Topic: Will we average 30,000 this fall???...

[backontrack]

First, if we go 10-4 again, we won't...however, we have a good schedule at home...we ought to draw 30,000+ for R.I., maybe 33,000-35,000 for O.U....unless we fall apart by the time MTSU arrives, we should be AT LEAST close to that number (mid-October, probably Homecoming)...F.A.U. could get that number as well, and obviously the Rice game will get a lot of attention...then, by the time Western Kentucky shows on Black Friday our record will hopefully be at 11-2/12-1, and we'll get a big crowd despite the students being out of town...unless we fall to 10-4 or lower, I believe that we will...

[MUsince96]

Until we actually do it, it's hard to expect us to.

[jstherd]

Yes

[Huffnagel]

[lovetheherd2]

we should be AT LEAST close to that number (mid-October, probably Homecoming)...\

I am one of the most optimistic fans around. I do not think a chance of AVG 30,000.

If we avg. 28,000 or 28,500, I will be estatic. Without a BIG game that draws significant fans from the other close by team to get a 33,000 to 34,000 no way we can average 30,000. That would be Ohio bringing 4,500 or another big game.

Maybe in a future year against a big name team who brings fans and with good weather, but not this year.

JMO.. no need to flame or fire warning shots.

[Sam-I-am]

Tough call...
          
Sept. 6, 2014   Rhode Island            Over 30,000       
Sept. 13, 2014   Ohio                     Over 30,000       
Oct. 11, 2014   Middle Tenn.            No.  They will bring fans, however.  IMO,MTSU will become a heated rivalry.       
Oct. 25, 2014   Florida Atlantic         No.....but will be close.  Hopefully we're top 25 by this weekend.       
Nov. 15, 2014   Rice                       If they are 7-2 and we're 9-0....maybe.
Nov. 28, 2014   Western Kentucky    No way, no how.  IMO, another soon to be heated rivalry.  They will bring fans.
CUSA Championship                        Over 30,000.

Black Friday will KILL us......

[Bleed_Kelly_Green]

Sam, Don't forget that Oct.11 is Homecoming. It could happen then as well.

[mckayt]

I am one of the most optimistic fans around. I do not think a chance of AVG 30,000.

If we avg. 28,000 or 28,500, I will be estatic. Without a BIG game that draws significant fans from the other close by team to get a 33,000 to 34,000 no way we can average 30,000. That would be Ohio bringing 4,500 or another big game.

Maybe in a future year against a big name team who brings fans and with good weather, but not this year.

JMO.. no need to flame or fire warning shots.

I totally agree with you.  Ohio University bringing 4,500 fans to Huntington would be equivalent to us averaging 33,000 for the season.  Don't see either happening.  I hope I'm wrong on both accounts. 

[BipolarFan]

Am I missing something?  Why would there be a big crowd for Rhode Island?

[goherd24]

First, if we go 10-4 again, we won't...however, we have a good schedule at home...we ought to draw 30,000+ for R.I., maybe 33,000-35,000 for O.U....unless we fall apart by the time MTSU arrives, we should be AT LEAST close to that number (mid-October, probably Homecoming)...F.A.U. could get that number as well, and obviously the Rice game will get a lot of attention...then, by the time Western Kentucky shows on Black Friday our record will hopefully be at 11-2/12-1, and we'll get a big crowd despite the students being out of town...unless we fall to 10-4 or lower, I believe that we will...

11-2 or 12-1? Going into our 12th game?

Even with RI being our opener, 30k is a stretch for that one. The OU game will be an electric atmosphere and probably our best crowd since va tech at home 2 years ago. Hopefully better than that crowd actually. I hope similar to the kstate crowd a few years back, around 35 or 36k.

If we go undefeated, get in the top 25, I want to say yes, but we didnt even average 30k fans in 1999. So It is a longshot.

[MUther]

Gotta throw out one game for dismal weather.  At least tickets will have already been bought for the most part, but we always have that one rainy, chilly day where like 15k are there and we announce 22k.

[Big City]

First, if we go 10-4 again, we won't...however, we have a good schedule at home...we ought to draw 30,000+ for R.I., maybe 33,000-35,000 for O.U....unless we fall apart by the time MTSU arrives, we should be AT LEAST close to that number (mid-October, probably Homecoming)...F.A.U. could get that number as well, and obviously the Rice game will get a lot of attention...then, by the time Western Kentucky shows on Black Friday our record will hopefully be at 11-2/12-1, and we'll get a big crowd despite the students being out of town...unless we fall to 10-4 or lower, I believe that we will...

As much as I would love to see Marshall have that many butts in seats I just do not see it possible based on historical attendance, past records and opponents. I do think the attendance will be higher than the recent past and may slightly rise based on momentum of the team. If Marshall continues to win we will most certainly pick up several hundreds of casual/bandwagon fans. I also hope the ticket office will run promos similar to last season and I hope a few of the business in the reinstate will purchase and hand out tickets.

[Sam-I-am]

Am I missing something?  Why would there be a big crowd for Rhode Island?

You may be right........twas banking on opening home game optimism.   ;)

[firstate]

Hard to do when no one we play brings fans.

[svherd]

Unfortunately we will not. We averaged just about 29K back in 99. Huntington had more people then as well. MU would have to give tickets away to do it and we would have to round up the 2-3K fans in the lots to actually come in the stadium - to average close to 30K.

The RI game may have 28K. We'll see.

One things for sure, if the MU brain trust isn't planning a massive blitz for this fall then they are nuts. We have to capitalize on last year and the good press we are getting this year thus far. Create the excitement and build the need to attend a game.

[gochneaur645]

We should find out game times next week and that's gonna have a lot to do with it.  Certainly not gonna happen if we end the season with 3 noon games again.

But if we can get away with only one noon game, no bad weather, and stay undefeated, I think we can do it.

[MarshallGrad]

......we ought to draw 30,000+ for R.I......

RI went 3-9 last year in what we used to call 1AA and is a nobody in football with no traveling fans. Did you mean for that to be a "2" instead of a "3"?

[Marshall Matters]

Marshall averaged 25,023 fans per game last year with a team that went 10-2 for the regular season.  I don't see us picking up 5,000 fans per game without a true marquee game that would dramatically raise the average.  Plus, I imagine that the conference will probably try to put Marshall on TV as much as possible, which generally means funky game times either during the week or early games which tend to negatively affect the crowd size. 

[svherd]

All home games before Nov. 1ST - 7pm start. After that 1pm start.jmo.  Historically we draw better at night.

[MUsince96]

The Joan is rocking at night. Not as much during the day. That might have something to do with length of the tailgate though.  ;)

[gochneaur645]

RI went 3-9 last year in what we used to call 1AA and is a nobody in football with no traveling fans. Did you mean for that to be a "2" instead of a "3"?

Unless it's a P5 team coming to Huntington, our fans care more about the time of the game and the weather than the opponent.  UTSA was the #1 attended game because of Homecoming, but the early season 7PM games with Miami and G-W were virtually tied for 2nd because it was warm and in the evening.  With the hype we have going into this season and it being the home opener, we can easily bump up from 26K for G-W to 30K for Rhode Island, especially with an evening start and no rain.

[gochneaur645]

Marshall averaged 25,023 fans per game last year with a team that went 10-2 for the regular season.  I don't see us picking up 5,000 fans per game without a true marquee game that would dramatically raise the average.  Plus, I imagine that the conference will probably try to put Marshall on TV as much as possible, which generally means funky game times either during the week or early games which tend to negatively affect the crowd size. 

9-3 for the regular season.  We had back to back noon games against 2 of the 3 worst teams in the country immediately following the kind of WTF loss at MTSU that alienates the casual fan.  Then our marquee game was on Black Friday at noon.

This year, we get the better C-USA teams at home.  FAU, MTSU, and WKU should be the 3 best teams in C-USA East not named Marshall, and we get a title game rematch against Rice.  You also throw in Ohio, which drew 33K two seasons ago.

The latter half of the season is usually when attendance starts to taper off because of weather, earlier start times, and often disappointment with how the season is going, but if we can stay undefeated, the crowds will come no matter what.

[backontrack]

In '02, when we opened with Appy amidst great expectations the crowd was 31,042...now, we DID have the SoCon rivalry with those people, but there no reason whatsoever that we can't do that well this year...

[MUsince96]

We had back to back noon games against 2 of the 3 worst teams in the country immediately following the kind of WTF loss at MTSU that alienates the casual fan

That Middle Tennessee lost directly affected attendance for the next two games IMO. The wind was definitely let out of my sails.

[backontrack]

You can bet that WKU and at least one other game will have a noon kickoff for TV...hopefully, RI and OU will have evening starting times for get the Joan crankin'...