What puts fans in the stands?

SCADjacket

SCADjacket

Damn Good Rat
Joined
Jul 16, 2003
Messages
1,478
Just for an academic argument let me ask everyone a question.

How much do you think the system a coach runs goes into their chance of getting hired at a job where the stadium needs to be filled? Meaning, a school needs to put fans in the stands, some types of football are more exciting to watch than others for the causal non-die hard fan, thus exciting football makes people want to watch.

Would the average casual football fan prefer to see more of a high flying, high scoring air attack, or a low scoring run the ball, eat the clock ground game? Would they be more likely to buy tickets to watch one over the other?

If you want to drum up excitement among a fan base and bring in some of the local casual fans do you place any weight on the type of system a coach runs?

Or with all the other characteristics that a really good head coach needs to succeed is this just secondary to winning? Meaning you can develop a team that is great to watch but if they never win a game the seats still don't get sold anyway.
 
It's all about location. If you're the only game in town you're going to get a lot of fans even if you're mediocre. Look at Clemson, UGA, etc.

Even USC, the #1/#2 team in the land with consecutive BCS bowls could not sell out their stadium for their game against Stanford.
 
USC didn't sell out their Stanford game? What was the attendance?
 
gth816f said:
USC didn't sell out their Stanford game? What was the attendance?
Click to expand...
85,000. Their stadium seats 92,000.

I believe this is the 2nd game they have not sold out this season. Go back to 2001 they were only getting ~50,000 a game.
 
I don't think you hire someone based on how exciting their offense is...just how productive.

We certainly haven't been either the past 5 years.
 
This is what puts fans in stands:

Consistently having a real chance to win every game you play.

People come to see wins. If you always have a chance to win, your attendance will always grow over time.

And honestly, we've been pretty good on that with Chan. There's never been a Chan game that I thought we had no chance in. That's in contrast to the 96, 97, and 98 teams, which I was sure had no shot vs FSU, and nearly no shot in some other games.

But we're rapidly approaching "no shot" status with our current 3-6 streak.
 
GTKyle said:
It's all about location. If you're the only game in town you're going to get a lot of fans even if you're mediocre. Look at Clemson, UGA, etc.
Click to expand...

Hate to tell you, but Sanford and Son stadium up the road isn't getting filled by people from Athens. Sure, theres some of their grads that stay up there (usually the more pitiful ones), but folks drive from all over the state to see that inbred little bastard hump a bag of ice.

And as much as I hate them, and believe me its a strong hate, you cannot call them mediocre. Over the last 5-10 years they have been one of the perenial powers year in and year out.
 
I consider perenial powers to at least win a NC over a period of time.

OSU
UF
USC
OU
LSU split I think

Can't remember anymore off the top of my head.
 
UGA is a perennial SEC power though, and with a league like the SEC that means a great deal. Whether it's a fact or just perception, winning the SEC means a lot more than winning other leagues.
 
2 things put fans in the stands:

1) Winning
2) Being South Carolina
 
RamblinPeck said:
Hate to tell you, but Sanford and Son stadium up the road isn't getting filled by people from Athens. Sure, theres some of their grads that stay up there (usually the more pitiful ones), but folks drive from all over the state to see that inbred little bastard hump a bag of ice.

And as much as I hate them, and believe me its a strong hate, you cannot call them mediocre. Over the last 5-10 years they have been one of the perenial powers year in and year out.
Click to expand...
I think you misinterpreted what I said...

"the only game in town" is a colloquialism. Sanford stadium is primarily being filled by people from North Georgia. I never said UGA was mediocre. I said EVEN IF the team is mediocre. UGA would sell out even if their team sucked.
 
No, I'd say they're one of the perenial almost powers. They've certainly got a step up on us, but they're clearly inferior to LSU, FL, USC, TX and the like.
 
NC, they win championships in the SEC...

ncjacket said:
No, I'd say they're one of the perenial almost powers. They've certainly got a step up on us, but they're clearly inferior to LSU, FL, USC, TX and the like.
Click to expand...

surely not every year, but they have won the trophy in the best conference in football year over year twice in very recent history. Not saying you or I have to like them but they are clearly knocking on the door of perennial powers and just below the 4-5 teams that have been NC contenders over the last 6-7 years
 
ncjacket said:
No, I'd say they're one of the perenial almost powers. They've certainly got a step up on us, but they're clearly inferior to LSU, FL, USC, TX and the like.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, Im not going to argue for the hydrant humpers by any means, and we're just using two different definitions of powers. They're the same place UT was for years under Mac Brown, except they have either UF, AU, or Tennessee beating them each year instead of just OU smacking them around.

That said, I hope more than anyone that they never take that next step, cause I like having twice the amount of MNCs that they have and I'd like to keep the ratio at least there.
 
GTKyle said:
I think you misinterpreted what I said...

"the only game in town" is a colloquialism. Sanford stadium is primarily being filled by people from North Georgia. I never said UGA was mediocre. I said EVEN IF the team is mediocre. UGA would sell out even if their team sucked.
Click to expand...

Why do you always keep posting even when you don't know what you're talking about? Like it or not, UGAy fans come from all over the state. Also, like it or not, a lot of folks in south Georgia (and elsewhere in the state I'm sure) don't know that Georgia Tech exists. I had several folks ask me if I was in Athens when I told them I went to Tech - young and old alike. I don't pretend to think most people are that naive, but it's more than you would think. UGA is the only school/team they know, so that's why they all love it.
 
haywire83 said:
Why do you always keep posting even when you don't know what you're talking about? Like it or not, UGAy fans come from all over the state. Also, like it or not, a lot of folks in south Georgia (and elsewhere in the state I'm sure) don't know that Georgia Tech exists. I had several folks ask me if I was in Athens when I told them I went to Tech - young and old alike. I don't pretend to think most people are that naive, but it's more than you would think. UGA is the only school/team they know, so that's why they all love it.
Click to expand...
I know exactly what I am talking about. Stop being a condescending jackass.

You really need to pay attention to what I type. I said Sanford stadium is filled with people primarily from North Georgia. Did I say UGA fans were mostly from North Georgia? No. Proximity and logic dictates that most of the fans that fill Sanford come from the surrounding areas. Of course fans from all over state come to the games, but the stadium is filled MOSTLY by North Georgians.

I know what you are talking about though. Several times I've told people that I go to Georgia Tech and they've replied, "oh, bulldogs, right?" :ugh:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top