Let’s not forget about our new $40 million sports-health complex. Sacramento still has a long way to go.

Not sure if the link below will result in a paywall for others but it shows how football (in part) and attendant social aspects can attract students from other locations - in the cited case from northeast to south. Tuition/fees (lower in south) also a big part. I know students from NE came to NC State because out-of-state tuition was cheaper than NE schools in-state. There’s a big tailgating/football Saturday vibe here too.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/sorry-harvard-everyone-wants-to-go-to-college-in-the-south-now-235d7934?st=rLSEau&reflink=article_copyURL_share

I don't know if they could play at Sutter Health Park because they're having to make big improvements to accomodate the A's for the next 3-4 years. Now why bend over backwards for a team that frequently draws less than SHP holds ? Just MLB rules.

One very possible option for Sac State could be Hughes Stadium. It has a capacity of over 20,000 and used to be used for minor league football and the Causeway Classic. Sacramento City College would probably be happy to rent to and share with the Hornets considering their games are pretty bare-bones in terms of entertainment, excitement, and fan support. Per their website they primarily play in the early afternoons, draw crowds in the hundreds. As you can imagine from a community college with a limited budget they don't have a band or cheerleaders to entertain people at halftime. They would probably welcome the money extra visitors would bring.

If not Hughes Stadium I don't know what else would be suitable within the area. American River and CRC have decent stadiums that are suitable for HS crowds, not D1 football

I was mostly kidding but this response is well written.

We need to move to FBS.

It’s going to happen, I just don’t know when.

I hope we don’t just have a “concept of a plan”.

thats the new "Davis Way."

I didn't pay attention on how we paid our $40 million sports-health complex. Can someone explain how? I just want to have an idea if we can learn from that experience.

I believe a good chunk of it came from the Edwards family

i believe the price tag was closer to $60M, with UCD Medical picking up 1/2. Edwards family paid a big chunk of the remaining $30M

We could rent UC Davis Health Stadium to them for 1-2 years, and pocket all concessions, parking, etc.

Funding is secured for Sac's new stadium, or UCDHS expansion?

a ucd website indicated some came from added students fees the students voted for. That likely was just used to service whatever debt was borrowed as the student fee income stream would be over several/many years.

Since I live near the Palouse, UI has played a few games at Martin Stadium (WSU). Once season in the 70s because their stadium had arson, again the next year when WSUs stadium was also burned in a half destroyed stadium, and most notably at the end of the 90's when UI moved up to FBS. They played a season at Martin Stadium which featured a home game against the Cougs. WSU decked everything out in UI apperal like what they did at Giants Stadium for Jets games. UI beat WSU and they still talk about in Moscow (Cougs fans grimace),

Been to Hughes a few times for Causeway games. Such a nice neighborhood for a night game.

Is it nice or the opposite? I am familiar with Downtown Sac, the eastern suburbs, Sac State area, West Sac/Old Town, and SMF/old arena but not family with Sac City or South Sac.

well at least 20 years ago the adjacent park was sketchy at night. But the parking lot at Hornet Stadium wasn’t great at night either.

Sounds like somebody has done some sales in his day their APP!

Meanwhile we are over here picking our noses gloating about 14,000 at the football game knowing it will be lucky to break 9,000 come November.

Just kidding, it was late September against the number 4 team in the nation.

I posted this earlier in the Idaho game topic but maybe it's more appropriate here in this discussion.

The attendance was a big disappointment. Seriously...nearly 6,000 less than last week in a game against the #4 team in the country...WTF!

I swear, most of our fans who do attend our games just don't know how to be great, supportive fans either. This game was a nail biter and the majority of them sit there quietly for 98% of the game and many leave early even when the game is on the line. It's disheartening to see the players turning around and waving their towels and imploring the fans to stand up and get loud on critical third and 4th down plays. The 100 or so Idaho fans were actually louder than the Aggie Pack except when pizzas or something was being given away. Whenever I jump up and cheer I can almost feel the eyeballs on my back from the fans around me who just want me to sit down, be quiet and not block their view.

Over 13,000 Aggie fans packed into The Toom for the game against #1 Nevada back in 1977 and the place was electric. I've never seen a game atmosphere anywhere close to that in our new stadium even though the population of the community and the university have increased immensely and we're playing at a high talent level in a higher division in a great facility in the toughest football conference in the FCS.

I know there's been a lot of scuttlebutt and excitement here lately about the remote possibility of us moving to the FBS level at some point but the low attendance in a game like this makes me wonder if Davis community and the students would ever come together and participate in a great collegiate, game day atmosphere. The students as a whole simply don't seem to care much about athletics and the community at large seems to be more comfortable at the Mondavi Center listening to a lecture or a chamber orchestra. Going to a football game and really getting behind the team vocally is just too boorish for many of them and most of those who do come to the games are too inhibited to actually loosen up a bit, get on their feet, cheer and have a lot of fun.

I have also done Causeway Classics at Hughes. I would say Sac City area is no worse than Sac State at night, but there's no good reason to be walking in Land Park at night anyway.

In one respect seeing a night game at Sac City can be a little safer in that there is a lightrail station (City College) adjacent to Hughes Stadium -maybe a 5 min walk if you're slow.. Then less than a 15 min ride to midtown. Sac City seems to have less parking, so it can be advantageous for locals to take transit.

One thing to understand about Sac City is it's a community college, and that its design is for making optimal use of a small space. If you're there for a football game restrict your visit to the stadium and you'll be fine. No reason to go sightseeing-not much to see anyway.

Oops...wrong thread...

Yep, that's why I don't fully buy the "build it and they will come" argument in terms of stadium expansion and moving up to FBS. The stadium would end up being full... full of fans from the opposing team who would certainly know how to make bring the noise. I brought this up earlier that I'm not really sure you can really change the culture that much in a short amount of time.

I want to hope so but....

The current students and alumni are not interested in FCS football, so last night's low attendance was not surprising.

But if we build it, students will start attending UC Davis for the education AND athletics. It will take time, but the fan base will grow, and some alumni will start showing interest.

Attendance will not change until we change.

That's a good point, PA. Trying to build an FCS following like the Dakotas and the Montanas have is probably an effort in futility in Davis. FBS may be the only way capture the interest of the students, alums and the Davis community at large.

Though it's not advisible to walk in or around the SCC campus at night, save for whatever sports venue you might ever visit. Land Park is fine during the day-a lot of old, but nicely-maintained expensive houses. People seem to feel safe walking their dogs. I am not fully aware of the dining scene there, but it seems like a lot of fast food. Dad's Restaurant (not fast food) is pretty good but expensive. Hamburgers have a tasty but very messy chili sauce. There's a pretty good burger and bbq place across the street from the school that has its own smoker right out front. Again not inexpensive

I don't know if it's so much student disinterest in FCS football or university athletics in general. We can frame ideas about the athletic program in terms of what we think students will like, but we're thinking with our own ancient brains and favorite experiences. That has limited effectiveness.

Athletics in general may be fighting a losing battle with student apathy more as time goes on.. Why go to a sporting event when you can watch people doing crazy things on TikTok or hook up with random people on dating apps ? Smartphones and their popular apps are helping to disconnect people from the people and events immediately around them at the same time they connect them to more interesting people and events far away. Look at any modern dinner where everyone (or at least the kids) are on their phones.

As an old grandpa might say, if you want to bring people back to the old things we liked as young people we need to somehow get them disconnected from their electronic devices first. How do we do that- pressure Congress to make them illegal on the basis that the Chinese and Russians are spying on us ? Good luck with that !

Even the students who disconnect and enjoy one game are no sure bet for future ones.

It's harsh but I think a bigger and more modern stadium and FBS games to attract otherwise apathetic students would basically be pearls before swine. The school has to acquire and tens of millions of dollars just to get some lazybones to maybe get off the couch ? To hell with him. He can watch FCS football and like it or not. Or is it more about what WE (well I don't but you get the point) want to see ?

I don't agree with the idea that top-notch sports are needed for university name recognition. What makes the news are the advancements in whatever that impact people's lives, not mediocre FBS football. UCD seems to be pretty good at the former.

Folks have been crazy about college football in other parts of the country for a looong time. Folks are not crazy about college football in California (especially in the Bay Area/Sac Area).

the elephant in the room - football isn’t broadly popular with Asian American females. Football, and the game day alumni experience, historically appeal to what are shrinking demographics at UCD.

Greater or accelerated apathy in this area ? More distractions here ? I don't want to get deep into politics but CA is a very liberal state, and liberals seem lto like soccer more. Look at Portland-they're crazy about it there. Football seems more popular in red states like Texas.

The legal recreational weed could play a role or not. I mean , give a college student a choice between getting high and going to a football game and it's a difficult decision.