Pac-12 set to add Boise, 3 other MW schools agree with the student enrollment not being a factor in a competitor
@Jdur There are 40,000 students, not fans at Davis. Way back when I was a student in the late 70’s the attendance at home games at Toomey were typically 7-10 k, and I remember the Nevada Reno game having 13,000 (SRO). I think the capacity of the Toom was maybe 8,000 at best even with the end zone bleachers. Student enrollment then was about 18,000 to include graduate students, so by simple proportion one would think there would be at least twice the number of students attending home games. I don’t see that. I think a main factor is changing student demographics, with fewer being exposed to football prior to college. Add to that the general cultural malaise towards college football in California (especially Northern). Given this, I fail to see how playing a mountain east school for instance would draw significantly more attendance than current trends. I watch what SJ State games I can get and when the drone pans from above I don’t see more than maybe 5-6k people on the stands. Cal’s stadium is never more than half full unless game day comes.
In the south, it doesn’t matter who you play - the stadium is packed. Tennessee could play Sisters of the Poor and there would be 105,000 in attendance. Even at NC State there is not much difference. They had 58,000 (near or at capacity) when they played Western Carolina, a FCS team not even in the top 10.
Anyway I don’t know what the answer is to getting attendance figures bumped up.