SU Football Culture vs Clemson

[ScriptCuse]

I spent time at Clemson in the late 90's before their ascension to one of the top programs in college football. At the time, SU had better coaches along with more talent and success on the field than did the Tigers. We had just embarrassed Clemson in the '96 Gator Bowl 41-0! However, I was shocked by the amount of fan support for the Clemson program. Game days were events and fans drove hours to spend the entire day at the campus. Tailgaiting was just as important as the game with different sections for good clean family fun and fraternity row was nearby so they could get after it without bothering the families. There were a lot of restaurants and bars in walking distance of the stadium that made most of their money during the 7 Tiger home games each season. The university gave free tickets to every student and they were good seats. They had a football booster program that started with Freshman students contributing just $20 a year so they could start to build a strong booster program.

The point I am trying to make is the games at Clemson were a fun event and it was about more than just the product on the field. The university made a conscious effort to develop their students into lifelong football fans and initiate young boosters that would support the program financially for generations. I remember thinking that the football culture at SU was nothing like that and Clemson was a sleeping giant. I was born and raised in Syracuse and the football team will always be #1 in my heart. I like the new stadium upgrades and I think Babers is a good coach, but we need to do a hell of a lot more with the game day culture and fan development to compete with the likes of Clemson. Get it done Wildhack...LGO!

Completely agree and great post. I think a lot of programs, from youth on up underestimate truly how much atmosphere and culture matter in building something

 

[syrBossHogg]

They're bringing Chucks back as well as opening up a new bar in the old spot that DJ's on the Hill used to be in. Gaining traction...? I think bringing Chucks back will be great for students

Unfortunately Chuck’s won’t be back soon with SU buying the Marshall

 

[NJCuse97]

I would say that >60% of Cuse Alumni base is in in DC, Philly, NYC, Boston or the surrounding areas. Those are all 3-5 driving hours from the Dome and are well within scope for traveling to a game for a day or for an overnight.

NYC and Philly are about 4.5 hours, Boston 5 and DC at least 6. I think you are underestimating the time/distance.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

One of my favorite Syracuse weekends is when the opening of the football season coincides with the New York State Fair. My wife and I get a hotel room and make a weekend out of it. It feels so Americana and very Upstate NY. For me it is as cool an atmosphere and weekend as anywhere. Then again, I am on this board so I am a Syracuse football and huge fan of the region.

It always surprised me that Syracuse U doesn't do more to connect the two events. That said I guess it is when most students arrive on campus for the semester and there are other things to do. I had a car as a student and was in Syracuse in the summers so I would drive down to the fairgrounds. I introduced the Fair to many friends on campus but felt like if you weren't adventurous it was easy as a student to get caught in the bubble on campus. Many students who I lived with in the dorms or on south... the only places they saw in Syracuse outside of the SU hill was the Carousel Mall/Erie Blvd/Wegmans.

There is so much else going on that is special in the CNY area that I think most SU students never see before graduating. I went to Crunch games, SkyChief games, downtown, the lakes, and all over the area. For a city the size of Syracuse it has a lot to offer. You have to make the effort to see it because it is not marketed to students in my opinion.

 

[Hokie Mark]

I spent time at Clemson in the late 90's before their ascension to one of the top programs in college football. At the time, SU had better coaches along with more talent and success on the field than did the Tigers. We had just embarrassed Clemson in the '96 Gator Bowl 41-0! However, I was shocked by the amount of fan support for the Clemson program. Game days were events and fans drove hours to spend the entire day at the campus. Tailgaiting was just as important as the game with different sections for good clean family fun and fraternity row was nearby so they could get after it without bothering the families. There were a lot of restaurants and bars in walking distance of the stadium that made most of their money during the 7 Tiger home games each season. The university gave free tickets to every student and they were good seats. They had a football booster program that started with Freshman students contributing just $20 a year so they could start to build a strong booster program.

The point I am trying to make is the games at Clemson were a fun event and it was about more than just the product on the field. The university made a conscious effort to develop their students into lifelong football fans and initiate young boosters that would support the program financially for generations. I remember thinking that the football culture at SU was nothing like that and Clemson was a sleeping giant. I was born and raised in Syracuse and the football team will always be #1 in my heart. I like the new stadium upgrades and I think Babers is a good coach, but we need to do a hell of a lot more with the game day culture and fan development to compete with the likes of Clemson. Get it done Wildhack...LGO!

Clemson does a great job of building its fan base. They make the "cost of entrance" low, and they give people a reason to spend time in a small town with very little to do outside of the university. Those who make excuses miss the point: this formula would work for just about any school. All you need is to stick to the plan and be patient...

 

[SUskibum]

NYC and Philly are about 4.5 hours, Boston 5 and DC at least 6. I think you are underestimating the time/distance.

Philly suburbs are 3. I drive up from most games and most suburbs are north of the city with quick access to 476 which is a straight shot to 81 and campus

northern DC suburbs (Bethesda/Potomac/Rockville/Gaithersburg) are 5, particularly on weekend mornings. again I used to live there and I know that route well driving it over 50x) Actually drove it a bunch in college too as my roommate was from down that way.

NYC is correct and within my 3-5 hr quote (I’ve driven this one more than 50x also)

Boston is under 5 which falls into my quote of 3-5 hrs (I’ve only driven that one a few times)

Point is the major metros that contain our alums are a day drive away. Maybe not for 6 games a year but for 1-3 games per year each.

 

[Bayside44]

Philly suburbs are 3. I drive up from most games and most suburbs are north of the city with quick access to 476 which is a straight shot to 81 and campus

northern DC suburbs (Bethesda/Potomac/Rockville/Gaithersburg) are 5, particularly on weekend mornings. again I used to live there and I know that route well driving it over 50x) Actually drove it a bunch in college too as my roommate was from down that way.

NYC is correct and within my 3-5 hr quote (I’ve driven this one more than 50x also)

Boston is under 5 which falls into my quote of 3-5 hrs (I’ve only driven that one a few times)

Point is the major metros that contain our alums are a day drive away. Maybe not for 6 games a year but for 1-3 games per year each.

There are other cars on the road.

Granted I drove a piece of junk in college but it always took well over 5 from Bayside to Cuse. The Bronx tends to get in the way.

DC is long, unless you leave in the middle of the night. It took me over 2 hours to get from Alexandria to north of Baltimore on Saturday for a lax thing. It's a drive I'll never take again unless it's family to a lake.

Boston is 312 miles. These aren't Sunday drives.

 

[TampaLaker]

Onondaga County population 1980
463,000

2020
460,000.

By comparison my county has gone from. 190k to 310k over that time span. And yes. I wish they would all go back where they came from.

Well here in Pasco county just north of Tampa the population has gone from 190k to 555k in that time and is still going. One of the fastest growing in the state and in the country.

 

[Scooch]

There are other cars on the road.

Granted I drove a piece of junk in college but it always took well over 5 from Bayside to Cuse. The Bronx tends to get in the way.

DC is long, unless you leave in the middle of the night. It took me over 2 hours to get from Alexandria to north of Baltimore on Saturday for a lax thing. It's a drive I'll never take again unless it's family to a lake.

Boston is 312 miles. These aren't Sunday drives.

It's also different depending on whether the team is good or not. I had season tickets for the first 8 years I was out of school, and did the 5 hour drive from CT four or five times each season. But that was 1995-2003, when the team was very competitive. People simply aren't going to do that when the team generally stinks.

 

[Pyle]

Philly suburbs are 3. I drive up from most games and most suburbs are north of the city with quick access to 476 which is a straight shot to 81 and campus

northern DC suburbs (Bethesda/Potomac/Rockville/Gaithersburg) are 5, particularly on weekend mornings. again I used to live there and I know that route well driving it over 50x) Actually drove it a bunch in college too as my roommate was from down that way.

NYC is correct and within my 3-5 hr quote (I’ve driven this one more than 50x also)

Boston is under 5 which falls into my quote of 3-5 hrs (I’ve only driven that one a few times)

Point is the major metros that contain our alums are a day drive away. Maybe not for 6 games a year but for 1-3 games per year each.

How fast do you drive? Because just to Allentown is a little over 3 on a good day

 

[SUskibum]

How fast do you drive? Because just to Allentown is a little over 3 on a good day

I’m not too far south from Allentown on 476 and I’ve done the trip in just over 3hrs on multiple occasions (to the Adam’s off ramp).

I encounter near 0 traffic sat mornings early and I do 10-15 over depending on area

I will say we hit traffic twice and it was closer to 4 hrs but those were the exception. Closer to 3 hrs has been the rule.

 

[690West]

Well here in Pasco county just north of Tampa the population has gone from 190k to 555k in that time and is still going. One of the fastest growing in the state and in the country.

Yuck.

 

[RandomGuy]

Well here in Pasco county just north of Tampa the population has gone from 190k to 555k in that time and is still going. One of the fastest growing in the state and in the country.

Did you tell them all to leave? Lol. (I've seen signs/bumper stickers in my state that say " Welcome to our state, now go home. " hahh.

If nothing else, interesting population growth from Cuse to some other areas.

 

[Jeremy L.]

Philly suburbs are 3. I drive up from most games and most suburbs are north of the city with quick access to 476 which is a straight shot to 81 and campus

northern DC suburbs (Bethesda/Potomac/Rockville/Gaithersburg) are 5, particularly on weekend mornings. again I used to live there and I know that route well driving it over 50x) Actually drove it a bunch in college too as my roommate was from down that way.

NYC is correct and within my 3-5 hr quote (I’ve driven this one more than 50x also)

Boston is under 5 which falls into my quote of 3-5 hrs (I’ve only driven that one a few times)

Point is the major metros that contain our alums are a day drive away. Maybe not for 6 games a year but for 1-3 games per year each.

And to your last point, if people are coming for games, they typically won't make their way up for UAlbany or Liberty or whoever. They only pick Clemson, FSU, etc. because of the name

 

[gbo]

There better not be any besmirching in this thread...