THE IUP Football Thread

[IUPbigINDIANS]

[QUOTE=IUPalum;n756633]

To many cheap bastards in Indiana.

IUP's football attendance has been on the climb the past couple seasons. Slow but steady.

Now, I have absolutely zero faith in the numbers they report.

Purely eye test (and having attended games there for 30 years) ... there are days when they report 2,600 that you can easily tell there are 4,600+. Then by October there are games they report 4,500 and there might be 2,000 in the stadium. With that said, the 'eye test' attendance has been up the past few seasons. Has moving the band back over and giving it a full section on the home side altered the perception of attendance some? Perhaps. But, that's a good thing regardless.

The ridiculous tailgating lot prices are just one of several issues the 'game day' experience at IUP has that turns off casual fans. I'm not talking about the guys who set up and fly the flags in the parking lot, etc. Those are core, die-hard fans and they will be there even it the price was $100/spot. But, they aren't getting casual fans to pay $65/spot to tailgate for a D2 football game (and then spend $20-ish per ticket plus food, etc.). No chance in hell.

The biggest overall difference between the men's basketball game-day experience and the football game-day experience is most people you talk to will tell you the football day is boring -- not so much the actual game action, but everything else. I get the purist will say the game is all that is needed, but that's not anywhere close to true when talking about attracting the casual, younger fan. Basketball packs a ton of stuff in to the show in between the action (the stuff the kids love). Football doesn't have any of that stuff. To an extent, the KCAC basketball experience is similar to a minor league baseball game. There's a lot going on aside from the game. Kids love all that stuff.

Football has to start attracting a younger audience. The average age between the football crowd and the basketball crowd is pretty staggering. The middle section on the home side (right behind the team) is getting very old (i.e. they are extremely quiet, don't cheer much, etc.). I've said for years and years the first 10 rows of that section should be the student section. Liven things up.

[Fightingscot82]

Oddly enough, Edinboro charges jack squat for parking anywhere, including the parking lot directly behind the visitor side. In fact, there are some longtime locals who tailgate in that vicinity and plug in to the university power so they're actually giving away parking & power LOL.

[IUP24]

What are they getting for a game ticket?

I spent 30 bucks to purchase in advance for a single game online last year. I think the cost is due to 3rd party group they use to handle the tickets and purchases online.

Now.. Your cost is going to go down if you don't want to a mobile ticket, if you are willing to pick up at will-call (and wait in the line), or if you want to simply buy at the gate that day. But you lose convience and the ability to pick your exact seat.

[IUP24]

IUP announced a fantastic discount (sarcasm) for a football tailgating season ticket.

For just $225 you can get a regular season pass. Six home games ... that's a cool $37.50/game to park beside Miller Stadium.

They've completely lost their minds. This is freaking D2 in a small town ... for a team with a following that gets older by the day.

That's basically the "we don't want students and we don't want most locals" pricing.

Or, of course, you can park a block away -- for free -- and just carry a cooler to that area (if you wish to tailgate).

Now, keep in mind it is a significant discount compared to years past (it's usually $65/spot for tailgating). That price needs no further comment. LOL.

And, by the way, they have (by far) the most expensive game tickets in the PSAC.

Laugh, but I do believe there's some truth to this.

I can recall that IUP put an effort in place to actually give students who parked in that area a difficult time when I was a student. I remember my senior year (when my friends and I were all 21), we parked there a few times for games to tailgate. We were watched and circled by IUP campus police the entire time. Nothing like making students/young fans uncomfortable in that environment. It was the oddest thing. It was abundantly clear that they were watching for us to do something wrong or waiting for something to look suspicious to interject themselves into our social gathering.

It wasn't like we were sitting there blasting music or playing drinking games either. We had a few lawn chairs, a small grill to cook some dogs/burgers, and a small cooler with some beer.

[Ship69]

[QUOTE=IUPalum;n756633]

To many cheap bastards in Indiana.

I'm not sure they're cheaper in Indiana than they are in most PSAC towns.

[IUPalum]

[QUOTE=GregD;n756602]

What are they getting for a game ticket?[

IUP could not sell a meal to a billionaire dying of starvation.

To many cheap bastards in Indiana.

[iupgroundhog]

For sure, but that’s a solid role player. It’s getting a bit ridiculous lol. At the end of last season I thought IUP was returning the most talented/experienced roster in SR1. You’ve done nothing but add a bunch of talent since and I would expect a couple more over the next 4 weeks. Looking forward to seeing what they can do with it.

It would seem that the outstanding issues are OL/DL and RB. And, of course, as Tort says, anybody else who will make them better.

[CUlater]

This looks like a 'buddy' signing for Karst. Not much of a resume. I'd imagine he will be a special teams player and depth WR. Their top 6 WRs are loaded. I don't see this guy breaking the top 6.

For sure, but that’s a solid role player. It’s getting a bit ridiculous lol. At the end of last season I thought IUP was returning the most talented/experienced roster in SR1. You’ve done nothing but add a bunch of talent since and I would expect a couple more over the next 4 weeks. Looking forward to seeing what they can do with it.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Looks like your new QB brought a buddy with him. The WR room is stacked

This looks like a 'buddy' signing for Karst. Not much of a resume. I'd imagine he will be a special teams player and depth WR. Their top 6 WRs are loaded. I don't see this guy breaking the top 6.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Looks like your new QB brought a buddy with him. The WR room is stacked

Lot of mouthes to feed

[GregD]

[QUOTE=Ship69;n756509]

What are they getting for a game ticket?[

IUP could not sell a meal to a billionaire dying of starvation.

[CUlater]

Looks like your new QB brought a buddy with him. The WR room is stacked

[IUPNation]

IUP announced a fantastic discount (sarcasm) for a football tailgating season ticket.

For just $225 you can get a regular season pass. Six home games ... that's a cool $37.50/game to park beside Miller Stadium.

They've completely lost their minds. This is freaking D2 in a small town ... for a team with a following that gets older by the day.

That's basically the "we don't want students and we don't want most locals" pricing.

Or, of course, you can park a block away -- for free -- and just carry a cooler to that area (if you wish to tailgate).

Now, keep in mind it is a significant discount compared to years past (it's usually $65/spot for tailgating). That price needs no further comment. LOL.

And, by the way, they have (by far) the most expensive game tickets in the PSAC.

It’s 18 bucks a game for reserved tickets at Grand Valley. Club seats are 35 a game.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

You want Torts to get top tier mercenaries..they cost money.

:-)

That's different money (from us, too).

[IUPNation]

IUP announced a fantastic discount (sarcasm) for a football tailgating season ticket.

For just $225 you can get a regular season pass. Six home games ... that's a cool $37.50/game to park beside Miller Stadium.

They've completely lost their minds. This is freaking D2 in a small town ... for a team with a following that gets older by the day.

That's basically the "we don't want students and we don't want most locals" pricing.

Or, of course, you can park a block away -- for free -- and just carry a cooler to that area (if you wish to tailgate).

Now, keep in mind it is a significant discount compared to years past (it's usually $65/spot for tailgating). That price needs no further comment. LOL.

And, by the way, they have (by far) the most expensive game tickets in the PSAC.

You want Torts to get top tier mercenaries..they cost money.

:-)