Attendance

[orange_in_VA]

Uhhhh...250k?

What are these careers?

Two lawyers and the Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of the Northern district of NY.
Mom, her cousin (my second cousin), and her uncle (my great uncle).

My great uncle also grew up with Ernie Davis in Elmira and played football at Cuse with Floyd Little. Was roommates with Jim Nance at one point. Was also a war hero in Vietnam. He's got some awesome stories man.

 

[HeaterCuse22]

Two lawyers and the Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of the Northern district of NY.
Mom, her cousin (my second cousin), and her uncle (my great uncle).

My great uncle also grew up with Ernie Davis in Elmira and played football at Cuse with Floyd Little. Was roommates with Jim Nance at one point. Was also a war hero in Vietnam. He's got some awesome stories man.

Your cool. lol

 

[orange_in_VA]

Your cool. lol

Eh, I'm ok. My great Uncle is really cool though.

 

[HeaterCuse22]

Eh, I'm ok. My great Uncle is really cool though.

You better be cool. I don't want to have to figure this out after I get to VA for that game.

 

[orange_in_VA]

You better be cool. I don't want to have to figure this out after I get to VA for that game.

 

[Macky44]

Yeah, let's blame our attendance on the fans/alumni that live across the country when there is almost 650,000 people just in the Syracuse Metro area (with Rochester right down the road), and we can't fill a 49k stadium. GTFOH.

I had to defend out of towners last year in a similar thread (every year it seems). First of all, we make our money from TV, not the ticket sales from the townies that do show up. The people watching at home are valuable to the program just as much as the fans in the stands (TV contracts). Secondly, a lot of us out of town folks, go out of our way to make it to road games that are a little closer to where we live, and cost A LOT more money than going to a game at the Dome. Where are you locals at then? If it's reasonable for you to expect us to travel 9+ hours to get to the Dome, than carry your butts down here, ya hypocrites!

I travel to a minimum of 2 road games every single season. I lived in Boston for 2 years and drove to Syracuse for every single home game during the Robinson era, in addition to going to 2 road games at the same time those years and didnt see a single win. I am a local. ONCE AGAIN...noone is calling out the people who live in a different state. Not sure why you keep ringing that bell.

 

[Chip]

Dunno what? So you were there 98-02? I'd say football and hoops were fairly on par during that stretch. But it's subjective obviously.

I'd say anyone 95 to 98 has a good football argument as well. 95-96 freshmen had one of the better years for both. Football crushes Clemson in the Gator and was one of the better football teams we've had at season's end. Hoops has the magical run to championship. But sophomore to senior, hoops was NIT, Sweet 16, First round loss. Football was Liberty (how deflating was that), Fiesta, Orange.

 

[Scooch]

I travel to a minimum of 2 road games every single season. I lived in Boston for 2 years and drove to Syracuse for every single home game during the Robinson era, in addition to going to 2 road games at the same time those years and didnt see a single win. I am a local. ONCE AGAIN...noone is calling out the people who live in a different state. Not sure why you keep ringing that bell.

Oh, someone is, and has been for a while.

 

[Macky44]

One game. The Pinstripe Bowl. What about the Fiest Bowl, the Music City Bowl, the Liberty Bowl? We were passed over a few times in the '90s specifically because our fan base (local and alum) DIDN'T travel. We (I used to be a local) might travel to one game a year away from the 'Cuse. That's one, and that's awesome, but what are we really expecting of alums? Should we expect WAY more out of alums than out of locals?

Who ARE you talking about when you mention the alumni base? Within a three hour radius (gets you to Buffalo and Albany) I can see. That's where you're drawing the most people. A LOT of our alums live in NYC metro, DC metro, Boston, and Philly metro. I don't think it's feasible for a university to expect alums from those areas to be making trips up many times during the course of a season. If that's your target market, you will always struggle with attendance.

If SU focuses on the Syracuse extended metro area, there are 650,000 people. Alums within three hours are also feasible, and there should be outreach there. Anyone from further out is gravy.

Take VPI for example. Filled to the brim on most occasions. They have great local support, but the majority of their (much larger) alumni base is within three and a half hours. NoVa/DC area is teeming with Hokies. Even where I live (in the valley) VT fans outnumber UVA fans by a 5 to 1 margin. Those alums make the trip back because it's easy for them.

Guess when they don't make the trip back? When their basketball team is playing. And that is the REAL crux of all of this. Football has been mediocre for a LONG time. People will travel and root for a team that wins. Our basketball fan base takes over arenas anywhere on the East coast. We will travel to watch them play because there is an expectation of excellence every year. I'll go to the Georgetown game this year, and the ACC tourney. If I have spending money, I'm likely (as an alum and a local) to spend it watching a team that can and will win 8 times out of 10. I'll also go to the SU-UVA basketball and football games this year. Get them close to me (within three hours) and I'm there, no questions asked. If you want me traveling five, six or seven hours? I want to see a team that is competitive. Or I might just wait for basketball season. You want distant alumni buy in? Put a winning product on the field.

I just really think it's disingenuous of locals to say "it's alums fault!" I once was a local and alum. Went to every game. When you move away, you long to be there, but money and life get in the way. It's just the way it is. If you haven't lived far enough away from the 'Cuse to recognize that, then don't shout from the mountaintops about your awful alumni base. Alumni aren't awful, it's the product that has been awful. If SU pulls off a nine win season, lots more people will be in the dome, alums AND locals. That's just the way it is.

My issue is and always has been the CURRENT students that can spit and hit The Dome and don't go to a single game. It's hard to argue against that. Also, if you dont think the locals were the ones going to Orange, cherry, pinstripe, peach bowls etc...you are INSANE. My whole freakin neighborhood in Liverpool was at just about every bowl game since Coach Mac was in the building.

 

[SUbear]

Two lawyers and the Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of the Northern district of NY.
Mom, her cousin (my second cousin), and her uncle (my great uncle).

My great uncle also grew up with Ernie Davis in Elmira and played football at Cuse with Floyd Little. Was roommates with Jim Nance at one point. Was also a war hero in Vietnam. He's got some awesome stories man.

You are part of the Mordue family then.

 

[orange_in_VA]

I travel to a minimum of 2 road games every single season. I lived in Boston for 2 years and drove to Syracuse for every single home game during the Robinson era, in addition to going to 2 road games at the same time those years and didnt see a single win. I am a local. ONCE AGAIN...noone is calling out the people who live in a different state. Not sure why you keep ringing that bell.

I "rang the bell" once in this thread. This thread happens every year though. There have been others who have tried to lay blame on the out of towners. I fully agree with you about the students not showing up. I hope Coyle implements some new things to try to get them more involved.

 

[orange_in_VA]

You are part of the Mordue family then.

Indeed I am. Do you know any of us? Or met any of us?

 

[Macky44]

I "rang the bell" once in this thread. This thread happens every year though. There have been others who have tried to lay blame on the out of towners. I fully agree with you about the students not showing up. I hope Coyle implements some new things to try to get them more involved.

Coyle doing that is a MUST. Couldn't agree more.

 

[Scooch]

My issue is and always has been the CURRENT students that can spit and hit The Dome and don't go to a single game. It's hard to argue against that. Also, if you dont think the locals were the ones going to Orange, cherry, pinstripe, peach bowls etc...you are INSANE. My whole freakin neighborhood in Liverpool was at just about every bowl game since Coach Mac was in the building.

Student attendance is an issue on just about every campus, and there are a host of reasons why that we have hashed out here over and over again.

Thing is, it seems like just about every season home opener has a full, loud student section. Then we lose, or look awful winning, and kids stop showing up. Since we haven't been known as a "football school" since any of them were out of diapers, I understand why they flee so quickly.

I mean, I just read a piece this week about SU soccer attendance. If a couple thousand students will show up for a soccer match then they'll show up for football. The team just needs to be better. People want 50s-style undying school loyalty from these kids but its not the way of the world anymore. Certainly not at a super-expesive northeastern private school where the majority of the student population did not grow up in the area.

 

[SUbear]

Indeed I am. Do you know any of us? Or met any of us?

Only by reputation, and I do not mean anything negative in that knowledge. I was actually at many of the games where Ernie played, although I can not say I remember Norman from then, have read about him being on the team subsequently.

 

[orange_in_VA]

Only by reputation, and I do not mean anything negative in that knowledge. I was actually at many of the games where Ernie played, although I can not say I remember Norman from then, have read about him being on the team subsequently.

Ah, I see. Makes sense, I'm sure a lot of people around Cuse know of my Uncle. He actually played in high school against Ernie. They used to drive between Cuse and Elmira together. My grandfather was more around Davis' age. My grandfather almost beat the crap out of a bartender that was refusing to serve Davis in Elmira for racial reasons. I believe he was calling him some racist names too. The bartender didn't even know who he was talking to.

 

[Macky44]

Student attendance is an issue on just about every campus, and there are a host of reasons why that we have hashed out here over and over again.

Thing is, it seems like just about every season home opener has a full, loud student section. Then we lose, or look awful winning, and kids stop showing up. Since we haven't been known as a "football school" since any of them were out of diapers, I understand why they flee so quickly.

I mean, I just read a piece this week about SU soccer attendance. If a couple thousand students will show up for a soccer match then they'll show up for football. The team just needs to be better. People want 50s-style undying school loyalty from these kids but its not the way of the world anymore. Certainly not at a super-expesive northeastern private school where the majority of the student population did not grow up in the area.

I agree with everything you just said with the exception of one thing...the students ACT like they are devoted fans when basketball rolls around but they really arent fans...they are there for the scene..which is FINE. I just wish they would do that for football too haha. I go to a couple soccer matches a year and im impressed with the atmosphere. The soccer stadium is typically packed. Good stuff.

 

[BVille44]

Student attendance is an issue on just about every campus, and there are a host of reasons why that we have hashed out here over and over again.

Thing is, it seems like just about every season home opener has a full, loud student section. Then we lose, or look awful winning, and kids stop showing up. Since we haven't been known as a "football school" since any of them were out of diapers, I understand why they flee so quickly.

I mean, I just read a piece this week about SU soccer attendance. If a couple thousand students will show up for a soccer match then they'll show up for football. The team just needs to be better. People want 50s-style undying school loyalty from these kids but its not the way of the world anymore. Certainly not at a super-expesive northeastern private school where the majority of the student population did not grow up in the area.

The students get in free to soccer games and have created an incredible atmosphere. AD Coyle should let them in free to the football games and implement the student tailgate which he did at Boise a State. SU will offset any loss of season ticket revenue with concession sales.

 

[Scooch]

I agree with everything you just said with the exception of one thing...the students ACT like they are devoted fans when basketball rolls around but they really arent fans...they are there for the scene..which is FINE. I just wish they would do that for football too haha. I go to a couple soccer matches a year and im impressed with the atmosphere. The soccer stadium is typically packed. Good stuff.

Problem is that there ain't no scene when the team isn't all that good.

And it's not exactly a recent phenomena. Like I was saying upthread, my first game as a student, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, was in '91. The student section was not anywhere close to full when we played Vandy. Three weeks later it was packed beyond comprehension when we were 3-0 and playing #5 Florida.

Everyone loves a bandwagon, win some games and all will be well.

 

[Scooch]

The students get in free to soccer games and have created an incredible atmosphere. AD Coyle should let them in free to the football games and implement the student tailgate which he did at Boise a State. SU will offset any loss of season ticket revenue with concession sales.

Free is fine but the students won't show up en masse if the team keeps white-knuckling their way to 6 wins a year.

I do have faith in Coyle better engaging students, though.

 

[zjscuse]

Last years villanova game had a great crowd and the students for the most part showed up I was pretty surprised by the turn out if we knocked them out of the water last year there would a been good crowds for the rest of the season . gotta make people confident to spend there day at the. Dome which is why they need to keep every game at least interesting

 

[Macky44]

Problem is that there ain't no scene when the team isn't all that good.

And it's not exactly a recent phenomena. Like I was saying upthread, my first game as a student, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, was in '91. The student section was not anywhere close to full when we played Vandy. Three weeks later it was packed beyond comprehension when we were 3-0 and playing #5 Florida.

Everyone loves a bandwagon, win some games and all will be well.

Valid.

 

[Phillymoose]

I'd say anyone 95 to 98 has a good football argument as well. 95-96 freshmen had one of the better years for both. Football crushes Clemson in the Gator and was one of the better football teams we've had at season's end. Hoops has the magical run to championship. But sophomore to senior, hoops was NIT, Sweet 16, First round loss. Football was Liberty (how deflating was that), Fiesta, Orange.

'85 - '89 got to see a year of the Pearl.. The NC run in 87, a Sugar Bowl, Hall of Fame bowl..
Those were the days my friend; we thought they'd never end.

 

[cusefan88]

the team went 3-9 and has been horrible. football is not deep rooted here enough anymore to overcome that.

With that being said, I did come in from NYC early just to make this game and I'm forward to seeing the Dome once again!

 

[Upstate]

I'm with Bayside44, we should just assume everyone that doesn't go to the game from the area has simply just died.