Click here for a recent article about how over 30% of student seating at Georgia and Alabama has been going unused over the past few years. The new social media-addicted generation is useless. To get them back in the stadium, we're going to need video cameras pointed at every seat that automatically uploads videos to the occupant's facebook account. Providing useless content for their useless websites might be worth the time investment to them. Either that, or start hiding the game dates and try to convince them that going to football games is some wacky new type of flash mob.

(10-04-2013 01:31 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  Click here for a recent article about how over 30% of student seating at Georgia and Alabama has been going unused over the past few years. The new social media-addicted generation is useless. To get them back in the stadium, we're going to need video cameras pointed at every seat that automatically uploads videos to the occupant's facebook account. Providing useless content for their useless websites might be worth the time investment to them. Either that, or start hiding the game dates and try to convince them that going to football games is some wacky new type of flash mob.

Sadly, I'm in that "new social media-addicted generation" age group (28). I'm not addicted to my phone though; have more sense than that. Maybe it's just me, but I would definitely go to a Georgia or Alabama game if I were a student there and without needing incentive.

(10-04-2013 01:31 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  Click here for a recent article about how over 30% of student seating at Georgia and Alabama has been going unused over the past few years. The new social media-addicted generation is useless. To get them back in the stadium, we're going to need video cameras pointed at every seat that automatically uploads videos to the occupant's facebook account. Providing useless content for their useless websites might be worth the time investment to them. Either that, or start hiding the game dates and try to convince them that going to football games is some wacky new type of flash mob.

Why watch a football game in person when you can call the plays and be part of the "action" playing Madden while talking to your opponent.

That is the real threat to attendance among students.

(10-03-2013 11:10 AM)UConn-SMU Wrote:  1) The economy is struggling.

2) The experience at home keeps improving (TV's, media rooms, etc.).

3) The message from the media is that unless you're ND or Alabama, there's no point to even playing.

That last reason is what hits home the most IMO. But as long as the new playoff will offer the allure of big paydays and national relevancy, everyone will keep playing - no matter how realistically attainable those goals are. Troy will keep fighting on, Akron, Old Dominion, etc.

(10-04-2013 02:05 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Why watch a football game in person when you can call the plays and be part of the "action" playing Madden while talking to your opponent.

That is the real threat to attendance among students.

I played some Madden as a student but accepted there was a time for it. I think most students would understand that playing is not really a part of the college experience; going to real games is what counts.

(10-04-2013 01:31 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  Click here for a recent article about how over 30% of student seating at Georgia and Alabama has been going unused over the past few years. The new social media-addicted generation is useless. To get them back in the stadium, we're going to need video cameras pointed at every seat that automatically uploads videos to the occupant's facebook account. Providing useless content for their useless websites might be worth the time investment to them. Either that, or start hiding the game dates and try to convince them that going to football games is some wacky new type of flash mob.

Considering where student sections tend to reside, and the cost, that stat doesn't shock me at all.

"Nosebleeds and bad sight lines: a guide to your first two years in the student section."

(10-04-2013 02:05 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(10-04-2013 01:31 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  Click here for a recent article about how over 30% of student seating at Georgia and Alabama has been going unused over the past few years. The new social media-addicted generation is useless. To get them back in the stadium, we're going to need video cameras pointed at every seat that automatically uploads videos to the occupant's facebook account. Providing useless content for their useless websites might be worth the time investment to them. Either that, or start hiding the game dates and try to convince them that going to football games is some wacky new type of flash mob.

Why watch a football game in person when you can call the plays and be part of the "action" playing Madden while talking to your opponent.

That is the real threat to attendance among students.

Well maybe because they need to be aware of the world around them. I have to brake daily for kids who walk right out in front of traffic while talking on their phones or listening to music. We had one on campus killed a couple of years ago when he stepped out between two parked cars and into the path of a campus bus. The driver literally had no chance to stop. The kid was on his cell phone and never looked up and thought nothing about stepping into the roadway. In the park a young woman stretched out to jog, plugged in her music, and left her car keys on the bench. Two people tried to run her down to return her keys but she couldn't hear their calls. They caught her at the first intersection.
I'm sorry but the behavior is worse than imbecilic. They are truly socially impaired. When my wife and I walk if we smile and nod at one of these kids the greatest odds are they will look away to avoid eye contact. They don't observe sidewalk etiquette, pedestrian laws while in traffic, crosswalks mean nothing to them, and in traffic they are seldom aware of vehicle signals, almost never give a vehicle signal, and are oblivious to traffic lights. It's almost worse than being drunk. An old coach I know refers to them as seagulls. They are good for nothing except squawking about what doesn't suit them, and crapping up everything thing they are around. He also points out that he is not sure that they actually serve any useful function in the biological cycles of life. I'm not sure I disagree with him.

(10-04-2013 02:19 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(10-04-2013 02:05 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(10-04-2013 01:31 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  Click here for a recent article about how over 30% of student seating at Georgia and Alabama has been going unused over the past few years. The new social media-addicted generation is useless. To get them back in the stadium, we're going to need video cameras pointed at every seat that automatically uploads videos to the occupant's facebook account. Providing useless content for their useless websites might be worth the time investment to them. Either that, or start hiding the game dates and try to convince them that going to football games is some wacky new type of flash mob.

Why watch a football game in person when you can call the plays and be part of the "action" playing Madden while talking to your opponent.

That is the real threat to attendance among students.

Well maybe because they need to be aware of the world around them. I have to brake daily for kids who walk right out in front of traffic while talking on their phones or listening to music. We had one on campus killed a couple of years ago when he stepped out between two parked cars and into the path of a campus bus. The driver literally had no chance to stop. The kid was on his cell phone and never looked up and thought nothing about stepping into the roadway. In the park a young woman stretched out to jog, plugged in her music, and left her car keys on the bench. Two people tried to run her down to return her keys but she couldn't hear their calls. They caught her at the first intersection.
I'm sorry but the behavior is worse than imbecilic. They are truly socially impaired. When my wife and I walk if we smile and nod at one of these kids the greatest odds are they will look away to avoid eye contact. They don't observe sidewalk etiquette, pedestrian laws while in traffic, crosswalks mean nothing to them, and in traffic they are seldom aware of vehicle signals, almost never give a vehicle signal, and are oblivious to traffic lights. It's almost worse than being drunk. An old coach I know refers to them as seagulls. They are good for nothing except squawking about what doesn't suit them, and crapping up everything thing they are around. He also points out that he is not sure that actually serve any useful function in the biological cycles of life. I'm not sure I disagree with him.

Had an HR director tell me he dreads when the economy picks up and has few to no experienced adults applying for entry level jobs. Said too many of the fresh grads are utterly incompetent in social interactions unless they've had some sort of job with customer service component while in college.

I'm 25. I use my phone a lot. What I do not do is use the phone when in traffic or in a dangerous place. I also give eye contact when ordering food as well.

To be honest, I used to NEVER play with my phone a lot until I got an iPhone. I hate that invention as it's ruined everything.

(10-04-2013 07:10 AM)JunkYardCard Wrote:  

(10-04-2013 05:15 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is a ridiculous article.

Just like the same non-story was last year that "found" a large decrease over the last decade. Average attendance is down because there are more teams in D-1a that count toward the average. Same-school attendance is actually up over the last decade, and pretty flat over the last few years.

Their own stats show no overall decrease in same-school attendance: "So far this season, 13 of the top 25 attendance leaders are down compared to the first five weeks of 2012.... Eight of the SEC’s schools are within 2 percent of where they were in 2012....Half of the SEC has declined, although two schools are by less than 1 percent." Thus, 1/2 of the top-25 attendance leaders have increased, and 1/2 the SEC has increased. Many in the SEC have increased by more than 2%.

But stating it this way doesn't fit their narrative, so they ignore the facts that are staring them in the face.

If you told the power brokers they could basically double ticket prices and double TV revenue by putting literally every game played on TV, and that all they would give up would be 3% of the physical attendance coming through the gate, they'd take the deal every time. The reporter took a story that is good news (in a financial sense) for the industry and spun it like it was bad because the writer really doesn't understand the subject matter.

Thank you for pointing out another reason why it's a ridiculous article.

But my point was that his entire premise is incorrect. Same-school attendance is NOT decreasing. Same-school attendance increased significantly from 2000-2009 and has been essentially flat since then.

It has to do with conference realignment. The exact reason I stated long ago that it would cheapen the game, add travel costs and ruin CULTURAL rivalries that are REGIONAL.

It has become a game of cable providers.

...and like I was insinuating in previous posts, students are becoming the afterthoughts at their own school's athletic events.

Granted, this is Penn State, but...how about "making right" by giving the students they impacted free or heavily discounted better seats?

God forbid, never those patrons...

(10-06-2013 05:14 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  It has to do with conference realignment. The exact reason I stated long ago that it would cheapen the game, add travel costs and ruin CULTURAL rivalries that are REGIONAL.

It has become a game of cable providers.

wait...didnt OU and NU agree to start playing home and home again? Seems like thats a win for realignment

Weeknight TV games kill attendance for many