Football attendance

[Maverick91]

Many of those people have kept season tickets for a loooong time, and they keep buying them so they won't lose their seats, BDC rank, etc. Many others view buying season tickets as a donation of sorts to our Athletic Department, even if they know they won't go much. Those people are usually pretty good about trying to give their tickets away though. Some people buy them to try to make money on the secondary market. Some people/businesses buy them for tax write off purposes. There are more reasons, but you get the gist.

Yeah… that all makes sense.

[sleepy dawg]

It was 80 degrees and cloudy.

My bad... when I checked the forecast a week before it was in the upper 80s I believe. I told myself I wouldn't go to anything above 85 ever again.

[911mom]

Living out of state makes it more challenging to attend games.
For myself and family ( who are huge football fans ) watching at home is more palatable .
1. This time of year is too hot during the day.( AC at home )
2. Lots of lines for restaurants , parking and concession stands .
3. Not to mention drive or flight
4. at home food is whatever we want and better than concession,
5. Most importantly bathrooms are clean without a wait .
6 . Probably just as important to my “ gator “ husband we now have ability to enjoy other games of the day ( including his team and others) ( especially if they are playing at the same time )


With all of that said , we do support both universities in other ways. On rare occasion we do go to a gator game. Also on rare occasion we do attend a MSU game also .

We have attended most bowl games ( work schedule permitting as we both work some weekends ) occurring within driving distance .

I love my university and especially love our sports teams .

[BrunswickDawg]

Another issue for many years, has been and is the quality of the opponent in OOC games throughout the SEC. Example: our SEC brethren are playing the following teams Saturday, FL/McNeese, Georgia/Ball State, Kentucky/EKU, MO/MTSU, SC/Furman, TN/Austin Peay, AR/Kent State, LSU/Grambling. The remainder including us have a competitive opponent. I have been complained about our OOC schedule for years. Am I saying playing Notre Dame every week? No, we need to play someone for an interesting and competitive OOC game we can win otherwise it's not even worth the gas to drive to Starkville.

I think a mistake that the AD has made in scheduling is not looking to closer conferences for our P5 games. Pac 12 and Big 12 schools outside of an easy weekend trip are bad. ACC teams would draw a lot better. Baylor, SMU, TCU, Rice, Houston, OSU are all closer then Kansas and Texas Tech and likely be better draws because our fans are more familiar with them. I'd also keep USM on a heavy rotation - even if that takes doing a 2-1. I know some of y'all have 1980s USM PTSD, but USM will always be a strongly attended game that we should always win.

[Goldendawg]

I think a mistake that the AD has made in scheduling is not looking to closer conferences for our P5 games. Pac 12 and Big 12 schools outside of an easy weekend trip are bad. ACC teams would draw a lot better. Baylor, SMU, TCU, Rice, Houston, OSU are all closer then Kansas and Texas Tech and likely be better draws because our fans are more familiar with them. I'd also keep USM on a heavy rotation - even if that takes doing a 2-1. I know some of y'all have 1980s USM PTSD, but USM will always be a strongly attended game that we should always win.

Agree with these type of opponents, but to even talk about playing UNA in the future is an insult. Playing cupcakes like this with $25.00 tickets is little interest to anyone and revenue joke for the university. If you are going to play an UNA type of opponent which I detest, at least go back to playing a Jackson State, Alcorn State, or MVSU to help their program and keep the money in state. Bowls use to mean something, but to go 4-0 in OOC games, a dismal 2-6 in the conference to get bowl eligible for a nothing bowl is now a joke. Our program is beyond this at this point.

[CaptainObvious]

Agree with these type of opponents, but to even talk about playing UNA in the future is an insult. Playing cupcakes like this with $25.00 tickets is little interest to anyone and revenue joke for the university. If you are going to play an UNA type of opponent which I detest, at least go back to playing a Jackson State, Alcorn State, or MVSU to help their program and keep the money in state. Bowls use to mean something, but to go 4-0 in OOC games, a dismal 2-6 in the conference to get bowl eligible for a nothing bowl is now a joke. Our program is beyond this at this point.

But is it? Is it really? A nothing bowl to you maybe, but to many of the players and fans, a trip to sunny St. Petersburg in late December is a nice Holiday treat. Some fans don?t get to take 4 trips each summer to Destin, Cancun, Punta Cana, and The Bahamas like you rich guys do.

The week between Christmas and New Year is a lot of State people?s main vacation time. If they can tie it to a bowl game, more the merrier.

And yes. I would go to a bowl game in the new Birmingham Stadium to a thriving CBD and equally thriving metro area that makes Metro Jackson look like a night at the old Holly Ridge Gin party barn.

[Goldendawg]

But is it? Is it really? A nothing bowl to you maybe, but to many of the players and fans, a trip to sunny St. Petersburg in late December is a nice Holiday treat. Some fans don?t get to take 4 trips each summer to Destin, Cancun, Punta Cana, and The Bahamas like you rich guys do.

The week between Christmas and New Year is a lot of State people?s main vacation time. If they can tie it to a bowl game, more the merrier.

And yes. I would go to a bowl game in the new Birmingham Stadium to a thriving CBD and equally thriving metro area that makes Metro Jackson look like a night at the old Holly Ridge Gin party barn.

Not a rich guy at all, but fortunate that family has had season tickets approximately 55 years. Last vacation was when we took my now 22 year old State grad school student to Disney World when he was 5. I guess the season tickets for State FB have been our yearly "vacationS". See your point on bowls today (all 75* of them) are a reward for the team and fans to a sometimes "tropical" winter local. I'm old enough to remember how exciting it was when we started making bowls again under Jackie. Also remember the disappointment I felt in those days when we were left out after a 7-4 season under Jackie. We used to go to bowls but not in several years (feel there is too much expense for a lower to mid-tier). Last bowl we went to was in Nashville and like to froze to death several years ago. We bought our tickets through the Bulldog Club with some friends and were on the next to the top row with about 10K empty seats below us and the lower seats. Maybe the 12 team playoff will bring more excitement and we will be one of the 12 this year or very soon! Hail State!

[Rawdawg]

In game experience has to be top notch and executed to perfection every game. You can?t have the video board not showing replays, that?s ridiculous. The bathrooms and concessions have to be clean and stocked. Entering the stand needs to be easy and smooth. Cell service needs to work like it does at home. Traffic exiting the game has to be flowing efficiently. Frankly we half ass our gameday experience because we?re constantly having turnover in the athletic department.

[TheLostDawg]

This is a huge issue. The faculty tickets need to be relegated to the top of the stadium. Screw them for selling them all to opposing fans. The Georgia game last year and the Alabama game every time they play here is embarrassing.

Yes state loses out on a lot of money doing this. They moved the student section to the end zone when they did the north end zone. They made a lot of money on seats after. They should have moved the faculty to the section 17? 18 at that time. Not sure what's the hold up. Super easy fix and would be a huge financial plus, at least for the bulldog club.

[TheLostDawg]

But yes I think with the discount they get, staff should be placed in upper deck. If they are going to keep sitting where they are then they should have to pay what everyone else does but they'll benefit from location

[TheLostDawg]

you live in a different universe than me then cause I'm pretty thrifty and can't do it for under $250 and even if I could get it down to $250 ....in this economy that would still be more than I could afford right now! I work 2-3 jobs and am barely keeping my head above water. and before you come at me ... my family hasn't taken a vacation in at least 5-6 years or more, our newest vehicle is at least 10 years old , we rarely ever eat out ..... this is to say we live as cheap/modest of a lifestyle as possible.... I've bled Maroon since I was born, graduated from MSU, will always be a fan but pretty much all Universities are ripping off their students, alumni, and fans with their greed.....

How far out do you live? We have tickets but it's usually a last minute thing if I have extra, not going, etc.

[Todd4State]

Another issue for many years, has been and is the quality of the opponent in OOC games throughout the SEC. Example: our SEC brethren are playing the following teams Saturday, FL/McNeese, Georgia/Ball State, Kentucky/EKU, MO/MTSU, SC/Furman, TN/Austin Peay, AR/Kent State, LSU/Grambling. The remainder including us have a competitive opponent. I have been complained about our OOC schedule for years. Am I saying playing Notre Dame every week? No, we need to play someone for an interesting and competitive OOC game we can win otherwise it's not even worth the gas to drive to Starkville.

Can you give an example? Because Arizona is a PAC 12 team. They are beatable. Same thing as NC State a couple of years ago.

The fact is these games just don't move the needle for fans any more than La Tech.

The reality is the OOC games that interest our fans the most are our G5 rivals- USM, Memphis, Tulane, and UAB as well as FCS games against in state SWAC. And I'm not saying we will or would even sell those out. But those are our OOC opponents that our fans want to see the most.

[R2Dawg]

No it's not fun. I'll be honest, I'm right on the cusp of being able to do it all in one day. It's about a 4 hour drive for me. So, depending on the game time, sometimes it's feasible to do it all in one day. But, the older I get, the more miserable that becomes. I'm only 41 mind you, but it's miserable. My kids are old enough now that they wouldn't add to the misery though. Get up at 5:30 AM, drive up, go through a drive through for breakfast, wait in traffic, find parking, do a bunch of walking, get to seats just in time to sweat down for 3.5 hours for an 11:00 AM kickoff to watch us massacre directional U or get massacred by a big 6 opponent. Eat lunch in the stadium for $80. Leave the stadium at 3:00, back in the car by 4:00, more traffic, get moving on the highway by 4:30, stop for dinner, get home around 10:00. Ugh...I want to puke just thinking about it.

I'm where you are except I'm older. My kids are out of house. This year I bought a camper and left in Starkville for the fall. Tired of the rat race to get to games and back. It got to where it just wasn't fun. I think the camper and place to stay is going to make it enjoyable again. Opening weekend was good, not feeling so rushed. This is about the only solution I could find.

Did the hotel in Tupelo a few times; wasn't too bad but not as good as being in Starkville. If you don't have to do the long routine and you live local, you don't really need to say much about the long distance experience. It ain't fun.

[Goldendawg]

Can you give an example? Because Arizona is a PAC 12 team. They are beatable. Same thing as NC State a couple of years ago.

The fact is these games just don't move the needle for fans any more than La Tech.

The reality is the OOC games that interest our fans the most are our G5 rivals- USM, Memphis, Tulane, and UAB as well as FCS games against in state SWAC. And I'm not saying we will or would even sell those out. But those are our OOC opponents that our fans want to see the most.

Your last paragraph is the example and problem. Of all of the teams you mentioned, we only play USM this year. Not Memphis, not Tulane, not UAB, and no instate SWAC teams. Arizona is of interest to me, but not SELA and Western Michigan. I know longer fear USM since it's no longer the 1980s.

[Todd4State]

Oh and if you're one of those fans on Twitter and whatever calling our fans POS because they don't show up or wear white- you're part of the problem.

Calling people out isn't going to make them show up.

And yes I'm wearing white to the game.

[Goldendawg]

Oh and if you're one of those fans on Twitter and whatever calling our fans POS because they don't show up or wear white- you're part of the problem.

Calling people out isn't going to make them show up.

And yes I'm wearing white to the game.

I have been to about every home game as a season ticket holder for 55 years or so no matter who we play. I have not done twitter in my entire life. I worked over the phone and by text for about 2 hours since Wednesday night finding four people to fill four of our 8 seats for today's game (Nephew's family had to go to Dallas at last minute). I have sold so many tickets at a steep discount or even given them away over the years to get butts in seats. I think the weak OOC schedule has and continues to hurt interest and attendance. I'm sitting at my State grad student's son's apartment (pulling for Nebraska), waiting to go to the game. He is already in White and I will be (as much as I hate White at home except against LSU next game). Fill Davis Wade, Beat AZ, and Hail State!

[KOdawg1]

We have a lot of casual fans.

They'd like to win. They hope we win. But they don't need us to win.

And therein lies the difference between us and other SEC schools.

[bobtail bob]

The immortal and dirty coonasses will take over the stadium next week

[MBDawg601]

I scalped a couple of tickets to the game tonight for a used dog collar and a roll of electrical tape. We got attendance issues.

[CaptainObvious]

Oh don?t worry. The attendance will pick up next week for the massacre. There will still be empty seats, especially up top.and there will be hundreds of LSU family and friends sitting in MSU Season Ticket Holder seats as well. And some of them will be like they always are, standing up the whole game, obnoxious as hell, and drunker than Otis on a Saturday night in Mayberry!