Problem with Iowa State - reality!

[VII_Fe]

"If Mac is done I would hope it would be announced before Missouri so fans could show up and give him a good send off for the 12 years he gave us and our DEAD program"

This is a reoccuring theme in several of the threads on this board.

Folks the reason this guy gets fired is becuase people don't show up.

This season is a BAD season. You shouldn't finish dead last in the Big XII. You shouldn't go winless in the conference. You shouldn't go down to the wire with Toledo and UNLV.

With that being said what do Iowa State Fans expect.

Given the overall athletic budget at Iowa State the program has done well.

The 9-3 season was great going to the Insight Bowl (Good Bowl). Everybody would have liked to see us defeat Mizzou and UConn and go somewhere other than Boise to get beat by a good Boise team. Or a victory over Alabama in the Independence (Average Bowls)

But once again, given the budget at Iowa State, this is as good as it will get. An average year will be getting to a bowl game. (34 bowl games = average teams in bowl games) and a BAD season is 4/5 wins a year.

we are not going to the mythical "NEXT LEVEL"... at least not until more than 30,000 fans can pony up for a season ticket. We have the LOWEST Budget in the Big XII. The budget has direct correlation to football attendance and 30,000 doesn't do it.

WE NEED 50,000 or more season ticket sales to get to the "NEXT LEVEL"

So if you want to blame Mac... blame him, but for peats sake shut up about making an announcement so more people can show up to send him off.

2003-2004 Spending Football Budget Athletics Budget
Texas..............$12.9M......................$70.6M
Nebraska..........$12.9M......................$55.8M
Oklahoma.........$13.7M......................$47.8M
Oklahoma State. $8.7M.......................$45.3M
Texas A&M........$9.8M.......................$43.8M
Texas Tech.......$15.3M......................$41.2M
Missouri.............$6.8M......................$38.7M
Colorado............$9.6M......................$36.7M
Kansas State.....$11.4M......................$35.7M
Kansas..............$7.7M.......................$34.7M
Baylor...............$7.7M.......................$28.1M
Iowa State.......$7.2M......................$27.7M

[CYdTracked]

AMEN! GREAT POST!!!! Some people here have been very hypocritical saying they want our FB program to go to the next level but then continue to pile onto the heap of negativity. Whether you like Mac or not, you still should be supporting this team and program. It's easy for us all to play armchair QB but if you talk with anyone that has played for ISU you might get a different perspective on things and realize just how little we fans all know about what goes on.

[arganbright2]

Great post except the year we went 9-3, we played pitt in the insight.com bowl and we didnt lose to connecticut until 2002. I was at that game 4th row 48 yard line and whoowee that was embarassing. I didn't even know connecticut had a football team then.

[cstrunk]

I agree with what you are saying, but people want McCarney's offing announced before the game so everyone knows about it and can just be there to support the team as a whole for the Dan and the senior's last game at Jack Trice.

[CYdTracked]

People should be supporting the team as a whole anyways through thick and thin. We shouldn't need to announce a coaching change before a game just so people show up to "support" them. If you really wanted to show your support you'd be at the game no matter the situation and you'd back whoever plays or is on the sidelines coaching.

I don't like this whole "they should just announce that Dan is gone before the game so people show up and wish him well." That's just stupid talk. That should have no impact on showing up or not, you should just show up and support the program PERIOD!

[jbhtexas]

With that being said what do Iowa State Fans expect.

Iowa State.......$7.2M......................$27.7M

I expect better.

If money was the only problem, ISU should have trounced UNLV, Toledo, and UNI, who spend 1/3 to 1/2 as much on football as ISU does, and have smaller athletic department budgets. In case you missed it, ISU didn't trounce UNLV, Toledo, and UNI...

[Klubber]

It's interesting you rip fans for not going to games, and then turn around and say ISU will never get to an elite level in football. Wow! With fans with that attitude, who needs fans?

A new coach that excites the fanbase will generate revenue immediately. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason our football budget is so low is in no small part because of Mac's inability to excite the fanbase and convince them he's the best man for this job?

[isucy86]

[quote=VII_Fe;36433]Given the overall athletic budget at Iowa State the program has done well.
.....
But once again given the budget this is as good as it will get.



Your logic is backward. Our budget is last in the Big 12 because our FB program hasn't won consistently. Name me one FB program where fan support has increased dramatically while the on field record is sub .500.

FB is a product and no different than any other consumer product. If what happens on the field isn't consistent in quality or meet minimum standards- fans aren't going to purchase tickets.

The reality is the hardcare football fans already buy tickets. For ISU to grow season tickets by 5-7% annually ISU needs to attract fans who value the game day experience from an entertainment perspective. They want to be part of a winning, exciting experience.

[VII_Fe]

I beg to differ. Mac was given the reigns of a DEAD program 12 years. Given the resources and fan base at Iowa State he has done what he could.

Our Budget is low because we have one of the smallest stadiums for any team in a BCS conference and ONLY 30,000 people buy season tickets.

Is it time for a change, maybe. BUT YOU ARE LIVING IN FANTASY LAND if you think some new guy will take us to the mythical "Next Level".

That level does NOT exist for teams with a 45,000 seat stadium, 30,000 season ticket holders.

MAC built a winning program. A new coach might excite a fan base, might generate some revenue, but he isn't bringing 20,000 new season ticket holders.

But if there are only 30,000 diehard fans at Iowa State, this is as good as it will ever get. A GOOD Bowl 1 every 5 years, 2 other bowls in the same time frame, and 2 non bowl seasons.

[MNclone]

Name me one FB program where fan support has increased dramatically while the on field record is sub .500.

Oklahoma State

[thunderdave]

Oklahoma St hosted Nebraska on Oct. 28, attendence was 40,108.
If they are increasing attendence/fan support, I'd hate to know where they started at.

[CY ST8T]

Well said by many of you. I would love to see us get to this next level, but the assumption that wins will bring such a big fan base is just that an ASSUMPION! We have had excitement with great starts and hope for big wins and there just never really seems to be big crowds unless we bring in a ton of UNI, Nebraska or Iowa fans to fill in the stands. I would love to think that excitement in a program and some wins would just bring 45,000 or so. I will be there through thick and thin and even skipped a college roommate's wedding this year to support these guys.

[theshadow]

Oklahoma State

How about one that hasn't had one person pony up over $200 million to the athletic program by himself? It's easy for the fans to get behind the team when someone else gives all the $$$. All they have to do is buy the tickets. Everything else is taken care of.

[VII_Fe]

Great post except the year we went 9-3, we played pitt in the insight.com bowl and we didnt lose to connecticut until 2002.

I was making reference to a great Iowa State season with a good bowl (2000 Insight) and an average Iowa State team, which would have been a good team had we beat UConn and Mizzou, going to an average bowl (2002 Humanitarian)

[isucy86]

I beg to differ. Mac was given the reigns of a DEAD program 12 years. Given the resources and fan base at Iowa State he has done what he could.

Is it time for a change, maybe. BUT YOU ARE LIVING IN FANTASY LAND if you think some new guy will take us to the mythical "Next Level". That level does NOT exist for teams with a 45,000 seat stadium, 30,000 season ticket holders.

MAC built a winning program. But if there are only 30,000 diehard fans at Iowa State, this is as good as it will ever get.

Your reality is wrong.

Back in the early 80's ISU average attendance was over 50k. That was coming off a period of nice success under Coaches Major's & Bruce. No one is saying the ISU job is easy. But it is JP's job to hire the right coach.

Look at the Hawks. In the late 70's they were coming off a period of 19 straight losing seasons. Average attendance was in the low 50k's. Bump Elliott made the right hire in Hayden Fry and he put an exciting product on the field and it was consistent. They didn't go to New Years Bowls most years; but they always finished above .500, went to decent bowl games most years and went to an occasional elite bowl game. The end result was a stadium filled with 70k+ fans every Saturday.

Look at the Badgers. Their program under McClain(?) was in a positon very similar to ISU. Some nice years, but basically a .500. record. Their AD made the right hire and brought in Barry Alvarez. Barry put a consistent product on the field and perenial bowl appearances. Wisconsin now has one of the best game day atmospheres and attendance is up over 25k.

There is no guarantee the next coach will be another Fry or Alvarez- but it's worth the risk. The reality is we can't afford not to make a coaching change.