Homecoming attendance? 18,132 (merged)

[zephyr]

If you are saying that the hypothetical scenario which MAT proposed would not have resulted in around 25,000 attendance, then we are deeper in a shiete hole than anyone cares to admit.

He asked specifically about HC. To that, I would say that the attendance would have likely been higher but we of course have no way of knowing that. My next point was directed more at attendance over the course of the entire year as an average. As I pointed out earlier, we saw a spike in attendance during the 2011 year (post coaching change). Even after that awesome bowl win, our average attendance next year dropped by roughly 6,000 per game even though we were putting almost 50,000 people in the dome for the bowl game in 2012. Point is, our attendance in general is not really driven by our success on the field. Those years showed it.

To be honest, I just think there is a lot of apathy built up over the program right now. While Napier will hopefully get us to where we want to go, as mentioned by someone earlier his demeanor and personality are not the types that are going to pump up a fanbase. There is just no excitement right now about this program. Not sure what needs to change. I think if the answer was that easy, someone would have figured it out about now. Its a bizarre situation to say the least.

[zephyr]

Let me make this a little more simple.. Had we done what I proposed in the hypothetical scenario, it would have been the largest HC crowd in history, top 3 at least.

I'd argue that but again, we have no way of knowing so the argument is fruitless. Obviously, I admit that the number would have been better than what we saw last weekend but I don't think it would have been pushing 30,000 either.

[CajunVic]

I think that there are some who will say that even winning won't bring in fans. But even with the yearly decline of attendance from 2011-2014, the overall avg. was around 25k for those 4 years. If we could avg. 25k as a minimum, that could be something that we could build on. But we can't have the distractions of the HC going off on his fans and donors, constant turnover of coaches and players, being put on probation, or having 13 players arrested in the offseason. That stinch still poisons this program to this day.

I firmly believe that if the hypothetical results which MATT posed had occurred:

1. We would have ridden the wave of the new coaching staff into the middle of the season.
2. Obviously with the better results, there would be much less criticism and critique on the new coaching staff.
3. Generally people would be even more ecstatic about the success of this coaching staff by seeing their success even with the talent level that is on the field.
4. Generally people would not be nearly as down on the talent level and would genuinely want to be a part of what could be expected in years to come.

25,000 this past weekend would have been considered a great accomplishment to build upon with expectations going forward based upon results.

With that loss to CC sandwiched between two beat downs (we really needed that CC game to help heal the wounds from MState and Bama), what it did was identify the talent level, create a suspect attitude towards the coaching staff for some and completely annihilated the positive wave which was created by empaneling the coaching staff now on board. It took the wind out of the sails of many casual fans and even some hard core fans from what is seen on this board.

The results in the last two outings will at least have people looking again. Hopefully we can compete at a satisfactory level in the next couple and start another wave towards where we need to be. I see it as a tall hill however.

Unfortunately, this years schedule as it is set out was and is not conducive to creating any buzz this year with this talent. It is what it is.

[zephyr]

I firmly believe that if the hypothetical results which MATT posed had occurred:

1. We would have ridden the wave of the new coaching staff into the middle of the season.
2. Obviously with the better results, there would be much less criticism and critique on the new coaching staff.
3. Generally people would be even more ecstatic about the success of this coaching staff by seeing their success even with the talent level that is on the field.
4. Generally people would not be nearly as down on the talent level and would genuinely want to be a part of what could be expected in years to come.

25,000 this past weekend would have been considered a great accomplishment to build upon with expectations going forward based upon results.

With that loss to CC sandwiched between two beat downs (we really needed that CC game to help heal the wounds from MState and Bama), what it did was identify the talent level, create a suspect attitude towards the coaching staff for some and completely annihilated the positive wave which was created by empaneling the coaching staff now on board. It took the wind out of the sails of many casual fans and even some hard core fans from what is seen on this board.

The results in the last two outings will at least have people looking again. Hopefully we can compete at a satisfactory level in the next couple and start another wave towards where we need to be. I see it as a tall hill however.

Unfortunately, this years schedule as it is set out was and is not conducive to creating any buzz this year with this talent. It is what it is.

I do not have the numbers but I'm more curious to know what our season ticket sales, RCAF donations and Tailgate numbers were like even heading into this season. My lack of attendance has nothing to do with the staff. I think its a more systemic apathy towards the program with a feeling that we will never climb ourselves out of this hole. In other words, with a coaching change, you would normally see a good spike in the three categories I mentioned above. I'm curious to know if we did or actual numbers were down. I know that I was able to renew my tickets and buy parking tickets WELL after the deadline this year.

[CajunVic]

. . . I think its a more systemic apathy towards the program with a feeling that we will never climb ourselves out of this hole. . . .

My point was that the new coaching staff generally created a feeling or the basis for a feeling that we may now be in a position to climb out of that hole and weeks 2 through 4 completely doused that.

Had things panned out as MAT said in the hypothetical, the feeling would be stronger than ever and goal or reducing systemic apathy (which is what is really needed) would have continued on a positive track.

[zephyr]

My point was that the new coaching staff generally created a feeling or the basis for a feeling that we may now be in a position to climb out of that hole and weeks 2 through 4 completely doused that.

Had things panned out as MAT said in the hypothetical, the feeling would be stronger than ever and goal or reducing systemic apathy (which is what is really needed) would have continued on a positive track.

LOL. We are all saying the same thing with the exception of one thing. I agree that had we come out like gang busters, our overall attendance would have been higher this past weekend but how much higher will be debated. I would say, though, that there would be a ceiling to that attendance number as we've seen in years past regardless of success.

Also, I think more people are hopeful about the staff but are also not as willing to just go "All in" until tangible results are there. I think I'm one of those guys. I've been through it enough over the last 15 or so years and our new coach doesn't have any HC experience to develop an expectation off of. Perhaps that is part of our problem. Everyone knows its a rebuild and maybe they are just waiting to see how it goes before diving in...?

[Oiler]

If App St beats us by 40 Saturday, attendance will be in the crapper for the all of our remaining home games. We don't have to win it, but we need to look like we belong on the same field with the Hillbillies in Boone.

[Jeaux]

Since we are doing hypothetical, if MAT scenario occurred I would think we would be around 23/24k. If we would have just won against CC and A&MC@BR would have lost at Auburn like they were supposed to we'd be at about 26/27.

We had a lot to compete with this weekend; Festival Acadien, Gumbo cook off in NI and the freaking #2 team in the country playing an unexpectedly good Tigger team 50 miles away. Like it or not Lafayette is a scene city. (Which explains RR right in the middle of the city).

18k is our base. Let's find some ways to grow it.

[HoustonCajun]

Since we are doing hypothetical, if MAT scenario occurred I would think we would be around 23/24k. If we would have just won against CC and A&MC@BR would have lost at Auburn like they were supposed to we'd be at about 26/27.

We had a lot to compete with this weekend; Festival Acadien, Gumbo cook off in NI and the freaking #2 team in the country playing an unexpectedly good Tigger team 50 miles away. Like it or not Lafayette is a scene city. (Which explains RR right in the middle of the city).

18k is our base. Let's find some ways to grow it.

Why is a HC game scheduled the same weekend as Festival Acadien? We could have made the Ark State game HC. Who schedules these games?

[Duggie35]

Why is a HC game scheduled the same weekend as Festival Acadien? We could have made the Ark State game HC. Who schedules these games?

I don't think homecoming is the real issue. Even if the game last Saturday was not homecoming, people would still be b_itching about the attendance.