IUP Football 2019

[Brandon]

Re: IUP Football 2019

I'd love to see the PSAC play more on Thursday night. Most of our towns are suitcase schools and empty on weekends.

They then also aren't competing against Pitt, WVU, PSU, etc.

Noon kicks at IUP are geared specifically to one demographic ...and it sure isn't the students (still drunk and hungover) or families (soccer, etc.).

I think a variety of times and days is best and most interesting. Let's look at this from a conference perspective.

First two weeks of the season:

1/3 of the games on Thursday night. 1/3 of the games on Saturday afternoon. 1/3 of the games on Saturday night.

Middle of the season:

1 marquee game game on Thursday night. 1/2 remaining on Saturday afternoon. 1/2 remaining on Saturday night.

Last week of the season:

1 game on Thursday night. Remaining games on Saturday afternoon.

I think something like that is best.

[IUP24]

IUP Football 2019

The Post-Gazette did a 5-year study on Pitt games. With each time slot (noon, 3pm, 7pm) attendance spiked dramatically ... with noon being by far the worst.

I'd like at least one night game. They just spent a fortune on new lights. I guess they got them for intramurals.

SRU games have become a culture. The students actively tailgate, etc. At Miller, if you appear under age 50, you get harrassed. The IUP gameday is just not geared for students to enjoy. It's geared toward the 55-year-old and up.

[iupgroundhog]

Re: IUP Football 2019

So you really think IUP football games will draw more people if they are at night or on Thursday?

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: IUP Football 2019

College football should be played on Saturday afternoon (most of the time).

Why? Because you say so?

To me some of the more memorable IUP regular season home games of the past decade or so all happened under the lights.

2006- Cold night against the Rock. A frantic Kevin Weidl drive in the final minute came up just short for IUP. I believe that it was some sort of milestone win for Dr. Evil IIRC. Great atmosphere.

2011- IUP was up for the game against vaunted Bloom at the beginning of the Curt Cignetti administration. IUP hung tough but some kicking game woes helped do them in. But the great news was that IUP football was back.

2015- Frigid Saturday night game against Cal. Exciting game with Lenny and Temple running the rock all over the place. Makle's INT late helped seal it when it looked as if Cal was going to win it. This is what PSAC football should be.

2017- A real barnburner at Miller as Sarka drilled a 46-yarder at the end of an epic clash with a very good Ashland team. Great way to usher in the Tort era.

Let's face it----the night games are just so much better. More folks come out and there is so much more excitement generated for games under the lights. There is no comparison. How many completely dead afternoon games do you need to see before you realize that IUP and the PSAC should be playing much more of these games under the lights. Thursday night. Friday night. Saturday night.

One of these days someone at IUP will run the place who doesn't have their head up their hindquarters and things will actually be done the right way. And it could be really great all the way around if this was to happen!

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[iupgroundhog]

Re: IUP Football 2019

Why? Because you say so?

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Yes. It's my own personal opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.

The question remains, though, whether different times affect IUP home football attendance. Show me some proof and you will win me over.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: IUP Football 2019

Yes. It's my own personal opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.

The question remains, though, whether different times affect IUP home football attendance. Show me some proof and you will win me over.

Funny, every time that I offer my own personal opinion I get crap from you on a lack of respect or manners or integrity, huh?

I spoke out on a number of things that were very relevant to the betterment of IUP and not to mention human decency. I do not have to be civil to others who were anything but civil with how they conducted themselves.

If you can't see the huge difference in the night game atmospheres then I don't know what to tell you. I don't know what the attendance was---but they sure beat the morgue-like atmosphere of many noon kickoffs.

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[ShoNuff]

Re: IUP Football 2019

I think we, as a whole, are being pessimistic. This is a baller coming in here. Expectations are high. Don't pretend they aren't.

8-3 may fly some places. This isn't one of them.


He's here to win. Big. Immediately.

Tort gets handed a lot of coin. We don't rebuild. This isn't the bush leagues of D2. Last year was a free pass. Last year is over.

I am not doubting the talents of this graduate transfer QB nor his reasons of coming to IUP. However, he still needs to be on the same page with his new receiving corps, and I don't believe just fall practice reps will do the trick. Yes, I believe IUP's offense will be working out some kinks while handling New Haven. But I do believe come Mercyhurst the offense will be clicking rather well.

[Brandon]

Re: IUP Football 2019

Let's face it----the night games are just so much better. More folks come out and there is so much more excitement generated for games under the lights. T-

If that is so, could one explanation be that they don't happen as often, making the experience unique?

[iupgroundhog]

Re: IUP Football 2019

Here is last year's home schedule for IUP. Correct, there is no conclusive evidence to show different times draw differently. Different opponents, different dates, there are a number of factors.

But if you look at the schedule below for Indiana, PA a big factor appears to be weather. The last 3 home games of the year had abysmal weather. Do you want to play those games between 7-10pm when it's even colder, both for players and fans?

Date Opponent Kickoff Attendance Temp Weather Conditions

6-Sep Millersville 6:30 pm 3541 76 Humid
22-Sep Mercyhurst 4 pm 3406 60 Cloudy and cold
6-Oct Slippery Rock 2pm 3700 78 Sunny and hot
13-Oct Clarion 12 pm 1715 44 Cloudy and cold
27-Oct Seton Hill 12 pm 1446 43 Constant light rain
10-Nov Shippensburg 12 pm 1351 29 Some snow

[IUPNation]

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: IUP Football 2019

Here is last year's home schedule for IUP. Correct, there is no conclusive evidence to show different times draw differently. Different opponents, different dates, there are a number of factors.

But if you look at the schedule below for Indiana, PA a big factor appears to be weather. The last 3 home games of the year had abysmal weather. Do you want to play those games between 7-10pm when it's even colder, both for players and fans?

Date Opponent Kickoff Attendance Temp Weather Conditions

6-Sep Millersville 6:30 pm 3541 76 Humid
22-Sep Mercyhurst 4 pm 3406 60 Cloudy and cold
6-Oct Slippery Rock 2pm 3700 78 Sunny and hot
13-Oct Clarion 12 pm 1715 44 Cloudy and cold
27-Oct Seton Hill 12 pm 1446 43 Constant light rain
10-Nov Shippensburg 12 pm 1351 29 Some snow

Small sample size but the three noon games were the worst of the year. I'd guess if you went back 10 years the pattern would be real similar.

Funny thing about that rock game is about 85% of the IUP 'fans' didn't come back in after the weather delay. It was a heck of a party out there in the lots. They all missed quite a comeback. It was pretty embarrassing, actually.

[hawks16]

Re: IUP Football 2019

So you really think IUP football games will draw more people if they are at night or on Thursday?

I think what would really boost attendance is if IUP opened the gravel lots on Wayne Avenue to tailgating (with alcohol).

Miller Stadium's capacity according to the 2017 media guide is 6,000. Most of those fans, in my opinion, are non-students which would make me believe that's why there are so many noon kickoffs. There are, however, somewhere in the ballpark of 12,000 students attending IUP. That shows where the emphasis is in regard to attendance.

Now consider this. At men's and women's basketball games at the (much newer and nicer) KCAC, it's a much livelier atmosphere in my opinion, which is saying something since the atmosphere at hoops games is sad. At basketball games, there's a big screen, current music being piped in to the arena, giveaways, t-shirt tosses...you name it. And an alumni suite where you can pay a large amount of money for a small amount of alcohol. At an IUP football game, you're guaranteed to at least see the band at halftime. But what if the game stinks?

I'd like to see some better marketing of the games to students and the younger generation. The game-day experience has to be more than you paying for the privilege of watching IUP play Millersville. So back to the tailgating. If you're a student living off-campus (which means you're more than likely on the north part of campus or on the other side of Philadelphia Street), you have to walk or catch the bus down to the game then invest 2.5 to 3 hours of your time there. If it's a September Saturday at 1 p.m. with 70-degree weather, where do you think a student would rather be: at a game or at a house party with friends.

Side note: I'm surprised one of the Philly Street bars hasn't tried a fifth quarter promotion or something where you get a free drink between certain hours just by presenting your game ticket. Men's basketball has or at least had the Romeo's promo where you get a free slice of pizza if the team scored over 72 points in a home game.

[IUPNation]

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: IUP Football 2019

How about a glass of warm milk for the home side ?

[iupgroundhog]

Re: IUP Football 2019

Small sample size but the three noon games were the worst of the year. I'd guess if you went back 10 years the pattern would be real similar.

You can say small sample size but it is the entire universe of home games last year (probably the most relevant year).

Plus, you are missing my point. If it's 29 degrees at 12 noon on November 10 what do you think it will be at 7pm, or 8pm? How many people are trudging down to GPM stadium in 16 degree weather and the snow is piling up?