Attendance Predictions (reg. season)

[TheBisonator]

I was thinking about what kinds of attendance we might see at our games this year. Historically, or at least for the past decade, attendance trends for individual seasons are usually one year delayed. (For example, 2008 we went 6-5 after the great 06 and 07 years and averaged 18,032 but last year we make the playoffs and average less than 17,000 in the regular season) I'm hoping that our attendance trends will start going up, especially with over 9,400 season tickets sold already, and we still have 2 months till kickoff.

Anyone want to start a little pool/contest to see who gets the closest??

Here's what I think we'll get:

9/3 - Lafayette: Home opener, always a sellout or near it. Fans will be more excited to see the team open this season than the past couple of seasons. 18,804

9/10 - St. Francis: The least important home game, not the home opener, and still an OOC. Still a good crowd, but probably less than sellout. 17,190

10/1 - Illinois State: Doesn't matter how we do against the Gophers, IMO, cause Homecoming is always big. The past 7-8 years have seen sellouts or near-sellouts for Homecoming. I don't expect anything different this time. 18,916

10/15 - Missouri State: The worst we'll likely be is 3-2 by this game. Bison want revenge, but I don't know how much the fanbase will be up for this game. History tells me this game could be 13,000 or 18,000-plus. I think there will be a dropoff from homecoming, not a whole bunch though. 16,839

10/29 - Northern Iowa: this is the weirdest one. The Harvest Bowl is usually the least attended game historically at the FFD, but this may be the most important game of the season. Having thought about this, I think this game will not have the biggest crowd, but it will have the most raucous atmosphere of the regular season, due to the tendancy of this game to attract a higher percentage of hardcore fans. The suits/sweater knitters most likely won't be strong at this game, but fans who are looking for a kick-ass Bison game to go to will have this one circled. I don't know if deer hunting starts on this weekend. I'll guess 16,324

11/12 - Youngstown State: We could be fighting for a playoff spot on this one, but the fanbase has not convinced me at all that playoff possibilities have any impact in their desire to go to games. Kind of a weak conference opponent as well. I'll lowball this one. 15,015

Total: 103,088 for an average of 17,181 per game.

If we get a home playoff game, I hope like hell more people show up.

[stevdock]

We are on the road for deer hunting opener. I don't remember what the date is but last year I checked because the Dome was so frustrating that day.

[roadwarrior]

Nov 12th is the worst date. A three day weekend for students. Lots of blue will be visible in the SW corner :(

[CaBisonFan]

It will be a slow start in the 15-16K range. The program has to rebuild its momentum. People are ready for a run at the MVFC title and some consistent play. Tough conference or not...this is the attitude of the fans.

[roadwarrior]

Season opener will be a sellout.

[North Side]

any of those game dates on hunt'in season opener?

[Scooter1]

What I like about this schedule is that we have back to back home games to open the season. Early September is great weather for the tailgaters, and with the success that NDSU had in the playoffs, ALOT of people are excited about football season. I had a coworker who is a DIEHARD UND hockey fan asking me how much tickets for NDSU football games were. This is the last guy I thought who would be considering going to an NDSU game.

I also like the fact that we have a home game every other weekend. It's a lot easier to justify traveling to Fargo every other weekend than three weeks in a row. This gives everyone the opportunity to hunt (or get home chores done) one weekend and go the the game the next.

As to the attitude of the fans, all most remember is that we had a good run in the playoffs last year. The average fan doesn't remember that one year we sent the entire team home for Thanksgiving and had to call them back to get ready for a playoff run...all they remember is that NDSU won the national championship that year. If the focus of the marketing department features DJ and his impressive runs and the returning core we have, the dome should be packed. Heck, some of the footage from the thanks video would make one hell of a 30 second football comercial. I would bet that this is probably already in the works.

I would be very surprised if NDSU averages less than 17800 for the season. I would be willing to predict that it could even top 18200 if we win in Minnesota.

[Tatanka]

Home opener on a Saturday of labor day weekend? Student attendance will approach zero. Only way that sells out is if they sell unused student tix to the fen pop

[DjKyRo]

Home opener on a Saturday of labor day weekend? Student attendance will approach zero. Only way that sells out is if they sell unused student tix to the fen pop

Not a bad idea to take a page out of UND's book for this game, is it?

[344Johnson]

While Labor Day weekend could cause some student attendence issues(usually the first time students go visit home, not this guy however), I think that we should draw quite an impressive crowd the first couple games at least. After that, it is entirely reliant on the product on the field. If you win....they will come.

[TheBisonator]

Home opener on a Saturday of labor day weekend? Student attendance will approach zero. Only way that sells out is if they sell unused student tix to the fen pop

Historically, student attendance for the home opener has been the 2nd most attended game by students after Homecoming. I remember us getting 4,000+ students for a D2 team in Concordia-St. Paul in 2006.

[Tatanka]

Historically, student attendance for the home opener has been the 2nd most attended game by students after Homecoming. I remember us getting 4,000+ students for a D2 team in Concordia-St. Paul in 2006.

agreed. But historically how many home openers have been on Saturday of labor day weekend? Not Thursday before, not Saturday after.

[TheBisonator]

agreed. But historically how many home openers have been on Saturday of labor day weekend? Not Thursday before, not Saturday after.

I honestly can't imagine TOO many students leaving campus on Labor Day weekend. Maybe a lot of freshmen might, but classes start on (a Tuesday, so that would be) August 23, right?? They would only be in school for 10 days by the Friday of LD weekend. Heck, when I first went to NDSU as a transfer sophomore, I don't even think I went home on LD weekend. Maybe a lot of students would think it more wise to settle into their surroundings and stay in Fargo.

NDSU isn't quite a suitcase school, but it's still close to it. At least not as much as MSUM is, that's for sure.

[TransAmBison]

I honestly can't imagine TOO many students leaving campus on Labor Day weekend. Maybe a lot of freshmen might, but classes start on (a Tuesday, so that would be) August 23, right?? They would only be in school for 10 days by the Friday of LD weekend. Heck, when I first went to NDSU as a transfer sophomore, I don't even think I went home on LD weekend. Maybe a lot of students would think it more wise to settle into their surroundings and stay in Fargo.

NDSU isn't quite a suitcase school, but it's still close to it. At least not as much as MSUM is, that's for sure.
Labor day weekend the dorms are as empty as Tbonzach's bedroom.

[aces1180]

Labor day weekend the dorms are as empty as Tbonzach's bedroom.

Yep...When I was a freshman, we had four days of school and then a three-day weekend...We went back home trying to impress the high school chicks that we were now college dudes...FYI - It didn't work.

However, most of the students that were back for their sophomore year seemed to stick around, from what I remember. I know I got drunk at a house party and once again struck out with ladies*.

I'd say with the hype that goes into this season, lots of students should be attending both cupcake games...Especially with the Gophers on the horizon.

*I didn't come out of my shell with the ladies until the spring semester of my second year...Then it was all good.

[DjKyRo]

The athletic department guys I've been talking with showed me the student numbers for the last like twenty years, and they always drop off after homecoming. That's not a phenomenon that's just happening now and to our fanbase, it's characteristic of plenty of other programs. As to how to fix it, that's a good question.

[aces1180]

The athletic department guys I've been talking with showed me the student numbers for the last like twenty years, and they always drop off after homecoming. That's not a phenomenon that's just happening now and to our fanbase, it's characteristic of plenty of other programs. As to how to fix it, that's a good question.

Stay unbeaten...I know its easier said than done, but if this team can will all of their games, the students will show. Look at '06 and '07.

[DjKyRo]

Stay unbeaten...I know its easier said than done, but if this team can will all of their games, the students will show. Look at '06 and '07.

Agreed. I know I'll be there.

[56BISON73]

Anybody can be a fan when a team is winning. Real fans stick around no matter what the teams record is.

Students are fickle. Plain and simple. If they arent going to support the team then they dont deserve extra tickets.

[TheBisonator]

Anybody can be a fan when a team is winning. Real fans stick around no matter what the teams record is.

Students are fickle. Plain and simple. If they arent going to support the team then they dont deserve extra tickets.

Remember the "We Students Demand More Tickets" Facebook page?? Then the game that was like a week after that page was created, the student section wasn't even half full, LOL

[MNLonghorn10]

Remember the "We Students Demand More Tickets" Facebook page?? Then the game that was like a week after that page was created, the student section wasn't even half full, LOL

what game was that? theyre all half full, and 3/4ths empty by halftime

[BisoninNWMN]

I'm going to say we ave over 18K this year.

I agree with what was mentioned on here earlier......winning will keep them coming back.

[Siouxfallsbison]

Was going to get one of the Suites for a game and they are all gone already.
That is a good sign.

[EndZoneQB]

Home opener on a Saturday of labor day weekend? Student attendance will approach zero. Only way that sells out is if they sell unused student tix to the fen pop

Yeah and if that's a nice weekend, it's going to be hard to get me to stay home from the lake. I'll be there, but I'll likely bolt down highway 10 after the game.


Was going to get one of the Suites for a game and they are all gone already.
That is a good sign.

Sounds like we are about 2k seats ahead of last year at this time for season tickets as well. Whether that means more people re-upped this year or not, it's still a good sign.

[perthbison]

Was going to get one of the Suites for a game and they are all gone already.
That is a good sign.

How much do they cost if you could get one and how many people do they hold?:)

[Siouxfallsbison]

How much do they cost if you could get one and how many people do they hold?:)

Not sure on cost. 1500 maybe. Father of a player got one last year for a game and said they were already full for this year. They seat 16, but we must have had 30 people.

[perthbison]

Not sure on cost. 1500 maybe. Father of a player got one last year for a game and said they were already full for this year. They seat 16, but we must have had 30 people.
Thanks for the info. That sounds like a teriffic way to watch the game. I'll have to try it sometime.

[HerdBot]

I was thinking about what kinds of attendance we might see at our games this year. Historically, or at least for the past decade, attendance trends for individual seasons are usually one year delayed. (For example, 2008 we went 6-5 after the great 06 and 07 years and averaged 18,032 but last year we make the playoffs and average less than 17,000 in the regular season) I'm hoping that our attendance trends will start going up, especially with over 9,400 season tickets sold already, and we still have 2 months till kickoff.

Anyone want to start a little pool/contest to see who gets the closest??

Here's what I think we'll get:

9/3 - Lafayette: Home opener, always a sellout or near it. Fans will be more excited to see the team open this season than the past couple of seasons. 18,804

9/10 - St. Francis: The least important home game, not the home opener, and still an OOC. Still a good crowd, but probably less than sellout. 17,190

10/1 - Illinois State: Doesn't matter how we do against the Gophers, IMO, cause Homecoming is always big. The past 7-8 years have seen sellouts or near-sellouts for Homecoming. I don't expect anything different this time. 18,916

10/15 - Missouri State: The worst we'll likely be is 3-2 by this game. Bison want revenge, but I don't know how much the fanbase will be up for this game. History tells me this game could be 13,000 or 18,000-plus. I think there will be a dropoff from homecoming, not a whole bunch though. 16,839

10/29 - Northern Iowa: this is the weirdest one. The Harvest Bowl is usually the least attended game historically at the FFD, but this may be the most important game of the season. Having thought about this, I think this game will not have the biggest crowd, but it will have the most raucous atmosphere of the regular season, due to the tendancy of this game to attract a higher percentage of hardcore fans. The suits/sweater knitters most likely won't be strong at this game, but fans who are looking for a kick-ass Bison game to go to will have this one circled. I don't know if deer hunting starts on this weekend. I'll guess 16,324

11/12 - Youngstown State: We could be fighting for a playoff spot on this one, but the fanbase has not convinced me at all that playoff possibilities have any impact in their desire to go to games. Kind of a weak conference opponent as well. I'll lowball this one. 15,015

Total: 103,088 for an average of 17,181 per game.

If we get a home playoff game, I hope like hell more people show up.

We should be up this year. Possibility a record or close. #1 Lots of hype after last year #2 interest level is higher. Even the spring game saw record attendance and were going to see record season tickets. #3 later start for 1 more game. (MISSOURI ST) #4 no game for deer opener. #4 seem to be trying to get the students involved.

Winning is key. The 1st 3 games could sell out. If we beat the Gophers and winthe homecoming, we will be 4-0 and the momentum will spill over to the late season games that typically don't draw as well. It doesn't hurt that the Harvest Bowl is against UNI. Honestly I think by televising Lafayette or Saint Francis will get some additional interest later in the year. Whats better advertising than a televised home game with a packed student section. Now if they can do a better job producing the game. Lights will make it look better. I hope we get 5 home games on TV plus the Gophers and SDSU. Plus a chance at WIU.

A playoff game would draw better if we get a bye week. Last year was the worst time ever for a home game. Had it been a week later the dome would have been rockin even more. Plus the only way to get a bye is to win the conference and that would mean we finished strong instead of choking at Missouri State.

[Twentysix]

Home opener on a Saturday of labor day weekend? Student attendance will approach zero. Only way that sells out is if they sell unused student tix to the fen pop

Yet students can pickup tickets anytime even as the games going on... So you really cant sell them ever.

[westnodak93bison]

I don't like making predictions but we need to be 6-1 or worst case 5-2 going into the UNI game. If we are the dome better be packed to the rafters and the fans bat shit crazy.

[Tatanka]

Yet students can pickup tickets anytime even as the games going on... So you really cant sell them ever.

change the policy. Pay the students back on a prorated basis for student seats sold. Put butts in seats or standing in front of them.

[BadlandsBison]

Yet students can pickup tickets anytime even as the games going on... So you really cant sell them ever.

Where do you pick them up during the game?

[Twentysix]

Where do you pick them up during the game?

Same place everyone else buys their tickets. You just have to walk around to the student doors.

[BadlandsBison]

Same place everyone else buys their tickets. You just have to walk around to the student doors.

I see. I thought they sold student tickets as general admission for some reason.

[Twentysix]

I see. I thought they sold student tickets as general admission for some reason.

They did for the playoff game.