2016 Attendance

[BobIwabuchiFan]

46 minutes ago, Irish said:

Let's not confuse a "boring offensive philosophy - ground and pound" with extremely frustrating play calling.  Even the old school offenses mentioned will throw it when they see 9 in the box.  We are extremely one dimensional and that leads to a frustrating viewing experience.  No question, our defense kicked butt yesterday, but the continued sloppy play - yesterday on kick coverage and all season on stupid penalties are sometimes hard to watch.  After seeing the game Saturday, I sure didn't feel like I was watching a team on a 7 game win streak.  If Bubba Ball is about discipline and execution we still have a ways to go.  

I'm not an offensive genius nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but the play calling sometimes is just downright atrocious!  We run the ball all over these guys and then we revert to long passes instead of short passes to help build QB confidence?  We do a play action and the pass is high and we don't go back to it for at least another quarter.  How many times can the defense get us out of trouble and have our offense go 3 and out?  Lastly, for the love of God have someone start to coach these guys to stay the "F" in bounds when you are trying to run the clock out!!!

I know he is running a complex offense to disrupt their defense, but some of these are just ridiculous...We running a naked bootleg at the goal line when we have Kyle Norberg, the Manitoba Moose, and Santiago in the backfield makes no goddamn sense!  We line up with a single back formation and we have two big freaking dudes who could run I formation all day long on Weber, but instead we go to the air and luck was on our side for sure.  Same could be said for the QB sneak in the first quarter that we got screwed on for a spot, but in all reality we should have lined up in I formation and drove the ball down their throat...

Again, I know its a lot easier said then done, but please tell me where I'm severely wrong?

[tnt]

13 minutes ago, Sioux>Bison said:

There was a ton of Sioux fans in Duluth this weekend for the hockey games, but many of them live there or in the cities so I don't think that affected attendence too much at the football game. I believe hockey games bring people to the football games so people can make it an all UND weekend.

i did have to shake my head this weekend when I heard some Sioux fans talking about the Bison and if they won. Really?!?! We finally have a successful football team and their worried about the Bison score at a UND hockey game? I guess there wasn't much to watch after that performance.

Heard some UND students chanting "Bison suck" at the football game.  I hope they realize it makes us look like Jan Brady when they are constantly obsessed at what the Bison are doing.  Kind of like after we won our hockey National Championship the chanting that was going on by a few about the gophers and bison.  Their obsession only makes us look worse.

[geaux_sioux]

5 minutes ago, tnt said:

Heard some UND students chanting "Bison suck" at the football game.  I hope they realize it makes us look like Jan Brady when they are constantly obsessed at what the Bison are doing.  Kind of like after we won our hockey National Championship the chanting that was going on by a few about the gophers and bison.  Their obsession only makes us look worse.

Don't worry. The NDSU students chant about us every time they get a first down.

[Big Green]

5 minutes ago, tnt said:

Heard some UND students chanting "Bison suck" at the football game.  I hope they realize it makes us look like Jan Brady when they are constantly obsessed at what the Bison are doing.  Kind of like after we won our hockey National Championship the chanting that was going on by a few about the gophers and bison.  Their obsession only makes us look worse.

I'm just glad to hear that they care.

[Siouxperfan7]

"Winning solves all problems."  This is obviously not the case.  So can UND/Alerus Center/etc maybe address this issue and do something about it?  We could be undefeated and a top 5 team in the country and still get the same crowd we got last Saturday.  2001 is a different time than it is now.  Can't rely on the same thing to work a decade and a half later.  

[Sioux>Bison]

4 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

"Winning solves all problems."  This is obviously not the case.  So can UND/Alerus Center/etc maybe address this issue and do something about it?  We could be undefeated and a top 5 team in the country and still get the same crowd we got last Saturday.  2001 is a different time than it is now.  Can't rely on the same thing to work a decade and a half later.  

You need to slow your roll some. UND has now finally found success again so it will take some time to get the fans back on board. We are not going to see a change overnight.

[Big Green]

Somehow it needs to become the place to be.  Part of what makes going to Sioux Hockey games so great is you are one of 12K that get to go.  "I scored tickets to the hockey game” Anyone that wants to go to the Football ball game can easily get a ticket.

I also don't think it helps that all home games are on TV.  I know a few people that don’t go to the game because they can sit home and watch on TV for Free.  Eat their own food and use their own bathroom.

[Dustin]

1 minute ago, Big Green said:

Somehow it needs to become the place to be.  Part of what makes going to Sioux Hockey games so great is you are one of 12K that get to go.  "I scored tickets to the hockey game” Anyone that wants to go to the Football ball game can easily get a ticket.

I also don't think it helps that all home games are on TV.  I know a few people that don’t go to the game because they can sit home and watch on TV for Free.  Eat their own food and use their own bathroom.

All the home hockey games are on TV, too.  I would probably actually prefer to stay home and watch on TV (like I do with the hockey games), but the football team needs support at the venue, so I go support them, and will continue to until they don't need me in the building, like the hockey team.

[Big Green]

Just now, Dustin said:

All the home hockey games are on TV, too.  I would probably actually prefer to stay home and watch on TV (like I do with the hockey games), but the football team needs support at the venue, so I go support them, and will continue to until they don't need me in the building, like the hockey team.

That is because hockey games are the place to be.

[geaux_sioux]

2 minutes ago, Dustin said:

All the home hockey games are on TV, too.  I would probably actually prefer to stay home and watch on TV (like I do with the hockey games), but the football team needs support at the venue, so I go support them, and will continue to until they don't need me in the building, like the hockey team.

Football translates better to TV than hockey. It's not the same discrepancy it was before HD but it's still a difference.

[siouxfan512]

3 hours ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

November 12th will tell us a lot.  If we win in Greeley this week, we will be 8-2 and 7-0 in the conference heading into the game versus Northern Arizona.  We will be playing for a birth to be in the FCS playoffs for the first time ever.  But more importantly, we will be playing for the chance to win the Big Sky Conference!!  If the "winning solves everything" strategy is in fact true, there is no excuse for the Alerus not to have 11,000+ at that game.  

 

Except I think for the "Winning Solves Everything" theory to be in place, it needs to be consistent winning. You're not going to build up a hardcore fanbase in 5 or 6 home games. It more like 2-3 years, of consistent wins at home, along with some BIG wins. This season is a good start.

Look at NDSU, they didn't build up the hype and fanbase in a year. It progressed year after year. 5 Nat'l Championships later, tickets are expensive, the Dome is sold out, and they have pretty much doubled the size of their tailgate lot. It doesn't all happen as quickly as we would like. Make the playoffs, Make some noise in the playoffs, and win consistently again next season, and you'll START to see those attendance number climb on a consistent basis. Just my opinion.

[Dustin]

3 hours ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

November 12th will tell us a lot.  If we win in Greeley this week, we will be 8-2 and 7-0 in the conference heading into the game versus Northern Arizona.  We will be playing for a birth to be in the FCS playoffs for the first time ever.  But more importantly, we will be playing for the chance to win the Big Sky Conference!!  If the "winning solves everything" strategy is in fact true, there is no excuse for the Alerus not to have 11,000+ at that game.  

 

Especially with a big hockey series (Denver) in town that weekend.

[UNDBIZ]

38 minutes ago, Sioux>Bison said:

You need to slow your roll some. UND has now finally found success again so it will take some time to get the fans back on board. We are not going to see a change overnight.

Yep.  Basically an entire generation of fans was taken in by the bizun while UND wallowed in a muss of its own making.  It'll take time to win back the hearts and minds.

[Siouxperfan7]

58 minutes ago, Sioux>Bison said:

You need to slow your roll some. UND has now finally found success again so it will take some time to get the fans back on board. We are not going to see a change overnight.

I hope you are right.  I do know that Bubba has this team headed in the right direction for many seasons down the road.  All of us that have been invested in the program that have gone through the ups and downs can clearly see that.  New fans, college kids, etc may not.  They see the success at NDSU and every other school, including UND pails in comparison.  I'll be patient.  But I am not being unrealistic when I say that playing for a Big Sky Championship better get butts in the seats.  If you can't recognize that is a big game that needs your support, you never will.

[Irish]

39 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

Yep.  Basically an entire generation of fans was taken in by the bizun while UND wallowed in a muss of its own making.  It'll take time to win back the hearts and minds.

How true - we did it to  ourselves and were content to be down the Musshole for quite some time.  Rebuilding a winning atmosphere will take time after that mess.  Meanwhile, to our south ......

[fightingsioux4life]

17 minutes ago, Irish said:

How true - we did it to  ourselves and were content to be down the Musshole for quite some time.  Rebuilding a winning atmosphere will take time after that mess.  Meanwhile, to our south ......

And some of the people on this forum thought Mussman should have kept his job because "you win with players".  I won't name names, they know who they are. Thankfully, Faison had the stones to do what needed to be done and made a change.

[fightingsioux4life]

1 hour ago, Big Green said:

That is because hockey games are the place to be.

So you are putting FB in the "Chicken or Egg" box? People won't go because it is on television, but if it isn't on television, you won't get the same exposure of your product to prospective fans and people won't go.

Enough with the lame a$$ excuses. People can't b!tch about the quality of our opponents anymore, so they continue to come up with even worse excuses to ignore every program except for MH.

[Siouxperman8]

There are many parts to this in my opinion:

• poor teams for too long.  games meant nothing regarding league and post season play. 
• lack of rivalries with teams in the Big Sky
• essentially no opposing fans in the stands due to travel distance

The first two take time to recover from.

[Tangolou]

1 hour ago, Big Green said:

That is because hockey games are the place to be.

The REA isn't filled on the weekend with 12000 hockey crazed fans. It's about half full of fans and the other half is the fans wives all dolled up to hang out with their friends in North Dakota's largest Mable floored nightclub. This is a good thing, the REA has made many people Hockey fans who 15 years ago thought a blue line was some kind of country dance.

[geaux_sioux]

I'd say the winning has had an immediate impact. We're averaging over 2000 more fans/game than last year. That's not too shabby. If we do that again next year we'll be at borderline sellouts each game. Bubba is working magic and it's only his third year.

[Big Green]

1 hour ago, fightingsioux4life said:

So you are putting FB in the "Chicken or Egg" box? People won't go because it is on television, but if it isn't on television, you won't get the same exposure of your product to prospective fans and people won't go.

Enough with the lame a$$ excuses. People can't b!tch about the quality of our opponents anymore, so they continue to come up with even worse excuses to ignore every program except for MH.

I think it is a chicken or egg thing.  People will not go until others want to go. We are a society of followers.  Kind of like a packed bar.  They could have crappy music and overpriced drinks, but look there is a line out the door that must be the place to be.

 

[Dustin]

6 hours ago, Sioux>Bison said:

There was a ton of Sioux fans in Duluth this weekend for the hockey games, but many of them live there or in the cities so I don't think that affected attendence too much at the football game. I believe hockey games bring people to the football games so people can make it an all UND weekend.

i did have to shake my head this weekend when I heard some Sioux fans talking about the Bison and if they won. Really?!?! We finally have a successful football team and their worried about the Bison score at a UND hockey game? I guess there wasn't much to watch after that performance.

I actually was wondering how the bison were doing too, because I knew there was a chance they could lose to UNI, and I wanted to know if it was happening/had happened. So maybe that's what they were wondering too?

[Longtime fan]

Und is 16-6 in their last 22 games, a 73% winning percentage.  As far as I'm concerned thats damn impressive......especially considering what bubba was left with.  A complete BS call last year that they didn't make the playoffs.... this year they should be in.  Ranked anywhere from #11-#16 and a current 7 game win streak. Also top of the standings in big sky.  All firsts in the d1 era.  Not sure winning is the answer, because they're doing that!! Its great that they're averaging over 10000 in the four games, which is much better then the last 10 years, but the students need to be rafter deep, loud and the alerus as whole should be averaging at least 11000-12000 with what bubba has accomplished so far......it's been a long time that that we've had a relevant team, support them!  8500 people for as big as a game as it was, is pathetic. 

  For three consecutive nights last week, our only local tv station , wdaz, did not recognize und football.  How!?  A huge home game between two undefeated big sky teams that were on a combined 11 game win steak with playoff implications...C'mon!  Tom miller has some nice write ups occasionly in the herald but we need all media outlets, which includes wdaz to do a better job of promoting und football..... Hammer it home!!   I can't watch kthi because it's a constant barrage of ndsu, but at least they're doing it!  Get the people of GF the knowledge and updates they need to be proud of this team.  Keep people interested.  There is a big game in colorado this weekend, hope to hear a weeks worth of und football 

[shep]

I was a loyal fan for the late 90's early 2000's when UND was a DII contender. Did the tailgating and every home game, though never had season tix.

This year, I, and 3 others, bought season tix which are incredibly cheap. It's happening, UND football is growing, but for the college kid who only knows UND as a successful hockey school, it's going to take a bit more time. Making the playoffs and hopefully a W or two will do wonders for the program.

 

 

[DB Cooper]

For students, the difference between a game experience at the Alerus Center VS a game at the ralph is vast. Speaking from personal experience, the football games are just no fun for average student football fans. They are mid-afternoon, they are awkwardly quiet between plays, no excitement. I personally respect the football team and am always standing, cheering, and engaged, but I am speaking for the majority of students.

 The Alerus center does not do a good enough job of engaging the crowd via music, participation.(That is what will bring students back!!) They are getting better from a few year ago, but it will take time for it to build. They are far behind the folks at the Ralph in entertainment.

Just my perspective over the years being a student.