Game Day Atmosphere

[barechestcat]

We, MSU Bobcat fans, are currently having a discussion regarding ways to improve our gameday experience for the "event" of a home game.

I was hoping that the AGS posters would be willing to contribute to this thread by posting some things your athletic departments/universities are doing to make your game days a fun experience.

Thanks in advance!

[Uncle Rico's Clan]

Go to Missoula and take notes on November 22nd.

[appfan2008]

win!!!




























trying to be funny but seriously its the truth!!!

[CSUBUCDAD]

Games at Chuck South were flat out boring before Jay Mills took over. Heck now we even know when to be loud and when to be quiet. xthumbsupx

[montanafan]

Go to Missoula and take notes on November 22nd.

That is way too funny xlolx xlolx xlolx

[ValleyChamp]

A large metallic roof over the field.

[placidlakegriz]

A large metallic roof over the field.



Wrong, wrong, wrong. Football is to be played outdoors!!!

[danefan]

Get a whole bunch of kegs, face paint and artificial noise makers and give them to the students to pre-game.


That always seems to work.

[Retro]

Get a whole bunch of kegs, face paint and artificial noise makers and give them to the students to pre-game.


That always seems to work.

First, we have to get the students to show up on a regular basis!xrolleyesx

[danefan]

First, we have to get the students to show up on a regular basis!xrolleyesx

That's what the free beer is for.......

xthumbsupx xnodx xnodx xthumbsupx

[grizbeer]

First, we have to get the students to show up on a regular basis!xrolleyesx
Does McTeam have a difficult time getting students to the game every week, or was last week especially bad?

[barechestcat]

Go to Missoula and take notes on November 22nd.

Been already. I do give the Griz props on a good product. I am looking for what other schools also do. Thanks!

[barechestcat]

win!!!


trying to be funny but seriously its the truth!!!

I agree. But has ASU changed anything up on gameday from say 5+ years ago, aka before your current run?

A part of our discussion is centering around ways to attract the casual fan.

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

Cheerleaders with really big....










Smiles:D

[BeauFoster]

I agree. But has ASU changed anything up on gameday from say 5+ years ago, aka before your current run?

A part of our discussion is centering around ways to attract the casual fan.

Everything has changed entirely. The administration used to frown on tailgating, and would only allow it in one lot. Public display of alcohol in any other lot would get you a ticket. Since 2005, we have been able to tailgate with very loose rules (no liquor until this year, you just had to hide it). The encouragement of both alumni and student tailgating has really made the game into an all day event. It was common last season to see full parking lots all over campus at 8am. Now that every lot is numbered, some people chose to arrive a little later, but most lots are pretty full early.

[hawkeye]

Cheerleaders with really big....












Smiles:D
With small uni tops and add the cold weather. Crowd pleaser everytime. :D

[siuham]

That's what the free beer is for.......

xthumbsupx xnodx xnodx xthumbsupx

We actually had Jimmie John's giving out free beer and sandwhiches at a couple of the student tailgates.

And the red bull people always show up to give out red bull. They also tote around a beer pong table for people to use.

[813Jag]

Promote! Promote! Promote! Have bands play, reach out to the community. In order for your game day atmosphere to grow people have to feel like it's some where important to be. At Southern people arrive on Thursday to start tailgating, that makes people who don't usually tailgate interested in what's going on. Student government/ fraternities and sororities/ any other campus groups can organize tailgates to get students interested.

[EmeryZach]

Fireworks after night games. Brings in the fans every single time. Oh, and free t-shirts.

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

Fireworks after night games. Brings in the fans every single time. Oh, and free t-shirts.

Or wet t-shirts

[UNIFanSince1983]

I have found that free beer is more of a detractor to the actual game, however. Round here there have been more and more people tailgating I think a lot of it has to do with winning as one ASU poster already said.

Free beer may work to get students to tailgate, but it doesn't get them in the doors of the game. Infact it might just make them say forget the game lets go get more drunk.

[McNeese72]

At McNeese, let's see.

Liberal tailgating rules. Start arriving Friday at noon. Have to leave by Sunday at noon. Plenty of food and drink. Alcohol beverages allowed, open containers. Frozen drinks from the Frosty Factory across the street from the tailgate area. Play host to visiting fans. More food and drink. Sometime before 6PM the Band marches through the tailgate areas and plays for the tailgaters.

In the stadium, a very scripted pregame show. Band performs pregame, plays "On McNeese" "Nationa Anthem", Alma Mater, and then "Jolie Blonde" Forms lines for team to enter. By then the ParaPokes have already exited their plane and about to land one at a time at mid-field. The Mystery Rider makes his (her) appearance down the southeast ramp to the field and then rides back and forth across the field. The captains meet a midfield for the coin toss. The Mystery Rider and cheerleaders lead the Cowboys onto the field, with one of the players leading the others bringing "the wood".

It's time for kickoff.

After the game, back to the tailgate area for bull session to recap the game and eat some more. Host visiting fans if they come back.

Doc

[Walkon79]

At McNeese, let's see.

Liberal tailgating rules. Start arriving Friday at noon. Have to leave by Sunday at noon. Plenty of food and drink. Alcohol beverages allowed, open containers. Frozen drinks from the Frosty Factory across the street from the tailgate area. Play host to visiting fans. More food and drink. Sometime before 6PM the Band marches through the tailgate areas and plays for the tailgaters.

In the stadium, a very scripted pregame show. Band performs pregame, plays "On McNeese" "Nationa Anthem", Alma Mater, and then "Jolie Blonde" Forms lines for team to enter. By then the ParaPokes have already exited their plane and about to land one at a time at mid-field. The Mystery Rider makes his (her) appearance down the southeast ramp to the field and then rides back and forth across the field. The captains meet a midfield for the coin toss. The Mystery Rider and cheerleaders lead the Cowboys onto the field, with one of the players leading the others bringing "the wood".

It's time for kickoff.

After the game, back to the tailgate area for bull session to recap the game and eat some more. Host visiting fans if they come back.

Doc

I love the three day tailgate idea. My brothers were in Lake Charles the last time the Cats played a playoff game there.

Had a Blast. Best hosts in FCS, Cowboys!!

One of problems is the admin trying to micro-manage the pregame and post game tailgates for the fans.

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

Promote! Promote! Promote! Have bands play, reach out to the community. In order for your game day atmosphere to grow people have to feel like it's some where important to be. At Southern people arrive on Thursday to start tailgating, that makes people who don't usually tailgate interested in what's going on. Student government/ fraternities and sororities/ any other campus groups can organize tailgates to get students interested.
SU's administration needs to leave folks alone with tailgating. After homecoming (100,000 folks on campus), our administration decided to make all kind of new rules xsmhx midseason which ran alot of people away. I wonder if they realize the more folks tailgating on campus, the more folks that will come in the game.

[93henfan]

I'm being told that Delaware may try to have a backup quarterback that is not a TE or WR in place before the 2009 season.

[KiddBrewer]

i really believe the only way that anything App has implimented in the last 4 years has worked is because we have won. If you don't win, it doesnt matter what kind of game day things you put into place...the casual fan is not going to show up. The most inviting thing for a casual fan, and eventually, a bandwagon fan is the winning. Once you win, the programs work and the Athletic Department looks brilliant for bringing in new crowds.

sucks, but true. the only way ive ever seen a mediocre or lousy team have a good game day atmosphere is if the fans get extremely hammered before the game and that is what brings them in.

[KiddBrewer]

now i will say a good band can help to an extent.

[ASUG8]

ASU football wasn't great when I was there, but it was one thing you looked forward to each week. We knew we would be doing kegstands and upside down Margaritas by 9AM with a bunch of friends. We sat in the rain, fog, whatever and didn't care because it was the 'neers.
Also, Boone was an even smaller town then and distractions were few. If your student body is a suitcase college (App once was) then someone has to inject some sense of pride in the University. I have to agree with my ASU brethren that once we started on a winning trajectory over the last several years that's when we really started getting the support.

[Old Cage]

1. Install stadium lights and have games that start no earlier than three and no later than six.

2. A 375+ member band so that between them and their families and the band alums (and spouses that come just to see the band post-game show), you have a 2,000 folks running start.

3. Liberalizing tailgate rules. We still have limits on before and after times but the number out there before games has increased dramatically.

4. Win a national championship or at least get to Chatty.

5. Get your hoops, pucks and lax teams to make noise on the national scene to increase fan interest.

6. Schedule doubleheader days when football plays earlier and then hoops or pucks play later.

7. Just win, Baby.

[pbr1893]

Have Chancellor Peacock pump the keg while campus police hold your legs on a upside down keg handstand!xprost2x Plus, if said police can also give you a lift home after the game instead of the ever possible DWI.

[NoCoDanny]

win!!!
!!!

Ahhhh, that explains our crap atmosphere. xbawlingx

[Appfan_in_CAAland]

I agree. But has ASU changed anything up on gameday from say 5+ years ago, aka before your current run?

A part of our discussion is centering around ways to attract the casual fan.

Another thing that happened for App around this time was state road improvements. There used to be significant 2 lane sections of often narrow and curvy roads going up to Boone and now it all straight 4 lane and mostly interstate quality. It cut the drive down by 30 minutes or more from the state's major cities and its no longer a pain in the rear to drive up to Boone. When much of your fan base comes from the major population centers 2+ hours away, its no small matter that they are now only just over 1+ hours away.

Also, App's attendance was already pretty strong before the championships.

Already high crowd numbers + better roads for off-mountain alumni base + improved tailgating atmosphere + larger student body x 1 loss in 40 home games = best attendance in FCS.xthumbsupx

[coover]

Infact it might just make them say forget the game lets go get more drunk.

They don't teach grammar and punctuation in Iowa?

[SU Jag]

SU's administration needs to leave folks alone with tailgating. After homecoming (100,000 folks on campus), our administration decided to make all kind of new rules xsmhx midseason which ran alot of people away. I wonder if they realize the more folks tailgating on campus, the more folks that will come in the game.

Preach my boi, preach!xbowx

[crunifan]

They don't teach grammar and punctuation in Iowa?

We can't all have a governor that can't pronounce our own state guiding us to perfect english.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Well I apologize for my terrible grammar and punctuation.

[yosef1969]

Another thing that happened for App around this time was state road improvements. There used to be significant 2 lane sections of often narrow and curvy roads going up to Boone and now it all straight 4 lane and mostly interstate quality. It cut the drive down by 30 minutes or more from the state's major cities and its no longer a pain in the rear to drive up to Boone. When much of your fan base comes from the major population centers 2+ hours away, its no small matter that they are now only just over 1+ hours away.

Also, App's attendance was already pretty strong before the championships.

Already high crowd numbers + better roads for off-mountain alumni base + improved tailgating atmosphere + larger student body x 1 loss in 40 home games = best attendance in FCS.xthumbsupx

Roads have played a huge role along with the standard 3:30pm kickoff. Folks from Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston and Charlotte can make the game in a day trip and be home at a reasonable hour.