Looking at Attendance

[Guest coachacola]

Current Average Attendance in the SLC:

McNeese State    13,829 (3 games)

Sam Houston St.  12,088 (2 games)

Texas State        12,058 (4 games)

Central Ark          11,383 (4 games)

Stephen F. Austin  8454 (4 games)

Northwestern St    8335 (5 games)

Southeastern La    5908 (3 games)

Nicholls St            5892 (1 game)

Current Average in the Sunbelt:

23,760 Arkansas State (4 games)

23,559 Middle Tenn. (3 games)

20,963 ULL (2 games)

20,711 Troy (2 games)

18,891 North Texas (3 games)

16,167 FAU (2 games)

15,913 FIU (2 games)

14,011 ULM (3 games)

C-USA's Attendance Averages:

1.UCF - 44,026

2.ECU - 42,822

3.UTEP - 40,701

4.USM - 30,168

5.UM - 29,286

6.MU - 27,416

7.Tulane - 25,011

8.Tulsa - 24,361

9.UH - 22,541

10.SMU - 21,859

11.UAB - 20,964

12.Rice - 17,055

It would be disappointing if Lamar didn't lead the SLC in attendance.  Only 4 FCS teams average more than 20K a game: App State, Montana, Jackson State and Delaware.  Only 40 out of over 120 FCS teams average more than 10K per game.  I don't see Lamar staying at the FCS level for long if they want to decent crowds at Cardinal Stadium.

[smith]

In the SLC, do you know what the ratio is of attendance to enrollment?  Just curious who's bringing 'em in.  (I have a fairly good guess but ...)

[TexasTerror]

In the SLC, do you know what the ratio is of attendance to enrollment?  Just curious who's bringing 'em in.  (I have a fairly good guess but ...)

Some quick facts...

SHSU has been lucky this year -- we got McNeese (travels well) and we drew well for our season opener. We still have rivalry games against SFA and TXST left at home. We typically draw in the 9000-9750 range.

UCA is drawing over capacity. They jam that place in and need to expand! They have a motivated fan base and with their success, things have been at a pretty high level there...

TXST -- what a joke. They want to go FBS and we're outdrawing them!

[UNLV]

ULM with a student population of 7,500 in a small town near(30 miles) from WAC's LA-Tech

is out performing all the SLC....WHY?

FBS.....

[TexasTerror]

ULM with a student population of 7,500 in a small town near(30 miles) from WAC's LA-Tech is out performing all the SLC....WHY?

ULM drew 10,388 for their HOMECOMING this past weekend against North Texas. Drew under 10,000 against Alabama A&M. Only real "draw" this season was 21,929 against La-Lafayette. Look for the average to continue to head down...if it weren't for ULL contest, they'd have nothing above the SLC by any stretch...

[UNLV]

ULM with a student population of 7,500 in a small town near(30 miles) from WAC's LA-Tech is out performing all the SLC....WHY?

ULM drew 10,388 for their HOMECOMING this past weekend against North Texas. Drew under 10,000 against Alabama A&M. Only real "draw" this season was 21,929 against La-Lafayette. Look for the average to continue to head down...if it weren't for ULL contest, they'd have nothing above the SLC by any stretch...

Always hating on schools above SHSU status. Ellite school envy.

[Guest coachacola]

Because ULM didn't stay in the SLC at the FCS level they are able to get ULL for a home game and get over 20K in attendance.  The drew under 10K against a FCS team, and if all their games were against FCS teams then they probably would average around 10K.

But the point is that the schools in the SLC with 15K+ students can't even average 14K to their games, while McNeese and ULM have less than 9K enrollment and average more than the larger FCS schools.  I bet McNeese would rival ULM in attendance if they could get ULL, ULM or La Tech at home.  Outside of students, only McNeese has any fanbase in the SLC.  I can guarantee you both that Lamar (and probably UTSA) will rival or exceed McNeese in season tickets sales once football gets going.

[TexasTerror]

Because ULM didn't stay in the SLC at the FCS level they are able to get ULL for a home game and get over 20K in attendance.  The drew under 10K against a FCS team, and if all their games were against FCS teams then they probably would average around 10K.

See -- now you are losing me.

When Grambling and ULM played, they had a PACKED house last year. That was their top attended game. Remind me? Is Grambling FCS? Same goes for ULL when they had McNeese last year and when they have Southern next year. FCS can be good draws at certain schools.

Lamar will be interesting to monitor -- we know the "gray hairs" show up for basketball and LU does not have quite the student draw as a SHSU. But, in football...will the students show up?

[Guest coachacola]

I agree with you that FCS can be good draws at some schools.  Grambling is just down they interstate from ULM so that attracted a lot of Grambling fans to the game.  But in this part of the country there's mostly FBS teams and since FBS don't play at FCS schools it really limits who you can bring in.  Lamar has some history with La Tech and the Sunbelt schools but none of them will come to Beaumont.  Long term it just makes sense to go FBS, especially if UTSA and Texas State go FBS too.

As far as student support goes, I guess we'll find out soon enough.  I'm interested to see how season tickets sales go.  I think that will be more of a gauge of the interest in Lamar football and how well they'll do long term than student support.