SWAC as FBS


From what I'm hearing, it's already setup for future expansion on both sides. From the 20 yard line to the 20 yard line is basically where the pressbox extends now (approximately 60 yards/180 ft). The expanded pressbox would extend to the limits of Mumford Stadium when it was first built or just beyond endzone to endzone or where the black fence guard stops in the picture below.

Also, a deck would be more costly, but not impossible. The high price press box/luxury box suites would probably be the most economically feasible plan due to the high price of tickets.

View attachment 10772
Nice pressbox!
 
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I'm not disagreeing w/ you Earle. Just presenting the rationale why those 2 games were counted while other IC match-ups weren't. I even alluded to the deal where PV included its SFC "home" count a few years ago and all hell broke a loose. lol That game put us in the top-10 FCS for home games lol. I think that was also the first fall season for the new stadium so it was decently packed out at home that fall season. Check the records but I thnk that was the sequence.

That was in 2017. We are the home team at the SFC in odd years. We host TSU and Southern in even years.
 
8. AAMU - Louis Crews stadium is a ok stadium to me The major turnoff is the fact that is has a track around it. Having a tract around a stadium makes fans feel so far way from the game. The latest athletic budget I have on AAMU is $9.1 million. Enrollment would need to come up by 2,000 but their enrollment situation is not as dire as Alcorn, BCU, UAPB, and MVSU. AAMU have an attendance of 8,132 I feel that it needs to be improved by 80%. AAMU fans shows up for homecoming and MCC but need to help out by showing up for regular season games.
AAMU Rating C+
With AAMU it more so depends on us playing our regional opponents at home that our fans are familiar with and interested in seeing before November. Our closest Eastern conference opponent besides Bama St. is Valley (5 hours away) and that makes a huge difference in fan interests. We can easily average 12K+ attendance by playing teams like Tennessee St., Jacksonville St., Tuskegee, UNA, Miles, or Morehouse at home once a year. That's why I'm such a proponent of getting Tennessee St. to join the SWAC as well. Our home games with them always drew at least 18K. Add to the fact that we'll be rekindling our rivalry with FAMU and you'd see our attendance numbers close to double what they were last year. Don't believe me? Take 2018 as a perfect example:

Avg. home attendance
12,522 (13th in FCS)

9/1/18: Miles - 11,900 (Louis Crews Classic)
9/8/18: UNA - 15,100
10/13/18: Alcorn - 19,126 (Homecoming)
11/10/18: Grambling - 3,960 (HS Senior Day)

There's nothing special about that schedule that cannot be replicated year in - year out. We also lost a 5th home game against Southern by playing that game in Mobile, Al for the Gulf Coast Challenge. If you were to add a yearly home game with either TnSU or FAMU, throw in a regional OOC rivalry mentioned above, homecoming which is guaranteed to draw, and you have the makings of 12-15K avg. attendance every year.
 
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Not sure but I doubt it but I need someone to tell me what we need one for? ANYBODY....lol

It is a big stadium, but let's be honest, it needs a lot of work to bring it up to standards. For starters, it needs a new turfed playing surface, new locker rooms, new restrooms and concessions areas, fence removal, new modern scoreboard, and new speaker system. If the State builds a new, on-campus stadium, it would seat no more than 40,000 (probably around 35,000) and would be a decade to completion. Therefore, it would make sense to invest in the afore-mentioned upgrades. Such upgrades should not be a problem for a football program that has an average home attendance of 33,000, unless, of course, those attendance numbers are somewhat skewed.
 
Well yall had your little thread, now lets be real. 80% of these schools need to sit down. Pay MEAC schools to come? (Kenn, when you gonna get gifs mane....lol)

Southern's stadium is ugly and PV will never have a reason to expand.

Since when does AAMU supporters attend homecoming? I thought they only went to TNState's homecoming.

The Vet is the best stadium in FCS. Some people want an on-campus stadium. To me, its a mistake but Im just one person. Some turf (or a well cared for field) and a NEW press box is all we need. Why spend MILLIONS and MILLIONS to build something we will use 5-6 times per year. But oh well...
Think positive it can be done. The effort that some schools show in the next 5 years will set the tone. I just presented my study. No school on the list is a shoe in for FBS. I presented who I felt in what order would be ready.
 
With AAMU it more so depends on us playing our regional opponents at home that our fans are familiar with and interested in seeing before November. Our closest Eastern conference opponent besides Bama St. is Valley (5 hours away) and that makes a huge difference in fan interests. We can easily average 12K+ attendance by playing teams like Tennessee St., Jacksonville St., Tuskegee, UNA, Miles, or Morehouse at home once a year. That's why I'm such a proponent of getting Tennessee St. to join the SWAC as well. Our home games with them always drew at least 18K. Add to the fact that we'll be rekindling our rivalry with FAMU and you'd see our attendance numbers close to double what they were last year. Don't believe me? Take 2018 as a perfect example:

Avg. home attendance
12,522 (13th in FCS)

9/1/18: Miles - 11,900 (Louis Crews Classic)
9/8/18: UNA - 15,100
10/13/18: Alcorn - 19,126 (Homecoming)
11/10/18: Grambling - 3,960 (HS Senior Day)

There's nothing special about that schedule that cannot be replicated year in - year out. We also lost a 5th home game against Southern by playing that game in Mobile, Al for the Gulf Coast Challenge. If you were to add a yearly home game with either TnSU or FAMU, throw in a regional OOC rivalry mentioned above, homecoming which is guaranteed to draw, and you have the makings of 12-15K avg. attendance every year.

Why don't you guys make that happen?
 
Why don't you guys make that happen?
I'm not the AD, but believe you me if I were we'd have been had that schedule every year. Also, a lot of the older alumni don't like playing JxSU or UNA due to bad blood from the past, and I can respect that. I can't change their minds, but I'm of the mindset that I'm gonna beat your ass on the field to get my point across.
 
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The attendance is important for bowl games because it helps cover those expenses. Alot of bowls have you sell a certain amount of tickets. You don't sell that ticket allotment and your school has to eat those cost. I think that Alcorn had to sell 5,000 tickets for the Celebration Bowl. Those tickets were not cheap. We were on the 40 yard line and they were $85 apiece. I must say that ratings are more important because if you can get eyeballs to look at your product, then you will win in the end. It is one of the reasons why those off brand G5 schools have a leg up on the SWAC.

I went to Grambling & A&T one year & paid well over $100.00. But the ticket came with a buffet and an open bar until half time. Nice set up, you can see the team coming out of the tunnel while you're grubbing in that setup.
 
The 40 and 50 yard line tickets came with perks. The 40 yard line was $85 and the 50 yard line was like $140. That price came with the bar and food
 
Well yall had your little thread, now lets be real. 80% of these schools need to sit down. Pay MEAC schools to come? (Kenn, when you gonna get gifs mane....lol)

Southern's stadium is ugly and PV will never have a reason to expand.

Since when does AAMU supporters attend homecoming? I thought they only went to TNState's homecoming.

The Vet is the best stadium in FCS. Some people want an on-campus stadium. To me, its a mistake but Im just one person. Some turf (or a well cared for field) and a NEW press box is all we need. Why spend MILLIONS and MILLIONS to build something we will use 5-6 times per year. But oh well...

PV had momentum to build, establish, and lost it 3+ years ago, imho.

If the current trend of mediocrity continues, you are absolutely correct w/ never having a reason to expand and perhaps PV should return to the safe confines of the former 3500 seat jr hs football stadium. smh
 
PV had momentum to build, establish, and lost it 3+ years ago, imho.

If the current trend of mediocrity continues, you are absolutely correct w/ never having a reason to expand and perhaps PV should return to the safe confines of the former 3500 seat jr hs football stadium. smh

A certain AD decided to listen to the wrong people and raise ticket prices in that 2nd year of the new stadium (which was a off year) of what kind of teams you were bringing in. If they would have left the prices the same and built on it, they would have not had any attendance problems
 
Why don't you guys make that happen?
I think we were set up to have a good attendance this Fall like we had in 2018. LC Classic was against SFA (~12,500), Sep 19th was Southern (~15,000), HC was Alcorn again (~19,000), and Grambling in November (~5,000). With the anticipation and excitement for this year's team you could reasonably expect that our attendance would've been pushing 13K.

So hopefully the AD has learned the formula, and will build upon it.
 
One upgrade will be the locker rooms at the Vet. Ashley said the locker rooms on campus will be upgraded along with the ones at the stadium.
 
It is a big stadium, but let's be honest, it needs a lot of work to bring it up to standards. For starters, it needs a new turfed playing surface, new locker rooms, new restrooms and concessions areas, fence removal, new modern scoreboard, and new speaker system. If the State builds a new, on-campus stadium, it would seat no more than 40,000 (probably around 35,000) and would be a decade to completion. Therefore, it would make sense to invest in the afore-mentioned upgrades. Such upgrades should not be a problem for a football program that has an average home attendance of 33,000, unless, of course, those attendance numbers are somewhat skewed.
Can’t be talking about the Vet because it’s better than SU stadium outside of the turf. And what are you talking about modern scoreboard. Go do your research on jsu scoreboard dude. It’s the second best in the swac behide only alcorn .... So again u can’t be talking about jsu stadium. Fill your own 29k stadium. Jsu will handle there’s In which they are doing. Only thing will be done to football stadium is an upgrade to the locker rooms and that’s it.
🚨 New Stadium Alert!!!! 🚨
 
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It is a big stadium, but let's be honest, it needs a lot of work to bring it up to standards. For starters, it needs a new turfed playing surface, new locker rooms, new restrooms and concessions areas, fence removal, new modern scoreboard, and new speaker system. If the State builds a new, on-campus stadium, it would seat no more than 40,000 (probably around 35,000) and would be a decade to completion. Therefore, it would make sense to invest in the afore-mentioned upgrades. Such upgrades should not be a problem for a football program that has an average home attendance of 33,000, unless, of course, those attendance numbers are somewhat skewed.

Tell me who has better restrooms, concession area etc in the SWAC? FCS? not many....LOL Sure those things can be modernized but people are not gonna act like Memorial is a dump. Its not. Its just that the admins refuse to invest in it because you have a contingent of fans who want an on-campus stadium. Just like you had a contingent of fans who tried for 20 years to hire Harold Jackson. We see how that turned out. I think an on-campus stadium for JSU would be horrible!
 
Yea it's really cute.

It fits and serves the purpose for those of us who are constituents in our small fan base who donated handsomely to help get it built. It fulfills it’s purpose w/ size to our support ratio.

What was our avg H-attendance last fall? 6-7K? Obviously we do not have a need for a stadium, right now, that seats above 15K. We sold out the stadium how many times since it opened? Avg H-attendance was what since it opened? We are where we need to be, right now.
 
It fits and serves the purpose for those of us who are constituents in our small fan base who donated handsomely to help get it built. It fulfills it’s purpose w/ size to our support ratio.

What was our avg H-attendance last fall? 6-7K? Obviously we do not have a need for a stadium, right now, that seats above 15K. We sold out the stadium how many times since it opened? Avg H-attendance was what since it opened? We are where we need to be, right now.

That’s right P.
keep donating!!!
 
That’s right P.
keep donating!!!

Hol' up bruh. Lets not go overboard. For the last few years, me and my cliquish alum crew in our county have been VERY displeased w/ the level of "leadership" in place and their direction.

Those matching funds from fortune 100 corporation? Kiss that goodbye lately. :)
 
I also did a study on the SWAC and G5 schools athletic budgets. This is what I got from my study.

1. The SWAC with the exception of UAPB have low student athletic fees. UAPB charges about $311 a semester while everyone else charges $200 or less.

2. Without Jackson St. ticket revenue, Southern has the highest ticket revenue in HBCU followed by Grambling, Alcorn, and NCAT.

3. Prairie View and Alabama St. budgets are heavily subsidized by the school (50% or more). I don't know if it is because of the new facilities or what.

4. Alot of schools in the MAC rely heavily on their students to support their athletic department. 50% or more of their budget comes from student athletic fees.

5. Alof of NCAT $15.8 million dollar budget is paid for by the students. They charge their students $435 a semester to support athletics and their student fees account for 53% of their athletic budget.

6. Southern ticket sales are higher than 26 FBS schools. It is higher than ULM and Louisiana Tech. It is also higher than 70% of the Sunbelt, 43% of the CUSA, and 75% of the MAC.

7. James Madison has the highest budget of all FCS schools at $52 million. However their budget is paid for by their students. James Madison charges their students $1,140 a semester to support their athletic department. Those fees make up 79% of James Madison athletic budget. Also you can combine every school in the SWAC except UAPB fees and it will still be less than what James Madison charges.

8. Looking at MVSU athletic budget is very troubling. They only made $107,356 for the whole year in ticket sales. Southern, Alcorn and Grambling ticket sales were 10 times that. I hope that Valley can show a big improvement. Everyone needs to help out and attend a game at Valley or help donate to the cause.
 
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I've said that Valley needs to look into charging $500 a year for student fees (and that's being modest and knowing the student body). That could take care of the scholarship problem almost instantly (over a million dollars). But even if we did that, we are in a position in which we have to see if the people in higher ups are really committed to athletics or just going with the motions and we can't afford to wait 3-5 years for that

I've also said that A&T is one rough spot away from CIAA status because of how much they rely on student fees. That's dangerous
 
How can Southern's ticket sales be higher than JSU's, when JSU has an average home attendance of 33,000 compared to SU's 17,000? JSU has to have the highest ticket sales revenue in FCS, and probably more than half of FBS, period. If JSU's average ticket sales is lower than SU's, then those attendance numbers are skewed immensely or something else is going on. Allowing all those school-aged kids free admittance is starting to take its toll!
 
How can Southern's ticket sales be higher than JSU's, when JSU has an average home attendance of 33,000 compared to SU's 17,000? JSU has to have the highest ticket sales revenue in FCS, and probably more than half of FBS, period. If JSU's average ticket sales is lower than SU's, then those attendance numbers are skewed immensely or something else is going on. Allowing all those school-aged kids free admittance is starting to take its toll!
Attendance and Ticket sales/ ticket revenue are two different things. Having a lot of people at games don’t mean a thing if your not making money doing it. You are going to pay to see Southern. Remember I paid $72 in 2018 for 2 tickets when we played y’all. I don’t pay that to see Alcorn play G5 schools. This is for your whole athletic department not just football. Also you have to take into account that Jackson st had some CHEAP season tickets. They also had the perfect storm where they had Alcorn, Southern, and Grambling at home. I take this as a very positive for Southern because they have a great following and then they pay a pretty penny to watch SU football.
 
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