FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Willy Wonka]

A sign that you may have lost a big rivalry game last week:

You're taking solice in superior attendance numbers. 

Nope, the rivalry game is Saturday at Arden Hills. Bethel has beaten SJU more than any team in the MIAC in the past decade-that's a rivalry. The last time (besides last weekend) that UST beat SJU, the players were in middle school---hardly a rivalry 

Can't help but wonder how many of the "die hard" SJU fans would still show up if the team had a stretch of .500-type seasons. Point being, it's easy for all the undergrads to jump on the bandwagon and the alums to stay involved when you're supporting a perennial national title contender.

Only one school in the MIAC has been able to make that claim in the last 20+ years, which has a huge effect on attendance. Obviously.

As a counterpoint to the unspoken assumption that SJU has better/more committed fans, I remember hundreds (if not thousands) filing out early back in Kofoed's redshirt freshman year when the Johnnies looked horrible through three quarters against UWEC. And by horrible, I believe we're talking down 21-7. Most MIAC schools deal with that on an every-other-week basis 

[sjusection105]

A sign that you may have lost a big rivalry game last week:

You're taking solice in superior attendance numbers. 

Nope, the rivalry game is Saturday at Arden Hills. Bethel has beaten SJU more than any team in the MIAC in the past decade-that's a rivalry. The last time (besides last weekend) that UST beat SJU, the players were in middle school---hardly a rivalry 

Can't help but wonder how many of the "die hard" SJU fans would still show up if the team had a stretch of .500-type seasons. Point being, it's easy for all the undergrads to jump on the bandwagon and the alums to stay involved when you're supporting a perennial national title contender.

Only one school in the MIAC has been able to make that claim in the last 20+ years, which has a huge effect on attendance. Obviously.

As a counterpoint to the unspoken assumption that SJU has better/more committed fans, I remember hundreds (if not thousands) filing out early back in Kofoed's redshirt freshman year when the Johnnies looked horrible through three quarters against UWEC. And by horrible, I believe we're talking down 21-7. Most MIAC schools deal with that on an every-other-week basis 

I've been to Iowa,Wisconsin,Ohio & Texas to watch the Johnnies lose, I think I can make it to a MIAC school to watch them lose.

I've also been to Oregon & Virginia to watch the Johnnies win as well 

[sju56321]

I was there in the early-mid 80's and it seemed that when the weather was nice, there was always a good crowd, maybe becuase there was nothing else to do? But I do remember a couple of years in November when the team was average that there quite a few empty bleacher seats or lots of room on the hill.
Oh, and I can remember times when SJU was beating teams by 28 or more that many students left at half-time to get to Sals or the La and listen to the game on the radio.

[tmerton]

Sitting at my desk listening to the sound of freedom overhead - it's Fleet Week and the Blue Angels are up practicing for their shows this weekend.  They're flying right over the city.



Sure, winning generally helps attendance.  So it's even stranger that while UST has made a marked turnaround and is now performing well and winning consitently (playoffs last year and almost certain this year), there has been no increase in their attendance.

[GoldandBlueBU]

I think another aspect of SJU's good attendance is their geographic location.  Obviously, their ability to be ridiculously good at consistently being competitive is a huge factor, but I think that the fact that they are sort of "the only show in town" for their area doesn't hurt.

Lots of people that don't necessarily have that much else going on, and are willing to spend their saturday afternoons supporting a good team.

maybe not...just a thought.

[sjusection105]

I think another aspect of SJU's good attendance is their geographic location.  Obviously, their ability to be ridiculously good at consistently being competitive is a huge factor, but I think that the fact that they are sort of "the only show in town" for their area doesn't hurt.

Lots of people that don't necessarily have that much else going on, and are willing to spend their saturday afternoons supporting a good team.

maybe not...just a thought.

Only show in town? You obviously don't know much about SCSU Huskie Football 

[Willy Wonka]

Sitting at my desk listening to the sound of freedom overhead - it's Fleet Week and the Blue Angels are up practicing for their shows this weekend.  They're flying right over the city.



Sure, winning generally helps attendance.  So it's even stranger that while UST has made a marked turnaround and is now performing well and winning consitently (playoffs last year and almost certain this year), there has been no increase in their attendance.

For years, this was a similar tune with the a UST basketball team that was on a level just below Johnnie football. It took a couple popular guys on a great squad to get that place packed for the more mundane games. With sustained national title tournament success, the gym has been packed solid for the last 3ish years. I'm not sure how the current football players are currently thought of on campus, but that could also be playing a role.

Coincidentally, the SJU basketball team has taken a pretty steep tumble (6th, 5th, 6th in the league the last three years) since the Witt-Keating-Bigalke glory days at the turn of the century...and attendance has followed suit. Like the rest of the MIAC, the Johnnies have their fair share of frontrunning fans.

UPDATE: Excuse the flub. The Tommies haven't even been to a Final 4, much less won a title in hoops...

[hazzben]

I think another aspect of SJU's good attendance is their geographic location.  Obviously, their ability to be ridiculously good at consistently being competitive is a huge factor, but I think that the fact that they are sort of "the only show in town" for their area doesn't hurt.

Lots of people that don't necessarily have that much else going on, and are willing to spend their saturday afternoons supporting a good team.

maybe not...just a thought.

Only show in town? You obviously don't know much about SCSU Huskie Football 

Speaking of the Huskie football team. Any word on if they'll be dropping the program due to budget cuts? Any updates or alternatives?

[sjusection105]

I think another aspect of SJU's good attendance is their geographic location.  Obviously, their ability to be ridiculously good at consistently being competitive is a huge factor, but I think that the fact that they are sort of "the only show in town" for their area doesn't hurt.

Lots of people that don't necessarily have that much else going on, and are willing to spend their saturday afternoons supporting a good team.

maybe not...just a thought.

Only show in town? You obviously don't know much about SCSU Huskie Football  

Speaking of the Huskie football team. Any word on if they'll be dropping the program due to budget cuts? Any updates or alternatives?

Nothing new, that I could find in The Daily Planet, I believe that for SCSU to close down the program it would need permission (majority vote) of other NSIC schools from what I remember from the discussions this summer.

[DoubleO]

UPDATE: Excuse the flub. The Tommies haven't even been to a Final 4, much less won a title in hoops...

Wonk,

You might want to double check your records, Toms have been to at least one final four in hoops.

[Willy Wonka]

UPDATE: Excuse the flub. The Tommies haven't even been to a Final 4, much less won a title in hoops...

Wonk,

You might want to double check your records, Toms have been to at least one final four in hoops.

When?

[DoubleO]

mid 90's

[Willy Wonka]

mid 90's

Confirmed. 1994. For what it's worth, my point still remains

[PRF2009A]

'Twas the morning before gameday, when all through the board
Not a thing was stirring, not even TDT in a blouse
The Johhnies were done and fall is barely in the air
But they still hold out hope of a miracle and that a pool c bid would be there
The Tommies are thinking of the Stagg Bowl, but really they're dead
As visions of Caruso bolting to the Goophies danced in their heads


That's all I got...

[sjusection105]

'Twas the morning before gameday, when all through the board
Not a thing was stirring, not even TDT in a blouse
The Johhnies were done and fall is barely in the air
But they still hold out hope of a miracle and that a pool c bid would be there
The Tommies are thinking of the Stagg Bowl, but really they're dead
As visions of Caruso bolting to the Goophies danced in their heads


That's all I got...

True 
+K