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Student and Alumni Apathy

wineguy

Active member
I have put together some interesting numbers concerning attendance at EWU Football games. Compared to other Big Sky Teams we are second to last in student and alumni apathy as far as attendence is concerned. It is time to wake up the student body and get their butts in the seats; and alumni as well.
Granted we are the smallest school in the Big Sky, but we are also the most apathetic next to Idaho State. This does not reflect the effort and record of the team.

Enrollment:
1. Sac. State (29,362)
2. Portland St. (27,972)
3. N. Arizona (23,600)
4. Weber St. (18,303)
5. Idaho St. (14,486)
6. Montana (14,207)
7. Montana St. (12,369)
8. N. Colorado (12,124)
9. E. Wash. (11,302)

Stadium Capacity:
1. Montana (25,217) They have 10,000 additional interested fans other than the student body.
2. Sac. State (21,195)
3. Portland St. (19,500)
4. Weber St. (17,500)
5. N. Arizona (15,000)
6. Montana St. (15,000)
7. Idaho St. (12,000)
8. E. Washington (8,600) We need to add more seats, if anyone will sit in them.
9. N. Colorado (8,500)

Here's the big one, 2009 Avg. Attendance:
1. Montana (25,217) That's all the seats they had. Look above.
2. Montana St. (13,283) Montana seems to love their college football.
3. Sac. State (9,935) This stadium is half full. No accomplishment here.
4. N. Arizona (7,678) For the size of their student body I would really be pissed off at these numbers.
5. Weber St. (6,500)
6. Port. State (6082)
7. Idaho St. (5,369) We could take their spot with three more fans per game.
8. E. Washington (5,366) Pathetic...
9, N. Colorado (3,519) Does anyone in Greely go to a football game?
 
I wouldn't call 5,366 pathetic...just below average. Considering Northern Colorado is a slightly bigger school in terms of enrollment and averaging 3,519 is pathetic.

A good way of looking at this is the high enrollment of Portland State, Nothern Arizona and Sac State and their low attendance numbers they are producing. With EWU being 1/3 of the enrollment size of these schools we are not far behind in attendence. Plus with this red turf and EWU being the fastest growing university in the state expect the attendence numbers to jump.

If the Big Sky stays as is for the next ten years I expect EWU jumping to the 5th spot in attendence.
 
I agree with NickEag. The red turf has generated quite the stir in the Spokane county area. Just about everyone I talk to knows about it and are planning on attending at least one game just to see it. If EWU puts on a good show, maybe some of them will want to come back. So I believe that attendance will be up this year.
 
fccubed said:
I agree with NickEag. The red turf has generated quite the stir in the Spokane county area. Just about everyone I talk to knows about it and are planning on attending at least one game just to see it. If EWU puts on a good show, maybe some of them will want to come back. So I believe that attendance will be up this year.

Well that, and our attendance is always up after winning/playoff seasons. I don't know the numbers, but our average was a lot higher than it is now during 2006, because of the playoff runs in 2004 and 2005, despite us sucking so bad in 06. Playoffs last year, FBS transfer QB, Taiwan Jones, and red turf... I say our numbers will definitely be up and healthier... by how much, who knows. I'd be willing to guess at least 7k average, hopefully closer to 8 or 9k.
 
The major problem is that for every person above about 6,000, they are relegated to choosing between endzone seating our those piss-poor high school bleachers on the visitors side. Calling our stadium 8,600 capacity is sort of a cruel joke... it really only seats 6,000 well.

So when we do have those random big-draw games, half of the fans are pushed into terrible seats and that makes the experience poor. It hurts the university when people come give Eagle football a shot and leave with a sore butt.
 

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