I would like to apologize for criticizing EMU attendance in a thread not meant for that discussion. I decided to go a step further and start this thread so MAC fans have a place to discuss EMU attendance.

What can fellow MAC schools do to help EMU attendance besides actually attending EMU games themselves? At what point do we consider EMU a lost cause, and demand they start meeting attendance minimums in the 5-figures range or leave the MAC?

Why is every EMU attendance thread started by an Ohio fan???? Thats the bigger question.

(10-15-2012 02:34 PM)utpotts Wrote:  Why is every EMU attendance thread started by an Ohio fan???? Thats the bigger question.

I would guess it has something to do with our high expectations/aspirations for the MAC. I guess not all MAC fans find 2,832 to be a low/unacceptable number that drags down the conference?

(10-15-2012 02:26 PM)The Optimist Wrote:  What can fellow MAC schools do to help EMU attendance besides actually attending EMU games themselves?

I think the number one reason EMU football attendance is low is two decades of losing (the mascot thing contributes, but 20 years after the change, it's now a secondary problem). So if, as a fan of another MAC school, you want to help EMU improve attendance, you could consider sabotaging your team when they play us...throw loud parties all night outside your team's dorm so they can't get a good rest, undercook their food to give them food poisoning (mild -- we don't want to actually hurt anyone!), and if you have a cold or flu, sneeze on them. You could also talk up EMU to your potential recruits.

LOL....yeah....what are "we" gonna do about it.

EMU needs to win games. So, short of the other 12 football members in the MAC losing on purpose to EMU...there isn't much "we" can do about it.

What exactly are the consequences if they don't meet those "demands"? Kick them out of the MAC?

As a conference, we are in no position to talk about expansion through FCS teams...and then threaten the lowest member on our attendance pole. It doesn't look good.

Furthermore, every one of our 12 member schools brings something different to the table. Like it or not, EMU does very well in the non revenue sports. Witness their recent success. The NCAA member institutions can't hand out athletic scholarships for men and women for DI...and then demote a team solely because of football success/attendance.

As long as EMU is willing to foot the bill, they aren't going anywhere and it's a waste of time discussing it.

I'm not understanding why kicking out Eastern Michigan is seen as an unreasonable action if they do not meet conference standards. It's not like we're setting the bar unreasonably high. I can name plenty of FCS teams that can outdraw Eastern Michigan. 2,832 is an embarrassment to the MAC brand that hurts every institution of higher education that calls itself a member of the MAC.

(10-15-2012 02:46 PM)The Optimist Wrote:  I'm not understanding why kicking out Eastern Michigan is seen as an unreasonable action if they do not meet conference standards. It's not like we're setting the bar unreasonably high. I can name plenty of FCS teams that can outdraw Eastern Michigan. 2,832 is an embarrassment to the MAC brand that hurts every institution of higher education that calls itself a member of the MAC.

Because like it or not, it isn't just about football attendance.

(10-15-2012 02:47 PM)EA3 Wrote:  

(10-15-2012 02:46 PM)The Optimist Wrote:  I'm not understanding why kicking out Eastern Michigan is seen as an unreasonable action if they do not meet conference standards. It's not like we're setting the bar unreasonably high. I can name plenty of FCS teams that can outdraw Eastern Michigan. 2,832 is an embarrassment to the MAC brand that hurts every institution of higher education that calls itself a member of the MAC.

Because like it or not, it isn't just about football attendance.

I agree, it isn't just about football attendance. However, football attendance is a major factor that must be considered.
If you are looking for more factors that would lead me to believe Eastern Michigan should get the boot, I would point to Basketball attendance. From statistics I have found, EMU averaged 1,114 at men's basketball games. This would also fall below minimums I would set for schools to maintain membership in the MAC.

Does anyone know if the conference itself has any initiatives in place to help EMU get their attendance up?

Even Michigan had trouble drawing people Saturday, and that was their Homecoming game! Despite the reported attendance of 110,922 (101% capacity), take a look at some pictures...







Yeah, I call bullsh*t on 101% capacity attendance at that game. My point is that 1) arguing about attendance is tricky, because EMU isn't the only school to sometimes report ticket sales rather than physical attendance, and 2) when the weather's bad and the game's expected to be a mismatch, fans tend to stay home even at the most storied programs.

I have no issue with reporting attendance as tickets sold. My issue is that Eastern Michigan only sold 2,832 tickets.

(10-15-2012 02:52 PM)The Optimist Wrote:  

(10-15-2012 02:47 PM)EA3 Wrote:  

(10-15-2012 02:46 PM)The Optimist Wrote:  I'm not understanding why kicking out Eastern Michigan is seen as an unreasonable action if they do not meet conference standards. It's not like we're setting the bar unreasonably high. I can name plenty of FCS teams that can outdraw Eastern Michigan. 2,832 is an embarrassment to the MAC brand that hurts every institution of higher education that calls itself a member of the MAC.

Because like it or not, it isn't just about football attendance.

I agree, it isn't just about football attendance. However, football attendance is a major factor that must be considered.
If you are looking for more factors that would lead me to believe Eastern Michigan should get the boot, I would point to Basketball attendance. From statistics I have found, EMU averaged 1,114 at men's basketball games. This would also fall below minimums I would set for schools to maintain membership in the MAC.

Does anyone know if the conference itself has any initiatives in place to help EMU get their attendance up?

If you're talking BB attendance you'd have to kick us out first. What was it Ralph Kramden said? Oh yea, "Be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because you'll meet the same people on the way down".

But OU fans don't seem to think that they will be 'coming down.'

"Onward and upwards, to infinity and beyond!!" (Sorry, Buzz)

(10-15-2012 03:03 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  But OU fans don't seem to think that they will be 'coming down.'

"Onward and upwards, to infinity and beyond!!" (Sorry, Buzz)

Yea, I might have been too subtle with that hint.

(10-15-2012 02:26 PM)The Optimist Wrote:  At what point do we consider EMU a lost cause, and demand they start meeting attendance minimums in the 5-figures range or leave the MAC?

We? WE won't do anything but whine on a message board because WE have no authority to demand anything. Not sure what the conference admin might do but this is nothing new and anyone who missed that third quarter missed the most entertaining quarter of football I've ever seen. Go Eagles!!!!!

As my OP in this thread indicated, I am attempting to bring the entire MAC to infinity to beyond. If anyone knows what can be done to help EMU reach acceptable levels, I am all for it. I would only pursue kicking out EMU if they do not make a noticeable effort to improve significantly from their current state. It is disappointing that so many fans of the MAC are unwilling to make commitments to take the entire conference to the next level.

(10-15-2012 03:12 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(10-15-2012 02:26 PM)The Optimist Wrote:  At what point do we consider EMU a lost cause, and demand they start meeting attendance minimums in the 5-figures range or leave the MAC?

We? WE won't do anything but whine on a message board because WE have no authority to demand anything. Not sure what the conference admin might do but this is nothing new and anyone who missed that third quarter missed the most entertaining quarter of football I've ever seen. Go Eagles!!!!!

As paying fans of the MAC conference, we indirectly run the conference. Every fan who dreams of growth in the MAC should be calling their athletic departments and University offices demanding we expect more out of the MAC. That is how we take this conference to new heights.

To the bolded point... Don't you think it is a problem that this continues to happen? Clearly WE need to take a new approach.

If we knew some surefire action that would add 8-10,000 people to a MAC football crowd, we wouldn't waste our time with it on this message board. I would have already been on the phone with our farking AD taking over for whoever runs our marketing department.

It's always the recently successful team that wants to boot other teams.

Every school and every conference in the country has been struggling with attendance the past few years. EMU just didn't have spectacular attendance to begin with. I was watching Big Ten and even SEC games and still saw tons of empty seats. The sky is not falling in MAC country.