Getting and keeping attendance up while trying to build the football program

http://smmercury.com/2016/01/15/could-sa...cials-say/

Quote:Given its prime location along I-35 and between Austin and San Antonio, San Marcos would be a “natural play” for an NFL stadium, says Lance Aldridge, executive director of the Austin Sports Commission. …

This is not what the University needs, to be honest.

(01-16-2016 10:04 AM)CatMom Wrote:  Getting and keeping attendance up while trying to build the football program

http://smmercury.com/2016/01/15/could-sa...cials-say/

Quote:Given its prime location along I-35 and between Austin and San Antonio, San Marcos would be a “natural play” for an NFL stadium, says Lance Aldridge, executive director of the Austin Sports Commission. …

This is not what the University needs, to be honest.

NFL plays on Sunday's.

Perhaps the added traffic will expose more folks to the hidden gem of San Marcos.

I have mixed feelings on this. As a former St. Louis Rams fan there are two people in the NFL I cannot stand. Stan Kroenke, the piece of crap Rams owner and Jerry Jones who has money invested in the new LA Rams development....Jerry reportedly did a lot of arm twisting on behalf of Kroenke to get the move to LA done...I know San Marcos is a lot closer to Houston than Dallas but a 3rd team in Texas takes away from Dallas...cost Jones money...see how he likes it...that part of me likes the idea.

But it would not be too good for Texas State football. I can't see how it would help. The Sun Belt football fan in me says not something I'd like to see.

If it weren't for bad luck, you guys would have no luck at all.

One of the hurdles we face on a day-to-day basis. Ironic since it is one of our strengths too.

So where is this new franchise supposed to come from? Jacksonville?

An NFL franchise is never the friend of local colleges. I'm hoping Texas stays a two NFL team state.

(01-16-2016 11:38 AM)kb325 Wrote:  I have mixed feelings on this. As a former St. Louis Rams fan there are two people in the NFL I cannot stand. Stan Kroenke, the piece of crap Rams owner and Jerry Jones who has money invested in the new LA Rams development....Jerry reportedly did a lot of arm twisting on behalf of Kroenke to get the move to LA done...I know San Marcos is a lot closer to Houston than Dallas but a 3rd team in Texas takes away from Dallas...cost Jones money...see how he likes it...that part of me likes the idea.

But it would not be too good for Texas State football. I can't see how it would help. The Sun Belt football fan in me says not something I'd like to see.

St Louis is a baseball city, and won't miss a thing. They should have shown the owner love a long time ago with a truly NFL quality stadium.

I'm not sure it would be so bad. It would draw alot of attention to San Marcos, and most of the fans would be traveling from SA and Austin so it's not like it'd would be poaching local San Martians who don't go to TXST football games anyway.

Looking at it optimistically, say a family of San Antonio Raiders fans come to San Marcos for the weekend to catch a game, maybe they decide to take in a Bobcats game the night before as well, since the tickets are pretty cheap, and God willing there will be a great product to see.

It would be bad. Having in NFL stadium in your city makes your city a pro sports town and your college team gets left behind. All publicity and coverage goes to the other guys. You become an afterthought and not a good one at that.

The only plus would be the ability to rent the stadium for a P5 game.
That and your stadium will never need expanding .

(01-17-2016 10:25 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  It would be bad. Having in NFL stadium in your city makes your city a pro sports town and your college team gets left behind. All publicity and coverage goes to the other guys. You become an afterthought and not a good one at that.

You nailed it BOP. An NFL team in San Marcos especially with a G5 team is the kiss of death as far as local and regional attention. Sure you'll get to keep most of the die hards and that's about it.

TooLame gets a courtesy comment in NOLA.

This is why UT fights tooth and nail to keep any pro team out of Austin. If it ain't UT you don't have anything besides HS sports. Surrounding communities is OK but not within the city limits.

(01-17-2016 10:25 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  It would be bad. Having in NFL stadium in your city makes your city a pro sports town and your college team gets left behind. All publicity and coverage goes to the other guys. You become an afterthought and not a good one at that.

Totally agree. Just look to Dallas and Houston for examples.

(01-17-2016 12:02 PM)CatMom Wrote:  This is why UT fights tooth and nail to keep any pro team out of Austin. If it ain't UT you don't have anything besides HS sports. Surrounding communities is OK but not within the city limits.

UTSA bills itself as San Antonio's team. They want to the team of the city and South Texas. If an NFL team came in, it would peel those casuals away from them. I think it would be more damaging for us to have a team in San Marcos (even though the locals dont bother showing up to our games).

Hell, it might even cause students to stop coming out to our games. Our students love to party in the parking lot before the game (even if they don't go in). I could see Sunday parties at the SA Raiders of San Marcos Stadium stealing the thunder from Bobcat Stadium on Saturday.

The University constantly shifts tailgating lots, locations and only lets you tailgate until the game starts then they make you go inside or leave at kickoff. NFL parties are not going to do that.

Second, one complaint about our older alums is that they would travel to austin to tailgate at longhorn games because it was a massive event. If the region is coming into support this game, it is going to be a hell of a party.

People are not likely to give up both days of their weekend for football parties.

(01-17-2016 10:25 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  It would be bad. Having in NFL stadium in your city makes your city a pro sports town and your college team gets left behind. All publicity and coverage goes to the other guys. You become an afterthought and not a good one at that.

It just means that Texas State would have to "earn the coverage." They would not be the only game in town. But the college team still gets covered. The attendance numbers are not going to change if the Raiders are in town. It would be good for Texas State. They could attract P5 teams with a larger stadium and it would force them to set higher standards for athletics. Right now we just talk. We would have a pro team to share information with, to learn from. This would also put San Marcos on the map.

From a personal standpoint, as a lifelong Raiders fan, I cannot believe this could actually happen. I must have been the only Raider fan on campus back in the 70's. Everyone was a Cowboys or Oiler fan. I had season tickets to the Raiders in LA and still get up to Oakland once a year for a game. If this did somehow happen, I would make plans to see the Bobcats on Saturday and the Raiders on Sunday. It would be great!

(01-17-2016 02:07 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(01-17-2016 10:25 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  It would be bad. Having in NFL stadium in your city makes your city a pro sports town and your college team gets left behind. All publicity and coverage goes to the other guys. You become an afterthought and not a good one at that.

It just means that Texas State would have to "earn the coverage." They would not be the only game in town. But the college team still gets covered. The attendance numbers are not going to change if the Raiders are in town. It would be good for Texas State. They could attract P5 teams with a larger stadium and it would force them to set higher standards for athletics. Right now we just talk. We would have a pro team to share information with, to learn from. This would also put San Marcos on the map.

From a personal standpoint, as a lifelong Raiders fan, I cannot believe this could actually happen. I must have been the only Raider fan on campus back in the 70's. Everyone was a Cowboys or Oiler fan. I had season tickets to the Raiders in LA and still get up to Oakland once a year for a game. If this did somehow happen, I would make plans to see the Bobcats on Saturday and the Raiders on Sunday. It would be great!

Ask Tulane about their coverage in New Orleans.

(01-17-2016 02:07 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(01-17-2016 10:25 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  It would be bad. Having in NFL stadium in your city makes your city a pro sports town and your college team gets left behind. All publicity and coverage goes to the other guys. You become an afterthought and not a good one at that.

It just means that Texas State would have to "earn the coverage." They would not be the only game in town. But the college team still gets covered. The attendance numbers are not going to change if the Raiders are in town. It would be good for Texas State. They could attract P5 teams with a larger stadium and it would force them to set higher standards for athletics. Right now we just talk. We would have a pro team to share information with, to learn from. This would also put San Marcos on the map.

From a personal standpoint, as a lifelong Raiders fan, I cannot believe this could actually happen. I must have been the only Raider fan on campus back in the 70's. Everyone was a Cowboys or Oiler fan. I had season tickets to the Raiders in LA and still get up to Oakland once a year for a game. If this did somehow happen, I would make plans to see the Bobcats on Saturday and the Raiders on Sunday. It would be great!

san antonio has tried for many years to get an nfl franchise. there has not been the money in that area to support a team. there are few big corporations to put their money up and many of the people around san antonio are blue collar types that are in the military or work for the civil service and since austin has become the san francisco of texas, I dont see a large cross section of rabid football fans available to spend the big bucks to go to games. I think it would be a hard sell after the novelty wears off.

(01-17-2016 09:42 AM)CajunExpress Wrote:  So where is this new franchise supposed to come from? Jacksonville?

An NFL franchise is never the friend of local colleges. I'm hoping Texas stays a two NFL team state.

Very true. North Texas has it's share of athletic administration, but the biggest detriment to UNT is being in the DFW Metroplex. Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks, Texas Rangers, etc. Sports minded people have so many "Pro" sports options. No, a Pro football team in San Antonio will not be kind to Texas State or UTSA athletics. If any of us were P5 we might do better under these conditions.

I want the pro stadium (for a bowl tie in locally... because I'm 100% spoiled and having one in Dallas, San Antonio, & Houston isn't enough), but not the team.

Is that selfish? If so, I'm cool with that.

(01-17-2016 09:27 PM)Vobserver Wrote:  

(01-17-2016 02:07 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(01-17-2016 10:25 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  It would be bad. Having in NFL stadium in your city makes your city a pro sports town and your college team gets left behind. All publicity and coverage goes to the other guys. You become an afterthought and not a good one at that.

It just means that Texas State would have to "earn the coverage." They would not be the only game in town. But the college team still gets covered. The attendance numbers are not going to change if the Raiders are in town. It would be good for Texas State. They could attract P5 teams with a larger stadium and it would force them to set higher standards for athletics. Right now we just talk. We would have a pro team to share information with, to learn from. This would also put San Marcos on the map.

From a personal standpoint, as a lifelong Raiders fan, I cannot believe this could actually happen. I must have been the only Raider fan on campus back in the 70's. Everyone was a Cowboys or Oiler fan. I had season tickets to the Raiders in LA and still get up to Oakland once a year for a game. If this did somehow happen, I would make plans to see the Bobcats on Saturday and the Raiders on Sunday. It would be great!

Ask Tulane about their coverage in New Orleans.

I can't speak for what happens in New Orleans, but it probably does not help that Tulane has had one winning season in the last 13 years. I do know that San Diego State gets good coverage in the city of San Diego from the San Diego Union Tribune. That is a city with a pro team. The P5 schools get good coverage. The G5 schools have to earn it. The better the team, the better the coverage.