Attendance woes

Men's Sports Football
61

To be fair, Mizzou was supposed to come to Oxford this year but backed out

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62

I agree.

There is “Institutional Laziness,” a condition that has become embedded and handed down in leadership’s DNA. No one (try the Board of Trustees, some of whom are business types—retired from or still working—-) has tried to light up the people who work under their “watchful eyes” and therein lies a major source of the problem. Until the B of Ts get meaningfully involved, things will NEVER change.

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63

Whatever happened to Band Day. One way to put butts in the seats. At least get Talawanda to come! Perfect for a FCS game when nobody comes.

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64

Turn the project over to the Business Schools Marketing Department and make it a case study.

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65

It’s the exact same idea I suggested to Miami’s ADs at least half a dozen times (including the current occupant of the position) over the last 40 years…..after a while of no interest, I got the “message.”

66

I have seen more than 100 games on multiple campuses since 1962. Many schools have developed interesting traditions over the years. Singing the Alma Mater with the team post game - win or lose - is one of my favorites.

Wisconsin’s Varsity incorporates arm swings which makes it unique. They also have made the Jump Around famous. Penn State created the White Out. OSU has Script Ohio, Hang on Snoopy and OH-IO. Iowa has the children’s hospital. Florida has the chomp, Arkansas calls the hogs, Texas has Hook-em, ECU has the third down Cross Bones, Purdue has a huge band and a big drum. Clemson has Howard’s Rock and Virginia Tech has Enter Sandman. Oklahoma has the Sooner Schooner, Auburn the War Eagle and Colorado has Ralphie.

Lots of schools have songs they identify with. Tennessee has Rocky Top, which was made a tradition at UT by a Miami alum. There is My Old Kentucky Home at UK and Back Home Again at IU. Washington parties to Tequila and Carolina to James Taylor’s Gone to Carolina. We could have adopted a song and incorporated into our traditions but we never have.

The Miami band’s pre-game is essentially the same as it was when I played in the band - sans the Scalp Song. The Beautiful Ohio waltz is not an inspiring song. We never play the visiting school’s fight song as a welcome to the opposing school.

Our traditions - if we even have many - are relatively stoic. Love & Honor and the Cradle of Coaches Plaza.

The phrase Love and Honor seems to be the only tradition we’ve developed over the last 60 years. But we seem to have lost some. For example, it was surprising to me how few fans still stand when the fight song is played.

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67

Live Rock band (s) INSIDE THE STADIUM pre game and half time! Par-tay!

68

So a statue moment where everyone has to stand like a statue before the opening kickoff? Or everyone wears diapers, they could be fun.

69

I don’t know shit about marketing, so all the fans could nude up for all I care. If they are fit, it could be quite a show. If not so fit, well, I don’t judge. Just wear sunscreen.

70

Co-opting the Will Smith “Miami” rap might be cool provided it was done in a self-aware, ironic way. Not sure that the royalty fees are realistic.

Uh, uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, uh
Miami, uh, uh
South Beach–sub Oxford–bringin the heat, uh
Haha, can y’all feel that
Can y’all feel that
Jig it out, uh

71

AI Generated. Nothing new of course, but an interesting summary.

Strategies by audience / approach

1. Improve student engagement

  • Offer tailgate zones and social spaces explicitly for students: The idea of a vibrant pre-game tailgate (food, music, games) helps create the “event” feel and gives students a reason to show up early and stay. For example, the student newspaper at Miami said: “Tailgates are the key to getting students more involved with sports here.” The Miami Student

  • Create a student-section culture: Designate a student section in the stadium, give it perks (cheap/free concessions nearby, special theme nights, giveaways) and make it visible, loud, and fun. Encourage student groups (fraternities/sororities, clubs) to “claim” the section and bring people.

  • Leverage student athletes and peer-influence: If players say “come watch me play” it has higher impact than a generic “game this Saturday” post. The Miami Student+1

  • Incentivize attendance: Free or discounted tickets for students, special giveaways (T-shirts, hats, etc.), competitions (which hall shows up the most; best banner; best costume) can drive attendance.

  • Make it easier & more fun: For instance, consider simplified access (clear signage, easy walk from dorms/south campus). Some students mentioned the student section location or the walk is a deterrent. Reddit

2. Enhance fan experience (beyond just students)

  • Pre-game and in-game entertainment: Music, interactive games during breaks, contests, “cornhole” setups, live DJs, photo-booths, children’s areas. Making it a full “event” helps.

  • Improve concessions, comfort & amenities: Easier parking, shorter lines, lower-cost concessions/beer (or student-friendly pricing) may help; one Reddit thread pointed out cost of food & beer as a deterrent. Reddit

  • Theme nights / promotions: For example: “Family Day”, “Throwback Night”, “Alumni Reunion”, “Greek vs. Greek”, “Retro Jerseys”, “Homecoming with extra fanfare”, etc. These create more urgency and excitement.

  • Tailgating encouragement for the broader community: Open up parking lots early, promote tailgate spots, include food trucks, games, etc. A strong tailgate scene can feed into strong attendance.

  • Community outreach & partnerships: Invite local high schools, youth football teams, local businesses. Offer group-ticket packages. Consider partnerships with local radio/TV to promote gameday.

  • Highlight the team’s success and identity: The RedHawks won the MAC in 2023, but some students still report low turnout. The Miami Student Use that championship as a marketing tool (“Champions are back – join us!”) to build pride.

3. Marketing, awareness & culture shift

  • Improve marketing communications: Use social media (Instagram, TikTok), geofenced ads, student influencers, player-takeovers, countdowns to game day, behind-the-scenes content.

  • Clear schedule & ticket information: Many students don’t even know when the games are or how to get tickets. Make sure there’s easy access, mobile ticket links, student-friendly UI. The Miami Student+1

  • Build campus culture around “home game = Saturday obligation”: Treat home games as a campus event not just a sports event. Encourage professors, staff, residence halls to promote attendance, maybe even offer credit/giveaways.

  • Alumni & parent mobilization: Encourage alumni to come back for games; coordinate with the alumni office. Families of current students could be encouraged to attend “Family Weekend” games.

  • Storytelling: Share athlete stories, highlight local ties, show how the team represents Miami University and Oxford/Butler County. Personal connection drives attendance. The Miami Student

4. Ticketing & pricing strategies

  • Free/very low cost student tickets: Make the barrier to entry negligible for students so attendance grows even if revenue is minimal at first.

  • Bundled deals: For local residents/families—family packages, multiple-game passes, flexible tickets.

  • Create urgency: Early-bird specials, “first 1000 students get free T-shirt,” etc.

  • Recognize the reality of empty seats: It’s been reported that Miami purchases tickets themselves to meet FBS requirements. News 5 Cleveland WEWS+1 Better to fill seats organically.

  • Zone pricing: Premium seats at higher cost, general admission cheaper; encourage loyalty programs (“attend 3 games, get a free one”).

5. Game scheduling & opponent leverage

  • Choose home games vs opponents with strong draw (rivals) at times convenient for students (Saturday afternoons rather than weekday evenings) if possible. Some mid-week games reduce student turnout. Reddit+1

  • Use rivalry games and marquee opponents to market early & heavily (the Cincinnati game drew ~24,717 attendees). The Miami Student+1

  • Homecoming, senior day, other special occasions should be treated as major events with extra production value.

:abacus: Specific suggestions for Miami University (Ohio) to implement

Here are a few tailored ideas for the Miami (Ohio) situation:

  • “Student Game Day Passport” – Each student receives (or opts into) a digital passport: Attend 4 home games this season, and you earn a free game shirt, or entry into a raffle for a major prize.

  • Greek & student-organization challenge – Fraternities, sororities, and student organizations compete on attendance: whichever group brings the most members to games gets a special event (e.g., after-party, pizza + DJ).

  • “Uptown to Yager” campaign – Since Uptown life (bars/parties) competes for student time, plan a “pre-tailgate” on the Uptown green or nearby area that begins 3 hours before kickoff and walks everyone to Yager Stadium together. Maybe free shuttle or caravan of golf-carts.

  • Tailgate + concert pre-game – For key games invite a local band or DJ to play 90 minutes before kickoff in the parking lot; food trucks + games + giveaways.

  • Family & alumni day – Pick one game each season as “Family & Alumni” day: discounted tickets for families of students and alumni, and during the game highlight alumni, have reunion events, host kids’ zone, etc.

  • Community partnerships – Offer group-ticket deals to local high schools. Host “High School Night” where high-school students wearing their school’s gear get a discounted ticket and are introduced on field.

  • Improve in-game atmosphere – Hire an engaging MC, incorporate more interactive content between quarters (trivia, fan cams, halftime contests), make every stoppage fun. Reddit commentary for Miami mentions “fillers” and lack of fun during game appreciations. Reddit

  • Highlight team success & connect athletes with community – Have players visit residence halls, talk in classes, post on social media: “Come support us in our home stadium.” Create video profiles of players, especially local high schoolers who stayed in Ohio.

  • Transparent schedule & marketing push – Start “countdown to next home game” campaigns a week out: send push notifications, Instagram stories, posters in dorms, mass emails to students. Use the “what are you doing this Saturday?” angle.

  • Pricing review – Consider lowering prices for local families or for the general public for less-high-profile games; create “kids under 12 free” sections, etc.

  • Measure & iterate – Track which games had better student turnout, which promotions worked, gather student feedback (what kept you from attending? what would make you go?). Use that data to refine strategy.

:bullseye: Expected benefits

If many of these are implemented well, the university could expect:

  • Higher student attendance (which leads to better atmosphere, and that in turn attracts more fans).

  • Better home-field advantage (louder crowd, more energy).

  • Improved alumni & community engagement.

  • Additional revenue from concessions, parking, merchandise (even if ticket pricing is lower).

  • Stronger brand for the football program, which helps recruiting and visibility.

  • More positive campus culture around athletics and gameday.

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72

So, Americans are going to have to do without drinking water so that AI data farms can tell us what’s been talked about on this board for twenty years.

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73

So this could be our song!

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74

Salient point!

75

I will stand by this until the day I die: Shane Montgomery was the wrong hire, but with the constraints put on him by Bates, no one could have succeeded.

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76

Eddie–kind of amazing what ai can do in an instant. Nothing new as you say but a real bucket list of real tangible ideas athletic department could start working on. Some right away, some need some planning. We’re both of the era when we as students went to games and filled the place. Better teams, smaller stadium and less outside distractions all helped get more student butts in the seats for sure. Still when I sit in the stands and look over and see less than 200 students in the stands it kind of makes me sad as a former athlete and alumni.

I know some have said the admin just doesn’t care and attendance isn’t a priority. Someone else said they’re very aware of the attendance problem. With the amount of money they’re sinking into athletics in the form of student activity fees you’d think you’d see more out of them trying to get folks to the games. Maybe they think they’re doing everything possible already. Who knows. Would be interesting if someone would call them out on the subject and see what they say.

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77

Believe me, calling them out has been tried…..no response.

They care not to be “disturbed.”

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79

Great song, but something tells me that Ted Nugent would not be the best face of Miami football. And no offense, but featuring a song older than some student’s parents probably isn’t gonna resonate as a great new tradition unless it’s something everybody knows.

80

I like Uptown Girl. Put the words on the scoreboard. Challenge the 17 students in one section to sing one verse, the other a second then the entire crowd with a big finish. It would also be a great song to play as the game ended as everyone walks uptown.

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82

And Sweet Caroline was released by Neil Diamond in 1969, and when they play it at sports events, everyone knows the words and sings along.

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