Deb Farris: WSU To Look into Bringing Football Back in Next 3-4 Years

[MoValley John]

Not to jump in too much on your football discussion and I don't know if the other than D-1 reference was club football. I just want to clarify that Wichita State cannot play D-2 football. I think NAIA might be an option, but the NCAA will not allow a school to be D-1 and play any D-2 sports. You can, however, be D-2 and participate in only one D-1 sport other than football or basketball.

[SpanglerFan316]

You don't recall crowds that big just in the 80s or ever at Shocker football games? In 1982, the Tulsa game drew over 28,000. I do remember other games (Okie State 1978 and K-State 1977 and some game in 1970 -don't remember the opponent) where the stadium was full.

I didn't happen to go to the Tulsa game and so don't recall it. (I can't remember why; of course, my memory is still perfect. :rolleyes-new: Of course, I remember every WSU football game since 1988. :D )

[shox1989]

I recall those games. Unfortunately, those examples were the rare exceptions. Outside of those outliers a crowd of 15,000 was a very good crowd for WSU. Unfortunately, crowds under 10,000 were far too common. And if the weather was just the least bit unpleasant Shocker fans definitely preferred the warmth and comfort of their living room couches.

I agree. But crowds under 10,000 were also rare until the last couple of seasons.

Most years the first game or an early game anyway would draw over 20,000. Then as the season progressed and the team continued to lose and the weather got worse the crowds would get smaller. The last home game of the year was usually the smallest (unless it was against Tulsa). It was that last game in many seasons with lousy weather that would be pressed to draw over 10,000.

As I recall most Shocker football games drew between 12,000 and 15,000. With the first game usually drawing a lot more, and the last game less. The 1986 season, though, as I recall the attendance definitely was less than previous years and may have had several games under 10,000 (but I am not sure).

[shox1989]

There were exceptions to the generalizations I gave above. For instance, I do remember a game against Memphis State I believe in 1977 that drew over 25,000 even though it was the last home game of the season.

It was one of those Bredehoft promotions that worked- the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders performed at the game.

[1972Shocker]

Here is a newspaper article reporting the announcement of the shut down of the program.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19861203&id=x0oyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8eUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6551,360573

You can navigate around the article by holding down the left button on your mouse and dragging the article into the window.

[SB Shock]

http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/16/2491758/reader-responses-to-the-bob-lutz.html

1. It has been 26 years since Wichita State fielded a football team. Will the Shockers put a team on the field in the next 10 years?


a. Yes 231 (16.5)
b. No 1,168 (83.5)


Bob says: We’ll still be asking this question in 10 years. And probably in another 26. Sorry, I just don’t see it. There are always pockets of people who bang the football drum, but it has never been very loud and it certainly has never been in rhythm.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/16/249...#storylink=cpy

[ShockerFever]

http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/16/249...-bob-lutz.html

1. It has been 26 years since Wichita State fielded a football team. Will the Shockers put a team on the field in the next 10 years?


a. Yes 231 (16.5)
b. No 1,168 (83.5)


Bob says: We’ll still be asking this question in 10 years. And probably in another 26. Sorry, I just don’t see it. There are always pockets of people who bang the football drum, but it has never been very loud and it certainly has never been in rhythm.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/16/249...#storylink=cpy

I wouldn't put too much stock into a Bob Lutz Eagle internet survey question, open to the thousands of clueless morons, KU and KSU tards, etc.

Just saying.

[1979Shocker]

That is not true. It might be true for one or maybe even two seasons, otherwise football definitely drew more. In fact in 1982 they averaged something like 23,000 a game.

Really? My memory must be bad because I don't recall crowds that large. Of course, Prince McJunkins was fun to watch and it is possible that I didn't look behind me.

According to http://webs.wichita.edu/dt/shockerma...res.asp?_s=502 they did average 23,000 fans in 1982.

1982 — The season is a record-setting one for the Shockers, whose rushing
offense is ranked 10th nationally. Attendance hits a high point, averaging some
23,000 fans per game. And WSU’s 8-3 record is the school’s best since 1961.

[Kung Wu]

What would club football have to do with anything that's been discussed here? And he wasn't talking about club. He said DII.

I am referring to your response to EB. EB never said D2. He said something other than D1 and two people said that can't happen, but it can, in the form of club.

[SpanglerFan316]

According to http://webs.wichita.edu/dt/shockerma...res.asp?_s=502 they did average 23,000 fans in 1982.

I didn't doubt you but the memory of watching WSU leading 35-3 (or so) at the half and losing 35-36 erased all my other memories of WSU football.

[shox1989]

I didn't doubt you but the memory of watching WSU leading 35-3 (or so) at the half and losing 35-36 erased all my other memories of WSU football.

That was a tough game to get out of one's memory. At the time I think they said it set a record for the biggest comeback ever in ncaa football (no other team down by 32 points or whatever it was exactly at half time had ever come back to win before).

Hopefully someone has broken that dubious record.

[shox1989]

You don't recall crowds that big just in the 80s or ever at Shocker football games? In 1982, the Tulsa game drew over 28,000. I do remember other games (Okie State 1978 and K-State 1977 and some game in 1970 -don't remember the opponent) where the stadium was full.

The team I couldn't remember was Arkansas State. According to Shocker magazine there was 30,055 at that game in 1970:

1970 — A record-breaking home crowd of 30,055 on Sept. 20 saw the black-and-gold clad Shockers trounced 53-14 by Arkansas State.

http://webs.wichita.edu/dt/shockerma...res.asp?_s=502

[shox1989]

The Shocker magazine also mentioned a game that I forgot about that drew over 28,000 in 1969:
(It was against Utah State which for other reasons should be easy to remember)

1969 — On Sat., Sept. 13 a crowd of 28,200 comes out for the inauguration of Cessna Stadium. Wichita State beats Utah State 17 to 7.

http://webs.wichita.edu/dt/shockermag/show/features.asp?_s=502


And another one that drew over 27,000 in 1976 against NIU (it was one of those season opening crowds of over 20,000 that I was talking about earlier):

1976 — Led by record-setting quarterback Sam Adkins’ 185 yards passing, the Shockers roll up 443 yards offensively on their way to a home victory, 21-0, against the Northern Illinois Huskies. This season-opening game at Cessna Stadium draws 27,311 fans.

[MadDog]

I'm having a hard time seeing correlation between the attendance in the 80's and the current potential of Shocker football today. My guess is that many of you that think we have no chance to be successful haven't been to a football game since the Shockers dropped the sport. Consider:

- The Wichita metro area has several hundred thousand more people now than were in the area in the 80's
- College football is HUGE. Its a much bigger deal than it was in the 80's.
- The football experience is much different than it was in the 80's. In the 80's, you showed up 30 minutes before the game, watched the game, then went home. Very similar to the current basketball experience. Now, for 50% of the people that have football season tickets, its about the tailgating more than the football. If you don't believe me, go to a KSU game and see for yourself. All parking lots are full 3 hours before game time with parties. Half the people in the stands clear out at half time and return mid-way through the 3rd quarter or later. Its not because they've left, its because they've gone back to tailgate.
- If you have college kids that you'd actually like to see once in while, tailgaiting is a great way to do it.
- I recently spent a week in Greenville, NC, (a small town in the middle of nowhere) which is the home of East Carolina U. ECU has a 50,000 seat stadium with an exterior of brick and stone that is a thing of beauty and puts KSU's stadium to shame. This in a basketball state with (4) BCS schools. If East Carolina can do it, why can't we?

If we do it...
- Need to sacrifice the golf course so we have plenty of room for the football stadium and lots of parking/tailgaiting (forget the parking garage)
- Need to declare our intention to be in CUSA or MWC in 10 years.
- Need to clearly layout the vision to every one in south central KS, and actively recruit them to be part of it.
- Engage business to help build this thing.

Remember where we start is not where we intend to finish.

[shox1989]

I'm having a hard time seeing correlation between the attendance in the 80's and the current potential of Shocker football today. My guess is that many of you that think we have no chance to be successful haven't been to a football game since the Shockers dropped the sport. Consider:

- The Wichita metro area has several hundred thousand more people now than were in the area in the 80's
- College football is HUGE. Its a much bigger deal than it was in the 80's.
- The football experience is much different than it was in the 80's. In the 80's, you showed up 30 minutes before the game, watched the game, then went home. Very similar to the current basketball experience. Now, for 50% of the people that have football season tickets, its about the tailgating more than the football. If you don't believe me, go to a KSU game and see for yourself. All parking lots are full 3 hours before game time with parties. Half the people in the stands clear out at half time and return mid-way through the 3rd quarter or later. Its not because they've left, its because they've gone back to tailgate.
- If you have college kids that you'd actually like to see once in while, tailgaiting is a great way to do it.
- I recently spent a week in Greenville, NC, (a small town in the middle of nowhere) which is the home of East Carolina U. ECU has a 50,000 seat stadium with an exterior of brick and stone that is a thing of beauty and puts KSU's stadium to shame. This in a basketball state with (4) BCS schools. If East Carolina can do it, why can't we?

If we do it...
- Need to sacrifice the golf course so we have plenty of room for the football stadium and lots of parking/tailgaiting (forget the parking garage)
- Need to declare our intention to be in CUSA or MWC in 10 years.
- Need to clearly layout the vision to every one in south central KS, and actively recruit them to be part of it.
- Engage business to help build this thing.

Remember where we start is not where we intend to finish.

You are right about the tailgating being huge today. I know this couple that go to most OU football games and tailgate and they RARELY go inside the stadium. They just go down for the tailgating atmosphere and to share the experience with other Sooner fans.