The Chron’s higher ed reporter found this nugget in the materials for yesterday’s BOR meeting. Wanna know why we hired Kendal Briles? Here’s your answer.
I take it the students are not considered paid.
The drop in attendance was obvious yet a poster or two on the board insisted on more than a few occasions that the stadium was almost to capacity.
Hiring applewhite and donofrio was a let down
Our fan base has gotten used to or call,it spoiled with fun and exciting offensive football. What they rolled out last year was boring and predictable and lacked imagination.
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I’m not sure it’s that simple. We had no hype around the program last year, except maybe for Ed, but casual fans aren’t coming to watch a DT play in most cases, although I encourage folks I know to check him out.
Herman was a rock star before he ever set foot on campus and he became the PR man in 15 and 16. CMA wasn’t a rock star and he doesnt generate a lot of energy when being interviewed. He doesn’t do other stuff that generates hype like kiss his players.
Plus, Greg Ward made the offense exciting as well as some of the other playmakers we had like Ayers, Farrel, Allen, B. Wilson, H. Wilson, W.Jackson III. We basically ran the same plays last year as the previous two, we just didn’t do it very well.
I think if Pezman becomes the PR/Hype man and does a good job of it, attendance will rise.
Oh, yeah, there’s the winning thing too.
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The Las Vegas bowl to end the season before definitely did not endear applewhite to the fan base. 33k for rice is a good turnout but the continuing product on the field showed that Las Vegas wasn’t an aberration.
As for excitement being necessary for a fan base, where isn’t that the case?
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I think you are right. Those numbers would not include student entry
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Well it does say “paid” attendance.
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It’s all about winning and playing top teams. Herman was lucky with what he had at Houston before he got here. Yes, he hyped things up, but I also remember the UCF game in 2016 after the SMU loss which had a reported attendance of 35K. There couldn’t have been more than 25K there. The shine was off once we started losing again.
I’d rather Applewhite coach games and win rather than try to do publicity stunts.
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Those numbers do absolutely nothing if they aren’t compared to other years and other institutions.
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This. Fans will come if we win and beat powerful teams like Florida State, OU and Louisville when we have the chance. Winning brings out the bandwagoners, which is what we’re all talking about. Herman kept the Coogs in the news by getting a grill and kissing players and picking fights with sports talk radio hosts. But his winning in 2015 is what put cheeks in seats. Applewhite needs to focus on winning first and foremost.
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Fans get excited when their teams are winning, even if winning ugly or close games. I grew up in Ohio during the Wood Hayes era and except for his last couple of years it was the most boring football ever. It was exciting when Archie Griffin was the tailback. Three yards and a cloud of dust became 6 or 7 yards and then he’d bust a big one.
Sellouts year after year with boring football because they were winning. Simple as that.
But, I like turning on the sports channel and hearing them love on my team so hype is good too!
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How do you guys know this isn’t the case for other years and other teams without seeing the numbers. You guys are trying too hard to read into one set of data with nothing to compare it.
GIven the students have a $45 athletics fee per student/per semester they’re required to pay I think it unfair to them to be taken out of the “paid attendance” equation. They’re paying for it…even the majority that don’t attend.
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They should rename it “voluntary paid attendance.” 
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its ridiculous to show any attendance chart that doesnt include the students…last time i checked, they are fans too…do aggies not count their 30,000 students who go to home games? CMON…
It’s my understanding Aggie students buy tickets to the individual games.
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WHAT the hell difference does it make how they get their tickets?? If they go, they count!
Because the metric cited at the top is paid attendance.
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and the metric is foolish and shouldnt be a topic…how they get their tickets isnt important…