For the first time I witnessed the early exit atrocity in lane. Admittedly I have not been able to get back to Lane Stadium as much as I'd like since graduation. However, at half time many alumni (well aged I might add) were absolutely appalled at how empty the stadium was at half time, specifically the NEZ and Student sections in the east stands. For the rest of the second half I had to endure constant talks of the disrespect and fair-weather mentality of the students in particular. (These are my observations of alumni, not my opinions)
I spoke with several friends who are students and they said that the student ticket lottery for season tickets didn't sell out this year and that there is an abundance of free lottery tickets. Is this true?? If so, I am shocked. I remember standing in the student section making noise about alumni leaving the games early and now it is being reversed...I know the team has struggled lately, I know it was warm, I know that attention spans are shortening but come on...Half time?
At no point in this game was the atmosphere truly scary for the other team as evidenced by having their players jump up and down to enter sandman, laughing and smiling while we made noise. Those players had a bounce in their step all the way until the fourth quarter and they fought hard. I know Lane is hailed as one of the toughest places to play, and I am sure it will turn up for the likes of Miami and UVA...but it shouldn't matter the opponent, at least it didn't used to.
Comments
Homecoming's always bad for full-game attendance from students. A lot of the Greeks and other organizations come for the first half and watch up through the Homecoming Court announcements then leave. It's a sucky situation but it's one that isn't going to stop any time soon. Best to just relax and watch the grass in our lawns grow. I'm sure it's another reason we usually don't have a big time opponent for our Homecoming game.
^ This is the real reason. Saw it many times in previous years. It's generally that way for every Homecoming.
Times have changed. I remember Greek life moving events due to games. Hell I remember one event being called midway so everyone could go tailgate and go to the game.
Nooners... they'll get after ya. No way we should be scheduled for 3 noon games in 3 consecutive weekends. That's BUSH LEAGUE by the ACC if you ask me and Whit has asked them wtf.
It was Homecoming. Many of them likely only attended to watch their candidate walk onto the field in hopes of achieving immortality only to have their hopes and dreams crushed as a guy with the name Nathaniel Richard Weiner (his parents must have hated him to name him Nate Dick Weiner) and a girl who is used to hearing her name called last on the class roster, Jena Zschaebitz, won.
to answer your question yes, the student lottery does not sell out and then on thursday they send out an email saying they any student who does not already have a ticket can just come get one for free on friday. But for the record the past home games the students hvae been excellent. staying for the whole game and making a lot of noise. this one just seemed bad because of all the homecoming crowds that left at halftime because they dont actually care about the game perhaps, just who gets voted king/queen (I could be wrong but thats how it seems)
Western Mich., Homecoming halftime B.S., Sweltering hot blazing sun for the 3rd week in a row. (Yes, I'm sure you hiked 20 miles in a snowstorm from Brush Mountain to see the ol' gobblers blast Temple.)
I know it's a hard pill to swallow hard-core hokie bros, but not everyone wants to get a racoon tan with a .20 BAC, while watching directional Michigan get manhandled for the homecoming game.
I was there until the end, and trust me I was sad and angry when I'll my friends left, but they stayed when were facing a 4th and 15 against GiT. They stayed when we were making a comeback against an underrated ECU team. And you can bet your mortgage and kid's college fund they'll be there for a night of fireworks and amazingness that is the Miami Thursday nighter, and to see LOLUVA get waxed. This is the sad truth of college football today; it's zenith has come and gone. Until other things change, you can expect powderpuff teams getting handled at homecoming to not fill stands.
I stayed through all the weather for last year's Marshall game and my then 4 and 7 year old daughters stayed until the 4th Q at that game.
We stayed through all the games this year but, the heat and sun this week were too much for my 5 y.o. despite repeated watering to keep her hydrated, she could not stay in the stands.
We retreated, to fight another day, to the tailgate and put Bill Roth on the radio to cheer from there.
It's not always apathy, it is sometimes health concerns.
Not meaning to say you said we were apathetic, just adding to the explanations on leaving early.
^This. My friend standing beside me was hospitalized for liver damage resulting from a multitude of factors including dehydration (Not saturday, but earlier in the year.) He was a trooper and tried hydrating adequately, but couldn't stay through half-time. We expected the fall weather a little earlier this year I guess! I'm sure the next home game will be considerably cooler.
I think homecoming factored more into it than the game. For the most part the students have stayed until the end this season. Actually WMU is the first time I have seen the stadium leave early period.
What was really disappointing was how empty the east and south sides were before the halftime.
I think it's a combination of the 4th home game in 4 weeks, a lackluster opponent, a poor 1st half showing and homecoming. I left in the early part of the 4th quarter which is a rarity but I just wasn't willing to sit through any more. 5 straight weeks of going to games definitely played into it as did the overwhelmed opponent.
Lots of people just decided not to make the trip this week which led to large chunks of empty seats in the stadium from the beginning.
I think all point are valid. HokieAlum6144, I was surprised, upon exit of the stadium cops weren't even direction traffic in most places. The fans had organized such a great exit plan the cops were almost not needed. I find it ironic that noon games with a hot sun are easier to leave than driving rain and cold temps (miami 09). I get that the opponent is not top class but it just looks bad. (and to the humor of hiking 20 miles down brush mt. to watch temple, no I wasnt there lol). I guess I was just disappointed to see that. Hopefully this is not a trend. Maybe they should go back to students having to camp out for the best seats.
If the crowds from previous games this season is any indication it isn't a trend. Obviously the OSU game gave the fan base a shot in the arm but the crowds at all previous 3 games were very good and very engaged. Considering how spread out the final 3 homes games are I think the crowds should be good from here on out. Although I will admit Nov 1 against BC the day after Halloween scares me (many people may not make the trip down and the students could be late arrives especially if we are looking at a noon game) and the Black Friday game against UVA could also be a challenge if it isn't a later kickoff.
strong avatar my man-up the reds!
back at you! can't wait for some more CL this week!
yes more reds fans!!! Pumped for Wednesday.. Between Liverpool and my Hokies its been a rough couple weeks
It's the saturday starts I tell ya. Last year was Hokies on Saturday, Liverpool on Sunday morning.
For me it's the title (LFC) or nothing...needless to say I've lost interest for this year-doubt we make it out of the group stage...utterly lost without the genius of Suarez and a dodgy defense; get used to Saturday games from now on we're not even in the top half of the table...curse of Hodgson strikes again. What's the best the hokies can hope for? ACCCG appearance? meh...maybe we'll have an all-time recruiting class now that would be something.
defense has been terrible, mignolet is a decent shot stopper but he is awful at reading the game/commanding his box. Valdes can't get here soon enough!!! Coutihno looks pedestrian at times and lambert is more like lolbert. Balotelli is a man child and can't wait for a Stur+Sterling+Balo lineup.!!
right on all counts, JC...sadly, the title will be well out of reach by the time all those factors come together. we'll be scrapping for 4th place (hopefully). we've gone and done a tottenham.
The homecoming game is never usually a big time game and its never a night game (at least it hasn't been recently). It usually one of the earlier home games in the season which means its hot. I left saturday's game with about 3 minutes remaining. I wanted to leave earlier because my burn from the GT game was still peeling off.
Homecoming historically leads to the least-involved crowd of the season.
Homecoming is annually the absolute worst student involved game of the season, and the reason for this is the attitude of the sororities and fraternities to think this game is all about them and their Homecoming court, where once the winners are announced, they all retreat back to their houses or TOTS (at least it was TOTS, especially TOTS outside when I was there) and party the rest of the day away. It has been this way for over a decade now and will continue for many years to come. This is probably the single biggest reason we avoid scheduling Homecoming for any good games, because we just cannot afford to have that lack of student involvement in a big game.
You schedule homecoming for games that aren't big games because you try not to suffer a loss when you are inviting alumni back to campus to celebrate.
GT Game crowd was solid for the entire game...
Solid and seriously loud right to the end.
As was the ECU game. The early exit during Homecoming against Directional Community College doesn't bother me half as much as the early exit when the Hokies are losing. ECU crowd stayed through, and stayed loud.
I was at Clemson 2011, and the fans exiting early during that game broke my heart almost as much as Tajh Boyd did.
I left that Clemson game early because it was cold, it was miserable, and I had a 3 and a half hour drive ahead of me, minimum, and I didn't want to sit with my car idling in Blacksburg for 2 hours just waiting to get myself to 460 (which I did after the UNC Thursday night game), not to mention it was a mixture of snow/rain which would have made the drive even more hellacious. Even leaving when I did I don't think I got home til around 11 or so.
LOL, I played golf the Friday after the Carolina game at Hanging Rock.
I didn't get back to Raleigh after that game until 4am. It wasn't the most fun thing in the world, I'll put it that way.
These threads pop up literally after every crappy OOC home game that's scheduled when the game should be over by half time.
It was reported that Saturday's game was the lowest attendance since the stadium expanded in 2002. I'd say the let down of the past two weeks, weak opponent, having three home games in a row, and homecoming probably all attributed. I could tell just walking past the tailgates at 9:30am that the crowd was going to be small.
Oh well, next home game will be the return of Thursday Night in Blacksburg. I'll be bringing two friends down from Philly to witness the epicness--just hoping we don't drop two L's before then or I may start to worry about the atmosphere as idk if Tech's ever been 3-4 going into a Thursday night game. Hopefully we'll be 5-2 and tied for 1st in the Coastal.
I have to echo this as well. Parking lots were not crowded and while our crew was larger than normal, there were many less canopies up and as we walked through to lots on the way to the stadium, I saw many of the tailgates I note regularly, had less "stuff" around them.
I too remember routinely complaining about alumni. So sad that the tables have turned.
Stop blaming Greeks for students leaving early. Virginia Tech has around 4,000 Greek students with a total school enrollment of 24,000. They aren't the only ones sitting in NEZ and the student section of East, and they certainly aren't the only ones leaving early.
The NEZ seats around 5k students. Even if only 50% of the NEZ was greek life, thats still 2/5 of the entire section of the stadium leaving when the frats and sororities do their annual Homecoming halftime walkout.
about 80% of the NEZ was gone by the start of the fourth quarter. That is giving you 15% for the band as part of the 20% remaining.
I'm not trying to blame the Greek students and I don't think it was just them that left early, but after halftime, every odd colored shirt with a catchy saying using someone's first or last name was no longer in the stadium.
My fraternity showed up in force for every game, and they remain my best ticket source for games. I can tell you that we didn't leave early.
I have never left a Hokie's game ever in my lifetime... pre-college, college student, and now as an alumni. Cold weather, hot weather, snowing, raining, windy, whatever. I stay for the whole time because I am a Hokie fan who chooses to show my pride by cheering on my school for the entire game. it pains me to see fans/students leave early because they want to go drink, tailgate more, beat the traffic, or whatever their reasons are. I know people will be indifferent to this, but thats my .02 and sticking to it.
The only game I have ever left early was at Lane and one of my guests fell ill during the game. She spent all of the second quarter in the medical area under the west stands. She didn't want us to leave, but the group all decided getting her home was more important than a game were we were already up three scores at half.
When I was a student (04-09) I used to hear stories of past games from the older Hokies at our tailgate about how such and such game in the past was the loudest they've ever heard or been to when they were a student. I may just be a really competitive person, but I always went into that stadium trying to out do those electrifying atmospheres of the past and that was also the same vibe I got out of everyone around me I felt. I am hoping the young whippersnappers can bring the Terrordome atmosphere for Miami this year. I hate Miami
As a member if the Greek community, I promise you we get way more blame than is deserved. Some of the most passionate and crowded sections of the student section are because 30+ Greeks all go to the game together. My friends in Greek life are far more committed football fans than my non Greek fans
It's ok 2 weeks ago it was Beamer as the scapegoat.. this week its greek life.. this upcoming week it'll be the trainer
For some reason there is a stay until the last second no matter what mentality coupled with looking back with rose-tinted glasses. The games against overmatched opponents always start to empty out early, even 10 years ago. It's just better for most people to leave in the third quarter and beat the exodus or traffic to do something else.
It's not the alumni, it's not the apathetic students, it's not the Greeks, it's the game being played. Playing App State, Western Carolina, Arkansas State, William and Mary, VMI, Western Michigan, etc is usually boring after halftime. Yeah, there are probably a bunch of non football people there just for homecoming court, but a weak opponent is usually scheduled also.
I don't even go to Tech (yet) but I would kill to get to see the Hokies play at noon for the 4th Saturday in a row. Some people are saying attending the game felt like a chore... well in that case please let me know when I can do more chores for any of you, regardless if we're playing the U or a directional Michigan squad. I would also agree with the point that the east stands had noticeable bald spots before halftime
I'm sorry, but there is a difference between Western Michigan at noon in hot weather and Miami at night on a Thursday. Also, I'm not sure anyone has said it is a chore to attend games.
"I think it's a combination of the 4th home game in 4 weeks, a lackluster opponent, a poor 1st half showing and homecoming. I left in the early part of the 4th quarter which is a rarity but I just wasn't willing to sit through any more. 5 straight weeks of going to games definitely played into it as did the overwhelmed opponent."
"No way we should be scheduled for 3 noon games in 3 consecutive weekends."
Both of these quotes from fellow TKPers are what led to my reasoning of people treating this week's game like a chore. I also visited a friend at Tech this weekend and her roommate said something similar along the lines of "it was a struggle to make it to halftime." These sound like the fans weren't even having fun and it was more of a "I guess I should go to the Tech game at noon again." I know I had a blast and wish I could attend more regularly.
And yes, the Miami game is obviously a bigger attraction and there is a big difference between the two. I was just saying I would love to attend both.
Ugh after your freshman year you'll learn the horrors of nooners. There is nothing more miserable than having to get up at 9 or 10 in the morning after being out all night. The hype of a good game or not ridiculously early tailgating get you going.
I really think the great showing and energy for William and Mary was more attributed to the 3:30 kickoff than anything.
Especially when your sunburned sunburn, is getting sunburnt and the. You run out of cash for your umpteenth bottle of stadium priced water.
I wasn't referring to the students, no excuse for their lack of attendance, but it's another thing to get people to drive from hours away three Saturdays in a row under those circumstances. I did, but some people have obligations. A little spacing out of the home games woulda been nice.
my ideal schedule is 2 in each month. but october games are the best. i left with like 3 minutes left in the game. (i only live an hour way) but it was just getting way WAY to hot, and the TV timeouts became irksome.my thought is some of the injurys were because of heat stroke. this was the hottest game in my opinion all year. but thats why i left. and the student section IS better this year, this past game might not have been a good example, but last two years they wouldnt shouw up until the 2nd quarter and leave at halftime.
Love the enthusiasm man. But soon...you will learn.
Need more people like you in the stadium. I feel similarly, although as you may have been able to tell, not everyone agrees with you. Going to games for me is a privilege, not a right. When it comes down to it, that stadium is only full 6-8 times a year, and you better believe that I'm going to do my best to be inside for as much as I can. The excuses about being hungover or getting sunburn are just that, excuses. I love my team, the stadium, and the atmosphere, and I will put that over a bit of discomfort any day of the week.
The "you will learn" comments are also pretty comical. I would suggest those folks learn to be more prepared for the game than anything. There is no requirement to drink the Friday night before, it is just as easy to smuggle water into the stadium as it is alchohol, and sunblock can be bought at many places within Blacksburg and on campus.
If there are medical reasons to leave early, that's completely understandable, but for the "this is a boring opponent and boring game" fan crowd, I encourage you to leave sooner rather than later, so that those that don't get bored can move down closer to the field and continue to enjoy the experience.
EDIT: Typo
The blowouts are the best reason to stay to the end. We get to see players who aren't redshirting and upper classmen who are buried on the depth chart play. I cheer as loud or louder for them. They give their heart and effort week in and out to Tech and most aren't even on scholarship.
I admire your piety in praising the football gods. I do. As with Job in the Bible, this young man will be tested by the rigors of college life. We just want to advise that it won't be as easy to dedicate himself as he seems believe. There are evil vices other than football they may tempt you. And If you can look at yourself in the mirror at 4pm after a cupcake win and say, "This weekend has been a success." That's all that matters, no matter what. That's why we do it. To have fun.
For those who have come, and been tested and failed I appreciate you. For those have passed into the righteous pantheon of dedicated fans, I'm happy for you and everyone appreciates it. For those of you who are to come, you gon' learn which category you fall into.
Don't belittle the sacrifices of those that have gone before you, or those who will come in your place.
P.S. My tongue is planted so firmly in my cheek, it's sticking out the other side in case you didn't notice
You bet I'm there for every snap but not all are as robust as we are.
Me and the group of friends I was sitting with were pissed off about it, and we're students. Also managed to sit by the worst groups of students possible in east stands... Sometimes I wonder why we can't have nice things, and this is exactly why.
Might I ask which row your were sitting in?
I know I was in Section 23, but I have no idea which row. It was right above the staircase on the odd side.
**edit** I goofed and put east stands in again when I didn't re-read my original comment
The on field product always influences attendance, and when the game has a first half that ugly some people just won't feel like stocking around
I find that people care way too much about what other people are doing in that stadium. If a fan is not engaging in negative behavior that's directly affecting you, what do you care?
^ agree 100%. I've never understood why certain people care so much about what the other fans are doing. I just don't get it.
Is this comment an attempt at irony?
It's not, please elaborate.