(06-18-2022 01:03 PM)ken d Wrote:  The other two 2022 FCS callups, James Madison and Jacksonville State, have averaged about three times as much as Sam Houston State over the past four seasons. Despite an undergraduate enrollment of about 19K and a location about an hour from Houston, one of the most populous cities in America, the Bearkats have averaged fewer than 7K at its home football games. In a football crazy state like Texas, wouldn't one expect more? What am I missing from this story?

In 2002, the football oversight committee changed the requirements to what they are now: a 15,000-fan average, with no stadium size requirement. I dont think they ever really enforce that 15k attendance rule, especially with current G5 teams. There are some schools who tend to average a little below 15k almost every year. NCAA bylaw 20.9.9.5.1 states, “An institution that fails to satisfy any of the Football Bowl Subdivision membership requirements shall receive notice of such noncompliance. After receiving notice, any further noncompliance with the Football Bowl Subdivision requirements within a 10-year period shall cause the institution to be placed in restricted membership.” Restricted membership includes a postseason ban and could lead to reclassification to FCS.

For Example: (SEPT 30, 2008 bleacherreport)

Going back to 2005 thru 2008, some teams have already not met this standard for three straight years. According to the NCAA, these teams are supposed to pull 15,000 fans at least once every two years if they don't want to be dropped from the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Teams that have not met the standard since 2005
Utah State: 10,896, 11,360, 13,131
Eastern Michigan: 5,219, 14,734, 6,910

Teams that have not met the standard since 2006
Rice: 14,760, 13,353
Idaho: 14,543, 11,479

Teams that did not meet the standard in 2007
Ball State: 13,085
Kent State: 8,999
Buffalo: 13,658
New Mexico State: 14,412
Florida International: 7,982

Link
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/6351...ball-teams

As of July 2019 (pre COVID) according to the official NCAA stats, 14 different programs reported average attendance below 15,000. If you go by scanned tickets, that number is closer to 30.

Link
https://extrapoints.substack.com/p/the-n...equirement

So back to your question, How will Sam Houston State meet requirements? PAID Attendance! How a school gets over the mark varies. Some work with groups that distribute them to local charities. Some have agreements through sponsorship deals. But the tickets have to be paid for. They can’t be given away for free. Kent State gets to 15,000 through its marketing deal with IMG. In years when it needs to hit the mark, Kent State uses IMG money to buy discounted tickets from itself. Per NCAA rules, discount tickets are required to be at least one-third of the price of the most expensive available tickets.

Ball State has similar up-and-down numbers. In 2015, it sold 40,000 “discounted general admission” tickets in the final two home games to reach the 15,000 average, according to its audits. In 2017, it had more than 23,000 tickets credited to “foundation” in the final two games to reach the average, along with 5,500 credited to “community relations” for each game.

Eastern Michigan receives $280,000 annually from a sponsorship with Pepsi, and according to the school’s most recent audit conducted in February, “EMU has the option to direct Pepsi to expend some of these fees to purchase home football game tickets. These tickets may be distributed to community groups identified by Pepsi and EMU. Tickets issued are used to supplement the actual attendance total.” That included Pepsi “buying” at least 10,000 tickets in four of five home games in 2017. In 2016, there were at least 10,000 “groups” tickets in every game. We have to get creative with that,” EMU athletic director Scott Wetherbee said. “My goal is to continue to lessen that, obviously. We’ve got plans in place to chip away. One of my arguments to the 15,000 piece is that when that was enacted, we weren’t playing Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday in November, in snowstorms."

Link
https://theathletic.com/1070204/2019/07/...ance-rule/

Also you might be interested in an interview with Sam Houston State AD Bobby Williams by 365 Sports. He talks about facility upgrades, but doesn't even mention the attendance thing because he knows he can use PAID Attendance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkqbgFQriT0