Dallas Area Game Attendance Note

[JohnStOnge]

Attendance for the Texas 5A Division I championship game in Dallas between Pearland and Euless Trinity yesterday was 43,321.

Believe me, I don't expect it to be anything like that for the FCS championship game. But those people do love their football

Attendance for the three FBS bowl games yesterday ranged from about 25,000 to about 32,000 (won't look it up again, that's just kind of rounded from memory to the nearest thousand).

That's kind of sad for FCS too, really. Like 29,000 went to watch Ohio vs. Troy; a horrible matchup that pretty much had nothing interesting about it involving two teams playing for basically nothing.

[DFW HOYA]

The Armed Forces Bowl (32,000) and Cotton Bowl (80,000) have already sold out, with the TicketCity Bowl probably in the 45,000 range right now. Ticketmaster is selling end zone seats for the 1/7 title game but it's hard to tell if they're holding seats for the schools or have not released better seats.

[Saint3333]

Attendance for the Texas 5A Division I championship game in Dallas between Pearland and Euless Trinity yesterday was 43,321.

Believe me, I don't expect it to be anything like that for the FCS championship game. But those people do love their football

Attendance for the three FBS bowl games yesterday ranged from about 25,000 to about 32,000 (won't look it up again, that's just kind of rounded from memory to the nearest thousand).

That's kind of sad for FCS too, really. Like 29,000 went to watch Ohio vs. Troy; a horrible matchup that pretty much had nothing interesting about it involving two teams playing for basically nothing.

I agree texans love their football, I'm not sure EWU/UD qualifies as such.

I also agree it is sad that the semifinal and quarterfinal games in home stadiums don't garner half as much interest as a Sun Belt vs. MAC bowl, two conferences many FCS fans look down upon at times.

[JohnStOnge]

Yeah. I watched a number of really entertaining football games yesterday and the FBS bowls weren't among them. The Texas 5A D-I title game, game, and the NAIA championship game all came down to the final minute. I think the FCS semi had a chance to be that kind of game too because the teams looked really evenly matched but unfortunately GSU turned it over 5 times. But at least it was an interesting game most of the way. The D-III championship game also remained in doubt until very late; though it wasn't the final minute. A lot of really intense, "meaningful" football being played and you could see it in the players. Like the way Minnesota Duluth's team reacted when their guy kicked the game winning field goal along with the contrast of Delta State players who had "left it all on the field" down on their knees, etc.

I just really don't get why any football fan who doesn't have a direct rooting interest in the schools would prefer to watch something like BYU vs. UTEP or Ohio vs. Troy. But that appears to be the way it is.

[Uncle Buck]

I was listening to some guest host on the Doug Gottlieb (sp?) show the other day on Sirius and he was going on about how he doesn't want a playoff format. He said it makes the regular season games meaningless and that the thrill of lose one game and you can't win a NC makes every game huge. I don't know who it was and he wasn't taking calls to discuss it, but he really had no clue about the playoff format.

I know it's about Bowl money but i'll never understand how anyone can think a NC set up by a computer is more exciting than playoff football. Real champions settle it on the field, not on a computer chip.

[DFW HOYA]

I was listening to some guest host on the Doug Gottlieb (sp?) show the other day on Sirius and he was going on about how he doesn't want a playoff format. He said it makes the regular season games meaningless and that the thrill of lose one game and you can't win a NC makes every game huge. I don't know who it was and he wasn't taking calls to discuss it, but he really had no clue about the playoff format.

No surprise. Doug Gottlieb is a former basketball player at Notre Dame who, according to the link below, was expelled for theft and finished his career at Oklahoma State. He's no football expert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Gottlieb

[lionsrking2]

Attendance for the Texas 5A Division I championship game in Dallas between Pearland and Euless Trinity yesterday was 43,321.

Believe me, I don't expect it to be anything like that for the FCS championship game. But those people do love their football

Attendance for the three FBS bowl games yesterday ranged from about 25,000 to about 32,000 (won't look it up again, that's just kind of rounded from memory to the nearest thousand).

That's kind of sad for FCS too, really. Like 29,000 went to watch Ohio vs. Troy; a horrible matchup that pretty much had nothing interesting about it involving two teams playing for basically nothing.

John, there was nowhere close to 29,000 in the Dome for Troy and Ohio...you're lucky if there was half that number...they may have distributed that many tickets but not that many actual bodies in the building.

[danefan]

John, there was nowhere close to 29,000 in the Dome for Troy and Ohio...you're lucky if there was half that number...they may have distributed that many tickets but not that many actual bodies in the building.

Agreed. I'd be surprised if there were 10,000 people there. Looked empty to me.

[chattanoogamocs]

No doubt Texans love Texas High School football, but it is a apples and oranges comparison.

But not all football is loved the same...

Hometown SMU averaged about 18K for the season (high was 20K, low was 16K)...North Texas was about the same (high was 23K, low was 14K). UNT is located in Denton, TX, which is roughly the same distance as Frisco from downtown Dallas.

I think the title game will be just about the same as it would be in Chattanooga if EWU and UD played...about 14-17K tickets "distributed", with about 4 or 5K being from the teams fans, and about 12-13K actually in the stands. The only real difference being that Pizza Hut has newer, shinier and has more bells and whistles.

[blukeys]

JSO I don't pretend to know Texas fans but will promoting Pat Devlin as a potential Pro work to increase attendance? Pat of course is the follow up to Joe Flacco and for those who want to get an inexpensive seat to see another potential pro it may be a draw. I think for drumming up a local crowd the promoters need to do everything they can.

Would Pizza Hut give a ticket for a Pizza Hut purchase???

A Full stadium helps Pizza Hut more than anything else.

[DFW HOYA]

No doubt Texans love Texas High School football, but it is a apples and oranges comparison.

But not all football is loved the same...Hometown SMU averaged about 18K for the season (high was 20K, low was 16K)...North Texas was about the same (high was 23K, low was 14K). UNT is located in Denton, TX, which is roughly the same distance as Frisco from downtown Dallas.


Lots of football to choose from: probably 60-70 home games in HS football every Friday night across the region, SMU, North Texas (new stadium next season), TCU (averaged 40,000+), three intersectional games in the Cotton Bowl, two at Jerry World, plus the people that simply drive to Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas, and Oklahoma (all 3-4 hrs). That, and the NFL too.

That having been said, I've seen no local promotion for this game.

[blukeys]

Lots of football to choose from: probably 60-70 home games in HS football every Friday night across the region, SMU, North Texas (new stadium next season), TCU (averaged 40,000+), three intersectional games in the Cotton Bowl, two at Jerry World, plus the people that simply drive to Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas, and Oklahoma (all 3-4 hrs). That, and the NFL too.

That having been said, I've seen no local promotion for this game.

Might the promotion not wait until one sees what teams are coming??? You can then talk about the teams, coaches, and players. Promoting this requires more info than promoting UT and Texas A&M.

[JohnStOnge]

John, there was nowhere close to 29,000 in the Dome for Troy and Ohio...you're lucky if there was half that number...they may have distributed that many tickets but not that many actual bodies in the building.

Well, I just looked at the attendance reported on the NCAA site. I didn't watch the game. I was watching the Texas 5A Division I title game. It was a great game too. Kind of a "David and Goliath" thing. Euless Trinity was very big and physical. About half their players that get a lot of playing time are Samoans. I noticed that earlier this year when I watched them and learned that there's a Samoan community there associated with some kind of Samoan airline with business at the Dallas airport. Huge, "thick" looking guys. When you looked at the two teams on the field it looked like Pearland should have no shot. Looked ike men and boys. Pearland looked like little skinny kids in comparison.

And when the play started Trinity looked a lot stronger too. But Pearland scratched and clawed and played hard and played smart and somehow got it done. Didn't hurt that they had a great little heady quarterback.

And they did this cool trick play at a critical time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSKfcp4fX0I

They all stood there like they were looking at the coaches for instructions. The center snapped the ball and the wideout took off but nobody else moved. Trinity just sat there too except for the one guy on the receiver and I'm sure he probably hesitated too so that he was a little behind on the play.

[lionsrking2]

Well, I just looked at the attendance reported on the NCAA site. I didn't watch the game. I was watching the Texas 5A Division I title game. It was a great game too. Kind of a "David and Goliath" thing. Euless Trinity was very big and physical. About half their players that get a lot of playing time are Samoans. I noticed that earlier this year when I watched them and learned that there's a Samoan community there associated with some kind of Samoan airline with business at the Dallas airport. Huge, "thick" looking guys. When you looked at the two teams on the field it looked like Pearland should have no shot. Looked ike men and boys. Pearland looked like little skinny kids in comparison.

And when the play started Trinity looked a lot stronger too. But Pearland scratched and clawed and played hard and played smart and somehow got it done. Didn't hurt that they had a great little heady quarterback.

And they did this cool trick play at a critical time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSKfcp4fX0I

They all stood there like they were looking at the coaches for instructions. The center snapped the ball and the wideout took off but nobody else moved. Trinity just sat there too except for the one guy on the receiver and I'm sure he probably hesitated too so that he was a little behind on the play.

I flipped back and forth between the New Orleans Bowl and the Pearland/Trinity game...a buddy of mine actually went to the NO Bowl and pretty much confirmed what I saw on TV...estimating attendance in the Superdome can be tricky and deceiving, but I've seen legitimate crowds of 12-15 K and 25-30 K and this one was definitely closer to 12-15 K - and perhaps not that big.

The Pearland/Trinity game was definitely a classic, and about as well played as you're going to see at the high school level...I've actually seen that trick play run before, a couple of years ago in a high school game in Mississippi, but the QB overthrew a wide open receiver...teams that run lots of no-huddle and signal plays at the line of scrimmage are prime candidates to pull that off...glad to see it executed and make a critical difference in a ballgame.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

And they did this cool trick play at a critical time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSKfcp4fX0I

They all stood there like they were looking at the coaches for instructions. The center snapped the ball and the wideout took off but nobody else moved. Trinity just sat there too except for the one guy on the receiver and I'm sure he probably hesitated too so that he was a little behind on the play.

I'm not a huge fan of trick plays - they seem to backfire more often than they work, but that was just incredibly cool. My hat is off to Pearland's coach for creating and calling something like that.

[JohnStOnge]

I'm not a huge fan of trick plays - they seem to backfire more often than they work, but that was just incredibly cool. My hat is off to Pearland's coach for creating and calling something like that.

Yeah. It was just one part of a game where you had one team that was overmatched in terms of talent but played gritty and smart and won the game. Not that Pearland was not a real talented looking high school team. But those Trinity guys were beasts. Very, very physical and plenty of speed too. It was fun to watch. Basically brains and guts over brawn. I don't mean to put Trinity's players and coaches down. But for that one game that's how I really saw it.

Another interesting thing is that the offensive MVP for the game...Pearland's running back...was a Katrina evacuee originally from New Orleans. Left that city after the Hurricane and settled in Pearland, Texas. Kind of put a little Louisiana angle on the game.

[JMU1992]

No surprise. Doug Gottlieb is a former basketball player at Notre Dame who, according to the link below, was expelled for theft and finished his career at Oklahoma State. He's no football expert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Gottlieb



It was a guest host, not Gottlieb. Gottleib knows his football

[Walkon79]

Euliss Trinity had a "heady little QB" a few years back.

What was his name again>>>



Oh Yeah, Denarius!! xnodxxnodxxnodx

[ngineer]

Keep in mind the Cotton Bowl is that night, too...and for once in a long time a good matchup: LSU v. Texas A&M. So there will some pressure on the locals to support two teams from the Left and Right coasts as opposed to watching their Aggies on TV.

[Super B]

I was at the Texas State Championship games. Believe me, there were more than 43,312 at the Trinity-Pearland game. The usher count was 55,846. Below are pictures of the stands.
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt218/the_phoenix612/2010%205ATF%20Championship%20Games/IMG_0882.jpg?t=1292742991
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt218/the_phoenix612/2010%205ATF%20Championship%20Games/IMG_0889.jpg?t=1292743004

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt218/the_phoenix612/2010%205ATF%20Championship%20Games/IMG_0890.jpg?t=1292743004
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt218/the_phoenix612/2010%205ATF%20Championship%20Games/IMG_0892.jpg?t=1292743004
There are 4 levels. The bottom 3 levels are at least 95 % full (by the naked eye) There were thousand of fans on the concourses as well (not pictured).

If the stadium capacity is 80,000, and 3 out of 4 decks were full, that appears to be much more than the 43,312 "official number".

[superman7515]

Great. Now the AD's at high schools are being accused of under-counting attendance so they don't have to pay the NCAA a cut. xlolx

[100%GRIZ]

JSO I don't pretend to know Texas fans but will promoting Pat Devlin as a potential Pro work to increase attendance? Pat of course is the follow up to Joe Flacco and for those who want to get an inexpensive seat to see another potential pro it may be a draw. I think for drumming up a local crowd the promoters need to do everything they can.

Would Pizza Hut give a ticket for a Pizza Hut purchase???

A Full stadium helps Pizza Hut more than anything else.

And how about promoting Bo Levi Mitchcell (dropdown from SMU & being from Texas) by the way he is the Eastern Washington QB!

[blukeys]

And how about promoting Bo Levi Mitchcell (dropdown from SMU & being from Texas) by the way he is the Eastern Washington QB!

I am OK with that if it puts fannies in the seats. I also think that there has been at least one article already on Bo's return.

For the record look for the Devlin v. Mitchell contest to dominate the ESPN broadcast.

The game will be the Penn State transfer v. the SMU transfer and the names of the two teams actually playing the game will be an after thought. We will probably get more info on the thoughts of the Paterno on Devlin then what Devlin has done at UD. I have seen ESPN too much to expect real insight.

[LouiseBFree]

Huh ???????????????????

NCAA Billboards on Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road, large promotional banner on building along the Tollway as you enter Frisco, posters in Frisco business storefronts, promotion at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco throughout holiday shopping season, color ads on front page of Dallas Morning News sports page. TV commercials during local newscasts.

If you're actually looking for local promotion of the game, its definitely there.




Lots of football to choose from: probably 60-70 home games in HS football every Friday night across the region, SMU, North Texas (new stadium next season), TCU (averaged 40,000+), three intersectional games in the Cotton Bowl, two at Jerry World, plus the people that simply drive to Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas, and Oklahoma (all 3-4 hrs). That, and the NFL too.

That having been said, I've seen no local promotion for this game.

[AAadict]

Glad to hear that Frisco is promoting the game. Went to Chattanooga in 2003 & 2007 and it was a special place. The hotels and small city filled with FCS fans. This trip looks to be different as we will likely be overshadowed by the Cotton Bowl. In Chattanooga it was the "big game". A factor to local business. Not sure it will seem the same to Frisco with big D hosting LSU & Texas A&M.

[chattanoogamocs]

13,027.

So much for all those football crazy Texans showing up to support Frisco.

Sorry, if this sounds too much like sour grapes...it was only because for the last year I had to listen to so many people on here talk about how much Frisco/Dallas/Texas/Southland was going to show up and support this game.

Yes...I am still sore about it not being in Chattanooga...what can I say...I have pride for my Alma mater, the SoCon, the City of Chattanooga and the State of Tennessee...and, hell, the South in general! :)

Go Mocs!

[Dallas Demon]

13,027.

So much for all those football crazy Texans showing up to support Frisco.

Sorry, if this sounds too much like sour grapes...it was only because for the last year I had to listen to so many people on here talk about how much Frisco/Dallas/Texas/Southland was going to show up and support this game.

Yes...I am still sore about it not being in Chattanooga...what can I say...I have pride for my Alma mater, the SoCon, the City of Chattanooga and the State of Tennessee...and, hell, the South in general! :)

Go Mocs!

Yes, sour grapes, but that is understandable.

[chattanoogamocs]

And the sad thing is, I wouldn't have cried sour grapes at all if it looked like Frisco did anything special over what Chattanooga had done in the past...or if a big local crowd had shown up. If either would have happened, I would have tipped my hat and said "good job". But I see no evidence of either.

If a big crowd shows up next year, I will be the first to congratulate Frisco...but I won't be holding my breath.

[McNeese75]

And the sad thing is, I wouldn't have cried sour grapes at all if it looked like Frisco did anything special over what Chattanooga had done in the past...or if a big local crowd had shown up. If either would have happened, I would have tipped my hat and said "good job". But I see no evidence of either.

If a big crowd shows up next year, I will be the first to congratulate Frisco...but I won't be holding my breath.


I was at the first nc game played in Chatty and the promo and local support tonight by Frisco was better. It took time for the game to grow in Tn and it will take time for Frisco (although not as long IMO ). And no matter what you think, the Cotton Bowl did have an effect on the game

[Saint3333]

I was at the first nc game played in Chatty and the promo and local support tonight by Frisco was better. It took time for the game to grow in Tn and it will take time for Frisco (although not as long IMO ). And no matter what you think, the Cotton Bowl did have an effect on the game

I highly doubt the cotton bowl took more than 500 people away from attendance. It comes down to the teams in the game and their proximity to the stadium, pretty simple.

[DFW HOYA]

NCAA Billboards on Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road, large promotional banner on building along the Tollway as you enter Frisco, posters in Frisco business storefronts, promotion at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco throughout holiday shopping season, color ads on front page of Dallas Morning News sports page. TV commercials during local newscasts.

Billboards on Preston Road? OK, but I get your point that Frisco promoted it more than, say, Irving or Arlington. Something to build on for next year.

[Skjellyfetti]

13,027.

So much for all those football crazy Texans showing up to support Frisco.

Sorry, if this sounds too much like sour grapes...it was only because for the last year I had to listen to so many people on here talk about how much Frisco/Dallas/Texas/Southland was going to show up and support this game.



Yup. Everyone moaned and groaned by the attendance last year. The consensus was it was bad and the game should no longer be in Chattanooga.

This year... attendance was WORSE... and everyone is pleased with attendance and if you complain about it... you're whiner. xlolx

All we accomplished by moving the game to Frisco is lowering the bar on expectations. xthumbsdownxxnonono2x

[DFW HOYA]

Yup. Everyone moaned and groaned by the attendance last year. The consensus was it was bad and the game should no longer be in Chattanooga.

The NCAA didn't award the bid on consensus. Frisco outbid ($) Chattanooga.

[Skjellyfetti]

The NCAA didn't award the bid on consensus. Frisco outbid ($) Chattanooga.

I was talking about the consensus on this and other FCS boards.

Everyone talked about how bad attendance was last year. This year, attendance is lower, and every seems pleased.

[DFW HOYA]

Everyone talked about how bad attendance was last year. This year, attendance is lower, and every seems pleased.

Equally big an issue is attendance was down in the earlier rounds. Hard to take this subdivision seriously with numbers like that.