Where were you last night?

Posted by Ryan Jerz 09/18/2006. Permalink | Shortlink | Tweet it!

Jeeze, four links to the Wolf Pack game on rgj.com and the only one with an attendance figure is commentary from Chuck Carlson? Here’s a thought: box scores always have the attendance in them. Anyway, I want to talk about the attendance. We’ve struggled with attendance here, and if I recall correctly, we were damn close to getting dinged by the NCAA for failing to meet attendance requirements. It’s an ugly scene. According to a survey done last year, the problem is winning. There hasn’t been enough of it. Until recently.

When that above article was written, the Pack was 4-2 on the season. The wound up undefeated at home and 9-3 overall. Also, they claimed a share of the WAC title (which, honestly, is kinda bunk – they lost to the team they shared the title with, badly, but WAC rules state that there are no tiebreaks) and won their bowl game. The season was a success.

Then this year started. They got beat in a conference game that was very winnable in Fresno, then got pasted in Tempe. The start was bad. This game happened to be on one of the first cold days of the season, too. So why did everyone show up? What made this team, which looked really bad in Arizona, a draw to a good crowd?

Further, I want to know why more people don’t show up. The stated figure of 18,883 is woefully low for a legitimate Division I team. There were still visibly empty parts of the stadium, and I can’t stand that. So if you’re from around here, why don’t you go? Is it the cost? The parking? The night games (bush)? The Little General? Did I miss anything. I ask because I truly find the whole experience to be fantastic. Tailgate parties, dressing in sweatshirts, talking to freakshows from “Cincinnasty” (yeah, you’re in the Big East, the most overrated conference in football this side of the Big 10) in the stands about betting the under (I wouldn’t have, but he won it), sitting around the crowd you know, the cannon, everything. I love those games. So why doesn’t everyone? What kept you home last night?

Ryan JerzRyan Jerz is an all-around good guy who shoots photos and video, builds websites, and works in athletics at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received a Masters Degree in 2007 from the University of Nevada, Reno's Reynolds School of Journalism.

Comments

Eric wrote:

The fact that I live 500 miles away, although I will make the trip up to see at least one game. It will be interesting to see how many people jump on the bandwagon to see a Big 10 team and then how many more make it down to see the unlv game. I would be willing to bet that Northwestern draws decent but that the Boise game has the largest attendance for the season. The sad part will be that of the 25,000 people that show up (predicted) for the BSU game, 15,000 will be wearing orange and blue.

Sep 18, 09:23 AM

Laura wrote:

I used to be a hardcore, season-ticket-holding zonie. Then somehow I was fortunate enough to be a student during the Lilley reign and that magically coincided with my serious distaste for all things UNR, including the football program. I don’t know exactly when it happened – maybe somewhere along the way when the team started getting flattened on the field instead of playing, maybe when they started treating fans with a water bottle like they were criminals, maybe when they shoveled general admission out of the end zone and into a corner and raised the prices, maybe when that *$^#$ parking garage went up and I saw some of the inside goings on – but it left a sour taste in my mouth. The UNR it used to be, the south end zonies screaming “TUBA! TUBA!” is just somehow no more, in my mind. I will probably attend another game or two here and there, but it will never be the same as it was. Oh, and I’m glad they finally shelled out for some field lights… after how many years did we had to scream for it.

Sep 18, 01:39 PM

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