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Post by azteca on Nov 10, 2012 19:25:22 GMT -8
Yeah, and some on here go out of their way to trash the "blue hairs." Bad form today!
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Post by AztecWilliam on Nov 10, 2012 19:33:09 GMT -8
Every time someone refers to the disappointingly meager number of fans who have turned out for a game at the Q, somebody always comes up with any number of excuses. It's not just the students who have. apparently, something better to do than support the team. Hell, there are over three million residents in this county. To half way will the Q (35,000 fans) would require a bit over 1 percent of the population to attend. How does that stack up against similar schools?
Well, the Boise metro area has about 615,000 residents, and the Broncos average 32,000 per game. In other words, about 5% of that area's residents attend BSU games. One percent for the Aztecs and five times that for the Broncos. Yes, BSU has been super successful for quite a number of years. Still, SDSU has been, if not super successful, at least rather successful for three years running, with the prospect of a third straight bowl game pretty much assured. For god's sake, what are the fans waiting for? Ten straight years in the Top-10?!
I have become somewhat pessimistic about the future of Aztec football based on the lukewarm (at best) response shown by the community. I guess that lost decade (1999-2009) has so soured San Diegans on Aztec football that getting back to the nearly packed houses of Coryell, Gilbert, and the Marshall Faulk era is unlikely to happen ever again.
And, should we see our guys reach the Top-25 for a few years running, whatever increase in attendance that follows (which, though welcome, will probably not be as great as we would like) will probably collapse should the team struggle for a year or two.
Somebody should research the attendance history of Aztec BB under Fisher. I'll bet that it has increased far more (based on % in attendance at Viejas) and far faster than attendance has increased at the Q. Remember, 8,000 for hoops makes the arena 2/3 full. We were doing that well in basketball at least five years ago, I think. What would the equivalent (i.e., 67%) be at the Q? About 48,000. With a program obviously on the rise, and coming off one of the greatest wins in the school's history, we can't come close to that level.
Okay, I'm ready for the flood of excuses I'm sure to see coming my way.
AzWm
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Post by sdoc on Nov 10, 2012 19:43:52 GMT -8
One word: Atmosphere. The atmosphere and energy at Viejas is amazing as well as the quality of the team and the venue. The quality of the football team is making strides but the atmosphere for college football at the Q is horrible. The stadium is an old crumbing, rusty mess with horrible sight lines and the fans are way too far away from the field to have a great atmosphere. The sound system and even the PA announcer are some of the worst I have ever heard. Compare the atmosphere at Viejas and the Q then you know why people don't fill the Q. Even walking around on game day there is 95% chargers decor. The Q does not even really feel like the Aztecs home stadium. New stadium needed to reach the next level.
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Post by SDSU4Lyfe on Nov 10, 2012 19:46:37 GMT -8
Every time someone refers to the disappointingly meager number of fans who have turned out for a game at the Q, somebody always comes up with any number of excuses. It's not just the students who have. apparently, something better to do than support the team. Hell, there are over three million residents in this county. To half way will the Q (35,000 fans) would require a bit over 1 percent of the population to attend. How does that stack up against similar schools? Well, the Boise metro area has about 615,000 residents, and the Broncos average 32,000 per game. In other words, about 5% of that area's residents attend BSU games. One percent for the Aztecs and five times that for the Broncos. Yes, BSU has been super successful for quite a number of years. Still, SDSU has been, if not super successful, at least rather successful for three years running, with the prospect of a third straight bowl game pretty much assured. For god's sake, what are the fans waiting for? Ten straight years in the Top-10?! I have become somewhat pessimistic about the future of Aztec football based on the lukewarm (at best) response shown by the community. I guess that lost decade (1999-2009) has so soured San Diegans on Aztec football that getting back to the nearly packed houses of Coryell, Gilbert, and the Marshall Faulk era is unlikely to happen ever again. And, should we see our guys reach the Top-25 for a few years running, whatever increase in attendance that follows (which, though welcome, will probably not be as great as we would like) will probably collapse should the team struggle for a year or two. Somebody should research the attendance history of Aztec BB under Fisher. I'll bet that it has increased far more (based on % in attendance at Viejas) and far faster than attendance has increased at the Q. Remember, 8,000 for hoops makes the arena 2/3 full. We were doing that well in basketball at least five years ago, I think. What would the equivalent (i.e., 67%) be at the Q? About 48,000. With a program obviously on the rise, and coming off one of the greatest wins in the school's history, we can't come close to that level. Okay, I'm ready for the flood of excuses I'm sure to see coming my way. AzWm I think your analysis leads us to one direction. POOR MARKETING. We have a great team on the field and hardly anybody knows in this community. Why are high schools not selling our tickets for a fundraisers? Why are we not inviting high school football teams to the Q for free for one game? The parents would come too. Why do we have no corporate outreach for football? Why do we not use the email and mailing lists compiled across the university? Why does the university not encourage certain clubs and groups to come out to the game? We don't need to put lipstick on a pig. This is a good team. It should be an easy sell if you can market it right If you would like me to do the marketing for SDSU athletics, can I get a Ya or Nay. Somebody print out this thread and stick it on Sterk's desk. I'll take the job
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Post by Old School on Nov 10, 2012 19:56:55 GMT -8
The Show looks bigger at Viejas than it does at the Q. Also, I think they're not used to being outdoors, rain can ruin smartphones and make up Oldie Out
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Post by whitehawk on Nov 10, 2012 20:07:48 GMT -8
I bet all local news stations tonight wait to mention the Air Force win until they get to sports, at 11:22PM. There was half-assed reports for the Boise State game last Saturday. If it was the Chargers, they would top the news with a game-related story, win or lose.
This team has earned the right to lead the news over someone spotting snow up in the mountains.
Aztec fans have held the U-T's feet to the fire and they put a great piece on the front page yesterday. If the same people make a stink to KUSI, KGTV, KNSD and KFMB to put more effort out on reporting the progress of SDSU Football, it is more local TV time, which equals great advertising.
It's not hard for them to put a news journalist out in the parking lot to interview tailgates, show the Warrior Walk, etc. Gotta make phone calls, e-mails, and let them know.
2 cents in change.
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Post by AztecWilliam on Nov 10, 2012 20:44:51 GMT -8
I guess that lost decade (1999-2009) has so soured San Diegans on Aztec football that getting back to the nearly packed houses of Coryell, Gilbert, and the Marshall Faulk era is unlikely to happen ever again. William, your memory is rose-colored. We never consistently had "packed houses." Even when the stadium held 52,000, we never once sold out a game. Not once. Here's the story: The real attendance was somewhat better back in the day. I'd say it was about 15-20% better. In the Coryell/Gilbert days, they counted people in the stands. They weren't using slimy accounting gimmicks to tell us that there were 28K when anyone there knows it's 20K. Still, there aren't THAT many fewer people at the games these days. It appears that way, in part, because the stadium has almost 40% more seats (and every bleeping one of them is the same color). As for the students, whatever the reason they don't attend, don't blame the expense. Do you guys have any idea what students spend in PB each weekend? I did mention " nearly packed houses." Yes, the stadium seats many more today than in earlier years. Nevertheless, I think you have ignored my main point, which is as follows: something is very, very wrong when a pretty good college football team, one that is in the THIRD year of a serious revival, still manages to attract crowds of only 25K to 30K. No way in hell would there not have been at least 40,000 people actually in the stands had this been a game played in the late '60s, the whole decade of the '70s, or during the Marshall Faulk years. AzWm
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Post by badfish on Nov 10, 2012 20:51:29 GMT -8
The students don't go while they are at SDSU, so you can't expect them to want to go in the years after they graduate. THAT'S the big problem. People go through SDSU without any Aztec pride and our alumni support is weak because of it.
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Post by badfish on Nov 10, 2012 21:00:31 GMT -8
If everyone encouraged at least 1 friend to go to a game with them, which I'm sure they would end up enjoying and wanting to return for another, we'd have 45,000+
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2012 21:50:56 GMT -8
We've beaten this to death. There is no one answer for the attendance issues. Criticism does not change anything. This school and community is lukewarm, at best, for this program, and probably will be for the foreseeable future given the turnout today. 8-3 is great and this team plays nasty. I'm going to focus on that.
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Post by onelittleindian on Nov 10, 2012 21:58:10 GMT -8
A small percentage of students are great fans, but most are not. A small percentage of alumni are great fans, but most are not. It's not the divisive issue of students vs. alums so many love ping-ponging around here. Do your part.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2012 22:08:03 GMT -8
Alumni and other fans' attendance was fair to middling today. However, there couldn't have been more than a couple thousand butts in the student section. Your guess is as good as mine as to why there weren't three times that many as I would have thought.
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Post by RockNFish on Nov 10, 2012 22:41:19 GMT -8
Every time someone refers to the disappointingly meager number of fans who have turned out for a game at the Q, somebody always comes up with any number of excuses. It's not just the students who have. apparently, something better to do than support the team. Hell, there are over three million residents in this county. To half way will the Q (35,000 fans) would require a bit over 1 percent of the population to attend. How does that stack up against similar schools? Well, the Boise metro area has about 615,000 residents, and the Broncos average 32,000 per game. In other words, about 5% of that area's residents attend BSU games. One percent for the Aztecs and five times that for the Broncos. Yes, BSU has been super successful for quite a number of years. Still, SDSU has been, if not super successful, at least rather successful for three years running, with the prospect of a third straight bowl game pretty much assured. For god's sake, what are the fans waiting for? Ten straight years in the Top-10?! I have become somewhat pessimistic about the future of Aztec football based on the lukewarm (at best) response shown by the community. I guess that lost decade (1999-2009) has so soured San Diegans on Aztec football that getting back to the nearly packed houses of Coryell, Gilbert, and the Marshall Faulk era is unlikely to happen ever again. And, should we see our guys reach the Top-25 for a few years running, whatever increase in attendance that follows (which, though welcome, will probably not be as great as we would like) will probably collapse should the team struggle for a year or two. Somebody should research the attendance history of Aztec BB under Fisher. I'll bet that it has increased far more (based on % in attendance at Viejas) and far faster than attendance has increased at the Q. Remember, 8,000 for hoops makes the arena 2/3 full. We were doing that well in basketball at least five years ago, I think. What would the equivalent (i.e., 67%) be at the Q? About 48,000. With a program obviously on the rise, and coming off one of the greatest wins in the school's history, we can't come close to that level. Okay, I'm ready for the flood of excuses I'm sure to see coming my way. AzWm I think your analysis leads us to one direction. POOR MARKETING. We have a great team on the field and hardly anybody knows in this community. Why are high schools not selling our tickets for a fundraisers? Why are we not inviting high school football teams to the Q for free for one game? The parents would come too. Why do we have no corporate outreach for football? Why do we not use the email and mailing lists compiled across the university? Why does the university not encourage certain clubs and groups to come out to the game? We don't need to put lipstick on a pig. This is a good team. It should be an easy sell if you can market it right If you would like me to do the marketing for SDSU athletics, can I get a Ya or Nay. Somebody print out this thread and stick it on Sterk's desk. I'll take the job Sounds like the plan - just check with the compliance officer before you get us in trouble and I'll already get 3-5 email a week from the athletic department - so maybe you could pass on that one.
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Post by k5james on Nov 10, 2012 22:50:28 GMT -8
Pathetic performance by th students today.
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Post by aztec70 on Nov 10, 2012 22:50:52 GMT -8
One word: Atmosphere. The atmosphere and energy at Viejas is amazing as well as the quality of the team and the venue. The quality of the football team is making strides but the atmosphere for college football at the Q is horrible. The stadium is an old crumbing, rusty mess with horrible sight lines and the fans are way too far away from the field to have a great atmosphere. The sound system and even the PA announcer are some of the worst I have ever heard. Compare the atmosphere at Viejas and the Q then you know why people don't fill the Q. Even walking around on game day there is 95% chargers decor. The Q does not even really feel like the Aztecs home stadium. New stadium needed to reach the next level. Let me get this straight, the reason the students do not come is because the stadium sucks. If that is the case, why are the Chargers averaging 61,000? It is the same stadium.
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Post by 1611Luginbill on Nov 10, 2012 22:59:03 GMT -8
William, your memory is rose-colored. We never consistently had "packed houses." Even when the stadium held 52,000, we never once sold out a game. Not once. This.
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Post by bananaslug on Nov 10, 2012 23:12:26 GMT -8
William, your memory is rose-colored. We never consistently had "packed houses." Even when the stadium held 52,000, we never once sold out a game. Not once. This. Constructed at a cost of $27 million, San Diego Stadium opened August 20, 1967, with an exhibition game between the Chargers and Detroit Lions. Since that game, the facility has been the stage for some of the most memorable events in San Diego State football history. A then-record attendance of 53,611 was on hand November 8, 1975, when the unbeaten Aztecs entertained and in one of the most dramatic games ever played in San Diego, the Arizona Wildcats prevailed 31-24.
I remember buying 2 of the last 3 tickets for that game. goaztecs.cstv.com/facilities/qualcomm_stadium.html
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Post by AztecWilliam on Nov 10, 2012 23:25:23 GMT -8
Nevertheless, I think you have ignored my main point, which is as follows: something is very, very wrong when a pretty good college football team, one that is in the THIRD year of a serious revival, still manages to attract crowds of only 25K to 30K. - - - - - - This isn't like Texas where the place is gonna be full of well-heeled alumni who'll fill the seats whether the kids show up or not.You apparently haven't caught on to the fact that your response quoted above is EXACTLY my point! ! ! ! ! As I myself have stated on this site quite a few times, fan support in CA stinks when compared with that of football fans in the Middle West, the South West, and the South East. Only the Pac-12 schools have solid fan support, and that is partly because they are members of the "club" (e.g., members of one of the "power conferences") and partly because they have competed, largely with success, at the highest level for generations. Short of finishing in the Top-25 year after year after year (and maybe not even then), I see no way for SDSU to enjoy support from San Diego fans such that crowds of 45,000 to 55,000 become typical rather than unheard of. When the Aztecs were rising in the '60s and '70s, SDSU was indeed the darling of the town. Only those of us who were around during those days, especially during the '60s, understand what progress was made. A comparison of the Aztecs' seasons in 1960 and 1970: ========================= 1960:LA State................. Loss 14-24 Cal Poly SLO............Loss 6-34 Long Beach S...........Loss 0-28 Univ. of Redlands.....Tie 0-0(CA) UC Santa Barbara.....Loss 6-8 Fresno St. ...............Loss 0-60 Pepperdine ..............Win 27-20 San Diego Marines....Loss 0- 33 1970:Northern Ill..........Win 35-3 North Texas.........Win 23-3 LA State..............Win 35-0 BYU.....................Win 31-11 Southern Miss.......Win 41-14 San Jose State .....Win 32-6 Fresno St.............Win 56-14 Pacific..................Win 14-13 UC Santa Barbara..Win 64-7 Long Beach State...Loss 11-27 Iowa State............Loss 22-26 ========================= In 1960, not one of SDSU's opponents was playing at the highest level of NCAA football (University Division at that time). As you can see, we won only one game that year. By 1970, a mere ten years, SDSU was a member of the University Division and all but two of our opponents were also D-I members. It was not only our competition that had improved; We finished a very respectable 9-2 that year. The City of San Diego was thrilled with the team. I can remember a gas station on El Cajon Blvd a few blocks east of College that would post the score of the latest game on a billboard. Yes, this is not 1970. The city and county have changed. I cannot see, short of a miraculous improvement such as we enjoyed between 1960 and 1970, how we will ever regain the support and affection of more than a relative few local fans. An Aztec game is a bargain, but instead, too many San Diegans are happy to shell out very big bucks to see the Chargers regardless of the current quality of that franchise. By rights, there should have been 40,000 to 50,000 fans in the Q today. Had this been 1970 or 1975, such a crowd would have turned out. That it didn't shows why you should not expect more than a shrug from most fans hereabouts. AzWm
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Post by AztecD on Nov 10, 2012 23:26:37 GMT -8
I was at 4.0 deli eating until about 12:45 (got a late start) and asked them to put on the game...none of the guys working there even knew there was a game. That says a lot about the lack of buzz on campus.
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Post by aztec70 on Nov 10, 2012 23:32:59 GMT -8
William, your memory is rose-colored. We never consistently had "packed houses." Even when the stadium held 52,000, we never once sold out a game. Not once. This. Must have come close. We did, at one time, outdraw rhe Chargers and had the stadium attendance record goaztecs.cstv.com/facilities/qualcomm_stadium.htmlWe averaged in the mid forty thousands in the 70's. I would be thrilled with that now.
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