That was directed more at Huskers. There are a ton of Nebraska fans who make Husker football the most important thing in their lives. Don't believe me? Go to a game in Lincoln.
1st post, Willing to pay $500 for
- Thread starter CYnLandry
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That was directed more at Huskers. There are a ton of Nebraska fans who make Husker football the most important thing in their lives. Don't believe me? Go to a game in Lincoln.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Already been their in Lincoln when ISU played their including the big win in '77...I grew up in co bluffs and remember when nebraska could NOT BUY a victory over anyone including Iowa State...
That all changed in 1961 when Gayle Sayers decided to play at KU and nebbie fired bill jennings and hired bob devaney.
Like you say in Omaha esp but I will include co bluffs the huskers are the only game in town.
1st time in the stadium was 1962 when the clones and dave hoppmann played their and it cost me 2.50 to buy a ticket to a stadium that was NOT SOLD OUT!!
I personally would like to know how you bought extra donor passes in the past. I would LOVE to be able to bring a second vehicle in there (and I've been donating just as long as you have). Seems like you've been getting extra for years and are now mad that the well has run dry. Everyone knows when renewals are due...they make that pretty clear. You can't be mad at ISU for selling their inventory when you've been getting around the system for years.
I agree that the North lots are hardly ever totally full and that sometimes an opposing fan will get a vehicle in there, but ISU can't MAKE people come to the game and they can't force people to avoid selling on ebay.
You realize you just got all ****** off agreeing with me, right?
I pretty much stated the reason that Iowa is in the position they are is becasue of the fan support they've had over the course of the last 50-60 years (less the 60's & early 70's), and that is a direct result of winning.
My point is (as you seem to reiterate), until ISU's fan base becomes more supportive or the team starts winning at a much higher level consistently (which will result in greater fan support), ISU won't be able to get to the same level as Iowa.
The problem for ISU, though, is that just winning doesn't result in donations - consistent winning over the long term might, but that isn't guaranteed either. The problem for ISU is that a largerportion of the state already supports the Hawks, so ISU needs their current fan base to be the ones supporting the program more vehmently (via donations, ticket purchases, etc.), unless you think ISU can convert some hawk fans.
Winning doesn't do it alone - fan support fills seats, making it easier to recruit, and generates donations that build facilities, which also makes it easier to recruit. Recruiting determines success in college football, and recruiting is largely linked to facilities, fan support, coaching, & geography. ISU/Iowa can't win with geography (more often than not), so you have to recruit with facilities, fan support, & coaching.
I think we agree, right? Unless I misunderstood you somewhere.
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Iowa will have the larger # of fans, by far, until ISU has a decade straight of more success than Iowa - and by decade of "more success" I don't mean 7-5 type seasons while Iowa is 5-7.
ISU will need to compete for Big 12 championships and Iowa will need to be turning in losing seasons for the fan support to change to the point where I don't feel like Iowa is "preordained to have a larger fan base".
Ultimately, it all comes down to ISU - start competing for Big 12 titles, or it won't ever change.
I'll disagree with some of what you are saying. I don't believe that the entire state is set one way or the other. I believe that iowa has its core group of fans and ISU has its core group. Everyone outside of those two groups either don't care about sports or don't have a real attachment one way or the other. Right now, iowa has had a great decade of results while ISU has been average at best. Those fans that don't have an attachment to one program are going to swing in iowa's direction. They're going to buy iowa gear, watch the games on TV because that's the "in" thing to do and maybe go to a few games. Maybe some will buy season tickets.
BUT, if iowa were to say go 4-8 for 5 years while ISU went 8-4, you'd see a lot of those people rooting for ISU. I wouldn't call it converting because they weren't real fans in the first place. ISU also has plenty of alums in the state who graduated in the 80's and 90's who just don't care about football. They could be awakened if ISU ever strung together 5 or so good years.
Basically, I don't believe that iowa is at an unattainable level that ISU can't reach...at least record-wise. Hell, they went to and won the same bowl that ISU did the year prior. ISU just needs to be a little more consistant and make one small step up and they're there. Where ISU needs to make the huge step is attendance and donations, but all of a sudden, the Big 12 is footing a lot more of that bill. Fan support is nice, but it's not the only thing. ISU has better attendance than a lot of schools that have been successful, so it can be done.
I guess I thought you were saying that Iowa fans started supporting the team, THEN the winning happened, and ISU needs to do the same.
ISU fans do need to support the team better, its just unrealistic to think that it will happen without more wins.
If Iowa sucked for 2 decades and ISU was consistently winning 7 games, the tide would probably turn, but yeah for the most part I'd agree with this.
My point is that in reality, ISU's success has very little to do with iowa. ISU can win without iowa sucking. ISU can average 55k+ per game with iowa still selling out kinnik. ISU has a big enough fanbase to do that without having to steal tavern hawks. And if you can sell out the stadium, and you're on TV every week, you can recruit. Then it all comes down to evaluation, development and keeping your coaches.
As much as it pains me to say it, I grew up more of a hawk than a clone. I was one that actually rooted for both. My parents had no strong ties to either schools, but Hayden Fry was the main reason my Dad became a hawk fan. To this day, he still roots for both schools but will root for Iowa when playing ISU. Growing up in NW Iowa, the only team I really hated was Nebraska. I know we have a lot of posters on here who could say the same thing. Although the second I stepped on campus, I was all cardinal and gold.
I'm not trying to say that we are going to steal a bunch of Hawk fans, but I know if ISU starts winning consistently, more and more people are going to jump on the bandwagon because its the cool thing to do. Everyone loves a winner.
The best thing we have going on at ISU right now is CPR. He has the chance to become our Hayden Fry. Hes charismatic, passionate and just hard NOT to like. I think if you would take a poll of Iowa fans, a lot of them would even say that they even kind of like CPR. He's an Iowan like all of us.
I've always been the guy in the past who would go up to Jack Trice and scalp a ticket. This winter I joined the Gridiron Club and after hearing CPR's speech yesterday, I bought season tickets for the first time. Like a lot of you, I'm young, married, a couple little kids, a lot of debt, etc. I also know that it takes guys like me who can give $500 a year (tickets, parking, gridiron club etc.) to make this work. Its obviously not a lot, but every little bit goes a long way. The University has done their part reaching out tho the common fan, now its our turn to give back.
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I have heard many people say in the past that if they sell their 1 Nebraska ticket, they can pretty much pay off their season tickets in that one game. I know a few people who did it with Hillside tickets last year.
Last year when they had the 3-packs, my parents bought 4 of them, and later realized they only needed 2. Sold the 2 extras to some guy in Nebraska for $400, which payed off the 4 3-packs that they bought; AKA, they went to three ISU games at the expense of a Nebraska fan...
The flip side of this is that everyone else has to deal with the Nebraska Jackarse and doesn't get any money out of it.
