Coach watch

Back-to-back PL champs 2016 and 2017.... but need to get back to relevance in the national FCS scene.
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Sundayamqb
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Re: Coach watch

Post by Sundayamqb » Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:23 pm

And, BTW, we're now at Day 11 of no announcement on the coaching staff.

Anyone want to pick a date when we'll hear something?

Best guess I've heard so far was after early signing day ...

I see where Mack Brown, 74 ???, returned to UNC. Why not bring Kevin Higgins back?


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RichH
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Re: Coach watch

Post by RichH » Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:56 pm

Should we have poll?? For date or HC or both ?????
TMH
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Re: Coach watch

Post by TMH » Wed Nov 28, 2018 11:24 pm

I was thinking of all the factors that affect student attendance at football games. I go to all the home games but typically choose one away game to go to. Every other year that game is Princeton.

This year Princeton, which has about the same undergraduate enrollment as Lehigh, averaged about 7,000 people per game. The Lehigh game had a little over 1,000 (mostly Lehigh fans).

1.) Princeton has an absolutely beautiful stadium.
2.) The facility is located on campus...or at least within walking distance
3.)The have a big jumbo tron scoreboard.
4.)They have lights and play many of their games at night. I've attended both and there is little change in attendance.
5.)They charge $6/ticket and programs are free.
6.)They even tried fireworks after one game...attendance still low.

Perhaps the times they are a-changing at least at academic universities.
Marco
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Re: Coach watch

Post by Marco » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:10 am

If the attendance problem has manifested itself at college football's highest level, what do we expect?

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... -34-years/

We have a terrific stadium, whose sole drawback is its remoteness from the campus, which makes it even harder to draw undergrads. (Same for Basketball).

A fancy scoreboard is nice, but will more fans come to games because of one? The article does mention technology and a better sound system, a replay board are a couple of ways we have fallen behind, but look at Lafayette. $33 million in recent improvements (all very much needed), but despite that, despite having a stadium right adjacent to campus, Lafayette could not even fill their side for the rivalry in 2016, or this year.

The attendance problem we are witnessing is across the board.
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RichH
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Re: Coach watch

Post by RichH » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:45 am

And the dead horse rises from his moldy grave. :D
It is a national and I think a generational trend among college students. These students are the multimedia generation. More prone , I've seen, to interact via texting , than to actually converse face to face. Is that the reason? Got me. I do know there are numerous factors that LU controls that can help raise attendance. Any magic wands? Nope. Tailgating ,transportation, winning teams, lights,attractive opponents ,start times etc. Since virtually every LU game is televised, being at Goodman has to be an easier task with the reward of an experience that cannot be had from the TV. A rather daunting task I admit. That fact should not be the reason we dont try.
Risk/ reward analysis will say such efforts are unwise.. If we apply that to athletics at LU, no sport is worth what it costs the university. While the analysis is surely relevant in how much is spent it should not be used to prohibit the attemots.
Richb-3
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Re: Coach watch

Post by Richb-3 » Thu Nov 29, 2018 11:16 am

Maybe we could set up a system so that every statement of the announcer is transmitted as a text to every phone in the stadium. :D --- But yeah, whatever the students want/need, if they don't show up as undergrads, not likely to be there as alums.

I always Thought Jadwin Gymn and Princeton stadium were on the periphery of the campus, but looking at a map, it is reasonably near the center. I must never have driven there when they had the super well attended events, like NCAA's twice at Jadwin. There just is not much parking. Princeton just not mind losing money on sports. At there wrestling open this year (day after our Bucky football game) , there was no admission, Coach Ayres said they lose money on the tournament. Admittedly, the way the mats were set up, it would piss people off to pay $10 to watch, because it was very hard to see most mats.

I see UC Davis added lights. My Niece Graduated there in late June 2003. Ceremony had to be in four sessions at their air conditioned arena(Rec Hall, about the same size as PSU's Rec Hall) because it is typically over 100F at that time.
ngineer
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Re: Coach watch

Post by ngineer » Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:11 pm

TMH wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 5:06 pm I'm not sure how the thread evolved to this but here is my nagging questions about lights.
Why does anyone think that lights will attract students to go over the mountain on a Saturday night with restrictive tailgating regulations?
Lafayette has the advantage of a stadium right on campus (the disadvantage being limited parking.

Does anyone think that older alumni are more or less likely to drive an hour or two to watch a game that may not be over until 10:00?

I know my Penn State friends detest night games.

Are the few locals (outside the Southside Boosters) who prefer to watch Lehigh football on television be more swayed to come to a game at night? The beauty of day games for me is that I still have my nights free for other events.

I'm a cost/benefit guy. Other than the potential to host playoff games, I don't see a real benefit to merit the cost of this particular project. Just my opinion.
I fully agree. If we get back to playoffs, temporary lights are the way to go. Only really need them for the event the game gets late in the day and the 'gloamin' sets in.
ngineer
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Re: Coach watch

Post by ngineer » Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:16 pm

Sundayamqb wrote: Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:20 pm Despite the fact I'm one of the younger, older alums, we're not the future: students are.

Ask them what times are better.

Do some homework. As a businessman committed to a sustainable football business model, I don't care what guys who won't be coming to games in 10 or 15 years think. I want to snag folks who will come for the next 50 years.

Times change.
Don't mean sheeet to the students. They don't turn out for anything. Unless you make it a drinking event, they aint interested.
ngineer
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Re: Coach watch

Post by ngineer » Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:19 pm

Marco wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:10 am If the attendance problem has manifested itself at college football's highest level, what do we expect?

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... -34-years/

We have a terrific stadium, whose sole drawback is its remoteness from the campus, which makes it even harder to draw undergrads. (Same for Basketball).

A fancy scoreboard is nice, but will more fans come to games because of one? The article does mention technology and a better sound system, a replay board are a couple of ways we have fallen behind, but look at Lafayette. $33 million in recent improvements (all very much needed), but despite that, despite having a stadium right adjacent to campus, Lafayette could not even fill their side for the rivalry in 2016, or this year.

The attendance problem we are witnessing is across the board.
Irrelevant. Stadium has not moved since we were drawing 10-12,000/game 20 years ago.
TMH
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Re: Coach watch

Post by TMH » Thu Nov 29, 2018 1:37 pm

What has changed in those 20 years are the tailgating restrictions. That began the new tradition of morning cocktails on campus prior to football games followed by staying on campus.

Let's face it, we had one of the top players in the NBA playing here for 4 years and basketball attendance remained stagnant.

I suggest party buses to the games :-)
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