Football attendance

[NCMSTFAN]

https://twitter.com/SportsTalkMiss/status/1699433522073583746

Sorry if this has already been talked about but is this true about $6 dollar tickets for Arizona? I also noticed the upper parts of the stadium wasn't full for the SLU game but figured it was because of who we were playing.

In recent years our numbers seem to be dipping from an attendance standpoint. Other than Covid, does anyone know the reason?

[drummerdawg]

https://twitter.com/SportsTalkMiss/status/1699433522073583746

Sorry if this has already been talked about but is this true about $6 dollar tickets for Arizona? I also noticed the upper parts of the stadium wasn't full for the SLU game but figured it was because of who we were playing.

In recent years our numbers seem to be dipping from an attendance standpoint. Other than Covid, does anyone know the reason?

We're not a football school.

[Maverick91]

Dude in the comments brought up a good point about the parking at the stadium.

[confucius say]

Bc, on the whole, our fanbase doesn't think coming to football games is a priority.

[NCMSTFAN]

There was a time our football stadium was packed even of we played a lower tier CUSA type team. I hate to see our fan support dwindling down, recruits pay attention to that.

[BorneDawg]

not sure about others but the cost of Gameday has kept me from going to games recently.....I used to take the family to games all the time up until the past say 3-4 years and could do so cause I could afford it. These days with everything being sky high I have to settle for watching at home.... Which is sad cause I know my young son 4 would absolutely love it. But as a low middle income family I cant afford to spend $250 (tickets given to me free) - $500(paying for tickets) a game and that not even staying the night thats driving 2 hours to the game .......

[Commercecomet24]

I know that college football attendance last year suffered it's 10th straight year of declining attendance. Tickets prices, gas, etc.. have all skyrocketed, every game is televised or streamed(even 90% of high school games now), only 6-8 teams have a legit chance to win the nc, and the list goes on and on. Most average folks would rather stay in the comfort of their own home, watch football all day long, eat and be merry without the hassle of costs and parking. It's why attendance is down all over the country for cfb, not just us. Now as for me and mine, all 10 of my family, their spouses, a boyfriend, grand daughter, and one not out of the womb yet will be in attendance this saturday.

ETA. Middle class has been pretty much priced out of attending games

[Commercecomet24]

not sure about others but the cost of Gameday has kept me from going to games recently.....I used to take the family to games all the time up until the past say 3-4 years and could do so cause I could afford it. These days with everything being sky high I have to settle for watching at home.... Which is sad cause I know my young son 4 would absolutely love it. But as a low middle income family I cant afford to spend $250 (tickets given to me free) - $500(paying for tickets) a game and that not even staying the night thats driving 2 hours to the game .......

Lot of folks in the same boat, brother! When you have to decide between providing for your family vs the cost of sports, family always wins. Been there myself before.

[Goldendawg]

I, for one was not impressed that we "sold out "our 40K season tickets which also included student tickets unless I read it wrong. Who fills the other 21K seats? Price of season tickets, seat fees, Bulldog Club dues, travel, lodging if necessary ... They are also sticking fans on concessions again. They are bound to be making a fortune off $9 or so beers. The Game Day Experience has also deteriorated the last couple of years. My family couldn't continue our our 55 year streak if not blessed by arrangements made by late SuperDog Dad. Now NIL $ is also needed. Now ESPN is losing $. They are killing the regular fans and the bubble is about to burst with the no rules NIL/Portal mess making a bigger gap with the "Blue Bloods".

[Maverick91]

Cousin Shane on “that sec podcast” brought up an interesting point and that being that as much as I love Arnett currently he isn’t the most charismatic podium guy. Thus the fan fair and media isn’t as hyped as it could be at this point. The excitement is going to have to come from the product on the field. I hope that to be true and we are 4-0 heading into bama.

[Commercecomet24]

I, for one was not impressed that we "sold out "our 40K season tickets which also included student tickets unless I read it wrong. Who fills the other 21K seats? Price of season tickets, seat fees, Bulldog Club dues, travel, lodging if necessary ... They are also sticking fans on concessions again. They are bound to be making a fortune off $9 or so beers. The Game Day Experience has also deteriorated the last couple of years. My family couldn't continue our our 55 year streak if not blessed by arrangements made by late SuperDog Dad. Now NIL $ is also needed. Now ESPN is losing $. They are killing the regular fans and the bubble is about to burst with the no rules NIL/Portal mess making a bigger gap with the "Blue Bloods".

Well said, my man!

[Goldendawg]

As for the $9.00 beer price, I told young family and friends that sit behind us at least they could brag they drank about $60.00 worth of beer and didn't even get cop a buzz!***

[smootness]

Commerce is right, attendance is down everywhere. I also think COVID showed people they were fine not going to as many things, and attendance for everything has lagged since.

[Schultzy]

Eight home games so everyone saved up for the Arizona game

[R2Dawg]

Agree on others comments. Cost in a poor economy and also trend is down for years for everyone.

I was there last Saturday and there were too many open seats in season ticket locations.

However one plus was the students turned out big time and stayed for the most part. Great job students. Student tickets sold out this year. One change needs to happen going into next year is have more student tickets to wrap behind and around band. I think with student enrollment up we can fill it. Never understood not surrounding the band.

We don't need as many grownup seating any more.

The economic correction is happening. The NIL bubble will not continue to swell for anyone either. Folks can talk about it all they want. There is only so much money and many are out to show up. I support my team by showing up.

[Dawgology]

I’ve no desire to sit in the nosebleeds and watch the game on a Jumbotron when I can float in my pool with a beer in my hand while ribs are on the smoker and projecting the game on a 120” screen. If I go to a game I’m dropping $500+ because I want gridiron passes. And I’m not going to do that every game.

[Extendedcab]

I agree with Bornedawg and CC. Plus, as I have said in other posts, the whole NIL/Scholarship (Ammeter/Pro) status is also turning a lot of people off and causing us to not want to spend $250 - $500 a game.

[Travelingdawg]

Chair back the stadium & quit stonewalling. This will help with fan experience & also help with stadium not looking so empty.

[Dawgology]

Agree on others comments. Cost in a poor economy and also trend is down for years for everyone.

I was there last Saturday and there were too many open seats in season ticket locations.

However one plus was the students turned out big time and stayed for the most part. Great job students. Student tickets sold out this year. One change needs to happen going into next year is have more student tickets to wrap behind and around band. I think with student enrollment up we can fill it. Never understood not surrounding the band.

We don't need as many grownup seating any more.

The economic correction is happening. The NIL bubble will not continue to swell for anyone either. Folks can talk about it all they want. There is only so much money and many are out to show up. I support my team by showing up.

The NIL will end up ruining college football except for about 10-20 colleges. Maybe then we will get back to true amateur sports. I really miss it.

[R2Dawg]

The NIL will end up ruining college football except for about 10-20 colleges. Maybe then we will get back to true amateur sports. I really miss it.

Agree.

And I am tired of people telling me how to spend my money and that selling your first born is the only way to win now.

This is what you get when greed on all sides is out of control. Everybody can't be rich - coaches, players, etc. then the fans are poor. The poor fans are about to get tired of being poor.

[DawgFromOxford]

Go 12-0 and you'll have a full stadium. Go 8-4 and you'll have a half full stadium for scrub games and mostly full stadiums against top teams.

[coachnorm]

Expect attendance problems when excessive SCRUB games are presented to the college football fan base in America. Let's take Mississippi State for an example even though it could apply to other teams also. Everything about last Saturday's game was SCRUB. The opposition was a group of SCRUBS at our level of college football. Fans got up early and commuted for a SCRUB exhibition disguised as a college football game. Fans spent their valuable time and money, on campus, to watch a SCRUB exhibition disguised as a college football game. Fans pay the same for SEC Beer or SCRUB beer at the exhibition disguised as a legitimate college football game. SCRUB parking cost the same as legitimate parking on exhibition/game day. Traffic issues are the same for a SCRUB exhibition compared to a legitimate college football game. Is this the tip of the iceberg?

There were so many SCRUB games last Saturday that I actually preferred to watch the St. Thomas Aquinas versus St John Bosco high school football game played in Florida in that viewership television slot. If the proliferation of these SCRUB games continues to falsify end of season legitimate won/loss records, expect viewership to decline especially with the NFL expanding its outreach to the American football viewership.

Personally, college football is my number one viewership preference followed by NFL, then Premier League Soccer. If all college football offers is SCRUBS on the 11:00 AM CDT, I can just watch a soccer game during that time slot, then switch back to college football later.

[confucius say]

For those concerned about cost, you can get 4 tickets and a parking pass for $59. Great weather. Be home by midnight if you're within 2 hours.

https://hailstate.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetPackageInfo?packageCode=GS:MSST::ARIZ4:&linkID=msst&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=&dataAccId=241&locale=en_US&siteId=ev_msst&RSRC=SocialNativeTwitter&RDAT=23FB_4PacksAZ_TW

[WSOPdawg]

I?ve no desire to sit in the nosebleeds and watch the game on a Jumbotron when I can float in my pool with a beer in my hand while ribs are on the smoker and projecting the game on a 120? screen. If I go to a game I?m dropping $500+ because I want gridiron passes. And I?m not going to do that every game.

as people pointed out last week, you don't even get the replays on the Jumbotron... heaven forbid we learn how to properly use a great toy to fully entertain those we want to show up in attendance.

[was21]

It's not just us...it's pretty damn expensive to go to games all across the college football world and they're all on television.

[Churchill]

I couldn't agree more.

[confucius say]

$60 for 4 tickets and a parking pass isn't expensive.
$30 of gas. $30 on hamburgers. Bring bottled water.
It's $120 for 4.
Y'all spend nearly that on the ribs and alcohol and Marlboros you sit at home and consume.

[R2Dawg]

$60 for 4 tickets and a parking pass isn't expensive.
$30 of gas. $30 on hamburgers. Bring bottled water.
It's $120 for 4.
Y'all spend nearly that on the ribs and alcohol and Marlboros you sit at home and consume.

You can go cheaper but it is more than $120. 60 is a good deal this weekend.

It cost me $100 on gas, we eat out a minimum of twice maybe 3 times on a day trip that is $150 for 4. A fast food joint for 4 ain't $30, more like $60.

I got season tickets and I have a camper in Starkville now for the fall so my experience this year is much better than the long commute years.

But it is a strain on a young family which I don't have now so I understand for the young family common fan.

[R2Dawg]

Go 12-0 and you'll have a full stadium. Go 8-4 and you'll have a half full stadium for scrub games and mostly full stadiums against top teams.

True win and they will come.

[EdwardDrayton]

Agree.

And I am tired of people telling me how to spend my money and that selling your first born is the only way to win now.

This is what you get when greed on all sides is out of control. Everybody can't be rich - coaches, players, etc. then the fans are poor. The poor fans are about to get tired of being poor.

^^^^^^^

[Jarius]

You can go cheaper but it is more than $120. 60 is a good deal this weekend.

It cost me $100 on gas, we eat out a minimum of twice maybe 3 times on a day trip that is $150 for 4. A fast food joint for 4 ain't $30, more like $60.

I got season tickets and I have a camper in Starkville now for the fall so my experience this year is much better than the long commute years.

But it is a strain on a young family which I don't have now so I understand for the young family common fan.


Any strain on a young family is self inflicted. People can do what they want but Mississippi State football being expensive for anyone that can drive there and back home in a day is just not accurate. There isn’t a game on our schedule you can’t take a family of 4 to for under 250 dollars if you actually make the effort. Eat a sack full of cheeseburgers before you go in the game and don’t do concession food or go to 44 Prime when you can’t afford it. Buy cheap tickets. Don’t spend the night. If people want to say it’s not worth their time and they don’t care, then that’s fine. It’s about as cheap as you can do anything for on a weekend these days, and unless these people with kids are just sitting at home doing absolutely nothing all weekend then they are going to spend that money anyway. Our fans do not care as much as almost any other fans in this league. That’s fine, but we need to stop whining about results if this is how we are going to continue to operate as a fanbase.

[Jarius]

True win and they will come.

We have won 9 games 4 times in the past decade. Our fans just don’t care unless we are elite, which is never going to happen.

[BulldogBear]

It's hot.

Opening Day of Dove Season.

Parking at all P5 venues is now outrageous.

Example, for those headed to Williams-Bryce this year. The cheapest parking you'll find will be $60 if and only if you buy ahead of time.

It'll be better this Saturday and better still against LSU.

[Maverick91]

You also have to think we are on our fourth coach in 6 years. That?s a lot of turnover. I think one thing we all appreciated and why Mullen had packed stadiums for the last couple of years is we all knew what we were getting and we liked the product. The past six years it?s been a massive whinefest, whine about Mullen leaving, whine about Joe sucking, whine about the air raid, now it?s like we are accustomed to whining. Hopefully arnett will bring a high level of play and we won?t be whining as much about the coach because we usually like what we are going to get.

[bulldawg28]

Attendance will pick up next year when the SEC changes the schedule.

[gtowndawg]

I think Saturday will be a good crowd.

[civildawg]

I can't imagine coming to a game and needing a hotel. The hotel prices are outrageous and the 2 night minimum is criminal

[BrunswickDawg]

It's hot.

Opening Day of Dove Season.

Parking at all P5 venues is now outrageous.

Example, for those headed to Williams-Bryce this year. The cheapest parking you'll find will be $60 if and only if you buy ahead of time.

It'll be better this Saturday and better still against LSU.

People who complain about our parking have never been to games in Knoxville, Auburn, T-Town, Gainesville, or Athens. My UGA friends who came over last year were shocked about how easy access to parking, tailgating and the stadium was. And we parked at the Vet School.

[Commercecomet24]

People who complain about our parking have never been to games in Knoxville, Auburn, T-Town, Gainesville, or Athens. My UGA friends who came over last year were shocked about how easy access to parking, tailgating and the stadium was. And we parked at the Vet School.

I?ll second this! Knoxville absolutely sucks for parking, auburn is awful, Tuscaloosa is awful. Haven?t been to Gainesville or Athens yet but our parking situation is awesome compared to those. Oh and Baton Rouge ain?t no picnic either!

[MafiaDawg]

I understand supply and demand but the hotel prices keep me away now. They are up 200% from 5-6 years ago.

[MagicDawg]

It’s about as cheap as you can do anything for on a weekend these days, and unless these people with kids are just sitting at home doing absolutely nothing all weekend then they are going to spend that money anyway.

Well, other than "do nothing" you have described most of the weekends I had growing up, and the way many people still live especially in tight economic times. If we went anywhere, it was up to eat lunch with my dad's mother after church on Sunday. At home, not at a restaurant.

After I was in high school and marching in the band myself in the fall, Saturday was chores and it was rare indeed to go to a college game. We saw State beat LSU at Memorial Stadium. I saw us beat Southern there, too. And I remember seeing JCJC play on one trip to my other grandparents.

We weren't poor by any means, but we stayed home most weekends and "did nothing" except work if Dad had to, chores at home, homework, and listen to Jack on the radio.

I have a ton more expenses than my parents did, and I save a lot less. I can empathize with people who find an extra $300-$500-$800 on a weekend to be just not feasible at all. On another board I saw a family saying they couldn't go to the UT game and they were selling their hotel room. $1100 for three nights. I just about spit out my Maxwell House.

[Lord McBuckethead]

The only thing that has really increased is the price of staying in Starkville. 2 night minimum, around 800 per trip isn?t worth it.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Yep, hotels shouldn?t be allowed to require a 3 night stay.

[Cooterpoot]

I'm on the east side Sat night. Look for my sign that says "17 the faculty. Put'm in the deck" as I sit in their seats.

[Todd4State]

I think we have multiple issues that aren't necessarily all related going on here.

The first thing I would do if I were MSU is I would re-do the stadium seating. Put in chairbacks. That would naturally reduce seating and at the same time make the stadium look full. I think we may need to reduce seating down to 50-55K. Put the faculty in the East Side upper deck. Especially if they're going to sell their tickets to the other team. Also reducing seating creates more scarcity which increases demand. Making it slightly more difficult to get a seat causes people to desire something more. I think the students used to sit around the band. Having some of the students by the band would be cool.

I think Cohen did a poor job of promoting the football program. Selmon will do and has done a better job of promoting the program IMO. But it's going to take time to grow.

Parking is fine- I've been everywhere in the SEC and ours is not bad compared to the rest of the league. You bring 60K people to a college campus for a major sporting event you're going to have some slow traffic no matter how they do it. College campuses weren't designed for major sporting events.

And I'll talk about the elephant in the room. The coach is the face of the program and having someone charismatic helps a lot as far as selling the program. And to be clear- this has nothing to do with Arnett and how good he could be or is. But he's a relative unknown and he's not very flashy. That may win games but as far as the media goes that doesn't really play well. My parents are both big MSU fans and they had to ask me who the head coach was. This was in August. That's not good. Like when we hired Jackie and Leach there was a lot of excitement because they were known names and Dan of course was a guy who was arrogant and would speak his mind about things which caused sound bites like "there's one school in this state that's on the rise and it's right here in Starkville." Fans rally behind stuff like that. People know who the coach is and they want to support that. They want to see the show. Coaches are a huge face of the program and it's one of the most consistent things that a school can sell because players come and go so quickly. And if we don't have a brand name known head coach it would help a lot to have well known guys at OC and DC. I guarantee you that if Kendall Briles was our OC there would be a lot more media hype for example.

The whole "blue collar mentality" that our program has is OK but it's just not very exciting. Add in the fact that the offense struggled against SELU for most of the game and that doesn't help either. On offense we need something more exciting. Something where we attack more vertically and get more explosive pass plays and we need to absolutely light up the scoreboard to the point where we average 40 PPG. Our fans want to see us hang like 50 on someone instead of a 20-17 grudge match against Texas A&M.

The product on the field matters a lot and if it doesn't look good it's going to discourage some fans from showing up.

[SpaceBully]

^This^..........yes, get it over with. Chairback the entire stadium which will lower capacity down to about 50K for a while until we complete the SEZ expansion. In the end about 10-15 years from now, we'll have a convenient spacious modern 60-65K stadium which is perfect for our size school.

[NCMSTFAN]

I think we have multiple issues that aren't necessarily all related going on here.

The first thing I would do if I were MSU is I would re-do the stadium seating. Put in chairbacks. That would naturally reduce seating and at the same time make the stadium look full. I think we may need to reduce seating down to 50-55K. Put the faculty in the East Side upper deck. Especially if they're going to sell their tickets to the other team. Also reducing seating creates more scarcity which increases demand. Making it slightly more difficult to get a seat causes people to desire something more. I think the students used to sit around the band. Having some of the students by the band would be cool.

I think Cohen did a poor job of promoting the football program. Selmon will do and has done a better job of promoting the program IMO. But it's going to take time to grow.

Parking is fine- I've been everywhere in the SEC and ours is not bad compared to the rest of the league. You bring 60K people to a college campus for a major sporting event you're going to have some slow traffic no matter how they do it. College campuses weren't designed for major sporting events.

And I'll talk about the elephant in the room. The coach is the face of the program and having someone charismatic helps a lot as far as selling the program. And to be clear- this has nothing to do with Arnett and how good he could be or is. But he's a relative unknown and he's not very flashy. That may win games but as far as the media goes that doesn't really play well. My parents are both big MSU fans and they had to ask me who the head coach was. This was in August. That's not good. Like when we hired Jackie and Leach there was a lot of excitement because they were known names and Dan of course was a guy who was arrogant and would speak his mind about things which caused sound bites like "there's one school in this state that's on the rise and it's right here in Starkville." Fans rally behind stuff like that. People know who the coach is and they want to support that. They want to see the show. Coaches are a huge face of the program and it's one of the most consistent things that a school can sell because players come and go so quickly. And if we don't have a brand name known head coach it would help a lot to have well known guys at OC and DC. I guarantee you that if Kendall Briles was our OC there would be a lot more media hype for example.

The whole "blue collar mentality" that our program has is OK but it's just not very exciting. Add in the fact that the offense struggled against SELU for most of the game and that doesn't help either. On offense we need something more exciting. Something where we attack more vertically and get more explosive pass plays and we need to absolutely light up the scoreboard to the point where we average 40 PPG. Our fans want to see us hang like 50 on someone instead of a 20-17 grudge match against Texas A&M.

The product on the field matters a lot and if it doesn't look good it's going to discourage some fans from showing up.

This is actually a good point. Arnett wasn't a known or flashy hire, and to be honest he actually recruited pretty well for being so new to the position. I agree with you though I do think it impacts fan support to a degree, he wasn't a known name in the College football world so it is going to take us winning some games to fully get the attention of the average fan.

[bulldogcountry1]

Every time a thread like this gets 3 pages deep, it becomes painfully obvious that there are MANY reasons why State fans don't go to games. Most of it boils down to the fact that the gameday experience is expensive, it's inconvenient, and it's uncomfortable.

You are asking your fans to tolerate or overlook so many negatives before you even consider the team's performance. It's just soooooo much easier to choose TV and a seat that isn't an aluminum plank.

[BrunswickDawg]

This is actually a good point. Arnett wasn't a known or flashy hire, and to be honest he actually recruited pretty well for being so new to the position. I agree with you though I do think it impacts fan support to a degree, he wasn't a known name in the College football world so it is going to take us winning some games to fully get the attention of the average fan.

I don't think it is that valid of a point. If coach charisma was a factor, where have the fans been the past 2 years under Leach?? Too busy bitching about his dink and dunk offense.

[BorneDawg]

$60 for 4 tickets and a parking pass isn't expensive.
$30 of gas. $30 on hamburgers. Bring bottled water.
It's $120 for 4.
Y'all spend nearly that on the ribs and alcohol and Marlboros you sit at home and consume.

Well I haven't found 4 tickets and a parking pass for $60 that didn't include a hike up Mount Everest to get to seats that you need the James Webb telescope to see the game!
and $30 worth of gas..... Yeah if your only driving from the other side of Starkville maybe.....
$30 on burgers.... only if you're eating off the value menu of McDonalds maybe.....

[Jarius]

Well, other than "do nothing" you have described most of the weekends I had growing up, and the way many people still live especially in tight economic times. If we went anywhere, it was up to eat lunch with my dad's mother after church on Sunday. At home, not at a restaurant.

After I was in high school and marching in the band myself in the fall, Saturday was chores and it was rare indeed to go to a college game. We saw State beat LSU at Memorial Stadium. I saw us beat Southern there, too. And I remember seeing JCJC play on one trip to my other grandparents.

We weren't poor by any means, but we stayed home most weekends and "did nothing" except work if Dad had to, chores at home, homework, and listen to Jack on the radio.

I have a ton more expenses than my parents did, and I save a lot less. I can empathize with people who find an extra $300-$500-$800 on a weekend to be just not feasible at all. On another board I saw a family saying they couldn't go to the UT game and they were selling their hotel room. $1100 for three nights. I just about spit out my Maxwell House.



I am squarely in the middle class and so are 99.9% of the people I associate with and absolutely zero of them are just sitting at home doing nothing on almost any weekend. I am not interested enough to do a deep dive into it, but I am of the opinion that "it's too expensive" is simply code for "I don't really give enough of a shit to go but that doesn't sound good on an MSU message board so I need to make up something." ..... maybe I'm wrong. People can do what they want, but I don't want to see those same people bitching about the product on the field. Now if you live way off and have to fly in or stay overnight when hotels are outrageous, that's different because those expenses are real and ridiculous. If you live within driving distance and are middle class, you are full of shit if you are telling anyone you can't afford to go to a MSU football game. No, you just choose to have other priorities. That's fine, but lets not lie about it.

[Jarius]

I'm on the east side Sat night. Look for my sign that says "17 the faculty. Put'm in the deck" as I sit in their seats.

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.

[PMDawg]

Yep, it's like a mini-vacation to go to a game now. $1,000 minimum for my family once travel, lodging, tickets, fuel, meals, etc. are accounted for. I can't go to a game without staying the night, unless I want to do some crazy driving times all in one day. So that's a 2 night minimum for a trash hotel, at about $300/night just because they're allowed to price gouge. Granted, the prices are a bit down for this weekend, but for big game weekends it can easily be over $300/night. Still, we're talking on average $1,000 to take the family to a game. Then, outside of the game, what are we going to do? We have to stay Friday night and Saturday night. Like I said, it's a mini-vacation. If you wanted to go to half the home games this year, you would spend close to what you would spend on a family ski trip, trip to Disney, etc. Or, I can stay home, watch it for free, and only invest 3.5 hours in it. I can still get stuff done around the house that needs to be done.

You have to make MSU football one of the biggest priorities in your life to be a regular attendee. There aren't a lot of people with the means AND desire to do that. There are plenty of people with one or the other, but MSU and Starkville leave way too much to be desired when it comes to making it worth the cost and effort for most people.

[Jarius]

I understand supply and demand but the hotel prices keep me away now. They are up 200% from 5-6 years ago.

Our hotel prices in Starkville are outrageous. We need more options for sure. I have been able to find some cheap Airbnb spots but I got them early. Really big issue for our out of town fans. I mean no one wants to stay in West Point or Columbus.

[deltadawg63]

Well I haven't found 4 tickets and a parking pass for $60 that didn't include a hike up Mount Everest to get to seats that you need the James Webb telescope to see the game!
and $30 worth of gas..... Yeah if your only driving from the other side of Starkville maybe.....
$30 on burgers.... only if you're eating off the value menu of McDonalds maybe.....

We are a SEC school and have to compete against the other SEC schools and I can assure you outside of Vanderbilt, you will not find tickets this cheap and you will likely sit in seats at as high a level or further away from the field. Also, know concession prices are just as high and usually higher at our competition. Its one of the costs of being a member of the greatest conference in collegiate athletics.

[BorneDawg]

Any strain on a young family is self inflicted. People can do what they want but Mississippi State football being expensive for anyone that can drive there and back home in a day is just not accurate. There isn?t a game on our schedule you can?t take a family of 4 to for under 250 dollars if you actually make the effort. Eat a sack full of cheeseburgers before you go in the game and don?t do concession food or go to 44 Prime when you can?t afford it. Buy cheap tickets. Don?t spend the night. If people want to say it?s not worth their time and they don?t care, then that?s fine. It?s about as cheap as you can do anything for on a weekend these days, and unless these people with kids are just sitting at home doing absolutely nothing all weekend then they are going to spend that money anyway. Our fans do not care as much as almost any other fans in this league. That?s fine, but we need to stop whining about results if this is how we are going to continue to operate as a fanbase.

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.....

[Duckdog]

Beat Arizona and LSU and all this is old news. Arnett will be talked about. State will be talked about. We will be ranked. The stadium will fill up fast.

[BorneDawg]

Yep, it's like a mini-vacation to go to a game now. $1,000 minimum for my family once travel, lodging, tickets, fuel, meals, etc. are accounted for. I can't go to a game without staying the night, unless I want to do some crazy driving times all in one day. So that's a 2 night minimum for a trash hotel, at about $300/night just because they're allowed to price gouge. Granted, the prices are a bit down for this weekend, but for big game weekends it can easily be over $300/night. Still, we're talking on average $1,000 to take the family to a game. Then, outside of the game, what are we going to do? We have to stay Friday night and Saturday night. Like I said, it's a mini-vacation. If you wanted to go to half the home games this year, you would spend close to what you would spend on a family ski trip, trip to Disney, etc. Or, I can stay home, watch it for free, and only invest 3.5 hours in it. I can still get stuff done around the house that needs to be done.

You have to make MSU football one of the biggest priorities in your life to be a regular attendee. There aren't a lot of people with the means AND desire to do that. There are plenty of people with one or the other, but MSU and Starkville leave way too much to be desired when it comes to making it worth the cost and effort for most people.

AMEN to that!

[PMDawg]

Every time a thread like this gets 3 pages deep, it becomes painfully obvious that there are MANY reasons why State fans don't go to games. Most of it boils down to the fact that the gameday experience is expensive, it's inconvenient, and it's uncomfortable.

You are asking your fans to tolerate or overlook so many negatives before you even consider the team's performance. It's just soooooo much easier to choose TV and a seat that isn't an aluminum plank.

This sums it up nicely.

[Jarius]

Yep, it's like a mini-vacation to go to a game now. $1,000 minimum for my family once travel, lodging, tickets, fuel, meals, etc. are accounted for. I can't go to a game without staying the night, unless I want to do some crazy driving times all in one day. So that's a 2 night minimum for a trash hotel, at about $300/night just because they're allowed to price gouge. Granted, the prices are a bit down for this weekend, but for big game weekends it can easily be over $300/night. Still, we're talking on average $1,000 to take the family to a game. Then, outside of the game, what are we going to do? We have to stay Friday night and Saturday night. Like I said, it's a mini-vacation. If you wanted to go to half the home games this year, you would spend close to what you would spend on a family ski trip, trip to Disney, etc. Or, I can stay home, watch it for free, and only invest 3.5 hours in it. I can still get stuff done around the house that needs to be done.

You have to make MSU football one of the biggest priorities in your life to be a regular attendee. There aren't a lot of people with the means AND desire to do that. There are plenty of people with one or the other, but MSU and Starkville leave way too much to be desired when it comes to making it worth the cost and effort for most people.

I will say this about when I was a kid. We would drive up for the day and drive back because tailgating was not a thing. Now, the entire day is an event and I'm going to have a place to stay because I want to tailgate all day in the junction, drink beer, go to the game, and then go out after with my wife. Back in the day, all of that wasn't a thing and now it's so cool to do that I am spoiled and can't imagine just driving up and back for the day. It's not as fun to do just the game for sure.

[MagicDawg]

> squarely in the middle class

Again, I'm simply saying that we have plenty of fans that are not squarely in the middle class. I would guess our fan base has a higher percentage of low-income folks than some other schools.

I have relatives who live paycheck to paycheck and simply do not have the disposable income to go to football games, to concerts, on vacations, etc. They work, eat at home 95% of the time, go to church, have over-the-air television. Yes, there are still families like this. Many/most of them do have some kind of internet service and a basic cellphone. But -- especially today -- they are minimizing car trips to save gas money. They're not drinking or gambling away their paychecks. They are paying for housing, food, medicine, and kids, and at the end of that there's not a lot of wiggle room for luxuries. And yes, being able to go to gameday in Starkville is absolutely a luxury.

I am not trying to criticize anyone else's experience. I am just sensitive to the fact that there are, in fact, many State fans without the means to go to a football game, especially if they are trying to raise kids.

Your mileage may vary -- which is a blessing!

[PMDawg]

I will say this about when I was a kid. We would drive up for the day and drive back because tailgating was not a thing. Now, the entire day is an event and I'm going to have a place to stay because I want to tailgate all day in the junction, drink beer, go to the game, and then go out after with my wife. Back in the day, all of that wasn't a thing and now it's so cool to do that I am spoiled and can't imagine just driving up and back for the day. It's not as fun to do just the game for sure.

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.

[Jarius]

> squarely in the middle class

Again, I'm simply saying that we have plenty of fans that are not squarely in the middle class. I would guess our fan base has a higher percentage of low-income folks than some other schools.

I have relatives who live paycheck to paycheck and simply do not have the disposable income to go to football games, to concerts, on vacations, etc. They work, eat at home 95% of the time, go to church, have over-the-air television. Yes, there are still families like this. Many/most of them do have some kind of internet service and a basic cellphone. But -- especially today -- they are minimizing car trips to save gas money. They're not drinking or gambling away their paychecks. They are paying for housing, food, medicine, and kids, and at the end of that there's not a lot of wiggle room for luxuries. And yes, being able to go to gameday in Starkville is absolutely a luxury.

I am not trying to criticize anyone else's experience. I am just sensitive to the fact that there are, in fact, many State fans without the means to go to a football game, especially if they are trying to raise kids.

Your mileage may vary -- which is a blessing!

I mean we had a sellout streak for a long time under Mullen. Economics just isnt' the driving factor IMO. You can literally buy tickets for 6 dollars to this game. Now granted, you may not want to sit where those tickets are located and that's fine, but it is an available option. I think it's a lot more about comfortability with the big screen tv and being able to watch a bunch of other games all day at your house. Again, that's fine, but unless ESPN was right and we all just sold our double wides to go to Omaha a few years ago, economics isn't the reason our fans can't afford a 6 dollar ticket to the game and a sackfull of cheesburgers from Mcdonalds on the way to the game and 50 dollars in gas and 20 bucks to park.

[BrunswickDawg]

Definitely middle class, and a 10 hour drive away currently. It's interesting to see different approaches to a "game day". My wife and I have tried to get to 1 game weekend every year since my daughter was a freshman in 2017. We Air BnB or hotel in Columbus for no more than $150 a night for 2 nights; $200 in gas (cause I drive a car with good MPG and not a tank); get decent seats on the secondary market ($100 or under a piece if I can); eat cheaply other than 1 meal where I take my daughter & SIL out, buy a couple of new swag items and still usually come out for under $1k.

Now, when I was a young alum in ATL in the late 90s - it was a different ball game. $250 a seat for Season Tickets, usually drove over and back the same day, tailgated with no parking fees at the Animal Husbandry Building, and got to see some of the best ball in MSU history. Fun times.

[Jarius]

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.....

I'm just going to be honest with you bud, you aren't in the middle class if you're having to do all of this and can't stay above water. There's nothing wrong with that and I commend you for working so hard to make ends meet (I work 2 jobs as well). I hate that for you and if I ever run across some extra tickets I will gladly give them to you for free. Keep plugging my man!

[BlackSailsDawg]

$60 for 4 tickets and a parking pass isn't expensive.
$30 of gas. $30 on hamburgers. Bring bottled water.
It's $120 for 4.
Y'all spend nearly that on the ribs and alcohol and Marlboros you sit at home and consume.


Nope! Not even close. Current meals at McDonald's is almost $10 per meal. Just that price alone allows me a boston butt and ribs.

[Jarius]

Nope! Not even close. Current meals at McDonald's is almost $10 per meal. Just that price alone allows me a boston butt and ribs.

This reminds me of when I was a kid going to State games. My dad's cheap ass would tell all of us kids that we could get a sack full of cheesburgers (he didn't let us take off any condiments because as he said they were going to 17 the order up if we started doing special shit), 1 large french fry that we all shared, and we brought our own cooler of cokes from home because the ones at McDonalds were too expensive. This was circa 1997. The good ole days of MSU football. I wouldn't give anything for those memories. There was a really fat black guy that sold us scalper tickets on about the 50 yard line every single week for like 20 bucks apiece. He was always set up right across from the SAE house in the field in front of sorority row. Played a many a game of tackle football with strangers in that field as a 10-12 year old.

[Offshore Dawg]

It may just boil down to people don't want to be inconvenienced going to something they can watch or stream on TV every game. Also, years ago if you wanted to watch the Dawgs play you had to attend the game as most games were not televised.

[DawgFromOxford]

Every time a thread like this gets 3 pages deep, it becomes painfully obvious that there are MANY reasons why State fans don't go to games. Most of it boils down to the fact that the gameday experience is expensive, it's inconvenient, and it's uncomfortable.

You are asking your fans to tolerate or overlook so many negatives before you even consider the team's performance. It's just soooooo much easier to choose TV and a seat that isn't an aluminum plank.

Bingo. Price is only an issue in the absence of value. If someone offered me a ticket to the game this week for $100 to sit in the top row, no thanks. If someone offered me a ticket for a $100 to hangout on the sidelines next to Arnett and I get to call a few plays, I'll take that. Price is the same, but one is a way better value. Fans will pay for food, gas, hotels, tickets, etc if they feel they are getting their money's worth out of it. Currently the value isn't there to attend week in and week out for your average to below average fan.

[Commercecomet24]

I don't think it is that valid of a point. If coach charisma was a factor, where have the fans been the past 2 years under Leach?? Too busy bitching about his dink and dunk offense.

And Jomo wasn't exactly Mr. Personality either, lol!

[Commercecomet24]

I'm on the east side Sat night. Look for my sign that says "17 the faculty. Put'm in the deck" as I sit in their seats.

I'm on the east side Saturday night to, Cooter.

[Maverick91]

I'm on the east side Sat night. Look for my sign that says "17 the faculty. Put'm in the deck" as I sit in their seats.

This is gold! Rep!

[NCMSTFAN]

I don't think it is that valid of a point. If coach charisma was a factor, where have the fans been the past 2 years under Leach?? Too busy bitching about his dink and dunk offense.

You are quoting the wrong person. I never mentioned charisma, I said Arnett wasn't a known or flashy hire, so he will definitely have to win some fans over in that regard. I'm not saying its the sole reason people aren't showing up like before but it can play a factor

[Maverick91]

Here is my question. We sold all our season tickets. I assume 44k of us said “we have the means and time to go to 8 games.” Why would not all 44k show up? Where were they last weekend?

And before you all blast me. I am not a season ticket holder and probably never will be unless I move closer to campus. So, I truly am asking why buy season tickets if you aren’t going to show up.

[sleepy dawg]

90 degrees with the game starting at 3? I'm done with that sh*t.

[Jarius]

90 degrees with the game starting at 3? I'm done with that sh*t.

It was 80 degrees and cloudy.

[R2Dawg]

90 degrees with the game starting at 3? I'm done with that sh*t.

Weather was great Saturday at 3.

I set a camper up Friday night in a flood and pouring rain in the dark. Now that sucked.

[PMDawg]

Here is my question. We sold all our season tickets. I assume 44k of us said “we have the means and time to go to 8 games.” Why would not all 44k show up? Where were they last weekend?

And before you all blast me. I am not a season ticket holder and probably never will be unless I move closer to campus. So, I truly am asking why buy season tickets if you aren’t going to show up.

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.

[HancockCountyDog]

Well the athletics department just said you can get a ticket to Arizona and for the LSU game for 59 bucks.

Lets hope the corn dogs don't snatch them up.

[Goldendawg]

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.

[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!

[CaptainObvious]

You over paid!

[Todd4State]

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!

Sorry man! Wasn't talking about you by but I understand why it looked that way.

Hail State!

[Todd4State]

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.

Yep. Everyone else's dream season is the Sugar Bowl.

Our dream season for years has been winning the Egg Bowl and Liberty Bowl in the same season.

[Dawgface]

I saw many games on tv yesterday with sparse crowds. Going to be the norm for most other than a handful of blue bloods.

[msstate7]

I’ve no desire to sit in the nosebleeds and watch the game on a Jumbotron when I can float in my pool with a beer in my hand while ribs are on the smoker and projecting the game on a 120” screen. If I go to a game I’m dropping $500+ because I want gridiron passes. And I’m not going to do that every game.

Nice. I'll be there around 945 next Saturday.

[TheLostDawg]

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.

Let me know how it goes this year. I've been thinking about a camper

[Goldendawg]

Sorry man! Wasn't talking about you by but I understand why it looked that way.

Hail State!

No harm, no foul. All MSU fans are passionate and want people to go to the games if possible. Let's get our act together and beat LSU. Hail State!