Pac-12 set to add Boise, 3 other MW schools One thing I've never really seen from UCD is significant outreach / advertising to actually TRY to get people to come to Football/Basketball games. I seem to remember a billboard a few years ago for a couple weeks (?) but that's about it. I don't live in the area, so maybe I'm not seeing it if its happening.....
Before I get started on this rant, I'll just say....between the amount of undergrads on campus and the 67,000 people in sleepy Davis....there is no reason why we can't get 20,000 in Aggie stadium every week.
A lot of people live in the immediate area. If we figure we've lost Sacramento (never even had it)...there are 367,000 people within a 30 minute drive (Davis, Dixon, Woodland, Vacaville, Fairfield). General pop won't likely care about Aggie athletics, but there must be alumni here.
There is a ton UCD alumni in Contra Costa County. There are plenty of Aggies within 50 mins of Davis near me, and they do make the drive. CC County general population won't care about Davis football, but there are plenty of alums here (260,000 people in Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Walnut Creek)...
I've always seen some geographic similarities between Pullman (32,000) and Davis. Washington State gets people in the stadium and on good years they fill it up all year. But, if Wazzu was in the Big Sky, I bet their attendance would mirror Idaho's.
If Davis moves up, there is potential....but I'm not sure we are going to "make it" as a football program over the next 10 years the way things are changing if we don't do something. Changing who we play, community outreach, stadium upgrades.....something....
Honestly, changing who we play might be the only answer. I don't think we are going to change the level of passion / knowledge for football with students and community in our current situation.