FOOTBALL Cold hard looks at homecoming atmosphere

[SpaceRaider]

Not sure what the answer(s) are:

GoMiddle.com:

Our town, our team? Sure, until it matters

and if you can stomach it, an article in the wku student paper:

Appreciate game days at WKU

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

I didn't kill tailgating and support, me and my family were there. Most of our posters were there. The crowd was a bit down but not way down.

This year our attendance is actually up. I realize it will drop for the next game like it always does but each crowd as been 20-22K.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

And as far as the WKU article I am just confused. If they had the same attendance it would have been a sell out.

 

[RandallThomason]

Excerpt from the column:

The game turned out to be an absolute thriller. It was another overtime affair between bitter rivals. Shame on anyone who missed it. Neither fan base could have left upset.

Might be nitpicking because it isn't the central theme of the column, but I've got to say I was pretty upset leaving that game. Even 6 days removed from it, that game was a debacle.

 

[RandallThomason]

The WKU writeup is pretty laughable. The guy can't spell Murfreesboro, and WKU's listed average attendance through 3 home games is lower than MT's by a few hundred per game. I'm not naive to the fact that WKU has an edge on MT in the fact that the WKU university community and Bowling Green at large take more pride in their school than the community around MT does, but his column is another example of WKU derangement.

 

[AustinLewis]

Criticisms about the WKU Herald Article:
1) It sounds like he came in the Rutherford Blvd entrance. It's hardly the mecca of Blue Raider tailgating. It'd be like tailgating at South Campus for a WKU football game. I arrived at 11:30 and parked by the Grad Studies building because there wasn't a spot closer
2) Tailgating around KOM, Peck, and Rutledge was pretty full but I didn't venture out beyond that area.
3) Tailgating at WKU is downright terrible. Seriously, it is. They have a beautiful stadium but their tailgating atmosphere is awful.
4) The announced attendance of ~22,000 seemed close to accurate.
5) WKU and MT have roughly the same percentage of "SEC fans" (Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, etc). Take a walk around the WKU campus during basketball season there's almost as much blue as red.
6) MT has a higher average attendance than WKU at this point in the season. So if MT has an attendance problem, so does WKU.

A few things he got right:
1) The game-day, in-stadium experience was terrible. I've seen a more lively crowd and better promotions at a high school game - maybe even a peewee games
2) Students, alumni, and fans need to make a point to return to campus on gamedays. Stock and Co. need to give them a reason to return.

 

[AustinLewis]

I'd also argue that the decrease in tailgating was two-fold:
1) UT - Bama game. The much hyped game turned into a dud pretty quickly when Saban crushed the hopes of the Big Orange in a blowout.

2) Losing "big games" has deflated the MT fan base to the point of apathy. Fans are tired of spending money on overpriced tickets only to watch another disappointing loss. So they don't tailgate. They don't come. They stay at home and watch the Bama-UT game on television.

Can't say I blame them. The only reason I came in for the weekend was to celebrate my sister's birthday.

 

[MTFNBY5]

Hate to make the comment but: I have no doubt that a larger percent of WKU students go to college for the "college experience" than MT students. MT is still, even with all the changes, somewhat the suitcase college it was I attended years ago. In addition MT has a huge population, compared to most colleges, of commuters and adult learners. And it could be argued that with the population growth of the immediate area; for many students who are going to school solely for preparation for work MT is the school to which they feel they are zoned.

Clearly WKU grads feel more loyalty to their school than MT grads which is evidenced by the percentage of alumni giving annually. No doubt this started as students.

 

[AustinLewis]

Hate to make the comment but: I have no doubt that a larger percent of WKU students go to college for the "college experience" than MT students. MT is still, even with all the changes, somewhat the suitcase college it was I attended years ago. In addition MT has a huge population, compared to most colleges, of commuters and adult learners. And it could be argued that with the population growth of the immediate area; for many students who are going to school solely for preparation for work MT is the school to which they feel they are zoned.

Clearly WKU grads feel more loyalty to their school than MT grads which is evidenced by the percentage of alumni giving annually. No doubt this started as students.

WKU does a far better job of instilling a love of WKU in their students. It also helps that the "old money" and area business support the university far better than the area businesses in Murfreesboro - part of that is Bowling Green has a few fairly large "local" businesses that call the city home (Houtchens, the hospital). These organizations have rallied behind the local university and supported it, especially athletics, with significant financial contributions. This is how/why the WKU stadium has a naming agreement and a proposed indoor facility.

WKU's adminstration thinks big, acts big, and goes big.
MT's adminstration thinks big but has no clue how to "go big."

 

[MTFNBY5]

One other obvious factor not mentioned is that WKU, being located where it is, has a "sphere of influence" which MT will not ever have. Regardless of how many sports fans are UK fans are in the immediate Bowling Green area the local media covers the Tops in a big way. (similar to how UT-K is huge in Chattanooga but the papers still give UT-C excellent coverage).

Located as MT is in an adjacent county seat it is too far away to be considered a Nashville team with the resulting Davidson Co. fan base and media attention. But, the Boro and MT are too close to Nashville to develop much of a "sphere of influence" of their own. With Gannett buying the DNJ along with the many newcomers to Rutherford Co. (many who whom never consume local media) it's even harder for MT to become relevant.

 

[MTsumner92]

The university is struggling to get the greek systems support. They made their bed and they refuse to acknowledge it.

 

[SpaceRaider]

The university is struggling to get the greek systems support. They made their bed and they refuse to acknowledge it.

Seems like university has been extremely hostile to the Greeks. Might that be it? Last year on the way back to where our ride was at on the Tuscaloosa campus we walked through some of the impressive fraternity houses at Alabama. Is the culture that different? I know fraternities have problems all over and members doing really stupid sh*t but is the amount or rate any different or is the administration response to infractions overblown?, It seems like our greeks are really on their last legs, at least that's the perception I get.

 

[SpaceRaider]

Criticisms about the WKU Herald Article:
...Tailgating around KOM, Peck, and Rutledge was pretty full but I didn't venture out beyond that area....

I didn't leave my tailgate until it was time to tear down and get to the stadium, but the amount of tailgating in my immediate vicinity was huge compared to other tailgates in recent seasons.

One thing I have noticed this year is that I have not seen any MT presence, security or university officials come through our area, no interactions at all.

 

[C-Bow]

I've never seen the Grove as empty as it was this past Saturday. Up until an hour before kickoff, it was a ghost town.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

 

[AustinLewis]

Is that just after the fight?

 

[SpaceRaider]

Is that just after the fight?

for those who missed that...

 

[mtfblue]

It should go down as for who all left the bench needs to be suspended and for all that threw punches be suspended. Almost looked like fiu/Miami