Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Skip navigation

FAU Football near bottom in attendance

Post

owlmart said

 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
Posted On: Apr 21st 2021, 8:29 AM #401791
 
I was in that boat and it was great going to an FAU basketball game and a baseball game and I loved seeing so many old faces at the spring football game. But as much as I loved being on-site for four years and attending football games in 2015….sitting at home with a cold beer and wings for home games last year was so nice. 

Time for some math. My uneducated guess is the school’s listed attendance will hover around 16K per game in 2021, assuming they stick with full capacity. (And there is no reason not to at this point.)

FAU averaged officially just over 17K football games per game in 2018 with six home games, and they did 16,771 on average in seven games* during the 2019 season, which is the last time that MTSU, Marshall, FIU, and a C-USA West team came here. 

* That 2019 average jumps to 17,573 if one counts the Boca Bowl. Last I checked, CUSA did not count the bowl game as an impact on FAU’s home attendance but the NCAA did. 

So if the listed attendance is 16K average, how many will really be there? In theory, you’ll do well with the home opener and maybe FIU, plus a homecoming game which will likely either be UTEP (10/30) or Marshall (11/6). But you also start at a UF team that could be the best of the Big Three this coming year. 

The core fans and season ticket holders will always go. But I’m not expecting a massive jump in attendance, whatever that may be, because people potentially want a return to normalcy (which is the biggest oxymoron since mild concussion) in COVID times. 

TL;DR; I don’t think attendance will be how it was at the end of the Partridge era, but I’m skeptical on significant turnouts or improvements (going from 17 to 18.5, for example). 

Twitter: @JakeElman97
Back to the top

Post

What if we were to leave C-USA and go independent for football only? Join the A-Sun for all other sports 
Back to the top

Post

LawOwl said

What if we were to leave C-USA and go independent for football only? Join the A-Sun for all other sports 
Posted On: Apr 21st 2021, 10:12 AM #401794



No TV contract, no bowl tie in’s, no guaranteed revenue sources
Back to the top

Post

I don't remember whose point this was… I'm in the camp that, until the fan experience (regarding in-person attendance) for baseball and basketball rises to at least that of our football program, we'll continue along in this plateau. We have to build student and community engagement year-round. It's asking a bit much to let unconverted-fans spend their year-in-routine and then go, "OK, OK, now spend these six Saturday's doing something completely out of the ordinary for you; but then, I guess, forget about it; but, you know, around this time next year we'll want you to remember again…" Or however that thought goes.
Back to the top

Post

The student fanbase is definitely growing imo
Back to the top

Post

Also as others have pointed out Willie really wants to grow this fanbase and I have 100% faith that he will get out in the communities and dorms etc and get people to come to these games, he genuinely cares about this program and wants the attendance to rise, he is a great people person and I am sure he will do everything in his power to get people out to games. I met him once at the basketball game he attended and he was so friendly and shook hands and talked with whoever came up to him, great guy.
Back to the top

Post

THE WILLIE WAGON said

The student fanbase is definitely growing imo
Posted On: Apr 21st 2021, 7:41 PM #401798

I hope so, it was fustrarting watching the school do everything they can to let students have a good time on gamedays just to be rewarded by 75 percent tailgating and going home.
Back to the top

Post

Agree Shane - I was always amazed as I was walking towards the stadium how many students were walking away from it.  I hope Willie has success getting the students into the stadium.  Consistently get 6-7k students in who you then engage in the game somehow and FAU will be on their way. 
Back to the top

Post

owlsdad said

Agree Shane - I was always amazed as I was walking towards the stadium how many students were walking away from it.  I hope Willie has success getting the students into the stadium.  Consistently get 6-7k students in who you then engage in the game somehow and FAU will be on their way. 
Posted On: Apr 22nd 2021, 11:26 AM #401803

I have been preaching this for awhile.

FAU does not need to go to war with the Greeks as that only ends badly like it has at FIU, but the school need to communicate with leaders, '' we let you guys have fun we want to have some support.'' It is not worth it for the school to pay for extra police, trash pick up etc if 10 percent of students tailgating attend games.
Back to the top

Post

Shane Marinelli OC40 said

owlsdad said

Agree Shane - I was always amazed as I was walking towards the stadium how many students were walking away from it.  I hope Willie has success getting the students into the stadium.  Consistently get 6-7k students in who you then engage in the game somehow and FAU will be on their way. 
Posted On: Apr 22nd 2021, 11:26 AM #401803

I have been preaching this for awhile.

FAU does not need to go to war with the Greeks as that only ends badly like it has at FIU, but the school need to communicate with leaders, '' we let you guys have fun we want to have some support.'' It is not worth it for the school to pay for extra police, trash pick up etc if 10 percent of students tailgating attend games.
Posted On: Apr 22nd 2021, 12:11 PM #401804

Here's what I dont know because I'm old and out of touch with 19 year olds…

What makes them walk away from the stadium instead of going in to watch the games?

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
Back to the top
Control functions: