Owls2013 said

Rick said

What other event(s) were at play last night at the same time from a Greek life standpoint, does anyone know?

They showed up for Tulsa, but there was the Monsoon obviously. What drove the low ticket request for yesterday's game?

Has to be something…

Posted On: Oct 22nd 2023, 9:42 PM #417119

There was nothing this weekend.

Tulsa was parents weekend so some more students might have attended because of the parents being there.

But the amount of students walking back to the dorms from the tailgates is in the thousands and fans, alum and sites like the nest need to start making a fuss about it. It is embarrassing.


The schools seems scared to call it out or make a change.

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 8:44 AM #417126

Surely, we can find out who makes the decision on the 1 hour before game time shut down?

I am sure somebody like our HC or AD knows the answer.  I would think that's where we can place pressure and make a "fuss".

Imagine standing in a parking lot drinking as much as possible with zero intention of going to the game that the tailgate is there for. At that rate, they may as well set up tents in a random parking lot on any given Saturday. It makes no sense.

Provided, however, where are the students supposed to go for an hour? Seriously - they get kicked out of the tailgate at 5 pm for a 6 pm kick. Supposed to sit in the stadium that whole time? It is like administration does not want students to go to the game. Otherwise, there is no reason to end the tailgates so early.

I have to imagine the early shutdown was a solution to the “students don’t make it into the game until halftime bc they’re tailgating and having fun” problem. 

We just over-corrected, surely we can adjust that to “shut down by kickoff” and hopefully correct some of it. 

Yeah tailgates are hardcore. I have a bunch of young kids so I don't usually tailgate, but in the past I've had students come up and sit in my chairs because they couldn't walk and were passing out and needed somebody to come get them. Felt bad since it was a couple girls and I obviously had no idea who's car they were getting into and if they were going to be alright, but they were all like "we know them, its ok." Probably should have called the cops, but they asked us not to….

This week I was swimming upstream to get to the stadium through all the students heading back to the dorms. Honestly if the administration wants to cut down on tailgating, start an hour later and end at game time.

But most of all, stop putting a boring product on the field. Not sure how people will really get engaged in the game when you keep running up the middle for a 2-yard loss.

Fans show up for a winning culture, and it takes time for fans to be confident that it'll be a fun game. Can't have games like Ohio and UTSA and expect people to be hyped to come out.

David Slavic said

Yeah tailgates are hardcore. I have a bunch of young kids so I don't usually tailgate, but in the past I've had students come up and sit in my chairs because they couldn't walk and were passing out and needed somebody to come get them. Felt bad since it was a couple girls and I obviously had no idea who's car they were getting into and if they were going to be alright, but they were all like "we know them, its ok." Probably should have called the cops, but they asked us not to….

This week I was swimming upstream to get to the stadium through all the students heading back to the dorms. Honestly if the administration wants to cut down on tailgating, start an hour later and end at game time.

But most of all, stop putting a boring product on the field. Not sure how people will really get engaged in the game when you keep running up the middle for a 2-yard loss.

Fans show up for a winning culture, and it takes time for fans to be confident that it'll be a fun game. Can't have games like Ohio and UTSA and expect people to be hyped to come out.

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 4:51 PM #417141

If we were coming off 7 winning seasons, i’d be puzzled at the crowd. But eventually, winning 5 games every season has its consequences. Especially with basketball overshadowing with their success. 

Beautiful weather, Panthers playing, Clemson in town, NASCAR weekend, and we expected to have the community prioritize us? I’d love to expect more than 20k every weekend, but until the product changes, that won’t. Just reality 

axaltaracing24 said

David Slavic said

Yeah tailgates are hardcore. I have a bunch of young kids so I don't usually tailgate, but in the past I've had students come up and sit in my chairs because they couldn't walk and were passing out and needed somebody to come get them. Felt bad since it was a couple girls and I obviously had no idea who's car they were getting into and if they were going to be alright, but they were all like "we know them, its ok." Probably should have called the cops, but they asked us not to….

This week I was swimming upstream to get to the stadium through all the students heading back to the dorms. Honestly if the administration wants to cut down on tailgating, start an hour later and end at game time.

But most of all, stop putting a boring product on the field. Not sure how people will really get engaged in the game when you keep running up the middle for a 2-yard loss.

Fans show up for a winning culture, and it takes time for fans to be confident that it'll be a fun game. Can't have games like Ohio and UTSA and expect people to be hyped to come out.

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 4:51 PM #417141

If we were coming off 7 winning seasons, i’d be puzzled at the crowd. But eventually, winning 5 games every season has its consequences. Especially with basketball overshadowing with their success. 

Beautiful weather, Panthers playing, Clemson in town, NASCAR weekend, and we expected to have the community prioritize us? I’d love to expect more than 20k every weekend, but until the product changes, that won’t. Just reality 

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 5:48 PM #417142

We compete with none of those events. The Ave and house parties are our bigger competition.

I agree with starting it later and ending closer to game time. These kids clearly can’t handle 4 hour tailgates.

Also as for the boring product: they aren’t making it in the stadium so the product doesn’t matter. Make it fun in there. One year they had a party in the student section concourse with a DJ before the game. That would probably help.

I still do not understand why they tailgate (appetizer) then don’t even consider going to the game (entree). The appetizer does not exist without the entree.

axaltaracing24 said

David Slavic said

Yeah tailgates are hardcore. I have a bunch of young kids so I don't usually tailgate, but in the past I've had students come up and sit in my chairs because they couldn't walk and were passing out and needed somebody to come get them. Felt bad since it was a couple girls and I obviously had no idea who's car they were getting into and if they were going to be alright, but they were all like "we know them, its ok." Probably should have called the cops, but they asked us not to….

This week I was swimming upstream to get to the stadium through all the students heading back to the dorms. Honestly if the administration wants to cut down on tailgating, start an hour later and end at game time.

But most of all, stop putting a boring product on the field. Not sure how people will really get engaged in the game when you keep running up the middle for a 2-yard loss.

Fans show up for a winning culture, and it takes time for fans to be confident that it'll be a fun game. Can't have games like Ohio and UTSA and expect people to be hyped to come out.

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 4:51 PM #417141

If we were coming off 7 winning seasons, i’d be puzzled at the crowd. But eventually, winning 5 games every season has its consequences. Especially with basketball overshadowing with their success. 

Beautiful weather, Panthers playing, Clemson in town, NASCAR weekend, and we expected to have the community prioritize us? I’d love to expect more than 20k every weekend, but until the product changes, that won’t. Just reality 

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 5:48 PM #417142

I would agree with this if there was not 3,000 customers a few 100 yards away just not coming in.

You have your customer close and you can not just get them in? What is being done to address this issue?

What are people who oversee the student body doing? What are student leaders doing?

axaltaracing24 said

If we were coming off 7 winning seasons, i’d be puzzled at the crowd. But eventually, winning 5 games every season has its consequences. Especially with basketball overshadowing with their success. 

Beautiful weather, Panthers playing, Clemson in town, NASCAR weekend, and we expected to have the community prioritize us? I’d love to expect more than 20k every weekend, but until the product changes, that won’t. Just reality 

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 4:48 PM #417142

Well, I don't think we had our students leaving to go watch NASCAR. I think they drank a ton and went back to take a nap before heading to Tin Roof or something like that.

But to your point, yes, three 5-win seasons following Lane Kiffin, who followed a bunch of 5-win seasons, doesn't do much to drive student engagement. Kiffin was great because he got us winning, and has an exciting brand of football. High-octane HUNH with big passes and a dark horse Heisman candidate is exciting fun. Running it up the middle for negative yardage three times in a row for a punt, with the game ending in a blow-out loss is pretty boring, and if I was 20 yrs old and drunk, I'd go to bed for a few hours before heading out at 11pm.

David Slavic said

axaltaracing24 said

If we were coming off 7 winning seasons, i’d be puzzled at the crowd. But eventually, winning 5 games every season has its consequences. Especially with basketball overshadowing with their success. 

Beautiful weather, Panthers playing, Clemson in town, NASCAR weekend, and we expected to have the community prioritize us? I’d love to expect more than 20k every weekend, but until the product changes, that won’t. Just reality 

Posted On: Oct 23rd 2023, 5:48 PM #417142

Well, I don't think we had our students leaving to go watch NASCAR. I think they drank a ton and went back to take a nap before heading to Tin Roof or something like that.

But to your point, yes, three 5-win seasons following Lane Kiffin, who followed a bunch of 5-win seasons, doesn't do much to drive student engagement. Kiffin was great because he got us winning, and has an exciting brand of football. High-octane HUNH with big passes and a dark horse Heisman candidate is exciting fun. Running it up the middle for negative yardage three times in a row for a punt, with the game ending in a blow-out loss is pretty boring, and if I was 20 yrs old and drunk, I'd go to bed for a few hours before heading out at 11pm.

Posted On: Oct 24th 2023, 11:12 AM #417147

Students did not come to the game under Lane. We had more under Charlie.