100% right on the money.I think it is a number of things. Apathy #1. But more that, as a mediocre G5 at best (long term not recent history). We have failed in 3 distinct areas as an administration and a university. Long term sustained success, fan experience/Saturday NIGHT games and finally most importantly the casual small donor and or non donor marketing plan.
Look at the guys we would want to emulate as far as winning tradition goes as G5 teams. The app states, Boise’s and even to some extent Fresno states of the world. Long term sustained success has been the tradition. Going 8-4 is a bad season for those guys normally. We took 8-4 as a great season under HUD. 8-4 regular season should be the floor not the ceiling.
Fan experience, tailgating excluded. We need to make it more advantages to get the fan in the stadium for the game. Our tailgating is great our in game experience has been lacking for years. Part of that is the stadium and other parts are just the environment. We have to make people think that Cajun field on a Saturday night is the only place to be. I know we can’t control this 100%. But the games need to start at 7 pm on a Saturday night at home and only at 7pm on a Saturday night at home. 11 am games or even 4 pm or Tuesday’s Wednesday’s and Thursday’s are killers.
Finally, marketing to the non live or die Cajun fan. We have to do a better job of marketing to the full community. Small groups, businesses and the casual fan. Entice every small business to buy season tickets, we need to make those Cajun business from st Martinville to Crowley want to get group tickets. We need to market through print media, social media, radio, tv and everything in beteeen this means billboards, advertisements in newspapers every morning and afternoon tv and radio appearance, coupons and any possible media outlet around. We need the family not the individual. Make me want to bring my wife and 2 kids to the game so my 15 and 2 year old as well as my non football loving wife want to be there. We need to make the kid experience at Cajun field the greatest experience possible. Make it more advantages to buy a 4 or 6 pack of family tickets then individual. This is the same as buying beer. A single of a craft brew might cost me 3-5 dollars a piece at total wine but that same I. A 6-pack only cost 9-11 dollars. Make me want to buy a 6 pack not a single can and advertise the shut out of that. Not just post it on line. Post that crap everywhere. Blanket the city and surrounding areas. Up and down Hwy 90 and I 10. Up and down Johnston, ambassador, pinhook, kaliste and verot. It might cost you some in the beginning but the dividends will pay out long term.
Just my .02.
I think we’ve had an attitude of “if we build a good program, people will show up.”
That may be true if success is sustained long term (I’m talking decades), but success on the field does not take the place of marketing.