Attendance for NDSU

**Palmer** · 08-26-2009, 09:03 AM

I like the Thursday game.....no waiting until Saturday!

**nickwc** · 08-26-2009, 09:13 AM

I like the Thursday games, it seems as though it is the one game during the year that really caters toward the student body. Students do go home for the long weekend and playing this game on Thursday nights is always fun for the students. With us students getting rammed up the backside with tuition, books, and random fees that we pay to the university, I think it is a good idea to have this game on Thursday nights because it really seems as though us students really love it.

That said, I understand the other side of the argument as well.

**theshadow** · 08-26-2009, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by aeroclone

Your history of going to ISU games must not go back that far, because I'm pretty sure the first Thursday night game was in 2006.

There was also...
1993 - Northern Illinois
1995 - Ohio
1999 - Indiana State

The Ohio game in 2000 was on a Saturday afternoon, and was ridiculously hot. Same for Kansas 2002 (which kicked off at 11:30).

**BryceC** · 08-26-2009, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Cyrocks

And it's not like this game time snuck up on people. People have had a full year to make plans for this game -- they could have taken a day and a half of vacation time and had a pretty darn long holiday weekend.

You're assuming people can take vacation.

**Bader** · 08-26-2009, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by BryceC

You're assuming people can take vacation.

Ouch that's rough. I just joined the real world in May and I already have had enough time built up to take Thurs/Fri off along with other days this summer.

**aeroclone** · 08-26-2009, 09:37 AM

Okay, I found some of it at least. Here is the recent history for our home opener:

2008 - SDSU - Thursday - 46,617
2007 - Kent State - Thursday - 47,313
2006 - Toledo - Thursday - 42,531
2005 - Illinois State - Saturday - 44,058
2004 - UNI - Saturday - ?
2003 - UNI - Saturday - ?
2002 - KU - Saturday - 40,026

I haven't managed to find our numbers for the UNI games in 03 and 04, but those may skew higher just because we always have great attendance for UNI. Looking at the other games, I would say we have actually done a little better on Thursdays.

**CyBobby** · 08-26-2009, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by theshadow

There was also...
1993 - Northern Illinois
1995 - Ohio
1999 - Indiana State

The Ohio game in 2000 was on a Saturday afternoon, and was ridiculously hot. Same for Kansas 2002 (which kicked off at 11:30).

Yeah I remember the KU game as being the hottest game at JTS...I also seem to remember a nite game against the Wyoming Cowboys coached by Joe Tiller and losing in overtime...I think it was the first game on the new grass field...(if anyone remembers it differently just let me know)

.....& remember.........don't be cheap.......buy football tickets!!

**cyhiphopp** · 08-26-2009, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by CyBobby

Yeah I remember the KU game as being the hottest game at JTS...I also seem to remember a nite game against the Wyoming Cowboys coached by Joe Tiller and losing in overtime...I think it was the first game on the new grass field...(if anyone remembers it differently just let me know)

.....& remember.........don't be cheap.......buy football tickets!!

That KU game was disgusting, and I was in a marching band uniform all game. Ack!

**Stormin** · 08-26-2009, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by aeroclone

Your history of going to ISU games must not go back that far, because I'm pretty sure the first Thursday night game was in 2006. Pollard made the change in his second season here, and no it wasn't about TV, so don't go complaining about how we haven't got on TV with this. The entire reason for the move was because attendance wasn't so hot on Saturday. So for those complaining about how hard it is to get there on Thursday, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place people would have shown up on Saturday.

To be fair, I don't think the big problem was as much the general population as it was the students. A lot of students leave town for the long weekend so student attendance was the biggest impact.

If we have seen any improvement at all in attendance with the Thursday move, it is probably here to stay. Does anybody know where we can get historical attendance figures? I seem to remember somebody posting out Labor Day Weekend game attendance for the last 5 or 6 years in a previous thread complaining about the Thursday games, but I don't know where the figures came from.

I went back and checked those attendance figures of the ones available for Saturday games. And I also found the attendance for the 1999 Thursday night game attendance figure for the Indiana State game.

1999---Thursday nite------Indiana State---------33,936
2005---Saturday nite------Illinois State---------44,058
2006---Thursday nite------Toledo----------------42,531
2007---Thursday nite------Kent State------------47,313
2008---Thursday nite------S.Dakota State-------46,617

I would note that in the above statistics that we had a record number of 36,000 plus season tickets purchased in 2007. With the second largest number of season tickets purchased in 2008. IIRC, in 2006 we topped 30,000 season tickets for the very first time.

So statistically speaking, I would say that given all things similar that a Saturday game or a Saturday nite game on Labor Day weekend might offer just as good or better attendance than a Thursday nite game. Heck, back in 2005 we didn't even have close to 30,000 season tickets and had an attendance of 44,058 for our opener. This was the last time we did not open on a Thursday nite.

As far as the students and their attendance to games on a Labor Day weekend. I would say that the students who pay the money for season tickets will stay for the game anyway. They are not your suitcase carrying students that go home every weekend. The ones who are going to go home and miss the home football opener are not buying season tickets anyway.

Also, does anyone know what our season ticket sales are this year. I am sure they are down somewhat with the economy. Add in a Thursday nite game that can be difficult to attend and you have a lot less incentive to get season tickets. I will definitely be there for our opener. But I would think that a Saturday night opener on Labor Day weekend would be a fantastic way to open the season next year. Not so hot. Night game. Better tailgating. It is time to mix things up a bit. In 2005, we had maybe 28,000 season ticket holders and drew 44,058 to see Illinois State. I would like to see what we would draw with a Saturday nite opener against Northern Illinois next year. I would be willing to bet it would be larger than this year. Any takers?

**isuno1fan** · 08-26-2009, 09:48 AM

I don't have any problem making the Thursday night games. In fact, this year, I am taking Wed, Thurs, Fri off from work.

That said, I HATE them with a passion! Please move this one back to Sat. JP!

**alarson** · 08-26-2009, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by aeroclone

Okay, I found some of it at least. Here is the recent history for our home opener:

2008 - SDSU - Thursday - 46,617
2007 - Kent State - Thursday - 47,313
2006 - Toledo - Thursday - 42,531
2005 - Illinois State - Saturday - 44,058
2004 - UNI - Saturday - ?
2003 - UNI - Saturday - ?
2002 - KU - Saturday - 40,026

I haven't managed to find our numbers for the UNI games in 03 and 04, but those may skew higher just because we always have great attendance for UNI. Looking at the other games, I would say we have actually done a little better on Thursdays.

the key numbers are not the sales for the individual days, but you have to compare them to the average attendance for that season (to try and remove other factors such as season ticket sales). Look up the 'thoughts on thursday night game' thread from earlier today and i posted all those numbers.

**cyhiphopp** · 08-26-2009, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by isuno1fan

I don't have any problem making the Thursday night games. In fact, this year, I am taking Wed, Thurs, Fri off from work.

That said, I HATE them with a passion! Please move this one back to Sat. JP!

I personally don't hate the Thursday game. It is different and can be a fun getaway. It does really hurt tailgating and creates new difficulties for a lot of people.
If it would ever mean that we could get on real TV for the game, I would be 110% behind it.
For now, I think attendance will be the deciding factor.

**d4nim4l** · 08-26-2009, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by cycloneworld

We had 57,000 for UNI a couple of years ago. We could easily get that or more for Iowa if it wasn't for $90 tickets.

Sure the Cy's Pack tickets are sold out for that game but those aren't the prime seats in the stadium.

Or the fact that single game tickets are not sold outside of Iowa's allotment and hillsides.

That was what Pollard snuck by us after the 2007 "buy a season ticket to see Iowa" campaign. He has done something similar this year and no one even batted an eye lash at it.

If this were pre-2007, $90 or not, we would get well over 55k.

**Frak** · 08-26-2009, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by cycloneworld

Face value for the Iowa game ticket (non-Cy's Pack) is $90. $90 freaking dollars...that is ridiculous. So it would not shock me if the Iowa game is sold out.

You can't buy a ticket for $90 even though that is supposedly face value. You CAN get a hillside ticket for $60 or a minipack for $99.

**Stormin** · 08-26-2009, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by aeroclone

Okay, I found some of it at least. Here is the recent history for our home opener:

2008 - SDSU - Thursday - 46,617
2007 - Kent State - Thursday - 47,313
2006 - Toledo - Thursday - 42,531
2005 - Illinois State - Saturday - 44,058
2004 - UNI - Saturday - ?
2003 - UNI - Saturday - ?
2002 - KU - Saturday - 40,026

I haven't managed to find our numbers for the UNI games in 03 and 04, but those may skew higher just because we always have great attendance for UNI. Looking at the other games, I would say we have actually done a little better on Thursdays.

Compare the season ticket sales for each of those seasons as well. In 2005 we had over 44,000 people while having season ticket sales of a little less than 28,000. The next year we sold MORE season tickets and had LESS people attending our home opener. That is a telling statistic right there. In 2007 we sold more than 36,000 season tickets. I would be willing to bet money that if we went to a Saturday nite game on Labor Day weekend that attendance would top 50,000 or be very close. I am actually giving away a couple of tickets that I bought for my kids because of the Thursday nite conflict and getting off from their jobs early enough and lining up a sitter for their kids on a weeknight. Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights in September are the best. NO Saturday night games in November. Too freaking cold IMO.