Why is the Dome Half Full?

[BISONBRI53]

I think so, especially if SDSU is having a good year or Wyoming having a good year and the history with Bohl

Bohl will gone soon. Then there is what history? I think having new blood will be cool for a few years. Then it will turn like it has now.

[BigLakeBison]

Agreed... how about Mountain West teams? Would Wyoming, Air Force, San Diego State and other MW teams be more interesting than the MVFC?

I think that there are more opportunities for interesting opponents at the FBS level. Now not being consistently competitive would likely cancel out any increased excitement generated by a better schedule. That’s the biggest risk of going FBS…becoming a mediocre football team relative to the competition. However, being the most dominant FCS program in history is proving to not produce consistent high levels of fan enthusiasm.

[BiZon22]

Bohl will gone soon. Then there is what history? I think having new blood will be cool for a few years. Then it will turn like it has now.

So you think if two Top25 mountain west teams were playing each other it wouldn’t be exciting?

[BigLakeBison]

Bohl will gone soon. Then there is what history? I think having new blood will be cool for a few years. Then it will turn like it has now.

So stay in FCS unless the Big 12 or B1G offer an invite?

[oldmantutters]

So you think if two Top25 mountain west teams were playing each other it wouldn’t be exciting?

I seem to remember a Kaepernick-led Nevada Wolfpack team upsetting a 3rd ranked Boise State team and that game being exciting. Exciting enough to remember 11 years later.

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[CaBisonFan]

I look at the situation with Cincinnati right now. They're from the AAC Conference. They'll be leaving for the Big 12... but the road to where they are now has been pretty exciting. They've made some bold moves.

[reformedUNDfan]

Stadiums, all sports, all levels, are seeing declining attendance.

Blame the generational change from "in person social" to "device social".

blame the high prices and low wages.

[reformedUNDfan]

I seem to remember a Kaepernick-led Nevada Wolfpack team upsetting a 3rd ranked Boise State team and that game being exciting. Exciting enough to remember 11 years later.

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I remember that game vividly, I think I even rewatched it on Youtube a while back. That should have been undefeated Nevada vs undefeated Boise State, but Nevada has travel issues on a trip to a really good Hawaii team and if I recall were stuck on the plane for about a day and more or less went directly to the game from the airport.

[BigHorns]

I look at the situation with Cincinnati right now. They're from the AAC Conference. They'll be leaving for the Big 12... but the road to where they are now has been pretty exciting. They've made some bold moves.

Fargo metro area is about 250k, Cincinnati metro is 2.2 million. They've also been FBS for over 40 years, and average close to 40k attendance. P5 conferences now care about media markets a lot.

The better goal/comparison is Boise St. But we definitely should be aiming for MWC if we want a shot at the B12 someday. It won't happen from the MAC, etc.

[NDSU92]

Want to get my $.02 in before FBS/FCS talk derails this thread.

I’ve been saying this since about 2017, but the gameday experience has gotten stale. If you’re not a hardcore fan, I can absolutely see why you’re not going to every game. They play the same music, have the same food options, and there is absolutely nothing to do between pauses in action besides wonder why we’re beating the other team’s ass so badly.

We need to hire some gameday experience consultants or something. Leaning on tailgating the last 10 years is starting to not work. Yell leaders were super cool in 2011 when they added them, but they aren’t new and exciting anymore. Having more strict security than the Cowboys and having people wait in line 30 minutes to pat down 50 year old women isn’t a positive update to the gameday experience.

Sell beer, let kids go on the field at halftime, plant super fans throughout the crowd, get the ability to show video highlights of other games on ESPN+, do ANYTHING to change it up. Don’t forget your job is to entertain people so that they’ll come back. When it comes to fan retention, it’s more than just winning games.