FCS Attendance

[MSUcats91]

Howdy Bisonville, long time no see. Hope your offseason is going well.

Just thought you guys might be interested in this link. NDSU ranked #10 in attendance. MSU is 17; hopefully we can improve on that with the stadium expansion taking place now.
Later.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/be308d8045aae027b8bcfc9080650d5b/110204_FullFBatten.png?MOD=AJPERES

[BisonCardinal]

Thanks for the info.

Pretty realistic to get into the top 5.

Top 3 would be a little more of logistical problem, unless we start selling to tickets to stand on the railings.

MSUCats, what will your new capacity be?

[MontBison]

Thanks for the info.

Pretty realistic to get into the top 5.

Top 3 would be a little more of logistical problem, unless we start selling to tickets to stand on the railings.

MSUCats, what will your new capacity be?

I herd 18700 being thrown around. They wont sell that many tickets except for cat griz and maybe homecoming.

[SamsRams]

holy batman delaware....10 home games??

[Hammersmith]

holy batman delaware....10 home games??

Includes playoffs.

[MSUcats91]

Thanks for the info.

Pretty realistic to get into the top 5.

Top 3 would be a little more of logistical problem, unless we start selling to tickets to stand on the railings.

MSUCats, what will your new capacity be?

Montbison is right, seating will go from about 13.5K to 18.5K or so. Other than cat-griz, it will be tough to sell it out right away.

[4mcruenomore]

I didn't see the NAIA attendance, I was looking for the SUX.

[Twentysix]

MVC National Team Avg Games
1 11 NDSU 15944 7 (Horrible attendance this year in my opinion)
2 13 YSU 15110 6
3 21 UNI 12997 6
4 31 SIU 10890 6
5 35 SDSU 10023 5
6 37 WIU 9232 6
7 39 MSU 9028 5
8 (47) USD 8352 5
9 62 ISU-R 6958 6
10 80 ISU-B 5478 6 Can a winning sycs team top 9000?

[coldspot]

michigan averaged more per game than we had for our season total. WOW

[4mcruenomore]

Do we have the biggest market?

[Twentysix]

Do we have the biggest market?
All of these numbers are rounded, most slightly up.
No we do not have the biggest market, Macomb Is probably the smallest market, unless im missing a bigger city lurking pretty close to it.
Youngstowns metro is 600,000 is about 60 miles from pittsburgh (2.3 million) debatable whether they draw out of there.
MSU's metro is 450,000
NDSU 200,000
UNI 170,000
ISU-B 170,000
ISU-R 125,000
SIU is pretty close to St Louis(95 miles)[St Louis metro is about 3 million], debatable whether they actually draw anyone out of there though.

Also vermillion and brookings are about 60 miles from Sioux falls which is slightly bigger than fargo(240,000).

[tony]

Do we have the biggest market?

The metro area around Youngstown is over 500,000.

Sidenote: You can get a house in Youngstown for $3 to $5 a square foot.

[IzzyFlexion]

The metro area around Youngstown is over 500,000.

Sidenote: You can get a house in Youngstown for $3 to $5 a square foot.

If I get (2) 1 square footers and put 'em together, can I get a bulk rate?

I only have 9 dollars and I need some degree of spaciousness.
-good God, I'm a spaz!

[IndyBison]

One difference in comparing NDSU to others in MVFC is it doesn't really matter the size of the market. Most of those schools don't draw a lot of people that aren't somehow associated with the school. There are too many other schools in the area that do that (Ohio State, IU, Purdue, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, etc.). For example, nobody is going to an Indiana State game unless they know someone on the team, are an alumnus, or cheering for the visiting team. Winning will definitely get the alumni group back more though. Curious to see how many more they get this year.

[Twentysix]

One difference in comparing NDSU to others in MVFC is it doesn't really matter the size of the market. Most of those schools don't draw a lot of people that aren't somehow associated with the school. There are too many other schools in the area that do that (Ohio State, IU, Purdue, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, etc.). For example, nobody is going to an Indiana State game unless they know someone on the team, are an alumnus, or cheering for the visiting team. Winning will definitely get the alumni group back more though. Curious to see how many more they get this year.

How is that a difference? We have lots of fans that arent related to NDSU in some way? I didn't know that.

The U of M has that, I don't feel that NDSU does. I dont know a single person whos an NDSU fan that isnt related to the school in someway. Most people i know that arent related to the school bag on NDSU every chance they get cause there MSUM kids or didnt go to college.

[TheBisonator]

How is that a difference? We have lots of fans that arent related to NDSU in some way? I didn't know that.

The U of M has that, I don't feel that NDSU does. I dont know a single person whos an NDSU fan that isnt related to the school in someway. Most people i know that arent related to the school bag on NDSU every chance they get cause there MSUM kids or didnt go to college.

I was at B-Dubs a couple years ago watching a Bison football road game on TV and I met a couple guys who were huge Bison fans who were just born and raised in the area, but never went to NDSU, nor had parents who did.

And you'd be surprised at how little of a fanbase Goopher football has once you take away students, alums, players relatives and UM employees.

[Twentysix]

I was at B-Dubs a couple years ago watching a Bison football road game on TV and I met a couple guys who were huge Bison fans who were just born and raised in the area, but never went to NDSU, nor had parents who did.

And you'd be surprised at how little of a fanbase Goopher football has once you take away students, alums, players relatives and UM employees.

I know a pretty good amount of people from Fargo W Fargo and Moorhead that are from small towns in western minnesota originally, never went to U of M but support the school anyways, including the football team.

Im not saying they donate money, but they wear U of M gear and watch every game, or most of them on B10 network etc.

[Twentysix]

Not to mention all the kids that go to NDSU and are gopher fans. Alot of kids who dont go to football games are gopher fans.

[Twentysix]

Not that we can complain, I bet most of the schools in our conferences have alot worse problem with it than we do. Just walking around UNI before the game a few years ago, i saw hawkeye and cyclone crap.

[X-Factor]

NDSU has the luxury of not having to fight bigger schools for fans. Most of these other teams are reasonably close to a big time program like the Ohio States, Illinois, Iowas of the world.

[TheBisonator]

I know a pretty good amount of people from Fargo W Fargo and Moorhead that are from small towns in western minnesota originally, never went to U of M but support the school anyways, including the football team.

Im not saying they donate money, but they wear U of M gear and watch every game, or most of them on B10 network etc.

Live in the Twin Cities for a while. If someone says in public down there that they're a Gopher football fan, the most likely reaction they will get is being pointed at and laughed at. Imagine being a HS student at your local high school in the TC and telling all your friends that you cheer for Gopher football. You'll probably lose a few friends. Gopher football is a running joke in the TC area.

[BlueBisonRock]

Live in the Twin Cities for a while. If someone says in public down there that they're a Gopher football fan, the most likely reaction they will get is being pointed at and laughed at. Imagine being a HS student at your local high school in the TC and telling all your friends that you cheer for Gopher football. You'll probably lose a few friends. Gopher football is a running joke in the TC area.

Really? I never saw that attitude presented. But, I guess I just lived in the MG Burb and now outstate SE. I always saw and ran into a lot of Gopher fans. I'll ask the kids about this to get a more cosmopolitan view of the question.

PS: For you in your present location it now becomes up there as Toronto is almost as far south as the MN Iowa border.

[westnodak93bison]

I lived in the TC for nearly 5 yrs and met very few Goopher FB fans. More Goopher BB fans at the time since they went to the Final Four.

[TheBisonator]

I lived in the TC for nearly 5 yrs and met very few Goopher FB fans. More Goopher BB fans at the time since they went to the Final Four.

True, it's more en vogue to be a Gopher hoops fan than a fan of the FB team.

[unbison]

And nator is the last word on hip trends in the metro:p

[TheBisonator]

And nator is the last word on hip trends in the metro:p

Yes I am, and DON'T YOU FORGET IT BIATCH

[lakesbison]

The Rich Folks In Western Burbs Sure Like The Goofs

[bisonranch]

Doesn't mean much but 2 FM area schools made the list, Concordia Moorhead is 10 in DIII attendance.

[BisonNolesFan77]

Live in the Twin Cities for a while. If someone says in public down there that they're a Gopher football fan, the most likely reaction they will get is being pointed at and laughed at. Imagine being a HS student at your local high school in the TC and telling all your friends that you cheer for Gopher football. You'll probably lose a few friends. Gopher football is a running joke in the TC area.

Yep, I grew up in the area, and the number of Gopher basketball fans seem to out number the Gopher football fans. In the Barber and Maroney days they had a pretty decent following, now they are laughed at. Another thing to keep in mind, their are a ton of Wisconsin, Iowa, etc. grads in the Twin Cities.

[SDSUAlum08]

MVC National Team Avg Games
1 11 NDSU 15944 7 (Horrible attendance this year in my opinion)
2 13 YSU 15110 6
3 21 UNI 12997 6
4 31 SIU 10890 6
5 35 SDSU 10023 5
6 37 WIU 9232 6
7 39 MSU 9028 5
8 (47) USD 8352 5
9 62 ISU-R 6958 6
10 80 ISU-B 5478 6 Can a winning sycs team top 9000?


Down year for SDSU too. With NDSU, UNI, and SIU for away games, it didn't draw as well. Plus the slow start didn't help with attendance either as well as the really poor weather with the UND game. Should be better this year like it was in 2009.

[SDbison]

Down year for SDSU too. With NDSU, UNI, and SIU for away games, it didn't draw as well. Plus the slow start didn't help with attendance either as well as the really poor weather with the UND game. Should be better this year like it was in 2009.
Yep, NDSU will likely help SDSU bring up that average when 6000 Bison fans show up in Brookings. With the Bunnies in rebuild the Bison will be keeping the Marker.

[TheBisonator]

Down year for SDSU too. With NDSU, UNI, and SIU for away games, it didn't draw as well. Plus the slow start didn't help with attendance either as well as the really poor weather with the UND game. Should be better this year like it was in 2009.

As long as SDSU is drawing over 10K a game, I don't think it should be much of a worry. The key for SDSU is trying to make attendances less erratic. I mean, you can get 15,000+ for Hobo Days, then you get like 3,000 for a late November game. I'm wondering if hunting season is that much of a factor in SDSU football attendance??

[Twentysix]

Down year for SDSU too. With NDSU, UNI, and SIU for away games, it didn't draw as well. Plus the slow start didn't help with attendance either as well as the really poor weather with the UND game. Should be better this year like it was in 2009.

Theres no lineup excuse for us. We just had a flatout bad year.


We probably averaged 2000 students a game instead of 4000 like it has been in the past, usually our complaint is students leaving at halftime, this year they never came in the first place.

Normal ticket sales were definetly down too but not as bad as the student attendance.

[TheBisonator]

Theres no lineup excuse for us. We just had a flatout bad year.


We probably averaged 2000 students a game instead of 4000 like it has been in the past, usually our complaint is students leaving at halftime, this year they never came in the first place.

Normal ticket sales were definetly down too but not as bad as the student attendance.

Why has student apathy skyrocketed in the past couple years?? I heard it was pretty bad this past year. I remember 4-5 years ago when there would be a lineup of students stretching from the south end zone doors all the way past the tennis courts (thousands of students) in line to get in 90 minutes before kickoff. Now you can tailgate till 15 minutes before and still get a great seat in time for Kickoff. I liked it when we could feel like a real big time school with 2,000+ students piling in the student section the minute the doors opened...

WTF happened, 26???

[BadlandsBison]

For one thing, we've now lost homecoming 2 years in a row. Which was quite unfortunate.

[SDbison]

Why has student apathy skyrocketed in the past couple years?? I heard it was pretty bad this past year. I remember 4-5 years ago when there would be a lineup of students stretching from the south end zone doors all the way past the tennis courts (thousands of students) in line to get in 90 minutes before kickoff. Now you can tailgate till 15 minutes before and still get a great seat in time for Kickoff. I liked it when we could feel like a real big time school with 2,000+ students piling in the student section the minute the doors opened...

WTF happened, 26???
Students are too busy twittering, facebooking, texting, sexting, and playing video games to bother attending a group event where they have to interact face to face. With all the technology the truly meaningful things in life are lost.

[Twentysix]

Why has student apathy skyrocketed in the past couple years?? I heard it was pretty bad this past year. I remember 4-5 years ago when there would be a lineup of students stretching from the south end zone doors all the way past the tennis courts (thousands of students) in line to get in 90 minutes before kickoff. Now you can tailgate till 15 minutes before and still get a great seat in time for Kickoff. I liked it when we could feel like a real big time school with 2,000+ students piling in the student section the minute the doors opened...

WTF happened, 26???

Good question. Playoff games will probably cure the problem. Especially if we start the season something like 3-1 or 4-0.

[Twentysix]

Students are too busy twittering, facebooking, texting, sexting, and playing video games to bother attending a group event where they have to interact face to face. With all the technology the truly meaningful things in life are lost.

Cause none of those things existed 2 years ago....old people.

[SDbison]

Cause none of those things existed 2 years ago....old people.
I have nothing against technology and use it myself .......balance and priorities my friend. A big college event like a football game should never be bypassed for a video game or living on a social network waiting for something better to come along.

[Twentysix]

I have nothing against technology and use it myself .......balance and priorities my friend. A big college event like a football game should never be bypassed for a video game or living on a social network waiting for something better to come along.

How does that explain good student attendance before this year? Its not like any of these things just exploded onto the scene this football season.

[coldspot]

Students are too busy twittering, facebooking, texting, sexting, and playing video games to bother attending a group event where they have to interact face to face. With all the technology the truly meaningful things in life are lost.

I can do all of those things while I'm at the game on my smart phone. so can most of the other students on campus.

[Thumper 76]

Yep, NDSU will likely help SDSU bring up that average when 6000 Bison fans show up in Brookings. With the Bunnies in rebuild the Bison will be keeping the Marker.

Yep, I honestly don't know how we survied this year without you guys coming down and filling the stadium for us. And please be gentle next year since we have no one back, I think we actually have 5 high school juniors playing for us next year. :rolleyes:

[Twentysix]

I can do all of those things while I'm at the game on my smart phone. so can most of the other students on campus.

Also, How does that explain good student attendance before this year? Its not like any of these things just exploded onto the scene this football season. Twitters from 2006. Facebook came to NDSU in 05-06? I had it in mid 07. Videogames are way older, texting has been around forever.

[SDbison]

How does that explain good student attendance before this year? Its not like any of these things just exploded onto the scene this football season.
Shouldn't have to be a 10-1 team to attend the game.......The Bison are almost always competitive in both football and basketball so where is the student support? Just watch some of bigger schools on gamedays even when they are not at the top of their conference and there is a packed student section.......less than 500 for a basketball game is shameful. Also a pity when less than 3000 students for a football game.

[Twentysix]

Shouldn't have to be a 10-1 team to attend the game.......The Bison are almost always competitive in both football and basketball so where is the student support? Just watch some of bigger schools on gamedays even when they are not at the top of their conference and there is a packed student section.......less than 500 for a basketball game is shameful. Also a pity when less than 3000 students for a football game.

But bigger schools have 30-50,000 students. We have 4000 freshman? Which schools do you mean?

[SDbison]

Yep, I honestly don't know how we survied this year without you guys coming down and filling the stadium for us. And please be gentle next year since we have no one back, I think we actually have 5 high school juniors playing for us next year. :rolleyes:
Please supply more than 4 porta potties for the 4000 NDSU fans in the crappy paint chip junior high bleachers. Maybe we should just all go pee on the Dyke house.

[SDbison]

But bigger schools have 30-50,000 students. We have 4000 freshman? Which schools do you mean?
Just do the math an you will understand the ratios......the bigger schools students consistently represent as a greater percentage. Just a lot of missing pride with current NDSU students.

[tony]

Maybe we can get more students to come to games by bitching at them. That seems like a winning strategy. /sarcasm

[Twentysix]

Just do the math an you will understand the ratios......the bigger schools students consistently represent as a greater percentage. Just a lot of missing pride with current NDSU students.

Can you give some examples for me to do the math on? A few perhaps?

Are these BCS schools were talking about or just run of the mill fbs schools?

[Thumper 76]

Please supply more than 4 porta potties for the 4000 NDSU fans in the crappy paint chip junior high bleachers. Maybe we should just all go pee on the Dyke house.

The goal is to get you guys to pee your pants ;) And don't eat the paint chips, its not good for you.:nod:

[Twentysix]

The goal is to get you guys to pee your pants ;) And don't eat the paint chips, its not good for you.:nod:

You forgot to add fall in the mud. Clearly thats what your plotting most of all.

[SDbison]

The goal is to get you guys to pee your pants ;) And don't eat the paint chips, its not good for you.:nod:
Eat the chips? Hell we have to inhale them when the wind blows. But if we piss on the bleachers maybe that will keep the chips down. :D

[80ALUM]

Maybe we can get more students to come to games by bitching at them. That seems like a winning strategy. /sarcasm

Yes and that way they will be prepared for the bitching they will get by the security when they get to the game. I mean what students wouldn't want to attend events where they are constantly harassed for doing typical and normal college things.

[SDbison]

Maybe we can get more students to come to games by bitching at them. That seems like a winning strategy. /sarcasm
Actually I think the students should be ashamed of their overall support and need to do something themselves to improve it.
Yes I acknowledge some students support Bison athletics in an outstanding fashion, but far too many don't give a rip.

[Twentysix]

Yes and that way they will be prepared for the bitching they will get by the security when they get to the game. I mean what students wouldn't want to attend events where they are constantly harassed for doing typical and normal college things.

Honestly, the security stays out of the student section pretty well. They only harass the old folks, they must suspect most of you escaped from the home.

[SDbison]

Yes and that way they will be prepared for the bitching they will get by the security when they get to the game. I mean what students wouldn't want to attend events where they are constantly harassed for doing typical and normal college things.
You do have a point there. Thanks to you friggen DomeNazis. :mad:

[BlueBisonRock]

Honestly, the security stays out of the student section pretty well. They only harass the old folks, they must suspect most of you escaped from the home.

Damn, they are on to me. :banghead:

I guess that I am just going to point out Bisonfan1 and SD and hope that provides enough of a distraction for me to . . . .

What were we talking about again? :confused:

[Twentysix]

Damn, they are on to me. :banghead:

I guess that I am just going to point out Bisonfan1 and SD and hope that provides enough of a distraction for me to . . . .

What were we talking about again? :confused:

Rofl .

[TheBisonator]

SD was talking about similar sized schools to NDSU (~15,000 student body) and if they get the same kind of attendance from students for football/basketball games as we do. I know that we can already cross a few schools in DII off that list, namely St. Cloud, Mankato, UNO and Central Oklahoma. And from what I've seen, we can agree that, with the possible exception of Grand Valley State (~24,000 students and almost twice the # of students at FB agmes, so the ratio seems fair) no other DII school besides GVSU in general can come close to our kind of support in the Big Two sports. But of course, we're not DII, so now the task is to find some ~15,000 schools in DI who have football that do better than us...

[TheBisonator]

OK, so I did a little searching, and I found that out of the 9 schools that had better per-game averages than us in the FCS this year, only 2 of them have smaller enrollments than NDSU. Jackson State (who gets dick for basketball games, and HBC games are a different beast) and Jacksonville State (who gets less than us for BB as well, plus they just expanded their stadium to seat 24,000+ and only still got less than 18,000 to their games). All other schools, App State, Montana, James Madison, Delaware, etc. have larger enrollments than NDSU by at least 1,300 students (Montana at 15,700).

I'll check the FBS schools, but I think that I won't find a lot of smaller or similar sized schools as NDSU who get outstanding attendance. Again, I cannot speak for student attendance.

[Twentysix]

Sunbelt student enrollment - I think these figures are only undergrads.
Lousiana @ Lafayette 14,806
WKU 16947

---
MAC

Akron 18974
Ball State 16694
Bowling Green 15638
Buffalo 18779
Eastern Mich. 17962
Kent St 18090
Miami (OH) 14589
Northern Illi. 18971
Ohio 17384
Toledo 16527

----
C-USA

Memphis 15802
UTEP 16769

How your going to figure out what there student section is and what that averages in attendance is beyond me.


I Included into the 18000's and aslow as 13000. These enrollment figures are from 07-08 but it should be close enough for data sake.

[Twentysix]

OK, so I did a little searching, and I found that out of the 9 schools that had better per-game averages than us in the FCS this year, only 2 of them have smaller enrollments than NDSU. Jackson State (who gets dick for basketball games, and HBC games are a different beast) and Jacksonville State (who gets less than us for BB as well, plus they just expanded their stadium to seat 24,000+ and only still got less than 18,000 to their games). All other schools, App State, Montana, James Madison, Delaware, etc. have larger enrollments than NDSU by at least 1,300 students (Montana at 15,700).

I'll check the FBS schools, but I think that I won't find a lot of smaller or similar sized schools as NDSU who get outstanding attendance. Again, I cannot speak for student attendance.

Montana also has ridiculous stats when it comes to football. Like making the Divison I football playoffs 17 of the last 18 times. That has to help.

Did you know if you look back a few years App st has bad attendance?

2003 app st average attendance 14,661.

[Twentysix]

2005 App st 17,917

[BlueBisonRock]

Montana also has ridiculous stats when it comes to football. Like making the Divison I football playoffs 17 of the last 18 times. That has to help.

Did you know if you look back a few years App st has bad attendance?

2003 app st average attendance 14,661.

Interesting connection. Build a winning DI program and the attendence follows. :bow:

[Twentysix]

Interesting connection. Build a winning DI program and the attendence follows. :bow:

Couldn't be, its because they dont have the twitters yet at these schools. :D

[JSUBison]

OK, so I did a little searching, and I found that out of the 9 schools that had better per-game averages than us in the FCS this year, only 2 of them have smaller enrollments than NDSU. Jackson State (who gets dick for basketball games, and HBC games are a different beast) and Jacksonville State (who gets less than us for BB as well, plus they just expanded their stadium to seat 24,000+ and only still got less than 18,000 to their games). All other schools, App State, Montana, James Madison, Delaware, etc. have larger enrollments than NDSU by at least 1,300 students (Montana at 15,700).

I'll check the FBS schools, but I think that I won't find a lot of smaller or similar sized schools as NDSU who get outstanding attendance. Again, I cannot speak for student attendance.

Of that list, the only one that should honestly be compared to NDSU is Montana. Jackson State is in the city with a metro population of approx 500,000. App State has I'm guessing at least 3 million+ population 2 to 3 hours away with Charlotte, Triad, and all points in between.

Jacksonville state is kind of on a little island, but they must pull numbers from Atlanta and Birmingham.

JMU, ODU, Delaware etc. also benifit from the heavily populated east coast, don't know the numbers though.

Striving to be like Montana in terms of attendance and fan support should be an attainable long term goal I would think.

[Twentysix]

Of that list, the only one that should honestly be compared to NDSU is Montana. Jackson State is in the city with a metro population of approx 500,000. App State has I'm guessing at least 3 million+ population 2 to 3 hours away with Charlotte, Triad, and all points in between.

Jacksonville state is kind of on a little island, but they must pull numbers from Atlanta and Birmingham.

JMU, ODU, Delaware etc. also benifit from the heavily populated east coast, don't know the numbers though.

Striving to be like Montana in terms of attendance and fan support should be an attainable long term goal I would think.

If NDSU was some kind of football power like boise state we could handle 30,000 a game with the fargo metro, But to get to those numbers we would have to be a cindarella at the FBS level in my opinion. 20,000 and being a powerhouse at the FCS level is definetly possible. We just need to win a NC or get damn close for about 10 years straight :P.

[Twentysix]

Wow.

Talk about flukey attendance

1. Louisville 7 50,648 32,450 18,198
32,450 was there average in 2009.
50,648 was there average in 2010.

They fluxuated 18,198 in 1 year.

[DjKyRo]

App State has I'm guessing at least 3 million+ population 2 to 3 hours away with Charlotte, Triad, and all points in between.


Not to be "that guy," but don't we have a population center of a few million around 3 hours away in Minneapolis?

[Thumper 76]

You forgot to add fall in the mud. Clearly thats what your plotting most of all.

Indeed it is our utmost goal to get you all to trip into the mud. I personally was one of the many volunteers out there the night before with a hose finding the tailgate spots rented by NDSU fans. I also sprinkle broken glass there. Then I go to the bleachers and do my best to make sure the paint chips are extra chippy, and even add some extra that I scrape off of a few houses in the area :nod:

[Twentysix]

Not to be "that guy," but don't we have a population center of a few million around 3 hours away in Minneapolis?

Charlotte is 101 miles away from boone.

Minneapolis(3.2 million) 234 miles is more than double that. Using this theory we should also be drawing from sioux falls(240,000) 245 miles and winnipeg(700,000) 221 miles which are about identically the same distance from fargo.

Also St. Cloud (190,000) 153 miles. Grand forks (100,000) 80 miles. Bismarck (105,000) 197 miles. And fargo (200,000) 0 miles.

Thats a big population pool, if only it mattered at all lol, If we really could draw from all these citys we could have a damn NFL team. Thats almost 5 million people.

[Thumper 76]

Not to be "that guy," but don't we have a population center of a few million around 3 hours away in Minneapolis?

Yeah you do but they have a foot.....erm a University there that sponsers something that vaugely resembles a football team.

[Twentysix]

Yeah you do but they have a foot.....erm a University there that sponsers something that vaugely resembles a football team.

Rugby? ?

[TheBisonator]

Charlotte is 101 miles away from boone.

Minneapolis(3.2 million) 234 miles is more than double that. Using this theory we should also be drawing from sioux falls(240,000) 245 miles and winnipeg(700,000) 221 miles which are about identically the same distance from fargo.

Also St. Cloud (190,000) 153 miles. Grand forks (100,000) 80 miles. Bismarck (105,000) 197 miles. And fargo (200,000) 0 miles.

Thats a big population pool, if only it mattered at all lol, If we really could draw from all these citys we could have a damn NFL team. Thats almost 5 million people.

I think it boils down to winning. I remember those years where we had the students lined up for a mile. We also did something those years called... Ummm... What was it... OH YEAH, going 10-1 and being #1 in the polls for most of the year. I think this past year was hangover from the 3-8 season. Because I think attendance trends seem to always be about one calendar year behind how a football team is doing on the field. If we can go at least 7-4 next year, we'll be back to 17,000+ every game with a minimum 3,000 students.

[CAS4127]

I think it boils down to winning. I remember those years where we had the students lined up for a mile. We also did something those years called... Ummm... What was it... OH YEAH, going 10-1 and being #1 in the polls for most of the year. I think this past year was hangover from the 3-8 season. Because I think attendance trends seem to always be about one calendar year behind how a football team is doing on the field. If we can go at least 7-4 next year, we'll be back to 17,000+ every game.

Exactly. We win our first two home games, beat the Goofs, and then watch what happens attendance-wise.

BTW--isn't SDBison from Sioux Falls? Think about that! Do we really want to draw more of his type up here?!

[IBleedYellow]

Exactly. We win our first two home games, beat the Goofs, and then watch what happens attendance-wise.

BTW--isn't SDBison from Sioux Falls? Think about that! Do we really want to draw more of his type up here?!

Simple answer? Yes.