Attendance Ideas and Solutions

[WIU11DC]

To GV DAD

I graduated in 2011 and was at WIU for five years. During my time we weren't great but I was raised in a family that loved football. When I was in high school, I played Friday nights, referred on Saturdays, and Sundays every week. Needlessly to say, when I got to Macomb my freshman year, I was really let down that students would never go. My freshman, sophomore, and junior year I would go tailgating and then the group I was with would go on the quest for a new house party every hour or so. Finally, my senior and fifth year I went back to my roots and went to the home games. I vividly remember trying to get my friends to go with me to a free football but most would either just want to drink (maybe this will help with the upperclassmen now), or watch "big time" football games on the TV. I would normally go to the games by myself during those times.

I do think that since Illinois has three FBS schools and the BIGTEN is shoved in our faces growing up that WIU's football program gets looked at like its "high school football". We all know its not, and that Western beat NIU three years ago, have had competitive games with UI and NW but the overall understanding of FCS football in the state of Illinois doesn't help. Also, back in the attendance hay-day in the late 60s and 70s WIU played in the top division of football and there was no split yet. (correct me if i am wrong)So, with the higher student attendance and not the incorrect assumption that WIU plays not important football probably helped.

I loved all the ideas of the TV, gift cards, and such. I would say that every two home games (football), five home games (MBB and WBB) they give out a giftcard from a store in Macomb. What I think would make it even much more intecising is at the end of the year, with students allowed to collect points all year they do a raffle for a car. Now, I have no idea where they could get a car or who would donate that but that would def get the poor college kids attention. Also, with the point system the only way they "swipe" in is AFTER the game is complete. College kids are tricky and only want to drink and I could see them all leaving right after the card was swiped to drink more at the frat house.

I also loved the idea of getting the sororities to go to the game and get our greek life involved in our athletics.

I think to help a lot of this is marketing, getting sponsors, and getting the younger kids (HS and JR) at the games.

Ideally, I would love to win the lottery, put my own money up, and donating a car to a college student that wins.

PS. I love that the games are on ESPN3 or ESPN+. I live on the East Coast and I work on Saturday's so it allows me to follow the games on my Iphone.

[ST_Lawson]

Also, back in the attendance hay-day in the late 60s and 70s WIU played in the top division of football and there was no split yet. (correct me if i am wrong)

Well...um...you said to correct you if you're wrong, so....
from 1914 to 1970 (or maybe '69, not 100% sure on that) we were in "Little 19"/IIAC conference which was considered a NCAA College Division (Small College) conference. Back then, they were split into the small colleges in one division, larger schools in another. Around 1973, the NCAA organized into DI, DII, DIII and Western joined DII (after, I think 1 year as NAIA). In 1978, Division I split into I-A (big schools) and I-AA (smaller schools) and in 1981 we moved up from DII to DI I-AA. Eventually they renamed I-A and I-AA to FBS and FCS, but that's the level we stayed at.

As near as I can tell, we never played at the "top level" of football, just "Small College", then DII, then (a few years after the I-A/I-AA split) we joined I-AA.

Also, with the point system the only way they "swipe" in is AFTER the game is complete. College kids are tricky and only want to drink and I could see them all leaving right after the card was swiped to drink more at the frat house.

You're right on that. Maybe 1 point for showing up in the stadium...and they get another point for swiping on their way out if the game has finished? That's kinda why I said that they could do game prizes that were smaller...announce them mid-4th quarter but the student has to be present to win (and display their ID...don't want someone's fraternity brother showing up and saying "uh...yeah...I'm Rob" when Rob is actually out at the Pace).

[WIU11DC]

Also, back in the attendance hay-day in the late 60s and 70s WIU played in the top division of football and there was no split yet. (correct me if i am wrong)

Well...um...you said to correct you if you're wrong, so....
from 1914 to 1970 (or maybe '69, not 100% sure on that) we were in "Little 19"/IIAC conference which was considered a NCAA College Division (Small College) conference. Back then, they were split into the small colleges in one division, larger schools in another. Around 1973, the NCAA organized into DI, DII, DIII and Western joined DII (after, I think 1 year as NAIA). In 1978, Division I split into I-A (big schools) and I-AA (smaller schools) and in 1981 we moved up from DII to DI I-AA. Eventually they renamed I-A and I-AA to FBS and FCS, but that's the level we stayed at.


As near as I can tell, we never played at the "top level" of football, just "Small College", then DII, then (a few years after the I-A/I-AA split) we joined I-AA.

Also, with the point system the only way they "swipe" in is AFTER the game is complete. College kids are tricky and only want to drink and I could see them all leaving right after the card was swiped to drink more at the frat house.

You're right on that. Maybe 1 point for showing up in the stadium...and they get another point for swiping on their way out if the game has finished? That's kinda why I said that they could do game prizes that were smaller...announce them mid-4th quarter but the student has to be present to win (and display their ID...don't want someone's fraternity brother showing up and saying "uh...yeah...I'm Rob" when Rob is actually out at the Pace).

Thanks for that information. I was not entirely sure about that.

[Western_101]

Im trying to sort out history.

There appears no doubt that WIU was IIAC and Little 19 from 1970 back to the beginning of recorded history. Was WIU ever NAIA in the 50s 60s?

This site would appear no.
https://sites.google.com/site/naiahisto ... oster-long

This site appears ambiguous
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_d ... onferences

While the Western Illinois Men's Basketball record book makes multiple references to both Western's affiliation to IIAC and NAIA.
https://goleathernecks.com/documents/20 ... d_book.pdf

I guess I'm not understanding how to connect the dots here. Was Western and IIAC NAIA for basketball and Small College NCAA for football simultaneously?

[wiu712]

Was WIU ever NAIA in the 50s 60s?

Was Western and IIAC NAIA for basketball and Small College NCAA for football simultaneously?

Western Football history:
NCAA College Division 1942-1972.
NCAA Division 2 1973-1980.
NCAA 1-AA / FCS 1981-present.

I think that the other sports were NAIA until 1973 when Western Athletics moved to NCAA Division 2.

[Western_101]

Was WIU ever NAIA in the 50s 60s?

Was Western and IIAC NAIA for basketball and Small College NCAA for football simultaneously?

Western Football history:
NCAA College Division 1942-1972.
NCAA Division 2 1973-1980.
NCAA 1-AA / FCS 1981-present.

I think that the other sports were NAIA until 1973 when Western Athletics moved to NCAA Division 2.

Thank you 712, I really appreciate the clarification. That explains the discrepancy between the sports. Of course now days that arrangement would be prohibited.

I had actually wondered about that for years but didn't want to bring it up for fear of sounding stupid. Since I've made so many ridiculous statements on this board, it's actually been rather liberating for me.

[Western_101]

Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong (which I probably am).

Football affiliation proceeded as follows; Little 19 until late 40s, Illinois Intercollegiate Athletics Conference 50s. Interstate Intercollegiate Athletics Conference 60s, Independent 70s, MidCon start of 80s, Gateway mid 80s to 2009 and now the Valley.

I guess all the way with NCAA, First we were College Division (vs. University for the big guys) then NCAA D-II then NCAA D-I-AA then, NCAA D-I FCS.

Yeah, I know I'm a slow learner, what else is new. Still confused how we list our conference affiliation in football in the 60s as IIAC and our basketball affiliation IIAC. SO IIAC was a NCAA/NAIA hybrid? How can one conference be governed by two different/competing intitutions at the same time?

My brain hurts.

[BobLovely]

Western Football history:
NCAA College Division 1942-1972.
NCAA Division 2 1973-1980.
NCAA 1-AA / FCS 1981-present.

I think that the other sports were NAIA until 1973 when Western Athletics moved to NCAA Division 2.

This is correct. Western participated in the first DII football playoffs in 1973, losing on the road to Louisiana Tech 18-13. It was a game we should have won as we threw (2) interceptions in the Tech endzone after long drives.

Bob

[wiu712]

The NAIA was established in 1937. The NAIA Football Playoffs started in 1956.

NAIA football programs can offer up to 24 scholarships per team. The coaches can divide the scholarships as partial scholarships in order to get more high-quality players on the team.

The IIAC (Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) existed from 1908-1970.

Western Men's Basketball played twice in the NAIA Championship game in Kansas City.
1954: Losing to St Benedict (Kansas) 62-56.
1958: Losing to Tennessee State 85-73.

Since 1992, the NAIA has sponsored a Men's Division II Basketball championship. The Division I tournament is played in Kansas City, Missouri. The Division II tournament is held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

[sealhall74]

They have an interesting promo for the game vs. Bison. If you come with a group of 30, you all get in for $2 per person. That is a bargain basement price if I have ever seen one. How do they know what people are with what group? Must be giving out a secret code or something.