No matter how we got here, we got here. Now create value and awareness.
The students at UCONN are not given their due in this discussion. I LOVED rolling out of bed at about 10 in the morning on Saturday, heading up to Holiday Spirits and getting a quarter keg for the dorm. That was was our "tailgating", IN the dorm. Then we would head out to the game
To be clear, the drinking age was 18 at the time and I don't condone drunk driving---Memorial Stadium was a 3 block walk from the quad. When driving to buy the alcohol we had not began to drink.
Tailgating at the Yale game was the best----it was an EVENT. That is the strategy that worked. It wasn't on campus (unless you went to Yale). Replicate that formula.
It is what it is. The perception of UCONN football in the state is indifference. Market UCONN games as a destination for alums and Connecticut fans that are out there, understand definition of your target audience and sell it.
Push back the start time for Saturday afternoon games by an hour if possible.
Reserve 15,000 seats for the students and run buses 2 hours from game time------no charge. The Rent looks so much nicer on TV with enthusiastic fans in it. That perception spreads.
Saturday is generally a slow news day so the Connecticut news channels very likely could have UCONN FOOTBALL as their lead story? Create the interest-----sell the product to the people who may not even know it exits or are completely indifferent.
Market Fairfield County, they pack Webster Bank Arena, luxury boxes included (300 bucks) and all for Men's and Women's hoops. The Mens game against mighty Eastern Washington set an attendance record that was later tied by the UCONN women in January. So Fairfield County cares about UCONN but are surprisingly ignorant about the football program. They think basketball powerhouse..........and oh yea they play football too----that thinking needs to be adjusted.
Also, keep the 5,000 "temporary bleachers" intact for every game. It can be part of the student section and raises the seating capacity to 45,000.
If you want a fun event that creates awareness and enthusiastic support from your target audience, show them it is a worthwhile event and a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon in the fall. The perception of big time college football has to change from Yawn to Support State U because it is a BIG DEAL.
Winning helps, but work with the concept that they, the fans can GROW with the team and have it be something to be proud of.