What’s in an attendance figure?
Syracuse Univeristy reports that ticket sales are rapidly approaching 40,000 for the football home opener.
Then this¬†piece from the Post Standard,¬†“About 5,000 tickets have been purchased by the SU athletics board of directors, an advisory group to director of athletics Daryl Gross. Many of the tickets are going to Pop Warner Football teams, which plan to wear their jerseys to the game on Saturday.”
There was also the special deal with season ticket holders who could purchase extra tickets for $15 and a now¬†infamous email sent out stating,“We want to give Coach Marrone the best opening day for his coaching debut and welcome him home. Let’s fill the Dome and show why it is one of the toughest places to play in the country.”
This move, according to the athletic department, was also long in the planning stages and not a last ditch effort.
And don’t forget about Monday, when following Doug Marrone’s weekly meeting with the media and the press still eating lunch, Scott Sidwell, the SU ticket czar (officially Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director) was conveniently made available to tell us all the great things that are going on with ticket sales.
So what to make of all these announcements and special deals for tickets?
Quite obviously, ticket sales are not where the University would like them to be.
But even if 40,000- 45,000 tickets are sold, will the number of people in the stands match?
Probably not. It never does at any pro or college sporting event.
Is this an inflated number because it’s the home opener and Doug Marrone’s first game? And what if the team doesn’t play well?
Should Orange fans be worried this much of a ruckus is being made over just one game’s ticket sales; what about the¬†other seven home games?
It’s a safe bet that many Mr. and Mrs. Orange fans are sitting back and waiting to see if the team does well in Week One before buying their tickets.
A lot is riding on Saturday’s game for the school, the team and the fans.
