So then if that is the case, and most, if not all MAC schools do it, then logically you can still use the MAC figures as a benchmark. For those who think Miami student attendance is so wonderful, please defend it. It is easy to see who those people are on this thread. It’s one thing to be a Miami fan, it is quite another to cheerlead and defend any and everything the University and their student body does or does not do. Now if you excuse me, I have to go kick some puppies.
Should have built Yager on Cook Field.
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Miami field was special, then money took over the sport and Miami chose not to play that game or couldn’t play that game. Yager is fine, just not as much fun and not ideal location like Miami Field. I will say Yager is looking pretty good now with all the improvements, as I have said many times before we need to get the Hamilton’s and Dayton locals to follow us to get consistent crowds and we simply don’t get them. Students are fickle, so until we win, they won’t show.
Other than OOC, we seem to be in a good time period, fixing our brutal period before Chuck. Now with UC off the schedule maybe we can get a few OOC wins and keep progressing the program up to where we used to be. A team the big schools didn’t want to play!
That was the game where we clinched the MAC championship game spot after having been horrible for so long. There may have been some number inflation, but there was genuine interest for that game and it was a pretty full house.
My guess is few MAC schools besides Toledo has as good of actual butts in seats as we did vs UC and Ohio but I am not trying to defend our attendance. There was nobody at Umass or CMU or Kent
Our student attendance was incredible for the first three quarters of the first home game and then it was non existent for every other game except with some parents on family day.
I expect very few there tonight
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or across from Lewis Place.
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Yeah it would have been pretty cool if they could have built Yager at Cook Field. I doubt there is enough room there though when you considered parking. I think a basketball arena would fit, though. (ducking!)
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I was there from 1974-78 and football games were well attended but I don’t recall sellouts.
In 1974 we were highly ranked; same with 1975. We were 3-8 in ‘76 and people stopped coming. A 10-1 record in 1977 produced larger crowds.
Millett, on the flip side, had sellouts for UNC, Kentucky and UC. Miami crowds were relatively quiet compared to MSG where I’m from, and that was disappointing. Students brought homework to games which confused me. Our class had Randy Ayers, Bernard Newman and John Shoemaker, a great freshman class. Archie Aldridge later transferred from Florida State and joined the lineup. We had no great center and Bernie quit the team before senior year.
In March of 1978 we beat defending champ Marquette in the first round of the NCAA before losing to eventual champion Kentucky.
Those were the days.
Actually, Bernie did not quit the team. Very talented athlete.
I was there at the same time oldredhawk and I agree with everything you said except I feel the majority of games were close to or sold out in 74 and 75. The attendance listed for the 74 Kent game was definitely close to or greater than capacity, not 7800 as listed on the site above. Miami was tied with Oklahoma for the longest undefeated streak (24 ) and needed to beat Kent who was also undefeated in the MAC that year to go to the Tangerine Bowl. Kent scored with 59 seconds left to take a two point lead. Miami for the ball at the 20 and brought in Sherman Smith who was not yet the starting QB. He pitched it to Randy Walker who took a few steps to his right and then pulled up and hit Sherman down the left sideline for about a 30 yard completion. Steve Sanna, the starting QB that year came back and completed two more passes and Miami kicked a 39 yard FG to win as time expired. The crowd pelted the field with Tangerines. That game is etched in my memory forever and that crowd was large.
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My favorite game ever.
He didn’t play as a senior and I’m pretty sure Randy told me he quit
You may be thinking of another player.
Bernie played his Senior year and was having a good season (about 12 ppg). He missed the back end of the season due to a class scheduling/dropping misunderstanding.
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He wanted to be an artist.
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I worked at Subway for a hot minute and was considered “a sandwich artist.” Does that count?
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Was he living in Austria in the early 20th century?
I was at that Kent game referenced above amd it definitely was a sellout. I couldn’t find a seat and watched standing almost the entire game. One of the the most exciting games I ever witnessed at Miami Field.
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So the wikipedia link says 7,400 for that Miami vs Kent game in 1974 but when I opened up the footnote the game was actually referencing a Kent vs Toledo game.
I guess thats why the information is free in wiki
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RedSea, I tried to look up attendance for that Kent State game in 1974. I found recaps of the game but nothing on attendance. You’ll just have to take my word on that being a sellout or near sellout. Everyone stormed the field after the win as well. Sometimes some of the end zone bleachers were not full when the home and student side are. I am also pretty sure that back in those days they counted butts in seats so attendance total announced were actually fairly accurate.
Also, pretty sure that last game played in old Miami Field in 1982 was against CMU, and it may have broken the record for all time attendance in that venue. I wanna say 18K but maybe Dick or others here attended…I wasn’t there.
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I believe you all that the 1974 game vs Kent was full attendance. In fact I feel like I have seen grainy video with a cut out to that 1920’s era scoreboard from that game. Maybe in one of those old Miami memories segments that Bake did. If my memory is correct I think I remember a packed house