Congrats to App State for leading FCS in attendance again

[PAllen]

Leading the FCS in attendance per game for the 5th time in 6 years. xthumbsupx

(Warning: Article is mostly about FBS attendance, but ASU is mentioned towards the end.)

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/michigan-leads-nation-football-attendance-172037818--ncaaf.html

[Apphole]

There is a part of me every year that wishes App has to play on the road for every playoff game. We average 28-29 every year in the regular season and the "official number is always closer to 25.

[PaladinFan]

There is a part of me every year that wishes App has to play on the road for every playoff game. We average 28-29 every year in the regular season and the "official number is always closer to 25.

Why would you wish that? Up until this past year, App was darn near invincible at home the past ten years or so.

[Apphole]

Why would you wish that? Up until this past year, App was darn near invincible at home the past ten years or so.

I said "part of me" wishes. Of course I want another home game, but not doing our attendance justice is a definite drawback.

[PaladinFan]

I said "part of me" wishes. Of course I want another home game, but not doing our attendance justice is a definite drawback.

To me, that is the biggest concern for App going forward looking at FBS football. Attendance has been great. They are packing them in. Still, it was not that long ago when App was drawing maybe 10-13k fewer per game than they currently draw (less than 10 years ago). They get a home playoff game, and the attendance dives off a cliff for the game.

It does suggest, to me, a "laissez le bon temps rouler" effect. Folks show up when the team's really good and there's no reason to be elsewhere. It's hard to know whether those attendance numbers will survive what will undoubtedly be several down seasons if making the transition.

There is a saturation point on attendance. App State is only so big, and will draw only so many people before they start bumping into the big boys in North Carolina. Have they reached a critical mass? Who knows. Will they suffer as precipitous decline in attendance the same way they saw a massive spike in attendance? Can't know that either. It does make an interesting consideration going forward when App State's biggest selling point, its energetic fanbase, has shown even as recently as this season that it is still highly temperamental.

[asumike83]

To me, that is the biggest concern for App going forward looking at FBS football. Attendance has been great. They are packing them in. Still, it was not that long ago when App was drawing maybe 10-13k fewer per game than they currently draw (less than 10 years ago). They get a home playoff game, and the attendance dives off a cliff for the game.

It does suggest, to me, a "laissez le bon temps rouler" effect. Folks show up when the team's really good and there's no reason to be elsewhere. It's hard to know whether those attendance numbers will survive what will undoubtedly be several down seasons if making the transition.

There is a saturation point on attendance. App State is only so big, and will draw only so many people before they start bumping into the big boys in North Carolina. Have they reached a critical mass? Who knows. Will they suffer as precipitous decline in attendance the same way they saw a massive spike in attendance? Can't know that either. It does make an interesting consideration going forward when App State's biggest selling point, its energetic fanbase, has shown even as recently as this season that it is still highly temperamental.

Current playoff attendance is really not a very good indicator for regular season attendance expectations if App plays FBS football. The drop in attendance for early round playoff games has always been there and many factors go into it. Short notice to plan travel, holiday season, uncertainty of whether there will be more home games to attend or not, etc. You see the same thing at pretty much every FCS school not located in a sizable metro area that relies on alumni coming from out of town.

Regular season attendance has stayed strong for the past 8 years. The 2005 regular season, before we won any national championships and were coming off a 6-5 year in 2004, we averaged over 23K and have remained in the 26K-29K range during the regular season every year since. How the fans would potentially respond to some losing seasons is something to consider but is unrelated to playoff attendance, IMO.

I think you have to look at postseason to postseason to get a more apples to apples comparison. What we've seen in playoff attendance could be more indicative of how well App fans would potentially travel to a bowl game, although I think the location of the game would be the biggest factor. Since it would be a one-game postseason, it leaves no uncertainty that this is the season's last game, where as there are many FCS fans skip the early rounds in hopes of a NC trip in a few weeks. The bowl schedule is also typically announced close to a month ahead of time. Of course, if the game is in Idaho or Detroit, you are not going to see large traveling group but I could see App bringing a nice crowd to New Orleans or St. Pete.

[PaladinFan]

Current playoff attendance is really not a very good indicator for regular season attendance expectations if App plays FBS football. The drop in attendance for early round playoff games has always been there and many factors go into it. Short notice to plan travel, holiday season, uncertainty of whether there will be more home games to attend or not, etc. You see the same thing at pretty much every FCS school not located in a sizable metro area that relies on alumni coming from out of town.

Regular season attendance has stayed strong for the past 8 years. The 2005 regular season, before we won any national championships and were coming off a 6-5 year in 2004, we averaged over 23K and have remained in the 26K-29K range during the regular season every year since. How the fans would potentially respond to some losing seasons is something to consider but is unrelated to playoff attendance, IMO.

I think you have to look at postseason to postseason to get a more apples to apples comparison. What we've seen in playoff attendance could be more indicative of how well App fans would potentially travel to a bowl game, although I think the location of the game would be the biggest factor. Since it would be a one-game postseason, it leaves no uncertainty that this is the season's last game, where as there are many FCS fans skip the early rounds in hopes of a NC trip in a few weeks. The bowl schedule is also typically announced close to a month ahead of time. Of course, if the game is in Idaho or Detroit, you are not going to see large traveling group but I could see App bringing a nice crowd to New Orleans or St. Pete.

I agree with you to some degree. I do think that it is an apples and oranges comparison to link a bowl game to the FCS playoffs. App State had three weeks between the Furman game and Illinois State. They knew they were guaranteed a home game. This was not a mid-December game in Memphis against UTEP.

It is no secret that attendance drops during the playoffs. Still, App State's attendance dropped by almost half from the Furman game a few weeks earlier. That, in my opinion, is less than conflicting travel plans.

The 2005 season is where you see the spike in attendance, but not by that much (http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/Attendance/2005.pdf). ASU averaged 17k or so for their home games. I would imagine that the number ballooning up to 23k is a result of them factoring in all the App games, which included two road games against large FBS schools (LSU and Kansas). I had occassion to look up the Furman/App game from 2004 today (which was a heckuva football game). Attendance on black Saturday that year was just a shade over 15,000 (to watch two pretty darn good teams play).

I'm not opining on the numbers. They are what they are. Attendance was good, sky rocketed, and then from time to time will plummet by half. I just don't know what that means going forward.

[asumike83]

The 2005 season is where you see the spike in attendance, but not by that much (http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/Attendance/2005.pdf). ASU averaged 17k or so for their home games. I would imagine that the number ballooning up to 23k is a result of them factoring in all the App games, which included two road games against large FBS schools (LSU and Kansas). I had occassion to look up the Furman/App game from 2004 today (which was a heckuva football game). Attendance on black Saturday that year was just a shade over 15,000 (to watch two pretty darn good teams play).

I'm not opining on the numbers. They are what they are. Attendance was good, sky rocketed, and then from time to time will plummet by half. I just don't know what that means going forward.

Regular season attendance was over 23K in 2005. We played 4 regular season home games: Coastal Carolina (23,267), GSU (21,486), UTC (22,338) and Western (25,584). The 17K figure factors in 3 home playoff games that were much more lightly attended.

The big spike in regular season attendance was in 2005 before the championships and the playoff drop has always been there, before and after the titles.

[The Eagle's Cliff]

The administrators at Ga Southern are discussing changes to our counting method. We should be reporting attendance in the area of 32K average by the 2014 season (will still count bodies for 2013).

[asumike83]

The administrators at Ga Southern are discussing changes to our counting method. We should be reporting attendance in the area of 32K average by the 2014 season (will still count bodies for 2013).

Glad to see them finish what they started when they listed the capacity of Paulson Stadium as 18,000.

[chattownmocs]

If your attendance drops come playoff time, you might not be ready for FBS.

[Apphole]

The administrators at Ga Southern are discussing changes to our counting method. We should be reporting attendance in the area of 32K average by the 2014 season (will still count bodies for 2013).

If there were 32 k at the App/GaSo game this past year, then App State averages 40k+

[citdog]

The administrators at Ga Southern are discussing changes to our counting method. We should be reporting attendance in the area of 32K average by the 2014 season (will still count bodies for 2013).


are y'all going to count people who are not in attendance too? that's the only way you can get to that #. you'll have to count people who even THOUGHT about going to the game.

[CID1990]

There were 25000 people at the ASU-The Citadel game in the 1st quarter, and 9000 in the 3rd quarter.

[The Eagle's Cliff]

If there were 32 k at the App/GaSo game this past year, then App State averages 40k+

I didn't say we actually have that many bodies. I'm talking about changing how we count so we can increase our attendance by 50% in one year and maintain it like other schools have done. 20K Students (Tickets Sold) plus 12K Fans/Alumni (Tickets Sold) equals 32K and is an acceptable method of counting according to the NCAA, but this shouldn't be news to an App St. fan.

[The Eagle's Cliff]

are y'all going to count people who are not in attendance too? that's the only way you can get to that #. you'll have to count people who even THOUGHT about going to the game.

Yes.

[Apphole]

I didn't say we actually have that many bodies. I'm talking about changing how we count so we can increase our attendance by 50% in one year and maintain it like other schools have done. 20K Students (Tickets Sold) plus 12K Fans/Alumni (Tickets Sold) equals 32K and is an acceptable method of counting according to the NCAA, but this shouldn't be news to an App St. fan.

Tickets scanned=number reported.

If you can't see the fact that we have 1/3 more people at our games than you, you're blind or delusional. 23k at GaSo vs 29k at App seems about right, at least relative to one another.

[ASUMountaineer]

If your attendance drops come playoff time, you might not be ready for FBS.

That's probably true. Everyone in FBS knows that the FBS playoffs are where schools show off attendance numbers.

[chattownmocs]

That's probably true. Everyone in FBS knows that the FBS playoffs are where schools show off attendance numbers.

Everyone knows that in big time sports, playoffs if anything draw more people.

[asumike83]

I didn't say we actually have that many bodies. I'm talking about changing how we count so we can increase our attendance by 50% in one year and maintain it like other schools have done. 20K Students (Tickets Sold) plus 12K Fans/Alumni (Tickets Sold) equals 32K and is an acceptable method of counting according to the NCAA, but this shouldn't be news to an App St. fan.

While I understand your reluctance to admit it, we outdraw you by a noticeable margin. If ASU inflates attendance, GSU is just as guilty. You can keep trying to sell that angle to people who haven't seen a game in both stadiums recently.

[ASUMountaineer]

Everyone knows that in big time sports, playoffs if anything draw more people.



Everyone knows that...well, except UTC fans. 1984.

When are the playoffs in FBS?

[cbarrier90]

We haven't won a national championship in 5 seasons, haven't had our best player ever in 3 seasons, got blown out in the playoffs twice, had a sexual assault case, got blown out by the freakin' Citadel...

and we're still leading this list. :) Haters are gonna hate...

[Apphole]

We haven't won a national championship in 5 seasons, haven't had our best player ever in 3 seasons, got blown out in the playoffs twice, had a sexual assault case, got blown out by the freakin' Citadel...

and we're still leading this list. :) Haters are gonna hate...
http://assets0.ordienetworks.com/images/GifGuide/clapping/hp3.gif
http://assets0.ordienetworks.com/images/GifGuide/clapping/hp4.gif
http://assets0.ordienetworks.com/images/GifGuide/clapping/hp1.gif
http://assets0.ordienetworks.com/images/GifGuide/clapping/hp2.gif

[Apphole]

Everyone knows that in big time sports, playoffs if anything draw more people.

I guess that explains why bowl games have much lower attendance numbers than regular season games in the FBS... Oh wait

[chattownmocs]

I guess that explains why bowl games have much lower attendance numbers than regular season games in the FBS... Oh wait

They are played at neutral sights...Only 1 really means anything...oh wait..

[Apphole]

They are played at neutral sights...Only 1 really means anything...oh wait..

All the more reason to have more people.

It's the time of year and unpredicatbale nature that keeps people away, regardless of subdivision.

And how could low playoff attendance (compared to the regular season, we still bring more than chatty in Decemnber) have any bearing in the FBS when it does not exist in the FBS. I will leave it to you, the resident mental gymnist, to tell us why. xpopcornx

[chattownmocs]

All the more reason to have more people.

It's the time of year and unpredicatbale nature that keeps people away, regardless of subdivision.

And how could low playoff attendance (compared to the regular season, we still bring more than chatty in Decemnber) have any bearing in the FBS when it does not exist in the FBS. I will leave it to you, the resident mental gymnist, to tell us why. xpopcornx

It shows that you do not have a large loyal fan base outside of your students....(Chattanooga isn't moving up)

[Apphole]

It shows that you do not have a large loyal fan base outside of your students that is willing to make a spontaneous trip to the Mountain (2-3 hours) with three days notice during a time of the year when people are already getting off work for holiday travel.

I just made a few small adjustments, but yeah! you're finally getting it.

[Saint3333]

"Not that long ago App averaged under 13K" = 2002

That also included a home playoff game with probably 6K in attendance.

App has had regular season attendance north of 15K since the mid '90s.

[Apphole]

I mean read this ****. AGS is a CONSTANT barrage of anti-ASU spin, be it attendance, FBS move, Sun Belt ect. And we're the arrogant *** holes...

[PaladinFan]

It shows that you do not have a large loyal fan base outside of your students....(Chattanooga isn't moving up)

I'm not sure the argument is that App does not have a loyal fanbase. I think they do. I do think their attendance is heavily tied to student involvement, and those kids are generally somewhere else over the holidays.

This is not a phenomenon. Just for a point of comparison, I pulled up Delaware's numbers through their playoff run in 2010. They drew 23k for their final regular season game against Villanova. Attendance then dropped to 13,600 for round two against Lehigh. Dropped precipitously to 8700 against New Hampshire (a conference rival no less). Then only went up to about 10k for the semifinal against Georgia Southern (how UD and GSU in a semifinal game didn't draw more thank 10k is beyond me).

So, this happens to every team. Even the biggest and best. However, and you make the point, every team isn't trying to move up to a bigger classification. I just brought it up because I think it is a point worth making.

[Apphole]

I'm not sure the argument is that App does not have a loyal fanbase. I think they do. I do think their attendance is heavily tied to student involvement, and those kids are generally somewhere else over the holidays.

Cool heads and logic prevail. Thank you, sir.

[ASUMountaineer]

They are played at neutral sights...Only 1 really means anything...oh wait..

What do you know about playoffs? 1984.

When are the FBS playoffs?