Attendance for the NDSU game

[91jack]

I know this is late but I just heard Terry say the he thought the pheasant opener had a lot to do with the attendance. I don't agree with this.
1) NDSU had probably between 4,000-5,000 at the game 2 years ago. I think this year, they had about 1,750 fans here. That has nothing to do with hunting. If you added that many fans, there would have been more than 2 years ago.
2) TV- The game 2 years ago had people standing several layers deep in the corner of the endzones. Why not stay home and watch it from your rocker-recliner if you have to stand for 3 hours. There were enough fans there that they didn't lose much for having the game on TV.
Am I way off on this? I'm not saying that hunting didn't keep some fans away but I don't think it cost SDSU 2,200 fans.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

Many don't want to stand or sit in endzone bleachers which is why I think we are going to level off for attendence. I think it's also why Justin Sell sees a window where excitement is at it's peak and the momentum for a new facility is there.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

I know this is late but I just heard Terry say the he thought the pheasant opener had a lot to do with the attendance. I don't agree with this.
1) NDSU had probably between 4,000-5,000 at the game 2 years ago. I think this year, they had about 1,750 fans here. That has nothing to do with hunting. If you added that many fans, there would have been more than 2 years ago.
2) TV- The game 2 years ago had people standing several layers deep in the corner of the endzones. Why not stay home and watch it from your rocker-recliner if you have to stand for 3 hours. There were enough fans there that they didn't lose much for having the game on TV.
Am I way off on this? I'm not saying that hunting didn't keep some fans away but I don't think it cost SDSU 2,200 fans.

Sounds right to me.

[Jacks-02]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

NDSU fans took up much of the east stands and were scattered through the rest of the crowd. There probably weren't as many as last time, but there were still alot of Bison fans there.

Pheasant opener may not have had as big an impact as it has the past, but I'm sure it still kept some fans away, as did the large numbers of farmers in the field trying to get crops out before another rain. The cold weather probably also kept some wives and children from attending. It was likely the difference between the 14,200 number that showed up and the 15.5K+ that many were expecting.

[jackmd]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

Pheasant opener may not have had as big an impact as it has the past, but I'm sure it still kept some fans away, as did the large numbers of farmers in the field trying to get crops out before another rain. The cold weather probably also kept some wives and children from attending. It was likely the difference between the 14,200 number that showed up and the 15.5K+ that many were expecting.

I had two friends and their wives and children home harvesting, that's 10 people right there. I thought it was a good crowd. Not more than 2,500 Bison fans in my estimation.

[NoVaJack]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

NDSU fans took up much of the east stands and were scattered through the rest of the crowd. There probably weren't as many as last time, but there were still alot of Bison fans there.

Pheasant opener may not have had as big an impact as it has the past, but I'm sure it still kept some fans away, as did the large numbers of farmers in the field trying to get crops out before another rain. The cold weather probably also kept some wives and children from attending. It was likely the difference between the 14,200 number that showed up and the 15.5K+ that many were expecting.

I sat on the 50-yard line behind the Bison bench. It is cramped and on creaky wood. Families with kids were having a hard time with the long rows and claustrophobic spaces.
I bet if you had bookend stands similar to the west ones they'd have been full... There's a "build it and they will come" aspect to consider. I firmly believe that after seeing the stadium for the first time in some time.


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[SD-STATE]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

I believe the current set up definitely affects the amount of fans that many of us hope to see every week at games. There is virtually no quality GA tickets, which I think hurts our more casual fans. Standing along the fence and in the endzone are not quality seats. I know alot of people that are turned off by that fact. Yes they could buy, reserved seats, but there are alot of people that aren't necessarily that die-hard of SDSU fan right now. Everybody has to start somewhere. There are alot of people in the area that just appreciate good football and the atmosphere that goes with it at CAS. The more casual fans we get to games the better the chances are that some of those fans turn into more diehard fans that wouldn't mind supporting SDSU in more ways. If we had these same problems with a capacity around the 20,000 range then I think it would be a different story that would follow along the lines of the old debate on here with Frost arena seating. In the long run I agree with what has been said before that unless upgrades are done I don't think we will see much more than a 13-14,000 average. My eyes might be shaded in yellow and blue right now, but I think there is more demand than the current average. Patience will have to be our motto, because any solution will not come fast enough, unless we find some magic beans.

[ringthebells]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

I sat on the 50-yard line behind the Bison bench. It is cramped and on creaky wood. Families with kids were having a hard time with the long rows and claustrophobic spaces.



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Don't forget the fact that little kids can easily slip through the bleachers on the visitors side. The thought of a 15 foot fall for our 4 year old kept my wife from enjoying the game we all attended. I hope change is coming. I really hope nobody gets injured in those stands before those changes get started.

[NoVaJack]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

I believe the current set up definitely affects the amount of fans that many of us hope to see every week at games. There is virtually no quality GA tickets, which I think hurts our more casual fans. Standing along the fence and in the endzone are not quality seats. I know alot of people that are turned off by that fact. Yes they could buy, reserved seats, but there are alot of people that aren't necessarily that die-hard of SDSU fan right now. Everybody has to start somewhere. There are alot of people in the area that just appreciate good football and the atmosphere that goes with it at CAS. The more casual fans we get to games the better the chances are that some of those fans turn into more diehard fans that wouldn't mind supporting SDSU in more ways. If we had these same problems with a capacity around the 20,000 range then I think it would be a different story that would follow along the lines of the old debate on here with Frost arena seating. In the long run I agree with what has been said before that unless upgrades are done I don't think we will see much more than a 13-14,000 average. My eyes might be shaded in yellow and blue right now, but I think there is more demand than the current average. Patience will have to be our motto, because any solution will not come fast enough, unless we find some magic beans.

Couldn't agree more. Build it and they will come. As of the end of the 2007 season, five of the 10 top crowds at CAS - all larger crowds than last weekend - were set in the 1970s and 1980s, when the student population alone was not much more than half of the current level.

[TeaJackrabbit]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

1.) Pheasants.

2.) Cold weather.

3.) People don't want to stand.

4.) Game was on TV.

5.) Farming.

My tickets fell through at the last minute, which was understandable and fine. Instead of standing in the cold I opted to stay home, enjoy some food and drink and watch on TV.

On one hand I felt kind of guilty.

On the other hand, build a capable facility!

Me and I believe close to a record crowd will be there this Saturday!

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

I've taken a fair amount of crap over the years in posting against the "we need to televise the games" discussion. I do understand the PR value, but I also understand that weather, distance, and, in this case, choices by our NDSU fans up north (1-5, concern over driving 400 miles round trip and watching their Bizon get beat), are influenced considerably by availability of the game being televised. There is no doubt in my mind that we would have had another 1,000 in the stands if the game had not been televised. The argument can certainly be made about the exposure, but don't sugar-coat what it can do to attendance.

[zooropa]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

Better facility = better attendance figures regardless of TV.

Sometimes you can miss opportunities to grow by holding too tightly to what you've got...

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I just hope they go with fake brick tilt-ups from Gage Bros. instead of rough faced concrete block.

[Hammersmith]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

Re: TV's effect on attendance

I always remember Montana. They didn't start selling out for the season until after every game was on TV. You take a small hit in the present for a big boost in the future. That assumes you are putting a quality product on the field, of course.

[jackmd]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

Re: TV's effect on attendance

I always remember Montana. They didn't start selling out for the season until after every game was on TV. You take a small hit in the present for a big boost in the future. That assumes you are putting a quality product on the field, of course.

Agree. Nothing makes up for the experience of a sold out or nearly sold out stadium where your team is winning. Television is an alternative but its not the same regardless of what you might want to believe.

[zooropa]

Re: Attendance for the NDSU game

Agree. Nothing makes up for the experience of a sold out or nearly sold out stadium where your team is winning. Television is an alternative but its not the same regardless of what you might want to believe.

Television also helps sell the game experience..... If you haven't been to a game in a while, seeing it on TV might change your mind....

There's probably not a better way to convince people to attend the next game, than to have the current game televised.