IUP Home Gates this year (in order of home date):
Regular season average (which includes the State Game): 4,926
I'm perhaps low-balling my guess, but of the 1,295 at last Saturday's Wake, at least 400 were from Ashland. So, IUP had about 900 fans at a Round 2 playoff game. Granted, the holiday/empty campus excuse is legit. But, that game drew 3,631 below this season's average. I can absolutely promise you IUP isn't getting 3,631 students at any football game.
So, what happened? It wasn't the weather. It was fairly nice for late November. It wasn't the product on the field -- it was the Sweet 16 after all with two really good teams.
My guess is a lot of people didn't even know the game was happening. There was next to no marketing. It wasn't Band Day or Hall of Fame Day or Homecoming or any of the other get-people-in-the-seats promotions. The tailgate lot was near dead. There was no buzz in Indiana last week. The band and cheerleaders not being there is so irritating I don't even want to talk about it. Keep in mind, the men's basketball game across the parking lot nearly had a bigger crowd than Tort.
I sure hope IUP fans redeem themselves this weekend. That was embarrassing. We make fun of the 'senior citizen' culture inside Miller Stadium. But, they made up about 95% of IUP fans in attendance 48 hours ago.
Mercyhurst | 5,292 |
Slippery Rock | 5,429 |
Seton Hill | 4,105 |
Clarion | 5,927 |
Shepherd | 3,878 |
Ashland | 1,295 |
Regular season average (which includes the State Game): 4,926
I'm perhaps low-balling my guess, but of the 1,295 at last Saturday's Wake, at least 400 were from Ashland. So, IUP had about 900 fans at a Round 2 playoff game. Granted, the holiday/empty campus excuse is legit. But, that game drew 3,631 below this season's average. I can absolutely promise you IUP isn't getting 3,631 students at any football game.
So, what happened? It wasn't the weather. It was fairly nice for late November. It wasn't the product on the field -- it was the Sweet 16 after all with two really good teams.
My guess is a lot of people didn't even know the game was happening. There was next to no marketing. It wasn't Band Day or Hall of Fame Day or Homecoming or any of the other get-people-in-the-seats promotions. The tailgate lot was near dead. There was no buzz in Indiana last week. The band and cheerleaders not being there is so irritating I don't even want to talk about it. Keep in mind, the men's basketball game across the parking lot nearly had a bigger crowd than Tort.
I sure hope IUP fans redeem themselves this weekend. That was embarrassing. We make fun of the 'senior citizen' culture inside Miller Stadium. But, they made up about 95% of IUP fans in attendance 48 hours ago.
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