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

[AE 87]

We should make scheduling public.

We should openly call out the SEC for only playing 1 pwr5 out of conference.

We should publicly challenge each pwr5 conference for a Home and Home opponent every 8 years. And georgie doesn't count for the SEC.

 

[northgajacket]

For our FCS opponent, we have frequently been playing HBCU like Alcorn State and Jacksonville State which I think is intentional.

It is typically not good for our team imo, barely working out our starters. However, there are a lot of HBCU graduates in Atlanta; it gives their players a big stage; and gives their programs a relatively big check. We're the only Power5 team in Atlanta.

It may be more politic for GT to exploit it for publicity. HBCU day at GT. We don't do it that way.

Jacksonville State is not a HBCU.

 

[BurdellJacket]

Very few sell their allotment at Athens. The fans are that bad.

I do not opine a whole lot on these forums (fori ?) because I don't have time and if I do, I seem to get into elongated arguments or discussions as is about to come about. I find it almost as distasteful as is this argument about how bad the fans are as is that argument about CPJ's offense. In the 1950's as I was cheering on the "yellow britches" with all my heart and lungs, I never gave a thought as to how many other people were in attendance, and how loud they cheered, and if they were stupid enough to stand up the whole G_d D__n game. I paid many dollars for many years thru Alexander Tharpe for my semi decent seats.

For all of that I now get to pay a very high premium for the honor of being able to pay good money extra for those very same tickets that a "carpet bagger" from New Jersey can pay to get my seats.

Add to that the almost 1-1/2 hours extra it requires to play a game and the extraordinary awful screaming wrap music blasted out the entire time time is out. It is quite a different game experience than it once was. Has anyone even heard our GT band in the last several years?

 

[AE 87]

Jacksonville State is not a HBCU.

You're right. I was misinformed. Maybe they were thinking about Jackson State in MS.

My fault for fake news since I didn't check.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I’d love nothing more than to see us renew some of our old rivalries, with Tenn and Auburn in particular, on a regular basis.

But our schedule is every bit as difficult as any team in the country. Make it harder and we will average even fewer wins.

If we did schedule more big OOC games I don’t think it would do much to increase local support. Local support goes to the mutts and that ain’t gonna change in my lifetime and likely not in my kids’ lifetimes. Sidewalk fans? Majority again go toward the mutts.

Only winning at a high level consistently and beating the mutts at least half the time will boost attendance. Our cowardly fan base that’s too embarrassed to attend church as a tech fan doesn’t have the stones to show support unless we are obviously out performing the mutts.

That is true. Heaven knows we don't need to make the schedule any more challenging than it already is. The problem is having Clemson as our permanent crossover opponent at a time when they are hitting on all cylinders. Combine that with UGA, Miami, and Virginia Tech and it is a tough row to hoe for sure. But this is really not anything new. In Dodd's time, we played Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and usually LSU and Florida. Most of those teams were about as tough then as they are now with the exception of UGA and Alabama both of which are way better now. Tennessee was definitely better then. We also usually played Tulane and Duke. It doesn't really matter but if we are going to continue to play 3 or 4 top 25 teams every year we absolutely must put more resources into recruiting. The ACC is no longer the province of the Tobacco Road Mafia. It is not a basketball league looking for something to do until Christmas. FSU, Clemson, Miami, and Virginia Tech are dead serious about making waves in big time football. No two ways about it.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Has anyone even heard our GT band in the last several years?

I don't know if it's a decision by the band or band director or stadium personnel, but the band now only plays after scores and at the end of the 3rd quarter (Budweiser song). Instead we are lambasted with that blaring crappy music they play over the stadium PA system. Let the cheerleaders lead the cheers and the band entertain and exhort the fans to cheer and sing or whatever, and trash that crappy recorded music.

 

[A Love Supreme]

I don't know if it's a decision by the band or band director or stadium personnel, but the band now only plays after scores and at the end of the 3rd quarter (Budweiser song). Instead we are lambasted with that blaring crappy music they play over the stadium PA system. Let the cheerleaders lead the cheers and the band entertain and exhort the fans to cheer and sing or whatever, and trash that crappy recorded music.

I think it would be cool if we had a "throwback game" every year (maybe on homecoming) where the team wears a throwback uniform. Adidas could probably make some nice vintage uniforms. They could do throwback concession prices for the 1st half and no music from the PA system for the entire game so like you said, have the band and cheerleaders actually lead the crowd in cheers. I also think it would be cool to do giveaways like the first 10,000 fans get a free THWG t-shirt, Buzz bobblehead or Ramblin' Wreck souvenir.Something like that. I feel like GT could do a better job marketing and doing more things to try to get more people in the stadium.

 

[Nixon_Corral]

Guys: I really believe another poster was correct when he said our fanbase is NOT growing, but declining.

I raised my kids to love GT, but they both went to other schools. I can convince my daughter to go to a game once in awhile, but she has her life and is not close to the ATL. The students that the institute is graduating, especially in the past 20-25 years, is no where near into football, in general, as many previous generations were. I don't have the answers, but I do believe the issue is a real issue. A lot of our most passionate, $$ donating fans are older, and many have already died off.

This is interesting to me. I'm 25, so I think I have a slightly different perspective than perhaps the average poster on here. I think a lot of it has to do with how rapidly the world is changing. Personally, I was born into a college football family, so I was indoctrinated into its allure at a very young age. To me, there's no better entertainment on Earth. But the GT student body is changing. It's not as Southern and not as American, both of which detract from the likelihood of being a college football fan. I don't think that's a bad thing, it's just the reality. Furthermore, GT is in a booming city with incredible amounts of things to do. What else are college kids in Athens or Clemson going to get up to? The game is all there is to do. In Atlanta, any number of exciting things are happening (especially on a holiday weekend) that may make a college kid or alum think twice about attending a noon scorcher against a bad team. Of course, that was true decades ago as well, but the advent of the internet has multiplied it. People my age are hyper aware of anything and everything that's going on in the city.

And frankly, I think this is a problem that impacts more than just college sports, but it's the most apparent in college sports because of declining student section attendance. I'm not sure I'm articulating my argument terribly well, but I think my point is that basically there's more out there in the world to do now than there used to be, and it's further galvanized by the internet. With more options comes more likelihood that people will opt for something else. Again, not something I understand. I think college football is the perfect game and I haven't missed a GT game (be it in person, on TV, or, push come to shove, on the radio) since I started college. But not everyone's like that. And I think sports across the board will see declining attendance as the years march on.

The last 10 years we have won about 51% of what are considered P5 games

We played at the same time a major freak show was happenibg downtown.

LOL there is substantial overlap between GT football fans and Dragon*Con attendees. This season ticket holder and his guests among them. Football takes priority for me easily, but some aren't so easily swayed into attending our least appealing home game during an event that happens just once a year. I would absolutely bet it's a legitimate drag on our attendance. Maybe not huge, but certainly a contributor to diminished attendance among the many other things you listed.

Plus it doesn't help tech fans move away from Atlanta. Usually more progressive in thoughts and escape the bible belt. At least the majority of the recent grads I know from the past 10 years.

This is absolutely the case. Not only because of liberalism or secularism, but because of the job market. For a Computer Science graduate, it makes no sense to stay in the South. That's why I moved out west.

Or at least I did for awhile. I'm back now. This secular liberal still can't make a home of anywhere but the South. Can't say I know why. But I 100% understand why so many people move.

 

[Animal02]

I hope that's not accurate. A couple of those years only show 5 home games, and that sucks.

I believe the schedule is not complete.....those are just contracted games.

 

[Vespidae]

I do not opine a whole lot on these forums (fori ?) because I don't have time and if I do, I seem to get into elongated arguments or discussions as is about to come about. I find it almost as distasteful as is this argument about how bad the fans are as is that argument about CPJ's offense. In the 1950's as I was cheering on the "yellow britches" with all my heart and lungs, I never gave a thought as to how many other people were in attendance, and how loud they cheered, and if they were stupid enough to stand up the whole G_d D__n game. I paid many dollars for many years thru Alexander Tharpe for my semi decent seats.

For all of that I now get to pay a very high premium for the honor of being able to pay good money extra for those very same tickets that a "carpet bagger" from New Jersey can pay to get my seats.

Add to that the almost 1-1/2 hours extra it requires to play a game and the extraordinary awful screaming wrap music blasted out the entire time time is out. It is quite a different game experience than it once was. Has anyone even heard our GT band in the last several years?

Not sure if my point was understood. GT does not sell its allotment to UGA and neither does UT. I heard FLA struggles as well. Why? Because of the UGA fans. Having a brick thrown at your car, keyed, harassed ... is not fun. Athens has a reputation that is not good for visitors.

 

[Vespidae]

That is true. Heaven knows we don't need to make the schedule any more challenging than it already is. The problem is having Clemson as our permanent crossover opponent at a time when they are hitting on all cylinders. Combine that with UGA, Miami, and Virginia Tech and it is a tough row to hoe for sure. But this is really not anything new. In Dodd's time, we played Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and usually LSU and Florida. Most of those teams were about as tough then as they are now with the exception of UGA and Alabama both of which are way better now. Tennessee was definitely better then. We also usually played Tulane and Duke. It doesn't really matter but if we are going to continue to play 3 or 4 top 25 teams every year we absolutely must put more resources into recruiting. The ACC is no longer the province of the Tobacco Road Mafia. It is not a basketball league looking for something to do until Christmas. FSU, Clemson, Miami, and Virginia Tech are dead serious about making waves in big time football. No two ways about it.

We don’t have to add Alabama. You could drop Alcorn State and play Vandy. I would add Tennessee. Heck, we should have beat them last year. I think you’d see recruiting improve with GT playing identiable opponents kids can relate to.

 

[coldbeer]

Not sure if my point was understood. GT does not sell its allotment to UGA and neither does UT. I heard FLA struggles as well. Why? Because of the UGA fans. Having a brick thrown at your car, keyed, harassed ... is not fun. Athens has a reputation that is not good for visitors.

Proof?

UT sells out their allotment for every game in Athens. As does Auburn, USC (east), Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss. Vandy is probably the only SEC team that doesnt sell all their visiting team allotment at Sanford Stadium.

P.S. FL plays UGA in Jacksonville, FL (outside of a year or two when they were remodeling the Gator Bowl in the 90's). The Gators have zero problem selling tix for that game against the Pups. They could probably build a 200,000 seat stadium and still sellout UGA/UF in Jax.



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[awbuzz]

Oh yes you do!

 

[awbuzz]

ESPN in running college football.

Mostly FIFY

 

[awbuzz]

Can you imagine these boards if we went 5-7 most years? LOL.

1/3 of the folks would totally drop out of the conversations.

 

[gtg970g]

Here's a thought on why SEC powers do not schedule home and home against formidable opponents. They sell out regardless so why would they make their schedule more difficult by scheduling harder opponents? There is no benefit for them financially. We on the other hand do not sell out without an opponent who can draw both their own fans and Tech fans who are just interested in the "big game". We need to find more decent opponents who are willing to schedule home and home where we can help them draw bigger crows and vice versa. I don't think we should be giving UCF and USF home and home series since they don't help us draw fans to games. Maybe we should consider offering them a home game in return for 2 at our place but this would make more sense if we could drop for FCS games.

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

You're right. I was misinformed. Maybe they were thinking about Jackson State in MS.

My fault for fake news since I didn't check.

I only read the headline of your post and believed the rest of it must be truth.

 

[GT_05]

I don't know if it's a decision by the band or band director or stadium personnel, but the band now only plays after scores and at the end of the 3rd quarter (Budweiser song). Instead we are lambasted with that blaring crappy music they play over the stadium PA system. Let the cheerleaders lead the cheers and the band entertain and exhort the fans to cheer and sing or whatever, and trash that crappy recorded music.

I wouldn’t trash it altogether but they play too much over the PA system, in my opinion. In addition, the Alcorn State band was playing at the same time as the recorded music which was intolerable in section 102.


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[GT_05]

I think it would be cool if we had a "throwback game" every year (maybe on homecoming) where the team wears a throwback uniform. Adidas could probably make some nice vintage uniforms. They could do throwback concession prices for the 1st half and no music from the PA system for the entire game so like you said, have the band and cheerleaders actually lead the crowd in cheers. I also think it would be cool to do giveaways like the first 10,000 fans get a free THWG t-shirt, Buzz bobblehead or Ramblin' Wreck souvenir.Something like that. I feel like GT could do a better job marketing and doing more things to try to get more people in the stadium.

Love this idea.


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[gtg970g]

I wouldn’t trash it altogether but they play too much over the PA system, in my opinion. In addition, the Alcorn State band was playing at the same time as the recorded music which was intolerable in section 102.


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Alcorn State band was very obnoxious, purposefully playing over our band. Band and PA DJ never seem to be on the same page at our games which is frustrating every season. I don't mind the "get hyped" music from the PA but don't play it over the band.