Reply to thread

Message

[QUOTE="syracuse95, post: 2712628, member: 860"]
Tennessee is a bad comparison to SU because it’s a large state school which draws most of its student body (over 80%) from within the state of Tennessee.  Same with Ohio State (75%). Same with Penn State (70%). Same with LSU (80%).  Etc. Etc.  These state schools end up with vast numbers of alumni that live within 2-3 hours drive of the football stadium.  They all have a built-in floor to their attendance, because all those alumni have a tie to the university.  They will go to games even if the team is bad, because they feel affiliated with the university and it's nearby.

Syracuse is a small private university which draws 30% of its student body from NY state (most of those from NYC and Long Island).  Vanderbilt is a small private university that draws less than 10% of its student body from Tennessee.  The vast majority of their alumni don't live anywhere near campus.  That's why Vandy is a more apt comparison.  That's, not coincidentally, why Vandy and SU draw similar numbers of fans to games.

The lack of other P5 programs in the NE to compete with SU for fans doesn't matter, because most non-alums outside Onondaga county don't feel any affinity or affiliation with SU.  I grew up in NY state less than 100 miles from Syracuse, and most kids I went to HS with were not SU fans.  I wasn't either, until I went to college there.

Culture isn't created in a vacuum.  It has a lot to do with where the student body comes from, and where the alumni go after graduating.  Private schools not named Notre Dame or USC are fighting an uphill battle.
[/QUOTE]

Verification

What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?