Nearly 5,000 Empty Seats at NDSU today

[AppApp]

Serious question, what gives? Ready for something new?

I remember you guys selling that place out in the playoffs (and regular season too for that matter)

Come on up and get in the FBS top 25 with App St. where you belong xnodx

[POD Knows]

Serious question, what gives? Ready for something new?

I remember you guys selling that place out in the playoffs (and regular season too for that matter)

Come on up and get in the FBS top 25 with App St. where you belong xnodxThere would be 10,000 empty seats.

[jadmt]

Serious question, what gives? Ready for something new?

I remember you guys selling that place out in the playoffs (and regular season too for that matter)

Come on up and get in the FBS top 25 with App St. where you belong xnodx

apparently this time of year is bad because lots of craft fairs going on and it is a time when people are stocking up on their lefse supply for the up coming holidays....don't underestimate the need to have ample lefse on hand.

[Professor Chaos]

Serious question, what gives? Ready for something new?

I remember you guys selling that place out in the playoffs (and regular season too for that matter)

Come on up and get in the FBS top 25 with App St. where you belong xnodx
Already mentioned it in another thread but the attendance decline has actually been less at NDSU (percentage wise) than it has been at places like JMU, Weber St, and SDSU. But as an App St fan I'm curious your perspective on whether FBS is even a possibility for a fix. Based on attendance averages so far this year both App St and Georgia Southern are drawing fewer fans on average than they did in the 2010-2012 timeframe (their last few years as postseason eligible at the FCS level). Do you think going FBS will draw more fans at NDSU? Personally I have serious doubts as to whether it will based on the attendance figures I see out of App St and Georgia Southern right now.

[BisonFan02]

Every seat in the dome would've been empty today if the Bison were FBS.

[SUPharmacist]

Serious question, what gives? Ready for something new?

I remember you guys selling that place out in the playoffs (and regular season too for that matter)

Come on up and get in the FBS top 25 with App St. where you belong xnodx

I am disappointed in the attendance, although as I said I am just as guilty living within about 3 hrs and staying home. Like to excuse myself as my wife is gone today and I do not really want to bring my 17 month old to a playoff game (some do, but I think I would be too irritated with needs that I can meet easily at home that I would need to leave my seat for at the game).

That being said, I have two issues with this. No one is inviting NDSU to move up, and if it is so great in the FBS why are you here commenting on NDSUs playoff attendance.

Hopefully someday I can see an App St-NDSU football game, I was always disappointed they didn’t cross paths before App St moved up.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I was surprised by the crowd for the South Dakota game last month when I was there. There is absolutely a level of boredom that has infiltrated the Bison fanbase. With that said, I expect a packed house a full house next against Montana State. There's finally a reason for NDSU to have SOME concern which will stir the emotions.

Also of note, the weather in the RRV has been pretty ugly the last few days. It might have been tough for people that travel 3-4 hours to the game to attend.

[BisonFan02]

I was surprised by the crowd for the South Dakota game last month when I was there. There is absolutely a level of boredom that has infiltrated the Bison fanbase. With that said, I expect a packed house a full house next against Montana State. There's finally a reason for NDSU to have SOME concern which will stir the emotions.

Also of note, the weather in the RRV has been pretty ugly the last few days. It might have been tough for people that travel 3-4 hours to the game to attend.

There will be the same or less for the next one.

[SUPharmacist]

Also of note, the weather in the RRV has been pretty ugly the last few days. It might have been tough for people that travel 3-4 hours to the game to attend.

I do not know if Bison fans are using this excuse, but it is lazy if they are. People that live in the RRV or nearby areas are used to this type of weather and can commute in it.

[Bisonator]

Just the sign of times. Attendance is down nationwide.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

There will be the same or less for the next one.

You really think that?! I figure people would consider Montana State a worthy adversary. They have the facilities, fan support, history (to some extent) etc....

[BisonBacker]

Serious question, what gives? Ready for something new?

I remember you guys selling that place out in the playoffs (and regular season too for that matter)

Come on up and get in the FBS top 25 with App St. where you belong xnodx

Amen but it won't happen.

[BisonFan02]

You really think that?! I figure people would consider Montana State a worthy adversary. They have the facilities, fan support, history (to some extent) etc....

I absolutely do.

[Professor Chaos]

Next week will top this week when it comes to attendance in the Fargodome. I have serious doubts that it'll sell out (18,000+) though. I'd say there's a better chance that it sells out than that it draws less than this week though.

[JacksFan40]

Already mentioned it in another thread but the attendance decline has actually been less at NDSU (percentage wise) than it has been at places like JMU, Weber St, and SDSU. But as an App St fan I'm curious your perspective on whether FBS is even a possibility for a fix. Based on attendance averages so far this year both App St and Georgia Southern are drawing fewer fans on average than they did in the 2010-2012 timeframe (their last few years as postseason eligible at the FCS level). Do you think going FBS will draw more fans at NDSU? Personally I have serious doubts as to whether it will based on the attendance figures I see out of App St and Georgia Southern right now.
We haven’t declined in attendance, it’s always been bad.

[Professor Chaos]

We haven’t declined in attendance, it’s always been bad.
Two years ago in the 2nd round against UNI they drew nearly 8,000 to Brookings. This year in the exact same round against the exact same opponent they barely topped 4,000 and weather was fine for this time of year.

[mvfcfan]

I honestly think people in Fargo are getting bored with it. Most people want to see a competitive game and most NDSU games are blowouts. The ones that didn't show today missed out. Hopefully it is more full next week.

[BisonTru]

Serious question, what gives? Ready for something new?

I remember you guys selling that place out in the playoffs (and regular season too for that matter)

Come on up and get in the FBS top 25 with App St. where you belong xnodx

The enthusiasm is over. The casual Bison fan is bored for sure. As awesome, impressive, and incredibly hard as it is to win and dominate like they have, it can get monotonous. To be honest I think a loss might get more people back into it.

I’d love to move up. Compete for a G5 conference title, hell yeah, but no invite no option.

[The Kicker]

Has NDSU lost their fan base? There was a time that going to a game and being loud was the thing to do. That's all you would hear from Bison fans is look how cool we are in our dome. I think that fad is over and you are seeing the true fans only showing up now. Dome has not been full all year from what I have seen watching the games even though they say they are sell outs. Think people have been buying up tickets looking to sell them for profit and that well dried up.

[Bison56]

The people that dont go to games because the winning is boring are the same people that if NDSU was a 500 team would stay home because they arent winning.

[Bisonoline]

Has NDSU lost their fan base? There was a time that going to a game and being loud was the thing to do. That's all you would hear from Bison fans is look how cool we are in our dome. I think that fad is over and you are seeing the true fans only showing up now. Dome has not been full all year from what I have seen watching the games even though they say they are sell outs. Think people have been buying up tickets looking to sell them for profit and that well dried up.

All of the crazies from when this run started are-----working. Got married. Have kids. Other like in our tailgate group--there kids are now the age of participating in sports. Many have moved.

The kids now in school dont seem to give ****. Its a trend.

Sell outs and butts in the seats are two different animals.

[BisonTru]

Another note, since most games are sold out many fans have found a different routine whether that’s going to the bar, a watch party, or something else. Now that tickets are available they are still going to watch the game how they usually do.

Although I know the bars are seeing a lull in game day attendance as well.

[Sitting Bull]

If that today on ESPN was a "bored" fan base, we should all be so fortunate to have "bored" fan bases.

Honestly, the lengths some go through on here to make anything and everything a negative..

[NDB]

The people that dont go to games because the winning is boring are the same people that if NDSU was a 500 team would stay home because they arent winning.

Thank you.

[Gil Dobie]

How are Appy and GSU doing in FBS? I'm not interested enough to look it up. I use to see them mentioned a lot back in thier IAA days, but not much anymore.

[POD Knows]

I can’t even tell you how many people I know that buy tickets to Frisco and don’t set foot in the dome the entire year. They show up in Frisco for few days, pretend they are fans and then in August they buy their tickets for Frisco again.

[MTfan4life]

Also of note, the weather in the RRV has been pretty ugly the last few days. It might have been tough for people that travel 3-4 hours to the game to attend.

This is a needed statement. The weather and roads sucked yesterday. I saw at least 7 different vehicles upside down in the ditch on the interstate. There were plenty of other cars in ditches, and I even saw a police vehicle stuck in the ditch just off a 2 lane highway. That's the worst I've seen in a little while.

[Professor Chaos]

How are Appy and GSU doing in FBS? I'm not interested enough to look it up. I use to see them mentioned a lot back in thier IAA days, but not much anymore.
I looked it up last week.

Appalachian State
2010: 25,715 (8 games)
2011: 26,211 (7 games)
2012: 26,358 (7 games)
2013: 24,894 (6 games)
2014: 23,166 (6 games)
2015: 21,459 (6 games)
2016: 26,153 (6 games)
2017: 25,787 (6 games)
2018: 21,953 (6 games)
2019: 23,806 (7 games)

Georgia Southern
2010: 17,627 (6 games)
2011: 17,701 (8 games)
2012: 18,487 (7 games)
2013: 14,828 (6 games)
2014: 21,102 (5 games)
2015: 20,780 (6 games)
2016: 20,819 (5 games)
2017: 15,258 (4 games)
2018: 16,802 (6 games)
2019: 13,964 (6 games)

From 2010-2012 they were FCS and postseason eligible, in 2013 they were FCS but were ineligible for the postseason since they had started to increase scholarships, in 2014 they were FBS but weren't bowl eligible, and from 2015 on they were full fledged FBS.

[Herder]

This is a needed statement. The weather and roads sucked yesterday. I saw at least 7 different vehicles upside down in the ditch on the interstate. There were plenty of other cars in ditches, and I even saw a police vehicle stuck in the ditch just off a 2 lane highway. That's the worst I've seen in a little while.

Icy roads from St Paul increased my 3:30 hr drive Friday night from the East. Scary cold temp would have made staying home the smart move, but . . .

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Next saturday looks like it will be in the upper 20s....not bad for late Dec. Probably a bigger crowd.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Appalachian State was one win away from playing in the Cotton Bowl this year -- of course Georgia Southern had to be the one to trip them up. Georgia Southern and App State are definitely not on the list of schools that should have any regrets about upgrading to FBS. I really like the Sun Belt Conference -- 10 years ago I viewed it as a complete joke of a league but now I feel they have a really good mix of schools. If they brought in JMU and Liberty, they'd be that much stronger IMO. If I were MTSU, I would be having second thoughts now about leaving for C-USA.

By any chance do schools raise ticket prices when they move to FBS? Perhaps that could explain some of the attendance drop-off.

[Professor Chaos]

Appalachian State was one win away from playing in the Cotton Bowl this year -- of course Georgia Southern had to be the one to trip them up. Georgia Southern and App State are definitely not on the list of schools that should have any regrets about upgrading to FBS. I really like the Sun Belt Conference -- 10 years ago I viewed it as a complete joke of a league but now I feel they have a really good mix of schools. If they brought in JMU and Liberty, they'd be that much stronger IMO. If I were MTSU, I would be having second thoughts now about leaving for C-USA.

By any chance do schools raise ticket prices when they move to FBS? Perhaps that could explain some of the attendance drop-off.
I'm guessing tickets prices did increase some. You can look at https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/ and see the ticket revenue each year for each school. Keep in mind this is for the entire athletic department but I would guess that football contributes the lion's share of ticket revenue at both schools/

Ticket revenue

Appalachian St
2010: $2.728M
2011: $2.340M
2012: $2.374M
2013: $2.334M
2014: $1.951M
2015: $1.604M
2016: $1.573M
2017: $2.488M
2018: $3.148M

Georgia Southern
2010: $0.791M
2011: $0.875M
2012: $1.067M
2013: $1.179M
2014: $1.086M
2015: $1.057M
2016: $1.637M
2017: $1.675M
2018: $1.537M


So ticket revenue is up but not nearly enought to cover the difference between an FCS and FBS athletic budget. Here's the dirty little secret about funding an FBS move... the money for it primarily comes from school funds and student fees. Check out the trends at each school combining those two figures:


School funds + student fees

Appalachian St
2010: $8.734M
2011: $8.886M
2012: $10.243M
2013: $10.351M
2014: $10.283M
2015: $20.522M
2016: $20.302M
2017: $21.277M
2018: $22.611M

Georgia Southern
2010: $7.524M
2011: $8.175M
2012: $7.781M
2013: $8.320M
2014: $13.549M
2015: $13.801M
2016: $18.490M
2017: $16.547M
2018: $19.031M


That's the decision schools and students at those schools need to make when they make that jump to FBS. App St and GSU made it and it doesn't seem like anyone regrets it but the big checks written now that weren't being written in 2012 aren't really written by the people who are primarily enjoying the product either (ticket holders and donors).

[Sitting Bull]

I looked it up last week.

Appalachian State
2010: 25,715 (8 games)
2011: 26,211 (7 games)
2012: 26,358 (7 games)
2013: 24,894 (6 games)
2014: 23,166 (6 games)
2015: 21,459 (6 games)
2016: 26,153 (6 games)
2017: 25,787 (6 games)
2018: 21,953 (6 games)
2019: 23,806 (7 games)

Georgia Southern
2010: 17,627 (6 games)
2011: 17,701 (8 games)
2012: 18,487 (7 games)
2013: 14,828 (6 games)
2014: 21,102 (5 games)
2015: 20,780 (6 games)
2016: 20,819 (5 games)
2017: 15,258 (4 games)
2018: 16,802 (6 games)
2019: 13,964 (6 games)

From 2010-2012 they were FCS and postseason eligible, in 2013 they were FCS but were ineligible for the postseason since they had started to increase scholarships, in 2014 they were FBS but weren't bowl eligible, and from 2015 on they were full fledged FBS.

This is fun!

now - do ODU and UMass!

"G5, it's not just football, it's a tragedy!"

[JacksFan40]

Two years ago in the 2nd round against UNI they drew nearly 8,000 to Brookings. This year in the exact same round against the exact same opponent they barely topped 4,000 and weather was fine for this time of year.
We drew 4K against EIU in the First Round at CAS in 2012, 6k in 2016 against Villanova in the Second Dana J. Dykhouse, 8k against UNI in the Second and 5k against UNH in the Quarters in 2017, and we got a whopping 3k against Duquesne last year in the Second Round.
Our attendance is always bad, we just had a slightly better showing in 2017 against UNI likely because the team had Wieneke and Goedert and had title hopes.

[PaladinFan]

One logical conclusion is that NDSU fans have won so much their fans are wearing out with it. There's something to be said for losing every now and then. It makes you appreciate the wins. Alabama has a similar problem. Hard to get folks back every game when all the games look the same and there's a "wake me for the finals" mentality.

I've lost track, but I don't remember NDSU even playing a road playoff game.

[BisonFan02]

One logical conclusion is that NDSU fans have won so much their fans are wearing out with it. There's something to be said for losing every now and then. It makes you appreciate the wins. Alabama has a similar problem. Hard to get folks back every game when all the games look the same and there's a "wake me for the finals" mentality.

I've lost track, but I don't remember NDSU even playing a road playoff game.

2010 loss @ EWU....the phantom Jensen fumble in OT. :D

Beat Montana State in the second round that year in Bozeman as well. xthumbsupx

[Hammersmith]

One logical conclusion is that NDSU fans have won so much their fans are wearing out with it. There's something to be said for losing every now and then. It makes you appreciate the wins. Alabama has a similar problem. Hard to get folks back every game when all the games look the same and there's a "wake me for the finals" mentality.

I've lost track, but I don't remember NDSU even playing a road playoff game.

To simplify what BF02 said...

NDSU has played 2 road playoff games, both in 2010*, and was 1-1 in those games.


*the season before the 5-peat started