How do we get people to Wallace Wade on Saturday?

[CameronBornAndBred]

They still make and sell the Popeil Pocket Fisherman! What a guy. $99 now.

I have one! Still in the box!

[Indoor66]

I have one! Still in the box!

Might be worth thousands...😂

[budwom]

Others have mentioned it before, and perhaps it is being done already to some extent, but:

1) free admission to First Responders and their families. We owe them.

2) free admission to military personnel, and arrange busses, at no charge) to transport them from local bases. We owe them.

3) cater to schools, civic clubs, etc.

This would be a long term way to build up a fan base . . . As long as the team is competitive, and it is an enjoyable* and pleasant* game day experience.

*see other posts (above) for details.

What is painfully true is that on occasion, Duke gives away gobs of tickets (to employees to anyone who wants them) and people still don't come because they don't like the product on the field. Sitting and watching a boring game is not enticing.

[Acymetric]

What is painfully true is that on occasion, Duke gives away gobs of tickets (to employees to anyone who wants them) and people still don't come because they don't like the product on the field. Sitting and watching a boring game is not enticing.

For the below, note that a win doesn't guaruntee that the game was enjoyable, and a loss doesn't necessarily mean it was painful. I've omitted any FCS games, some close losses also don't fall into either category.


A list of enjoyable/compelling games since 2012:

Army (2018)
Northwestern (2018)
unc (2018)
Northwestern (2017)
Baylor (2017)
Georgia Tech (2017)
unc (2016)
Georgia Tech (2015)
Miami (2015)
Kansas (2014)
Tulane (2014)
Virginia (2014)
Navy (2013)
NC State (2013)
Miami (2013)
Virginia (2012
unc (2012)

A list of painful to sit through games since 2012):

Virginia Tech (2018)
Virginia (2018)
Wake Forest (2018)
Wake Forest (2018)
Miami (2017)
FSU (2017)
Pittsburgh (2017)
Wake Forest (2016)
Virginia (2016)
Army (2016)
Northwestern (2015)
Boston College (2015)
Pittsburgh (2015)
Virginia Tech (2014)
unc (2014) **wow, I must have blocked this one out...completely forgot they hung 45 on us in our 9 win season.
Georgia Tech (2013)
Pittsburgh (2013)
Clemson (2012)

[uh_no]

A list of painful to sit through games since 2012):

Virginia Tech (2018)
Virginia (2018)
Wake Forest (2018)
Wake Forest (2018)
Miami (2017)
FSU (2017)
Pittsburgh (2017)
Wake Forest (2016)
Virginia (2016)
Army (2016)
Northwestern (2015)
Boston College (2015)
Pittsburgh (2015)
Virginia Tech (2014)
unc (2014) **wow, I must have blocked this one out...completely forgot they hung 45 on us in our 9 win season.
Georgia Tech (2013)
Pittsburgh (2013)
Clemson (2012)

yeah that one was really bad

[Acymetric]

yeah that one was really bad

I debated listing it 3 times.

That list was pretty off the cuff, so I easily could have missed some games and there is some quibbling to be had about others I'm sure, but my point is ultimately that you have about a 50% chance of having your spirits crushed by what you see on the field when you go to a Duke football game (at home).

[CameronBornAndBred]

Might be worth thousands...😂

"Having one in the box" and knowing where it actually is...two different things. If I find it, I'll take it to a tailgate, which will encourage at least one person to show up to a game just to see what's in my pocket.

Doing what I can to bring the crowds to Wallace Wade!

[budwom]

I debated listing it 3 times.

That list was pretty off the cuff, so I easily could have missed some games and there is some quibbling to be had about others I'm sure, but my point is ultimately that you have about a 50% chance of having your spirits crushed by what you see on the field when you go to a Duke football game (at home).

At one point during The Dark Ages, I figured I was 20-80 in my last 100 games, with many of the wins coming against the likes of Ohio U. and other lesser luminaries. So at least we're down to 50%, which seems about right. Gotta fix that.

[UrinalCake]

Interesting timing, as a bill has moved forward to allow alcohol sales at athletic events for NC system schools.

link

No word on whether the CHeats will serve cheese with their wine.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Others have mentioned it before, and perhaps it is being done already to some extent, but:

1) free admission to First Responders and their families. We owe them.

2) free admission to military personnel, and arrange busses, at no charge) to transport them from local bases. We owe them.

3) cater to schools, civic clubs, etc.

This would be a long term way to build up a fan base . . . As long as the team is competitive, and it is an enjoyable* and pleasant* game day experience.

*see other posts (above) for details.

Well intended spirit on your part, but the first two would not be a rounding error in the stadium attendance...and Duke already gives away tickets...the attendance is what it is. I'm all for your suggestions, I don't see any of them addressing the problem.

[JetpackJesus]

Interesting timing, as a bill has moved forward to allow alcohol sales at athletic events for NC system schools.

link

No word on whether the CHeats will serve cheese with their wine.

I just assumed uNC could already sell alcohol at athletic events having given up on being a school more than 15 years ago.

[sagegrouse]

Well intended spirit on your part, but the first two would not be a rounding error in the stadium attendance...and Duke already gives away tickets...the attendance is what it is. I'm all for your suggestions, I don't see any of them addressing the problem.

The problem as defined a lo-o-o-ng time ago: One of the football coaches explained to me: there are four college teams in one fairly small geographical area. Duke, therefore, has decided to have only four home games a year because of the problem in drawing crowds. Now that was when teams played only ten games, and the team was good -- we won the ACC three years in a row.

Attendance at Duke football games is a longstanding problem.

What has changed? The population of NC has grown from 4.5 million to more than ten million, but there is much more competition for leisure time, including non-stop football on TV and lots of other stuff. (Heck, you won't believe, but I know Duke fans who watch Duke games from the Card Gym parking lot.)

There are 175,000 or so Duke alums. While the largest Duke alumni club is the Triangle area, Duke alums are all over the country and the world. Carolina has 330,000 alums -- a bit over one-half in North Carolina. So, UNC alums in NC equals total Duke alums. But it's worse than this. Duke awarded 5,600 degrees in 2018 -- more than two-thirds of degrees went to graduate and professional students versus 1,800 for undergrads. With apologies to Throatybeard, Mullet Man and Viking Guy -- it's the Duke undergrads who become the Duke sports fans.

Kindly,
Sage

[budwom]

^ of course now Duke automatically gets four ACC home games each season, and of the other four OOC on the schedule, we generally get three at home, though only two this year...part of the Cut formula (previously discussed) of scheduling at least three OOC games which we're likely to win...however this year we catch an ugly wrinkle with Bama and ND being two of those OOC games...tough tough schedule this year, especially with our youth at very key positions.

[Tazman10]

To get people to come you need to put a winning team on the field year in and year out. Not 6-6 or 7-5 but 8-4 and 9-3 teams. Playing in crappy bowl games is not a selling point. You have to feel like when you go to see a game that they are going to win and not “well they might have a chance to win this one” when they are playing another 6-6 team.

Just win baby!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

To get people to come you need to put a winning team on the field year in and year out. Not 6-6 or 7-5 but 8-4 and 9-3 teams. Playing in crappy bowl games is not a selling point. You have to feel like when you go to see a game that they are going to win and not “well they might have a chance to win this one” when they are playing another 6-6 team.

Just win baby!

Some of us remember days when seven wins seemed like a pipe dream. The product on the field is much, much better, but the attendance seems to be lagging far behind.
I'm not saying you're incorrect about your statement. But if going from 0/1 wins a season to 6/7/8 doesn't goose ticket sales, I don't know that one or two more wins is a safe bet to put butts in seats 6 times a year. Last win totals : 10,9,8,4,7,8. Actually, two more wins would mean 12, 11, 10, 6, 9, 10. So yeah, I think people would show up for a 12 win Duke team.

[budwom]

To get people to come you need to put a winning team on the field year in and year out. Not 6-6 or 7-5 but 8-4 and 9-3 teams. Playing in crappy bowl games is not a selling point. You have to feel like when you go to see a game that they are going to win and not “well they might have a chance to win this one” when they are playing another 6-6 team.

Just win baby!

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating 7-5 teams...I'm pointing out Cutcliffe's current strategy, which is primarily to get to a bowl game each year. Very much want to see us get better than that minimum requirement, but the last few years we've
barely made a bowl...and we're not likely to make one this year.

My wishes: get better players, get a few better positional coaches, show we can win 8 games vs. relatively easy OOC opponents (we had achieved this some years ago, we've regressed), then and only then up our OOC schedule...we won't be packing WW until the team plays consistently better football...

[SupaDave]

One thing I can promise you - is that when the NC A&T Aggies come to town - there will be plenty of folks in the house.

UNC announced a crowd of 44,000 for its home-opener against N.C. A&T Sept. 12 in 2017...

And they were upset that the number was "low"...

[budwom]

One thing I can promise you - is that when the NC A&T Aggies come to town - there will be plenty of folks in the house.

UNC announced a crowd of 44,000 for its home-opener against N.C. A&T Sept. 12 in 2017...

And they were upset that the number was "low"...

Why do you say that (and I think the unc game you reference was in 2015)? They only draw about 16k/game at home...not sure I see a wave of Aggies invading WW...

[killerleft]

Why do you say that (and I think the unc game you reference was in 2015)? They only draw about 16k/game at home...not sure I see a wave of Aggies invading WW...

If there was a way to verify the totals, I would bet a pie that the Aggies bring at least 10,000 people to the game. A&T travels well if there's a significant game close by. They already have a huge rivalry with NC Central.

[budwom]

If there was a way to verify the totals, I would bet a pie that the Aggies bring at least 10,000 people to the game. A&T travels well if there's a significant game close by. They already have a huge rivalry with NC Central.

but they only draw 13k-16k at home? I guess I'm skeptical because years ago I heard people say how NCCU would bring a bunch of folks to WW, and generally that has been far from true.