[NU Sports] Attendance Woes

[JHCCLARK at aol.com]

"6 games, if purchased individually: $220 (avg. = $36.67)

6 games, season ticket price: $170 (avg. = $28.33)

(...)

Too much? I don't know, but it's a lot."

Huh?  Michigan season tickets are $635.  $170 is a MEGA HUGE bargain.  

Why the attendance woes?

#1 - NU students are not usually from the Chicago area, unlike most other schools.  NU, like Ivy League schools, pulls in a national student body.  Therefore, there is no ingrained affinity for NU football.

#2 - NU alums don't usually stick around Chicago when they graduate, unlike most other schools.  The people who have loyalty to NU athletics just aren't in the area in numbers.

#3 - Small student body doesn't help #1 or #2 either.

#4 - 11am starts.  Who the #%&! wants to get up at 7am to make an 11am kickoff?  This REALLY hurts, especially if you have a social life and want to enjoy it on Friday nights.  Yes, yes, I know that ESPN and ABC are calling the shots.  Is the priority to be televised or attendance?  It may be that being on TV is more important, but the conference, ESPN and ABC should be able to think of something -- maybe having ESPN+ games at 1pm or even 2pm.

#5 - MORE NIGHT GAMES.  Attendance is always high at night games.  It is MUCH more fun, and you can go out drinking and eating afterwards, either in Evanston or Chicago.

#6 - Home games before the student body arrives.  This is the one that really cheeses me off.  You now have a bye week in October or November with the addition of Penn State.  (a) Schedule a non-conference creampuff for Homecoming, (b) start your season AWAY, and (c) have your first home game after the students arrive.  Stats show that you are more likely to lose after a bye-week anyway, so why take the chance?  Yes, "getting healthy" is important.  Gotta make a choice.

#7 - Schedule the home non-conf game in September with a local school.  NIU, Iowa State, Ball State, Western Michigan, Mizzou, Louisville, etc....  They should bring their fans with them and aid in attendance.

#8 - Tradition is not there (yet).  NU, like Indiana, just doesn't have the long "winning" tradition that other schools have.  The 70s and 80s permanently turned off a couple of generations of would-be NU fans.  I know it is sacrilege to say it, but NU's tradition in the minds of most 35-60 year olds is of a loser, not a winner.  BUT, this is changing among the new generations - just listen to what recruits think of NU football.

#9 - I do have a question -- what is the ratio of native-foreign students at NU?  I would guess that NU is a more global university and probably draws a larger foreign student population who have no clue what American football is.  Not only is there no love of NU football there, but there is no CONCEPT of the game itself or its traditions.

#10 - I do not agree with the argument that Chicagoans have other sports avenues for entertainment.  Detroit has all the pro teams, Minny, Cleveburg, Milwaukee.  I DO think that Chicagoans have other AVENUES for entertainment.  There are more things to do in general in Chicago than in most other places, with the exception of New York City and L.A.

#11 - Bring back the old Willie!  This "new" mascot (now nine years old) is ugly and cheap-looking, a real turn-off.  The Willie of 1995 was cute and had character.  Willie the Wildcat dolls would have gone over well with the little kids in the area, thereby raising NU awareness in the coming generations of locals.  Heck, it would have been smart to give them away just to increase awareness.  How about one that talked about NU football with a wristwatch that played "Go, U Northwestern"?  (this is me "outside the box")