UTEP Football Attendance

[MinerInWisconsin]

For UTEP to be an attractive add to the MWC down the road, it needs to get it's fanbase back in the Sun Bowl. Winning is obviosly a necessary part of that but a crowd of only 14,5k in the home opener after beating the Aggies like a drum is just a horrible look.

UTEP was once the envy of most G5 schools due to having excellent attendance in football and mbb.

Do you think the attendance can be great again or has the fanbase been destroyed?

 

[Taco1977]

For UTEP to be an attractive add to the MWC down the road, it needs to get it's fanbase back in the Sun Bowl. Winning is obviosly a necessary part of that but a crowd of only 14,5k in the home opener after beating the Aggies like a drum is just a horrible look.

UTEP was once the envy of most G5 schools due to having excellent attendance in football and mbb.

Do you think the attendance can be great again or has the fanbase been destroyed?

I don't think attendance at the game is going to be a very big factor. TV ratings for the games is going to be the biggest factor. That's how these networks are deciding the amount they're willing to pay for the TV contracts. I think the order of importance is:

1. TV ratings for games
2. Winning
3. Facilities or ability to upgrade facilities
4. Fan attendance

 

[MinerFan79]

For UTEP to be an attractive add to the MWC down the road, it needs to get it's fanbase back in the Sun Bowl. Winning is obviosly a necessary part of that but a crowd of only 14,5k in the home opener after beating the Aggies like a drum is just a horrible look.

UTEP was once the envy of most G5 schools due to having excellent attendance in football and mbb.

Do you think the attendance can be great again or has the fanbase been destroyed?

I’m with you on this

 

[Randaddy Miner]

If we play good for BSU we'll have an okay crowd for UNM, but nothing like we got back in the days

 

[DBminer]

I heard ticket prices have skyrocketed for you guys?

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

How long has it been since this program gave the public anything worth rooting for? 14,000 for a home opener is far from ideal but given the bland football and constant losing this team has put everyone through it’s a start. Winning cures everything. Look at the crowd VB got for their game vs NMSU.

 

[JCorona]

We're still in a pandemic and we still suck. The attendance for BCU was ok considering the opponent and those two things mentioned above.

The fanbase is gone. I've said it for years but if we ever have another magical season like 2000 I doubt we will see the same type of crowds.

UTEP should focus on downsizing the Sun Bowl and making it more comfortable for the faithful. Add chair backs and other amenities. Our ceiling is around 30k with the occasional crowd of 40k if we have a good team and are playing a good ooc opponent.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

We're still in a pandemic and we still suck. The attendance for BCU was ok considering the opponent and those two things mentioned above.

The fanbase is gone. I've said it for years but if we ever have another magical season like 2000 I doubt we will see the same type of crowds.

UTEP should focus on downsizing the Sun Bowl and making it more comfortable for the faithful. Add chair backs and other amenities. Our ceiling is around 30k with the occasional crowd of 40k if we have a good team and are playing a good ooc opponent.

No need to downsize, as they need those seats for the Sun Bowl, Monster truck shows, and concerts. You can tarp off many seats and sell advertising.

With a winner and better student attendance, 40,000 is realistic for “big” games. Aside from being a loser, UTEP has also made a lot of mistakes regarding tickets and pricing. The program is another bad hire away from going extinct.

 

[FedupMiner]

For UTEP to be an attractive add to the MWC down the road, it needs to get it's fanbase back in the Sun Bowl. Winning is obviosly a necessary part of that but a crowd of only 14,5k in the home opener after beating the Aggies like a drum is just a horrible look.

UTEP was once the envy of most G5 schools due to having excellent attendance in football and mbb.

Do you think the attendance can be great again or has the fanbase been destroyed?

I think Kugler started the fan destruction process and the Dimel hire finished it off. Once the fans saw that UTEP hired a coach that was 8-26 in his last head coaching gig to replace Kugler, most of them gave up on the program. It is going to take a lot more than a win over NMSU to get 30k plus fans back in the Sun Bowl.

 

[JCorona]

No need to downsize, as they need those seats for the Sun Bowl, Monster truck shows, and concerts. You can tarp off many seats and sell advertising.

With a winner and better student attendance, 40,000 is realistic for “big” games. Aside from being a loser, UTEP has also made a lot of mistakes regarding tickets and pricing. The program is another bad hire away from going extinct.

If they added luxury boxes on the top of the east side section and it consumed 8-10k seats that would be an improvement. Those higher end tickets would generate more money than those cheap nosebleed sections ever could.

Imo the Sun Bowl would be perfect size in the 42-45k range. No one cares about FIU or Tarleton St once when we find ourselves in another downgraded conference.

Whats the highest attendance at a concert in the Sun Bowl?

 

[MineroFanatico]

We're still in a pandemic and we still suck. The attendance for BCU was ok considering the opponent and those two things mentioned above.

The fanbase is gone. I've said it for years but if we ever have another magical season like 2000 I doubt we will see the same type of crowds.

UTEP should focus on downsizing the Sun Bowl and making it more comfortable for the faithful. Add chair backs and other amenities. Our ceiling is around 30k with the occasional crowd of 40k if we have a good team and are playing a good ooc opponent.

I agree with this. The Sun Bowl has averaged 41K over the last 5 years. Take 10,000 seats out and make it more comfortable for those who do show up. And the days of UTEP drawing over 40K appear to be long gone.

It’s a terrible look on TV to see so many empty seats week in and week out. Even if it is only ESPN3 or ESPN+.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

I agree with this. The Sun Bowl has averaged 41K over the last 5 years. Take 10,000 seats out and make it more comfortable for those who do show up. And the days of UTEP drawing over 40K appear to be long gone.

It’s a terrible look on TV to see so many empty seats week in and week out. Even if it is only ESPN3 or ESPN+.

The question is how much would people be willing to pay for upgraded seats?

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

If they added luxury boxes on the top of the east side section and it consumed 8-10k seats that would be an improvement. Those higher end tickets would generate more money than those cheap nosebleed sections ever could.

Imo the Sun Bowl would be perfect size in the 42-45k range. No one cares about FIU or Tarleton St once when we find ourselves in another downgraded conference.

Whats the highest attendance at a concert in the Sun Bowl?

I am not sure of the numbers, but the Sun Bowl usually gets near 45,000. The Monster Truck shows sellout. NSYNC, Oscar De La Hoya, and others have sold out the Sun Bowl.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

I think Kugler started the fan destruction process and the Dimel hire finished it off. Once the fans saw that UTEP hired a coach that was 8-26 in his last head coaching gig to replace Kugler, most of them gave up on the program. It is going to take a lot more than a win over NMSU to get 30k plus fans back in the Sun Bowl.

Yeah and Senter believes raising ticket prices is the cure!

 

[JCorona]

I agree with this. The Sun Bowl has averaged 41K over the last 5 years. Take 10,000 seats out and make it more comfortable for those who do show up. And the days of UTEP drawing over 40K appear to be long gone.

It’s a terrible look on TV to see so many empty seats week in and week out. Even if it is only ESPN3 or ESPN+.

The days of OU and Texas or other perennial powerhouses coming to town seem to be over. If I'm not mistaken we couldn't even get 40k the last time Oklahoma visited. Our conference affiliation is getting worse by the year. Soon we will find ourselves surrounded by even more former fcs schools no one has any feelings for.

We keep dropping in the bowl selection pecking order. It won't be long until we lose a P5 tie in.

I don't think one direction or ODLH is making anymore appearances in our city.

I know the east side luxury boxes is pipe dream. But at the very minimum UTEP should chair back gold and silver sections. That would probably reduce capacity by 3-5k and put us at the 45k range.

 

[MineroFanatico]

I am not sure of the numbers, but the Sun Bowl usually gets near 45,000. The Monster Truck shows sellout. NSYNC, Oscar De La Hoya, and others have sold out the Sun Bowl.

Recaps - Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | December 29, 2023 | El Paso, Texas

www.sunbowl.org

And that is most likely tickets sold. Not actual attendance.

Those other events happen so seldom it’s not worth keeping occupancy at 52K just for those rarities.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

Recaps - Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | December 29, 2023 | El Paso, Texas

www.sunbowl.org

And that is most likely tickets sold. Not actual attendance.

Those other events happen so seldom it’s not worth keeping occupancy at 52K just for those rarities.

That’s why you should tarp them and sell advertising on them. It’s preposterous to think people aren’t going to the games because the seats aren’t nice and they’re willing to pay 3x more for “luxury”.

Money is better spent elsewhere than seating upgrades.

 

[JCorona]

2008 was the last time we had a crowd bigger than 42k. Only four times in our history have we averaged 42k or more for the entire season. The Sun Bowl has always been too big. Now with HD tvs and all games available online or in some sort of platform it seems like it will continue to remain mostly empty.

Looking back at our last bowl season the evidence is right there. Sitting at 5-4 with UNT on the schedule we only got 24k. Two weeks later at 6-5 with a chance to secure a winning season and bowl game we drew 27k.

For a program historically bad as we have been those were kind of big conference games.

Maybe once we're in the WAC playing Abilene Christian and Stephen F Austin the crowds of 42k will come back since we will be playing regional opponents that our fans care about.

 

[JCorona]

This is how it looks at ECU. They replaced all the seats in between the 35 yard lines with chair backs.

Why hasn't UTEP done something similar? It would make the game more enjoyable for the people that still attend.

 

[MineroFanatico]

That’s why you should tarp them and sell advertising on them. It’s preposterous to think people aren’t going to the games because the seats aren’t nice and they’re willing to pay 3x more for “luxury”.

Money is better spent elsewhere than seating upgrades.

Your words, not mine.

 

[unihorn]

Mask mandates ran off what was left of the die hard olds.

 

[JCorona]

Mask mandates ran off what was left of the die hard olds.

Would they come back if they had a comfortable seat to sit on?

 

[unihorn]

Would they come back if they had a comfortable seat to sit on?

Maybe. They also don’t like e-tickets.

 

[FeralFelidae]

How much of the sparsity of the crowd can be attributed to COVID?

Didn't UTEP two years ago draw almost 35,000 for the home opener against Houston Baptist? I can't imagine the expectations for UTEP that season were any higher; I think people were just hungry to attend a football game after the offseason. I wonder if COVID is still dampening attendance.

(Why did UTEP draw that crowd for Houston Baptist? Did they have some sort of super promotion or something?)

 

[TexasAggieMiner1202]

Maybe. They also don’t like e-tickets.

The e-ticket thing is annoying. I am younger so it is easy for me, but it is very difficult when trying to send to my aunts and uncles. at least with our chihuahua tickets I can screenshot and text it to someone and they can get in with the screenshot. They also don’t give an option to text the tickets to someone. I know multiple people who have refused to go to games because of mobile ticketing. They need an option for the grey beards who like traditional tickets.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

How much of the sparsity of the crowd can be attributed to COVID?

Didn't UTEP two years ago draw almost 35,000 for the home opener against Houston Baptist? I can't imagine the expectations for UTEP that season were any higher; I think people were just hungry to attend a football game after the offseason. I wonder if COVID is still dampening attendance.

(Why did UTEP draw that crowd for Houston Baptist? Did they have some sort of super promotion or something?)

Tons of free tickets and $10 tickets

 

[FeralFelidae]

Tons of free tickets and $10 tickets

How did they distribute the free tickets?

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

The e-ticket thing is annoying. I am younger so it is easy for me, but it is very difficult when trying to send to my aunts and uncles. at least with our chihuahua tickets I can screenshot and text it to someone and they can get in with the screenshot. They also don’t give an option to text the tickets to someone. I know multiple people who have refused to go to games because of mobile ticketing. They need an option for the grey beards who like traditional tickets.

They can still buy a physical ticket when they buy in person correct? I believe a STH can request paper tickets, especially if they threaten to cancel or escalate to a “higher level”.

Facemasks, paper tickets, and comfortable seats are like 1% of problems. Winning and cost solves everything else.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

How did they distribute the free tickets?

Gave them to the school districts, who then distributed them how they saw fit.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Gave them to the school districts, who then distributed them how they saw fit.

They should probably do that for all FCS opponents.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

Endzone seats for the Lobo game are $14. They need to be $10 or less. Senter keeps raising them and thinks it’s a good idea.

 

[Minerforlife]

As most of you know I'm not a fan of Senter however, I like what he's doing with ticket prices. The most important seats are the premium seats they generate several times more money per seat than the regular seats.

Don't make tickets cheap. Then people will bitch and moan when you have to raise them. This isn't minor league baseball. I don't care if we are losing a few families because of ticket prices. They don't move the revenue needle. People will buy tickets if we are winning and the endzone will sell out first like in the old days. El Paso is unsophisticated bandwagon town. If we win the cheapskates will come. When talking about attendance I think it's important to remember we haven't beat an fbs team at home since UNT in 2016. Any school with that long a stretch of futility will have trouble selling tickets.

In 2005 we averaged 47,000 fans a game and were 7th in cusa in football revenue. That's because we were catering to average Joe's who are cheap as hell. Make sure we are focusing on the premium seats and winning and the average Joe's will come back and we won't have to cut ticket prices or run ridiculous promotions. The truth about D1 athletics is a big business. It's not minor league baseball. You focus on donors not a family of four who wants ten dollar tickets and a dollar hot dogs they are never going to float the program. It's harsh but it's the truth.

 

[unihorn]

They can still buy a physical ticket when they buy in person correct? I believe a STH can request paper tickets, especially if they threaten to cancel or escalate to a “higher level”.

Facemasks, paper tickets, and comfortable seats are like 1% of problems. Winning and cost solves everything else.

No, I’m talking about olds who used to go even absent winning.

 

[MinerInWisconsin]

Lots of good discussion. One thing I want to add is that UTEP needs to bring in a lot of youngsters, elementary and high school kids, to create the fanbase of the future. There are games every season that are not going to sell well, like BC this year. Have a few thousand freebies on nights like that to get kids in to watch the Miners. Get them hooked on college football in their home town.

 

[utep2step]

No, I’m talking about olds who used to go even absent winning.

UTEP needs to get on the phone now and "Sell. Sell. Sell." now that they are 2-0. The griddle is hot, because after that BSU game the griddle may be colder than a Russian winter.

 

[unihorn]

Lots of good discussion. One thing I want to add is that UTEP needs to bring in a lot of youngsters, elementary and high school kids, to create the fanbase of the future. There are games every season that are not going to sell well, like BC this year. Have a few thousand freebies on nights like that to get kids in to watch the Miners. Get them hooked on college football in their home town.

I get what you’re saying, but it’s really the parents who get them hooked or not.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

As most of you know I'm not a fan of Senter however, I like what he's doing with ticket prices. The most important seats are the premium seats they generate several times more money per seat than the regular seats.

Don't make tickets cheap. Then people will bitch and moan when you have to raise them. This isn't minor league baseball. I don't care if we are losing a few families because of ticket prices. They don't move the revenue needle. People will buy tickets if we are winning and the endzone will sell out first like in the old days. El Paso is unsophisticated bandwagon town. If we win the cheapskates will come. When talking about attendance I think it's important to remember we haven't beat an fbs team at home since UNT in 2016. Any school with that long a stretch of futility will have trouble selling tickets.

In 2005 we averaged 47,000 fans a game and were 7th in cusa in football revenue. That's because we were catering to average Joe's who are cheap as hell. Make sure we are focusing on the premium seats and winning and the average Joe's will come back and we won't have to cut ticket prices or run ridiculous promotions. The truth about D1 athletics is a big business. It's not minor league baseball. You focus on donors not a family of four who wants ten dollar tickets and a dollar hot dogs they are never going to float the program. It's harsh but it's the truth.

Raising ticket prices when you’re in the bottom 10 is the dumbest thing you can do. If you absolutely need to, you gradually do it. Also, fans like 2Step believe NMSU is “below” UTEP, yet the NMSU games are priced higher than the others. You want to give off a “better than” vibe, charging more for that opponent is umm, stupid.

If you do not attend games when you’re younger, what are the chances you’re going to when you’re older? In El Paso, you absolutely need to “cater” to families and not 25 year old “professionals”. As they grew up doing other things and are unlikely to buy tickets to team, they care nothing about.

Most of UTEPs students are from El Paso and Juarez. The Juarez people care more about an America soccer match than any UTEP sport, so you’re already at a disadvantage.

 

[unihorn]

Raising ticket prices when you’re in the bottom 10 is the dumbest thing you can do. If you absolutely need to, you gradually do it. Also, fans like 2Step believe NMSU is “below” UTEP, yet the NMSU games are priced higher than the others. You want to give off a “better than” vibe, charging more for that opponent is umm, stupid.

If you do not attend games when you’re younger, what are the chances you’re going to when you’re older? In El Paso, you absolutely need to “cater” to families and not 25 year old “professionals”. As they grew up doing other things and are unlikely to buy tickets to team, they care nothing about.

Most of UTEPs students are from El Paso and Juarez. The Juarez people care more about an America soccer match than any UTEP sport, so you’re already at a disadvantage.

Yeah, I think Senter tries to do things that work in other markets, but don’t work here.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

Yeah, I think Senter tries to do things that work in other markets, but don’t work here.

If you want to focus on just markets, that’s fine. However, UTEP basketball and football have been horrible since he’s been here. “Cheap/poor” El Paso can be a valid excuse, but he’s asking to pay more for a shit product.

 

[kickballpro]

Speaking of tickets. I had 8 tickets for Saturday. 2 season and 6 others because family was in town and we all went.

My 2 season tickets were invalid when we scanned them at the gate. All the others went through. The lady at the gate asked me if I transferred my tickets. I said no. And she said ok go ahead, since the other tickets went through its ok.

But listening to Sportstalk right now on my way home. They are discussing that many season ticket holders were turned away for invalid tickets.

Now UTEP does everything on the phone now. There are no more printed tickets. Even the line to buy tickets takes 15 minutes per person because you have to buy a ticket, download the app, set up an account, and then your ticket appears on your phone. Don't know why they just can't print you a ticket. My dad is almost 80 and he held up a line. Thankfully only one person waiting behind him.

But UTEP is just proving to be a cluster