FCS playoff attendance

[CanuckPanther]

I have been watching US college football on TV today. All of the FBS teams seem to have NO problem getting people in the stands, even though they, as UNI, must be having a break with students away from campus at this time. As a LOYAL UNI fan, I find this discouraging. Why do FBS schools have no problem filling the stands, but FCS schools do?
With this question in mind, I did a bit of searching on FCS attendance today.
While App State was UNDER capacity, they still had 13, 712 at their game today. Very disappointing, I am sure, after they have had 31,000, but still, 13, 712 people were there! James Madison, with a capacity of 15,000 still had 12, 826. We can definitely not praise SIU for the "huge" crowd of 5,461 today. And then Villanova, with a capacity of 12,500 had a "monstrous" crowd of 4489. Richmond, with a capacity of 22,000, had an astronomicial crowd of 2,994. That is NOT 20,994, but 2,994! As the NCAA does not "reward" FCS teams financially as they go through the playoffs, as it does the FBS teams (or allowing them the HUGE payoffs, and does not rip off gate receipts, etc besides) I wonder why FCS teams even want to MAKE it to the playoffs, let alone keep going in them. It costs teams BIG dollars to keep playing. Fans don't care, as can be seen by these statistics. I know, the "honour" of your team being there, and doing it...but, at what cost financially?! Why do the umteen million FBS teams play in bowls and EARN money, but FCS teams LOSE money to advance??!!!!!!! UNfortunately, fans don't really care......students don't really care......who DOES care? Only those of us who cannot do anything about it anyway???

[06panther10]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

Simple answer. FBS schools are MUCH MUCH larger, thus much more fans.

[clenz]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

Simple answer. FBS schools are MUCH MUCH larger, thus much more fans.

+1.


The fan bases for FBS schools go MUCH deeper than students, alum, and the surrounding area.

[CanuckPanther]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

Simple answer. FBS schools are MUCH MUCH larger, thus much more fans.

But their stadiums are also much much much larger, and they still get filled!

[CanuckPanther]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

And while I would hardly expect anyone here to defend the NCAA, how could the NCAA possibly defend how FBS teams make millions from bowl appearances, when their programs already earn millions, and FCS teams have to PAY to advance in the playoffs, when they are all looking extremely carefully at every dollar. It does not, to me, even begin to make sense.

[06panther10]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

If you are looking for things to make sense, don't look towards the NCAA. They do what is best for the NCAA, not the schools.

[clenz]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

Simple answer. FBS schools are MUCH MUCH larger, thus much more fans.

But their stadiums are also much much much larger, and they still get filled!

Again, the fan bases are MUCH MUCH larger than the FCS schools. They are generally bigger schools, thus more alumni, more current students, more students who cared about the programs before going to that school, larger TV contracts to get more fans from TV, more campaign money, etc...

[06panther10]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

We pretty much need most of the UNI fans out there to come to the games for it to be full. Those big programs need probably 10% of their fans to show up for their stadiums to be full.

[TheMacHouse]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

You have to realize that most of the FBS games this weekend are big rivalry games and have been on the schedule all year and sometimes these games are played the same day over the weekend every year. This gives their fans plenty of time to plan their weekend around the game and for some a tradition of going to a game every Thanksgiving. It is also part of the season ticket package and not an extra game they have to pay for.

[ubuntuCAT]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

what does the NCAA do with money from playoffs? Isn't most of the money distributed to teams in the basketball tourney?

[JayJ79]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

I'm guessing that a good chunk of it is used to pay for the travel of the road teams.

[UNIPNTHR]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

I wonder why FCS teams even want to MAKE it to the playoffs, let alone keep going in them.

I realize this is probably going to sound prickish (so I apologize in advance), but have you ever played organized sports?

I'm pretty sure the players and coaches don't much care about the bottom line and would give their left leg to win a national championship. Same goes for just about every caring fan. If by "FCS team" you mean the administration, I think everyone's in agreeance that the exposure and prestige of a national championship is worth the dollars spent. No matter how you measure it the benefits outweigh the dollars.

And while I would hardly expect anyone here to defend the NCAA, how could the NCAA possibly defend how FBS teams make millions from bowl appearances, when their programs already earn millions, and FCS teams have to PAY to advance in the playoffs, when they are all looking extremely carefully at every dollar. It does not, to me, even begin to make sense.

This is simple economics. Fans flock to FBS, sponsors flock to fans = sponsors flock to FBS. Profit is not a crime. Believe it or not, profit is a desirable outcome. Therefore, the NCAA has no need to defend itself in allowing FBS football programs to roll in the dough. This is not Russia, the purpose is not to spread all NCAA dollars equally to every football program in existance. The Indiana State Sycamores are not entitled to the same "NCAA dollars" (not unlike Schrute Bucks) as the Florida Gators.

[clenz]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

But we need to redistribute the wealth.







Sorry, couldn't resist.

[northwest iowa panther]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

If you are looking for things to make sense, don't look towards the NCAA. They do what is best for the NCAA, not the schools.

The member schools are the NCAA.

[prplngold4evr]

Re: FCS playoff attendance

I was first going to apologize for my very first post on Panther Nation, because I am sure it will offend some. But then I thought about it and really don't care. This post may ramble in several directions. As a student of the mid to late 80's and a fan ever since I don't get the fan following and student base. We never had a problem sticking a bunch of students in the dome when I was in school. It is almost sickening to see the lack of effort from the current student body. I know UNI is considered a "suitcase" college. What a bunch of crap. There is plenty to do in the area that these kids don't need to go home every weekend. I know this was a holiday week but come on... Part of the attitude may come from the students that attend UNI but claim to be Hawkeye or ISU fans. If you attend UNI support it. Leave your Hawkeye and ISU crap at home by a $12 UNI t-shirt and show up to the game and support the university that is providing you an education and future. My wife, also a graduate of UNI, and I are going out of our way to brainwash our kids to be loyal Panther fans. It seems to be working they both are starting to despise the Hawks. Somehow, someway the student body, the university, the media... needs to find a way to put bodies in the dome for the playoffs. I am sure the upcoming game against UNH will be much better. But how long will the student body hang out, a quarter, a half... The fans need to watch the game to the end and show their respect for this team, the coaching staff, and the university for what it has given them. Here is one most of you may get a kick out of. We were in the dome a couple of years ago sitting near the student section for one of the great Eric Sanders comebacks. We over heard one of the students,wearing a hawkeye hat, say that he would rather have Drew Tate over Sanders any day of the week. Just shows how ignorant some of them are. That's all I am going to say about that.