Cal-Poly Game Thread

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

I am going to add my 2 cents on the attendance issue.

First off hunting is HUGE in SD. I think SD is something like 3rd or 4th in the number of residents that hunt (MT is first with 20% of residents that hunt). Anyway, with that many people that hunt there is no doubt that attendance to the FB was going to be affected by "the opener". This weekend is a HOLIDAY (for many people) flat out.

I am sure there were people that hunted near Brookings that came to the game after the day's hunt, but let's be realistic. Brookings, SD is NOT a premier destination for pheasant hunters which means many people don't hunt around Brookings. The best pheasant hunting is in the central/south central part of the state a drive of over an hour from Brookings. You can't expect people to hunt let's say in Huron until dark and then drive to Brookings to watch a football game. Many people are gonna be even farther than Huron which makes getting to the game on time impossible.

The point that needs to be made is many people have interests other than SDSU football and to call people out for pheasant hunting instead of coming to a FB game is wrong....just plain wrong.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

I am going to add my 2 cents on the attendance issue.

First off hunting is HUGE in SD. I think SD is something like 3rd or 4th in the number of residents that hunt (MT is first with 20% of residents that hunt). Anyway, with that many people that hunt there is no doubt that attendance to the FB was going to be affected by "the opener". This weekend is a HOLIDAY (for many people) flat out.

I am sure there were people that hunted near Brookings that came to the game after the day's hunt, but let's be realistic. Brookings, SD is NOT a premier destination for pheasant hunters which means many people don't hunt around Brookings. The best pheasant hunting is in the central/south central part of the state a drive of over an hour from Brookings. You can't expect people to hunt let's say in Huron until dark and then drive to Brookings to watch a football game. Many people are gonna be even farther than Huron which makes getting to the game on time impossible.

The point that needs to be made is many people have interests other than SDSU football and to call people out for pheasant hunting instead of coming to a FB game is wrong....just plain wrong.

One can choose to finish up early, just because one doesn't limit doesn't mean keep going til dark. Excuses are lame. Can't wait to see 13,000 Bison Fans in the season ending game and maybe if we're lucky and our pathetic fan base gets their heads out of the asses, there will be 5,000 Jackrabbit fans in the stands.

[Nidaros]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

The attendance may have been at real disappointment at 6500 and change, but in the Argus this morning, the lead story was the USD-Augie last game of a rivalry. What was their draw on a nice balmy day? 5500. A great D2 rivalry? I dont think we should feel to bad about the drop when you consider that as the only other game in South Dakota.

[Jack4Life]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

One of the things I think is surprising people this year is that SDSU is a pretty fast team. Speed had been a challenge the first couple of years in D1AA/FCS, but Jayson Foster mentioned our speed after that game. And I think Cal Poly now understands that we're physical AND pretty fast.

The biggest change I have seen in Jacks since the tranistion began is speed. I did not really notice this till we played Central Arkansas at home. I was really concerned their speed would get to us, but we played them heads up on defense and kicked them. Should have shut them out. We have always been able to put physical teams on the field, but the speed is new to us and is very enjoyable to watch.

[trueblue]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

This was a great game to watch. As stated earlier- Koenig= stud and Batten = Man.
I hunted for about 2 1/2 hours and then quit hunting to make it to the game and made it to my seat just in time for the kick return TD. Pheasant season - Oct 20 to Jan 6 = 79 days! Why not give up one day/part of one day hunting to make it to the game against a ranked conference opponent riding a four game win streak? All of the previous games between the two schools were decided by 8pts or less so all should have known it could be a great game. Couldn't you still make it to wherever you wanted in the state to hunt today? We have a team that has competed with and beaten some of the best teams in the country in the last two seasons and could very well win a conference title this season. We want the university to do all sorts of things to improve the program, but why should they build a new stadium only to see it half full for the half of the season that comes after Hobo Day? It is not, "If you build it we will come," it is "If we come they will build it." We want the best coaches and players to be a part of our program, but why would you want to play or coach for a school where the fans only come out to support you for the first half of the season? We HAVE to have a better turnout (10,000 +) for S. Utah and a MUCH better turnout for the NDSU game, or there will be more Bison fans than Jackrabbit fans in the stadium. Actions speak louder than words... you say you want our program to be big time... big time programs don't have a half-full stadium when they play ranked conference opponents! WHEN we win the title I will be proud to truthfully say I was in the stands for every one of the home games. "Football school" and "Basketball school" are two terms I am so sick of hearing.

[trueblue]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

The attendance may have been at real disappointment at 6500 and change, but in the Argus this morning, the lead story was the USD-Augie last game of a rivalry. What was their draw on a nice balmy day? 5500. A great D2 rivalry? I dont think we should feel to bad about the drop when you consider that as the only other game in South Dakota.

Why are we comparing ourselves to D-II schools? We are D-I!

[rjacks21]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

Why are we comparing ourselves to D-II schools? We are D-I!

You're right trueblue. We are a D-I school, with the exception of our fan base which is firmly planted in D-II.

[Nidaros]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

Why are we comparing ourselves to D-II schools? We are D-I!

Of course we are D1, but if you read between the lines that are printed in the sports section of the Argus there still is a mentality that D2 is king in South Dakota. The comparsion shows that D2 is no longer king in attendance even with a post Hobo Day drop. Also Mick Garry hints that their might be future games between Augie and USD as USD has only two games locked in for next season. I not suggesting we should be D2 rather, even with the drop for the Cal Poly game, we still have out drawn two schools that are suppose to be rivals and are less than a 100 miles appart. Plus it was a nice day for an afternoon game. Caly Poly came a few miles to be in Brookings. A team most D2 diehards would think of as a no body. Who had the bigger crowd? SDSU did and thats my point.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

Don't get on the no-shows too much. They missed a great game. (Kory Koenig had a career game, and Jonathon Dally of Cal Poly has to be one of the best opposing QBs to ever visit SDSU.) Overall, season attendance is growing. Fans and area residents have been slow to appreciate D-1. But institutionally SDSU was a little slow too -- adding scholarships gradually, finding a conferences to provide new rivals, etc.). Improvements like the scoreboard have helped make football more fun. A formal announcement about that north building (I assume there will be one) should be a plus by demonstrating the school's commitment. The fact that the transition from D-II is about over will help. The Jacks are good and play a high level of football. Talk it up. Give people a reason to come out.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

Here is my thoughts on attendance issue: Pheasant opener is still king in SD. Everyone ranting about people not showing up has to realize this. As JackMD has so often stated, that is a FACT. SDSU had approximately 20% more fans than the last game between the two competitors for fans. "Calling out" the fans that didn't make it to the game, for whatever reason, really doesn't entice them to come to future games. Montana spoke of people hunting near Huron having a hard time getting to the game, but that really is the far eastern edge of the prime pheasant hunting area. I have no idea how many people that I know in SF that were out in the Winner area. Those people, and most likely their families, aren't going to any FB games that day. Hunting on the east side of the state was better this year as there were more birds everywhere, but how many farmers in the eastern third of the state have spent $300K on a hunting lodge. Within 5 miles of my in-laws ranch, there a three within the last 5 years. Guess what, there are four ranches within 5 miles of the in-laws.

As for what we could do to change that, my suggestion is we set up a pheasant cleaning station to attract the hunters to the game. Do I think it would bring in many, no, but it would be a good marketing gimmick.
Get your limit, get 'em cleaned, and get a game. If nothing else it would keep it in peoples minds that there is a game for the non-hard core fans. Just talking off the top of my head, maybe we should start a new thread on things that can be done to get fans to the game.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

As for what we could do to change that, my suggestion is we set up a pheasant cleaning station to attract the hunters to the game. Do I think it would bring in many, no, but it would be a good marketing gimmick.

Good idea, Fanatic. Fun stuff like that would attract attention and help turn SDSU football into a real, outdoors event. There is lots of stuff to play off after Hobo Day -- Halloween, baseball playoffs, snow. The Cal Poly game could have used a little help, even though it was a great game.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

Here is my thoughts on attendance issue: Pheasant opener is still king in SD. Everyone ranting about people not showing up has to realize this. As JackMD has so often stated, that is a FACT. SDSU had approximately 20% more fans than the last game between the two competitors for fans. "Calling out" the fans that didn't make it to the game, for whatever reason, really doesn't entice them to come to future games. Montana spoke of people hunting near Huron having a hard time getting to the game, but that really is the far eastern edge of the prime pheasant hunting area. I have no idea how many people that I know in SF that were out in the Winner area. Those people, and most likely their families, aren't going to any FB games that day. Hunting on the east side of the state was better this year as there were more birds everywhere, but how many farmers in the eastern third of the state have spent $300K on a hunting lodge. Within 5 miles of my in-laws ranch, there a three within the last 5 years. Guess what, there are four ranches within 5 miles of the in-laws.

As for what we could do to change that, my suggestion is we set up a pheasant cleaning station to attract the hunters to the game. Do I think it would bring in many, no, but it would be a good marketing gimmick.
Get your limit, get 'em cleaned, and get a game. If nothing else it would keep it in peoples minds that there is a game for the non-hard core fans. Just talking off the top of my head, maybe we should start a new thread on things that can be done to get fans to the game.

Thanks....finally someone who sees my point. I grew up in Miller which as any hunter will know has very very good pheasant hunting. I never ever missed a pheasant opener back home while I was in school. This year was the first opener I missed in my life and not because of a FB game because of I moved out of state. I didn't attend any pheasant opener games while I was in school.

Also, the NDSU game happens to land on another hunting "Holiday". The east river deer opener. I would expect that may have an impact on ATTENDANCE. I will be back that entire week as I am taking it off of work. I will not be at the game however as I will be archery deer hunting. I guess some of you would say I am a lame ass fan. Go ahead and call me what you want. I have a life other than SDSU athletics.

[joeboo22]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

First of all there is no more pheasants in the Winner,Platte,Gregory,Burke area however there is more places to hunt over there...... A friend of mine once said I see the most family during pheasant opener...... Thats why people miss it its not because they were too far away or because they were hunting it was because there extended family is there..... I think an alumni event of some kind would be a great marketing ploy for Pheasant opener because a lot of out of state alum are back in the state for that weekend and if they come there families will come....

[Jacks-02]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

One can choose to finish up early, just because one doesn't limit doesn't mean keep going til dark. Excuses are lame. Can't wait to see 13,000 Bison Fans in the season ending game and maybe if we're lucky and our pathetic fan base gets their heads out of the asses, there will be 5,000 Jackrabbit fans in the stands.

I hunted at my hometown 4 hours from Brookings. South Dakota is a big state. You aren't being realistic. Family>football game.

[i_got_a_fever]

Re: Cal-Poly Game Thread

the ndsu game, i feel we do not need to get worried about, ndsu will bring a good crowd, but so will we. the poly game is the usual hobo day hangover, pheasant opener, this is south dakota. i know that the crowd will be great for the nov. 17th show down. preseason all this board has talked about is how great the crowd is going to be for the ndsu game, and becuz of pheasant opener and hobo day hangover, we are suddenly calling each other names and fightin. y are we fighting amongst ourselves, this is a fanbase and message board that prides itself on being positive and keepin this things civil between jackrabbit fans, and their opponents fans. we need to take a deep breath and focus on uc davis.