Dallas Coaches Event Recap???

[PO Frog]

Never said it was exclusive to us, just not as bad as it is at TCU. I haven to to ND games and no one leaves at half time. I have never seen Bryant Denny liked lik someone pulled a fire alarm at the start of a second half.

That's just silly. It's a problem everywhere when you play [ Finebaum ] teams or aren't very good.

Hell, here is a whole article with Saban complaining about it. And a picture too!
http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2013/10/saban_to_alabama_fans_stay_the.html

 

[Hoosierfrog]

FIFY

I never mentioned USC nor Stamford.

I wouldn't compare us to ND, we've had a better run in the last 20 yea

That's just silly. It's a problem everywhere when you play [ steaming pile of Orgeron ] teams or aren't very good.

Hell, here is a whole article with Saban complaining about it. And a picture too!
http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2013/10/saban_to_alabama_fans_stay_the.html

I'm mostly referring to people staying in the parking lot at half time and before the game. There isn't a sport where some people leave early to beat traffic.

 

[Peacefrog]

That's just silly. It's a problem everywhere when you play [ steaming pile of Orgeron ] teams or aren't very good.

Hell, here is a whole article with Saban complaining about it. And a picture too!
http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2013/10/saban_to_alabama_fans_stay_the.html

I was told it was only a TCU problem. This is fake news.

 

[Big Frog II]

I too am embarrassed about how many people leave games before they are over. However since I have seen as many games just about as anyone on this forum, I can speak of history. I remember as a kid TCU fans where late to arrive and early to leave. The old stadium though covered up the missing people better than the current one since the seats use to be so much close together. A few leave here are there, people would just spread out and take up the empty spots. Another problem we have now compare to years ago, is the length of the games. Games they lasted 2 1/2 hours in the 60's now are 3 1/2 -4 hours. For some, that is too long. Now that we sell out the stadium with season tickets, people will pick and choose which games they want to attend, and not show up for games they don't care about. Those fair weather fans in the past didn't buy season tickets but would buy on a game by game basis and sit in the upper deck which was usually very sparse or near the goal lines. Tailgating is also a new problem. Fans like to go out at half time to eat and drink, and if the game isn't holding their attention don't come back or take their time getting back. Parking lots that are too close are part of the culprit. They might not run to their cars if they parked further away. Perhaps beer in the stands would help some, but unlike state schools that have a $500,000 max on liability, TCU does not have that luxury and wants to have better control over the situation.

Suggestions to help the issue, rework the seats behind the players by putting the rows back where they once were. That way when someone isn't in their seats, it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. Keep the concession prices reasonable. Give fans a reason to stay in the stadium instead of running back to their cars. Perhaps try out some beer gardens inside the stadium walls where there could be some control over the amount served. Fewer infomercials on the scoreboard. When the east side is redone for club seats and suites, add some shade on the that side. It is an oven over there during ridiculously scheduled day games during September and October. Maybe we should allow umbrellas during day games for shade. The difference between in the sun and in the shade is 20-25 degrees. Perhaps have drawings for prizes in the 4th quarter for those in the stands only. Have Gary send a message to all season ticket holders imploring them to stay the whole game. Find better ways to get cars out of the parking lots. That is a big reason people leave early. I find waiting and extra 30 minutes in the parking lots makes it very easy to get out. We can help the problem to an extent, but nothing helps better than winning. That is obvious, but when even schools like Alabama and Georgia are having problems then you know that it is an increasing problem for all of college football.

 

[Realtorfrog]

Can't wait for the no in/out policy. We might actually have butts in seats for the second half kickoff when that happens.

 

[CountryFrog]

Nothing helps to get more people in seats and keep them there than having a really good team that wins a lot of games. So let's do the winning thing.

 

[2themax]

I too am embarrassed about how many people leave games before they are over. However since I have seen as many games just about as anyone on this forum, I can speak of history. I remember as a kid TCU fans where late to arrive and early to leave. The old stadium though covered up the missing people better than the current one since the seats use to be so much close together. A few leave here are there, people would just spread out and take up the empty spots. Another problem we have now compare to years ago, is the length of the games. Games they lasted 2 1/2 hours in the 60's now are 3 1/2 -4 hours. For some, that is too long. Now that we sell out the stadium with season tickets, people will pick and choose which games they want to attend, and not show up for games they don't care about. Those fair weather fans in the past didn't buy season tickets but would buy on a game by game basis and sit in the upper deck which was usually very sparse or near the goal lines. Tailgating is also a new problem. Fans like to go out at half time to eat and drink, and if the game isn't holding their attention don't come back or take their time getting back. Parking lots that are too close are part of the culprit. They might not run to their cars if they parked further away. Perhaps beer in the stands would help some, but unlike state schools that have a $500,000 max on liability, TCU does not have that luxury and wants to have better control over the situation.

Suggestions to help the issue, rework the seats behind the players by putting the rows back where they once were. That way when someone isn't in their seats, it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. Keep the concession prices reasonable. Give fans a reason to stay in the stadium instead of running back to their cars. Perhaps try out some beer gardens inside the stadium walls where there could be some control over the amount served. Fewer infomercials on the scoreboard. When the east side is redone for club seats and suites, add some shade on the that side. It is an oven over there during ridiculously scheduled day games during September and October. Maybe we should allow umbrellas during day games for shade. The difference between in the sun and in the shade is 20-25 degrees. Perhaps have drawings for prizes in the 4th quarter for those in the stands only. Have Gary send a message to all season ticket holders imploring them to stay the whole game. Find better ways to get cars out of the parking lots. That is a big reason people leave early. I find waiting and extra 30 minutes in the parking lots makes it very easy to get out. We can help the problem to an extent, but nothing helps better than winning. That is obvious, but when even schools like Alabama and Georgia are having problems then you know that it is an increasing problem for all of college football.

Welcome said and good suggestions. Just a little common sense would solve many of the attendance concerns.

 

[TCUdirtbag]

If we don't struggle to fill AGCS then what are those open areas of seats you can continually see on television? A design flaw in how the stadium was built. There is a big difference in the number of tickets sold and bodies that actually show up and Gary has continually talked about it and it has been noted by recruits, but it like my useless anecdotes. Nothing of value and nothing to be concerned about.

Give me a break. We sell out nearly every game and the seats fill up for the big ones. I never said it was perfect. I said the current stadium size is a good fit. We have a big tailgating culture - it is what it is.

The complaining about our fans gets so out of hand.

 

[TCUdirtbag]

Well, we can agree to disagree. You don't see this at Alabama, Penn State (and they've been down!), Notre Dame ( they haven't been that good either and I've been there and no one leaves the stadium), I wouldny use UT as a benchmark, they have always had crappy front running fans, I hate to cite those cultists at Gaggieland, but their team comes first, sheep buggering even waits until they lose. LSU has probably the biggest partiers and you don't see empty seats there.

Let's keep a count of games this fall on TV and of those schools that fill up their places, few will look as bad as we do.

I don't think GP would mention it if it wasn't the case.

I will say that TCU is still light years ahead of when I was in school when the stands were empty before, during, at the half, at the end of the half, etc.

TCU will never be a public flagship university in a rural area that every fan travels from miles to spend the whole day at the game. TCU is and will remain a mid-size (small by D1 standards), private, urban university. Half our fans live in DFW and balance a day at the game and tailgate with other commitments. It's a blessing and curse for a small, private, urban college.

If you look at % of alums regularly attending our games, it's among the highest in the country Same for % of seats filled by non-students. TCU relies on the alums in DFW that also have to go to their kids' soccer games or basketball tournaments on a Saturday, or older fans who live nearby and cant handle 95 degrees in the sun and don't make all the games, or kids' birthday parties and other commitments. If TCU was still in Throp Springs the culture would be different - people would have to travel and would adjust accordingly (ask Baylor). But we have what we have - we have to accept it and keep letting the fan base build over time by success and the sheer higher numbers of alums being pumped out compared to 10, 20, 30 + years ago.

 

[Hoosierfrog]

TCU will never be a public flagship university in a rural area that every fan travels from miles to spend the whole day at the game. TCU is and will remain a mid-size (small by D1 standards), private, urban university. Half our fans live in DFW and balance a day at the game and tailgate with other commitments. It's a blessing and curse for a small, private, urban college.

If you look at % of alums regularly attending our games, it's among the highest in the country.

My comments have nothing to do with State vs private, rural vs city, large vs small. It has to do with people that value their parking lot drinking time more than their appreciation of the hard work TCU kids do to put a decent team on the field. Or for what these kid think when they come out of the tunnel after half and see empty seats. It's got to be a real motivator. GP's words seem to reflect it isn't appreciated.

 

[PurplFrawg]

How many seats do other wealthy small private schools stadiums hold? Its not the size of your stadium, but how you use it or fill it!!!

Rice 100K
As originally built, Rice Stadium seated 70,000, the second-largest stadium in the SWC. Rice Stadium was built before professional football came to Houston, and 70,000 fans might be expected to attend a college football game there. However, Rice found it increasingly difficult from the 1960s onward to compete against larger schools. In 2006, the end zones seats were covered with tarps, reducing seating capacity to 47,000. However, in the event of larger-than-expected crowds, it can easily be expanded to its full capacity, which is larger than the total number of Rice's living alumni.

Stanford 50K?
Its original seating capacity was 60,000, which grew to 89,000 by 1927 as a nearly enclosed bowl. Immediately following the 2005 season, the stadium was demolished and rebuilt as a dual-deck concrete structure, without a track. Today, it seats 50,424.

Notre Dame ?
Opened 86 years ago on October 4, 1930, the stadium seating capacity was nearly 60,000 for decades. More than 21,000 seats were added for the 1997 season, which increased the capacity to over 80,000.

Vanderbilt?
Vanderbilt Stadium is the smallest football stadium in the SEC (40,550).

Duke?
Wallace Wade Stadium is a 40,004-seat stadium on the campus of Duke University, Durham, N.C.
40,004 (2016-Present)
33,941 (1982–2015)
40,078 (1978–1981)
44,000 (1942–1977)
35,000 (1929–1941)

USC 80-90K?
75,144 (1923–1930)
101,574 (1931–1934)
105,000 (1935–1939)
103,000 (1940–1946)
101,671 (1947–1964)
97,500 (1965–1966)
94,500 (1967–1975)
92,604 (1976–1982)
92,516 (1983–1995)
92,000 (1996–2007)
93,607 (2008–present)

 

[Hoosierfrog]

What does the 100k represent regarding Rice Stadium? It never, ever held 100k. Not even for the Miami/Minnesota Super Bowl.

 

[cdsfrog]

Tailgating is a problem but it's outright delusional to pretend thats the main problem. A tiny total living alumni (50% live out of state), a private school with a tiny t-shirt base(10x smaller than UT/Bama), and living in an urban areas with several professional teams all affect attendance.

In some areas a college football game is by far the best thing to do even for casual fans. Can't say the same for DFW with plenty of competing options. Our next two biggest cities that have a lot of alumni (Houston and Austin) have tons of great things to do as well.

 

[TRF51]

Stadium size is not about recruiting. It's about losing revenue because you have demand for seats and you don't have the seats to sell. Currently, ACS official capacity is 45,000. CDC would not be talking about expanding seating on the east side unless he knew/believed there was demand for it. So, he wants to expand seating on the east side by 15,000 to 25,000, which brings you up into 60,000 - 70,000 range. Plus you have SRO sales. College games at Jerry World, which seats around 100,000, usually reach seat sales of about 75,000, even for the "big" college games. Expanding the east side of ACS should bring ACS into that 75,000 seat range. The problem with beer sales is the legal liability you automatically incur with them. The legal costs can quickly and easily outstrip any profit you make. (This information is never mentioned in the media or by those who are pro-beer sales at sports stadiums.) It doesn't matter if you "win" a lawsuit. You still have legal costs, not to mention the time and attention required by management when they could be doing something else that is more productive.

So with regards to beer sales, why is it that beer is sold in certain sections of the stadium and not others? Wouldn't the liability cover everyone? Do the people who sit in the area where it is sold sign a waiver? Other universities seem to be ok with it? I personally think the way it is not increases binge drinking with the thought you have to be wasted before you go in because you are not going to have access to drinks for a few hours. If I knew I could buy a couple in the stadium I am not drinking hard before I go into the stadium.

 

[netty2424]

So with regards to beer sales, why is it that beer is sold in certain sections of the stadium and not others? Wouldn't the liability cover everyone? Do the people who sit in the area where it is sold sign a waiver? Other universities seem to be ok with it? I personally think the way it is not increases bing drinking with the thought you have to be wasted before you go in because you are not going to have access to drinks for a few hours. If I knew I could buy a couple in the stadium I am not drinking hard before I go into the stadium.

The liability piece is a joke. Virtually every major entertainment venue/sporting event in the world from a college level(not every school, just the level at which it begins) up sells alcohol. And they've all seemed to make the liability financials work. Sure there is a cost to carry, but this is entertainment. Not a mandatory Saturday event that everyone is required to attend. People have a choice of where to spend their money and it's clear in this venue people choose to spend their money on the tailgating.

Although the lines blew and they were extremely ill prepared, it was nice buying and drinking beer at The Alamo Bowl.

 

[Big Frog II]

Our problem is not selling tickets and getting fans to the stadium. Our problem is keeping them in the stands the entire game. That is the problem we must work on.

 

[LeagueCityFrog]

Thinking about this year's Frog football team.... We have an experienced senior quarterback that's being backed up by the Texas High School Gatorade player of the year, and also maybe the seconding coming of Bram K in Mulestein.

Our offensive and defensive lines will both be better and bigger. We have a great mix of young highly rated paper tigers with experienced upperclassmen at wide receiver and running back.

Our linebackers are legit. Our secondary is seasoned. That freshman punter was probably the most impactful freshman last year and we didn't have our scholarship kicker and all that being said, no one is really talking about us nationally and we are preseason #15. We know Gary loves being off the radar.

I'm thinking 9-3, but....if we win at Arkansas, I'm thinking 11-1. I watched the Arkansas preseason stuff the other day on SEC Network. They are physically big and look like they were ready for a physical fight but they lost Sprinkle the TE, that big offensive lineman that blocked our field goal, and unexpectedly also lost their starting running back Rawleigh Williams. They have nothing but underclassmen also at wide receiver.

Okie State is full of freshman in the secondary. Just saying. OU will be tough but has a new head coach. I hope Gary outsmarts all these new coaches.

Get hard TCU and be awesome road warriors and let's get those double digit wins.

 

[McFroggin]

Our problem is not selling tickets and getting fans to the stadium. Our problem is keeping them in the stands the entire game. That is the problem we must work on.

This will NEVER change, so why do we fight it? We are over 50% female in alumni and students. Compared to other schools, we have a more white collar fan base. Our fans see football as much a social event as a sport.

If we ban re-entry, fans will not return, and our stadium will be more empty. Give it up.

 

[Dogfrog]

So with regards to beer sales, why is it that beer is sold in certain sections of the stadium and not others? Wouldn't the liability cover everyone? Do the people who sit in the area where it is sold sign a waiver? Other universities seem to be ok with it? I personally think the way it is not increases bing drinking with the thought you have to be wasted before you go in because you are not going to have access to drinks for a few hours. If I knew I could buy a couple in the stadium I am not drinking hard before I go into the stadium.

Beer is sold in premium club sections only which is a very small % of total attendance confined to relatively small areas. Premium club pricing could be used for liability and umbrella coverage for this small group or it's possible the food and beverage contractor accepts liability in their contract, don't know. Liquor service liability is real. Serving 45,000 who then get in cars to drive home is a risk. People who bring their own and binge drink in the parking lot are not served by the university. All this could be overcome but there will always be folks who are hesitant to serve the entire stadium because we are a school with a student body the majority of which are not drinking age.

 

[Purp]

Beer is sold in premium club sections only which is a very small % of total attendance confined to relatively small areas. Premium club pricing could be used for liability and umbrella coverage for this small group or it's possible the food and beverage contractor accepts liability in their contract, don't know. Liquor service liability is real. Serving 45,000 who then get in cars to drive home is a risk. People who bring their own and binge drink in the parking lot are not served by the university. All this could be overcome but there will always be folks who are hesitant to serve the entire stadium because we are a school with a student body the majority of which are not drinking age.

Since we won't make much off of beer sales and the liability insurance costs may be as high as the revenue it would generate we should just institute a BYOB policy.