FB: American Rivers Conference

[Alfredeneumann]

2006 season ranks fourth in NCAA Division III attendance

Feb. 21, 2007

For the third time in the last four years, Wartburg ranked among the top five of NCAA Division III in per game attendance.

The 2006 campaign saw the Knights end fourth in the country with an average home contest attendance of 4,343. That total trailed former national championship program UW-Whitewater by just 111 per game for third. St. John's University of Collegeville, Minn., topped the list, with an average of over 8,500 per home game.

"Our ranking in national attendance is evidence of the support that Wartburg football receives from the campus, Waverly, and Cedar Valley communities," head coach Eric Koehler said. "This ranking is also proof of the great environment within which our players get to compete when we play at home. You will seldom find a small college football atmosphere that equals the one we have at Wartburg College."

Wartburg ended fifth in 2005 and 2003 and was among the top 15 in 2001, ranking 12th. The Knights' 2007 home schedule inside Walston-Hoover Stadium includes dates with Buena Vista Sept. 15, Augsburg (Minn.) Oct. 6, Coe Oct. 20, Simpson Oct. 27, and Central Nov. 10.

I guess WH should be larger.... the stadium, not the person

[doolittledog]

Taking a look at Wartburgs attendance. 

Sept. 2nd  Monmouth  5,896
Sept. 23rd Luther  4,720
Oct. 14th  Loras  6,500  -  Homecoming???
Nov. 4th  Cornell 2,500
Nov. 10th  Dubuque  2,100

Looks like they counted people the first 2 games and then guestimated after that.

Wartburg gets to end their season with 3 of their last 4 at home 2 years in a row. 

You could argue it's good to end with games at home because as the conference race heats up you get home field advantage.  But you could also argue that starting off with road games if you don't get some early wins your season could go into the tank.  Plus seeing how the attendance went down as the weather got cold maybe Wartburg will want to schedule more early season games...but then again I don't see them getting 8,500 like St. Johns. 

[warthog]

WH & DF1:

Thanks for the props concerning the Warthog clans tailgating.  We like to enjoy ourselves.  I'll get the 1/4 lbs hotdogs and brats cooked to perfection.  The Bloody Marys and Long Island Iced Tea will be ready to go in the trunk turned bar.  I'll expect to see both of you in Waverly for the Wartburg/Central clash.

The rest of my little friends (as my wife calls you) are welcome to join us.

[warthog]

I think Mr. and Mrs.Coco should come out to Iowa and join us for the Wartburg/Central game.

[Walston Hoover]

Taking a look at Wartburgs attendance. 

Sept. 2nd  Monmouth  5,896
Sept. 23rd Luther  4,720
Oct. 14th  Loras  6,500  -  Homecoming???
Nov. 4th  Cornell 2,500
Nov. 10th  Dubuque  2,100

Looks like they counted people the first 2 games and then guestimated after that.

Wartburg gets to end their season with 3 of their last 4 at home 2 years in a row. 

You could argue it's good to end with games at home because as the conference race heats up you get home field advantage.  But you could also argue that starting off with road games if you don't get some early wins your season could go into the tank.  Plus seeing how the attendance went down as the weather got cold maybe Wartburg will want to schedule more early season games...but then again I don't see them getting 8,500 like St. Johns. 

I'd be surprised they counted the first 2 even. We have excellent crowds no doubt, but no way to count everyone.
Part of the reason for the decline in attendance the last 2 games was likely competition to go with weather. Cornell was horrible and everyone expected UD to be UD (which they weren't).
Also, with the location in the Cedar Valley, those last 2 weekends are Iowa HS playoff weekends and Wartburg draws a lot of people from the community. Maybe not so much on a cold November day with indoor football going on.
Wartburg fans show up for the opener, Homecoming, Luther, and Central.
With not having the home opener until 9/15, I imagine a packed house this year.
Augsburg will be decent, but I'm surprised its not a night game
Coe may set a record for attendance
Simpson will be a decent crowd because most people still remember the Simpson teams of 10 years ago and don't follow the IIAC close enough to know they've gotten worse the last 3 years
If the stars align, Everyone make plans to be in Waverly on the 10th of November. A nice day will have an absolutely enormous crowd for the IIAC championship game.

[dutchfan1]

WH & DF1:

Thanks for the props concerning the Warthog clans tailgating.  We like to enjoy ourselves.  I'll get the 1/4 lbs hotdogs and brats cooked to perfection.  The Bloody Marys and Long Island Iced Tea will be ready to go in the trunk turned bar.  I'll expect to see both of you in Waverly for the Wartburg/Central clash.

The rest of my little friends (as my wife calls you) are welcome to join us.

We're your "little friends" -- hee hee, I like it! You know this is the one game I never miss. I'll be there. (I can't believe I am planning tailgating plans 9 months in advance....)

We definitely need to get the Coco clan out there again!! Coco, Mrs. Coco....what do you say? You're always welcome!

[Spurrier]

dutchfan1 and warthog,

checkout the latest on little spurrier. . .he tore it up at the nike combine in miami ; 40 time was electronic, he has run 4.4 handheld

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=61817

[Walston Hoover]

The ultimate IIAC tour for 2007:

(see every stadium at least once and get to see teams I expect to be in the race for a title a few more times than others)
9/1 St. Thomas @ Central
9/8 Almas @ Cornell
9/15 Simpson @ Coe
9/22 Wartburg @ Luther
9/29 Simpson @ Loras
10/6 Central @ Simpson
10/13 Coe @ Central
10/20 Coe @ Wartburg
10/27 Loras @ UD
11/3 UD @ BV
11/10 Central @ Wartburg

This allows a fan to see:
Central (4)
Coe (3)
Simpson (3)
Wartburg (3)
UD (2)
Loras (2)
Cornell (1)
BV (1)
Luther (1)

I wouldn't mind seeing Luther a little more and Simpson a little less, but thats the way the schedule works.

[Walston Hoover]

dutchfan1 and warthog,

checkout the latest on little spurrier. . .he tore it up at the nike combine in miami ; 40 time was electronic, he has run 4.4 handheld

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=61817

Has anyone ever explained to young Patrick the value of a private HS education? 

[Spurrier]

his momma and daddy are prime examples of a private school education; however, it looks like the boys going to school for free somewhere. . .

[doolittledog]

WH...that is quite the tour if you can pull it off.

We are planning a bit more conservative and might not even make all the ones we have planned. 

Our schedule is...

9/08   Wisc. Lutheran @ Dubuque
9/22   Wartburg @ Luther
10/06 Dubuque @ Coe
10/13 Dubuque @ Cornell
10/20 Coe @ Wartburg (HC)
10/27 Loras @ Dubuque (HC)
11/03 Dubuque @ BV

Our 2 trips to Dubuque could turn into 1...to avoid too many weekends in a row to avoid babysitter issues we might end up dropping the Cornell weekend and the 2nd Dubuque weekend.  That or it might just be my wife wouldn't go to all of them and I would either take my dad with me or a friend whose wife lets him out for a day. 

[redmen]

My priorities still lie in Iowa City every other Saturday in the fall so I won't be making an all IIAC tour this year.  Would like to catch a Simpson game and am counting on showing WH what real taigaiting is all about at Wartburg's homecoming (do you start at 6 am?...that's the only way I tailgate).  Sorry WH, but Iowa vs. Minnesota is the day of the Wartburg-Central rivalry so we'll have to rely on a constant stream of text messages for updates on the IIAC champioship game (if things pan out the way you forsee them).

[Walston Hoover]

Unfortunately, due to coaching, my tailgating activities have been drastically reduced the last 2 years. We meet on Saturday usually until 10 or 11 which puts me in Waverly at kickoff. You start drinking at 6. I start watching tape at 6. I'd be willing to trade a few Saturdays.I've talked to your bro several times on the way to school on Sat mornings in the fall

[davedevine]

Spurrier,

I took a look at Jr's link you posted, his #'s  looks similar to another safety I know coming out of HS..
difference is he's in FL and I was in Denver, IA,   keep us posted where he ends up.. hopefully he's running track this spring? 

for a fee, i can offer my services and teach him the finer points of playing safety.. 

side note: after actually  playing  at UNI for a year, there are some guys who look great on paper,(workout warrior)  but are complete herbs when it comes to making plays on the football field. The one thing you can't coach is speed and either you have it or you don't..and this is what college coaches look for.
  not that your kid fits this mold, i'm just making general observations about some of the guys who were on scholarship at UNI when i was there that had no business having one.. it happens everywhere, just a lot more than people realize. 

[sportsknight]

Taking a look at Wartburgs attendance. 

Sept. 2nd  Monmouth  5,896
Sept. 23rd Luther  4,720
Oct. 14th  Loras  6,500  -  Homecoming???
Nov. 4th  Cornell 2,500
Nov. 10th  Dubuque  2,100

I'd strongly guess that all the games were "guesstimated."  They way I understand it, there is a long-standing tradition in the Wartburg press box of someone with the Schroeder surname looking out into the crowd and saying "Well, it looks like about _____."  As far as the last 2 games, Cornell is who Wartburg fans thought they were, and if I remember right, it snowed considerably a couple days before the Dubuque game.  Cold, snowy weather + Wartburg out of IIAC title race = fewer fans.  And I wasn't even a math major.