(08-02-2013 08:23 AM)Potomac Wrote:  

(08-02-2013 07:58 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  If JMU Nation can't sell out a home game against ODU, where there was a revenge factor and a potential playoff spot on the line, I don't see the fans wetting their collective FB pants for a chance to play Duke or whatever other bottom-feeding FCS team JMU can sign to play at the current BFS. Attendance for the ODU game (some 18k+) did exceed the attendance for the game against ASU, but it was still very disappointing to witness. And pullleeesseee...don't come back with excuses that the ODU game was cold, or close to Thanksgiving and students weren't on campus.

I'm not dismissing the fact FCS may well be in JMU's future...and I hope it helps generate even greater interest in JMU and JMU FB, but I just don't see low-level FCS FB as a magic pill that will somehow generate increased attendance and an even better game-day atmosphere (which is already pretty darn special) at BFS. Only one thing will do it, and that's winning.

1) I'm sorry, but Duke is still a BCS program. I have no doubt that a home game against Duke would still garner more interest than a home game against FCS ODU in November 2012 on Thanksgiving weekend. Don't give their fans the "honor" of being associated with Duke Football. They're still not even close.
2) The officially announced attendance for the ODU game was 23,051. You can argue that you saw 18k butts in seats until the cows come home, but it doesn't take away from the fact that there was 23k reported there. FWIW, just about every other school in the country, ODU included, use tickets sold as their "attendance". So 23k it was then. I watched an FIU home game last season that literally had maybe 100-200 actual fans in the stands, excluding the student band. It said 13,612 persons were in attendance... yeah, if you say so.

Sorry, but we'll just have to disagree about a hapless program like Duke, regardless of its classification, generating more interest amongst JMU FB fans than a strong in-state rival. Granted, Duke > St. Francis, but that's not saying much. Winning generates interest, and if it's a win over a state rival for bragging rights, then that's the best kind of win.

As for your second "point"...you seem to be arguing with yourself. You want to dismiss my statement that 18k were in attendance for ODU by claiming the official report was 23k+...yet then you counter your own argument by offered testimony that you attended a FIU game where the officially reported attendance was bogus. So where's the beef? We can agree about this...official attendance is what goes down in the stat book...but the reality (real butts in seats) was that there was probably only 18k+ in attendance for the last ODU vs. JMU FB game.