“I want you to wear blue because we’re going to fill that stadium in blue, Cutcliffe told about 400 employees and fans gathered in Reynolds Theater for Primetime, the quarterly forum for faculty and staff. “It’s a great opportunity for this university to band together to do something really special – 7 p.m. Aug. 30 – we kick off. When we come out on that field, when it’s a sea of blue, can you imagine how our kids are going to feel?”
Thanks Coach Cut for the backup....
I will be there in Duke Blue! Can't wait. I am going to have to buy a bunch of Duke football tee shirts and sweatshirts. I am embarassed to admit I have none, only basketball. I don't know why I didn't realize this sooner : (
It would be wonderful to see a stadium filled with blue that isn't called the big house or located in happy valley. The biggest problem imo is getting the students to enter the stadium from their tailgaiting and stay for three or four quarters. The tradition seems to have become tailgate and leave. The last coach was against night home games. Cut's night games may be the answer. If not maybe we should paint the seats blue as an alternative.
Early on Coach Cutcliffe was warned about the students and the tailgate party mode. He said he wants the students in the stadium, not staying at the tailgate party... he said that if necessary he'd go out there himself and bring them back to the stadium. Could be interesting....
The student sections will be between Section 24 and Section 19. Section 19 begins the general admission seating. Certainly would be too bad if the students dally only to find their seats GONE, taken by general admission ticket holders!
Realistically, I don't see students going in droves to football games this season. I hope I'm wrong though. But I think it'll take some time. Just as I don't expect our team to win 7 games this season. However, even if students did go to football games in the same numbers as basketball games (~1500), that's still only 4.5% of the stadium. To fill the stadium, you need a lot more than just students. When I went to tailgate, I would (usually) want to go to the game itself, while my friends (especially girls) NEVER would want to. I don't think I had a single female friend attend a game with me except for when we beat Ga Tech my freshman year and we went after halftime since we were ahead. This ended up being one of the only two ACC wins during my four years...The other was at UNC my freshman yr.
I hope you're right. But again, that's still a tiny portion of the stadium being filled. I was always astonished as how many people I knew that never went to a basketball game. Even as a perennial power in basketball, less than a quarter of the student body attends any given game.
The whole student body couldn't attend the same basketball game in Cameron if they tried.
In the football stadium there are four sections designated for students and the band. The students don't have to fill the stadium. They have only three sections plus whatever the the band doesn't fill up.
Here is what they said about Cur after his speech on Friday -
http://bluedevilnation.wordpress.com/
For those who don't know, security guards clear out the tailgate area about 10 minutes before the start of each game.
I can speak from experience that the overwhelming majority of my friends are very enthusiastic about Cutcliffe and the team this year. We're not expecting greatness, but we can see the potential there. I guarantee the students will show up to JMU - it is a MUST WIN in terms of gaining student support.
We don't even have to win all the time, we just have to stay competitive. You'd be surprised how may students show up and bolt at the first sign of a blowout.
PS: Anyone at the athletic department reading this: get students free blue t-shirts for this game.
Can't wait to see some replays during a game!
I think there's gonna be a hell of a lot more excitement. With a night game, almost everyone will come post-Tailgate, drunk or not, and hopefully stay. I'm hoping there's no parties on the days of football night games. We need to get our student section filled to the brink.
Those who like football, and watching their school play it (and play it well!), will have to help generate the long term excitement and incentive for those who aren't fans - make it the place to be and the thing to do on a Saturday, seven times this fall. A change of culture, as Coach Cutcliffe has said.
Ozzie, your paradigm of optimism!
Go To Hell carolina, Go To Hell!
9F 9F 9F
https://ecogreen.greentechaffiliate.com
Have they moved the student section to the other side? Usually the student section is between Sections 7 and 10. If it has moved, I think that's a good thing, as it will put students in a position to pump up our boys as opposed to spending time ripping on the opposing team's kicker, usually the only player within earshot of the current section.