Lamar Football Attendance Predictions

[Guest coachacola]

Here's how all the FBS and FCS schools in Texas rank in football attendance this year.  Where do you think Lamar's attendance will rank on this list in 2010?

1. UT - 85,144

2. A&M - 81,747

3. Tech - 51,911

4. UTEP - 36,569

5. Baylor - 34,378

6. TCU - 30,018

7. UH - 20,955

8. UNT - 17,734

9. SMU - 17,171

10. Rice - 13,353

12. McNeese - 12,819 (I know, they're not in Texas)

13. Texas State - 11,408

14. Sam Houston - 9627

15. SFA - 8480

16. Priarie View - 7750

16. Texas Southern - 3764

My guess is Lamar will average 16,000 for #10 on the list

Edit:  I originally left SMU off the list.  They're #9, right after North Texas.

[Guest abovetherim]

There are a lot of unknown areas especially the HC. Let say for arguements sake R.C. Slocum agrees to coach the Cardinals. Now starting a team from the ground up will cause a lot of growing pains (loses) early on. However by the 3rd year if Lamar is able to win 8 games with Slocum the coach I can see Lamar as high as 8 behind UH. 1. Popular coach 2. winning record 3. population growth of SE Texas.

I say if everything falls our way #8. Which in my opinion would be darn good with average attendance over 18,000.

[UNLV]

Depends depends depends...

IF...

1. Expand Cardinal stadium to 35-40k...horseshoe

2. A big name coach

3. Saturday day game

4. tailgate/carnival liike before the game...

25k first year average, 35k first game.

[LUPatriot]

Why would R.C. come to Lamar ? I know he is from the Golden Triangle, but I don't think he would. I could see him going somewhere football is already established and a tradition is already set.

I think the attendance will be large, but I don't know if it will be 16,000. It will be good to see Lamar playing again, but not against Blinn or San Jac or UT-Tyler.

I think if Lamar is going to hire a coach, they need to get someone young and full of energy. Recruiting is going to be a hard job. Lamar will still get what is leftover from A&M, UT, Tech, OU and LSU. A lot of kids will still choose SFA, Texas State and Sam over LU as well because they will want to get away from Beaumont. Some of you will disagree with me over this, and that's fine. It's the truth. These are the same reasons kids choose other Universities over Lamar right now.

I think Lamar needs to hire a DC from Conference USA or possibly Sun Belt. That's probably what Lamar can afford. Hopefully he can be a people-person and communicate with the community as muchas possible. This will sell tickets.

From there, they will need to advertise themselves across the GT and Country. This will spark interest into the program. They will then Redshirt the first year. During the 2nd year, I would go to the JUCO ranks and try to get top recruits (which is going to be difficult considering you have a powerplant literally in the view of the field). Lamar may/may not get these recruits. It's going to be extremely difficult for them to win 8+ games their first 5 years into play (Lamar is going to lose A LOT of games early).  I don't know who they will hire, but it would cost Lamar a lot of money if I were going to sell myself out for all of this work.

[Guest abovetherim]

Some great ideas there and it is great to get others opinions on this subject! Just one question I have; if R.C. Slocum wanted to be coaching at a school right now why isn't he? Believe me, he has connections all over the country. If he wanted to coach at just any school, he'd be somewhere now.

I just think he is the man I'd go after if I were Billy Tubbs but there are a lot of good coaches out there. I am hopeful we'll get the right one to make the football program successful.

Great post and visit more often! Go Cards!!!!

[UNLV]

Some great ideas there and it is great to get others opinions on this subject! Just one question I have; if R.C. Slocum wanted to be coaching at a school right now why isn't he? Believe me, he has connections all over the country. If he wanted to coach at just any school, he'd be somewhere now.

I just think he is the man I'd go after if I were Billy Tubbs but there are a lot of good coaches out there. I am hopeful we'll get the right one to make the football program successful.

Great post and visit more often! Go Cards!!!!

lol..I thought the samething. Why isn't Slocum coaching anywhere else?    lokl.

Why would recru8its choose 0-11 SFA small town over LU and possible FBS and mid-size town.

[simmons3]

Well I see things differently, I just graduated from High School and my buddies and I would debate this very topic all the time. Small school kids around here do not get a chance to go anywhere. I understand that they arent the players that big schools would look at, but i know of alot of pretty good 1A-3A kids who dont go anywhere. I know Kelby Shandy Kirby from Anahuac was pretty dang good and he suffered an injury and is not playing any where right now and from what I hear he is still as fast as he ever was. So lets use him as an example, all those people from Anahuac that supported this kid will more than likely come to the games just to get to see him play again. If you are Lamar, you recruit from within the Golden Triangle and get the attendance up, because all the people from these surrounding areas will come watch their High School star play again. I mean that is where the basketball program is going wrong also, they complain about attendance when we have so many good players in our area, RECRUIT FROM WITHIN....

[LUPatriot]

Reasons why Recruits would select SFA over LU

#1 Scenery- Nac. is a lot prettier of a city than Beaumont.

#2 Health- With a refinery pumping who knows what into their lungs, the air is safer and cleaner in Nac.

#3 College Town- Beaumont has never been a college town and probably never will.

#4 Community Support- Everyone that is/or ever has been a Lumberjack all have a bond and they all support SFA (a lot like aggies... Whoop!)

#5 Tradition- I had to watch the last football game Lamar ever played on Youtube of all places.

#6 Friends- Growing up in SETX kids want to get out of the GT. They want to go somewhere that is too far away for mom and dad to drive there everyweekend, but is close enough to home when they need to get home.

#7 Greek- A lot of Freshman get caught up in this and face it, Greek life is way more popular at SFA compared to LU.

#8 Everyone has heard of SFA in TX. I don't know how many people I have met (up here in the metroplex) that haven't heard of Lamar.

#9 SFA is way prettier than LU.

#10 Lamar hasn't even publicly announced Football and everyone is wanting them to play in the FBS. Lamar has been talking about this since I went there.

I am a proud LU Alumni, but I am a person that can face reality as well. I think LU is making up a lot of ground on every other university in TX, but they have had to fill a huge gap, and they still have a lot more work to do.

[Guest abovetherim]

I love this. Great stuff guys, keep it coming. Those refineries are not only pumping "who knows what into the air" but it's the basic income for a lot of SE Texans. Countless jobs feed many mouths and provide educationally opportunities for the youth of this area.

I agree SFA has a beautiful campus but what else is there? There are too many things around here for me to list. Try going to the New Regional Center.

Lastly, I personally have 2 nephews from Aledo who attend Lamar. One of their girlfriends will be attending in the spring. One of my neices will be here in the spring. My nephews have told me they have seen two of their classmates from Aledo on campus. So, yes there are people who not only know of Lamar but selected the university over several other options including SFA, TSU, UTA, UTSA among others. Oh, Aledo is west of Fort Worth. I believe it is still considered part of the metroplex.

[Guest coachacola]

LUPatriot has made a lot of valid points that I agree with.  Those refineries are the life blood of SETX, but you don't need a college degree for the majority of refinery jobs.  So most Lamar grads, like myself, have to move away to get a job.

And Beaumont has always suffered from a youth-drain.  A lot of kids move away once they finish high school, either off to college if they can, of they just to get away from the "small town" atmosphere of the area.

Lamar's not a party school.  I've been going to some of the basketball games when I can the last few years, and there's hardly any students at the games.  It's hard to spot them.  Will it be the same way at the football games?

I'd love for Lamar to go FBS. In fact, I believe they have to be successful long term.  But Lamar still has a long and hard road ahead to make football successful.  And looking at Lamar's and SETX's history, there's no guarantee it will be that successful.  Hopefully this new economic and population boom will bring in a new generation of fans to Lamar.

[Guest abovetherim]

Coach, you may not need a degree for one of the construction jobs but anything else requires a degree. Why does the refineries give so much to LIT? I agree with the vast majority of the rest of your statement. I too wanted to get away. I've lived all over the world due to military service then I left the area again to begin my career in nursing. However, SE Texas is and always will be home for me.

If I do ever leave again, I still want my remains flown here to be near my relatives who have passed before me. I love the culture, the area, the people and the weather here except hurricanes of course. My bones would not feel comfortable without the flumes of the refineries.  ;D

[lamarsports]

the gap has been closed as far as sfa is concerned.with the exception of the football field lamar has better facilities.give simmons 5 more years and lamar will really be something.

[weslinder]

LUPatriot,

What industry do you work in?  I can promise you that if you are in an industrial or commercial field (other than tree-cutting), wherever you go in Texas or across the country, you will meet many, many times more Lamar grads than SFA grads.  Because Lamar is such a good engineering and business school, was a pioneer in Computer Science education, and is the best in TSUS at preparing students for grad school, you run into Lamar grads in business circles everywhere.  SFA may be known more in Texas, but Lamar is known much, much more around the country and around the world, specifically because the quality of education for "useable degrees" is much higher.

SFA has its negatives, and many of them are tied to its location.  Ever hear of the term "Nacanowhere"?  Ask some SFA grads about nightlife in Nacadoches.  See how long it takes for the word "Wal-Mart" to come up.  I love Nacadoches, and I don't have a problem with SFA, but your rosy picture of it is complete BS.

SFA certainly has one thing on Lamar, though.  It has way, way more ugly women.

[weslinder]

One other thing:  If students are picking a school based on campus and town beauty and community support and they're looking at SFA, I'd advise them to look a few miles further east.  Northwestern State has them beat in both areas, and they'll waive out-of-state tuition for Texas residents.

[NewCardinal]

Yes, I'm from Aledo and my dad wanted me to go to UT. However, I chose Lamar for several reasons. 1. My brother is 3 credits short of being a junior at Lamar and we wanted to get a place together. 2. I'm able to pay tuition, fees, books, food, buy a new 40 inch plasma TV, new computer and new furniture for our apartment for less than I would have paid going to UT.

We have the best bacholar pad in Beaumont.  8)

[TradinUp BH]

I would say 15,000 for the first couple of years and then there would be decline to about 8,000 to 10,000. I'm for football at Lamar, but if the past is any indication how it will be then we're in trouble.  Remember the Golden Gators, Bullfrogs, Wilcatters, Drillers.  This area has always been a high school football area, and even that only a select few schools even fill up the stands.  I want the program to succeed but I don't know if it could.  I spoke with some baseball players from Lamar not too long ago and they were complaining about how boring it is around here.  This is the same comments you get from the high school kids.  There is no eating places around the college, no college type clubs, and lack of college activities.  There's no fraternity or sorority rows, and only about 1,500 kids that live in the dorms.  When you think of college campus life, you don't think about Lamar.

[Guest abovetherim]

Your place is aweome NewCardinal. It's better than I had before I was married. Now, just listen to your older brother and keep the place clean! I don't think it's as much a bacholars pad and a party place. Everytime I go over there you have ton's of people over and the one's over 21 are having a very good time. Your aunt gets mad everytime I want to come over because she thinks I just want to look at the girls.  ;D

Edit: NewCardinal lives with his bother and one other guy at the Village at Lamar. Now, I know first hand they are having a great college experience. Wish NewCardinal would attend some basketball games but he is definitely having fun. The college experience is what you make of it. Plus, there is well over 1,500 students living on campus.

[weslinder]

There is no eating places around the college, no college type clubs, and lack of college activities.  There's no fraternity or sorority rows, and only about 1,500 kids that live in the dorms.  When you think of college campus life, you don't think about Lamar.

There's about 2000 that live in the 4 phases of Cardinal Village now, as well as 400 at the Village at Lamar.  Cardinal Village Phase 5 is in the plans.  If you include graduate students, over 40% of Lamar students now live within walking distance of campus.  When I started at Lamar in 2000, there were about 800 students who lived on campus, and when I graduated about 1500.  That will have doubled again before the football team takes their first snap.

[Guest coachacola]

I do believe they are starting football at the right time, with all the new dorms on campus and the expected economic boom in the area.  If SETX can grow by 50,000+ residents in the next 3-5 years and Lamar grows by 2,000 or 3,000 then football should succeed.  Won't they need new dorms for the football players, band, etc?  Hopefully they're planning phases 5 & 6 for Cardinal Village.  At least half the students should be living on campus.  With more dorms, a new academic building, and new athletic facilities, Lamar should have a more vibrant campus life 5 years from now.  If Lamar can't get a few thousand students at the football games then football will probably flop again.

[UNLV]

The first game will be a sell out. If LU wins, hopefully they schedule a cupcake, LU could average 75% of the first game.

LU needs to make it fun....

[KDOSullivan]

10,000, 15,000 tops for the first game....I would like to see Lamar get football, but I just do not see it as being cost effective. We'll be the cupcake for several years. Our first years will be dominated by JUCO transfers from places like Blinn and TVCC. People of the Triangle will bore of the football program very quickly, and they'll be lucky to get 3,000-4,000 people.

As far as the coach is concerned, they'll hire someone out of the local high school ranks with some name value, who just doesn't understand the college game....or they'll hire someone like Ray Alborn, washed up when he gets to LU.....Nice guy, Ray was, but was done when he came on Lamar's campus...

Folks, we need to think about this before we jump in head first..... ???

[Guest abovetherim]

Thanks for posting. Very well thought out and communicated well. It's just the same basic message I've heard since 89 and respectfully I disagree. However, if Lamar isn't totally committed to putting major money into the program then I do totally agree with your statement.

I just happen to know due to my wife's relationship with others that there are major donors willing to kick start the program. If it wasn't for this and the possible student athletic fee as much as I love football. I too would have serious doubts about returning the sport to Lamar. If the student vote down the student athletic fee. I don't want Lamar to seek football. However, I'm very confident the measure will pass easily.

[LUPatriot]

Wes,

      I work in Education (and until a couple years ago, Lamars education program wasn't the best in the world, ask anyone that went throught it and they will tell you the same). Nightlife in Beaumont isn't exactly booming either. I think the downtown atmosphere is great for Lamar, but it still isn't a college town atmosphere. As far as the plants are concerned, I understand that pays for a lot of Education, however I don't think recruits will be too excited about smelling them everyday. Wal-Mart was in the vocabulary as well. lol. I can remember we would go to Lake Charles, because "Boremont" wasn't exactly  the place it is now. As far as Northwestern State is concerned, it is very pretty. I will agree with you there. With all of the improvements Lamar has made recently, I think if they can make the Campus larger (buying out the houses around LU) and remove eyesores, they will be able to attract a larger audience. IMO.

[Guest FPHS 78]

There are a lot of unknown areas especially the HC. Let say for arguements sake R.C. Slocum agrees to coach the Cardinals. Now starting a team from the ground up will cause a lot of growing pains (loses) early on. However by the 3rd year if Lamar is able to win 8 games with Slocum the coach I can see Lamar as high as 8 behind UH. 1. Popular coach 2. winning record 3. population growth of SE Texas.

I say if everything falls our way #8. Which in my opinion would be darn good with average attendance over 18,000.

1. why would LU want Slocum?  he's as exciting as watching paint dry.  So. Miss just fired a coach that led them to 14 straight winning seasons. 

2. I'm a big time LU football fan...18k average is dreaming, thats what we had when we hosted Baylor.

3.somebody suggested Saturday day games...been there, done that..least attended games at LU WERE day games.

[TradinUp BH]

There's about 2000 that live in the 4 phases of Cardinal Village now, as well as 400 at the Village at Lamar.  Cardinal Village Phase 5 is in the plans.  If you include graduate students, over 40% of Lamar students now live within walking distance of campus.  When I started at Lamar in 2000, there were about 800 students who lived on campus, and when I graduated about 1500.  That will have doubled again before the football team takes their first snap.

4 phases with 500 beds equals 2,000. Although there are about 250 empty beds, so to be precise it's between 1,500 and 2,000. It doesn't make that big of a difference.  Village at Lamar isn't owned by Lamar and it's 3 to 4 blocks away from campus. They do have the scrub apaertments at the corner of University and Florida, but that's not owned by Lamar either.  There are some that live around the outsides of Lamar, but it's mostly middle eastern students that don't have much intrest in Lamar athletics or school spirit.  Cardinal Village 5 is going to be built for the student athletes