Uconn 67th in attendance

[mcs333]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/12/college_football_regular-seaso.html#incart_river_default

 

[hexlub]

Awesome! Also, glad we grabbed Tulane while they were not a hot commodity. 18K per game. We should have leased them Memorial Stadium.

 

[BlueDogs]

Spent my grad school years there ... a long time ago. Tulane is the poster child for what not to do with a program and Warde should study football programs in decline before he pilots Uconn into the trash bin. Tulane was a well known football program with national reach. It was a charter member of the SEC. The orginal sugar bowl was played at Tulane's stadium on campus...until they tore it down and moved to the SuperDome. What went wrong? Everything. First, they moved to independent status in the sixties severing their link with a strong tradition with southern football. The Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, etc.. start drifting off the schedule. Attendance starts falling. Then, they move out of a historically significant stadium that hosted the Sugar Bowl on campus and went downtown into an oversized venue with a weaker schedule. Students did not follow. Interest waned, and a continual downward spiral ensued. Then , they joined up with mid-tier conferences, further diluting their program.

Lessons:

1. Tradition Matters and you better build one and protect it (eh emm..DJ Dogsh$t and all the rest of the marginal gimmicks...Warde - play to the audience demographic- hip is not the demographic - old school tradition, mascots, giant flags, sooner wagons, flaming spears, memorials, warriors on horses that is tradition).
2. Empty stadiums kill programs.. (Warde - Michigan might save you for a year, then all heel breaks lose).
3. Playing down is a prescription for program death. (Again Michigan might save you Warde for year..otherwise the schedule is a snoozer)
4. Joining a second tier conference is a prescription for ultimate decay, and an endless cycle of marginal talent (already on the way with the NBE).
5. A second tier conference yields number 3.
6. Number 3 yields number 2.

Rinse and repeat until you are back in the Yankee Conference.

 

[thatguyed]

According to Sagarin, the team this year finished at #100, so YAY FANS! We outperformed the players. (Thanks - sarcastically - to the coaching staff.)

 

[Greenback]

Lessons:

1. Tradition Matters and you better build one and protect it (eh emm..DJ Dogsh$t and all the rest of the marginal gimmicks...Warde - play to the audience demographic- hip is not the demographic - old school tradition, mascots, giant flags, sooner wagons, flaming spears, memorials, warriors on horses that is tradition).

I agree with everything, but specifically on tradition. I think we need to focus on developing it, I know it has been discussed but I still love the idea of the dog sled, I think it would be awesome.

 

[hexlub]

Well, it should also be noted that the number was raw attendance and not % of capacity. So a Sun Belt team might have packed their stadium more than us. Anyone have an afternoon free to figure that one out?

 

[hexlub]

I agree with everything, but specifically on tradition. I think we need to focus on developing it, I know it has been discussed but I still love the idea of the dog sled, I think it would be awesome.

My thought on tradition is that it should be organic. Husky Walk is forced and copied. Tradition is gained with rivalries, important wins and legendary seasons. We really do not have a pure rival (Rutgers, Syracuse going away. BC never got to develop. UMass needs to be more competitive). You can count important wins with one hand and legendary seasons with a nice, large chunk of air.

When we force things, you get a DJ and repulsive uniforms.

 

[thatguyed]

Well, it should also be noted that the number was raw attendance and not % of capacity. So a Sun Belt team might have packed their stadium more than us. Anyone have an afternoon free to figure that one out?

You could ask GDL. If we're lucky, he's got some time on his hands.

 

[BlueDogs]

Imagine for a minute a UConn Cornealus character on dog sled racing across the field, pistol in hand firing a few shots. Now that's cool.

 

[Lewconn]

Some good points have been brought up already, but here goes. As for increasing home attendance, well there is nothing we can do about the conference teams/match ups at this point. But UConn could easily accomplish some of these ideas and tasks:

Attempt to schedule more exciting non-conference games. We cannot afford to book any teams that are not at a minimum in an FBS conference. Except maybe for UMass or Army or a local IVY League team as our FCS game replacement.

Sell/transport additional students from the main campus to the home games. Really need to accomplish this even if it means just breaking even, as we need to lift up the atmosphere of the game time experience and no one does it better than the students.

Lower the seat donations on the blue chairback sections. In addition create a database in order to track the tickets that go un-used from this section. Then we can be in a position to penalize those patrons/corporations who do not use (or give away the tickets), as empty seats should not be the expected norm... The penalty could be in the form of ‘point’ deductions….

 

[hexlub]

Imagine for a minute a UConn Cornealus character on dog sled racing across the field, pistol in hand firing a few shots. Now that's cool.

I'm totally up for anything that involves:
a. fire arms or weapons
b. non-PC and maximumly offensive

Examples:
Asian delivering game ball on a scooter in a large Chinese take-out container
Jonathan in war paint wooping it up with a flaming tomahawk

I'd come up with some more but I am late for my mandatory sensitivity training at work.

 

[hexlub]

Attempt to schedule more exciting non-conference games. We cannot afford to book any teams that are not at a minimum in an FBS conference. Except maybe for UMass or Army or a local IVY League team as our FCS game replacement. ALTERNATE BETWEEN YALE AND ARMY EVERY YEAR. START A YEARLY SERIES WITH UMASS OR, IF THE GUNSMOKE IS GONE, BC. REGIONAL RIVALRY IS A MUST!

Sell/transport additional students from the main campus to the home games. Really need to accomplish this even if it means just breaking even, as we need to lift up the atmosphere of the game time experience and no one does it better than the students. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN A STUDENT OR HAD CONNECTIONS ON CAMPUS BUT ISN'T THERE TRANSPORTATION FROM CAMPUS ALREADY? I COULD JUST BE MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING.

Lower the seat donations on the blue chairback sections. In addition create a database in order to track the tickets that go un-used from this section. Then we can be in a position to penalize those patrons/corporations who do not use (or give away the tickets), as empty seats should not be the expected norm... The penalty could be in the form of ‘point’ deductions…. PERHAPS DONATE UNUSED TICKETS TO LOCAL ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL AND FAMILIES OR CHARITIES THROUGH THE AD AS OPPOSED TO HAVING THE TICKET HOLDERS DO IT. AD WOULD PROVIDE RECEIPT FOR TAX DEDUCTION PURPOSES. FULL SEATS ARE BETTER THAN EMPTY EVEN IF THEY ARE THERE TO BE ENTERTAINED.

 

[formerlurker]

I'm totally up for anything that involves:
a. fire arms or weapons
b. non-PC and maximumly offensive

Examples:
Asian delivering game ball on a scooter in a large Chinese take-out container
Jonathan in war paint wooping it up with a flaming tomahawk

I'd come up with some more but I am late for my mandatory sensitivity training at work.

As long as we're throwing political correctness to the wind, I saw this yesterday and damn near pissed myself:

 

[coachcap]

Some good points have been brought up already, but here goes. As for increasing home attendance, well there is nothing we can do about the conference teams/match ups at this point. But UConn could easily accomplish some of these ideas and tasks:

Attempt to schedule more exciting non-conference games. We cannot afford to book any teams that are not at a minimum in an FBS conference. Except maybe for UMass or Army or a local IVY League team as our FCS game replacement.

Sell/transport additional students from the main campus to the home games. Really need to accomplish this even if it means just breaking even, as we need to lift up the atmosphere of the game time experience and no one does it better than the students.

Lower the seat donations on the blue chairback sections. In addition create a database in order to track the tickets that go un-used from this section. Then we can be in a position to penalize those patrons/corporations who do not use (or give away the tickets), as empty seats should not be the expected norm... The penalty could be in the form of ‘point’ deductions….

Ivy League teams are non-scholarship & don't count toward bowl eligibility. UConn can't, by definition, schedule the Ivies. Only scholarchip FCS schools count, otherwise there's no reward & it's an exhibition.

 

[Waquoit]

Imagine for a minute a UConn Cornealus character on dog sled racing across the field, pistol in hand firing a few shots. Now that's cool.

We were on that years ago. It was nixed because they don't want dogshit on the field.

 

[Lawson56]

We were on that years ago. It was nixed because they don't want dog**** on the field.

A cynic might say we already had that this season.

 

[RioDog]

We were on that years ago. It was nixed because they don't want dog**** on the field.

A cynic might say we already had that this season.

Indeed. At least dog from a dog only requires a scooper to clean it up.

 

[BlueDogs]

We were on that years ago. It was nixed because they don't want dog**** on the field.

How about the horse sh$t down in Tallahasee? Now that would be a pile.

 

[Lewconn]

Ivy League teams are non-scholarship & don't count toward bowl eligibility. UConn can't, by definition, schedule the Ivies. Only scholarchip FCS schools count, otherwise there's no reward & it's an exhibition.

CoachCap, thanks for that reminder about the Ivy’s… based on that we can’t afford to play them either…

 

[huskymedic]

We were on that years ago. It was nixed because they don't want dog**** on the field.

Fine - Then have the damn Spirt Squad pull it!!! It could be as simple as Jonathon on top holding the UConn Flag (role reversal - people pulling the husky)

 

[John]

Then we can be in a position to penalize those patrons/corporations who do not use (or give away the tickets), as empty seats should not be the expected norm... The penalty could be in the form of ‘point’ deductions….

What is this, the Soviet Union? People paid for those seats, they can use them or not use them as they see fit.

 

[uconnfan68]

What is this, the Soviet Union? People paid for those seats, they can use them or not use them as they see fit.

If they aren't going to use them, they'll never know someone is sitting in them.

 

[nycscooby]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/12/college_football_regular-seaso.html#incart_river_default

40. 'Ville, +3%
42. Rutgers, +12%
67. UConn, -5%

Doesn't help. On the plus side, Cincy checks in at number 77 and down 10% from last year...

 

[freescooter]

40. 'Ville, +3%
42. Rutgers, +12%
67. UConn, -5%

Doesn't help. On the plus side, Cincy checks in at number 77 and down 10% from last year...

and if we had started 9-0 UConn would have seen a substantial increase. Attendance, except at a few places like Michigan and Notre Dame is a function of expectations, schedule and performance. I suspect that UConn could well see an increase next season simply based on its home schedule being better. If we were to upset Michigan, it will increase even more...If a team is bad, also, late season games simply don't sell, especially in the northeast and other areas where weather can be a factor. And schedule can be really significant, too. I would bet that all or most of the BC 2% increase can be explained by the fact that Notre Dame came to town. Sold out Alumni stadium at 44,500. That's 25% over their 2011 average. Next year, assuming Michigan sells out, our average will likely increase by a couple of percentage points, even assuming no improvement in on-field performance.

 

[John]

As long as we're throwing political correctness to the wind, I saw this yesterday and damn near pissed myself:

View attachment 1926

That's really offensive, you should be ashamed.