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FAU Football near bottom in attendance

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I think shane said it best the games ARE exhausting and if you arent a diehard fan or if it isnt some significant game you are not going to stay the whole time. 2019's attendance was abysmal in the big games, but in 2019 I think our best turnout was for the Shula Bowl the FIU "fans/students" were horrendous and from how annoying they were being trying to sit in the student section got a majority of the students chirping back and forth with them and THAT felt like a real college game.
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Fans leaving is a different topic - it is pretty much the norm at almost every school (Saban even complains about it).  But I am talking about the students who don't even enter the stadium.  They spend the time to go the tailgate for a few hours, but then leave immediately when the game is starting.  I'd say they are exhausted from the tailgating!!!

If Willie can work with the student and Greek leaders to get more kids coming in and a fuller stadium for at least a half, that would at least be a huge start.
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My love for college sports has increased as much as my dislike of pro sports has decreased. The key to a great home game experience is finding a group of folks that love to do the game day just as you do. I tailgate with ten other fans. Not related.  Just friends from fau football. We dont talk before to see who is bringing what. We all just bring plenty of everything. A couple grills, a few tents, a few tables, way more than enough food beer and drinks. We invite everyone to sit and eat and drink and bs.  My girlfriend experienced American football two years ago. She knows zero about it.But she knows she enjoys hanging with the other girls. She enjoys preparing special meals. And now she knows the folks that sit around us. If anyone is flying solo and is looking to find a tail gate group that does everything first class, hit me up before the season starts. The more the merrier.  And bring a guest to experience it. It truly makes football saturdays fun.
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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. 

Revolution- n. A large amount of change in a short amount of time.   FAU- n. The place where tomorrow begins.
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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.  


Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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You have to look at the history of how programs are built. The overwhelmingly positive thing is that we’re at the point where attendance would be great if we had some teams to play. I never once have had any problem with fans not coming to UAB or Wofford.

Bringing up attendance at UCF is not useful. They’re a college town with not many great options of things to do. It’s not like they can go to the beach for instance. 

I absolutely despise the college town atmosphere. It creeps me out and is a disgrace. I’m not upset we don’t have tens of thousands of kids getting really drunk and being disrespectful at games. 

I’m very glad that I went to a college that didn’t have the whole college town go to football games and get drunk atmosphere. I actually like that we don’t have that. 

Again, it’s useful to actually do some RESEARCH on how programs are built. It’s certainly different that it was in the 80’s for instance, but there are ways you can notice when there’s growth in a fan base. I honestly feel that if a team like, for example UCLA, a somewhat decent P5 team came here the place would be packed with Owls fans.
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jgf2017 said

You have to look at the history of how programs are built. The overwhelmingly positive thing is that we’re at the point where attendance would be great if we had some teams to play. I never once have had any problem with fans not coming to UAB or Wofford.

Bringing up attendance at UCF is not useful. They’re a college town with not many great options of things to do. It’s not like they can go to the beach for instance. 

I absolutely despise the college town atmosphere. It creeps me out and is a disgrace. I’m not upset we don’t have tens of thousands of kids getting really drunk and being disrespectful at games. 

I’m very glad that I went to a college that didn’t have the whole college town go to football games and get drunk atmosphere. I actually like that we don’t have that. 

Again, it’s useful to actually do some RESEARCH on how programs are built. It’s certainly different that it was in the 80’s for instance, but there are ways you can notice when there’s growth in a fan base. I honestly feel that if a team like, for example UCLA, a somewhat decent P5 team came here the place would be packed with Owls fans.
Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 2:06 PM #401867

UCF can't be a commuter school and a college town.  By the way, IMO the definition of a college town is where college is the only activity a student can do and thus there is a ton of pride.  College towns are where the majority of the population is college students/employees.  That's not the case of UCF.

UCF feels like a college town due to high pride in the surrounding area due to a ton of off-campus housing right off-campus. Both FAU/FIU needs to put focus on improving student engagement, scanning IDs, social media focus on being at the game is the cool thing to do.  We both are so focused on getting people in stadium we don't try to improve the experience when in the stadium.   The energy of an FAU vs UCF game is totally different and it is all about student/young adult engagement.    

Students will get drunk, that's what they do, you just want a fun lively atmosphere that keeps them coming back.  If FAU focuses on student experience they will graduate and want to live out their college years. It will take a decade but its still possible at FAU.
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rob2313 said

jgf2017 said

You have to look at the history of how programs are built. The overwhelmingly positive thing is that we’re at the point where attendance would be great if we had some teams to play. I never once have had any problem with fans not coming to UAB or Wofford.

Bringing up attendance at UCF is not useful. They’re a college town with not many great options of things to do. It’s not like they can go to the beach for instance. 

I absolutely despise the college town atmosphere. It creeps me out and is a disgrace. I’m not upset we don’t have tens of thousands of kids getting really drunk and being disrespectful at games. 

I’m very glad that I went to a college that didn’t have the whole college town go to football games and get drunk atmosphere. I actually like that we don’t have that. 

Again, it’s useful to actually do some RESEARCH on how programs are built. It’s certainly different that it was in the 80’s for instance, but there are ways you can notice when there’s growth in a fan base. I honestly feel that if a team like, for example UCLA, a somewhat decent P5 team came here the place would be packed with Owls fans.
Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 2:06 PM #401867

UCF can't be a commuter school and a college town.  By the way, IMO the definition of a college town is where college is the only activity a student can do and thus there is a ton of pride.  College towns are where the majority of the population is college students/employees.  That's not the case of UCF.

UCF feels like a college town due to high pride in the surrounding area due to a ton of off-campus housing right off-campus. Both FAU/FIU needs to put focus on improving student engagement, scanning IDs, social media focus on being at the game is the cool thing to do.  We both are so focused on getting people in stadium we don't try to improve the experience when in the stadium.   The energy of an FAU vs UCF game is totally different and it is all about student/young adult engagement.    

Students will get drunk, that's what they do, you just want a fun lively atmosphere that keeps them coming back.  If FAU focuses on student experience they will graduate and want to live out their college years. It will take a decade but its still possible at FAU.

Posted On: Apr 26th 2021, 2:42 PM #401869

Agreed.

If someone does not like drunk students you do not have to go anywhere near them

They tailgate behind the stadium have their own entrance and section….I have no idea why that is even considered an issue.

If FAU wants to take a the next step Boca has to offer more for students.

I have been to dozens of college towns and many are amazing.

Madison Wisconsin is one of the most enjoyable places I have ever been to.

You want people to have fun at FAU and want to come back, not spending their weekends at home or seeing buddies at another school. It's what separates pro sports from college.

Students 18-22 year olds not being allowed to do what they do hurts FAU.

People love their experiences at UF and FSU and return to it for a reason.

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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. 
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The fans of UCF who go to games don’t have the options we do. No one at UCF can realistically go to the beach, or out on a boat fishing in the ocean on a Saturday. I’m sorry but the things to do in Orlando are not remotely close to in the tri county area. I mean c’mon it’s like night and day. UCF doesn’t have to compete with other activities like the beach. 
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