Attendance Down Significantly (AJC)

Augusta_Jacket

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Our losses to Duke and UNC in 2014 were for a combined total of 11 points. We did win a couple of close games that year but that was a really, really good team. If you couldn’t get excited while watching that team then I’d have to check you for a pulse. 😂

not sure I disagree with you. We had three close losses and three close wins. Adjusted record was same as actual record. We were a very exciting team, but the luck was pretty even that year.
 

GT_05

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I think some teams can be mediocre and still draw a good crowd.

If you’re in the SEC, you can suck but there’s a good chance that your opponent will have a high degree of interest. Outside of Clemson, we don’t have that luxury.

It is a chore getting to the games because of traffic. I really liked the Thursday night games because of the view at BDS but I’d almost rather be set on fire than deal with the traffic.

There’s probably no way to fix it but I think it would create a bigger game day atmosphere if all of the tailgating was done in one general area. Ours seem much more spread out and cliquey than other places I’ve been.

I think we have quite a bit of talent on the team but they have looked uncoached for every game except UNC. It’s hard to watch sometimes.

The theatrics at the game are a little embarrassing. If you’re good, you can do some of this stuff but you need to be humble when you’ve won 9 games in 3 seasons. I’m not into the “fake it ‘til you make it” ideology.

I know Tech has some unique challenges but the average fan, especially non-alums, couldn’t give a rip about our challenges. They want to have a good time and that often means watching your team win.
 

Northeast Stinger

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There are approximately 100 sports venues across the country where one can take a train and be deposited right at the front gate. These are primarily pro arenas in football, baseball, basketball and hockey. As far as I can tell, none of these venues ever experience having 30-40% attendance.

If Tech is not going to field a winning team then making the game experience as positive as possible is paramount. It’s well past time to do something about traffic impacting attendance at games.
 

JacketRacket

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I didn't think the crowd looked that bad in person in the lower levels (besides the south endzone which is always empty...), but the upper levels were pretty bare.

I think the fact that we were effectively out of bowl contention, playing a bad team, not playing very well ourselves lately, and bobby dodd having poor amenities/viewing experience in general made it a hard a sell.
 

Northeast Stinger

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I didn't think the crowd looked that bad in person in the lower levels (besides the south endzone which is always empty...), but the upper levels were pretty bare.

I think the fact that we were effectively out of bowl contention, playing a bad team, not playing very well ourselves lately, and bobby dodd having poor amenities/viewing experience in general made it a hard a sell.
Say more about viewing experience. I ask because I always felt closer to the field and had a better view than I ever had watching the Falcons.
 

g0lftime

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Our fans need to be able to come to game and feel like we have a chance to win. That feeling is no longer there. If a team is really good and there is a big game against another good team then you will pick up a few sports fans that just want to see a good game or some alums will make an effort to come from out of town. Not worth the effort to see a bad team lose when it will likely to be on tv.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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Our adjusted record in 2015, (where you factor in 1 score games and assume without "luck" you win/lose half), was 5-7. We had some hard injury luck, but we weren't all that great to begin with that year. In 2014, our ADJUSTED record was 11-3, same as the actual. The year we greatly benefitted was in 2009, when our adjusted record was 9-5 instead of 11-3.

We were a LOT less lucky in 2014 than we generally give ourselves credit for.
Justin Thomas running that damn bone is not luck. Laskey and Days pile driving opponents on dive plays for 4 or 5 yards is not luck. About 475 yards total offense per game is not luck The 2014 team deserves every accolade that came their way.
 

GTcanWINagain

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Our fans need to be able to come to game and feel like we have a chance to win. That feeling is no longer there. If a team is really good and there is a big game against another good team then you will pick up a few sports fans that just want to see a good game or some alums will make an effort to come from out of town. Not worth the effort to see a bad team lose when it will likely to be on tv.
You nailed it: “we have a chance to win”! Now when Collins garbage game planning leads to losses to NIU & The Citadel, any win is in doubt! Next, Collins coached us to 66 point & 45 point losses to Clemson, VT, & UGA then what do people expect? Great college football - or horrible college football?
 

LongforDodd

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Link to article.

“The announced attendance for the Yellow Jackets’ Saturday home loss to Boston College - 31,511 - was the lowest for a Tech home game since a November 1989 game against Boston College.”
31.5k? which means that more than 50% of the seats were filled. Does anyone believe that?
 

JacketRacket

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Say more about viewing experience. I ask because I always felt closer to the field and had a better view than I ever had watching the Falcons.
I 100% agree with that. The view of the action is pretty great. But everything around that is usually pretty mediocre.

The sound system is pretty hit or miss and is usually fighting with the band on what to play or who plays.
The south end zone video board is decent, but whoever's running them doesn't always show relevant replays on close calls/penalties, so I usually end up on my phone following the game I'm watching in person.
No sightline to the field when getting concessions.
Hard to adjust for the weather once you're there. For instance, this past Saturday the weather was in the 40s/50s and 0 cold weather GT gear to be found in the stadium (blankets, beanies, gloves, etc). If they were there, they sold out before the end of the first quarter when I looked for my wife. In the past on rainy days, there's no ponchos/umbrellas.
The GT gameday app that they encourage you to use for stuff like concessions/fan engagement is a buggy/unreliable piece of **** that 4 GT students could outdo for their senior project.

I guess all of these blurs into amenities a bit, but it's all part of the same overall experience.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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There was a point in the game where a drone took panoramic shots of the crowd. Wonder if they will release the picture...
It's pretty bad but I have seen some pretty sparse crowds in my time. The late 1970s and early 1980s with Pepper and Curry were almost as bad at times unless we were playing Auburn, Clemson, Georgia or Tennessee.
 

gtrower

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Or, we get the bounces we needed this year to win the close games. Best example is '14 when we got all the bounces and '15 when we did not. Like it or not, we are a few breaks from being 9-1. (Does that mean we are a good team or lucky team?; also a few breaks from being 1-9).

Is our coaching staff great? No, that's why they are at GT and not a factory school. BUT, we are getting higher ranker players (some flame out some excel) and the more experience, the more breaks we should get. I'm still a believer of where CGC says we can go, but my belief in him being the captain of the ship is severely waning. And my sliver of belief comes from being a college coach and knowing what its like to tell a player (18 to 22 year old kid) to cover an assignment and them not do it (see BC QB touchdown runs). They play a mans game yet are still stupid college kids.

I never have understood mid season firings. Esp the OC or DC, (see UF vs Samford). As an AD, just send out feelers and listen to backdoor chatter and be ready (with the big money folks) as soon as the season ends to cut bait and start interviewing.

I just sent my A-T Fund check, and will renew my season tix, and possibly add one ticket. Even though some on here feel differently, money is what we need so I'm not going to stop giving just to prove some stupid point.

Go Tech! I'll PROUDLIY wear my GT apparel and be as loud as I can when the mutts come into our house. I'll stay to the end, win or lose, and watch the band do their thing at the end. And then make the 3hr+ drive back home thinking "Next year will be our year!" and getting ready to cheer for Alabama the following week.

THWG!

wut.

We had a miracle holding penalty to stop a drive followed by a 90+ yard drive to comeback against Duke.

We returned a KO for a TD in the BC game.

We recovered 2 onside kicks in the UVA game.

We recovered an onside kick against Clemson.

The football gods must have thrown their hands up in frustration after the final whistle against Miami having done everything they could possibly think of to give us a W.

But yeah. Could have used a different call to beat NIU. That’s true. We really got a bad break against NIU. If it weren’t for a bad bounce we wouldn’t have lost to NIU. Cant expect to beat NIU when you get a bad call.
 

TooTall

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There are approximately 100 sports venues across the country where one can take a train and be deposited right at the front gate. These are primarily pro arenas in football, baseball, basketball and hockey. As far as I can tell, none of these venues ever experience having 30-40% attendance.

If Tech is not going to field a winning team then making the game experience as positive as possible is paramount. It’s well past time to do something about traffic impacting attendance at games.
I drive 3+ hrs to attend each game. Traffic is not an issue. I was next to the GSU Stadium less than an hour before kickoff and saw the road signs warning of lane closure so I was able to take surface streets and made it to Cenergy Deck, browse the bookstore for big & tall cold gear, go back to the truck empty handed and put on the old gear, make it to the stadium, take a picture of the Rice statue, get the pregame discount on food and have it eaten before kickoff. I've take surface streets many times to games this year and no issues. And I think the North Ave MARTA station is 3 blocks from the stadium. (Disclaimer: I only ride MARTA morning of the Peachtree) I doubt gameday traffic in Athens is any easier. Or Clemson. Or USCe. Or Knoxville. Or Gainesville. Maybe just leave a little earlier.🤷‍♂️
 

Northeast Stinger

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I drive 3+ hrs to attend each game. Traffic is not an issue. I was next to the GSU Stadium less than an hour before kickoff and saw the road signs warning of lane closure so I was able to take surface streets and made it to Cenergy Deck, browse the bookstore for big & tall cold gear, go back to the truck empty handed and put on the old gear, make it to the stadium, take a picture of the Rice statue, get the pregame discount on food and have it eaten before kickoff. I've take surface streets many times to games this year and no issues. And I think the North Ave MARTA station is 3 blocks from the stadium. (Disclaimer: I only ride MARTA morning of the Peachtree) I doubt gameday traffic in Athens is any easier. Or Clemson. Or USCe. Or Knoxville. Or Gainesville. Maybe just leave a little earlier.🤷‍♂️
I’ve never had a problem with the traffic personally but it is a recurring theme for many Tech fans who live several hours away.
 

Northeast Stinger

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Justin Thomas running that damn bone is not luck. Laskey and Days pile driving opponents on dive plays for 4 or 5 yards is not luck. About 475 yards total offense per game is not luck The 2014 team deserves every accolade that came their way.
Exactly. People should go back and look at the schedule and the season records of the teams we played in 2014. Had that team played the 1990 schedule it would have gone undefeated and won a national championship.
 

GT_05

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I drive 3+ hrs to attend each game. Traffic is not an issue. I was next to the GSU Stadium less than an hour before kickoff and saw the road signs warning of lane closure so I was able to take surface streets and made it to Cenergy Deck, browse the bookstore for big & tall cold gear, go back to the truck empty handed and put on the old gear, make it to the stadium, take a picture of the Rice statue, get the pregame discount on food and have it eaten before kickoff. I've take surface streets many times to games this year and no issues. And I think the North Ave MARTA station is 3 blocks from the stadium. (Disclaimer: I only ride MARTA morning of the Peachtree) I doubt gameday traffic in Athens is any easier. Or Clemson. Or USCe. Or Knoxville. Or Gainesville. Maybe just leave a little earlier.🤷‍♂️
I drive 3+ hrs to attend each game. Traffic is not an issue. I was next to the GSU Stadium less than an hour before kickoff and saw the road signs warning of lane closure so I was able to take surface streets and made it to Cenergy Deck, browse the bookstore for big & tall cold gear, go back to the truck empty handed and put on the old gear, make it to the stadium, take a picture of the Rice statue, get the pregame discount on food and have it eaten before kickoff. I've take surface streets many times to games this year and no issues. And I think the North Ave MARTA station is 3 blocks from the stadium. (Disclaimer: I only ride MARTA morning of the Peachtree) I doubt gameday traffic in Athens is any easier. Or Clemson. Or USCe. Or Knoxville. Or Gainesville. Maybe just leave a little earlier.🤷‍♂️
I live north of Atlanta and there always seem to be multiple lane closures because of construction or wrecks. I even tried taking MARTA but getting to the station can sometimes be an issue for the same reason. Thursday night games were almost impossible. I’ve been to Clemson, Athens, Auburn, Notre Dame, etc. with less issues. Regardless, it isn’t something that GT can fix but it is a pain.
 

JacketRacket

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I live north of Atlanta and there always seem to be multiple lane closures because of construction or wrecks. I even tried taking MARTA but getting to the station can sometimes be an issue for the same reason. Thursday night games were almost impossible. I’ve been to Clemson, Athens, Auburn, Notre Dame, etc. with less issues. Regardless, it isn’t something that GT can fix but it is a pain.
The most GT could do is have high frequency trolley shuttles from the midtown MARTA station to near the stadium, and I don't know if that's even worth it. Everything else is outside their control.
 
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