don’t even have access to the beach. 

So what if you have a few UCF alum friends that live here and go up to Orlando for games. Isn’t their stadium only like 40k capacity? 

There was a game in 1995 that a certain school to the south with 4 national championships in the last dozen years drew less than 20k for Rutgers. They were handing tickets out before they became a really good team in the early 80’s.

The reason we don’t draw is because we have a lot of Fun activities to do in the tri county area. And we still have unfinished business like making the top 25. That’ll bring the fans to the stadium.

Face it, Orlando=theme parks. Without that they’re a blip on the radar. Even comparing Orlando to the tri county area in terms of possible activities, well that’s “laughable”. 
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