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CHC, I honestly don't think day games hurt that much compared to night games. The guys who are really into deer hunting are not going to be at a day or night game. They'll deer hunt right up until dark thirty and it will be too late to make the game. Night games might help more with the duck hunters.
By the way our schedule this year does not have any conflicts with the opening of deer or duck season.
I know very little about this area -Originally Posted by CARTEK
About all I know is that the student athletic fees can be adjusted somewhat without the student's approval - how much ???
I noticed in the paper this morning that enrollment is up to 11,280 - and we are expected to hit at 12,000 next year and raise admission standards once again - because our infrastructure cannot handle much more than 12,000 students...
What is truly surprising to me is that it is year 2002 and we do not have a 1-800-257-TECH number for our ticket office - let alone an automated telephone system or "soft" ticket system...
We don't even have a "GOLD-ON-HOLD" system that plays TECH music or gives you an info commercial when you are placed on hold while they transfer you to different departments or fill your ticket order...
People may huff and say minor details - to me these are major details...
I think all of this is directly tied to the product on the field and the way it is percieved by the local and regional media - and the casual sports fans...
Once again - you get what you pay for...
[list:1d2d55d04a]
I'm just giving you two known facts about why our attendence to football games sucks. The Utep and Fresno State game will be afected by HS football and hunting, I guarentee it. Especially the thursday night game, but that will be ofset by more students being on campus to go to the game instead of them going home.[/list:u:1d2d55d04a]
DFM....
You are right on target on this! As I have been saying for some time now, our SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM in Tech athletics is a complete LACK OF ANY MARKETING WHATSOEVER!!!!!!
The Tech AD is literally in the stone age when it comes to marketing. We have had many saleable products over the last 4 or 5 years and we have done absolutely nothng with it.
I think the main problem is much deeper than we can conceive. I think it is rooted in the OVERLY PROVINCIAL, SMALL TOWN, HOLIER THAN THOU, blinders that keep our "leaders" from even considering that there may be a better answer out there!!!
We may be in Div 1A and playing a more respectable and tougher schedule than many BCS schools, but I sincerely think that the established beauracracy (that has lived in a small town extremely isolated environment for their entire existance) can't differentiate between this level of athletics and competing against McMurray and SE Louisiana. And they go their merry little way, doing as they have always done, and no one wants to point out that what they're doing is a complete failure.
With the level of Tech athletics and success over the recent past, there is simply no excuse for not selling EVERY contest to at least 80 to 85% capacity, with the key games complete sellouts. The bottom line is that you HAVE TO MARKET TO SELL, PERIOD!!!!!
And we just don't do it!!!!
Jaded,
I wish it was that easy :? . The sad part is, he is from Ruston and grew up going to Tech games!! I have tried my best to get them intrested in Tech again. I spent many hours telling them that we were going to have a good and exiting team to watch this year, and that kind of backfired. They just enjoy the atmosphere and ease(as opposed to a 4 hr drive to Ruston to watch Tech play Nevada) of tailgating at LSU. Like I said, we have a huge mountain to climb.
We can beat each other up all day long about what the problem may or may not be, but it is ultimatly up to our leaders (pres and AD) to make things change.
Reddawg
Fantastic thread DAWGS!!! Not one insult this whole thread. No ill feelings toward one another.
Just noticed that
That's right OldBlue. This has been a very good thread with alot of good posts. Just to continue some thoughts that have been brought up.
I know people who pull for LSU and Tech. We all have seen people go to a Tech game and listen to LSU on the radio. That might have been acceptable back in the 60's and 70's when we played in a different division that LSU, but not any more. We are competing with them for athletes and next year on the football field.
I attended almost every game in Ruston and Shreveport from the last 60's through the 1993 season when I moved to NW Arkansas. We had 12,000 to 22,000 for most of those games. We might have moved our attendance up to the 15,000 to 25,000 range, anyone have any idea about our attendance numbers? This is not acceptable. We still have essentially the same fan base now that we had 20 years ago. We have grown our program from McNeese, NSU and NLU being our big games to LSU, Miami, Alabama, Penn State and other BCS teams. We not only play these teams we compete with them pretty well. We will be on TV twice this year, not counting pay per view. Years ago, we might be on TV if we made it to the championship game of D-2 or D-AA. Someone has dropped the ball over the past 20 years or so. I think there's plenty of it to go around. The fans have let our team down over the years, our administration has let us down by not having the vision needed to grow the total program. We should have at least a 40,000 seat stadium by now and have no problem filling it up. Last, but not least, Ruston should take a great amount of blame for not promoting Tech and games more. We should have grown our way out of the TAC back in the early 90's but we can't even fill up 1/3 of the seats for one of the most successful women's programs in the nation for the past 25 years or so. We didn't even sell out when we had a top 10 team with Malone and Co. It's time for our fans, our administration and the city of Ruston to decide if we want to be a player at the D-1 level or continue to muddle along in mediocrity, every now and then having the kind of season we had last year. Sorry I've been so long winded in all of this but it's just observations from the past 30 plus years of following Tech athletics and letting go with some frustrations I've got at this moment.
Hey, Redd. Not to sound negative, but where do you think they got that dental degree from? I would hope that they stayed true to the state and got that degree from LSU Dental in New Orleans. (probably the only program like that in the state... or the best for sure) If that's the case, then you can't fault them for having flags from LSwho on their Tahoe.
Next time you're in your front yard, check to see if the Tahoe has a Tech trailer hitch?
Things are not always as bad as they seem. I hope this is one of those cases.
TechFreak!
You are right Techfreak. They both went to NO, however, there is no Tech trailer hitch or anything Tech for that matter. They told me its been years since they had been to a Tech game and had no idea of our schedule this year. I do understand your point, but these are the types of alum we need coming back to JAS, in champs, etc. I would think most would enjoy their undergraduate experince more than graduate and therefore be more "loyal' to that undergraduate school. Maybe thats not the case, I never went any further than a BS at Tech. Just my opinion.
Reddawg
Does anyone have a tentative schedule for 2003 including dates and game times?
The pres does as much as he can in this area. Louisiana schools, because there are so many of them per capita, all have the same problem.
Most, if not all WAC schools have one of these: substantially higher tuition <or> enrollment <or> and student fees, which give their admins more flexibility for allocation. Additionally, per capita post graduation income at other WAC schools (except Boise St. & Nevada) is greater, which also has a bearing on cash infusion. Most, if not all, have greater fundraising and season ticket traditions, as well as having a lighter rural alumni following... all being positive varients in the budgetary process, which at Tech are historical drawbacks (in comparison).
Unless a whole BUNCH of wealthy TECH alumni die at the same time, substantial cash infusion will be slow to build from the current alumni base over the short term. Those are endeavors which take YEARS to cultivate and which MUST be handled in a way that will not reduce academic contribution. Folks like Rice, SMU & Fresno have healthy alum stables with an ability for fork over $1-5-10 million gifts to athletics that do no harm to academic gifting. Similar gifts at Tech are few and VERY far between.
IN STATE OUT
SMU $19,620 NA--
RICE $16,445 NA
U of Tulsa $13,810 NA
U of Hawaii $3,157 $9,637
U of Texas El Paso $2,985 $9,465
LA TECH $2,928 $7,833
U of Nevada $2,454 $9,414
Boise State $2,451 $8,451
San Jose State $1,861 $9,241
Fresno $1,746 $9,126
Thanks HounDoggy...
I personally feel like the current occupant of the 16th floor of Wyly, has a much different attitude toward athletics than 99% of the posters on bbb, as well as most of these "casual" fans we are talking about...
We have come into the 1A game at a major disadvantage compared to the programs that we compete with... By our being 1aa for years, this caused many graduates, fans alike, to see our program as second rate, when compared to "big time" football programs... They follow and financially support others and "keep up with Tech", as an afterthought, etc...
When we go back to the early success(Indy Bowl '90) of the program in 1A, the opportunity that we had was great and required an equally great COMMITMENT to grow our entire program... As we all know, we failed miserably...
Now, again, with the WAC Championship season, we were in the same situation... We are beginning to see that opportunity is slipping by the wayside as well...
I don't see this as Jim's fault at all... Jim has never told me, but I truly believe that he would "modernize" our athletic dept. in a heartbeat if he were able... I think he knows that Ronny alone, is about 1/10th, the answer to our fundraising efforts... And I must say that Ronny is a very large "10 percent"!!!!!!!!
Our lack of growth and commitment rests on the shoulders of Dr. Reneau, in my opinion... I feel that, if he were as enthusiastic about growing our Athletic program, as he was our Micro Mfg. Center, etc... We would see HUGE differences in the the way our athletic dept had to operate... That's not necessarily good or bad, it depends on your perspective...
Will we ever make the total commitment to have a "big time" athletic dept?? :?
I am very interested to see how the rest of you feel...
MD
We won't see any step change support-wise if we schedule the UL's and Ark St.sopf the world. We need to go after Southern Miss, Memphis, Ole Miss, Marshall, Ok. State, etc.
If we can't get these type teams on the schedule, we may as well go back to IAA. Our fan support will not grow.
From the bugetary standpoint, Tech is no different than the UL to the south. If not for a similar perceived lack of commitment from thier pres, they'd be a much mightier force. Now that they have a major fundraising effort with some wealthy peeps heading it up, they'll improve and sceduling the likes of them with the Memphis's, Ole Miss's and TCU's would not hurt Tech dramatically. Cost-wise, those are not expensive games to travel to or host.
Their 73 year old pres will be replaced soon -- and ANYONE they hire after him will increase their committment... if only by accident.
Maybe, maybe not...internal funding of athletics is capped at ALL state-supported institutions. Thus, if USL is bumping its cap, funding from internal sources will not increase.
DfM, can you please chime in on this point? I know there are caps, but I don't remember the numbers and how they are arrived at for each institution.
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