How Bad eas Attendance? Here are the numbers

[BleedsGreen33]

Game 1 vs Little Miami - 22,463
Game 2 vs Kent St - 24,044
Game 3 vs ODU (HC) - 26,097
Game 4 vs FIU - 19,966
Game 5 vs WKU (Anniversary Game) - 19,516
Game 6 vs S. Miss - 18,361

Total Attendance - 130,477
Average - 21,741

You have to go back to 1995 to find a season that posted three regular season games under 20k. 1996 had four games under 20k, but three of those were playoff games and for whatever reason our playoff attendance was horrible. We only averaged 15,547 for playoff games. Fans assumed we were going to the championship so they waited until then to come when the attendance numbers jumped back up to normal.

2017 posted the 6th worst average attendance number since the Joan opened back in 1991

1) 1995 - 20,650
2) 1996 - 20,701
3) 1991 - 20,854
4) 1993 - 20,923
5) 1992 - 21,717
6) 2017 - 21,741

2017 is the worst attendance since we moved back to the FBS (1-A).

1) 2017 - 21,741
2) 2009 - 22,236
3) 2004 - 23,620
4) 2016 - 24,760
5) 2008 - 24,766

Really speaks volumes about the direction of this program right now. How canMike Hamrick ignore the attendance trend? He cannot come back with the same coaching staff and expect this downward trend to rebound. Even if we go undefeated next season the early part of the season will be abysmal. I would venture to guess that it would probably take the entire season and the bowl to get our average attendance back up to the average.

The historic average is 24,500. That means that our season average for this season was 2,759 below average. Once again that should have our athletic director and president for that matterpacing the floors. Instead they just call the fans out for being front runners with a poor sense of reality.

The season finale vs S.Miss was the third worst attended game since rejoining the FBS and the 9th worst since the stadium opened. If you remove playoff games it's the third worst behind 2001's game vs Youngstown St (16,041) and 2016's game vs WKU (17,397).

Is something jumping out at your right now? It should. Doc's last two season's have posted two of the worst averages and attended final games.

I am going to be curious to see the official averages for all college football teams to see where we rank.

At the very least Bill Legg has to go. I hate calling for anyone's job, but he is no longer performing. Statistically that cannot be debated. Not even by the most super of super fans. We are up against it here. We are already one of the smallest budgets and our schedule sucks. Let's face it. No one is getting excited for these games. I mean that has always been an issue before. It's just gotten a lot worse.

The reason why were able to maintain our average before is we were exciting to watch. We really didn't play a lot of exciting teams at home when Cato was here. We just put up numbers and had an exciting offense from 2012-2014. Sure the defense in 2012 was horrendous, but we all knew if we even just shaved 10 points off our opponents per game average we could win out. Now we go through games and barely have shots at the end zone.

Something needs to change. It won't be the fans tolerance for average that's for sure. If it's true that Bill Legg's contract is up next month just don't renew it. Move on. It's one thing if he was still under contract and came back. It's an entirely different animal if the administration feels he earned a new one.

The ball is in Mike Hamrick's court.

 

[Dreh_Nagi_HC_IM]

I understand everyone passing blame on Legg, or at least, the most blame. With that said, does Legg have complete control over what the Herd does on offense? Meaning, are we positive that Doc doesn't have his hands tied?

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

Game 1 vs Little Miami - 22,463
Game 2 vs Kent St - 24,044
Game 3 vs ODU (HC) - 26,097
Game 4 vs FIU - 19,966
Game 5 vs WKU (Anniversary Game) - 19,516
Game 6 vs S. Miss - 18,361

Total Attendance - 130,477
Average - 21,741

You have to go back to 1995 to find a season that posted three regular season games under 20k. 1996 had four games under 20k, but three of those were playoff games and for whatever reason our playoff attendance was horrible. We only averaged 15,547 for playoff games. Fans assumed we were going to the championship so they waited until then to come when the attendance numbers jumped back up to normal.

2017 posted the 6th worst average attendance number since the Joan opened back in 1991

1) 1995 - 20,650
2) 1996 - 20,701
3) 1991 - 20,854
4) 1993 - 20,923
5) 1992 - 21,717
6) 2017 - 21,741

2017 is the worst attendance since we moved back to the FBS (1-A).

1) 2017 - 21,741
2) 2009 - 22,236
3) 2004 - 23,620
4) 2016 - 24,760
5) 2008 - 24,766

Really speaks volumes about the direction of this program right now. How canMike Hamrick ignore the attendance trend? He cannot come back with the same coaching staff and expect this downward trend to rebound. Even if we go undefeated next season the early part of the season will be abysmal. I would venture to guess that it would probably take the entire season and the bowl to get our average attendance back up to the average.



The historic average is 24,500. That means that our season average for this season was 2,759 below average. Once again that should have our athletic director and president for that matterpacing the floors. Instead they just call the fans out for being front runners with a poor sense of reality.

The season finale vs S.Miss was the third worst attended game since rejoining the FBS and the 9th worst since the stadium opened. If you remove playoff games it's the third worst behind 2001's game vs Youngstown St (16,041) and 2016's game vs WKU (17,397).

Is something jumping out at your right now? It should. Doc's last two season's have posted two of the worst averages and attended final games.

I am going to be curious to see the official averages for all college football teams to see where we rank.

At the very least Bill Legg has to go. I hate calling for anyone's job, but he is no longer performing. Statistically that cannot be debated. Not even by the most super of super fans. We are up against it here. We are already one of the smallest budgets and our schedule sucks. Let's face it. No one is getting excited for these games. I mean that has always been an issue before. It's just gotten a lot worse.

The reason why were able to maintain our average before is we were exciting to watch. We really didn't play a lot of exciting teams at home when Cato was here. We just put up numbers and had an exciting offense from 2012-2014. Sure the defense in 2012 was horrendous, but we all knew if we even just shaved 10 points off our opponents per game average we could win out. Now we go through games and barely have shots at the end zone.

Something needs to change. It won't be the fans tolerance for average that's for sure. If it's true that Bill Legg's contract is up next month just don't renew it. Move on. It's one thing if he was still under contract and came back. It's an entirely different animal if the administration feels he earned a new one.

The ball is in Mike Hamrick's court.

Just spoke to a good friend that is a large donor for HERD football. He said the West lot had perhaps 250 empty spots....the worst support he has ever seen and he has not missed a Marshall football game (anywhere) since 1982. Additionally, he said the announced attendance was reported around 15,000....He said at best there was around 7,000-8,000 butts in the seats. Lots of season ticket holders stayed home....or went shopping?????

Closing...he said a big announcement coming out of Huntington...SOON?

Zilla22 in Charlotte

 

[caliherd]

I will say as someone who attended the games I definitely think Bleeds numbers even though they were small were still inflated. I think it was tickets sold not butts in seats.

I know the last 3 home games especially were awful. If there were over 18k at the WKU and Southern Miss games I will be totally amazed. I honestly haven’t seen it that empty since Snyder’s last home game.

 

[talonofdeath]

Longtime USM supporter and former player here.
Our announced home attendance this year in Hburg was an average of 21,680. Worst I have seen in decades. Even the opening home game against an SEC opponent (Ky) was only 22761 (36,000 + seats).
I'm convinced that CUSA sucks the life out of any member that stays more than a few years. Big time drop from Fedora's last season with an average of over 30k. This conference is the black hole of misfit toys.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I think it was tickets sold not butts in seats.

Usually always is. I thought maybe they take the amount sold vs the amount they scanned and take an average. Either way it is terrible.

 

[GreenDuke]

I will say as someone who attended the games I definitely think Bleeds numbers even though they were small were still inflated. I think it was tickets sold not butts in seats.

I know the last 3 home games especially were awful. If there were over 18k at the WKU and Southern Miss games I will be totally amazed. I honestly haven’t seen it that empty since Snyder’s last home game.

It’s always tickets sold and / or distributed. Every college and professional team works from the same template. It’s called paid attendance for a reason.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

This conference is the black hole of misfit toys.

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

I understand everyone passing blame on Legg, or at least, the most blame. With that said, does Legg have complete control over what the Herd does on offense? Meaning, are we positive that Doc doesn't have his hands tied?

I am wondering the same thing? Has Doc instructed Legg to limit the play book? A Book titled........The Missing Offense hits No. 1 in Huntington.

Zilla22

 

[Josh Stowers]

Just spoke to a good friend that is a large donor for HERD football. He said the West lot had perhaps 250 empty spots....the worst support he has ever seen and he has not missed a Marshall football game (anywhere) since 1982. Additionally, he said the announced attendance was reported around 15,000....He said at best there was around 7,000-8,000 butts in the seats. Lots of season ticket holders stayed home....or went shopping?????

Closing...he said a big announcement coming out of Huntington...SOON?

Zilla22 in Charlotte

I don’t want to tell you he was wrong, but.....

There are 614 spots in the West Lot and it was easily 80% full.

And the announced crowd was 18,000-some, not 15,000.

 

[appollo]

There's no doubt this year's finish was a big disappointment. But one thing that should be pointed out is that the team played the whole game every game. They never threw in the towel like they did last year. That to me is the most positive aspect and difference between last years team and this one. Whether that was due to coaching or players stepping up as leaders, I don't know. However, last year we would have been blown out of the games we fell behind in early. That didn't happen. They never gave up and we should support them for that effort whether we think a coaching change is necessary or not.

 

[bbneutralfan]

Josh I’m a life member of the M Club and - as you know (or you should know) we have the small pavilion at the south (towards 5th Avenue) end of the West lot and IT WAS NOT even near to 80% full as you stated. Many people were using all the vacant parking spaces for tables, chairs, grills, tents, etc., that they normally have to set up behind there parking space. In the future how about walking around and counting how many of the 614 west lot spaces are “occupied” and not vacant before posting an excessive estimate based solely on what you perceived as being “80” percent full! Bull

 

[HerdBuckeye]

Guys the blame is on doc not on legg. Doc is responsible for his assistants and has not done anything season after season.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

I don’t want to tell you he was wrong, but.....

There are 614 spots in the West Lot and it was easily 80% full.

And the announced crowd was 18,000-some, not 15,000.

Josh...he sent me a picture of the lot......Plus, you could see there was not a lot of fans for the Thunderwalk.......from pictures on the HERD Facebook video.....

Perhaps...some folks got into the West lot that were not suppose to have access.... around kickoff. And...I have spoken to a lot of loyal attending fans that said..THE WORST CROWD IN A LONG WHILE....since Coach Snyder's last game!

Zilla22

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

Josh I’m a life member of the M Club and - as you know (or you should know) we have the small pavilion at the south (towards 5th Avenue) end of the West lot and IT WAS NOT even near to 80% full as you stated. Many people were using all the vacant parking spaces for tables, chairs, grills, tents, etc., that they normally have to set up behind there parking space. In the future how about walking around and counting how many of the 614 west lot spaces are “occupied” and not vacant before posting an excessive estimate based solely on what you perceived as being “80” percent full! Bull

AT JOSH STOWERS.......You have been MOSSED........You got called out by a M-Club member. You are a HOMER.....

Gary Sweeney (HerdZilla22) in Charlotte

 

[ohio herd]

I don’t want to tell you he was wrong, but.....

There are 614 spots in the West Lot and it was easily 80% full.

And the announced crowd was 18,000-some, not 15,000.

true I was there and in the west lot. I walked through it looking for a buddy and I would agree with the 80% maybe a lil less maybe 70%. and in the stands. Was it 18,000? Hard to say but it could be argued we were at 50% capacity. Still it was sad to see such a small turnout.

 

[caliherd]

true I was there and in the west lot. I walked through it looking for a buddy and I would agree with the 80% maybe a lil less maybe 70%. and in the stands. Was it 18,000? Hard to say but it could be argued we were at 50% capacity. Still it was sad to see such a small turnout.

I’m sorry there was no way there were 18 thousand people there. It was pitiful attendance.

 

[Josh Stowers]

Josh I’m a life member of the M Club and - as you know (or you should know) we have the small pavilion at the south (towards 5th Avenue) end of the West lot and IT WAS NOT even near to 80% full as you stated. Many people were using all the vacant parking spaces for tables, chairs, grills, tents, etc., that they normally have to set up behind there parking space. In the future how about walking around and counting how many of the 614 west lot spaces are “occupied” and not vacant before posting an excessive estimate based solely on what you perceived as being “80” percent full! Bull

I was in the West Lot for a while before the game and didn’t notice much difference than normal in terms of the number of people. Car-wise you may be right, but the number of people wasn’t much different IMO (than recent years).

And the Thunder Walk attendance is always lack luster IMO.

 

[Josh Stowers]

I’m sorry there was no way there were 18 thousand people there. It was pitiful attendance.

I’ll agree that there wasn’t 18,000 butts in the seats, but that was still the announced crowd, not the 15,000 that was stated.

 

[caliherd]

I’ll agree that there wasn’t 18,000 butts in the seats, but that was still the announced crowd, not the 15,000 that was stated.

You are correct!!

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

true I was there and in the west lot. I walked through it looking for a buddy and I would agree with the 80% maybe a lil less maybe 70%. and in the stands. Was it 18,000? Hard to say but it could be argued we were at 50% capacity. Still it was sad to see such a small turnout.

Ohio HERD...You have been MOSSED Too. I have reason to believe the large donor's count over you & Josh...plus a M-Club member reported that chairs, tables,coolers, etc were occupying the car spaces....I was told the same story from several tailgaters in the West Lot....that if a shotgun was fired...very few would have been hit by pellets! And to infer that the stadium was at 50% capacity would mean over 19,000 butts in the seats.

I sat in the RAIN for the FIU game and the visitors side was so sparse...you could hear the 39 fans from FIU the whole game. At best.....about 14,764 BUTTS in the seats for kickoff and at the end... maybe 1,500 of us remained. I can count and the photos from Saturday's telecast showed [maybe] perhaps around 8,000 spectators.

YOU HAVE BEEN...MOSSED

HerdZilla22

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

You are correct!!

I’ll agree that there wasn’t 18,000 butts in the seats, but that was still the announced crowd, not the 15,000 that was stated.

I’ll agree that there wasn’t 18,000 butts in the seats, but that was still the announced crowd, not the 15,000 that was stated.

Josh...perhaps 18,000 SOLD from season ticket holders and tickets purchased from single game sales were announced......I am saying about 8,000 butts in the stands. Sad, that Marshall football support is at this level.....

Zilla22

 

[Josh Stowers]

Josh...perhaps 18,000 SOLD from season ticket holders and tickets purchased from single game sales were announced......I am saying about 8,000 butts in the stands. Sad, that Marshall football support is at this level.....

Zilla22

That’s not what you said originally though. You said, “it was reported around 15,000,” which was wrong. I never stated there were 18,000 people in the stadium, just that his numbers were flawed.

 

[Dreh_Nagi_HC_IM]

YOU HAVE BEEN...MOSSED

My fellow Fayette County native, just some friendly advice from one of the all time great posters in net history: Never use the same punchline over & over again. You've used it at least three times within the same two hour time frame. I would consider only using the same line, say, once every 3-4 months.

 

[Josh Stowers]

My fellow Fayette County native, just some friendly advice from one of the all time great posters in net history: Never use the same punchline over & over again. You've used it at least three times within the same two hour time frame. I would consider only using the same line, say, once every 3-4 months.

But it was in bold!

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

But it was in bold!

IN BOLD TO GET YOUR ATTENTION........You have been ZILLAED.........

 

[All4TheHerd]

There's no doubt this year's finish was a big disappointment. But one thing that should be pointed out is that the team played the whole game every game. They never threw in the towel like they did last year. That to me is the most positive aspect and difference between last years team and this one. Whether that was due to coaching or players stepping up as leaders, I don't know. However, last year we would have been blown out of the games we fell behind in early. That didn't happen. They never gave up and we should support them for that effort whether we think a coaching change is necessary or not.

I agree 100%.
This team, if anything, was never really out of any games they lost. Thats something you could not say about last year.
What was everyone's preseason expectation for a 3-9 team anyway? Nobody expected this.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

I agree 100%.
This team, if anything, was never really out of any games they lost. Thats something you could not say about last year.
What was everyone's preseason expectation for a 3-9 team anyway? Nobody expected this.

I recall reading some expectations came in at 10-2...9-3...11-1...and hosting the CUSA Title game in Huntington. CONCERNING.... the bad finish kicked those predictions!

Zilla22

 

[herdalicious]

I know what our problem is, and bad news: it's not the conference, Bill Legg or the product on the field, its death.

It's that awful, awful reaper, always mowing, taking from us our grandparents, our parents, our elders, who grew up in a world where the only way to watch a sporting event live was to go to the game. In their place we are getting the present generation, which was born into a world that already had the internet and five ESPNs. Live events just aren't the same draw for them as they were for prior generations.

I sit in Section 113, where I've been since 2004. In the beginning, there were the same people sitting around us, every game, for years. In the late 2000's, we saw them drifting in, into 111, as vacancies opened there, and the seats around us became constantly bare. No one ever came to replace those people, except for these two younger guys who showed up around 2013, and sat behind us for maybe three seasons before moving themselves to 111. The interior sections are thinning, people are migrating inward, but no one is coming to replace them.

In the late 2000's we started noticing the student section never got more than half full...then it was a third....now its about a quarter. What you see in today's attendance figures is a decline that's been years in the making, and will continue as our fanbase ages further.

The good news is we derive only about a 7th of our operating revenues from ticket sales, so technically this thing can keep going until we look like those MAC schools we used to always mock, but we'll still have a team.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

I know what our problem is, and bad news: it's not the conference, Bill Legg or the product on the field, its death.

It's that awful, awful reaper, always mowing, taking from us our grandparents, our parents, our elders, who grew up in a world where the only way to watch a sporting event live was to go to the game. In their place we are getting the present generation, which was born into a world that already had the internet and five ESPNs. Live events just aren't the same draw for them as they were for prior generations.

I sit in Section 113, where I've been since 2004. In the beginning, there were the same people sitting around us, every game, for years. In the late 2000's, we saw them drifting in, into 111, as vacancies opened there, and the seats around us became constantly bare. No one ever came to replace those people, except for these two younger guys who showed up around 2013, and sat behind us for maybe three seasons before moving themselves to 111. The interior sections are thinning, people are migrating inward, but no one is coming to replace them.

In the late 2000's we started noticing the student section never got more than half full...then it was a third....now its about a quarter. What you see in today's attendance figures is a decline that's been years in the making, and will continue as our fanbase ages further.

The good news is we derive only about a 7th of our operating revenues from ticket sales, so technically this thing can keep going until we look like those MAC schools we used to always mock, but we'll still have a team.

You are 100 % CORRECT, herdalicious.

I have said this for years...our fan base is aging out or at worst...dying. I failed to add the internet (damn you, Al Gore) to today's in stadium watching problem. It is very easy to sit at home and watch the games (except for Marshall & CUSA member schools) on large flat screen TVs....walk about 10 feet to go to the bathroom...walk to the kitchen for refreshments or grab a drink. The empty seats are not being purchased. It is a growing problem at smaller schools like Marshall....unlike the Michigans, Ohio States, Bamas, Clemsons, Texas schools....etc.

Students are greatly different from my era. The Herd basketball team played in the Old Field House...which had limited seating. Students had to rotate game tickets based on the first letter of your last name. I was the smart one...I would ask a female to pick up a ticket and give to me. Therefore, I made all the games. Football was played at old Fairfield Stadium...sometimes we walked many blocks to get there, if we could not hitch a ride. It was the thing to do. Guys wore coats and ties to games...and we always dressed up for Homecoming and took a date. During my junior year (1967) we started "dressing down"... wearing jeans or kacki slacks with a HERD sweatshirt or a logo MU shirt. Greek life was large.... accounting for about 500-700 students at all games. We became HERD fans during college and the PRIDE carried over to adulthood.

Coaches and administrators are at the ages (or a few years younger) when we attended college and it's difficult for some to understand the change. Their jobs are to fill the stands ...yet, some have little training to encourage "new blood" to fill the seats. Economically, Huntington has a lot of challenges going against her. The entertainment dollar only goes so far!

I started noting changes in the late 2000s too. Students not coming to the games, and lesser adults filling the seats. Students don't support basketball either.

CHANGE is something none of us like...unless we receive a benefit. Coaches get fired all the time now and social media does not help them either. Nameless folks scream "Fire the Coach" like last Saturday..... and Heads start listening. Money is a great motivator......when you get hit in your pocketbook...your attention addresses it.

Season ticket sales were not published this year..and I bet because they were off. Same Donors will continue to be loyal (not sure the % of us that give to the Big Green Foundation) and we answer the call to become 110% ers......

I have a suggestion. Why don't we start a "I give 75 to the HERD" at Marshall.....a play on the No 75 that we honor each Nov. 14. $75 Club is affordable to all. It could be broken down to 3-4 monthly installments....if need be? Give each new investor a Green or White shirt with a 75 Club logo on it.

Call or Email NEW prospects that don't give a penny.....if 25%---35% buy into the program.......You now have a New Membership that can afford to give Back to Marshall...adding NEW $$$$$ to the Big Green.

I hope John S or Teddy K is reading this.

Zilla22 in Charlotte

 

[Refiner's Fire]

I’ve been a season ticket holder since Sonny (when I got out of the Air Force) roamed our sidelines and have seen the best of times and the worst of times. This was my last season that I will be a season ticket holder. Some may say that they won’t miss my 5 tickets, but I’d say that I’m not alone. For the first time ever, I feel like the apathy isn’t with the borderline fans, but it is extending to former hardline fans and to the powers that be in the athletic department.

 

[GreenDuke]

You are 100 % CORRECT, herdalicious.

I have said this for years...our fan base is aging out or at worst...dying. I failed to add the internet (damn you, Al Gore) to today's in stadium watching problem. It is very easy to sit at home and watch the games (except for Marshall & CUSA member schools) on large flat screen TVs....walk about 10 feet to go to the bathroom...walk to the kitchen for refreshments or grab a drink. The empty seats are not being purchased. It is a growing problem at smaller schools like Marshall....unlike the Michigans, Ohio States, Bamas, Clemsons, Texas schools....etc.

Students are greatly different from my era. The Herd basketball team played in the Old Field House...which had limited seating. Students had to rotate game tickets based on the first letter of your last name. I was the smart one...I would ask a female to pick up a ticket and give to me. Therefore, I made all the games. Football was played at old Fairfield Stadium...sometimes we walked many blocks to get there, if we could not hitch a ride. It was the thing to do. Guys wore coats and ties to games...and we always dressed up for Homecoming and took a date. During my junior year (1967) we started "dressing down"... wearing jeans or kacki slacks with a HERD sweatshirt or a logo MU shirt. Greek life was large.... accounting for about 500-700 students at all games. We became HERD fans during college and the PRIDE carried over to adulthood.

Coaches and administrators are at the ages (or a few years younger) when we attended college and it's difficult for some to understand the change. Their jobs are to fill the stands ...yet, some have little training to encourage "new blood" to fill the seats. Economically, Huntington has a lot of challenges going against her. The entertainment dollar only goes so far!

I started noting changes in the late 2000s too. Students not coming to the games, and lesser adults filling the seats. Students don't support basketball either.

CHANGE is something none of us like...unless we receive a benefit. Coaches get fired all the time now and social media does not help them either. Nameless folks scream "Fire the Coach" like last Saturday..... and Heads start listening. Money is a great motivator......when you get hit in your pocketbook...your attention addresses it.

Season ticket sales were not published this year..and I bet because they were off. Same Donors will continue to be loyal (not sure the % of us that give to the Big Green Foundation) and we answer the call to become 110% ers......

I have a suggestion. Why don't we start a "I give 75 to the HERD" at Marshall.....a play on the No 75 that we honor each Nov. 14. $75 Club is affordable to all. It could be broken down to 3-4 monthly installments....if need be? Give each new investor a Green or White shirt with a 75 Club logo on it.

Call or Email NEW prospects that don't give a penny.....if 25%---35% buy into the program.......You now have a New Membership that can afford to give Back to Marshall...adding NEW $$$$$ to the Big Green.

I hope John S or Teddy K is reading this.

Zilla22 in Charlotte

I appreciate your searching for answers but the $75 idea is, in my opinion, cheesy at best and exploitative at worst. And, again in my opinion, the 75 has been exploited enough.

 

[ohio herd]

Ohio HERD...You have been MOSSED Too. I have reason to believe the large donor's count over you & Josh...plus a M-Club member reported that chairs, tables,coolers, etc were occupying the car spaces....I was told the same story from several tailgaters in the West Lot....that if a shotgun was fired...very few would have been hit by pellets! And to infer that the stadium was at 50% capacity would mean over 19,000 butts in the seats.

I sat in the RAIN for the FIU game and the visitors side was so sparse...you could hear the 39 fans from FIU the whole game. At best.....about 14,764 BUTTS in the seats for kickoff and at the end... maybe 1,500 of us remained. I can count and the photos from Saturday's telecast showed [maybe] perhaps around 8,000 spectators.

YOU HAVE BEEN...MOSSED

HerdZilla22

Thats a crock Zilla. I was there and I wasn't drunk maybe your friend was. If you shot pellets in the west lot you would have hit plenty of people.I agree it was down but it wasn't even close to being empty. As far as the 8,000 number thats bull. Granted, 18,000 may be a stretch( I said earlier that I thought 14-16 was about right) I was just making a generalized statement about the 50%. I was there and there was more than 8.000 people. The point is this, the attendance was down and on that point all of us can agree.

 

[All4TheHerd]

I know what our problem is, and bad news: it's not the conference, Bill Legg or the product on the field, its death.

It's that awful, awful reaper, always mowing, taking from us our grandparents, our parents, our elders, who grew up in a world where the only way to watch a sporting event live was to go to the game. In their place we are getting the present generation, which was born into a world that already had the internet and five ESPNs. Live events just aren't the same draw for them as they were for prior generations.

I sit in Section 113, where I've been since 2004. In the beginning, there were the same people sitting around us, every game, for years. In the late 2000's, we saw them drifting in, into 111, as vacancies opened there, and the seats around us became constantly bare. No one ever came to replace those people, except for these two younger guys who showed up around 2013, and sat behind us for maybe three seasons before moving themselves to 111. The interior sections are thinning, people are migrating inward, but no one is coming to replace them.

In the late 2000's we started noticing the student section never got more than half full...then it was a third....now its about a quarter. What you see in today's attendance figures is a decline that's been years in the making, and will continue as our fanbase ages further.

The good news is we derive only about a 7th of our operating revenues from ticket sales, so technically this thing can keep going until we look like those MAC schools we used to always mock, but we'll still have a team.

The economy needs to keep the young graduates here and pay them enough to give back to MU.
The gap between the core fanbase and the casual new student is getting much larger. Death is obviously hurting but also no reason for the new bloods to stay.
Hopefully WV's economy picks back up and people can stay. I know many who left WV, despised leaving but had no opportunity beyond the lagging coal industry.

Its a problem affecting other programs as well, the major ones, still have fans who will give $100 for a ticket to a big game, but even that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, even for them.

 

[extragreen]

Provide an exciting play-to-win coach and team, and see what happens.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

Thats a crock Zilla. I was there and I wasn't drunk maybe your friend was. If you shot pellets in the west lot you would have hit plenty of people.I agree it was down but it wasn't even close to being empty. As far as the 8,000 number thats bull. Granted, 18,000 may be a stretch( I said earlier that I thought 14-16 was about right) I was just making a generalized statement about the 50%. I was there and there was more than 8.000 people. The point is this, the attendance was down and on that point all of us can agree.

OK...I will report to my Columbus Ohio buddy he needs a seeing eye dog....Merry Christmas ohio herd.......Now Josh will want me to make amends with him too...LOL

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

Ohio Herd...I just talked to my friend from Columbus. He said..."Sweeney, I was so bored with HERD football that I counted the people." "I've done a lot of fan counting this season because of the 10 plays called by our OC and the boring football that Marshall now plays...under Doc!" "I tell them...RECRUIT some LINEMEN...."but they won't listen to Mr. D." "I should pull their franchise!"

Here's his breakdown.

East Side===2, 703...of which he broke down to 37 folks from So. Miss...4 people in the student section and about (?) in the band of which no one can hear them anyway. Pockets of fans made up the rest. His West side count was 5,000---6,000 at best. Grand total (give or take a few)......less than 9,000 fans.

He said tell you "to stick that in your pipe & smoke it....because you must be blind anyway!"

I laughed so hard...I peed in my pants & hung up.

Football is so bad in Huntington...that people are counting fans.....1...2...3...4...100....235....and the count goes on....LOL.

Zilla22 in Charlotte

 

[JudgeDD]

Ohio Herd...I just talked to my friend from Columbus. He said..."Sweeney, I was so bored with HERD football that I counted the people." "I've done a lot of fan counting this season because of the 10 plays called by our OC and the boring football that Marshall now plays...under Doc!" "I tell them...RECRUIT some LINEMEN...."but they won't listen to Mr. D." "I should pull their franchise!"

Here's his breakdown.

East Side===2, 703...of which he broke down to 37 folks from So. Miss...4 people in the student section and about (?) in the band of which no one can hear them anyway. Pockets of fans made up the rest. His West side count was 5,000---6,000 at best. Grand total (give or take a few)......less than 9,000 fans.

He said tell you "to stick that in your pipe & smoke it....because you must be blind anyway!"

I laughed so hard...I peed in my pants & hung up.

Football is so bad in Huntington...that people are counting fans.....1...2...3...4...100....235....and the count goes on....LOL.

Zilla22 in Charlotte

Okay, I didn't count the fans (because there was a game going on, and because I'm not stupid). Still, your friend is wrong. Maybe by the 4th quarter - which seems to happen in every Marshall game and drives me mad - that 9,000 number is reasonable. The 18k number is tickets sold, and I'm not claiming that in attendance. But in the 1st Quarter, anywhere from 13k-15k I would believe.

I hope that laughing made you pee your pants because you have prostate issues, and not because you are a teenage girl.

 

[Herd Insider]

The fan base IS aging out. If we surveyed our season ticket holders we would find that our average fan's age is 45 while in the rest of the country it is 35. Huge difference. Sadly, we must cater to the millennials. (See my other posts for details). Don't ask us over 45 what we would like to change, ask the 25-35 year olds what they would like to change. Social media interaction for one. Like many progressive colleges, we need to post twitter messages in real time on the scoreboard. "Text" a number for a prize. Sadly, we have to bring the game experience to the millennials, not the millennials to the game.

 

[CarolinaHerdzilla]

Okay, I didn't count the fans (because there was a game going on, and because I'm not stupid). Still, your friend is wrong. Maybe by the 4th quarter - which seems to happen in every Marshall game and drives me mad - that 9,000 number is reasonable. The 18k number is tickets sold, and I'm not claiming that in attendance. But in the 1st Quarter, anywhere from 13k-15k I would believe.

I hope that laughing made you pee your pants because you have prostate issues, and not because you are a teenage girl.

First JudgeDD....I do have prostrate problems. I was not there to see the crowd size...but, like you...our fans not returning after halftime drives me mad too. Sadly, Marshall has never drawn well during Thanksgiving weekend. Lot of hunters in WV....families entertaining their children who return for the holiday....folks shopping (ugh)....some people unhappy with the coaches. My Ohio buddy can be opinionated....because he LOVES Herd football and takes it hard when things don't go well---in his eyes! He has not missed a game since 1983 (home & away)...and spends a lot of money on HERD football.

I will never believe OUR HERD FANS don't support the young men that fight for Marshall....but there is unrest directed at some of our coaches and AD. I hate the fact that some chose to yell for a Coach to be fired......I thought Marshall fans are better than that!

No one likes CHANGE. It admits we may have made a mistake in the beginning, it can be costly, the unknown of starting new is never guaranteed....but last year had a major effect on The HERD and it spilled over to 2017. When Marshall played very well with the win at Cincy...and played a veteran NC STATE close in the first half---I submit most HERD fans felt this could be a banner year. The record grew to 6-1 and visions of playing in Huntington for the CUSA Championship was what we were hoping for. I am sure the players felt this way too! Then the TEAM starting playing opponents with winning records and...even though the losses were by small margins-----a loss is a loss!

HERD football is a passion in Huntington and to many longtime fans. We are spoiled! Going forward...let's hope for a Bowl victory with our fans purchasing tickets to support the players.

Wishing you & your family a very Merry Christmas...and a great Year for HERD football in 2018.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte