Big Sky 2014 Attendance vs Mountain West Attendance

[tnt]

I believe Gateway project is like wanting to go to Mars but all along they just want to go to the moon. They will take out the track, rebuild visitor side and get to 15,000 capacity which will be enough to move up when the Big 5 split and the rest of FBS and upper tier FCS move into one division..this will happen in 3 years for EWU to remodel and another 5-6 for restructure.

*EWU will also put in better concessions/bathrooms.

With that mess down south of you, you better speed it up. It appears eastern is developing a whole new fan base. Bringing in Leach is a move that's going to take a long time to recover from. People won't need to drive south anymore.

 

[grizfan95]

Montana outright Big Sky championships since Hauck left? 0.
We can wave the attendance flag all we want, but until we start winning like we have in the past, we're right where we should be and that's just the reality. Win first, decide later.

You can thank the shitstorm we've been riding since Hauck left for that. Once we get a coach in place that knows football, you can expect the Griz to start dominating again.

I hope you're right, but these attendance figures have way more to do with the passion of the fan base than the product that is being put on the field. And the product is what will sustain us at the next level.

I don't think the Griz will be comfortable with the product on the field until a new coach has had 4 years, but I fear the college football scene will move much quicker than that.

 

[qwerty15ster]

Montana outright Big Sky championships since Hauck left? 0.
We can wave the attendance flag all we want, but until we start winning like we have in the past, we're right where we should be and that's just the reality. Win first, decide later.

You can thank the shitstorm we've been riding since Hauck left for that. Once we get a coach in place that knows football, you can expect the Griz to start dominating again.

I hope you're right, but these attendance figures have way more to do with the passion of the fan base than the product that is being put on the field. And the product is what will sustain us at the next level.

I don't think the Griz will be comfortable with the product on the field until a new coach has had 4 years, but I fear the college football scene will move much quicker than that.

This is along the lines of what I think. Stadium attendance is only one way to measure who our "peers" are. Winning (the BS title and going deep in the playoffs), school size, money, etc... are further considerations about who we should consider our peers.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

It's amazing how far ahead Montana and Montana State are in attendance compared to the rest of the Big Sky. Other than Weber's nice attendance boost against North Dakota State, this conference really sucks when it comes to fan support.

Week 1:
1. Eastern Washington - 10,310
2. Eastern Washington - 9,116

Week 2:
1. Montana - 24,697
2. Montana State - 19,187
3. Weber State - 14,577
4. North Dakota - 9,118
5. Portland State - 4,241
6. UC Davis - 3,597

Week 3:
1. Montana - 26,303
2. Montana State - 17,777
3. Northern Arizona - 9,505
4. Sacramento State - 6,595
5. Southern Utah - 5,017
6. Idaho State - 4,838
7. Northern Colorado - 4,080

Week 4:
1. Montana State - 19,377
2. Cal Poly - 8,834
3. North Dakota - 7,030
4. Sacramento State - 5,754

Now compare Montana and MSU's attendance with Mountain West teams:

Week 1:
1. Hawaii - 36,411
2. Air Force - 32,038
3. San Diego State - 30,761
4. New Mexico - 25,802
5. Wyoming - 25,243
6. Nevada - 21,021
7. San Jose State - 10,371

Week 2:
1. Boise State - 34,910
2. Hawaii - 29,050
3. Nevada - 26,023
4. New Mexico - 25,742
5. Montana - 24,697
6. Wyoming - 21,246
7. Utah State - 20,249
8. Montana State - 19,187
9. UNLV - 17,289

Week 3:
1. Fresno State - 41,043
2. Montana - 26,303
3. Hawaii - 24,999
4. Colorado State - 21,202
5. Utah State - 20,345
6. Montana State - 17,777
7. UNLV - 14,305

Week 4:
1. Boise State - 33,337
2. Fresno State - 32,645
3. Wyoming - 21,226
4. Montana State - 19,377
_________________________________________________________________________________

Should we be in the Big Sky or Mountain West? My vote is the MWC.

This has topic has been beaten to death, but outside the States of Montana and the Dakotas, FCS is by and large considered little league football...Not saying that it is, but not to many care about it in states that have FBS schools, especially West of the Mississippi.

Or maybe you're just embarrassed to see the numbers in print. The tampon complex wouldn't make the top 20 in Texas... :egriz: (high school that is)

Doesn't help when both Coug games this year drew 30k plus and idaho had over 14k at their opener. Add in EWU's 10K and your are talkin 50K+ in fans...

This notion requires that the products are substitutes. They aren't.

 

[Buttegrizzle]

Montana: 26k at UM, 19k at MSU and let's say 5k at combined NAIA games the same day (although Carroll get 5k by themselves sometimes). Now. That's 50 k out of 1m people vs EWU, WSU, UW getting a combined, what, 80-90k out of a state having 7m people. That's the difference that no where but probably North Dakota can approach. Intense football pride for one team or another in this state.

 

[Buttegrizzle]

Course UM draws away a lot of support from Idaho and Washington too.. :twisted:

 

[get'em_griz]

Bump.

I've updated the OP with week 5's attendance numbers. Montana lead the Big Sky again, and was the 3rd-highest attended game in comparison with the Mountain West.

 

[kemajic]

It's amazing how far ahead Montana and Montana State are in attendance compared to the rest of the Big Sky. Other than Weber's nice attendance boost against North Dakota State, this conference really sucks when it comes to fan support.

What is amazing about this? It's been this way for years.

 

[PlayerRep]

2013 FCS conference attendance stats:

1. Southwestern Athletic
12,415

2. Southern
11,623

3. Missouri Valley Football
10,722

4. Colonial
10,395

5. Ivy
9,382

6. Big Sky
8,949

7. Mid-Eastern Athletic
8,454

8. Southland
8,375

9. Ohio Valley
8,282

10. Big South
7,106

11.
Patriot League
5,665

12. Pioneer FB League
4,112

13. Northeast
2,263

 

[Grizbeer]

By comparison, the Montana softball team drew around 600 people for exhibition games against NAIA teams on Sunday, while at the same time the Montana women's soccer team drew nearly 400 for their game. Will the softball team outdraw the bottom of the BSC and FCS football games when they play games that count against D-I competition?

Week 2:
5. Portland State - 4,241
6. UC Davis - 3,597

Week 3:
5. Southern Utah - 5,017
6. Idaho State - 4,838
7. Northern Colorado - 4,080

Week 4:
4. Sacramento State - 5,754

Week 5:
6. Southern Utah - 3,238

11.Patriot League
5,665

12. Pioneer FB League
4,112

13. Northeast
2,263

 

[get'em_griz]

I've updated the list of week-by-week home game attendance comparisons between Big Sky teams and Mountain West Teams. Looking at those Big Sky attendance numbers throughout the year make me go :shock:. And add to the fact that Montana's attendance numbers are middle to near the top of the MWC most weeks.

 

[griz4life]

But isn't the argument against "moving up" that Montana would begin losing more games than it does currently and therefore fans who turnout to see UM defeat Davis, NAU, SUU and so on would quit coming to games?

It's really an apples to oranges comparison unless you assume Griz ticket holders are willing to abandon the less competitive Big Sky for the much tougher Mountain West and more losses.

 

[George Ferguson]

Actually, the argument against moving up from the people who actually make the decisions are: not knowing where an additional 11-12 million dollars to the athletic budget annually will come from, Montana doesn't presently carry enough sports to qualify for FBS, Montana does not have the infrastructure in football and basketball to successfully compete for recruits, such as an indoor football facility, a modernized training and physical therapy facility, player's lounges, or even, at least in 2015, adequate locker rooms. But perhaps the single biggest argument for not moving up to the MWC is the most simple. The MWC has NEVER, since it was conceived, pursued Montana to become a member of its conference. And the league has shown absolutely no signs that it will pursue Montana in the future.

 

[AllWeatherFan]

Montana outright Big Sky championships since Hauck left? 0.
We can wave the attendance flag all we want, but until we start winning like we have in the past, we're right where we should be and that's just the reality. Win first, decide later.

I used to say things like that, but losing to us didn't stop Boise from making the leap, and they've done just fine. We need an invite from the conference in which we belong!

 

[grizrgood]

So we're roughly 3rd in the conference in attendance, about where I thought we'd be. Not too bad, considering the two home games we've played so far were well before classes started. As for venues, I hope they get Gateway going soon. It's needed when conference re-alignment happens. We could always go back to playing games at Albi in extremis, but I think most people realize that what's needed now is a quality on-campus venue. Unfortunately, we showed up late to the facilities arms race. EWU neglected old Woodward field for years and years while it played their games at Joe Albi. Should have been investing in the on-campus stadium that entire time.

Joe Albi is a very good football stadium IMO! I understand the desire to have an on campus stadium but Joe Albi would be one of the better venues in the Big Sky! I assume the problem is filling it up? Students getting to the game? Seems like the population base of Spokane would go a long way to putting butts in the seats??

 

[Kabooom]

Anyone care to run some numbers in regards to what the Big Sky Attendance average would be if Montana, and State decided to bolt from the conference??...Like What...about 4k per game average??.

If Carroll College joined the Big Sky After The Griz and Cats departed, the Saints would probably (w)rank near the top 3 in BSC attendance.....eeew...


MWC- Do we have big enough Sugar Daddys to stand up to our Peers in that neck of the woods? Probably not unless Alpha Jizz starts letting loose all that money he earned while playing on the Sentinel JV Team....

BSC- Drops to Div.II and Carroll College joins the fleet.....Happy happy joy joy...

Big Sky Commissioner is not impressed with the Tana teams leaving..... but here on the West Slope...we really don't give a phuck what that crazy Cat thinks.....

 

[get'em_griz]

So we're roughly 3rd in the conference in attendance, about where I thought we'd be. Not too bad, considering the two home games we've played so far were well before classes started. As for venues, I hope they get Gateway going soon. It's needed when conference re-alignment happens. We could always go back to playing games at Albi in extremis, but I think most people realize that what's needed now is a quality on-campus venue. Unfortunately, we showed up late to the facilities arms race. EWU neglected old Woodward field for years and years while it played their games at Joe Albi. Should have been investing in the on-campus stadium that entire time.

Joe Albi is a very good football stadium IMO! I understand the desire to have an on campus stadium but Joe Albi would be one of the better venues in the Big Sky! I assume the problem is filling it up? Students getting to the game? Seems like the population base of Spokane would go a long way to putting butts in the seats??

Something I would suggest is to play the EWU-Montana game every other year at Joe Albi, and then EWU can play the rest of their games in Cheney. It would be similar to the Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas where they play their game at a neutral site. That would allow eastern to make more revenue on having a larger crowd. Even though UM would probably be able to bring more fans to Joe Albi, Eastern is good enough where they should be able to start bringing enough of their fans to fill up Albi.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Actually, the argument against moving up from the people who actually make the decisions are: not knowing where an additional 11-12 million dollars to the athletic budget annually will come from, Montana doesn't presently carry enough sports to qualify for FBS, Montana does not have the infrastructure in football and basketball to successfully compete for recruits, such as an indoor football facility, a modernized training and physical therapy facility, player's lounges, or even, at least in 2015, adequate locker rooms. But perhaps the single biggest argument for not moving up to the MWC is the most simple. The MWC has NEVER, since it was conceived, pursued Montana to become a member of its conference. And the league has shown absolutely no signs that it will pursue Montana in the future.

First it was $4.5 million, then $5 million, then $6 million and now it's $11-$12 million? Fuck me, the longer we wait, the behinder we get. :roll:

 

[George Ferguson]

Honestly, I don't care what the actual increase in operating costs is, all I care about is ONE undisputable fact. Not ONE person on here in favor of a move up can show any evidence that the Mountain West Conference has asked or is going to as Montana to join that league. Meanwhile, I can show evidence that, regardless of the argument of costs, at the very least, as it stands at the start of 2015, Montana doesn't even carry the required number of sports to JOIN the MWC.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Honestly, I don't care what the actual increase in operating costs is, all I care about is ONE undisputable fact. Not ONE person on here in favor of a move up can show any evidence that the Mountain West Conference has asked or is going to as Montana to join that league. Meanwhile, I can show evidence that, regardless of the argument of costs, at the very least, as it stands at the start of 2015, Montana doesn't even carry the required number of sports to JOIN the MWC.

Hav, I don't believe ANYONE on here thinks we're holding an offer, or an offer is imminent, but what I, personally, would like is a PLAN. So that, in the event we ARE asked, we're READY. Is that really too much to ask? Then again, I'm one of those dreamers who believes that, had we been ready back when the WAC first asked us, we'd already BE in the MWC.