(09-16-2023 09:49 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(09-16-2023 09:25 AM)Herd6993 Wrote:  

(09-14-2023 04:22 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(09-14-2023 11:16 AM)Herd6993 Wrote:  

(09-13-2023 07:55 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  Reggie Favre came over to the AAC board to run his trash mouth.
Therefore I did a couple minutes of work.
Therefore I am posting attendance data for week two here with no further comment.

UTSA 49,342
ECU 38,211
USF 36,495
Tulane 30,000
Navy 29,798
Rice 23, 425
Georgia Southern 20,103
ODU 18,154
Arkansas State 18,724
FAU 17,934
Coastal 16,006
South Alabama 15,237
UL Monroe 13,154
Georgia State 15,186

Ok, I'll play.

UTSA 49,342- Great crowd and shows their potential. They remind me of UTEP. When the going is good, they will show up. When it is not, see UTEP. Also helped playing SBC Texas State who just came off a win over Baylor and is about two hours down the road.

ECU 38,211- Good crowd, but even ECU fans will tell you that is not a great number for them. Just imagine what it would of been like if Marshall would not have brought thousands of fans. ECU is in the same place Marshall was a before joining the Sunbelt. Years of average football and playing schools we did not care about slowly deteriorated our fan base. Do you really think North Texas, FAU, Rice, Temple, UAB, and even UTSA are going to help ECU's matters? Just think, Tulsa is now a good conference game when it used to be one of the worse on their schedule.


USF 36,495- I will admit I am shocked at this number. Was it because of the first home game? New Coach? or did FA&M bring a good crowd? your the AAC expert, maybe you can explain.


Tulane 30,000- Top 25 team facing a SEC Top 25 team. Duh!

Navy 29,798- Good crowd for Navy. The Naval Academy is the draw as it has been in the past and will be in the future.

Rice 23, 425- That's it! You are playing against your cross town rival and that is all you can draw? I bet Houston was the majority of that crowd too.

FAU 17,934 - I bet there was not many actual butts in the stands. My guess is about 10-12K. Even when Lane Kiffin was there they could not draw.

There were a couple direct questions, so maybe a LITTLE further comment.

For ECU, I agree that's not an overwhelming number for them. I would suggest that their attendance this year will be about how good the Pirate season is, not the other team(s). Yes, contract-bowl-conference teams and in-state schools will be big, and Marshall has some history. But why do you think the departed teams brought huge crowds to Greenville? Dowdy-Ficklen's last couple of games against the departed:
'22 UCF 38,425
'22 Houston 42,475
'21 Cincinnati 38,014
'19 Cincinnati 32,276
'18 UCF 31,159
'18 Houston 29,851
A couple of those are the visitor in the midst of a really good season, too. The Houston game was the last home game of the year - senior day? I don't know. But there is definitely a risk of OVER selling the three who just left - that averages out to LESS than Saturday's attendance.

For USF, recent average attendance 2022 - 29,650; 2021 - 28.976; 2019 - 31,823; 2018 - 38,517; 2017 - 31,402. It really isn't shocking. In-state FCS probably brought their own, the band has appeal, but I think a good piece of that was a little (not shocking) bump for excitement for a new coach after unhappiness with the last coach (or two or three).

Navy crowd actually a little disappointing. Getting the first game off of Labor Day weekend I thought we would have more townies. But we sell Navy Gameday more than Navy Football. No difference between Houston and UNT, UCF and FAU for Navy's attendance.

As far as your other comment, yes, there is a difference in how I post here and how I post on the AAC board. I am aware of being a guest here and try very hard to be data- and facts-based and tonally neutral. I have stopped saying "G4" over here for example.
On the AAC board, I enjoy engaging with visitors who add to the conversation, especially if the posts are data-driven. There are several posters here who add value when they visit us over there. But I have a short fuse for falsehoods and trolling. I'll make my points in that regard quite strongly on our board and try to remain much more neutral when I am visiting over here.
I don't think I have ever played a "Look what I posted over there, guys!!" on the AAC board -- please call me out with a link if I have.

There is also a risk of underselling those programs too. Imo, ECU is in the same position Marshall was ten years ago. While our fanbase is nowhere near as big as theirs, it is pretty solid. However, several years of average football and playing schools the fanbase did not want to be a part of has taken a toll on gameday attendance. Now, we are fighting to get those people back. If you think losing UCF, Houston, Cincy and replacing them with North Texas, Rice, UTSA is not going to make a difference long term, I disagree. Maybe that is the difference here, you are looking at the past and I am looking at the future (long term). ECU's fans (along with Memphis) are going to get sick to their stomach every time they see UCF, Houston, or Cincy playing a B-12 game on National TV and being considered part of the club. It will be a constant reminder they were left behind and they will resent it. Time will tell, but I (as a Marshall fan) have already experienced it. As to the games you referenced, while they were not the largest, they certainly were not the smallest.

2018- UNC 39,298 (highest) UConn 27,2344 (lowest) Memphis 29,127 (lowest AAC)
2019- William & Mary 38,004 (highest) Tulsa 27,798 (lowest season & AAC)
2021- South Carolina 40,815 (highest) South Florida 32,015 (Lowest season & AAC)
2022- NC State 51,711 (highest) ODU 36,853 (lowest) Memphis 38,059 (lowest AAC)


In regards to USF, even with your numbers I am still shocked! What does that say? I follow G-5 football probably as close as anybody, but did not realize they averaged that. That just shows how irrelevant they were in the OLD AAC. Those numbers are good, but for the most part 28-29 K is not a huge separation from the pack. I know, I know they have potential, we Marshall fans heard that all the time in CUSA. The only outlier was 2018 when they averaged 38,000. Upon further review of that season, they started out 7-0 (loss the next six), Only had 34,000 for Georgia Tech, did get 42,000 for UCONN when USF was ranked, then after losing on the road to Houston it went back to their normal numbers except when UCF came to town 57,626, Hmmm.

As to your interaction on the boards, let me start by saying I enjoy reading the numbers you bring to the table and thank you for your research. Most of your post are insightful, well thought out, but my earlier reference to you being snide had nothing to do with Reggie. It is more of reading your posts over the past year on the AAC board. Seems you like to take backhanded jabs at this board, especially during the time when TV viewership was being discussed. As you said it is your board and you can speak freely, but it is my right when you come on this board to call you out!

The bottom line is the AAC has always been made up haves and have not, but now it more than ever. Memphis, ECU, Navy, and I guess USF are part of the haves. Tulane is new to the party and I still question how long it will last. How long will those just mentioned schools be happy waiting for UNCC, Rice, North Texas, FAU, UAB, and UTSA (Basketball) to catch up. Heck they are still waiting on Temple and Tulsa.

The Sun Belt schools know who they are; regional rivals, solid fanbases(although small into comparison to "some" of the AAC), and based on almost every trajectory (i.e. season tickets sales, ESPN viewership, competition on the field) are rising! As a Marshall fan who has been in a league with almost every school mentioned, I know what league I want to be in.

Someday would love to take you up on that. One of my best football trips ever was to the Naval Academy, the pride and respect I had during that trip could not be understated.

(09-14-2023 11:16 AM)Herd6993 Wrote:  ECU 38,211- Good crowd, but even ECU fans will tell you that is not a great number for them. Just imagine what it would of been like if Marshall would not have brought thousands of fans.

Come on now... Marshall did NOT bring "thousands" of fans.