I do think there is a good portion of generational season ticket holders. However, I think you’re wrong overall on this as it comes to UH - I do think that applies a lot more to the professional teams. Now of course, for some professional (and college teams) getting season tickets handed down from the previous generation might be necessary if there just aren’t as many openings for new season ticket holders annually - sadly not a problem we have with UH football. I would agree that it is more likely if your parent is a season ticket holder that you may want to become one too. Really though, even if you’re right and it is a generational thing - you still have to get that first generation to start the trend. Getting those young alumni who were rabid fans as students to become season ticket holders (especially if their prior generation wasn’t a season ticket holder), is the key to having a solid base of season ticket holding fans. We need to convert more of them to season ticket holders than we are losing due to normal attrition for the continued health of the fanbase. Obviously, winning and excitement on field is going to make it easier to do that but we still have to do things internally (marketing, fan service, selling, etc) to get them as season ticketholders and then retain them.
This and Cougar Pride - get them signed up even if it undercuts other ST holders or if you offer some freebies only to that group.
There other marketing targets for STs, but recent grads offer the best returns. Whatever is being done now needs to be stepped up.
Short term, we need all the games to be solidly over 30K. Long-term, 40K+ is a great spot to be in. We should continue to be aggressive with students… adjust to let 10K+ into games. We are probably going to have to invest in amendities on that upper deck in order to attract regular interest there for alumni and casual fans.
There’s a group of people I had season tickets near a number of years ago that all were young alumni (as was I at the time) but this large group all (well, at least one of each if they were a couple) worked at the same engineering firm. I know that I see some of them still at games, they changed to a different section years ago and then I changed my tickets too. I wasn’t sure how many of them were friends from undergrad already and that started their group or it was somewhat facilitated because of where they worked. That would be a good group to learn about for someone selling to young alumni for a potential expansion of similar groups.
If we beat ASU we’ll be ranked and the stands will be packed for WVU.
Just like UH Basketball, UH Football has to be ranked and actually win a conference or prestigious bowl for attendance to improve. UH Alumni don’t care for an unranked team, even at 6-1. History proves this. Alumni will turn out for big games if the team is ranked.
Yeah a lot of people were watching from the concourse. We moved seats
You are right, Chris. The reason we have people whining about attendance is because they have nothing else they can complain about. The whiners will never go completely away, but as long as we win, they get pushed to the very back, as they should. Plenty of P4 schools have empty seats when they play on a weekday night or very early Saturday morning. We had 28-30 thousand for Arizona? So what…Who cares? It was plenty loud, and we won. When we have established ourselves as a P4 Big 12 school for a few more years, all of our numbers will go up. When our school pushes marketing a little more than they do now, that will help also. We are just now actually getting the full money a Big 12 school should get. As you say, current momentum is for real…FB and BB look amazing for the future…
Nov 22 is our last home game against TCU, hopefully it will be cold, or at least in the 60s, and an evening game.
We really need to keep them as fans as well as alumni. A lot of kids go to the game because it’s what’s going on and they are going with friends. Immediately after graduation, they will have the reality of actually earning a living and paying for season tickets – and raising a family. Only a few degrees have starting salaries that support that.
The AD needs to figure this out. I’d lower some ticket prices and do family packs etc.
Yesterday it was hot and a lot of people stayed on the concourse. Plus a lot of families have stuff to do mid day sat. If yesterday was a night game attendance would have been higher but tv tells us what to do. They said it was over 28k not bad for a Saturday in heat .
Still it’s on the AD to price things right with a goal of full attendance.
We’re in the big 12 , all projects are done.
Our AD only has to focus on funding and attendance. It can be done. Lower some prices were historically seats don’t sell as well.
Other ADs here had to cope with getting a p4 invite and projects .
He has less to deal with so it’s on him now.
Unless things have changed, they pay for their tickets now with the student service fee in their tuition, so they are not free.
Always have. I paid for my student ticket book back in the ‘60’s.
I was told by somome in the know to expect 11 am for WVU and evening for TCU.
If we beat ASU we will be ranked and the stadium will be rocking for WVU regardless of kickoff time.
IMHO UH is trending in the right direction, and student involvement is the key component of establishing a larger more faithful fan base. We need students at games and games have to be fun.
Idk about y’all… but if this season has been one thing it’s been fun!
That’s a load of malarkey. Nunez can certainly take some actions to improve attendance but to put 100 years of a fickle fanbase on him is absurd.
Khator gets some blame for not making attendance a priority. Had the prior ADs’ performance and pay been measured on attendance I have to believe UH would have bigger crowds.
I’d say 45-50K if Fritz can build us up to be perennially big 12 contenders
He could reduce some prices . I’m ok with the prices but reduce prices of non selling seats and do family packs. It is his job .
Your point about Khator making attendance part of his goal would be good.
Again he only has fundraising left so attendance can be added.
P4 is done
Facilities are done
We’re only talking football bc bb is fine
So it’s not asking much
Other ADs here had to deal with a multitude of issues.
Ex the AD did decide to let more students in which was good
I don’t see expanding TDECU Stadium at this point for the next five years, minimum, unless the expansion was fully funded by private donations, which I doubt any businessman would support. You don’t expand when you can’t sell out your own stadium and you don’t expand to accommodate a crowd for one marquee game a year at best. UH leadership knows this. If UH feels they need to spend money on TDECU, may I suggest capital improvements like escalators and elevators to the third level, and more bathrooms in the stadium, all improvements to make the fan experience more positive.
As Fertitta said when Fritz was hired, UH needs to stop spending on building and start paying players, or something to that affect. Let’s start with the OL and DL.