The most disappointing stat from yesterday was...attendance.

GT_05

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,370
I believe the future to reviving our program with butts in seats is to market to the majority of poeple that live in downtown...African Americans. Atlanta is the new Black Mecca and to not reach out to them does a great injustice to our ability to put butts in seats. Advertise some $10 upper north tix on Marta.

The falcons stadium was rocking with these folks and a lot of them were turned off by the ridiculous increases in ticket prices.

Downside-old white curmudgeons that would rather not have an infiltration of “those people”

People of all races and ethnicities ride Marta and I doubt there are many folks that think in terms of “those people”. We need to market GT to anyone and everyone. Nobody should be singled out based on gender, race, ethnicity, alum or sidewalk fan, etc. The only people I wish I could exclude from BDS are the UGA fans. Even then, their money goes to our athletes so I’m willing to put up with them every other year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
I believe the future to reviving our program with butts in seats is to market to the majority of poeple that live in downtown...African Americans. Atlanta is the new Black Mecca and to not reach out to them does a great injustice to our ability to put butts in seats. Advertise some $10 upper north tix on Marta.

The falcons stadium was rocking with these folks and a lot of them were turned off by the ridiculous increases in ticket prices.

Downside-old white curmudgeons that would rather not have an infiltration of “those people”
I guess I would qualify as an "old white curmudgeon," but I have brought one of "those people" with me to every game the past two years.
 

MWBATL

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,530
Last year when UCF canceled, we tried to play literally anybody in the country. We said we’d pay our own way and play at their place and they wouldn’t have to play at our place later. Nobody would play us. We are @USF because Alabama and then Ole Miss canceled on us.
And who knows, with TS Gordon entering the Gulf, maybe USF will find an excuse to cancel on us as well....
 

biggtfan

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
182
Location
Atlanta
I was expecting more just because it was a season opener. It just seemed to signal that folks are less than hopeful about this season. UGA was 99.46% filled (92746/93246) against Austin Peay while we were 72.22% filled (39719/55000).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Keep in mind that those numbers are for tickets sold and may even include workers, security, etc. They do NOT reflect butts in seats. A recent study by the WSJ (https://www.wsj.com/articles/college-footballs-growing-problem-empty-seats-1535634001) explains further. I suspect many tickets to the other game were sold but they had plenty of no-shows, too.
 

biggtfan

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
182
Location
Atlanta
Two old sayings come to mind here: "you reap what you sow" and "one cannot serve two masters". No doubt that TV is the tail wagging the dog and the consequences are seen in the attendance.


I think we will see home game attendance decline across all of FBS due to TV controlling the schedule and length of the game. Look at bowl games where fan attendance is not important. Money is made from TV advertising, not ticket sales.

The quality of the at-home experience conflicts with an in-stadium experience and consistent with an ad-driven business model. We are tilting at windmills.
 

coldbeer

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
628
I know this is off the thread topic (attendance); but talk of cupcake opponents, gets to something I'd really like changed.

Can we play a 12 game P5 schedule? I'd prefer 10 conference games, plus UGA & 1 more P5 (home/away...doesn't have to be consecutive seasons).

....& allow for (if really needed) a "preseason" / exhibition game v FCS opponent in late August.

I'm assuming this will be met by those with clearer "big NCAA picture" with all kinds of reasons it isn't feasible. But this post is about what I WANT. :)
Clemson, FSU, GT, U of L dont want a 9 game conference schedule when we already end the season with a SEC opponent. Plus you add ND every three years. Too much....

Sent from my LM-Q710.FGN using Tapatalk
 

Dirty Jacket

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
98
What makes you a good fan? Serious question. I’m assuming that since everyone else in the fan base is bad then you must see yourself as good. So what makes you good? I’ve perused your past posts and they would lead a reasonable person to believe that you hate UGA but you hate the GT fanbase just as bad, if not worse. You don’t like our mascot, and you think the administration is full of incompetent people. Does this make you a good fan?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve never claimed to be good or bad. I love gt athletics. I think our fans are self righteous dbags who hide behind Tech’s academics as a catch all excuse for all of our short comings. That’s pretty lame. We either try to be better by discussing the short comings and working at making them better, which I think is exactly what Stansbury is doing, or we hide behind how hard Calculus is when uga steals our lunch money.
You may think I’m a ****ty fan, and I probably am, but I’ve put my money where my mouth is.
 

AUFC

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,857
Location
Atlanta
I can hopefully add some meaningful opinion here, coming from a huge football fan, Georgia Tech fan, and young alum who lives in Atlanta but did not purchase season tickets this year. I should be a target demographic for GTAA.

Here's why:
  • I'm out of town for 2 games. Only Clemson has resale value.
  • The 4 games I'm in town for, I can get good seats to every game for average $25/game on SeatGeek. $100 season tickets for the year.
  • I love going to football games but 4 hours in 90 degree sun is a tough price to pay even for me, and that doesn't even take into account the fact that I'm several drinks deep in the sun by the time I'm in the stadium.
 

AUFC

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,857
Location
Atlanta
To add one more thought: I enjoy and would probably consider myself a bigger fan of GTMBB than GTFB. Food for thought...this is a relatively new development (2014 or 2015?). Better atmosphere, better game length, every game still feels meaningful (see: MLB), better "climate". I'd still say I prefer football as a sport to basketball, but if you gave me the choice at this point, I'd probably take the basketball ticket. I am a season ticket holder for GTMBB for the record.
 

684Bee

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,643
I can hopefully add some meaningful opinion here, coming from a huge football fan, Georgia Tech fan, and young alum who lives in Atlanta but did not purchase season tickets this year. I should be a target demographic for GTAA.

Here's why:
  • I'm out of town for 2 games. Only Clemson has resale value.
  • The 4 games I'm in town for, I can get good seats to every game for average $25/game on SeatGeek. $100 season tickets for the year.
  • I love going to football games but 4 hours in 90 degree sun is a tough price to pay even for me, and that doesn't even take into account the fact that I'm several drinks deep in the sun by the time I'm in the stadium.

This is the rational choice, and that’s part of the issue with GT putting butts in the seats.

GT folks look to make the rational, sound economic choice, and that’s part of why we tend to be successful.

Football fandom, though, is about passion, not about doing a cost-benefit analysis. It’s more heart than head.
 

Oldgoldandwhite

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,762
I was expecting more just because it was a season opener. It just seemed to signal that folks are less than hopeful about this season. UGA was 99.46% filled (92746/93246) against Austin Peay while we were 72.22% filled (39719/55000).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I think some stats are padded. We have friends that have GA season tickets. They couldn’t give theirs away.
 

GT_05

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,370
I personally don't like being called a "self righteous dbag" and am tired of hearing about how GT alumni are elitist. I don't consider myself better than anyone else but I am damned proud of the fact that I "got out" in 1983. I consider that one of my life's special accomplishments, especially moreso being a woman.

Amen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Jacket in Dairyland

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,053
Not saying it's easy, but we all know many of the solutions : CONSISTENT winning seasons ( MINIMUM of 8 wins a year, IMO ). Beat the Dawgs about 4 out of 10. Go to higher profile bowls that our fans will travel to. Win a majority of those bowl games- don't get embarrassed on national TV. Recruit a higher profile athlete ( 5*) every once in a while. Spring 2 upsets every year, especially at home. More night games early in the year ( might be tough ).
These are just some ideas off the top of my head this morning. I actually think we are not that far away from most of these, but we must eliminate the down years (5-6 and no bowl ). It kills our momentum. If anybody can get there , I think TStan can , but he , and CPJ, need to show results starting this year. At least 7 wins, bowl game , one upset , IMO.
 

whitegoldsphinx

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
817
I’ve never claimed to be good or bad. I love gt athletics. I think our fans are self righteous dbags who hide behind Tech’s academics as a catch all excuse for all of our short comings. That’s pretty lame. We either try to be better by discussing the short comings and working at making them better, which I think is exactly what Stansbury is doing, or we hide behind how hard Calculus is when uga steals our lunch money.
You may think I’m a ****ty fan, and I probably am, but I’ve put my money where my mouth is.
The vast majority of Tech fans are nothing like you describe and don't appreciate being stereotyped. Are you trolling?
 

Vespidae

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,326
Location
Auburn, AL
I did a rather exhaustive study of attendance some time ago and it bears revisting. The major drivers of attendance are 1) state vs. private school, b) urban vs. suburban campus, c) density of alumni within 5/10 miles of the school. All of these factors are not in Tech's favor, but Tech is not unique here either. Still, Tech holds up well compared to peers. If you look at the "big picture", most schools are more interested in the TV money than filling seats at a stadium that needs constant maintenance. This trend will not stop.

Overall, Tech fills out for "big" games ... Notre Dame, Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, etc. For those who mentioned it earlier about "ever" seeing a fun time at BDS ... I loved it in 80-83 when we played Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and UGA ... I think we had the toughest SEC schedule of anyone and we weren't in the SEC. And no, we weren't competing for a nattie. We were barely hanging on. But as far as watching big time college ball, it was a blast.

We're not a football factory and if I were TStan, I'd get back to playing our traditional rivals. No one wants to watch Alcorn State, Nicholls State, Pearl River, or Charlotte. Hot or cold, rain or shine ... attendance will never be as good as playing the best opponents you can.

My two cents.
 
Top