That was a very interesting read ... RaiderDaw78. I am sorry that you have had such negative experiences around the Vandy fanbase. TBH - The dynamics of a Vandy fan have been changing since the James Franklin days as they are becoming more mainstream ... not just the typical Vandy arrogance. Your experiences are the first I have ever read like that and it embarrasses me that Vandy fans would act like that given the history of Vandy football.
I will, however, put my negative experiences with other SEC fanbases against your negative Vandy fanbase experiences. For starters, I have been spit on, had objects thrown at me and been verbally assaulted multiple times in Knoxville. I had an Auburn fan come after me because I asked for my seat back after she moved her family into our area. I have had some really bad episodes with drunk Florida fans, etc.... The SEC is filled with really bad fan bases IMHO and I can't stand the thought of Vandy fitting in with that bunch. If you have seen my last few posts, I am an MTSU grad (two degrees) with 3 children having attended the university as I am very conflicted about this series. I am very much moving in the direction of being an MT fan as it feels a much more natural fit for me and my family.
Well that settles it. MTSU grad x2? It's an easy call. There are so many MTSU alums in the Nashville-Murfreesboro area. If MT could just get even a moderately small to medium amount of the alums to consistently come out for games, it would be such a tremendous boost to the program.
A lot of alums and area sports fans in general find it easy to dismiss MT football for usual reasons of not being a P5 or a Top25 contender that lacks the consistent 10+ wins a season. The general sports fans, including MT alums, end up choosing to go to other P5 teams' games in the region on gameday. Meanwhile, sadly, MT remains mired in a harsh uphill battle to try to establish the program with more success. What I find disheartening about the situation is that there are a lot of talented good student-athletes representing the university that work really hard to scratch and claw for even a little improvement for MT that so many alums hardly acknowledge much less attend or support.
I contend that if even a reasonably moderate amount of MT alums in the Middle Tennessee area attend MT football games, their attendance and support would help MT achieve new levels of success and recognition. Following are some ways MT alum actually attending would help:
Most any coach and player will tell you that good home crowds helps the team get up and improve chances for winning home games.
More attendance and excitement in stands attracts recruits attention. A lot of young recruits can be impressed and influenced by a crowded excited stadium. That's what most of those kids dream of playing in front of on gameday.
More attendance and good crowd with excitement will definitely get the tv networks to notice for the all important time when they select which games and locations they want to broadcast in the upcoming season.
Better networks and national broadcasts pay the conference and university more and allow for the program to garner more recognition. This especially helps with potential recruits again as potential recruits see and learn of MT in various regions around the country.
More alums attending games = more $$ for the program, i.e. tickets & concessions. Eventually some move on to direct financial support through donations etc.
More $$ = better facilities. Better facilities = better trained and prepared student-athletes. Better facilities = improved recruiting. All of these improvements help a program grow and achieve greater success.
More $$$ from the increased attendance, donations, and improved media revenues allows for the athletic dept to improve pay to acquire and/or retain better quality coaches. Included in this is the oft overlooked asst coaches. Programs at this level often struggle with stability due to high turnover of asst coaches due to inability to compete financially for the quality asst coaches.
More $$$ allows for the coaches to have an improved recruiting budget. Better recruiting budget helps in the highly competitive battle for the life blood of Div1 athletics....recruits....more and better recruits.
So many of the alums that go to other "more relevant" or "bigger" games seem to be overlooking that their attendance and support of their own school could seriously help their alma mater grow, improve, and achieve higher levels of success including further recognition and respect. Plus, it's my experience that it is so much better, exciting, satisfying, and enjoyable when you support and ride along as the underdog from nowhere to breakthrough to big wins, success, and championships. MT basketball has been a perfect example of that.
Extremely rare is the program that can push through on it's own by the sheer force of will, hard work, intelligence, experience, and skill to achieve that higher or next level of success without the big support and crowds. We at MT are incredibly blessed to be in that situation with Kermit and the basketball program. There are so few programs around the country that can breakthrough to national success without already having the big home crowds and resultant revenues. Gradually, the crowds and attendance seem to be catching up to the basketball program. Admittedly, there is still a ways to go for MT to get to the place the team deserves in a packed house for every home game.
In summary it is my opinion that MT alums have the power and ability to help the football program breakthrough to higher and greater levels of success. MT alums just have to choose to come out to their alma mater's games instead of going to or watching other area or regional schools' games that are at the same time as MT.
Lastly, I'm like a lot of others on here. My undergrad degree is from MT. I went to grad school elsewhere, UT. So while I may enjoy watching and cheering some of the UT football games, MT is clearly my team and it's not even close. I have no desire to choose a UT game over a MT game, and I want MT to beat the snot out of UT whenever MT plays UT. If MT isn't playing, then I might watch and cheer for UT to beat Bama or Florida etc.
I think the comments so far have been very insightful as I thought MT considered this a bigger rival than I have heard thus far. It sounds like this is simply a series that is of interest because these two programs are located in the same geographical area. I'm not saying Vandy fan's can not be annoying, I'm saying that the program isn't typically relevant in their own conference and(in football) and the number of fans is small - so what does it matter? Bring Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Ole Miss and then you will know what annoying fans really act like.
