Bison Fatigue

[Christopher Moen]

I ask this in all seriousness, I really do. I'm actually fascinated by this for some reason...in some ways I have what you would call "Patriot Fatigue." Grew up watching the Pats in the 70s, so the Brady/Belichick era seems like a dream in many ways....but I have to say it's starting to get a little boring/passe...I'd almost rather root for a Sullivan-owned Pats team, warts and all, as it was at least more interesting in a bizarre way than year after year of 12-4 and Super Bowls.

Are many of you bored with FCS titles year after year? If not, how many more would it take....if any?

I don't get tired. Every season is a new team, with different players developing a season long story. If you pay attention to all the components and not just the results, you won't get bored. Of course, being sober helps too.

[Bison 4 Life]

Someone will buy those tickets. Until we are at less than full season ticket capacity, fatigue is a myth.

[23Bison]

I am curious what the average age of season ticket holders is? I can understand if quite a few of those tickets that aren't being claimed by season ticket holders are elderly-ish that cold weather would have a play. Also for those that have a long distance to drive to the game have a reason. I have friends that are later 30's early 40's that have season tickets and come hell or high water they are at the game.

[MankatoBison]

Explain why fatigue only pertains to the FCS for you and Sammy? G5 and the majority of the P5 teams have the exact same issue.

Quit using Akron and Kent state as straw men and pretending that they are our peers from a program standpoint. We arent them. when presented to a challenge we rise to the occasion and our fans support it (this is shown very clearly by declining attendance since the beginning of the run. At the beginning it was a challenge every single game. Now we win by 40. If you still dont agree, tell me, was there more tension at the JMU/ISU natties or the Towson natty?). No one in the G5/P5 has is as successful as we are among their peers, so it seems silly to equate us to those teams. We are different, and we are better, and showing it to a nation of non-believers would be thrilling on a week to week basis. We've conquered this mountain, like 90 times. Bohl said it and Klieman said it "there was nothing left to accomplish there".

you dont have to be pro FBS to admit that people arent as excited, in general, about the 8th championship run as they were about the first. in fact, every piece of measurable data would agree. I am a sometimes-FBS person myself. You can have your own opinions about FCS/FBS but your not entitled to ignore the fact that this is less exciting TO THE AVERAGE EVERYDAY FAN, than the earlier natty runs. You're allowed to acknowledge that Bison Fatigue is very real AND that we should stay in FCS. and visa versa

[1998braves64]

When did our season ticket "explosion" happen... 2006ish to 2012ish I think 2013 was first year people were denied getting season tickets (not all people...). So think about it this way the demographic of people buying those are probably those precisely my age range. Been out of school a couple years + so say 25-35 year olds. They maybe have a wife and a young kid or two at time they got their season tickets (looking at myself and TAB are in this category, I bet there is a lot of us). So going from the 8,000+ season tickets (sorry that number is pulled out of my rear so I could be way off) to 12,000+ many of those 4,000 tickets I bet belonged to my age group of now upper 30s to upper 40s. They have 2, 3, 4 kids now and some are in middle school upper elementary, probably all kids in school now for sure. The fatigue for those of us is trying to juggle the kids activities and squeeze in bison football at the same time. For me it's only going to get worse as I have a boy and a girl and they're 4 years apart so they're going to be all over the board the next 8-10 years until my son goes to college. He's definitely going to be playing multiple sports, not sure on the daughter but she appears to have some interest in sports too.

The 2nd part of this how many of those people who were in the upper 40s-55 year old, now have grand kids that are now in sports you have them juggling grand kid activities as well. I think that's what happened here to a point not to mention the general US population has taken to less in attending the event as in just watching it other ways (TV, streaming etc). You explode a season ticket base in one demographic like that it's going to hit down the road when that demographic at the time had "free" time which they no longer have. And not to mention the spawn of that demographic likely has grandparents that have the same "interest" will hit them too.

I'd safe to say we have 4,000-5,000 season tickets with this "issue" of juggling. Call it fatigue but I'm going to guess most are going to pick their kids/grandkids activities over Bison football every time. They solution to the problem is somehow engaging that 23-29 year old demographic again but it'll be tough because they've been locked out since they started going to NDSU they had to fight for their student tickets and then no way to get season tickets unless they had some bigtime money somehow.

So slightly I agree with those years from 2015-2018 really are coming back to haunt a bit. But I don't think all is lost just yet...

[runtheoption]

I don't get tired. Every season is a new team, with different players developing a season long story. If you pay attention to all the components and not just the results, you won't get bored. Of course, being sober helps too.

Sobriety: Wrecking good stories since...a really long time ago.

[Christopher Moen]

Quit using Akron and Kent state as straw men and pretending that they are our peers from a program standpoint. We arent them. when presented to a challenge we rise to the occasion and our fans support it (this is shown very clearly by declining attendance since the beginning of the run. At the beginning it was a challenge every single game. Now we win by 40. If you still dont agree, tell me, was there more tension at the JMU/ISU natties or the Towson natty?). No one in the G5/P5 has is as successful as we are among their peers, so it seems silly to equate us to those teams. We are different, and we are better, and showing it to a nation of non-believers would be thrilling on a week to week basis. We've conquered this mountain, like 90 times. Bohl said it and Klieman said it "there was nothing left to accomplish there".

you dont have to be pro FBS to admit that people arent as excited, in general, about the 8th championship run as they were about the first. in fact, every piece of measurable data would agree. I am a sometimes-FBS person myself. You can have your own opinions about FCS/FBS but your not entitled to ignore the fact that this is less exciting TO THE AVERAGE EVERYDAY FAN, than the earlier natty runs. You're allowed to acknowledge that Bison Fatigue is very real AND that we should stay in FCS. and visa versa

I said "G5 and the majority of the P5 teams have the exact same issue," and you take that as Akron and Kent State? I don't think you understand the issue that is encompassing college football as a whole. Here's a hint, the NFL went through the exact same problem just a few years ago.

No, being G5 is not going solve getting more butts in the seats at the FargoDome for the long haul. The gem of G5, Boise State, until the past year went through the same struggle too.

From the article: https://www.idahostatesman.com/sport...199903144.html

BSU average attendance since 2012

2012: 35,404 (+4.1 percent from previous year)

2013: 34,366 (-2.9 percent)

2014: 33,571 (-2.3 percent)

2015: 33,612 (+0.1 percent)

2016: 34,273 (+2.0 percent)

2017: 31,126 (-9.2 percent)

AVERAGE FBS ATTENDANCE

2012: 45,440 (-1.38 percent)

2013: 45,671 (+0.05 percent)

2014: 44,603 (-2.33 percent)

2015: 43,933 (-1.5 percent)

2016: 43,612 (-0.07 percent)

2017: 42,203 (-3.23 percent)

[Bison 4 Life]

There is one Boise, there are a few UMass's and even an Idaho.

[El_Chapo]

There is one Boise, there are a few UMass's and even an Idaho.

haha cmon dude. is NDSU more similiar to Boise or UMass/Idaho ? we all agree 99% Boise St 2.0

[MankatoBison]

I said "G5 and the majority of the P5 teams have the exact same issue," and you take that as Akron and Kent State? I don't think you understand the issue that is encompassing college football as a whole. Here's a hint, the NFL went through the exact same problem just a few years ago.

No, being G5 is not going solve getting more butts in the seats at the FargoDome for the long haul. The gem of G5, Boise State, until the past year went through the same struggle too.

From the article: https://www.idahostatesman.com/sport...199903144.html

you're correct on the kent state etc. you specifically did not make that comparison. That was unfair to you, However many have made that argument/comparison. specifically akron for some reason. Its a favorite among many, if not most #FCSforever goons.

and your G5 not being a solution long term for butts in seats... MAYBE, but it would very likely be a 1-3 year solution at the WORST. at absolute BEST, its a 15+ year solution.
The question that needs to be asked Is: "is it more likely to fans to come to a game against higher competition or lower competition who we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are laughably better than?"

My money is on the latter, not the former.

Again, this is backed up by virtually every piece of measurable evidence possible. Competitive match ups are more intriguing to fans than non-competitive match ups. G5 wont make us immune to fatigue. But would you rather have fans not caring that we got to 4/10 cotton bowls than 7/8 FCS natties? I guess thats what it comes down to for me.

And stating that Boise has had a drop off in attendance is a reason not to play better competition is a stretch. "its POSSIBLE that attendance could drop over time, so we better not jump." That's true of all levels so its just as much an argument FOR jumping vs staying