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Attendance Saturday vs Buffalo

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It's not primarily product or winning. Ask the basketball teams, which have suffered material drops in attendance for the last six or seven years.
 
We kept our 6 seats (4 for my family and 2 for my sister and her husband) - we lost one of our gang to cancer this year. But I rarely use all 4 of mine because there are always conflicts with the kids and their activities. So I go while my wife covers. She hasn't been to a game yet this year and loves to go. It is a bit of a problem when the early season games are not "event" games for football lovers. People won't plan around a Buffalo game. I'll get there for some of it, but it is sandwiched in between a Babe Ruth game and my son's birthday party. So I'll probably be there from 1PM on.

It piles up - if we were 4-0, there would be more buzz. If it wasn't Buffalo, there would be more buzz. If it weren't at noon, there would be more buzz. The absence of all 3 of those things (and some others) makes it feel like an obligation versus something to look forward to. We all expect to win. If we do, great. If we don't, what a letdown. Another trap game.
 
A fool and his $ will soon be partying with all his Uconn buds, someday we will remember the days when the program was mediocre.But for now were's my Jack the ultimate pain killer! Getcha pull.
 
DJ Dogpound is the one reason i would skip a game, I don't care if the team is 0-10. He is awful. He makes us more of a joke of a program. Seriously, we're the only idiotic football team in the country that has a DJ in the booth. Come on UCONN fans make some noiiiiiseee. What an idiot. I hate you DJ.
 
Husky25 said:
2) (This might be most important for the casual fan) Neither the School, nor the Stadium have done anything in 10 years to improve the gameday experience (How about a High-Def video board? No, instead we get DJ Joey and his sidekick).

3 a,b, & c) We are in year 5 of a national economic recovery, college graduates are having a harder time finding jobs, If they do, they have comparatively less disposable income than most of us did at their age, and the fan base is getting older as a result (Example: At kickoff for Indiana, I was 26, single, and realitively financially secure. Now I am not, not, and - married with a baby, so - not as much).

The underlying problem though is no one wants to follow the product on this field after they see what is happening at other college stadiums throughout the country, as well a on Sunday. The team just really isn't all that exciting to the general populous and winning is only half of the solution.
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If anyone doesn't come b.c we don't have a new video board, then let them stay home. I hate to be a to potential fans, but spending 50k a year to placate these types of fans is a waste of money b/c they'll soon get bored and move on anyway. as for what's going on the in the NFL I can tell you not all the stadium changes are positive. The new Meadowlands is a disgrace, and I don't think I've met a single Jets or Giants fan that doesn't think it was a total waste of money. The game day experience is tailgating and a football game, what more do you want?

as for 3, this isn't really an excuse b/c there's always going to be a rotation of fans through their life phases. I'm in a similar boat as you. Right now my main focus is on kids, but there's always a new crop of early 20 somethings with no obligations and they need to pick up where we leave off. In 10 years we'll be taking the kids to games, and then in 20-30 years you and I will be the ones that are retired following the Huskies around in tricked out tailgating buses and RVs talking about Memorial Stadium like a bunch of dinosaurs.

something else we should keep in mind is that attendance at pretty much every NFL and college stadium is also down.
 
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businesslawyer said:
It's not primarily product or winning. Ask the basketball teams, which have suffered material drops in attendance for the last six or seven years.
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By and large, it is the game day experience, lack thereof, or lack of improvement thereof. You can say the same thing about basketball. No one is going to spend $35 for an upper level seat to see UConn vs LIU at the XL Center on a Tuesday night in mid-November. You might as well stay home with cheaper beer and watch it on MyTV9 in HD. I rarely go to men's games anymore unless the tickets are given to me.

I love going to football games, I like the Rent, and I hate going into Hartford for a basketball game, but at least the XL Center has updated their scoreboard in the last 10 years.
 
Looks like ticketmaster has blocks of available tickets in the middle rows of the upper sections, in addition to a lot in the visitors section and family section. Looks like the strategy is to make the middle rows available, and if they sell the upper rows might be released but it's not looking too good right now.

I'm a little surprised uconnhuskies.com doesn't seem to be running a promo for discount tickets right now.
 
mattp said:
If anyone doesn't come b.c we don't have a new video board, then let them stay home. I hate to be a to potential fans, but spending 50k a year to placate these types of fans is a waste of money b/c they'll soon get bored and move on anyway. as for what's going on the in the NFL I can tell you not all the stadium changes are positive. The new Meadowlands is a disgrace, and I don't think I've met a single Jets or Giants fan that doesn't think it was a total waste of money. The game day experience is tailgating and a football game, what more do you want?

as for 3, this isn't really an excuse b/c there's always going to be a rotating of fans through their life phases. I'm in a similar boat as you. Right now my main focus is on kids, but there's always a new crop of early 20 somethings with no obligations and they need to pick up where we leave off. In 10 years we'll be taking the kids to games, and then in 20-30 years you and I will be the ones that are retired following the Huskies around in tricked out tailgating buses and RVs talking about Memorial Stadium like a bunch of dinosaurs.
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I don't take what you said as being douchy per se, but what I laid out is an example of why Rentschler is losing the casual fan. The hardcore fan (Like myself and, I presume, you) will always be there for the tailgating and game (Incidently, I can't wait for my son to be old enough to take to the games). However if the gameday experience doesn't offer anything else to the casual fan, the program will have a very similar problem as the NFL. NFL Sunday Ticket, The Redzone Channel, inexpensive 60 inch HDTV's, and a Sam's Club membership affords the casual fan an adequate gameday experience for a fraction of the price.

I am not making an excuse with points 3a-c...just an observation. The Early-Mid 20-somethings are finding it harder to pick up where we left off. They have more school debt and less $$ to pay for it. I just don't see as many non-students in their mid 20's as I used to. It might be because I'm not one of them anymore but still...merely an observation...
 
fortebleedsblue said:
Of coarse ... I moved back to ct for this .. Why would I miss it? Blue lot ... No flag yet... If u find us beer and hot capt Morgan spiked cider with mulling spices.
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edit:
try blackberry brandy in mulled cider... I have women 3-4 cars away come looking...
 
Husky25 said:
I don't take what you said as being douchy per se, but what I laid out is an example of why Rentschler is losing the casual fan. The hardcore fan (Like myself and, I presume, you) will always be there for the tailgating and game (Incidently, I can't wait for my son to be old enough to take to the games). However if the gameday experience doesn't offer anything else to the casual fan, the program will have a very similar problem as the NFL. NFL Sunday Ticket, The Redzone Channel, inexpensive 60 inch HDTV's, and a Sam's Club membership affords the casual fan an adequate gameday experience for a fraction of the price.

I am not making an excuse with points 3a-c...just an observation. The Early-Mid 20-somethings are finding it harder to pick up where we left off. They have more school debt and less $$ to pay for it. I just don't see as many non-students in their mid 20's as I used to. It might be because I'm not one of them anymore but still...merely an observation...
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The experience at home is great now, like you said, but I don't know that bells and whistles will attract fans. I heard that a lot of NFL stadiums are starting to experiment with things like free wi-fi, access to NFL Redzone on your iphone while at the game, and other things like that to try to mimic the home experience, and I think they're headed in the wrong direction. A stadium will never compete with home for convenience so I think it's a waste of time and energy to try.

What the stadium has is the energy of watching the game with however many other people, and tailgating with thousands of other people. I think all the bells and whistles will detract from that. I hate sitting next to someone at a game that's too busy following their fantasy team on their iphone to keep track of what down it is. Those people actually sap energy from the real game day experience. Time will tell whether the NFL is right or I am.
 
UC990411 said:
DJ Dogpound is the one reason i would skip a game, I don't care if the team is 0-10. He is awful. He makes us more of a joke of a program. Seriously, we're the only idiotic football team in the country that has a DJ in the booth. Come on UCONN fans make some noiiiiiseee. What an idiot. I hate you DJ.
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It's not as if he's dumb. But having a DJ in college football sure is weird. How about we gift him to Rutgers?

I don't care who we're playing. It's a blast to go.
 
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If it rains I would guess the 20,000 might not be far off. But if the weather is ok, low 30s will show up.
 
This is honestly the first UConn Football game since I've been going that I'm not even excited about.

This program used to have hope and promise and now due to things out of our control (conference realignment) and totally inept coaching and offense, I just have a hard time believing we can ever be a consistent contender in the Top 25.

I'll be there for kickoff with my crew of 10, I'll lose my voice by the end of the 4th and hopefully have a great time, but if you can't see why a casual football fan in Connecticut wouldn't want to go to this game you're just blind.
 
mattp said:
The experience at home is great now, like you said, but I don't know that bells and whistles will attract fans. I heard that a lot of NFL stadiums are starting to experiment with things like free wi-fi, access to NFL Redzone on your iphone while at the game, and other things like that to try to mimic the home experience, and I think they're headed in the wrong direction. A stadium will never compete with home for convenience so I think it's a waste of time and energy to try.

What the stadium has is the energy of watching the game with however many other people, and tailgating with thousands of other people. I think all the bells and whistles will detract from that. I hate sitting next to someone at a game that's too busy following their fantasy team on their iphone to keep track of what down it is. Those people actually sap energy from the real game day experience. Time will tell whether the NFL is right or I am.
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What a stadium offers that the tv doesnt is excitement ... Period. The bigger the games (combinatin of opponent, record and on an exciting on field product) will immediately upgrade the atmosphere. I don't care how big you're tv is or how cozy your house is.. If your team is 8-0 playing under the lights on ABC against another highly ranked team (say Ohio State) the average person is going to pick the stadium experience every time. Who you play matters... How you play matter and we are sucking at both. Who's idea was it to play two Mac teams plus UMess? This schedule with temple is essentially like playing in the Mac. Other teams may play crappy 1AA but guess what they play big time programs in conference with big time implications. Our motto is let's win everything so we can play a real team like Oklahoma in the fiesta bowl. Other teams play those types of games multiple times a year. If we beats ranked Rutgers the big east will lose one of it's two whole ranked teams....

What I m saying is if Uconn is going to play a (who cares) in conference schedule with a run first mentality.. then stack the out of conference with teams people will care about... generate some Buzz. A no huddle would .. well I'm not even going to go there.. baby steps..
 
There will be over 20k. Shoot, I think 10-15k show up just for the tailgate/party. They'll mosey into the stadium in the 2nd quarter and leave in the 3rd. Just calling it like I see it.
 
whaler11 said:
It's brutal playing Buffalo week 5. One benefit of BE going forward is at least they don't need a fifth OOC.

It's homecoming. I'm sure they will distribute like 36,000 seats and probably 30k will go in and out of the gates - but if it's raining I wouldn't expect more than 25 inside and at time and if people hide under the stands it will look worse.
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Homecoming is the Temple game.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
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ConnHuskBask said:
This is honestly the first UConn Football game since I've been going that I'm not even excited about.

This program used to have hope and promise and now due to things out of our control (conference realignment) and totally inept coaching and offense, I just have a hard time believing we can ever be a consistent contender in the Top 25.

I'll be there for kickoff with my crew of 10, I'll lose my voice by the end of the 4th and hopefully have a great time, but if you can't see why a casual football fan in Connecticut wouldn't want to go to this game you're just blind.
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I agree that this is the least interesting home game in the Rentschler era.

Nothing good can really come of it. I they win.. well it's Buffalo.. if they lose the fans will check back next year.

On the bright side the weather doesn't look as bad. Sitting in the rain sucks.
 
Please BEAT Buffalo... I'd like to face an opponent with a winning record come game time for once...

how-often-to-pray.jpg
 
UConn07 said:
Still remember the USF game when the clouds opened up and it poured. Crowd started cheering basically saying 'bring it on!' Every game that year it rained it seemed.
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Biggest win for us over a ranked team, I remember that game like it was yesterday. I think the L'ville fans still have nightmares about the "fair catch" game that season. Again, a rain soaked tailgating affair. That was a fun season!
 
whaler11 said:
I agree that this is the least interesting home game in the Rentschler era.
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You're dead wrong here. It's tied for least interesting game with every other time we've played Buffalo. Before Temple moved to the BE, I think if we alternated games against Temple, UMass and Buffalo, one game a year it'd be fine, but here we are playing all three of them in the same season. The problem is that now that all of the "Big Five" conferences have expanded their conference schedules they have even fewer OOC slots available. I agree with you about scheduling bigger OOC games, but I think UConn would love to be scheduling big games but logistically it's very difficult. We're lucky that we have a few big names in the next few years, but I think it'll be harder to get those games down the road.
 
mattp said:
You're dead wrong here. It's tied for least interesting game with every other time we've played Buffalo. Before Temple moved to the BE, I think if we alternated games against Temple, UMass and Buffalo, one game a year it'd be fine, but here we are playing all three of them in the same season. The problem is that now that all of the "Big Five" conferences have expanded their conference schedules they have even fewer OOC slots available. I agree with you about scheduling bigger OOC games, but I think UConn would love to be scheduling big games but logistically it's very difficult. We're lucky that we have a few big names in the next few years, but I think it'll be harder to get those games down the road.
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I think people are dead wrong to kill UConn as badly as they do on the schedule. I have defended them some because having 5 OOC games is nearly impossible to fill, and Sun Belt teams are getting almost a million dollars to go on the road. I am fine with 2 MAC teams if there is no FCS team. It's just awful to look at the schedule and when you want something big to happen to change the course of the season and it's frigging Buffalo coming to town. At least mix up the MAC teams - Buffalo is just stale.
 
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I'll be there from kickoff to the final gun, but I can't blame those who don't go on Saturday.
 
whaler11 said:
I think people are dead wrong to kill UConn as badly as they do on the schedule. I have defended them some because having 5 OOC games is nearly impossible to fill, and Sun Belt teams are getting almost a million dollars to go on the road. I am fine with 2 MAC teams if there is no FCS team. It's just awful to look at the schedule and when you want something big to happen to change the course of the season and it's frigging Buffalo coming to town. At least mix up the MAC teams - Buffalo is just stale.
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I think the last line says a lot. We play them nearly every year and there hasn't been one competitive game. We even played them in a bowl. It is scheduled like we have a rivalry with them when one doesn't exist.

WMU on the other hand has beat us twice and I would have no issue with continuing to schedule them. Because at least the outcome of the game is in doubt.

This is why many people don't go to WBB games unless it is a good opponent. When the outcome isn't in doubt what are you watching?

And of course we could argue that it might be in doubt this year, but it isn't because Buffalo is great. It is because we are mediocre. Just doesn't add up to excitement.
 
J187Money said:
I think the last line says a lot. We play them nearly every year and there hasn't been one competitive game. We even played them in a bowl. It is scheduled like we have a rivalry with them when one doesn't exist.

WMU on the other hand has beat us twice and I would have no issue with continuing to schedule them. Because at least the outcome of the game is in doubt.

This is why many people don't go to WBB games unless it is a good opponent. When the outcome isn't in doubt what are you watching?

And of course we could argue that it might be in doubt this year, but it isn't because Buffalo is great. It is because we are mediocre. Just doesn't add up to excitement.
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There's about a dozen MAC teams and a lot of them are in Ohio, so I don't see the problem with playing home and homes against them. Ohio's always been recruiting territory so exposure there can't hurt. Why not schedule games against Toledo, Bowling Green, Miami(OH), etc? Some of those teams I'd be pretty excited to see, but we can't because we've been stuck in a never ending series against Buffalo. Hopefully our playing Buffalo all the time is indicative of how good Warde is at scheduling opponents.
 
I believe we signed a 10-year deal with Buffalo under Hathatway. At the time it was billed as a good way to line up an 8th "conference game" And I htink there was hope that they would grwo as a program, not to Big East levels, but at least to high MAC. We also did a long term deal, maybe 6 or 7 games, with Temple. I was particularly fosted that they were both Home and home deals. I didn't get either of those deals. I'm with you, alternate Buffalo/UMass/Army maybe going forward. Gives us a regional opponent. But please not all 3 in the same season. Playing Buffalo and Temple was awful. Hard games to get up for for both the fans and the team. I think the Buffalo deal ends next year with us going to UB.
 
mattp said:
You're dead wrong here. It's tied for least interesting game with every other time we've played Buffalo. Before Temple moved to the BE, I think if we alternated games against Temple, UMass and Buffalo, one game a year it'd be fine, but here we are playing all three of them in the same season. The problem is that now that all of the "Big Five" conferences have expanded their conference schedules they have even fewer OOC slots available. I agree with you about scheduling bigger OOC games, but I think UConn would love to be scheduling big games but logistically it's very difficult. We're lucky that we have a few big names in the next few years, but I think it'll be harder to get those games down the road.
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Fordham
 
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