(02-14-2021 05:28 PM)SMUstang Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 04:32 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  [quote='SMUstang' pid='17273822' dateline='1613336673']
UTEP football has many advantages that most programs don’t. They are far away from an NFL team. They play in a 51,000 seat Sun Bowl stadium. Their school has an enrollment of around 22,000 students. They have a beautiful campus. They are part of the UT system. The El Paso/Juarez metro area is around a half a million with a major airport, hotels, and restaurants. They are located in Texas yet closer to California than east Texas. They have historically averaged 45,000 fans in football. They are located in a mountainous area.

Can you please list which years they averaged 45,000 fans a game?

[/That 48k average was in a 8-4 regular season. A 10 win or undefeated season would push it to a 50k-52k average. UTEP used to have a core of 25k fans but the program has been terrible and it gives the fans an excuse to stay home. Give the fans a good product on the field and they’ll show up. It’s the only game in town and there’s no P5 or pro sports competing for media coverage. The entire El Paso media and business community supports UTEP athletics. The coverage I see every time I go to El Paso rivals those I see in P5 markets. The on campus facilities especially the Sun Bowl are great although I think the Don Haskins Center needs some remodeling.

You said they have historically averaged 45k though. One season isn’t that. How many times have they averaged over 45k?

(02-14-2021 04:53 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 11:40 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 09:05 AM)GTFletch Wrote:  NMSU & UTEP should be invited to MWC in the next expansion round

Why would the MWC 2 of the worst, if not the worst football programs of all time? That share the same undesirable market? NMSU has a pretty good basketball program, but they’re far from Gonzaga. UTEP hasn’t been good for 10 years. So yeah, the MWC should add them for the f of it.

I love the way DoubleRSU does not sugarcoat his comments. It is difficult to win in football in El Paso or sustain winning in football. It will take a special type of coach who is committed to being in El Paso. Good luck with that. For basketball, they should be better. For 29 years, the had some great teams under "The Bear" and they just need to find that next great coach. They have a good basketball history and fans that will support basketball.

Independence in football is probably not a good idea and while the WAC would probably welcome their men's basketball program, they would not bring much of anything else. Besides football and men's basketball, all they have for men's sports are golf, cross country and track & field. No baseball or tennis or men's soccer.

El Paso is a unique place and the geographical isolation does not make it a great landing spot for recruits. But I have spent a lot of time there and I like it. As a local weatherman once said about his three favorite things about El Paso, it has "Freak Snow Storms, Low Humidity, and Lots of Pretty Women." Not a bad place to be.

Thanks. I don’t mean to come off that way, but these guys come on here and post whatever conference expansion comes to their mind, without really thinking about it.

(02-14-2021 05:50 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  You said they have historically averaged 45k though. One season isn’t that. How many times have they averaged over 45k?

I didn't mean to imply that they have averaged 45,000 over their history. They have had more losing seasons than winning ones, and their attendance suffers when they lose. But when they win they can fill the Sun Bowl. That hasn't happened very much lately, but the potential is there.

(02-14-2021 04:32 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 04:04 PM)SMUstang Wrote:  UTEP football has many advantages that most programs don’t. They are far away from an NFL team. They play in a 51,000 seat Sun Bowl stadium. Their school has an enrollment of around 22,000 students. They have a beautiful campus. They are part of the UT system. The El Paso/Juarez metro area is around a half a million with a major airport, hotels, and restaurants. They are located in Texas yet closer to California than east Texas. They have historically averaged 45,000 fans in football. They are located in a mountainous area.

Can you please list which years they averaged 45,000 fans a game?

The best attendance season was 2005 with an average of 47,899. Over 40k five different seasons.

From 1987 thru 2016 they averaged over 30k. Lowest was 20k in 2003 for a 2-11 season.

Losing has sucked the life out of the fan base.

(02-14-2021 06:12 PM)SMUstang Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 05:50 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  You said they have historically averaged 45k though. One season isn’t that. How many times have they averaged over 45k?

I didn't mean to imply that they have averaged 45,000 over their history. They have had more losing seasons than winning ones, and their attendance suffers when they lose. But when they win they can fill the Sun Bowl. That hasn't happened very much lately, but the potential is there.

You literally said they averaged that historically. Not they had a few years here and there that came close to that.

You're not going to see any FBS team go indy to join the WAC or the A-Sun.

The travel savings just wouldn't be enough to make up for the loss of CFP and TV money of any G5 league.

(02-14-2021 07:59 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 06:12 PM)SMUstang Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 05:50 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  You said they have historically averaged 45k though. One season isn’t that. How many times have they averaged over 45k?

I didn't mean to imply that they have averaged 45,000 over their history. They have had more losing seasons than winning ones, and their attendance suffers when they lose. But when they win they can fill the Sun Bowl. That hasn't happened very much lately, but the potential is there.

You literally said they averaged that historically. Not they had a few years here and there that came close to that.

Historically it's been between 25k-30k. Not bad considering the W-L record. Before the Kugler years, the last time UTEP went below 20k was in 1984. It takes an 8 win season to go above 40k. A 10-win or undefeated season would push it close to 52k. This is not potential, it's happened before. There's been sellouts for G5 opponents like Rice, Marshall and UAB. Over 45k for the likes of Tulsa, Tulane, SMU and Houston. A good crowd for a Tuesday night game. Over 40k for a game a against a FCS team. SMUstang probably meant it has averaged over 45k before which is correct. So the opponent regardless of conference is not the issue, it's the product on the field. Win or at least show some improvement and the fans will show up, lose and they will stay home.

(02-14-2021 08:33 PM)EigenEagle Wrote:  You're not going to see any FBS team go indy to join the WAC or the A-Sun.

The travel savings just wouldn't be enough to make up for the loss of CFP and TV money of any G5 league.

Plus C-USA has a better basketball line-up than anything the WAC offers except NMSU. The Aggies don't really count because they're on the schedule for a home and home regardless.

A conference that has UTEP, UAB, Western Kentucky, Old Dominion, Charlotte and Middle Tennessee has not excuses for being a one-bid league even if the rest suck. None.

(02-14-2021 11:16 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(02-14-2021 08:33 PM)EigenEagle Wrote:  You're not going to see any FBS team go indy to join the WAC or the A-Sun.

The travel savings just wouldn't be enough to make up for the loss of CFP and TV money of any G5 league.

Plus C-USA has a better basketball line-up than anything the WAC offers except NMSU. The Aggies don't really count because they're on the schedule for a home and home regardless.

A conference that has UTEP, UAB, Western Kentucky, Old Dominion, Charlotte and Middle Tennessee has not excuses for being a one-bid league even if the rest suck. None.

GCU has turned into a very solid program so the WAC isn't as bad as it was in the past, but I agree. The CUSA has very seriously underachieved with the pieces they have. A lineup like that should put the conference around the same level as the MVC.

As for the one bid thing, you're not going to see any mid-majors apart from the A10 or occasionally the WCC get more than one bid anymore. The NCAA has decided they'd rather see 18-win high-major teams get in than 26-win mid-majors.

If Boise State should join the WAC, they would have a good shot at winning the conference and go to March Madness even if the WAC were a 1 bid conference. Maybe they wouldn’t make it in the MWC with UNM and SDSU also in a 1 bid conference.

(02-13-2021 05:09 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Why do so many people on this forum think independence is the answer for everyone? It basically works great for one team, ok for another.... after that... ehh.. Do you think there is anyone outside of El Paso thinking “Well damn, now that UTEP is an Indy that’s my team. Can’t wait to watch them play UMass.”

Pretty sure they'd be happy scheduling a W on that calendar.

:(