Noon, Thu & Fri games SUCK, not the Fans

[orangebabe]

Whoever is in charge of scheduling these games needs to stop putting a good majority at noon, or this attendance issue will never change. The same can be said for Thursday and Friday games.

People in Syracuse do have lives outside of Syracuse football, and in fact, were actually instructed to get a life about 10 years ago by the SU Admin. I know it’s different leadership at the helm now, but I think those types of comments left a bad taste in the mouths of the fans.

During the later years of coach P, people were more inclined to find other things to do besides SU football. After P, there was no reason to go, because the team was not winning. As of now, I know a lot of people in Syracuse have gone from working for businesses that have left the region to working for themselves or for businesses in the contracting industry. These types of jobs require more than Monday-Friday attendance, so they tend to work on Saturday mornings to finish up their work week. If this isn’t the case, they have other things going on with their children such as sports, or they are involved in their own extracurricular activities.

I can also speak for myself by saying that I work all week and also do things after work on Thursdays and Fridays which prevent me from being able to go to a Syracuse Football game on those evenings. Sometimes I am required to make up games on Saturdays that get rained out during the, so Saturday noon games are not an option.

I know some people will not like this, but a true fact is that most people, including myself, do not want to get up at 6-7 a.m. on a Saturday to trek up to the Dome to watch a team that is 2-18 at noon playing against teams that don’t mean anything, i.e. Rhode Island, Toledo, Rutgers, etc. Lastly, fall is the grand finale for nice weather in Syracuse, before the snow starts flying. Syracusans do not want to sit inside a steaming hot dome, when we can enjoy the beautiful weather outside and finish up some season-ending chores such as closing our pools, winterizing boats, etc.

With this all being said, if SU wants fans to fill the seats, they need to start scheduling games at 3:30 or later on SATURDAYS. They need to avoid having noon games or the Thursday & Friday night games which interfere with work and family/personal functions.

 

[orangenauburn]

Doesn't slow down fans elsewhere. ... our fanbase suck

 

[Rocco]

I know some people will not like this, but a true fact is that most people, including myself, do not want to get up at 6-7 a.m. on a Saturday to trek up to the Dome to watch a team that is 2-18 at noon playing against teams that don’t mean anything, Rutgers, etc.

With this all being said, if SU wants fans to fill the seats, they need to start scheduling games at 3:30 or later on SATURDAYS.

Your overall preferences won't ever happen because is all about money and TV anymore. SU has to deal with the scheduling in order to satisfy certain TV requirements that will get them on TV, etc.

Get up at 6-7 am? Are you driving from Toronto?

Lastly, Rutgers isn't a meaningless team? They are in the BE and compete with us for recruiting. We won't ever see the Florida's, Tennessee's or Nebraska's back in the Dome, at least for a long time.

 

[cusestudent]

Orangebabe is exactly right and you diehards on this board cannot see that fact because you live and breath SU sports. Many people have busy schedules and cannot sacrifice everything for a football program that has done nothing for the fans. Upgrade the facilities and more fans will come. Schedule games at 4:30 or later and more fans will come. 4:30 is the perfect time for SU to schedule games on Saturdays because fans can tailgate without waking up at the crack of dawn to do so.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

Whoever is in charge of scheduling these games needs to stop putting a good majority at noon, or this attendance issue will never change. The same can be said for Thursday and Friday games.

People in Syracuse do have lives outside of Syracuse football, and in fact, were actually instructed to get a life about 10 years ago by the SU Admin. I know it’s different leadership at the helm now, but I think those types of comments left a bad taste in the mouths of the fans.

During the later years of coach P, people were more inclined to find other things to do besides SU football. After P, there was no reason to go, because the team was not winning. As of now, I know a lot of people in Syracuse have gone from working for businesses that have left the region to working for themselves or for businesses in the contracting industry. These types of jobs require more than Monday-Friday attendance, so they tend to work on Saturday mornings to finish up their work week. If this isn’t the case, they have other things going on with their children such as sports, or they are involved in their own extracurricular activities.

I can also speak for myself by saying that I work all week and also do things after work on Thursdays and Fridays which prevent me from being able to go to a Syracuse Football game on those evenings. Sometimes I am required to make up games on Saturdays that get rained out during the, so Saturday noon games are not an option.

I know some people will not like this, but a true fact is that most people, including myself, do not want to get up at 6-7 a.m. on a Saturday to trek up to the Dome to watch a team that is 2-18 at noon playing against teams that don’t mean anything, i.e. Rhode Island, Toledo, Rutgers, etc. Lastly, fall is the grand finale for nice weather in Syracuse, before the snow starts flying. Syracusans do not want to sit inside a steaming hot dome, when we can enjoy the beautiful weather outside and finish up some season-ending chores such as closing our pools, winterizing boats, etc.

With this all being said, if SU wants fans to fill the seats, they need to start scheduling games at 3:30 or later on SATURDAYS. They need to avoid having noon games or the Thursday & Friday night games which interfere with work and family/personal functions.

Come on! Suck it up and organize your day a little differently on Saturday.
You sound like one of those blue hairs who asks people to sit down and be quiet.

 

[Scooch]

Dearest Admins,

When does the "really dislike" button get added? I need to use it a couple times in this thread.

Much love,

Scooch

 

[ImperialOrange]

So you're saying you won't be at the game this weekend?

 

[orangebabe]

Doesn't slow down fans elsewhere. ... our fanbase suck

Fans elsewhere don't play in a Dome and have to inside on a beautiful fall day. If it were later in the day, then more fans would be inclined to go. It's ignorance like this that keeps attendance down. Facts are facts, and noon games will not work.

 

[orangebabe]

So you're saying you won't be at the game this weekend?

Sure won't. I have make-up games from rainouts on Sat. a.m. I would have definitely gone if it was a 3:30 or later game. Same can be said for the 100's who play in my league.

 

[All4SU]

Lastly, Rutgers isn't a meaningless team? They are in the BE and compete with us for recruiting. We won't ever see the Florida's, Tennessee's or Nebraska's back in the Dome, at least for a long time.

I don't think that's true. We will see FSU, and Miami, and VT, and Clemson, and GTech. And my guess is we will continue to see top OOC opponents as well.

But I disagree with Orange Babe on the rest. It's not the times, or the days. It's the fact that the casual fans haven't bought in yet.

 

[orangebabe]

Come on! Suck it up and organize your day a little differently on Saturday.
You sound like one of those blue hairs who asks people to sit down and be quiet.

LOL, it's not just me, and it's ignorance like that that will keep the attendance down. Syracuse will never see attendance above 30k on Saturdays at noon playing the likes of Toledo, Rutgers, Rhode Island, etc. in early fall. As the temps get colder, maybe. I'm saying these early season game-times need to change.

 

[Eric15]

Orangebabe,

I'm sure you're a very nice girl, but literally everything about this post sucks.

There are 8760 hours in a year. Of those 8760, Syracuse is playing football for 42 of them. If you would rather close your pool or winterize your boat during those precious 42 hours, then you're not an SU football fan. It's OK, this is a free country and you can spend your weekends how you choose, but you don't seem to have the personality profile of someone who enjoys college football.

 

[orangenauburn]

They released the schedule in advance so people can plan ahead. The Syracuse fan base has more piss poor excuses than many. Do people not think members of this board have lives outside SU athletics? They do, but they are pro active and smart and plan ahead. TV dictates start times ... mow the lawn after. Boo hoo I have to get up at 6 ... you do that anyways foor work don’t you? I have to walk up hill ... good, most of us need the exercise anyways in CNY. They suck at noon home games ... probably tough to get pumped up running into a half empty dome. They need upgrades before I go... well they can not do upgrades if they don’t have fans or donations.

Just quit with the lame BS excuses and go to the Gosh darn games or keep your mouth shut!

 

[orangebabe]

I don't think that's true. We will see FSU, and Miami, and VT, and Clemson, and GTech. And my guess is we will continue to see top OOC opponents as well.

But I disagree with Orange Babe on the rest. It's not the times, or the days. It's the fact that the casual fans haven't bought in yet.

Maybe I should rephrase a bit...attendance is down for early season games at noon for those reasons mentioned. As you get towards the very end of Oct. when temps drop, attendance on Sat. at noon may increase with better competition, but it will probably never be a packed house unless a conference championshipi is on the line.

 

[CusefanATL]

Is our fanbase really this dumb?

We hardly have any control over the time of games. TV and conference get the 1st dibs on all of them. Did they make a mistake with the Wake game? Absolutely. But there was no option for this Sat's game.

Imagine being at Michigan St? A team that is prob pretty comparable to Cuse in overall tradition, maybe even a little less... THEY PLAY 1/2 OF THEIR GAMES AT 11AM. The population in East Lansing is 48,000 - about 1/4 the size of Syracuse. It is 90 miles away from Detroit... imagine if we had to count on most of our fans coming from Rochester every game. They avg 70k+ a game

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I Love the Thursday and Friday night game, get out of work around 4 pm, up to the dome by 5 or so, tailgate... The rest of the weekend is free. It's just what you make a priority. 12 noon starts happen eevery where. our fanbase just sucks, nothing more nothing less.

Oh the hill, oh the parking, oh the night games, oh the noon starts, oh the tailgating, oh the music, oh the seats, oh the hot dogs, oh the beer!! Good lord.

 

[orangenauburn]

Last I checked there were over 80000 in the rain in michigan when they played w michigan

 

[CusefanATL]

I don't think that's true. We will see FSU, and Miami, and VT, and Clemson, and GTech. And my guess is we will continue to see top OOC opponents as well.

But I disagree with Orange Babe on the rest. It's not the times, or the days. It's the fact that the casual fans haven't bought in yet.

DING DING DING. spot on ALL4SU

 

[oddo033]

This whole post is beyond ridiculous. First, yes noon games suck BUT there are a lot of games on at noon from around the country. 2. you started off by saying that its an inconvenient time. Then when someone mentioned others playing noon games it turned into a dome complaint about being indoors. I work retail. I pull minor miracles getting to most games each year. SU doesn't set the time TV does. Our fan base is pure crap outside of the diehards.

 

[orangebabe]

They released the schedule in advance so people can plan ahead. The Syracuse fan base has more piss poor excuses than many. Do people not think members of this board have lives outside SU athletics? They do, but they are pro active and smart and plan ahead. TV dictates start times ... mow the lawn after. Boo hoo I have to get up at 6 ... you do that anyways foor work don’t you? I have to walk up hill ... good, most of us need the exercise anyways in CNY. They suck at noon home games ... probably tough to get pumped up running into a half empty dome. They need upgrades before I go... well they can not do upgrades if they don’t have fans or donations.

Just quit with the lame BS excuses and go to the Gosh darn games or keep your mouth shut!

Ignorance like this will not make it better. I have a right to speak and would rather sit in front of my tv than with argumentative fans like you who are living in a dream world of bringing all Cuse fans to their wonderful little bubble when there is life outside of it. Obviously it's not working, so keep trying to think of ways to change it while you sit in there with 20k other fans. I will stay home, and I will laugh when the question keeps being raised as to why attendance is so low. I had season tickets for years during the Coach P era, and there were never this many noon games.

 

[orangebabe]

Your overall preferences won't ever happen because is all about money and TV anymore. SU has to deal with the scheduling in order to satisfy certain TV requirements that will get them on TV, etc.

Get up at 6-7 am? Are you driving from Toronto?

Lastly, Rutgers isn't a meaningless team? They are in the BE and compete with us for recruiting. We won't ever see the Florida's, Tennessee's or Nebraska's back in the Dome, at least for a long time.

Rutgers may not be meaningless, but they are not good. Is that better? My point is, we do not play any good teams in the early season to warrant disrupting the entire day for a noon game given all of the other factors I also mentioned. If people don't want to believe that these are the issues, that's fine, but I know they are. I don't get paid to bring more fans to games or find a solution for low attendance, so I could care less.

 

[Rocco]

I don't think that's true. We will see FSU, and Miami, and VT, and Clemson, and GTech. And my guess is we will continue to see top OOC opponents as well.

quote]

I didn't say any of those. They are all in-conference games. We won't have any OOC big home games int he near future.

 

[orangenauburn]

That was the worst rebuttal ever. You are exactly what is wrong with the 'syracuse' fan base. Instead of supporting the program you would rather sit at home and laugh at it. And that is what 70% of CNY is ... they are Orangebabe who wont go because they atmosphere is not tailor-made to their wants

 

[orangebabe]

Orangebabe,

I'm sure you're a very nice girl, but literally everything about this post sucks.

There are 8760 hours in a year. Of those 8760, Syracuse is playing football for 42 of them. If you would rather close your pool or winterize your boat during those precious 42 hours, then you're not an SU football fan. It's OK, this is a free country and you can spend your weekends how you choose, but you don't seem to have the personality profile of someone who enjoys college football.

I guess I probably am not a fan then because you said so. If you only knew

 

[All4SU]

I didn't say any of those. They are all in-conference games. We won't have any OOC big home games int he near future.

What makes you say that?