Football Attendance Crisis

Athletics Department, Facilities, etc.
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WIUSuperFan
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Now with the home portion of football season over, it's time to say that we have a crisis on our hands regarding home attendance. Scott Lawson posted a topic earlier in the season on this and I'm bouncing off of that with this topic.

Our football team is really good this year. 8-3 is an awesome record. Yet, the fan turnout treats it like it's an 0-11 year. Why is that? What can WIU do to encourage students and other fans to attend the games? Of course, you cannot abolish the ESPN 3 broadcasts. So many fans and alumni across the nation (maybe even world) rely on that now to watch the games because they're not in Macomb. More fans especially rely on it when WIU is away.

My take, WIU needs to advertise the home games more than just the traditional schedules that are posted everywhere on campus. Hardly anyone looks at a poster anymore. I saw that a lot when going to class and I was as guilty as anyone else. Students look at their phones or computer screens practically 24/7. Since almost everyone has a social media account of some kind now, advertise on those platforms. They don't cost any money. I'm sure WIU can spend some money to "Sponsor" posts on Facebook to increase visibility. Otherwise, mass emails going out to the campus and RA's doing things can encourage students to come.

I've heard some people say close the tailgate area right before the game. I do not agree there. First off, how can you enforce a rule like that? Plus, people go back there during halftime to have a drink and talk. I know the problem there is that some fans may not return to the game, but there really isn't much we can do there that I know of. Some people have said that we need to sell alcohol at the games. I agree with that. I think alcohol sales would boost attendance. We just need to be careful because alcohol can make people act stupid when not consumed responsively.

At the same time, we all know that the population of WIU, Macomb, and all of Western Illinois is decreasing. That is no surprise. Some of these things are out of our control. The state having its budget mess has made potential students leave Illinois and other individuals move from Illinois too. The lack of opportunities in this state has only added to the mess too. Despite this decrease, WIU needs to continue to push real hard to retain and increase their enrollment. That can make a difference in attendance.

I hope things change soon. I have never seen full stands and I would like to see them full sometime during my life. We need to get students excited about WIU sports again and I hope it happens soon.

I welcome your thoughts on this matter. I tried to cover everything that's been discussed that I saw, but I may have missed something too.

Go Leathernecks!
Devin Biggs
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Email: dm-biggs@wiu.edu
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sealhall74
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Game days for football and basketball should be more than just drinking in the parking lot and maybe getting over to the stadium/hall to watch some student-athletes bang heads. They should be a day for campus organizations to advertise and showoff. I go to George Mason events quite a bit. They dont have football but do have a decent basketball program. You walk into the arena and you see table after table of students passing out freebie stuff and flyers trying to recruit students to join their particular group. Also, for me, music is very important. George Mason's Green Machine is one of the finest in the land. Some nights, they have a post-game "concert" for people who just want to stick around 20 or 30 minutes while the parking lots empty. I have done that several times. You have get the organization involved on game day. The Greeks could have some contest against each other one game. The residence halls could do it some other game. What the contest is, I dont know, could be a "paint the wire fence with colored plastic cups" or something. If Western has a nationally ranked Physics master program, I should be reading all about it on the video board some time during the game and physics students should be roaming the aisles selling 50-50 tickets and that department gets half of the take. IMHO, to get the students back, it is going to be a bunch of little things that all add up to increasing pride in the school which they pay good money to attend.

Regarding closing down the tailgating before game starts, that is an absolute must-do. How the hell are patrons going to see the good things going on by the campus organizations if they are all getting crocked and stoned out in Q Lot? At halftime, if people still want to imbibe, have a beer garden in the area north of the stadium where they can grab a drink or two. Yes, I can buy a beer at George Mason basketball games.

For the townies, that is a tougher nut to crack. I think most people who live in Macomb but have no real ties to the university would probably only show up once or twice with family during any given football or basketball season simply because of the cost of tickets and concessions. Do we let their kids in free? Maybe that would help some if we dont already do it. However, some of the above suggestions would also apply to the numerous civic organizations in Macomb (tables set up along the sidewalks, inside the tents, etc.)
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ST_Lawson
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Just FYI, regarding closing tailgating before games. I've asked around and I can't find another MVFC school that doesn't do that. Some are 30 minutes before, some 15, but they all do it...except us. Leaving it open during the game is the "outlier" situation.

Also, I agree that they need to do a much better job of using social media to promote games, events, promotions, etc. It's not free though, just fyi. Getting a post going (like, actually getting traction) costs money, just like the ads do. Now, they could easily do some targeted ads...facebook allows you to get really granular in terms of your ads....only people in the region...only people who have "liked" WIU...only people attending Western who have "liked" college football...stuff like that. I know Google has similar abilities on their ads and probably the other social media platforms have similar things.
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rocki
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IIRC, the original poster graduated from WIU last year. My question to him would be, "what would you suggest the athletic department do to drum up more student interest in the games?" Face it, I graduated from Western almost 40 years ago. When I attended, the stadium was packed - it was THE place to be on Saturday afternoons. I still love watching them play. I go every chance I get.

Obviously I am from a different generation and have no clue as to what it is going to take to generate interest in today's college students.

As for the locals, one thing I know stopped several families with kids from going is that kids only get in free until they are 3 (and then they have to be in the adult's lap). Seems that age should be raised to 10 or 12 - to me, anyway. People in this area are really good about getting into things that benefit others, so promotions involving reduced gate prices with the donation of food items, mittens and scarves and the like when it starts turning colder, and other things to benefit people in need might be something to look into.

Yes, close tailgating before the game; and have a beer tent where people can get drinks during the game if they wish.

Anyway, that's just a few things I can think of right off the bat. Let's all toss some ideas around, eh?
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ST_Lawson
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Yeah...make attendance free for kids under 12, have the final game be a "free with donation of food item" game...Thanksgiving Food Bank game or something.

Both really good ideas.


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Scott Lawson - Board Admin
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The attendance for our 4 home games:
September 30 (Homecoming) = 5,631.
October 14 (Family Weekend) =3,217.
October 28 = 2,247.
November 18 = 2,812.

Not having a home game until week 5 had to be a factor in this year's attendance.

Improving Marketing & Promotions has to be a goal for 2018.

Make the last home game a "Fan Appreciation Day". Scott's idea of a Food Drive promotion for the area food pantries would work well on that date as well as it would be close to Thanksgiving.

Question: The football games are heard on radio stations in Macomb, Beardstown, Quincy/Mount Sterling, Galesburg, and Clinton, IA. Do we do any work with those other radio stations in promoting the games ???

Perhaps we can take a look at what our new friends at Weber State are doing for promotions and see if some of their ideas could work at Western: https://weberstatesports.com/sports/201 ... 21500.aspx
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ST_Lawson
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wiu712 wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:27 pm Make the last home game a "Fan Appreciation Day". Scott's idea of a Food Drive promotion for the area food pantries would work well on that date as well as it would be close to Thanksgiving.

Question: The football games are heard on radio stations in Macomb, Beardstown, Quincy/Mount Sterling, Galesburg, and Clinton, IA. Do we do any work with those other radio stations in promoting the games ???
That was [user]rocki[/user] that suggested the food drive promotion and stuff. I was just repeating it because it's a really good idea.

I don't know, but actually, last Saturday's game wasn't on the radio in Clinton, IA. That funeral I had to go to, that was the reason I had to miss the game, was in a small town maybe 20 miles outside of Clinton. We got done with lunch and stuff, hopped in the car, I tuned to the station and....oldies. No football. Thankfully I was able to stream it through my phone until I was within range of WJEQ. I've already notified the proper "authorities" about it, just fyi.
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Not sure who you check with. What I have seen traveling to the away games most schools don't shut down tailgating but do not allow re-entry. Indiana State did allow re-entry.
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ST_Lawson
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Here's the info I pulled from each of the MVFC members. Essentially NDSU, UNI, MSU, SDSU, YSU, and UND all close at or prior to kickoff. ILSU and WIU are open throughout the game. Was unable to find lot closing info for SIU, INSU, or USD.

NDSU - Reserved tailgating opens 5½ hours before kickoff. All other lots open 5 hours before kickoff. Tailgating ends 30 minutes prior to kickoff. All guests are required to exit the tailgating lots at this time. Tailgating is not permitted in the parking lots during the game. Lots close 1 hour after the game or 11:00 p.m., whichever comes first.

UNI - For Panther Scholarship Club members in the West Dome Lot and the McLeod Center Lot: Tailgating is permitted during the course of the event. For all other parking lots:Tailgating must cease at the scheduled start time of the event. Tailgating is not permitted at any time during the course of the event. Tailgating may not resume prior to the end of the event.

MSU - BearFest Village opens three hours before kickoff for each home football game (11 a.m. for a 2 p.m. kickoff) and closes just before kickoff. BearFest Village setup begins five hours before kickoff.

SDSU - For all games, all tailgating lots will open five (5) hours prior to kickoff and will close at kickoff. Tailgating activities during the game, during halftime, or after game conclusion are prohibited. Tailgating areas must be vacated one (1) hour after conclusion of the game.

YSU - Lot closes at kickoff.

UND (joining the conference in a couple of years) - All tailgating activities must conclude prior to 15 minutes before kickoff at which time you will be asked to clean and pack up your space and enter the game.

ILSU - Tailgating will end 1 1/2 hours after the end of the game.

SIU, INSU, USD - did not find info about when tailgating closes

EDIT - here's from a USD fan:
I am not sure what the actual policy is at USD, but tailgating pretty much shuts down at game time. However, when the weather is bearable, a lot of people head out at halftime for a beverage and come back inside near the start of the 3rd quarter.
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As I recall, Illinois State does not allow re-entry.

In looking at what other MVFC schools are doing (as shown above), North Dakota State's approach to tailgating seems the best approach.
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