Fans needed: USU pushing to meet attendance requirements
If fewer than 14,232 fans attend Saturday’s football game against New Mexico State, Utah State football could lose its Division I-A status – something that would have negative effects on football and USU athletics in general. “The NCAA has established a requirement of 15,000 in attendance a game over the course of the season,” Randy Spetman. “That’s people in attendance; it doesn’t count the band or cheerleaders or the players. So they want to know the actual number of people there.” Spetman also said, if the university was able to just report the number of purchased tickets, it would be more than the 15,000 average per game. But a lot of the time, ticket holders don’t actually attend the game, he said. In the past, attendance was measured by tickets sold, ASUSU Athletics Vice President Jimi Jorgenson said, but the NCAA has since changed its policies and numbers must now reflect physical attendance. This year, if the Aggies attendance per game drops below 15,000 there is no immediate consequences, Spetman said. However, he said, should USU fail to meet its attendance quota this season and next season, the program would be put on a 10-year probation period. If attendance drops below 15,000 during those 10 years, Spetman said, the university would be in jeopardy of losing its Division I-A status. The probationary status would also keep USU from participating in bowl games, he said. Any and all of these factors, he said, would dig the program into a deeper hole. Spetman said a quality coach would not want to come to a program in such a position. “I’m trying to hire a football coach,” Spetman said, “and he is going to look at that.” Saturday, there will be four F-16 planes flying over prior to the game, Spetman said. Tickets have also been given out to employees at Hill Air Force Base in hopes to get more people to the game, he said. Spetman also said the athletic department is giving away tickets to high school and elementary schools. When elementary students go to the game, their parents usually come with them, Spetman said. “We’re trying to publicize that we need people to come,” Spetman said. “We’ve hit everybody, I’ve gone all over town speaking, telling we need people to come and be a part of it.” The university doesn’t need to sell any more tickets, he said. People with tickets just need to show up. “Jokingly I’ve even said, ‘please even if you don’t stay just come in and honor our seniors as it is their last game,'” Spetman said. “We just need people to come through the gates. I would love to have the student body bail us out. I know the student body has been awful good here for so many different things, for their bonding and basketball everything. “I know it’s been tough for them with football and I understand that but we would love to have them.” Students have become frustrated with the program’s lack of success, Jorgenson said. And, he said, he can understand the decline in attendance, but failing to meet the quota will have great repercussions. It will not just affect the football team, other sports, like basketball, may also see negative side effects. “The students have already given $10,000 to the athletic program,” Jorgenson said. “We’ve already done a lot and if we were to risk losing our program after all that a lot of money will go to waste.” Jorgenson also said the program is at rock bottom right now, and things can only get better. With additions to the stadium and new coaching staff, the football program will improve he said.- kcaustin@cc.usu.edu