You were not there
OU students skip football game
By Fred Bauters, Blogs Editor
October 1, 2007 | 12:36 a.m.
It's a satiating Saturday afternoon in late September. Athens is all sun. Fall has yet to fully grasp the trees and the wind waits to wind through the hills. Tar is sticking to shoes in city streets. Students are still recovering from beer pong.
In a welcoming gesture to escape any unpleasant memories of the previous evening, nature beckons us to bask in its splendor. And foresight allows us to cringe at the thought of Athens winters. We unfortunately don't live in Colorado or Arizona, but somewhere in between, where it often rains then freezes soon after, leaving outdoor activity up to a select few ambitious folk.
College football seems an appropriate way to enjoy the weather. Yet, it doesn't seem to resonate with everyone at Ohio University. On campuses across the country, Division I football games are all-day events that begin with hours of intense tailgating, attending the game (if tickets are available), then partying the rest of the day either to celebrate victory or forget defeat.
Does anyone know that the Bobcats have an official tailgate 'area' named Pepsi Tail-Great Park?
OU's athletic culture is one of self-deprecation historically, and for good reason.
We have only been to two bowl games in our entire football history. The men's varsity programs have dwindled to six in all. We belong to the illustrious Mid-American Conference. The Marching 110 often sees more national air time than our football team. More Ohio State scarlet-and-gray can be seen on campus then green-and-white.
But this should be changing. Through all of the drunken driving and arrests and suspensions, the football team is returning this season as MAC East Champions. The volleyball and field hockey teams are doing OK, too.
So the question remains, why is attendance so poor? Where are all of the students going?
With a student body of 16, 761 undergraduates, it would appear rather easy to sell out 24,000 seats in Peden Stadium each week. Instead, there was an average attendance of 16,724 in 2006 and 18,302 through the first two games this season. What's worse is how many fans leave throughout the game, in particular after the Marching 110 leave the field.
Despite Rufus' brilliant videos, they head somewhere. Or they never show up whatsoever.
To quote Maximus Decimus Meridius: "Are you not entertained?"
A poll of 25 randomly-selected undergraduate students was completed on a gorgeous Saturday to understand why attendance is so poor. How do students feel about their school's spirit? Are they affiliated with another school (OSU) more than their own when it comes to athletics?
When asked if they were going to the home game later that day, just over 50 percent (14 people) said they were, and the average number of home games people intended to make was just three out of the possible six
In an attempt to get a better sense of the numbers, each person was asked whether they are more closely aligned with the Bobcats or Buckeyes.
Without hesitation, and without letting the question be completed, freshman David Gibson, Akron, had an answer: "I hate the Buckeyes."
"Who is Ohio State? Is that a real thing?" remarked Eric Hoke, a junior from Chicago.
Freshman Zach Ames, Dayton, backed his reasoning for wearing an OSU jersey on the day of a home game in a college town of an entirely different school.
"I would follow OU if they were in the top 10 year in year out like OSU is," he said. "It's just not that much fun to watch them, in comparison."
"I'll probably go to more hockey games than anything. That seems to be where it's at," said freshman Matt Vanderbrink of Kettering. "The football team struggles a bit."
It seemed pretty clear, students were more impressed with Brutus than Rufus, but perhaps OU students can come together through a shared 'school spirit.'
In turn, those polled were asked how they would rank OU's school spirit from 1-10, 10 being the best. After receiving almost a half and half response to OU athletics (football, in particular), it was astonishing how students felt about their school body's enthusiasm.
The median response was seven, which shows that students generally feel good about how engaged and excited students are about their school. Students often clarified their definition of school spirit by saying, though they feel athletics are lacking at times, they are proud to be at the school and believe others are of the same mindset.
Maybe OU needs to invest in break dancers as did the Cavs in generating better attendance. Maybe they just need to win lots of games. Although this study doesn't make any breakthroughs, it does seem to shed some light on what OU does do right: create a community.
Now everyone need only incorporate the "I hate the Buckeyes" mentality. Or at least buy a Bobcats jersey.