Illinois 24, Maryland 6 Postgame

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#176      
Fuze
LocalChief505 said:
Students in the North End Zone makes it obvious when they arent there. Nobody can fill in the gaps when they leave. Other fans cant interact with them either. They deserve a better environment.
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Idk if deserve is the right word, but the design of the NEZ does put a spotlight on any attendance issues they have. I think it's easy to forget that current students are one of the smallest segments of the fanbase, even if they have easier access to games, and relative to the numbers, the rest of the fanbase isn't much, if any, better than the students with attendance. It's a lot easier to spot on 4k out of 5k in that enclosed space than 44k in the remaining 55k seats, and that's the highest I'd estimate our attendance was yesterday (a little generous for both students and not students imo).

Point being, it's easy to !!!! on the students because even though the issues they have are very prevalent in the rest of the stadium (both with attendance and !!!!!!/complete lack of cheering), it's far easier to spot the issues with the student section.

I think the general fault with our outlook/expectations towards the students is that, for whatever reason, we only expect the students to always show up and always be loud without having that expectation for the rest of the fanbase. I think it's wrong (and kinda stupid) to !!!!! and moan about the students being quiet while being you're on your !!! the whole game, and I imagine that those are the types of people complaining the most on twitter (you have to be a sicko to be on here, so probably not the case with most people here).

That's not to say the students shouldn't be on another level from the rest of the fans (they absolutely should), but when that level is essentially a 6-foot hole, it's hard to climb out.
 
#177      
Dkayak
Pikeillinifan said:
Not sure of the numbers, but we do have a larger percentage of international students than Kansas, IU and many others, and the vast majority did not grow up with American football.
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Urbana-Champaign enrollment just hit 60,000 this year (35k undergrad + 25k grad) compared to 35,000 fifty years ago (25k undergrad + 10k grad). Even with nearly 13,000 international students (6000 undergrad + 7000 grad), we have more domestically born students than ever before.

Stadium capacity today is only a bit over 60,670 but the 1984 Missouri game had attendance of 78,297. There could be many reasons we’re not attracting or retaining the student crowd, but more international students isn’t one of them.

Fall 2025 enrollment
 
#178      
Dkayak
Fuze said:
I think the general fault with our outlook/expectations towards the students is that, for whatever reason, we only expect the students to always show up and always be loud without having that expectation for the rest of the fanbase. I think it's wrong (and kinda stupid) to !!!!! and moan about the students being quiet while being you're on your !!! the whole game, and I imagine that those are the types of people complaining the most on twitter (you have to be a sicko to be on here, so probably not the case with most people here).
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Great point. If the rest of the place was rocking, I’m sure the students would be a lot more energized. Yes, it’s a chicken and egg dilemma, but the students are a small minority of the crowd.
 
#179      
TheChief4Life
How the heck do you know that? You have no idea what these kids are doing when they aren’t at the stadium.
 
#180      
Scfan
Illini2010-11 said:
They probably bought the seats to sit elsewhere near friends/family. But your general point does stand.

It is going to take sustained success to change some of the fan culture. I kind of fear how empty the stands will be against NW, considering we will possibly be 8-3 going into the game.
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Been going to games for 40 years. The past few years I’ve noticed that people seem to buy tickets and proceed to “cram in” near their friends. They stand the entire game because there aren’t enough seats to accommodate everyone. Since I don’t want to stand the entire game at my age, this may be my last year with season tix.
 
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#182      
blackdog
Scfan said:
Been going to games for 40 years. The past few years I’ve noticed that people seem to buy tickets and proceed to “cram in” near their friends. They stand the entire game because there aren’t enough seats to accommodate everyone. Since I don’t want to stand the entire game at my age, this may be my last year with season tix.
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Let me know where your tickets are and maybe we can trade because not many stand near where I sit.
 
#183      
illinoistradition
Dkayak said:
Great point. If the rest of the place was rocking, I’m sure the students would be a lot more energized. Yes, it’s a chicken and egg dilemma, but the students are a small minority of the crowd.
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If it is up to a bunch of 30-70 year olds to get the place rocking as opposed to the 18-23 year olds, that’s a problem. Energy should start from the students, and while the NEZ is not an ideal setup, IMO they have not shown the ability to commit to this program to be moved back to prime seating.
 
#186      
fuddrules
Scfan said:
Been going to games for 40 years. The past few years I’ve noticed that people seem to buy tickets and proceed to “cram in” near their friends. They stand the entire game because there aren’t enough seats to accommodate everyone. Since I don’t want to stand the entire game at my age, this may be my last year with season tix.
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Interesting. Ive been going on and off (mainly on) the last 30 years and I haven't noticed this once.
 
#188      
fuddrules
ForeverOrange said:
Completely missing the point of what it means to have an organized, unified, student section that’s right on the field and not on an island away from the action.
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Missing the point that until the stadium is redone/reseated, what you're wanting will never happen.
 
#189      
Oracle21
The student section is claiming they held Maryland to 6 points? Really? What an out of touch response
 
#190      
Illini2010-11
ForeverOrange said:
Completely missing the point of what it means to have an organized, unified, student section that’s right on the field and not on an island away from the action.
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Sorry, but the DIA cannot move students into prime seats (where they may or may not show up). That is a lot of revenue for prime seats lost, especially with huge season ticket sales now.

The current engagement issue is not where the students are located, IMO.
 
#191      
Second place is 1st loser
Stop. Our student turnout for football is pathetic. Our team deserves better. The only think that keeps a college kid from that game with a 2:30 kickoff is disinterest. That's fine if that's the case, but then don't b*tch if/when we fall on hard times. We are in a golden era four our football program and the disinterest is a sad sight.
 
#192      
Oracle21
Point-Illinois said:
Yup. We have a unique issue.

Kansas gets good? Fans show up.

IU gets good, fans show up.

Heck, Purdue is just mediocre and fans show up.

There is something too transactional about a huge chunk of our fanbase. “I’ll show up when you’ve earned my fandom.” “I’ll stick around if you’ve met my expectations.”

It’s not everyone, but it’s a large chunk, to include many students.
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With the players being paid, this attitude will only intensify. Pro sports fan have this attitude and it’s going to get into college too.

And the college football playoff, while great for those teams that do make it, have had devastating effects on those that don’t. From coaches getting fired bc they didn’t make the playoff to fans being less engaged once that dream is gone. So where 8-4-9-3 used to be met with “awesome cant wait to go to a bowl”…is now met with a more tepid response of “it’s not the playoff so we don’t care, and some players will sit out so why should we care”

I think Josh has done all he can to get casual fans engaged. Grange grove and selling beer in the stadium. Tailgating has been upgraded. And obviously a more competitive product on the field. But sometimes there just isn’t enough built in tradition to get a fanbase to take pride in filling its house. You look at Nebraska, they been irrelevant for 20 years but they still have such a built up tradition it doesn’t matter. It’s still packed. Fleck got Minnesota going for a bit but very little uptick in fan support due I think to no tradition
 
#193      
Ghost77
lstewart53x3 said:
It’s difficult to change the culture when the leaders of the most important piece of the culture (the students) believe they don’t need to show up for a non-playoff bound team.

It starts with them and their response to those questioning their horrible attendance yesterday doesn’t give me a whole lot of hope.
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This is exactly my point though. They are doing what they are doing because the culture isn't there. It has to be built and stacked across classes.
 
#194      
1970 John
Illini2010-11 said:
Sorry, but the DIA cannot move students into prime seats (where they may or may not show up). That is a lot of revenue for prime seats lost, especially with huge season ticket sales now.

The current engagement issue is not where the students are located, IMO.
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Do you know where Block I used to be, what it was? Before the NEZ was created, there was East Block and there was West Block. Both were dedicated card sections. There were tickets—special tickets for each Block—and to be a member of Block I you had to attend a training session. We prided ourselves in how well we performed. East Block was seated on the 40 yardline in East Main, then the home side.. West Block was in the balcony on the west side. Student section was in East Balcony.

Today calling the student section “the Block I” is a travesty. We looked sharp. This…not so much. But it’s OK to disrespect the students as long as you know they’ll return the favor.
 
#195      
WeWillWhen
Does DIA do much to entice students to show up beyond selling them discount tickets? Do they spend considerable time asking students why most of them don’t attend games? I would bet my car that the answer to both questions is ‘no.’

DIA could start by assigning someone in the ticket office to do everything within reason to get the Greek houses to start doing ‘block’ again AT THE STADIUM … you know, the way it used to be 30+ years ago. That’s several thousand students. Set up tents in Grange Grove for them, and stock them with food and drink at a very low price. Sell them discounted group tickets. Make it easy for them, and the thing to do. Talk to the students to find out what it will take to get more of them out there.

I don’t think DIA focuses much on the student experience at all and I say this because this is what my daughter the current student tells me. (She attends most games any way).
 
#196      
Oracle21
WeWillWhen said:
Does DIA do much to entice students to show up beyond selling them discount tickets? Do they spend considerable time asking students why most of them don’t attend games? I would bet my car that the answer to both questions is ‘no.’

DIA could start by assigning someone in the ticket office to do everything within reason to get the Greek houses to start doing ‘block’ again AT THE STADIUM … you know, the way it used to be 30+ years ago. That’s several thousand students. Set up tents in Grange Grove for them, and stock them with food and drink at a very low price. Sell them discounted group tickets. Make it easy for them, and the thing to do. Talk to the students to find out what it will take to get more of them out there.

I don’t think DIA focuses much on the student experience at all and I say this because this is what my daughter the current student tells me. (She attends most games any way).
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I think the main issue is the school is giving the students the worst seats, but still expecting them to show up and stay all game. It just doesn’t work like that. You are right when I was in school the Blocks were at the 40 yard line and those were great seats. I just don’t expect many students to stay all game in that north end zone especially for games that are cold. In this regard i don’t blame the students. It’s hard selling terrible seats to any group (students or adults) even if the team is above average
 
#197      
Retro62
It was a workman like game. In all honesty, we should have put 10 more points on the board. Not kicking the FG was a bad choice, and Luke's TD should not have been called back.

As for those calling for Locksley to be fired--he should be. Look at how his players were still trying, and he gave up on them by punting the ball away down 18. He might as well have thrown out a towel. But, MD doesn't care about football at all, so he will probably be back.
 
#198      
RML
WeWillWhen said:
DIA could start by assigning someone in the ticket office to do everything within reason to get the Greek houses to start doing ‘block’ again AT THE STADIUM … you know, the way it used to be 30+ years ago.
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Great memories from sitting in my fraternity's block back in the day (starting in '78 when I was a freshman and the team was awful) is probably a large part of why I'm a fan today.
 
#199      
kyillinifan
We had a Md fan about 10 seats from who screamed during every play. Even when the game was almost over. I wonder if he woke up with a sore throat on Sunday morning.
 
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