ECU has sold 7,000 tickets

[JerseyPirate]

I think it is highly likely that a portion of your ticket sales come from within a small drive.  Do they all come from Greenville?  No, there's nothing in greenville for alum to do professionally, so they all cannot stay there.  The point that I was trying to initially make, which is obviously a point that you do not like to admit and/or discuss, is that there is nothing to do in Greenville, and because of that there will be much stronger local attendance figures.  Why that bothers you is beyond me...

Ok, let's look at this another way.  Where do the people come from who go to all these SEC games in "small" towns like Greenville.  Places like Auburn and Athens.  They have less people than Greenville does yet somehow manage to get 80-90k for every game.  State College, PA, etc, etc, etc.  All small college towns that can double, triple or even quadruple in size on game days.  They come from "big" cities where there is plenty to do but they come to support their team.  I live outside Philadelphia.  I'm 90 minutes from NYC.  I can do things in my local area the other 46 weekends out of the year and that is what supporters of college football do.  

I don't know why you guys just won't admit your fanbase sucks and to stop making stupid excuses for why more people don't come.  Students have no excuse not to be at home games.

You seem really preoccupied with us admitting that we suck.  Why is that exactly, and do you feel like that is a realistic expectation?  This is how your posts read to me "Please admit that you suck, please, why can't you just tell me that you are no good, your town in no good and your college is no good, I just don't get why you won't admit why you are totally awful and everything you come from and are about is awful too.  So please just admit all of this please, can you please just tell us all that you recognize how terrible and rotten everything about you is, please please tell me that"  

Its not very convincing or compelling to be honest, I'm really not all that much closer to admitting anything, sorry  :

Haven't said a bad word about your team or your school.  Your team is good and I'm sure academically, your school is good also.  I've just seen in posts on our boards and your boards that you constantly try and defend your poor attendance.  I'd be pissed that only 24k showed up for one of, if not your best, seasons in your short history.  We set all-time records for attendance but I think we should have had more this year.  I'm not happy where our attendance is or where our bowl sales have been.  i can admit that.  I guess you guys can't.

[Bullpride08]

I think it is highly likely that a portion of your ticket sales come from within a small drive.  Do they all come from Greenville?  No, there's nothing in greenville for alum to do professionally, so they all cannot stay there.  The point that I was trying to initially make, which is obviously a point that you do not like to admit and/or discuss, is that there is nothing to do in Greenville, and because of that there will be much stronger local attendance figures.  Why that bothers you is beyond me...

Ok, let's look at this another way.  Where do the people come from who go to all these SEC games in "small" towns like Greenville.  Places like Auburn and Athens.  They have less people than Greenville does yet somehow manage to get 80-90k for every game.  State College, PA, etc, etc, etc.  All small college towns that can double, triple or even quadruple in size on game days.  They come from "big" cities where there is plenty to do but they come to support their team.  I live outside Philadelphia.  I'm 90 minutes from NYC.  I can do things in my local area the other 46 weekends out of the year and that is what supporters of college football do.  

I don't know why you guys just won't admit your fanbase sucks and to stop making stupid excuses for why more people don't come.  Students have no excuse not to be at home games.

You seem really preoccupied with us admitting that we suck.  Why is that exactly, and do you feel like that is a realistic expectation?  This is how your posts read to me "Please admit that you suck, please, why can't you just tell me that you are no good, your town in no good and your college is no good, I just don't get why you won't admit why you are totally awful and everything you come from and are about is awful too.  So please just admit all of this please, can you please just tell us all that you recognize how terrible and rotten everything about you is, please please tell me that"  

Its not very convincing or compelling to be honest, I'm really not all that much closer to admitting anything, sorry  :

Haven't said a bad word about your team or your school.  Your team is good and I'm sure academically, your school is good also.  I've just seen in posts on our boards and your boards that you constantly try and defend your poor attendance.  I'd be pissed that only 24k showed up for one of, if not your best, seasons in your short history.  We set all-time records for attendance but I think we should have had more this year.  I'm not happy where our attendance is or where our bowl sales have been.  i can admit that.  I guess you guys can't.

I think the point is, and one you're clearly missing, is that at some level USF's attendance figures must be taken a bit objectively.  Sure versus some very established and well respected programs, many of whom we play, our figures are not good.  However you've got to take it into the proper context, and compare us to teams like UCF, FAU, Cincinnati, FIU, ArkSt., Troy State, N. Texas, Uconn, etc.  While i am not saying we're on equal footing with all of those schools or that they're equal to us, there is more to compare attendance wise since most of those are schools that made jumps to 1-A from 1-AA over the past 15 years, or finally built up their football programs after years of pitiful play.  

Among that group USF is one of the top few, but you've got to understand the circumstances surrounding USF.  You can't just automatically condemn USF, while comparing them to schools that have been playing football for 50 or more years.  It isn't exactly fair.  Whereas we certainly want our attendance and fan base to grow it doesn't happen overnight, and certainly not in the hotbed of college football like Florida.   I think USF is doing a decent job, and things are improving in many areas although to the outsider it can be transparent.   I expect next year's attendance to break records after another bowl season and then a really great home schedule.  

To compare improvement for example we had two noon games in a row to end our home games this season, the last time we did that was in 2004 and our team was lucky if we had over 15k in the stands for both of those games.  This time there was around 30k for both, and I honestly believe if those games were played at our normal 7pm start time the totals would have been closer to 35-40k.   For us it's baby steps, we don't have 4-5 generations of alum and ex-players to fall back on.  We don't have generations of locals that grew up watching USF football.  It takes time to sell them on the product.

USF is improving and if we can sell 7-8k in bowl tickets and get over 5k to go that's a big step forward.  We're moving in all the right directions but it's hard for a USF fan to just say we have 'poor attendance' when that comment must be taken in the proper context.  I do not believe our attendance is very 'poor' when you consider our existence, and newness to college football as well as the fact we just moved to 1-A in 2001.  So don't mistaken USF fans inability to condemn our attendance numbers as ignorance, or arrogance.  Rather typically it's hard since USF's attendance numbers need to be qualified and explained the circumstances.  We all know our numbers need to improve, and they will, but we're also not disappointed either because we realize the alternative could be worse, see: FIU and FAU.

[Knight_Light]

Dude......if ECU has more than us, that will be a real shame.  

Considering they had more people at THEIR home games than we had at OUR games -- I would expect them to have more people at the bowl game.

MEMPHIS -- 37431

WEST VIRGINIA -- 40510

VIRGINIA -- 35541

TULSA -- 34011

SMU -- 34141

MARSHALL -- 41372

Their smallest crowd was larger than our largest crowd this year.

Having visited Greenville, I can tell you that it is no surprise that they have decent attendance.  There is NOTHING there, nothing whatsoever for miles and miles.  Without ECU, that town would disappear.  There's something to be said for being the only game in town...

Based on the recent posts in this thread I'd say we have a few drunk posters tonight.  [highlight]Please tell me what there is to do in Tampa on a fall Saturday that is so different from Greenville.  Just because you have more people living there doesn't mean there is more to do.  How naive.[/highlight]  [smiley=roflmao.gif]

And I drive 400+ miles to every home game and I know many that drive 4+ hours that live in the Richmond or DC area where there is PLENTY to do as well.  You dumbasses act like only people that live in Greenville come to the games.  Get a clue.

You crack me up!  That's like saying to a New Yorker, "what is there to do in NY that you can't do in Tampa?"  [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif]

Now granted the example I'm about to share is slightly unusual, but it isn't real far off.

One night a few years ago, I was at a Bulls football game in late August.  That same night, the Yankees were in town playing the Rays, I forget who, but the Lightning also had a home game, The Bucs had a home game the next day, there were three (3) major act concerts in town (that I knew of) and we still had close to 30k in the stands.  

When has Greenville had three major concerts total?  Much less the other stuff?

Just to note...NHL doesn't have Hockey games in "late August".

PS. With a Metro Area of close to 3.6 Million people...wouldn't there "normally" be more things to do?

[HaulingBull Sucks]

Isn't it a fact that season ticket sales have been stagnant for the past few years despite joining  the BE.

Isn't a fact that we haven't put 40K into the RAYJAY without the visiting teams  fans coming through the turnstiles in large numbers.

Compare the number of UL fans at the RJ compared to number of USF fans  attending the games at Cardinal Stadium.  How about WV or our neighbors an hour northeast of us in Orlando.

[Knight_Light]

Isn't it a fact that season ticket sales have beenstagnant for the past few years despite entry into the BE.

We can't put 40K into the RAYJAY without the visiting teams fans.

Tampa Trib had a recent article on how "actual attendance" has dropped for USF Football 2006 compared to USF's first year in CUSA in 2003.

http://www.tbo.com/sports/bulls/MGB1FW8LEVE.html

[USF_Bill]

How are ticket sales for UCF's bowl? Oh....  Nevermind ..

[JerseyPirate]

I think it is highly likely that a portion of your ticket sales come from within a small drive.  Do they all come from Greenville?  No, there's nothing in greenville for alum to do professionally, so they all cannot stay there.  The point that I was trying to initially make, which is obviously a point that you do not like to admit and/or discuss, is that there is nothing to do in Greenville, and because of that there will be much stronger local attendance figures.  Why that bothers you is beyond me...

Ok, let's look at this another way.  Where do the people come from who go to all these SEC games in "small" towns like Greenville.  Places like Auburn and Athens.  They have less people than Greenville does yet somehow manage to get 80-90k for every game.  State College, PA, etc, etc, etc.  All small college towns that can double, triple or even quadruple in size on game days.  They come from "big" cities where there is plenty to do but they come to support their team.  I live outside Philadelphia.  I'm 90 minutes from NYC.  I can do things in my local area the other 46 weekends out of the year and that is what supporters of college football do.  

I don't know why you guys just won't admit your fanbase sucks and to stop making stupid excuses for why more people don't come.  Students have no excuse not to be at home games.

You seem really preoccupied with us admitting that we suck.  Why is that exactly, and do you feel like that is a realistic expectation?  This is how your posts read to me "Please admit that you suck, please, why can't you just tell me that you are no good, your town in no good and your college is no good, I just don't get why you won't admit why you are totally awful and everything you come from and are about is awful too.  So please just admit all of this please, can you please just tell us all that you recognize how terrible and rotten everything about you is, please please tell me that"  

Its not very convincing or compelling to be honest, I'm really not all that much closer to admitting anything, sorry  :

Haven't said a bad word about your team or your school.  Your team is good and I'm sure academically, your school is good also.  I've just seen in posts on our boards and your boards that you constantly try and defend your poor attendance.  I'd be pissed that only 24k showed up for one of, if not your best, seasons in your short history.  We set all-time records for attendance but I think we should have had more this year.  I'm not happy where our attendance is or where our bowl sales have been.  i can admit that.  I guess you guys can't.

I think the point is, and one you're clearly missing, is that at some level USF's attendance figures must be taken a bit objectively.  Sure versus some very established and well respected programs, many of whom we play, our figures are not good.  However you've got to take it into the proper context, and compare us to teams like UCF, FAU, Cincinnati, FIU, ArkSt., Troy State, N. Texas, Uconn, etc.  While i am not saying we're on equal footing with all of those schools or that they're equal to us, there is more to compare attendance wise since most of those are schools that made jumps to 1-A from 1-AA over the past 15 years, or finally built up their football programs after years of pitiful play.  

Among that group USF is one of the top few, but you've got to understand the circumstances surrounding USF.  You can't just automatically condemn USF, while comparing them to schools that have been playing football for 50 or more years.  It isn't exactly fair.  Whereas we certainly want our attendance and fan base to grow it doesn't happen overnight, and certainly not in the hotbed of college football like Florida.   I think USF is doing a decent job, and things are improving in many areas although to the outsider it can be transparent.   I expect next year's attendance to break records after another bowl season and then a really great home schedule.  

To compare improvement for example we had two noon games in a row to end our home games this season, the last time we did that was in 2004 and our team was lucky if we had over 15k in the stands for both of those games.  This time there was around 30k for both, and I honestly believe if those games were played at our normal 7pm start time the totals would have been closer to 35-40k.   For us it's baby steps, we don't have 4-5 generations of alum and ex-players to fall back on.  We don't have generations of locals that grew up watching USF football.  It takes time to sell them on the product.

USF is improving and if we can sell 7-8k in bowl tickets and get over 5k to go that's a big step forward.  We're moving in all the right directions but it's hard for a USF fan to just say we have 'poor attendance' when that comment must be taken in the proper context.  I do not believe our attendance is very 'poor' when you consider our existence, and newness to college football as well as the fact we just moved to 1-A in 2001.  So don't mistaken USF fans inability to condemn our attendance numbers as ignorance, or arrogance.  Rather typically it's hard since USF's attendance numbers need to be qualified and explained the circumstances.  We all know our numbers need to improve, and they will, but we're also not disappointed either because we realize the alternative could be worse, see: FIU and FAU.

But you CAN'T compare yourselves to Troy, Arkasas St. and other Sun Belt schools.  You are in the BIG EAST, a BCS conference.  With that, comes scrutiny about "little things" like fan support.  I know you guys think the product on the field is all that matters, but that just isn't true.  Because when you do have a down cycle, you'll have nothing to hold your hat on.  Hopefully, you can get things turned around at the box office because it looks like you'll have an exciting QB to watch the next 3 years.

[Guest JulmisteForPrez]

Wow, JerseyPirate..........that's like the longest quote in the history of message boards, dude.

[Bullpride08]

Jerseypirate, you either don't understand the explanation or don't care to.  Hard to determine which one.

It is indeed true we are in the Big East, but I would think you'd be one of the first to say that we're not really a BE team quite yet.  Five years ago we called Troy State a peer in everyway, now we're in the Big East and we're slowly growing into our skin.  As far as down turns I think USF has a good solid core group of fans, it's that next level we're now working to convert.  

We're a Big East school but we're growing into that from a fan standpoint.  It takes time and effort and it's not about 'turning this around' because there is nothing to turn around.  It's about getting the message out, making more people in our area aware of the product and program.  You might occasionally find a local who still thinks USF is a 1-AA program...we've just had a meteoric shot forward.

If you want a school to be concerned about in terms of football it is Cincinnati.  They've been playing for 100 years, just moved to the Big East, and have tons of new regional affiliations- WVU, Pitt, UL- yet their attendance for football is beyond pitiful.  It makes USF looked like a juggernaut.  That's a good going in the wrong direction.   USF is one that needs to harness our positives and slowly continue the upward progress.  It will come particularly if the product on the field continues to improve.

[JerseyPirate]

I agree that Cincy is the joke of the BE in terms of fan support.  But basketball is the reason they got in and now they aren't very good at that either.