Go low but bold

[TexanMark]

Well... there is 26 thousand less people living here than in 1980. So..

The City or the County?

 

[care taker]

relax winning is going to cure everything

 

[UnknownOrange]

The City or the County?

Yeah I had messed that number up. The immediate city of Syracuse was what I was quoting

 

[kcsu]

Stadiums do not sell tickets. Take a look at any pro sports team. Most have beautiful football baseball basketball arenas. If the team is losing with few exceptions fans dont come. Regardless of the improvements Syracuse makes to the Dome if they want to consistently have 40k plus per game they have to field a good team. As to recruiting the number one need is top shelf living quarters. Put funds into creating an amazing dorm for the players. Put the money into a world class staff. Players and coaches create winning programs. Winning programs not stadiums create a solid fan base. Simply put its the food not the restaurant that counts.

 

[Newhouser]

Isn't attendance at live sporting events a problem across the board? College sports specifically? Populations numbers and demographics don't erase the fact that for most young people the games are too long, attending is too inconvenient and everyone can follow the action easier and sometimes better via their own viewing source. We don't and never will have 50,000 die hard fans in this community. How many total sell outs are there in the Dome's history? SRO?

 

[Trueblue25]

Comes down to bolder advertising. Need to hit that 21-25 demographic, the young professional post-college urban dwellers. Build the next generation.

 

[OttoMets]

In case anyone is interested in the actual census numbers and comparisons from 2000 to 2010:

View attachment 94493

Football's a rural and suburban game; I'd be willing to bet that a huge minority of SU ticketholders are city residents. Don't think those numbers have much to do with the attendance.

Though I helped start this argument, I don't think population changes (or lack thereof) are what we should look at.

Aside from the persistent losing, it's just a TV problem.

Going to the Dome in the 1990s >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>either not seeing a blacked-out game or watching it on your 25" cathode ray tube TV.
Watching every game on a 60" HD screen in 2017>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>going to the Dome. (At least for a lot of people.)

I don't think we're going back to the old days on this one. Especially now that a new generation of people has been raised with no clue that the Dome can be a fun place to watch a football game with other fans.

 

[OttoMets]

Yeah I had messed that number up. The immediate city of Syracuse was what I was quoting

Understand if this is proprietary and you can't share, but I'm sure SU knows what zip codes have the highest percentage of season ticketholders - any insight on that?

(My hypothesis is that, other than 13210, they'd be huge in the northern and western burbs, the same places whose populations have boomed since 1980.)

 

[TheCusian]

It's exactly what I said. The non-diehards won't come back just because of winning. Many have moved on from FB. If it's a big name opponent, they will come, but 8-2 SU vs Wake isn't going to get 50K in the seats.

I don't believe this for a minute. We have zero idea of what an 8-2 SU team running Babers system would do to attendance. I can tell you from my conversations with friends from Rochester, they'd drive in (one's a Ohio State fan, the other an NFL guy) if we were any good for EVERY GAME. There's more hunger for winning football than you think.

It's just not seen as: 1. A good experience (dome/parking/hassles) 2. Worth it because they'll probably lose (their words, not mine).

 

[UnknownOrange]

Understand if this is proprietary and you can't share, but I'm sure SU knows what zip codes have the highest percentage of season ticketholders - any insight on that?

(My hypothesis is that, other than 13210, they'd be huge in the northern and western burbs, the same places whose populations have boomed since 1980.)

Would take them 30 seconds to find that out. If you couldn't tell that's why they did that tour with coaches last year. There was a dying need to advertise within a 90 minute radius of the dome. They put effort into it last year and I believe they are still doing things here and there for it. Athletics shouldn't be footing the advertising bill in NYC. The University should be since that's the goal - getting new students to come to cuse, thus creating fans. Not vice versa

 

[TheCusian]

Football's a rural and suburban game; I'd be willing to bet that a huge minority of SU ticketholders are city residents. Don't think those numbers have much to do with the attendance.

Though I helped start this argument, I don't think population changes (or lack thereof) are what we should look at.

Aside from the persistent losing, it's just a TV problem.

Going to the Dome in the 1990s >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>either not seeing a blacked-out game or watching it on your 25" cathode ray tube TV.
Watching every game on a 60" HD screen in 2017>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>going to the Dome. (At least for a lot of people.)

I don't think we're going back to the old days on this one. Especially now that a new generation of people has been raised with no clue that the Dome can be a fun place to watch a football game with other fans.

Agree.

I think it can be both though. If we start winning and are remotely competitive with the top teams in our conference AND we shrink capacity, make the game day experience better - then people will be seeing a full dome on their HDTV. I'd go with 44k.

 

[xc84]

I don't believe this for a minute. We have zero idea of what an 8-2 SU team running Babers system would do to attendance. I can tell you from my conversations with friends from Rochester, they'd drive in (one's a Ohio State fan, the other an NFL guy) if we were any good for EVERY GAME. There's more hunger for winning football than you think.

It's just not seen as: 1. A good experience (dome/parking/hassles) 2. Worth it because they'll probably lose (their words, not mine).

That's my take too. I am a diehard and drive 3 hours each way for games. It gets damn old driving home after the real bad losses...especially on a Friday night at 1 AM but I still do it. The local fair weather fans are just not going to tolerate that... they want to feel good when they leave. Not dread it. With hoops, it's the place to be because they win. Those people want to be associated with a winning team. With that said, combine winning with a better dome and you fill the place.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

I know it is only one or two games a year. But man was it hot in there for Louisville and Villanova the past few years. Maybe it is not worth the cost to put AC in for such a small amount of time but my god was it brutal. It became a really tough sell to get my fiance to go to future games because it was so warm.

 

[xc84]

I know it is only one or two games a year. But man was it hot in there for Louisville and Villanova the past few years. Maybe it is not worth the cost to put AC in for such a small amount of time but my god was it brutal. It became a really tough sell to get my fiance to go to future games because it was so warm.

That's why SU said AC might even be installed prior to non-air supported roof. SU has said it is a definite that AC will be added. When they are losing a lot, that (excessive heat) just adds insult to injury.

 

[shandeezy7]

I know it is only one or two games a year. But man was it hot in there for Louisville and Villanova the past few years. Maybe it is not worth the cost to put AC in for such a small amount of time but my god was it brutal. It became a really tough sell to get my fiance to go to future games because it was so warm.

I remember going to the Dome to watch some of the basketball games during the Empire State Summer Games one year. It was 90 degrees outside, so god only knows what the inside temperature was. It was absolutely brutal, though. Luckily, the Dome was selling $4 bottles of warm water sitting in a cooler with no ice in it.

 

[storange]

Win , and they will return.

 

[rocklloyd]

That's why SU said AC might even be installed prior to non-air supported roof. SU has said it is a definite that AC will be added. When they are losing a lot, that (excessive heat) just adds insult to injury.

they need to add capacity to their chilled water plant first.

 

[omg_cuse_rules]

The economy and slightly lower population numbers do play a role in the attendance drop. And the ease of at-home TV viewing. And the State Fair. And leaves.

But the main factor is the product on the field. If the community perceives the team as bad, they don't go. I'll bet that if the team goes 5-1 leading up to Clemson the Dome will see 47K +. Its not an unreasonable prediction.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I don't believe this for a minute. We have zero idea of what an 8-2 SU team running Babers system would do to attendance. I can tell you from my conversations with friends from Rochester, they'd drive in (one's a Ohio State fan, the other an NFL guy) if we were any good for EVERY GAME. There's more hunger for winning football than you think.

It's just not seen as: 1. A good experience (dome/parking/hassles) 2. Worth it because they'll probably lose (their words, not mine).

You just put diehards into my point about non-diehards.

 

[Eric15]

Sorry, but I think you're dead wrong.

If anything the seating capacity should be increased.

You're an eternal optimist when it comes to SU football and I respect that, but that's just not realistic. We have not sold out a game since 1999.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Let's win for the next three to five years then revisit this question. That should give an indication as to wether winning impacts attendance positively. I don't think we need to sell out every game, I'd settling for averaging in the 40ks again.

 

[SU68]

You're an eternal optimist when it comes to SU football and I respect that, but that's just not realistic. We have not sold out a game since 1999.

I believe that I read that the only time the Dome was sold out for football was the inaugural game. I know that Archbold wasn't sold out -- I froze through enough games there!

 

[care taker]

Need to win plain and simple .

 

[care taker]

Look at the Yankees u couldn't get a seat in the mid 90's , now seats are easy to come by . The Yankees had so many stars as well now they need a star and wins just like us .

 

[IthacaMatt]

Eliminating 20% of the seating capacity also means eliminating 20% of the basketball seats.

A 40,000 seat Dome will only have 16,000 decent basketball seats.

It's a shame you want to punish the loyal customers who support the sport that we are able to draw record crowds in.

Made Up Facts.