THE IUP Football Thread

[Matt Burglund]

Joe leads the basketball attendance every year and it's not even close. In fact, even in the 'funeral season' which is the horrendously long 7-8 week XMAS break, IUP still draws better during this time than the other schools average with students on campus.

Like I said above, the two 'events' are very different. The KCAC is lively. It's a state of the art arena. It sells (vastly) overpriced beer and wine inside. IUP has won the past (3) PSAC men's titles. And, Joe's never playing games at 12 p.m.

Now, keep in mind, basketball draws a much, much younger crowd than football does at IUP. While there is a lot of overlap, basketball has its own extremely loyal following.

The atmosphere is better. The music is better. The in-game entertainment is better (dance teams, etc.). The food inside the KCAC is vastly better than Miller Stadium. The arena seating is extremely close to the floor.

I take a lot of first-timers to IUP games. They are amazed after their first basketball experience. Football not so much. Obviously both teams are good. One feels like an event/experience. One does not.

I've lost count of how many people over the years, who when I ask them if they're coming to the football game on Saturday, say something like, "I'll see what the weatherman says."

[Fightingscot82]

Probably because they haven't had a streak of winning years to sustain. Just when they have momentum the program turns over. The only mid-atlantic or northeast FBS school that draws well for both football and basketball is Maryland - VA and VT are culturally more southern than UM.

[IUPNation]

Joe leads the basketball attendance every year and it's not even close. In fact, even in the 'funeral season' which is the horrendously long 7-8 week XMAS break, IUP still draws better during this time than the other schools average with students on campus.

Like I said above, the two 'events' are very different. The KCAC is lively. It's a state of the art arena. It sells (vastly) overpriced beer and wine inside. IUP has won the past (3) PSAC men's titles. And, Joe's never playing games at 12 p.m.

Now, keep in mind, basketball draws a much, much younger crowd than football does at IUP. While there is a lot of overlap, basketball has its own extremely loyal following.

The atmosphere is better. The music is better. The in-game entertainment is better (dance teams, etc.). The food inside the KCAC is vastly better than Miller Stadium. The arena seating is extremely close to the floor.

I take a lot of first-timers to IUP games. They are amazed after their first basketball experience. Football not so much. Obviously both teams are good. One feels like an event/experience. One does not.

[Fightingscot82]

If SRU did implant the chip you often cite, it is programmed correctly. SRU's game promotion is successful. IUP's efforts at promotion are pathetic and mostly non-existent, which is truly sad since it has a solid marketing group as part of the Ebery business school.
You have to make gameday an event, not merely an entry on a calendar. The sad part is that doing this does not take huge effort.

Yes! SRU has intentional activities & events planned for every Friday & Saturday night. When there is a Saturday game for football, basketball, or baseball its the featured event for that day. They don't program against it.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Joe leads the basketball attendance every year and it's not even close. In fact, even in the 'funeral season' which is the horrendously long 7-8 week XMAS break, IUP still draws better during this time than the other schools average with students on campus.

Like I said above, the two 'events' are very different. The KCAC is lively. It's a state of the art arena. It sells (vastly) overpriced beer and wine inside. IUP has won the past (3) PSAC men's titles. And, Joe's never playing games at 12 p.m.

Now, keep in mind, basketball draws a much, much younger crowd than football does at IUP. While there is a lot of overlap, basketball has its own extremely loyal following.

The atmosphere is better. The music is better. The in-game entertainment is better (dance teams, etc.). The food inside the KCAC is vastly better than Miller Stadium. The arena seating is extremely close to the floor.

I take a lot of first-timers to IUP games. They are amazed after their first basketball experience. Football not so much. Obviously both teams are good. One feels like an event/experience. One does not.

[IUPNation]

[IUPNation]

If SRU did implant the chip you often cite, it is programmed correctly. SRU's game promotion is successful. IUP's efforts at promotion are pathetic and mostly non-existent, which is truly sad since it has a solid marketing group as part of the Ebery business school.
You have to make gameday an event, not merely an entry on a calendar. The sad part is that doing this does not take huge effort.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

If SRU did implant the chip you often cite, it is programmed correctly. SRU's game promotion is successful. IUP's efforts at promotion are pathetic and mostly non-existent, which is truly sad since it has a solid marketing group as part of the Ebery business school.
You have to make gameday an event, not merely an entry on a calendar. The sad part is that doing this does not take huge effort.

The $10/spot at SRU tailgates means students can pile in a car and split it up. The $45/spot at IUP means they laugh and say forget it.

The two atmospheres couldn't be any different. You are certainly correct. Fan-wise, it is an event at SRU. It's just another day/game at IUP.

Oddly, it's the total opposite in basketball. SRU treats basketball like an unwanted stepchild -- and they draw terribly aside from IUP's yearly visit. IUP's basketball games are big events -- and, feel like big events. Nothing at Miller Stadium feels like a big event.

IUP's football 'announced' gates last season were actually pretty good (on paper). That said, several of those were highly suspicious.

The other killer at Miller Stadium is the tailgaters all leave at halftime. Very few come back inside. In the debacle of that California game last year, the home side was empty after halftime. The band left for DuBois at halftime. That is still just a LOL moment if I've ever seen one. Cal's fans, travelling cheerleaders (what a thought) and travelling band (what a thought) completely took over that stadium in the second half. And, of course, the Vulcans fed off it.

IUP's best crowd of the year was actually up at Slippery Rock. It was loud and engaged, and all clumped together. Give me those 500-600 any day at Miller, sitting together, over those phony, announced 5,500 crowds inside the Funeral Home/Crypt.

The culture surrounding home football games at IUP is just so odd.

[GregD]

If SRU did implant the chip you often cite, it is programmed correctly. SRU's game promotion is successful. IUP's efforts at promotion are pathetic and mostly non-existent, which is truly sad since it has a solid marketing group as part of the Ebery business school.
You have to make gameday an event, not merely an entry on a calendar. The sad part is that doing this does not take huge effort.

[IUPNation]

I think SRU does it right. When the weather is nice, they do as many late games as possible. This gets students & community there (most are in conjunction with other big events). This year the first three home games are 6pm (Village Fest), 6pm (Hall of Fame), and 2pm (Homecoming). Every remaining home game is 1pm.

SRU also has a thriving tailgate culture. $10 per car space, $25 per bus/RV space. The policy is pretty strong. It makes money for the school. Gets people there. https://rockathletics.com/sports/201...901113043.aspx

Football attendance is a university priority.

[Fightingscot82]

I think SRU does it right. When the weather is nice, they do as many late games as possible. This gets students & community there (most are in conjunction with other big events). This year the first three home games are 6pm (Village Fest), 6pm (Hall of Fame), and 2pm (Homecoming). Every remaining home game is 1pm.

SRU also has a thriving tailgate culture. $10 per car space, $25 per bus/RV space. The policy is pretty strong. It makes money for the school. Gets people there. https://rockathletics.com/sports/201...901113043.aspx

Football attendance is a university priority.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

So how you think this will affect attendance?

If they start 2-0 and come back to a 4pm home opener ... I could see a big gate to start the home slate.

As Nation said the Early Bird Special crowd won't like that 'late' 2pm kick but it will be well received by everybody else.

Would have loved one night game but that's a broken record at this point.

[IUPNation]

So how you think this will affect attendance?

The students have two more hours to sober up...the old people in the Crypt have two more hours to get from their 1997 Buick LeSabre in the parking lot to their seats...but the game end does run into their 4pm dinner time...and when Penn State is playing at Noon most weeks...people can watch that at their tailgate in the parking lot.

It should help some.

[ShoNuff]

Amen

So how you think this will affect attendance?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Better than noon games.

Amen