The olds are bailing on football

[unihorn]

They don’t like having to wear masks.

They don’t like the changes in the ticketing process.

They’re scared of COVID.

They’re getting too old to go.

Time for the Youngbloods to step up.

 

[picks up]

They don’t like having to wear masks.

They don’t like the changes in the ticketing process.

They’re scared of COVID.

They’re getting too old to go.

Time for the Youngbloods to step up.

There are no youngbloods. UTEP needs to start winning to attract youngbloods.

 

[JCorona]

The Youngblood’s discovered years ago that’s easier and a lot cheaper to watch the game from their 70inch 4K tv.

The G5’s have to adapt to a new norm where 30k is a really good crowd.

 

[Cube Jack]

For some people wearing the mask outside for hours at a time is rough. I know some people, young and old, who get nauseous or get headaches.

I wonder if there will be people who wear the mask with their nose uncovered at the game.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

The Youngblood’s discovered years ago that’s easier and a lot cheaper to watch the game from their 70inch 4K tv.

The G5’s have to adapt to a new norm where 30k is a really good crowd.

That’s part of it, sure. Here at UTEP, you can look at the raising of ticket prices and poor performance as why people are staying away. When you win 1 home game in 3 years, fans are going to choose better options.

Watching on your big screen, paying $10 for a 6 pack, and not having a line to the bathroom is nice, but it doesn’t replace the game day experience and atmosphere. Because UTEP has no experience or atmosphere, it makes it an easier choice, except for true diehards.

 

[JCorona]

That’s part of it, sure. Here at UTEP, you can look at the raising of ticket prices and poor performance as why people are staying away. When you win 1 home game in 3 years, fans are going to choose better options.

Watching on your big screen, paying $10 for a 6 pack, and not having a line to the bathroom is nice, but it doesn’t replace the game day experience and atmosphere. Because UTEP has no experience or atmosphere, it makes it an easier choice, except for true diehards.

There are only a handful of g5 programs that average over 30k a year. All of them except ECU have enjoyed a lot of recent success.

It’s not a problem exclusive to UTEP. Winning helps but it still doesn’t draw the big crowds of yesteryear. A successful program will draw around 30-35k. There are lot of successful programs that average around the same amount of fans as UTEP.

 

[unihorn]

Can’t get autographs sitting at home.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

That’s part of it, sure. Here at UTEP, you can look at the raising of ticket prices and poor performance as why people are staying away. When you win 1 home game in 3 years, fans are going to choose better options.

Watching on your big screen, paying $10 for a 6 pack, and not having a line to the bathroom is nice, but it doesn’t replace the game day experience and atmosphere. Because UTEP has no experience or atmosphere, it makes it an easier choice, except for true diehards.

I agree. At the end of the day no amount of marketing, giveaways, sales, food selection etc will make up for the fact that UTEP has fielded awful football teams for almost the last decade plus.

 

[JCorona]

With the same token there are programs that no matter how many games they win, how many bowls they play in, or how many cusa championships they win they still can’t outdraw UTEP.

 

[unihorn]

I agree. At the end of the day no amount of marketing, giveaways, sales, food selection etc will make up for the fact that UTEP has fielded awful football teams for almost the last decade plus.

Sure, but UTEP is in uncharted waters losing their die hard blue hairs.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

With the same token there are programs that no matter how many games they win, how many bowls they play in, or how many cusa championships they win they still can’t outdraw UTEP.

We saw it early in Price’s tenure and in 2000 under Nord: if you are competitive and you play a fun brand of football the fans will come in droves.

 

[JCorona]

We saw it early in Price’s tenure and in 2000 under Nord: if you are competitive and you play a fun brand of football the fans will come in droves.

A lot has changed in the last 15-20 years. I’m 99% sure that if we won 8 games in 2021 we wouldn’t average 40-45k.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

With the same token there are programs that no matter how many games they win, how many bowls they play in, or how many cusa championships they win they still can’t outdraw UTEP.

No argument there and have said so in other threads. That’s what makes our ineptitude more frustrating.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

A lot has changed in the last 15-20 years. I’m 99% sure that if we won 8 games in 2021 we wouldn’t average 40-45k.

Depends on the opponents, game times, promotions. It’s very unlikely, but not impossible.

 

[kickballpro]

There was an interesting conversation about this on a National Sports Talk Show about a year ago, can't remember which one.

But the basic premise was the NBA going from trying to get fans in the stands and fans watching whole games to making Viral Clips on Social Media.

You can't think in terms of 3 hours anymore to watch a game and you can't expect people to get their highlights on SportsCenter. You have to think of the event as the place to be socially and the highlight as 10 second clip.

 

[JCorona]

Depends on the opponents, game times, promotions. It’s very unlikely, but not impossible.

They would have to sell out the first game vs an fcs team for it to even be possible. Then they would need to average over 40k for UNM, LT, UTSA, RICE and CUSA East team.

We couldn’t even draw 23k for a regional P5 program.

IMO as a member of CUSA3.0 the best we could hope for is to average 30-35k during great years. 20-30k during 5 to 7 win years, and under 20k for a season with four wins or fewer.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

They would have to sell out the first game vs an fcs team for it to even be possible. Then they would need to average over 40k for UNM, LT, UTSA, RICE and CUSA East team.

We couldn’t even draw 23k for a regional P5 program.

IMO as a member of CUSA3.0 the best we could hope for is to average 30-35k during great years. 20-30k during 5 to 7 win years, and under 20k for a season with four wins or fewer.

if you’re talking about 2021 specifically, then yeah. I’m talking about just a year in future, with the right mix of things happening. Until COVID is pretty much categorized like the flu and cold, it’s hard to imagine 100% capacities being allowed here.

 

[picks up]

Depends on the opponents, game times, promotions. It’s very unlikely, but not impossible.

I don't think the opponents even matter anymore. Didn't we only get 20k for Arizona a few years ago? We need to win not schedule better IMO

 

[Minerforlife]

I don't thing the opponents even matter anymore. Didn't we only get 20k for Arizona a few years ago? We need to win not schedule better IMO

I agree we need to win. We've had one winning season and that was 2014. We were coming off a 2-10 season and suffered two beat downs in a row on national tv (K-State and La Tech). The team improved and even registered the greatest defensive performance in UTEP football history against UTSA. However, that wasn't enough to overcome 8 straight losing seasons and two nationally televised curb stompings. We need to win and build a winner. The attendance wont show the first year of winning but it will in year two.

The biggest thing that would help would be a new head coach.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

I don't think the opponents even matter anymore. Didn't we only get 20k for Arizona a few years ago? We need to win not schedule better IMO

Correct. Miners got blown out by OU in Week 1, lost to Rice in the Sun Bowl week 2, their only win of the season. Then we hosted Arizona on a Friday night, later kickoff, televised by a real ESPN channel. Also Kugler’s last season, so fans weren’t really excited to attend Miner games.

Opponent had nothing to do with it.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

Correct. Miners got blown out by OU in Week 1, lost to Rice in the Sun Bowl week 2, their only win of the season. Then we hosted Arizona on a Friday night, later kickoff, televised by a real ESPN channel. Also Kugler’s last season, so fans weren’t really excited to attend Miner games.

Opponent had nothing to do with it.

Does conference affiliation hamper UTEP in terms of quality rivalries/opponents? I don’t know about you guys but I enjoyed when UTEP was playing teams like Houston, Boise St, Fresno St., Hawaii, Tulsa as opposed to ODU, Charlotte, FIU. Aside from UTSA and Rice we don’t have any good rivalries and its still a stretch to have genuine bad blood with those two.

 

[JCorona]

Power teams to play at the Sun Bowl in the last decade.

Arizona 22k
Texas Tech 35k (home opener, bowl year)
(4) Oklahoma 40k (home opener)
(24) Kansas 32k

That’s an average of 32k. IMO that’s our expected crowd when we have a good year.

 

[TxRdKiller]

Does conference affiliation hamper UTEP in terms of quality rivalries/opponents? I don’t know about you guys but I enjoyed when UTEP was playing teams like Houston, Boise St, Fresno St., Hawaii, Tulsa as opposed to ODU, Charlotte, FIU. Aside from UTSA and Rice we don’t have any good rivalries and its still a stretch to have genuine bad blood with those two.

For me, yes. I ****ing HATE UTEP being in CUSA. I'm long on record about this. The MWC doesn't want us and we are way out of the PAC-12's league. Where does that leave us?

 

[JCorona]

The 2000 season was the perfect storm. The crowds got bigger each week. It wouldn’t have mattered if we played Big Sky schools. El Paso was starving for a winning program. The 2004 season had all the hype of Price with the familiarity of old rivals. The 2005 season still had the Price hype and the added intrigue of new rivals.

What do we have now? Assuming we fire Dimel and the new coach takes us bowling at 6-6/7-5 would we still draw over 40k for MT and FIU in November? I just don’t see it anymore.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

Does conference affiliation hamper UTEP in terms of quality rivalries/opponents? I don’t know about you guys but I enjoyed when UTEP was playing teams like Houston, Boise St, Fresno St., Hawaii, Tulsa as opposed to ODU, Charlotte, FIU. Aside from UTSA and Rice we don’t have any good rivalries and its still a stretch to have genuine bad blood with those two.

Conference mates is a good reason attendance has dwindled at the Sun Bowl. UTEP has been left behind and passed up by too many ex-rivals. With that being said, UTEP could still get 40k for CUSA teams. That seems light years away, considering the state of the program though.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

Power teams to play at the Sun Bowl in the last decade.

Arizona 22k
Texas Tech 35k (home opener, bowl year)
(4) Oklahoma 40k (home opener)
(24) Kansas 32k

That’s an average of 32k. IMO that’s our expected crowd when we have a good year.

Depends on the opponent though. Huge asterisk on that Arizona game, as I mentioned above. The OU number is pretty sad, but I believe it was a late kickoff as well.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

For me, yes. I ****ing HATE UTEP being in CUSA. I'm long on record about this. The MWC doesn't want us and we are way out of the PAC-12's league. Where does that leave us?

stuck, right where we are. No options except options Corona and I argued about all summer.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

What do we have now? Assuming we fire Dimel and the new coach takes us bowling at 6-6/7-5 would we still draw over 40k for MT and FIU in November? I just don’t see it anymore.

If UTEP had a good team and FIU was like FAU under Kiffin, with a good kickoff time, weather, and no big boxing/UFC events; I could see it. Especially with a decent promotion

 

[Autograph Boy]

Can’t get autographs sitting at home.

There is a way to get autographs without leaving the house.

You seem jealous of my hobby.

 

[unihorn]

There is a way to get autographs without leaving the house.

You seem jealous of my hobby.

 

[Autograph Boy]

Ok insecure homophobe.

You're insecure about your life and jealous what other people do. This is why you act the way you act.

 

[unihorn]

Ok insecure homophobe.

You're insecure about your life and jealous what other people do. This is why you act the way you act.

I think it’s weird for a grown man to stalk people for their autograph.

 

[Autograph Boy]

I think it’s weird for a grown man to stalk people for their autograph.

You up the definition of "stalk". MOST athletes, celebrities, etc. love meeting fans and signing autographs.

You think it's weird to ask for an autograph, but you have no problem posting gay slurs. Got it.

 

[unihorn]

You up the definition of "stalk". MOST athletes, celebrities, etc. love meeting fans and signing autographs.

You think it's weird to ask for an autograph, but you have no problem posting gay slurs. Got it.

They like meeting kids and hot women, not fat, greasy trolls.

 

[Autograph Boy]

They like meeting kids and hot women, not fat, greasy trolls.

I'm not fat or greasy. Stop describing yourself.

How do you know what they like?

 

[utep2step]

With the same token there are programs that no matter how many games they win, how many bowls they play in, or how many cusa championships they win they still can’t outdraw UTEP.

You mean WKU?

 

[Cube Jack]

I was never a fan of being in C-USA, but it beats not having a conference at all

 

[Cube Jack]

You mean WKU?

You should see the empty space at Legion Field. They even cover about 1/3 of the seats with tarps

 

[Minerforlife]

You should see the empty space at Legion Field. They even cover about 1/3 of the seats with tarps

Will be interesting to see their attendance next year at their new 45,000 seat stadium. It will be the nicest stadium in CUSA. They've blamed their attendance on legion field and the neighborhood it's in. They have no excuses now. To be fair Legion Field will always be always be associated with Alabama football. It was the Bear's house and home to every significant Alabama game until the 90's. It's still a tourist attraction. People like to go on the field and take pictures on the sidelines where the Bear stood. It will be nice for UAB to have their own digs and not play in a stadium full of Alabama history.

 

[Cube Jack]

LA Tech has a tiny stadium, resulting in the games "looking" like they have bigger attendance. One thing they do have though is a loud and (drunk) involved student section though.

MTSU plays in what looks like a high school stadium and is still half empty.

I like the Alamo Bowl, especially since half the fans are cheering for UTEP.