How do we get people to Wallace Wade on Saturday?

[scottdude8]

I'm beyond excited for this weekend's game against the CHokies (can I trademark that? I like that a lot. I'm trademarking that.). Win this game and we've got a legit shot at winning the Coastal, but perhaps more importantly winning a game as a ranked team against a name school will be another important step in shedding the decades old negative reputation of Duke football.

But I'm legitimately concerned that when I watch the game from Toronto this weekend I'm going to continue to see a half-empty stadium. I'm of the mind that the next step in becoming a legitimate, competitive team every year is creating a some sort of home field advantage, or at the very least a non-depressing home field environment. Filling a football stadium is a lot harder than filling Cameron, especially with the extra limitations on Duke not having a large alumni base in the Durham area (darn our stellar academic University!)... but a sparsely populated stadium in a big game, broadcast on an ESPN network, certainly can't help recruiting.

So with all that in mind, what can we do to fill Wallace Wade for one of the biggest home games in recent memory this weekend? I have one friend who got his PostDoc at Duke so I'm putting the pressure on him to start going to FB games, so I'm doing my part, lol. Feel free to respond both with tongue-in-cheek suggestions (see mine a sentence previous) or legitimate suggestions. I'm curious to see what ideas arise.

[Atldukie79]

Well, I bought 3 tickets for my annual drive from Atlanta.
With the Ga Tech game coming up after a bye, it will be back to back Tech games in person for me.

Every little bit helps

[Pghdukie]

Filling Wade for TV purposes may be a tough sell. But, may I suggest moving the cameras to the other side of the field. I'm sure this has been mentioned many,many times. I'll be interested to see how Pitt Basketball looks now that they have done this.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Filling Wade for TV purposes may be a tough sell. But, may I suggest moving the cameras to the other side of the field. I'm sure this has been mentioned many,many times. I'll be interested to see how Pitt Basketball looks now that they have done this.

I've been told that the reason the TV cameras face the visitor side has to do with the position of the sun during daytime games... you know, the sun appears in the east and moves to the west as the earth rotates.

On another note, the fancy scoreboard has begun to stream the words to our songs so people can sing along, but the crowds have been slow to join in... maybe because the words stream at the bottom while the main screen is filled with major distractions.

[aimo]

One reason for the NCCU game being so empty was the heat. People were dropping like flies and a lot left at halftime.

[sagegrouse]

One reason for the NCCU game being so empty was the heat. People were dropping like flies and a lot left at halftime.

At Wake Forest-Notre Dame, the TV gang noted that the field temperature was measured at 125-130 degrees. The stands were empty except for a shaded area on the hill in the endzone. True, A FieldTurf football field, but, nevertheless...

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I was disappointed that with the renovation they didn't raise the wall around the concourse so that people couldn't watch the game from out there. The number of folks standing around out there and hanging over the wall would fill a bunch of seats. That would help a little. We had friends with seats on the top row over there who've had to call security with all the drinks and food knocked over on them along with other annoyances.

And yes, afternoon games are BRUTAL on that sunny side...and getting worse with global warming. We sat on tht side for years on the metal benches. It was awful then and it's so much worse now. As loyal as we have been for many, many years, had we not been able move to the west side we'd not be going anymore. At our age, we couldn't take it. They should be paying people to sit over there !

I'm eager to see if they move the cameras for a night game to show more of the loyal crowd on the west side. (Another reason to schedule as many night games as possible.)

There just doesn't seem to be a football culture among a student body in a private school with such a great percentage of foreign students. Not having been raised with it, they have their own interestsas well as a familiarity with other sports.

Then there is the city of Durham...half of which is probably made up of University of Non-Compliance fans.

Lots of reasons why WW games aren't more well attended. Sure do hope a winning and ranked program retrains a lot of people. Cutcliffe and company are doing a fabulous job and folks don't know what they're missing!
Love, Ima

[dukelifer]

I was disappointed that with the renovation they didn't raise the wall around the concourse so that people couldn't watch the game from out there. The number of folks standing around out there and hanging over the wall would fill a bunch of seats. That would help a little. We had friends with seats on the top row over there who've had to call security with all the drinks and food knocked over on them along with other annoyances.

And yes, afternoon games are BRUTAL on that sunny side...and getting worse with global warming. We sat on tht side for years on the metal benches. It was awful then and it's so much worse now. As loyal as we have been for many, many years, had we not been able move to the west side we'd not be going anymore. At our age, we couldn't take it. They should be paying people to sit over there !

I'm eager to see if they move the cameras for a night game to show more of the loyal crowd on the west side. (Another reason to schedule as many night games as possible.)

There just doesn't seem to be a football culture among a student body in a private school with such a great percentage of foreign students. Not having been raised with it, they have their own interestsas well as a familiarity with other sports.

Then there is the city of Durham...half of which is probably made up of University of Non-Compliance fans.

Lots of reasons why WW games aren't more well attended. Sure do hope a winning and ranked program retrains a lot of people. Cutcliffe and company are doing a fabulous job and folks don't know what they're missing!
Love, Ima

Some smart Duke engineers should be all over this.

https://gizmodo.com/5785384/qatar-wi...-the-world-cup

[Kimist]

...

And yes, afternoon games are BRUTAL on that sunny side...and getting worse with global warming. We sat on tht side for years on the metal benches. It was awful then and it's so much worse now. As loyal as we have been for many, many years, had we not been able move to the west side we'd not be going anymore. At our age, we couldn't take it. They should be paying people to sit over there !

Well, that's one I hadn't heard before!

Perhaps we can hope for a volcanic eruption in the area of the Dean Dome and then a permanent cloud/ash cover to diminish the sun's effects in Durham?

FWIW: It's been many a year since I endured a (daytime) game on the visitor side. And permanently etched into my brain is a near heat-stroke experience or two from sitting there for two days during the USA/USSR track meet way back in the days of the dinosaurs, perhaps even BEFORE any global warming had occurred. (And it was also deemed a blessing to have metal seating as opposed to the older wooden seats which necessitated careful attention to remove any splinters from one's backside.)

k

[Indoor66]

Well, that's one I hadn't heard before!

Perhaps we can hope for a volcanic eruption in the area of the Dean Dome and then a permanent cloud/ash cover to diminish the sun's effects in Durham?

FWIW: It's been many a year since I endured a (daytime) game on the visitor side. And permanently etched into my brain is a near heat-stroke experience or two from sitting there for two days during the USA/USSR track meet way back in the days of the dinosaurs, perhaps even BEFORE any global warming had occurred. (And it was also deemed a blessing to have metal seating as opposed to the older wooden seats which necessitated careful attention to remove any splinters from one's backside.)

k

How well I remember those days. I served on the organizational committee for all of the three international track meets of that era. In those days the fear was global cooling, though Wallace Was was definitely hot in the Carolina sun.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I was disappointed that with the renovation they didn't raise the wall around the concourse so that people couldn't watch the game from out there. The number of folks standing around out there and hanging over the wall would fill a bunch of seats.

The renovation is really aesthetically pleasing, but they missed a lot of opportunities, including this one ^^^ above. That shouldn't be that hard. Inexcusable. If memory serves, years ago there were bleachers there for part of it, so people had to sit in those bleachers or go down into the bowl to see. At the time I think they claimed 44,000 as capacity.

Shelter, shade over the east side wouldn't have been a bad idea, though not sure how feasible it would be or how much it would help, especially in the low seats. But whether or not that would have worked, there's no excuse to not have camera pedestals and facilities on the east side pointing at the west side. When this renovation happened, we already knew most games would be televised.

[killerleft]

When I was younger, more agile, and my feet didn't hurt after a short time standing still, I certainly took advantage of the 'best seats in the house'. It was often possible to 'adjust' my spot by just walking along with each team's drives. That way I was close to having the line of scrimmage directly in front of me for most of the game.

Never spilled a drink on anybody, never saw it happen that I remember, though I'm sure it did. I often wonder what happened to my fellow ring around the stadium fans. Did most of them finally drift into seats? Or did the barriers that really do make it less practical to watch from there now cause some of them to abandon watching live games at WW altogether?

Speak up, brothers!

Oh, and to get back on topic, VT followers will certainly help make Saturday's game a near sellout (I hope). Duke fans need to buy some tickets!!

[TruBlu]

When I was younger, more agile, and my feet didn't hurt after a short time standing still, I certainly took advantage of the 'best seats in the house'. It was often possible to 'adjust' my spot by just walking along with each team's drives. That way I was close to having the line of scrimmage directly in front of me for most of the game.

Never spilled a drink on anybody, never saw it happen that I remember, though I'm sure it did. I often wonder what happened to my fellow ring around the stadium fans. Did most of them finally drift into seats? Or did the barriers that really do make it less practical to watch from there now cause some of them to abandon watching live games at WW altogether?

Speak up, brothers!

Oh, and to get back on topic, VT followers will certainly help make Saturday's game a near sellout (I hope). Duke fans need to buy some tickets!!

Speaking up, as requested. I have been standing at the top for years, even though I'm a geezer now. I find standing to be more comfortable for me, especially since I just finished driving 6 or 7 hours to get there, and have the same return travel, either right after the game or the next day. My old back tolerates standing better than sitting on uncomfortable bleachers, and makes (more and more frequent) trips to the restrooms easier.

Since the renovations, it has become increasingly difficult to find a decent spot at which to stand. The home side has a tall brick wall, and unless a person is about 6'5" (I'm not), they have to tippy-toe to get a good view.

[killerleft]

Speaking up, as requested. I have been standing at the top for years, even though I'm a geezer now. I find standing to be more comfortable for me, especially since I just finished driving 6 or 7 hours to get there, and have the same return travel, either right after the game or the next day. My old back tolerates standing better than sitting on uncomfortable bleachers, and makes (more and more frequent) trips to the restrooms easier.

Since the renovations, it has become increasingly difficult to find a decent spot at which to stand. The home side has a tall brick wall, and unless a person is about 6'5" (I'm not), they have to tippy-toe to get a good view.

Ha! I'm 5'4" with shoes on! So that's why I can't stand back there anymore. It was a great way to watch a football game for as long as it lasted.

[Atldukie79]

Thoughts to ponder...

I have sat in the east stands recently baking on a killer sunny afternoon...but I was wearing modern light weight clothing and 12 layers of sunscreen. Take a look at the pictures of Duke Stadium (not yet named WW) back in the 1930s. Notice the suits and ties. How in the world did they manage the heat then? The stadium was often packed. heck, as a kid in the 1960s, I wore my boy Scout uniform (free entrance and a lunch in exchange for ushering) and sat in the sun from 10 am til 4:30 pm.

And for you top of the stadium walkers who moved with the action...were you doing that back in the day of the (permanent) extended bleachers around the top? That might have been difficult viewing?

At the end of the day, Duke football in the stadium is not the only thing to do on Saturday.

Back when Durham entertainment options consisted only of channels 11 and 5, displayed on small black and white TVs in a non air conditioned house, a hot day in the sun watching Duke football with limited drink choices (I seem to remember the binary choice of coke and sprite) seemed like a great idea.

[BigWayne]

I seem to remember the binary choice of coke and sprite.

You remember correctly. Part of the reason I drank vodka and coke one day when I had decided it was too hot to bring bourbon to the game.

[Bob Green]

Back when Durham entertainment options consisted only of channels 11 and 5, displayed on small black and white TVs in a non air conditioned house, a hot day in the sun watching Duke football with limited drink choices (I seem to remember the binary choice of coke and sprite) seemed like a great idea.

The rabbit ears on top of the Green Family black and white TV only picked up channel 11. I had to go to the neighbors to watch channel 5. They had an antenna on their roof.

Note to self: No matter how neutral/innocent you believe your comments are, do not mention "growing up in NC in a non air conditioned house" to your 87 year old father as he will quickly point out he grew up in NC in a house without electricity.

[budwom]

As a thirty year veteran of the East side of the stadium, I can attest to the brutal conditions there for a sunny day game.

When Duke is playing well, more fans (not as many as we might like) show up...and night games definitely help.
For example, last year Duke drew 26k+ to the Baylor game (announced attendance, lots of no shows); but with a 4-0 record a few weeks
later the Miami game drew 36k+ (again, announced)...it was a pretty solid crowd. Enthusiastic while Duke was still in the game.

I can tell you that Duke does not have a unique situation with attendance. I went to the Northwestern game and spent a lot of time on their football board beforehand, and they also
have a problem with attendance, despite being in the huge Chicago metro area...their stadium holds 47k (WW now holds 40k) , and is rarely filled except when visiting Big Whatever
teams help fill it up...last year NW had a great year, finished 10-3, yet when they were 6-3, only 34k showed up for the Purdue game (announced), and 30k for the next game vs Minnesota, when NW was 7-3.
In seven home games, they averaged roughly 36k .

With every game being on TV, even being located in a huge metro area doesn't help a number of private schools...play better and you do get more fans, play in less than Baghdadian heat, more fans come.
I think we'll have a good crowd vs VT, and better crowds going forward if we're still on a roll...

[DU82]

If everybody watching on TV complaining about how empty the stands look on TV would actually attend the game, we won't have a perceived problem with attendance.

And if we'd build a giant shade over the field and east stands, that would help, too.

(Boy, I'm cranky today!)

Seriously, we were in the shade on the west side, and we were hot and sweaty. (Wish I could have gotten a drink, but I would have missed about a quarter waiting in the concession lines.)

[scottdude8]

If everybody watching on TV complaining about how empty the stands look on TV would actually attend the game, we won't have a perceived problem with attendance.

And if we'd build a giant shade over the field and east stands, that would help, too.

(Boy, I'm cranky today!)

Seriously, we were in the shade on the west side, and we were hot and sweaty. (Wish I could have gotten a drink, but I would have missed about a quarter waiting in the concession lines.)

Point well taken. If I were anywhere near Durham I'd be there. Heck, if I had any disposable income I'd fly down for a game as big as this. Alas, Postdoctoral Research Fellow is not a lucrative position, especially when they pay you in Loonies and Toonies, lol.