I agree with you, the Boone has something to do with the App attendance, as much as it's location. First, outside of hunting, fishing, hiking or rafting, there is nothing to do in Boone, NC. App State sports, football specifically is the only game in town. While there might be a huge alumni population in Charlotte, what percentage of those fans are driving hours in to Boone to watch App. State football? Sounds like a lot of speculation on your part, without very little to back it up.
The bottom line is, Boone NC and Lafayette, La. are miles apart in culture and population. There is no major university within hours of Boone NC. We are located 50 miles from the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. We have cultural activities almost weekly in South Louisiana in addition to hunting and fishing traditions of many families. The battle for the almighty entertainment dollar is more difficult when the job growth for the Lafayette area the past year has been a -1.0 %.
I've been back and forth to the Raleigh- Durham area for two years now. I've driven to Chapel Hill and Winston- Salem and Boone NC seems like light years away from any of those areas socially and economically. There is no comparison between the Lafayette market and Boone, NC.