Football Attendance

sealhall74 · Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:07 pm

Tere North wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:00 pm I wonder. The Jets and the Giants have shared a football stadium. Now the Rams and the Chargers are doing so. What about Western and Macomb High doing the same? When Macomb plays, they would help pay for the facility by splitting ticket revenue. Maybe less $ for Macomb, but a far better fan experience and, maybe the same net $ as they wouldn't have to maintain the stands, etc. at the high school. They could run concessions as they do now, but out of our facilities, with some cost to them, say 10-25%, or we could run it as we do for our games.

Thoughts?

I think it is a great idea. Goal posts would have to be interchangeable as high school are about 5 feet wider.

sealhall74 · Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:09 pm

sealhall74 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:07 pm
Tere North wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:00 pm I wonder. The Jets and the Giants have shared a football stadium. Now the Rams and the Chargers are doing so. What about Western and Macomb High doing the same? When Macomb plays, they would help pay for the facility by splitting ticket revenue. Maybe less $ for Macomb, but a far better fan experience and, maybe the same net $ as they wouldn't have to maintain the stands, etc. at the high school. They could run concessions as they do now, but out of our facilities, with some cost to them, say 10-25%, or we could run it as we do for our games.

Thoughts?
I think it is a great idea. Goal posts would have to be interchangeable as high school are about 5 feet wider. Has the added benefit of giving WIU some exposure to potential west-central IL students.

leatherface · Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:28 pm

I just don't see this having any advantage for Macomb HS. Why would they do this? Leave their school grounds to play in a stadium that would likely be 80% empty- I'm guessing they don't draw 3,000 or so to a each game. Have the hassle of students and players going back and forth on the weekends. Why would a coach want his players to not practice and play in their own environment? I would think this would not be anything Macomb HS would even consider. Really, what do they gain? Is their field that bad? I don't think so. Sure, Western would get visitors on campus, however, that's not Macomb HS's responsibility.

leatherface · Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:38 pm

Also, how could it be a far better fan experience? Really. HS football is unique, and should be played at the school so family and friends can connect with the local school they support- not going somewhere else for no need.The school wants the fans and students to connect with what they have, not what someone else has.

wiu712 · Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:22 pm

Macomb High School played Quincy Notre Dame in a football game at Hanson Field a few years ago.

Bushnell-West Prairie (BWP) and South Fulton have also had football games at Hanson Field in the last few years.

wiu712 · Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:44 pm

Neckfansince71 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:51 amGuess I support the notion of "if you build it they will come!"

The drawings that came out last year of a new west side did look very nice. And a new west side would certainly look very attractive.

But we have a more immediate problem that needs to addressed: the declining attendance at football games.

We just had a home game with two ranked teams playing. The attendance was only 2,247. That is a very disappointing crowd. With the game being shown on ESPN3, it was an embarrassment to show a crowd that small to the rest of the country.

Someone posted a comment on the Western Courier webpage that Western has the worst fans in the conference.

There were two other conference games played last Saturday that were not in domes:
Missouri State had a crowd of 8,732.
Youngstown State had a crowd of 12,723.

We need to explore why people are not coming to the games and find ways to remedy that.

I do have to say that the game-day atmosphere is lacking this year.

leatherneckcountry · Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:21 pm

wiu712 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:44 pm
Neckfansince71 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:51 amGuess I support the notion of "if you build it they will come!"
The drawings that came out last year of a new west side did look very nice. And a new west side would certainly look very attractive.

But we have a more immediate problem that needs to addressed: the declining attendance at football games.

We just had a home game with two ranked teams playing. The attendance was only 2,247. That is a very disappointing crowd. With the game being shown on ESPN3, it was an embarrassment to show a crowd that small to the rest of the country.

Someone posted a comment on the Western Courier webpage that Western has the worst fans in the conference.

There were two other conference games played last Saturday that were not in domes:
Missouri State had a crowd of 8,732.
Youngstown State had a crowd of 12,723.

We need to explore why people are not coming to the games and find ways to remedy that.

I do have to say that the game-day atmosphere is lacking this year.

When I made the comment of us having the worst fans i was partially ticked about the lack of support but it's hard to disagree with the #'s. I can't imagine how bad it would be if we had a team like Missouri ST or Indiana ST. I just get tired of people always having an excuse. I do wonder if the fact that we didn't have a home game until a month into the season had anything to do with it. I don't care how great of a coach you are it's hard to recruit good players when there high school games are getting bigger crowds than we are.

Neckfansince71 · Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:49 pm

Yes, I am in total agreement with you 712! We need to find out where everyone is!!!

jc

wiu712 · Tue Oct 31, 2017 5:59 pm

Heard today at the gym that Charlie Fisher has his house up for sale. Reportedly he has said that he does not like Macomb.

rocki · Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:25 pm

wiu712 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 31, 2017 5:59 pm Heard today at the gym that Charlie Fisher has his house up for sale. Reportedly he has said that he does not like Macomb.

So, where is this house?