Developing the football fan base

[JackJD]

Re: Developing the football fan base

JimmyJack said: "The internal culture of SDSU is very toxic right now. You can't offer ideas without having somebody come down on you. So... everybody just clams up. We need some leadership to solve that"

propar80 responded: "WOW, I had no idea there was such infighting between administrative groups. Sounds like a bunch of 2nd graders fighting over the teatherball court.
I guess the President has some work to do...and maybe some firing."

I disagree with JimmyJack's comment. (I defend his right to offer such opinions on the message board...I do not share his opinion.) Toxic? Sheesh...a little strong! In any large institution, a certain amount of turf-protection normally occurs. Tugs-of-war are always going on. I guess in my profession I'm accustomed to people being 'devil's advocate' and constantly challenging one's ideas. That's progress. Vigorous debate is healthy. I think most will agree SDSU has far exceeded expectations for the past five years and that would not have occurred and would not continue in a 'toxic' atmosphere.

Pushing a large institution of any nature, is difficult work. There will even be casualties once in a while. People get upset. (I've had conversations with some!) So, look to some of the objective signs to see if progress is being made. I think SDSU's growth, its student retention, the type of students it is attracting (cf. grade points and ACT/SAT scores of incoming student to other schools in SD and in the region and to SDSU in past years), the academic performance of its athletes...well, the list goes on. There's simply too much evidence that right things are happening.

I agree with filbert's comment about the starting point: It takes money. I think the fan base grows with the "Wow" factor as was said earlier.

[filbert]

Re: Developing the football fan base

For as long as I can remember, there have been vicious political turf wars going on at SDSU, both in the 18 years I spent working there, continuing unabated from what I can tell in the years since I left the employ of SDSU.

There's a reason for the saying "one reason why academic battles are so vicious is that so little is at stake." Still, I think there are elements on campus that need to be reined in for the greater good, or redirected, or given something truly useful to do rather than making trouble. It will always be that way, of course, to one degree or another. That's how life within big organizations is.

Still, I am very hopeful that Pres. Chicoine, once his institutional planning effort concludes this year, will bring some of the more egregious empire-builders, malcontents, and troublemakers on campus to heel, and get the entire university moving forward again.

When institutional leadership changes, there's a natural process where people jockey for position--this is probably what has enhanced a "toxic" environment.

Once Chicoine starts laying out some directions, people will either get on board or get out. That's also the natural way of things.

Basically, you have to trust in Chicoine's judgment at this point.

With that . . . back to the topic of how to build support for the football program that will withstand the drop in temperature in the late season . . .

[JimmyJack]

Re: Developing the football fan base

Once Chicoine starts laying out some directions, people will either get on board or get out. That's also the natural way of things.

Basically, you have to trust in Chicoine's judgment at this point.

I apologize for getting into the messy institutional culture issue. That wasn't my main point.

We're in the early stages of the process filbert describes in his post. I do trust the President. I think he's exactly the right guy to step in and bring this university up to date.

As to how to build up support for the football program. Linking the retention efforts with athletic attendance would be a fruitful effort, I think. Another aspect of that I should have mentioned: Student athletes are great role models for our younger students. Simply getting people like Chris Wagner or Courtney Grimsrud in contact with our first-year students would pay dividends for those younger students and would simultaneously create new Jackrabbit fans.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Developing the football fan base

I feel the most symphathetic towards the student athletes who are working their tails off and putting a great product on the field and then come home to such a sparse crowd. I don't think the "hard core" crowd and I define that as those who will show up regardless of record,opponent,weather etc is not much more than the 3400 who showed up on Saturday. For those who were not there if you looked at the West Grandstand from the East Side in the second half it was nothing short of embarrassing as you could of literally counted the students and the reserved seats were sparsely occupied as well. I certainly don't have the answers on how to solve this issue, other than the team to just keep winning and hopefully over time an edxpanded football culture will develop. Yes I think we should all celebrate the increase in average attendence this year and with the game agains NDSU that will increase even more. This will not be a typical home game as the Bison will be there in large numbers and make some noise. I'm sure the administration sweats over the dollars being discussed in CAS enhancements when we have the kind of turnout as we have the last two home games. We talk about marketing in other communities when I think there is a lot of work to be done in getting more people in Brookings to attend.

[joeboo22]

Re: Developing the football fan base

the attendance was bad but you have to remember a few things, 1 high school state championships a lot kids go home for that and the fact that 2 Sioux Falls schools were playing didn't help people from sioux falls to come north, and also it was a holiday weekend everybody heads home during a holiday weekend. the NDSU game i am expecting a huge student crowd, its the last game its a weekend between holidays and its a way to pass time before the basketball game.

[rjacks21]

Re: Developing the football fan base

I certainly don't have the answers on how to solve this issue, other than the team to just keep winning and hopefully over time an edxpanded football culture will develop

Winning cures all. If this team can string together a couple of playoff caliber seasons in a row the attendance will continue to rise.

Go Jacks !!!

[propar80]

Re: Developing the football fan base

the attendance was bad but you have to remember a few things, 1 high school state championships a lot kids go home for that and the fact that 2 Sioux Falls schools were playing didn't help people from sioux falls to come north, and also it was a holiday weekend everybody heads home during a holiday weekend. the NDSU game i am expecting a huge student crowd, its the last game its a weekend between holidays and its a way to pass time before the basketball game.

Excuses don't help anything, they just make people feel better about being "average". There's been way to many "excuses" used in South Dakota in the past 50 years and SDSU moving to D-I is one of the best progressive steps in those 50 years to choke that "typical excuses" attitude out.
EXCUSES should not be accepted in SDSU athletics ever again, especially for 3600 people at a football game.

Go Jacks!!

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Developing the football fan base

I'm not sure if this is really a solution or not, but when renovations do begin, why not make the stadium a little small to begin with so we can sell out some games, with plans to expand in the future. Sell outs create hype (think WNIT run by the women last year: first game sold out from walk ups, next game was sold out the day tickets were available) If we had a brand new stadium that seated 12,000 we would have sold out the stadium 2 times this year (maybe even 3). The NDSU game would have been sold out this morning.

Imagine an atmosphere where 2-3 times per year scalpers are selling tickets outside the stadium (not sure if that is legal in SD).

When we get to the point where 4-5 games are sold out every year, we add another 4,000 seats. When those are sold out 3 games per year, we add another 4000 seats. 10-20 years down the road we have a 20,000 seat stadium selling out a couple times per year and full the rest. And there would still be room to expand if the design is done properly!

This would also resolve the TV issue, since we would sell out a few games per year, the admin wouldn't be so hesitant to broadcast games (which they are correct to do now, IMO), creating even more hype.

I know it sucks to think of a smaller stadium, but sometimes you have to get lean and mean before you can get big.

Just my 2 cents.

[JackJD]

Re: Developing the football fan base

It seems to me that some fans and posters on this message board, are advocating that fans have some sort of duty or obligation to attend home football games. (I feel at times I'm reading some General's exhortations to the troops before they march to war.) I think the following comments from filbert's opening post are worth repeating:

The marketplace is competitive. High school and other college sports, hunting, and all other forms of entertainment compete for the scarce resource which is the South Dakota sports fan. It does no good to complain about the customer ("everybody's out hunting.")

What has to happen is that we need to make SDSU football such an attractive option that Dave Dakotan would rather bring his family to a Jackrabbits football game on a Saturday afternoon than take them to Sioux Falls for shopping, or out into the fields for hunting, or whatever else might be a competing activity.

What do we need to do to make Jackrabbit football that attractive option?

You need to build interest in the program

I particularly like the statement "It does no good to complain about the customer...."

We all make countless choices all day long. When more people perceive that going to a football game is the best choice for a Saturday afternoon, more will show up.

I have the feeling that there is a certain type of fan (at every school) who feels it is darned near un-American to not go to see the boys play football. Football (schools with strong hockey programs, too) seems to especially attract that kind of sentiment.

Telling me or suggesting to me I have to do something as though it was a requirement -- when speaking of something that is, after all, entertainment -- is not the right approach for me and many fans.

I went to every home game and one away game last season. This year, I've made it to just one home game (SUU) and have my tickets for the NDSU game. I suspect some may feel I'm not very loyal. I had alternatives that kept me from attending the football games.

Some posters say they're tired of hearing the excuses. Perhaps the so-called excuses (maybe they should be referred to as the 'currently more attractive options' for some fans) tell us something. They are what football is competing against for fan time and attention.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Developing the football fan base

I think it starts with the students. Most everyone here was a fan when they were in college. If we can improve student turnout, we'll be making lifelong connections with people who will become the donors and die-hard fans of the future.

[2002jack]

Re: Developing the football fan base

You guys are once again "preaching to the choir". Complaining about poor attendance on this message board, does little to nothing to increase attendance. The same for letters to the editor and public pleas for increased attendance.

This going to take time to build a fan base, it's not going to happen overnight. The thing we can do as individuals is invite a friend, neighbor, or coworker to come along to the game. Heck buy I'm ticket, some beers, and some brats. Introduce them to other fans and show them a good time. Maybe, just maybe, they will want to keep coming back. If you have kids, make sure you bring a couple of their friends with them. Jackrabbit athletics is not engrained in our culture yet, but over time it could be.

[Jack4Life]

Re: Developing the football fan base

You guys are once again "preaching to the choir". Complaining about poor attendance on this message board, does little to nothing to increase attendance. The same for letters to the editor and public pleas for increased attendance.

This going to take time to build a fan base, it's not going to happen overnight. The thing we can do as individuals is invite a friend, neighbor, or coworker to come along to the game. Heck buy I'm ticket, some beers, and some brats. Introduce them to other fans and show them a good time. Maybe, just maybe, they will want to keep coming back. If you have kids, make sure you bring a couple of their friends with them. Jackrabbit athletics is not engrained in our culture yet, but over time it could be.

2002jack hit it on the head. The forum is probably not the place to start to discussing support. I would gues most on the forum, if they are alumni, attended games. The network needs to branch out to other groups. Our Tailgate club in Yankton has gotten people to attend games that haven't been to a game in 20 years. He is right on when he says we need to talk it up and invite people too. It will take a while to get a large network, but it has to start somewhere.

[jackmd]

Re: Developing the football fan base

Quick 2 cents:

Attendance is not what we would like it to be. Been that way for a LONG time. Things are getting better, not there yet but getting there. Griping or whining about it doesn't do anyone any good. Be proactive. 4Life, myself and several others in Yankton have organized our group and garnered a lot of interest. More than I expected. People who wouldn't have thought to attend a game have gone and returned for more games. Its about changing the culture and that starts at the grass roots. I have seen a lot of progress when it comes to attendance and I expect that to continue. Don't get frustrated or look to place blame. Keep SDSU out there in front of the masses and soon enough people will come. Success on the field will likely be the ultimate factor but none of us really have control over that.

[joeboo22]

Re: Developing the football fan base

I don't see calling out students for not going to do. It was a holiday weekend and SDSU was playing an 0-9 team, now next week when they play NDSU I expect the students to show up in LARGE numbers.....

As far as shrinking the stadium seating we all saw what happened in the WNIT... the difference was you couldn't really avoid loosing seating when they remodeled it.. you don't have that problem when remodeling CAS...

[JimmyJack]

Re: Developing the football fan base

I don't see calling out students for not going to do. It was a holiday weekend and SDSU was playing an 0-9 team, now next week when they play NDSU I expect the students to show up in LARGE numbers.....

As far as shrinking the stadium seating we all saw what happened in the WNIT... the difference was you couldn't really avoid loosing seating when they remodeled it.. you don't have that problem when remodeling CAS...

I'm not calling out the students. I'm saying the university needs to do a better job of educating students about how athletic events can be a fun and rewarding part of their college experiences. Let's build some fans from the ground up.