The Huskies not playing their worst game of the year in front of the one decent crowd we had all year would also help...

(12-15-2014 10:09 PM)armour248 Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 09:39 PM)KMR_NIU_13 Wrote:  A nice home schedule from the MAC would be great next year. Space out the home games for the league's premier team. We should get some good turn outs for the early games against Murray state and unlv.

I don't think the MAC is going to do us any favors. We're the red headed step child out west that has dominated the conference and has pretty clear aspirations of leaving the MAC in the dust

They feature all our "prime" games against good teams on weeknights. Steal any chance of a good Saturday crowd.

A home Saturday game vs wmu or Toledo would draw a great crowd. Never gonna happen

(12-15-2014 07:46 PM)Flying Corn Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

While I respect what you are saying, I'm pretty sure my kidneys and pancreas froze during last year's WMU game. I've been a diehard most of my adult life, but I will never endure that kind of misery again...

You aren't alone! I didn't even make it through the end of the 3rd quarter, still ashamed of myself for it. I had parts of my body freeze that I didn't even know could freeze.

(12-16-2014 12:46 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 07:46 PM)Flying Corn Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

While I respect what you are saying, I'm pretty sure my kidneys and pancreas froze during last year's WMU game. I've been a diehard most of my adult life, but I will never endure that kind of misery again...

You aren't alone! I didn't even make it through the end of the 3rd quarter, still ashamed of myself for it. I had parts of my body freeze that I didn't even know could freeze.

Agreed. As I have gotten older, my body and temperature tolerance have radically changed. I cannot be outside at night in cold temperatures or I erupt in convulsive chills. This generally does not happen during the day. So, the weeknight games are out for me unless we get a freak "balmy" spell or I can sit inside and watch. Tried to get Skybox seats, but that did not happen.

Big 12 here we come!

(12-16-2014 12:46 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 07:46 PM)Flying Corn Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

While I respect what you are saying, I'm pretty sure my kidneys and pancreas froze during last year's WMU game. I've been a diehard most of my adult life, but I will never endure that kind of misery again...

You aren't alone! I didn't even make it through the end of the 3rd quarter, still ashamed of myself for it. I had parts of my body freeze that I didn't even know could freeze.

I also left the game early, and that was the night JL6 set the all time single game rushing record for a QB. I got home and my wife said - "you didn't stay to watch the record?" I can't remember a time when I was colder in my entire life.

(12-16-2014 10:15 AM)Huskie359 Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 12:46 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 07:46 PM)Flying Corn Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

While I respect what you are saying, I'm pretty sure my kidneys and pancreas froze during last year's WMU game. I've been a diehard most of my adult life, but I will never endure that kind of misery again...

You aren't alone! I didn't even make it through the end of the 3rd quarter, still ashamed of myself for it. I had parts of my body freeze that I didn't even know could freeze.

I also left the game early, and that was the night JL6 set the all time single game rushing record for a QB. I got home and my wife said - "you didn't stay to watch the record?" I can't remember a time when I was colder in my entire life.

I have been to a lot of places over my life, but I have never been anyplace that feels as cold as DeKalb. My wife and I have been saying this for the past 40+ years. In addition to the actual temperature and wind chill, there is a psychological cold in DeKalb that is like no place I've ever been. When game temps are projected to be in the 50s, I dress as if it were the dead of winter - and I am never sorry.

Someone once told me that they read that NIU is the coldest college campus in the U.S. While I find that hard to believe, I know it must be near the top.

(12-16-2014 10:42 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 10:15 AM)Huskie359 Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 12:46 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 07:46 PM)Flying Corn Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

While I respect what you are saying, I'm pretty sure my kidneys and pancreas froze during last year's WMU game. I've been a diehard most of my adult life, but I will never endure that kind of misery again...

You aren't alone! I didn't even make it through the end of the 3rd quarter, still ashamed of myself for it. I had parts of my body freeze that I didn't even know could freeze.

I also left the game early, and that was the night JL6 set the all time single game rushing record for a QB. I got home and my wife said - "you didn't stay to watch the record?" I can't remember a time when I was colder in my entire life.

I have been to a lot of places over my life, but I have never been anyplace that feels as cold as DeKalb. My wife and I have been saying this for the past 40+ years. In addition to the actual temperature and wind chill, there is a psychological cold in DeKalb that is like no place I've ever been. When game temps are projected to be in the 50s, I dress as if it were the dead of winter - and I am never sorry.

Someone once told me that they read that NIU is the coldest college campus in the U.S. While I find that hard to believe, I know it must be near the top.

+1. When we took our son on visits to colleges his senior year. We went to NIU and it was bitterly cold and windy. Walking from the parking deck to the Student Center brought back bad memories of DeKalb winters. My son really liked the new dorms. He had been to a few football games and liked the atmosphere. But for the tour, they packed us in busses and it just wasn't a good experience. Then we travelled to Mizzou and their weather that weekend was 60-70. Their walking tour was awesome and I knew my son was not going to choose NIU.

(12-15-2014 07:18 PM)scottiep12 Wrote:  TV experience is too good. Convenient, multiple screens, $.

Our sched and luck was brutal. Presby on a thur in the rain. Than we get crappy weather and a lackluster perf against a horrible KSU. Most people waited for homecoming and then some luster lost after a close win vs KSU and a Arky beat down on the resume. Still 20k is a good number. Than Miami, after the disappointment vs CMU and freezing weather, nobody shows up. Toledo was disappointing but it was freaking way too cold for the casual fan. Just bad luck all around with weather, scheduling, team performance.

Also not mentioned yet...price. Presby, KSU, MOh and Toledo all were over priced based on value. I know this is Frazier's long term pricing strategy but it back fired big time in year 1.

$100+ to drag a family out on a weeknight and/or crappy weather...tough.

This is it, right here. As our addiction to technological comfort grows, the idea of sitting on a freezing cold bench for 4 hours becomes less and less appealing. If I lived in Illinois I'd be going to as many games as I could, even the cold ones, but I also have thousands of posts on an NIU message board. To the general public, it's a tough sell.

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

this is a loser mentality...the "i do it so you should"....thats not how you sell a business.

We know people don't like cold games...thats not going to change...the question is what do you do to overcome that dislike in order to draw more people?

As soon as you figure out that fans = customers, then you start trying to solve the problem than act as if the fans/customers should be obligated to go

(12-16-2014 09:22 AM)7 Wrote:  Big 12 here we come!

Hypothermia occurs in the same conditions regardless if you are a Pop Warner fan or an NFL fan. A human is a human.

(12-16-2014 12:35 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 09:22 AM)7 Wrote:  Big 12 here we come!

Hypothermia occurs in the same conditions regardless if you are a Pop Warner fan or an NFL fan. A human is a human.

Except, I guess, when you drink enough to be in a vomiting stupor, you just may not feel the cold so much.

(12-16-2014 12:34 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

this is a loser mentality...the "i do it so you should"....thats not how you sell a business.

We know people don't like cold games...thats not going to change...the question is what do you do to overcome that dislike in order to draw more people?

As soon as you figure out that fans = customers, then you start trying to solve the problem than act as if the fans/customers should be obligated to go

haha! A guy that makes sense! How rare is that?

No big discussion here, just complete agreement with you. I hope the powers that be get it. Higher ticket prices result in higher revenue? We shall see. I think butts in seats, with a strategy to have those butts in seats spend money-- that would increase revenue.

But that's just me.

And sound economic theory.

(12-15-2014 06:33 PM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  Yeah, it was cold out for the Toledo game. Didn't stop us from tailgating and having a great time. Tired of hearing that it was cold out. Suck it up. I've gone to Bears games in colder weather than that. Lame ass excuse if you ask me.

+1 and you can warm up by going inside Huskie Stadium or the IPC.

(12-15-2014 08:09 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(12-15-2014 07:09 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  It shouldnt be a matter of 'which fan group is to blame' for attendance woes, but rather, what can be done to address the root cause of why people arent going to games

Indoor, outdoor heated or Chairback seats with access to a club where you can watc the game will help.

Having a prime home game will help.

Having a family season ticket package should help

Having a young alum season ticket could help in the long term.

Not running out of food would help for people coming for the first time.

For those privileged few with big $$. Doesn't do jack sh*t for us regular folks. And there are more of us regular poor folks than those with lots of $$.
I can do the cold because there are ways to keep warm including whole sole size foot warmers you put in your shoes & hand warmers, body warmers, etc. If hunters can do it there is a way to do it for football. I just can't do the extreme heat & sitting in the sun with extreme heat.

I would like to point out that the top non P5, cold(er) weather attendance getting programs are as follows:

1.) Boise State - 32,504
2.) Cincinnati - 28,840
3.) Air Force - 28,161
4.) UCONN - 27,461
5.) Colorado State - 26,575
6.) Temple - 23,370
7.) Ohio - 20,515

NIU - 13,563

So that is kind of our competition right there. It is very sad that only 10 years ago we would have been in the top 5 or 6, and now we aren't even close to that. But cold weather can't be an excuse, right? It comes down to scheduling, excitement, and all around the type of fans the program has. It appears to me scheduling is trying to be dealt with, there is obviously a huge lack of excitement around the program, and we have a small group of dedicated fans and bunch of people we just aren't able to get to come to games. Does that sound right?

I believe Naperville Aurora is the third largest metro area in the state behind Chicago and Rockford.

So . . . Maybe we let NU and Illness fight for who is Chicago's team, and we sell Naperville Aurora on -- hmmm, say, "Big time college football - right in your own backyard"

It might just work!

I feel like 13.5 is really really low. I thought it was at least 2-3k higher than that

(12-16-2014 03:03 PM)chihuskie Wrote:  I believe Naperville Aurora is the third largest metro area in the state behind Chicago and Rockford.

So . . . Maybe we let NU and Illness fight for who is Chicago's team, and we sell Naperville Aurora on -- hmmm, say, "Big time college football - right in your own backyard"

It might just work!

+1

I've said this forever. Works for the Kane County Cougars. They draw like crazy.

(12-16-2014 03:10 PM)zdsmith Wrote:  I feel like 13.5 is really really low. I thought it was at least 2-3k higher than that

Sad but true:

Presby 12,398
Kent State 15,620
CMU 20,122
Miami 11,211
Toledo 8,462

As others have noted, put the Toledo game on a Saturday afternoon and we have 20,000+. It's an ESPN world we just live in it.