Interesting article on the challenges of getting students to football games:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/08/21/college-football-revolution-young-fan-investment-attendance/14201037/

There's been talk of the game day experience, hassle of attending a game, cost, time....etc. Looks like AD's around the country are looking for ways to get students back in their stadiums.

AD's have 4-5 years to get students hooked on coming to games. It's not just for supporting the current team now, but to get a viable future revenue stream. I say GIVE tickets away to the lesser games of the year, and base allocations for the bigger/ end of season games based on attendance (maybe give 1/2 the student section away for free for the highest point totals, charge something for the others)- they scan tickets or ID card at the gate, should be easy to tally... could even do 3 points for before kickoff, 2 points for first half, one point for showing up.

Roll over the stats to the next season to - sometimes there are in demand games early on too. Tweak that system if issues come up with the goal of maximizing attendance at every game, and of course getting freshman and transfers involved immediately.

I can't really believe that. As a student, here is how it goes.

1. go to the football game/or the other million things you can do in college outside with friends
2. study
3. watch the game at home

Davidson;842345316 said:

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I can't really believe that. As a student, here is how it goes.

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Cal is not the only school in the country, some don't always have nice weather or require a lot of library time. Other schools might be more like this:

1. Buy a keg of natty ice, fire up the BBQ, set up beer pong table, watch game with many friends on big screen TV that costs the same amount as ONE season ticket
2. go to the football game and freeze/sweat balls off, get hassled by cops/security for sneaking in booze or being happily wasted
3. look at miles of flat land with either a ton of corn stalks or wheat, or after harvest piles of dirt and hay and wish you were in California (or Colorado)
4. study - after too much of #3, one may study harder to get a job somewhere cool

If we put a solid product on the field, our student section will always be full.

From my recollection, gamedays were a great opportunity to get wasted, go hang out with girls and try to hook up (usually unsuccessfully due to sloppiness from said wastedness), get a good sunburn, and watch a little football. You've got the rest of your life to watch football in your living room kids... live it up while you can.

BeggarEd;842345325 said:

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From my recollection, gamedays were a great opportunity to get wasted, go hang out with girls and try to hook up (usually unsuccessfully due to sloppiness from said wastedness), get a good sunburn, and watch a little football. You've got the rest of your life to watch football in your living room kids... live it up while you can.

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True enough but watching the game has become a much lower priority on that list

I wonder if it's just bottom line game day experience that is driving this. Sounds like teams with good records are having problems with filling their student section. Maybe we've just whored the hell out of our football programs and the experience had declined enough where students would rather watch a game at home/at a bar? With the major tv deals, most games are now televised...so no need to have to be there in person to watch the game.

BeggarEd;842345325 said:

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From my recollection, gamedays were a great opportunity to get wasted, go hang out with girls and try to hook up (usually unsuccessfully due to sloppiness from said wastedness), get a good sunburn, and watch a little football. You've got the rest of your life to watch football in your living room kids... live it up while you can.

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That's exactly right. But I don't remember ever being confronted with a breathalizer on my way into the stadium. Look, Cal has a diverse student body. A portion of that student body has absolutely no interest in sports, much less college football. The portion of the student body that does enjoy a good game of pigskin probably, as you fondly recall, desires a good pregame buzz heading into the stadium, especially given the awful product on the field these days. Now we've got cops turning that portion of the student body away from the stadium. So what's left? In my mind, rally-com-type kids who enjoy a good clean sober college football experience. That is a minute subset of the student body, and it's reflected in attendance.

Edit: no offense to rally-com. love you guys.

I wonder how many students were lost as Cal football fans during the Holmoecost.

I was a student for 4 of Holmoe's years as head coach and nobody I know from that era really pays close attention to Cal football, not even during the Tedford era (well, maybe for brief moments, in 2004 and 2007 when we were No. 2).

okaydo;842345335 said:

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I wonder how many students were lost as Cal football fans during the Holmoecost.

I was a student for 4 of Holmoe's years as head coach and nobody I know from that era really pays close attention to Cal football, not even during the Tedford era (well, maybe for brief moments, in 2004 and 2007 when we were No. 2).

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If they take out the students who are only watching at home because they got busted by UCPD for having a little alcohol on their breath at the stadium, I'm sure the numbers would be better.

okaydo;842345335 said:

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I wonder how many students were lost as Cal football fans during the Holmoecost.

I was a student for 4 of Holmoe's years as head coach and nobody I know from that era really pays close attention to Cal football, not even during the Tedford era (well, maybe for brief moments, in 2004 and 2007 when we were No. 2).

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I was a student for 5 years, the 1st 4 being part of the Holmoecaust. Even in 2001 I kept going to games (at least showing up for part of it), but drinking was a big part of the day. I agree that there is a large percentage of Cal students who never have and never will have an interest in getting drunk and/or watching a football game. However, of the students who are likely to games, a lot of them probably enjoy drinking too as part of the experience. It's college after all.

While I understand the need to prevent binge drinking and keep students safe (not to mention liability concerns), the random breathalyzer policy of last year was the height of idiocy. I can't think of anything more depressing than spending those rare Saturdays of the Fall in the East Bay when there's a Cal home game in a dingy frat house or dorm room watching the game on a TV. Sad that some of our most vocal fans ended up doing just that last year.

RighteousGoldenBear;842345305 said:

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Interesting article on the challenges of getting students to football games:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/08/21/college-football-revolution-young-fan-investment-attendance/14201037/

There's been talk of the game day experience, hassle of attending a game, cost, time....etc. Looks like AD's around the country are looking for ways to get students back in their stadiums.

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Let me suggest a few things after talking to a relative who just went through orientation with a parent:

1) The schools are all over any kind of intoxication for insurance purposes, so don't expect to have a good time outside of the privacy of your dorm or frat room. Certainly not at a college sponsored event. Security will be tight.

2) If you want to hook-up at a football game, you better make sure she provides written consent, attested by a third party witness who notes she has no drugs or booze in her system (an overstatement, but my cousin waked away from the lectures thinking he should not date college girls). Thank you big bother federal government.

3) The student body is expected to stand at games (at least at Cal you can have seats that are less desirable, but you don't have to stand) Also, the student body has been moved to the corner to increase donor seating in the best seats (not a Cal issue)

4) You need to show-up early to games to get what few good student seats remain

5) Students are more serious given the amount of money forked over in tuition, higher admission standards and the somewhat lousy job market, so hit the books, the competition is stiffer.

6) Pranks may be misinterpreted as terrorist acts or potential threats after some of the things that have happened on campus in the last few years. Again there is no tolerance for things we once considered to be fun or funny.

I can see sitting at your room watching the game may be a better, safer and more efficient experience. For example, if the game is one-sided, you can put down the beer bottle or bong (this was a UofColorado orientation), and head over to the library. My cousin's (the parent) reaction was they have taken the fun out of college. She said orientation was being lectured by your parents for 6 hours, except unlike your parents, these people are with you for the next four years and they can kill your academic career.

Glad I went to college when I did. Football games were a fun diversion.

One last comment. When i went to school you knew when the games were played, 12:30. Not knowing when the games will be until the last moment, and having late games will cause conflicts, even with students. TV is having an adverse impact on attendance, due to timing and uncertainly of game times, but also because now essentially every game is televised on real time. And its just not the students who are not showing. The attendance figures hide the fact that many season ticket holders are not at certain games.

RighteousGoldenBear;842345305 said:

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Interesting article on the challenges of getting students to football games:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/08/21/college-football-revolution-young-fan-investment-attendance/14201037/

There's been talk of the game day experience, hassle of attending a game, cost, time....etc. Looks like AD's around the country are looking for ways to get students back in their stadiums.

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To be honest, as long as the experience isn't too laborious and the product is good, students will come. Big TVs and the convenience of home were both present when I was a student (03-07), and we went to every game we could.

SadbutTrue999;842345366 said:

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To be honest, as long as the experience isn't too laborious and the product is good, students will come. Big TVs and the convenience of home were both present when I was a student (03-07), and we went to every game we could.

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Dang! You were a student during the most perfect 5-year football period.

You saw 43 victories.

The past 5 seasons = 24 victories.

The 5 seasons I was a student = 21 victories.

RighteousGoldenBear;842345305 said:

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Interesting article on the challenges of getting students to football games

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Put the student seating on the 50, make the games reliably Saturday afternoon so students can plan, put a good team on the field, and get out of way of the stampede.

ColoradoBear1;842345312 said:

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AD's have 4-5 years to get students hooked on coming to games. It's not just for supporting the current team now, but to get a viable future revenue stream. I say GIVE tickets away to the lesser games of the year, and base allocations for the bigger/ end of season games based on attendance (maybe give 1/2 the student section away for free for the highest point totals, charge something for the others)- they scan tickets or ID card at the gate, should be easy to tally... could even do 3 points for before kickoff, 2 points for first half, one point for showing up.

Roll over the stats to the next season to - sometimes there are in demand games early on too. Tweak that system if issues come up with the goal of maximizing attendance at every game, and of course getting freshman and transfers involved immediately.

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Let me suggest its more than tweaking, but dealing with a systemic problem. As I looked at all the empty seats in the UCLA season ticket area at the Cal game last year, not to mention all the empty seats in ESP, where folks are paying big bucks. TV now offers a legit alternative to game day hassles, and local fans may have conflicts with late games or games were the starting time is announced so late. TV really has changed the dynamic. So has limitations on booze, piping in ads and other similar stuff (introducing sponsors on the field) rather than listening to bands, etc. So even the attendance figure are overstated because of season ticket holders that are counted, but are not attending unless it involves a highly ranked team or traditional rival (in which case the starting time often is known well in advance).

SadbutTrue999;842345366 said:

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To be honest, as long as the experience isn't too laborious and the product is good, students will come. Big TVs and the convenience of home were both present when I was a student (03-07), and we went to every game we could.

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wifeisafurd;842345370 said:

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TV really has changed the dynamic.

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Mobile devices that can stream football games, not present 7 years ago, also has changed the dynamic.

[video=youtube;jn5zytfm9No][/video]

okaydo;842345373 said:

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Mobile devices that can stream football games, not present 7 years ago, also has changed the dynamic.

[video=youtube;jn5zytfm9No][/video]

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this is absolutely true for younger alums and students. Allows you to dual task, etc. Good point.

Of all the schools you would think never have a problem with attendance it is Alabama that has one. Saban has complained loudly about how spoiled his fans are. He has been trying to drum up attendance. In the SEC!!!! At Alabama!!! Unbelievable.

Most college students don't watch college football games period. They are into studying, working, partying, hooking up, volunteering, etc. During my Cal years back in the 60's, I went to maybe 2-3 games total. My life was full of other interests and obligations. It was only later when I was married and had children that I had to stay around home more and got into online sports-betting that made watching games more interesting. My 4 grown sons like to watch the NFL, NBA and some college basketball but cannot understand my interest in college football. If I didn't have this strange fixation on Cal football implanted back when I was a kid growing up in Berkeley and Pappy Waldorf teams and our last RB team, I would probably have moved on too.

SadbutTrue999;842345366 said:

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To be honest, as long as the experience isn't too laborious and the product is good, students will come. Big TVs and the convenience of home were both present when I was a student (03-07), and we went to every game we could.

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Sorry to keep coming back to this post.

But during that 2003-07 era, starting perhaps with our defeat of USC to being ranked No. 2, watching Cal football was an experience that left you on edge.

It was an anxiety-fueled exciting feeling.

It's like the World Cup this year. Most people could not give a f*ck about soccer, yet the very real possibility that we could be that good kept us hooked.

That feeling has been gone for years. But maybe it could be brought back in some capacity in 8 days.

okaydo;842345401 said:

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Sorry to keep coming back to this post.

But during that 2003-07 era, starting perhaps with our defeat of USC to being ranked No. 2, watching Cal football was an experience that left you on edge.

It was an anxiety-fueled exciting feeling.

It's like the World Cup this year. Most people could not give a f*ck about soccer, yet the very real possibility that we could be that good kept us hooked.

That feeling has been gone for years. But maybe it could be brought back in some capacity in 8 days.

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If our offense can put up scores like Dyke's LaTech teams, and if our defense is as bad as we fear it will be, then I think that will make for quite a spectacle.

wifeisafurd;842345370 said:

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Let me suggest its more than tweaking, but dealing with a systemic problem. As I looked at all the empty seats in the UCLA season ticket area at the Cal game last year, not to mention all the empty seats in ESP, where folks are paying big bucks. TV now offers a legit alternative to game day hassles, and local fans may have conflicts with late games or games were the starting time is announced so late. TV really has changed the dynamic. So has limitations on booze, piping in ads and other similar stuff (introducing sponsors on the field) rather than listening to bands, etc. So even the attendance figure are overstated because of season ticket holders that are counted, but are not attending unless it involves a highly ranked team or traditional rival (in which case the starting time often is known well in advance).

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You've listed most of the reasons why attending a game, the game aside, is probably better avoided and better watched on TV, in addition to the not having the hassle of getting to and from the games. People can even hit mute and silence the commercials (including long times-out while "injured" NU players were being "helped") and hear the Cal band on DVD recordings (which I've done a few times).

TV, especially on a big screen, gives a much larger image than one can get from the stands and is always on top of the action where one can actually see plays develop and make use of Berk's lectures on O and D. Of course, alcoholic drinks can be enjoyed during the game, food is readily available as well a bathroom. Stand, scream, shout, moan at will, until your wife says SHADDUP (if she's watching).

People are forgetting one big factor. Internet reception sucks at Memorial which means you can't check your phone for three hours.

okaydo;842345335 said:

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I wonder how many students were lost as Cal football fans during the Holmoecost.

I was a student for 4 of Holmoe's years as head coach and nobody I know from that era really pays close attention to Cal football, not even during the Tedford era (well, maybe for brief moments, in 2004 and 2007 when we were No. 2).

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You know me (sort of, friend of a friend), and I've stayed a huge fan despite being there for all 4 years as well under holmoe with no bg wins. But your point is well taken.

Speaking of watching from home, I just did my annual call to DirecTV to get my Sunday Ticket Max price lowered. I didn't even have to ask. They offered from the get-go to lower the price from $330 to $191.94.*

That's $11.29 for each Sunday of the season! (And this is why I have yet to go to an NFL game in my life.)

Too bad I will miss the excitingly terrible games on the Pac-12 Network, but it's all worth it.

(*Somebody here is going to tell me I should've threatened to cancel to get the whole package for free, but I'm not that kind of person.)

Vandalus;842345428 said:

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You know me (sort of, friend of a friend), and I've stayed a huge fan despite being there for all 4 years as well under holmoe with no bg wins. But your point is well taken.

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But you were "Tedford Adjacent"! I'm assuming you graduated in spring 2002. And so a few months later, fresh off being a student, we win the Big Game, and all was right in the world!

RighteousGoldenBear;842345331 said:

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I wonder if it's just bottom line game day experience that is driving this... ...With the major tv deals, most games are now televised...so no need to have to be there in person to watch the game.

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I go to the games, but I don't mind the road games one bit. I put the game on the DVR, tune in one hour after kick-off and usually catch up before the end of the fourth quarter. Much more efficient and last year when the game was hopeless I could FF through the opponent's offensive possessions and just watch our offense. Much less painful. I did have to start two hours after kick-off though - or else I would have been caught up by halftime.

I "blame" the frats for our low attendance. I'm sure they attend in far higher numbers than the rest of the student body (excluding other student athletes), but they also create a diversion. When things are going well I noticed the frats would empty out during game time and pick back up post-game. The last few years much fewer of those kids leave their houses to attend the games. I know some of you frat dudes will claim that they're the biggest supporters of cal football etc. but let's be honest - if you want to pick up attendance at football games you have to look at the low hanging fruit. It's not kids at the computer labs or in the library, it's the dudes getting wasted and throwing around a nurf in flip flops on piedmont ave.

Count me as another guy who went to school when we sucked (there sure are a lot of us) but remained a Cal football fan. Suffered through football teams that won only 16 games in 4 seasons under Gilbertson/Mooch/Holmoe.

okaydo;842345447 said:

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But you were "Tedford Adjacent"! I'm assuming you graduated in spring 2002. And so a few months later, fresh off being a student, we win the Big Game, and all was right in the world!

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Yes sir. Rushed the field like I was a student too. It was awesome to flank the field before the final whistle, but in retrospect that was kind of dangerous I suppose. Don't really remember how that happened - it was like security said the hell with it and just got out of the way.

beggared;842345325 said:

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from my recollection, gamedays were a great opportunity to get wasted, go hang out with girls and try to hook up (usually unsuccessfully due to sloppiness from said wastedness), get a good sunburn, and watch a little football. You've got the rest of your life to watch football in your living room kids... Live it up while you can.

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lol

I saw an article today that suggested some schools were looking at beer sales at games to close the financial gap. Beer sales.....that would fix a few things mentioned above.

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB125271416817105157

GB54;842345419 said:

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People are forgetting one big factor. Internet reception sucks at Memorial which means you can't check your phone for three hours.

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Thanks GB54!!!!!!!!

wifeisafurd;842345370 said:

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Let me suggest its more than tweaking, but dealing with a systemic problem. As I looked at all the empty seats in the UCLA season ticket area at the Cal game last year, not to mention all the empty seats in ESP, where folks are paying big bucks. TV now offers a legit alternative to game day hassles, and local fans may have conflicts with late games or games were the starting time is announced so late. TV really has changed the dynamic. So has limitations on booze, piping in ads and other similar stuff (introducing sponsors on the field) rather than listening to bands, etc. So even the attendance figure are overstated because of season ticket holders that are counted, but are not attending unless it involves a highly ranked team or traditional rival (in which case the starting time often is known well in advance).

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WIAF, you write consistently insightful comments. You really nailed it with this one. My Dad (gone), a Cal undergrad and grad student, Cal administrator and professor was a long time season ticket holder. I took over when he passed. I attended Cal games for over 30 years. I dropped season tickets a couple of years ago. Just too much of a hassle to attend, particularly when you can watch in comfort on HD TV.

I can't really comment on the present student's mentality about not attending football games. I don't understand it. Just like I was stunned by the behind-the-center-field-fence 'garden' at the Giants game. It was packed with people who I assumed paid to get into the Giants game drinking and eating while WATCHING THE GAME ON BIG SCREEN TVS!! You couldn't see the field from the garden. DOES....NOT....COMPUTE.......BRAIN.....ABOUT.....TO.... EXPLODE.