WIU vs Youngstown State (9/29/2018)...Homecoming

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ST_Lawson
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sealhall74
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The sparseness in the west stands really becomes noticeable when you blowup the photo. Google Chrome browser lets you go up to 500%. I dont think I would go much beyond 2000 for estimate of those sitting in the stands. If I get some time today, I might come up with a more accurate count. I need some software which lets me "Xout" people I have already counted otherwise I would go batshit crazy. Some might say I am already there. ;)
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sealhall74 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:12 am The sparseness in the west stands really becomes noticeable when you blowup the photo. Google Chrome browser lets you go up to 500%. I dont think I would go much beyond 2000 for estimate of those sitting in the stands. If I get some time today, I might come up with a more accurate count. I need some software which lets me "Xout" people I have already counted otherwise I would go batshit crazy. Some might say I am already there. ;)
I figured I'd give it a try section by section today if I have time. We can compare numbers to see where we're at. Section A looks like ~82 people though. I see what you mean about going crazy trying to count, although just from estimating what I'm seeing so far...it's pretty sparse.
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Leatherneck57
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ST_Lawson wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:19 am
sealhall74 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:12 am The sparseness in the west stands really becomes noticeable when you blowup the photo. Google Chrome browser lets you go up to 500%. I dont think I would go much beyond 2000 for estimate of those sitting in the stands. If I get some time today, I might come up with a more accurate count. I need some software which lets me "Xout" people I have already counted otherwise I would go batshit crazy. Some might say I am already there. ;)
I figured I'd give it a try section by section today if I have time. We can compare numbers to see where we're at. Section A looks like ~82 people though. I see what you mean about going crazy trying to count, although just from estimating what I'm seeing so far...it's pretty sparse.
No offense guys...but who cares? The attendance for Parents Weekend when a top notch program like Montana was in town was pitiful to say the least and Homecoming wasn’t much better!

I played against Youngstown State 4 times during my career and went 1-4. That is a great program we played and beat...just a couple of years ago they played for the National Championship! That was a huge win for us this past weekend whether you guys think so or not. That program is always a tough win!

I blame the students of Western Illinois for this lack of respect and support for our student athletes! Who BTW are some of the best students on campus!

It’s really disappointing especially with a successful program!!
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sealhall74
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Leatherneck57 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:41 am
ST_Lawson wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:19 am
sealhall74 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:12 am The sparseness in the west stands really becomes noticeable when you blowup the photo. Google Chrome browser lets you go up to 500%. I dont think I would go much beyond 2000 for estimate of those sitting in the stands. If I get some time today, I might come up with a more accurate count. I need some software which lets me "Xout" people I have already counted otherwise I would go batshit crazy. Some might say I am already there. ;)
I figured I'd give it a try section by section today if I have time. We can compare numbers to see where we're at. Section A looks like ~82 people though. I see what you mean about going crazy trying to count, although just from estimating what I'm seeing so far...it's pretty sparse.
No offense guys...but who cares? The attendance for Parents Weekend when a top notch program like Montana was in town was pitiful to say the least and Homecoming wasn’t much better!

I played against Youngstown State 4 times during my career and went 1-4. That is a great program we played and beat...just a couple of years ago they played for the National Championship! That was a huge win for us this past weekend whether you guys think so or not. That program is always a tough win!

I blame the students of Western Illinois for this lack of respect and support for our student athletes! Who BTW are some of the best students on campus!

It’s really disappointing especially with a successful program!!
I personally dont care about the numbers that much. I would take 2000 noisy and enthusiastic cowbell-slinging (yes I think I heard a couple on the replay I watched) fans over 5000 sitting on their hands any day of the week. But I also think an AD would really care about the accuracy of numbers when it comes to making decisions like whether adding beer sales is having a positive impact on attendance.
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Leatherneck57
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sealhall74 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:56 am
Leatherneck57 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:41 am
ST_Lawson wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:19 am

I figured I'd give it a try section by section today if I have time. We can compare numbers to see where we're at. Section A looks like ~82 people though. I see what you mean about going crazy trying to count, although just from estimating what I'm seeing so far...it's pretty sparse.
No offense guys...but who cares? The attendance for Parents Weekend when a top notch program like Montana was in town was pitiful to say the least and Homecoming wasn’t much better!

I played against Youngstown State 4 times during my career and went 1-4. That is a great program we played and beat...just a couple of years ago they played for the National Championship! That was a huge win for us this past weekend whether you guys think so or not. That program is always a tough win!

I blame the students of Western Illinois for this lack of respect and support for our student athletes! Who BTW are some of the best students on campus!

It’s really disappointing especially with a successful program!!
I personally dont care about the numbers that much. I would take 2000 noisy and enthusiastic cowbell-slinging (yes I think I heard a couple on the replay I watched) fans over 5000 sitting on their hands any day of the week. But I also think an AD would really care about the accuracy of numbers when it comes to making decisions like whether adding beer sales is having a positive impact on attendance.
You are correct...one would think.

I am totally embarrassed when visiting teams come to Macomb. At least if the stands were full it would take eyes off the West side of the stadium.

Will be interesting to see what the crowd will look like when # 1 NDSU comes to town especially if we beat Illinois State this week?? We beat Montana who’s ranked, Youngstown State was a preseason top 25 (until Butler came to town), and ISU being # 16. Montana State has been in the top 25 for several weeks now.

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I haven't left a game as ticked off as this game as much as we praised the beer sells for game one it was the complete opposite this game. I'd rather have the drunken idiots in Q lot than have them escorted out by OPS. One girl was passed out the whole 1st half this is why I don't drink cause I would be embarrassed if people saw me acting like that and no they weren't college these people were in there 40's and 50's. I hope they take the beer tent and stick it where the sun don't shine.
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sealhall74
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leatherneckcountry wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 9:23 am I haven't left a game as ticked off as this game as much as we praised the beer sells for game one it was the complete opposite this game. I'd rather have the drunken idiots in Q lot than have them escorted out by OPS. One girl was passed out the whole 1st half this is why I don't drink cause I would be embarrassed if people saw me acting like that and no they weren't college these people were in there 40's and 50's. I hope they take the beer tent and stick it where the sun don't shine.
Or maybe we just need a designated "Family Section" of seating inside the stadium?
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Leatherneck57 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:41 am No offense guys...but who cares? The attendance for Parents Weekend when a top notch program like Montana was in town was pitiful to say the least and Homecoming wasn’t much better!

I played against Youngstown State 4 times during my career and went 1-4. That is a great program we played and beat...just a couple of years ago they played for the National Championship! That was a huge win for us this past weekend whether you guys think so or not. That program is always a tough win!

I blame the students of Western Illinois for this lack of respect and support for our student athletes! Who BTW are some of the best students on campus!

It’s really disappointing especially with a successful program!!
I care if the numbers aren't accurate, but it looks like in this case they probably were pretty close. No matter what it is....4k...6k...it's still a very disappointing turnout for what was a great game and homecoming.

One issue is that it seems like students just aren't showing up like they used to as well, and this is a national trend...lots of schools are having trouble getting students to show up at games and stay to the end. NDSU, who often sells out their 19k seat arena, recently changed over one of their student sections to regular admission seating because there's good demand from alumni, but not that much from the students. Even Alabama is reducing seating at their stadium in their next remodel. There's not many college programs looking to add any seating these days.

The biggest problem though, I think, is enrollment. It looks like our highest ever was 14,285 students in 1975, and according to our record books, we had a record high season average attendance of 13,815 in 1973 (#4 was 1976 with 12,669 per game, and #6 was 1975 with 12,134 per game). So, if we look at attendance as a percentage of student enrollment, in 1975 we had an average football game attendance of 84.9% of our total enrollment.
I don't know if those enrollment numbers included students at the Quad Cities, or students who took classes elsewhere (if we offered classes elsewhere), but our Macomb campus total enrollment this fall is 5,546. In our first two games this year, we're averaging 4,271, which is 77% of enrollment in Macomb, which, while it is down, isn't too far off.

I'm hugely disappointed in the lack of attendance over the last few years as well, but it's not like there aren't reasons for it. You could have every student on campus plus half of the town of Macomb show up at Hanson Field for a game and still not get what we used to get fairly often for games in the 1970's.
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sealhall74
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ST_Lawson wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 9:37 am
Leatherneck57 wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:41 am No offense guys...but who cares? The attendance for Parents Weekend when a top notch program like Montana was in town was pitiful to say the least and Homecoming wasn’t much better!

I played against Youngstown State 4 times during my career and went 1-4. That is a great program we played and beat...just a couple of years ago they played for the National Championship! That was a huge win for us this past weekend whether you guys think so or not. That program is always a tough win!

I blame the students of Western Illinois for this lack of respect and support for our student athletes! Who BTW are some of the best students on campus!

It’s really disappointing especially with a successful program!!
I care if the numbers aren't accurate, but it looks like in this case they probably were pretty close. No matter what it is....4k...6k...it's still a very disappointing turnout for what was a great game and homecoming.

One issue is that it seems like students just aren't showing up like they used to as well, and this is a national trend...lots of schools are having trouble getting students to show up at games and stay to the end. NDSU, who often sells out their 19k seat arena, recently changed over one of their student sections to regular admission seating because there's good demand from alumni, but not that much from the students. Even Alabama is reducing seating at their stadium in their next remodel. There's not many college programs looking to add any seating these days.

The biggest problem though, I think, is enrollment. It looks like our highest ever was 14,285 students in 1975, and according to our record books, we had a record high season average attendance of 13,815 in 1973 (#4 was 1976 with 12,669 per game, and #6 was 1975 with 12,134 per game). So, if we look at attendance as a percentage of student enrollment, in 1975 we had an average football game attendance of 84.9% of our total enrollment.
I don't know if those enrollment numbers included students at the Quad Cities, or students who took classes elsewhere (if we offered classes elsewhere), but our Macomb campus total enrollment this fall is 5,546. In our first two games this year, we're averaging 4,271, which is 77% of enrollment in Macomb, which, while it is down, isn't too far off.

I'm hugely disappointed in the lack of attendance over the last few years as well, but it's not like there aren't reasons for it. You could have every student on campus plus half of the town of Macomb show up at Hanson Field for a game and still not get what we used to get fairly often for games in the 1970's.
Pretty bad student turnout at the William and Mary game I went to on Sat night as well. Half of the students were gone by halftime. Those that left missed one of the more entertaining half-time shows I have seen at a football game.

http://thedynamodogs.com/Home.html

To see a dog chase down and catch a frisbee thrown the entire length of the football field pretty damn impressive.

If I were AD, the first thing I would want to know is how many students are heading northeast on Fridays and why. Are they missing Mom's home cooking and wanting to save some of those dining dollars? Do they have a restaurant job up there where they can make some nice cash in tips on Friday and Saturday nights, etc.
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