2017 regular season attendance

[SoDakJack]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Policing student tailgating (a.k.a. "ruining") was not intended to stop drinking on Saturdays in Brookings. We have this discussion every year and allowing underage drinking at tailgating is absolutely not going to happen. As Filbert said "considering the social and legal environment [of] today". It can't happen and allowing it in any way, shape or form it is not even an option. I agree that it would increase student attendance and involvement but is also brings with it the potential of students hurling beer bottles and cans in a tailgate area full of families and kids again. Nobody wants that and SDSU as an institution and an athletic department can't afford things like that to go on under their watch.

Who is advocating allowing underage drinking? I have seen it referenced on here a couple times but I don't recall reading it. I don't think anyone with a shred of common sense would suggest we allow minors to drink. I also haven't seen a reference to giving students unlimited alcohol. Are these just ideas that were a "slippery slope" argument?

[BTownJack]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Just don't wristband. Have a UPD presence but don't search out for problems. Example: the AGR spot is near mine. It appears that both actives and alumni use that spot (at least they have in the past). They were there for 1 game this year. They were playing music, sitting/standing around and talking, with some playing beer darts. Nothing crazy. It looked like most students had wrist bands but UPD still went through their spot and asked people for IDs. There is no need for that. After that, the group didn't come back.

I'd encourage anyone that thinks students aren't drinking on Saturdays to drive through the neighborhood between 8th and 6th St. south of campus. STUDENTS ARE STILL DRINKING. Except, in a much riskier manner; no supervision, hard alcohol, bongs, keg stands, etc.. Then instead of going to the game and sobering up, they are just staying at their house party and continuing to drink. This sure seems worse to me then having them in the backyard or in another somewhat supervised area around the stadium or in the backyard.

Ruining student tailgating is not stopping underage drinking on Saturdays.

Policing student tailgating (a.k.a. "ruining") was not intended to stop drinking on Saturdays in Brookings. We have this discussion every year and allowing underage drinking at tailgating is absolutely not going to happen. As Filbert said "considering the social and legal environment [of] today". It can't happen and allowing it in any way, shape or form it is not even an option. I agree that it would increase student attendance and involvement but is also brings with it the potential of students hurling beer bottles and cans in a tailgate area full of families and kids again. Nobody wants that and SDSU as an institution and an athletic department can't afford things like that to go on under their watch.

[BrerRabbit]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Certainly some of that has to do with improving the tailgating/game day experience leading up to the game. Getting the UPD to stop acting like total D*$#s is probably a good start. Heck, even letting people go out at halftime or continue to tailgate during the game. It's not like people who wouldn't otherwise go to the game are going to decide to go in because they are kicked out of the tailgate area. Does anywhere else actually close the tailgate area before the game?

I agree with you two. If we had a dome, people would come just to see it. I'm not advocating that we should have one, I am great with what we have. But people would come to see it.

I have frequently pointed out elsewhere and here, that tailgating has become typical SDSU: "OMG people are having fun! We must put a stop to that right now!" I've said it many times and usually humorously attribute that characteristic to holdovers from HM Briggs and the other members of FarmHouse. But seriously I do wonder what the powers that be are thinking. Do they think that the product they put on the field is so fantastic that hunting, harvesting and having fun are no competition for people's Saturday afternoons? For my wife and daughters, the tailgating IS the event. The game is why we tailgate. There's no changing that. None. Why try?

Advertisements for the games seem to be nonexistent. I can't think when I've seen or heard one. For a person not already in the system, so to speak, it is a challenge to simply figure out when the games are. Are there tickets given away by radio stations? I have no idea. Never heard such an ad or promotion. Yet other people with similar events competing for people's weekend attention seem to try a lot harder to sell seats. Why would Jacks football be any different? Its not.

Ultimately I don't care if someone else goes to the game or not. That's up to them and I'm not going to tell someone else how to have a good time. We have UPD for that. But to me it seems like low hanging fruit all around on this topic for those of you who do care.

[jacksfan2011]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

I usually don't comment on stuff, but figured I'd add my two cents on this one. There have been many good points and ideas raised in this thread.

First and foremost I would like to address the tailgating/student tailgating portion

The idea of allowing students to drink underage is not going to happen just because of how the law is at this time.

As far as uniformed officers going through spots and carding everyone; I think this is a case that could go with the notion that they should be encouraged to enforce laws, but only intervene if things get out of control (has been mentioned before).

As far as allowing people to go out at halftime, having worked in sports and entertainment venues for a few years now this issue comes down to a security concern. The concern for re entry is not so much people going to tailgate, more so people going out and returning with a weapon of some sort. (Best I can tell) that being said, the University of Sioux Falls, does allow people to come in and out a leisure (granted they barely check your tickets when you come in) so this could work of patrons are required to pass through a security check point on the way back in.

Also I like the idea of having love music and kind of a "hype" area of tailgating to improve experience (I like the big heated tent idea alot)

Allowing for unlimited consumption of alcohol (for free anyway) to students is a bad plan both economically and from a liability perspective. However, if the BOR approves expanded alcohol sales, a designated "beer garden" where you could purchase beer would be a good addition.

As far as game day experience, particularly for students:

1. As mentioned there should be another video board that students could see

2. Incentivize students to stay past halftime (perhaps distribute promos after the game)

3. Roof would be nice, again not possible now, but one can dream

That's what I got, feel free to add

[slosho]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Insufficient telecommunications infrastructure seems to be a much bigger issue, campus-wide, than SDSU and perhaps the Regents care to admit. That can and should be fixed immediately. Also, Filbert makes a great point about the need for a video scoreboard on the north end of the stadium. Nearly everyone, except the students in the student sections, can see the scoreboard on the south end. Students make up an extremely important segment of the Jacks' current and future fan base, if not the most important one of all. They should treated accordingly.

It's too bad they didn't retro-fit the old one there? Does dak have trailer mounted "Demos" short enough you could park them to the north of the cannon an not block any view's? that could be a temporary fix that might not cost much.
"

[Jacked_Up]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

One thing not mentioned in this otherwise puzzling thread (Why do you care if someone else YOU DON'T KNOW doesn't go to a game?) is to improve the connectivity in DJD. Social media posts of people having a great time, while they're having a great time, is huge. I cannot get calls, texts or tweets during games, on Verizon.

Insufficient telecommunications infrastructure seems to be a much bigger issue, campus-wide, than SDSU and perhaps the Regents care to admit. That can and should be fixed immediately. Also, Filbert makes a great point about the need for a video scoreboard on the north end of the stadium. Nearly everyone, except the students in the student sections, can see the scoreboard on the south end. Students make up an extremely important segment of the Jacks' current and future fan base, if not the most important one of all. They should treated accordingly.

[SoDakJack]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

One thing not mentioned in this otherwise puzzling thread (Why do you care if someone else YOU DON'T KNOW doesn't go to a game?) is to improve the connectivity in DJD. Social media posts of people having a great time, while they're having a great time, is huge. I cannot get calls, texts or tweets during games, on Verizon.

Why is it puzzling for a fan to want a full stadium? I bet the players would prefer to have a full stadium over a half-full one.

[SteelSD]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Also, I know this has been hashed over, but I will guarantee you that if the stadium was built with a roof, we would have seen that 40% increase within a few years. Obviously easier said than done and I love the stadium we have. Just basically pointing out the obvious.

I think this nailed it. If fans knew that no matter what the weather was, the game was going to be at 70 degrees (with no precipitation concerns) we would see a huge increase in game day numbers. My wife for instance likes to tailgate, but goes home and listens to the game because she doesn't like cold weather. I personally prefer the outdoor feel of the game, but I certainly was very happy that the playoff game was indoors at Fargo last year when my thermometer on my truck read -12 the whole way up to Fargo. So the question is how we get people here to embrace the outdoor cold games like they do in Montana? Certainly some of that has to do with improving the tailgating/game day experience leading up to the game. Getting the UPD to stop acting like total D*$#s is probably a good start. Heck, even letting people go out at halftime or continue to tailgate during the game. It's not like people who wouldn't otherwise go to the game are going to decide to go in because they are kicked out of the tailgate area. Does anywhere else actually close the tailgate area before the game?

[CappinHard]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

One thing not mentioned in this otherwise puzzling thread (Why do you care if someone else YOU DON'T KNOW doesn't go to a game?) is to improve the connectivity in DJD. Social media posts of people having a great time, while they're having a great time, is huge. I cannot get calls, texts or tweets during games, on Verizon.

This, very much this. I have AT&T and it's better, but still lacks when there are a lot of people around.

[BrerRabbit]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

One thing not mentioned in this otherwise puzzling thread (Why do you care if someone else YOU DON'T KNOW doesn't go to a game?) is to improve the connectivity in DJD. Social media posts of people having a great time, while they're having a great time, is huge. I cannot get calls, texts or tweets during games, on Verizon.

[filbert]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

I'm not really going to add to the tailgating discussion and whatnot.

The biggest thing the program can do to draw fans, is continue to win. If they would happen to win a National Championship, I have no doubt that you'd see a big bump in attendance.

Fans and students show up and cheer for a winner. You can call it what you want, bandwagoning, fair weather, whatever...

The team has continued to improve and win, and the attendance has continued to rise. Comparing SDSU to NDSU is an exercise in frustration doomed to fail. They have won, and won big, for years... long before they were Division I. And they are located in ND's population center. The Jackrabbits fanbase will NEVER be what NDSU's is.

The product on the field is what people are coming to games for. That is the big draw, and that's really the only "for sure" way to increase the fanbase.

You have to grow the entire culture surrounding the football game . . . it doesn't just happen.

Winning regularly is a big piece of it. Not laying egregious eggs on Hobo Day (for instance) is a piece of it. Winning national championships are obviously a part of it.

Tailgating is a piece of it. Improving the student experience and finding ways to attract students on a regular basis, and keep them in the stadium after half time are all pieces of it.

Better advertising and promotion is a piece of it.

An actual, modern stadium is a part of it.

Putting a video board on the north end, either hanging from the SJAC or on top of the Dykhouse Student Athlete Center is a part of it.

Growing the city of Brookings is a part of it.

There aren't any magic bullets to increasing football attendance to Montana Griz levels. Just a lot of hard and usually not very glamorous work.

[CappinHard]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Just don't wristband. Have a UPD presence but don't search out for problems. Example: the AGR spot is near mine. It appears that both actives and alumni use that spot (at least they have in the past). They were there for 1 game this year. They were playing music, sitting/standing around and talking, with some playing beer darts. Nothing crazy. It looked like most students had wrist bands but UPD still went through their spot and asked people for IDs. There is no need for that. After that, the group didn't come back.

I'd encourage anyone that thinks students aren't drinking on Saturdays to drive through the neighborhood between 8th and 6th St. south of campus. STUDENTS ARE STILL DRINKING. Except, in a much riskier manner; no supervision, hard alcohol, bongs, keg stands, etc.. Then instead of going to the game and sobering up, they are just staying at their house party and continuing to drink. This sure seems worse to me then having them in the backyard or in another somewhat supervised area around the stadium or in the backyard.

Ruining student tailgating is not stopping underage drinking on Saturdays.

[WestSideRabbit]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Just don't wristband. Have a UPD presence but don't search out for problems. Example: the AGR spot is near mine. It appears that both actives and alumni use that spot (at least they have in the past). They were there for 1 game this year. They were playing music, sitting/standing around and talking, with some playing beer darts. Nothing crazy. It looked like most students had wrist bands but UPD still went through their spot and asked people for IDs. There is no need for that. After that, the group didn't come back.

I'd encourage anyone that thinks students aren't drinking on Saturdays to drive through the neighborhood between 8th and 6th St. south of campus. STUDENTS ARE STILL DRINKING. Except, in a much riskier manner; no supervision, hard alcohol, bongs, keg stands, etc.. Then instead of going to the game and sobering up, they are just staying at their house party and continuing to drink. This sure seems worse to me then having them in the backyard or in another somewhat supervised area around the stadium or in the backyard.

Ruining student tailgating is not stopping underage drinking on Saturdays.

[CappinHard]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

I think this is the way to do it.

Agreed. That's the way that it was when student tailgating and attendance was very successful.

[CappinHard]

Re: 2017 regular season attendance

Also, I know this has been hashed over, but I will guarantee you that if the stadium was built with a roof, we would have seen that 40% increase within a few years. Obviously easier said than done and I love the stadium we have. Just basically pointing out the obvious.