Kushner: Tulane to host its largest non-sec crowd since 2002

[winwave]

I would love to have 40k there, just putting color that this game may not be totally indicative of the current fanbase because of artificial impacts. That being said, it shows that TU can be sold as the fanbase is already showing life after only 5 wins.

WHAT?!

What are the "artificial impacts"? Actually marketing the game? Having a decent team to promote?

No, free tickets. $5 tickets. Seriously do you read the thread before posting. This is the sh*t I am talking about. Now we have this POV that we can get 40k to games when it is Friday at 1:15 CST and no one has a clue. Talk about fanatic.

Yes there is a great buzz. Yes it is great that TU is winning, promoting and selling tickets. Yes, we should look at all aspects of the situation. Good grief, you people are ridiculous.

No one is saying we are getting 40,000. One poster misinterpreted Kushner's tweet.

There you go w/that piss poor Tulane attitude that everyone w/a different opinion is beneath you. If that's the case take it elsewhere.

What the hell are you talking about? Go take a lap pal....

I'm talking about you calling everyone here ridiculous.

No just you and JJ for freaking out and particularly you for labeling, which I will not accept. So I will say it again, there are a lot of free tickets and cheap tickets, it's a good step but it is a fact that should be considered when assessing our fanbase and short/long term potential. You can take it as insulting but it was actually to keep people grounded as some folks (like me) were perhaps unfairly disappointed with the ECU attendance and the opposite could be true after this game.

Try to spin all you want but all see your agenda driven post for what they are. You're just trying to lay the groundwork for trashing tomorrow's crowd. There are a whole lot more tickets being sold than give away. It's not even close. Deal w/it.

Wow, you are the least intelligent mind reader I have ever had the pleasure of wasting an hour of my life arguing with on an anonymous website. God you are paranoid.

You are delusional in thinking you are so much smarter than everyone else here.

[mbawavefan12]

I would love to have 40k there, just putting color that this game may not be totally indicative of the current fanbase because of artificial impacts. That being said, it shows that TU can be sold as the fanbase is already showing life after only 5 wins.

WHAT?!

What are the "artificial impacts"? Actually marketing the game? Having a decent team to promote?

No, free tickets. $5 tickets. Seriously do you read the thread before posting. This is the sh*t I am talking about. Now we have this POV that we can get 40k to games when it is Friday at 1:15 CST and no one has a clue. Talk about fanatic.

Yes there is a great buzz. Yes it is great that TU is winning, promoting and selling tickets. Yes, we should look at all aspects of the situation. Good grief, you people are ridiculous.

No one is saying we are getting 40,000. One poster misinterpreted Kushner's tweet.

There you go w/that piss poor Tulane attitude that everyone w/a different opinion is beneath you. If that's the case take it elsewhere.

What the hell are you talking about? Go take a lap pal....

I'm talking about you calling everyone here ridiculous.

No just you and JJ for freaking out and particularly you for labeling, which I will not accept. So I will say it again, there are a lot of free tickets and cheap tickets, it's a good step but it is a fact that should be considered when assessing our fanbase and short/long term potential. You can take it as insulting but it was actually to keep people grounded as some folks (like me) were perhaps unfairly disappointed with the ECU attendance and the opposite could be true after this game.

Try to spin all you want but all see your agenda driven post for what they are. You're just trying to lay the groundwork for trashing tomorrow's crowd. There are a whole lot more tickets being sold than give away. It's not even close. Deal w/it.

Wow, you are the least intelligent mind reader I have ever had the pleasure of wasting an hour of my life arguing with on an anonymous website. God you are paranoid.

You are delusional in thinking you are so much smarter than everyone else here.

No just you or better yet the way u have reacted to a simple statement.

[winwave]

I would love to have 40k there, just putting color that this game may not be totally indicative of the current fanbase because of artificial impacts. That being said, it shows that TU can be sold as the fanbase is already showing life after only 5 wins.

WHAT?!

What are the "artificial impacts"? Actually marketing the game? Having a decent team to promote?

No, free tickets. $5 tickets. Seriously do you read the thread before posting. This is the sh*t I am talking about. Now we have this POV that we can get 40k to games when it is Friday at 1:15 CST and no one has a clue. Talk about fanatic.

Yes there is a great buzz. Yes it is great that TU is winning, promoting and selling tickets. Yes, we should look at all aspects of the situation. Good grief, you people are ridiculous.

No one is saying we are getting 40,000. One poster misinterpreted Kushner's tweet.

There you go w/that piss poor Tulane attitude that everyone w/a different opinion is beneath you. If that's the case take it elsewhere.

What the hell are you talking about? Go take a lap pal....

I'm talking about you calling everyone here ridiculous.

No just you and JJ for freaking out and particularly you for labeling, which I will not accept. So I will say it again, there are a lot of free tickets and cheap tickets, it's a good step but it is a fact that should be considered when assessing our fanbase and short/long term potential. You can take it as insulting but it was actually to keep people grounded as some folks (like me) were perhaps unfairly disappointed with the ECU attendance and the opposite could be true after this game.

Try to spin all you want but all see your agenda driven post for what they are. You're just trying to lay the groundwork for trashing tomorrow's crowd. There are a whole lot more tickets being sold than give away. It's not even close. Deal w/it.

Wow, you are the least intelligent mind reader I have ever had the pleasure of wasting an hour of my life arguing with on an anonymous website. God you are paranoid.

You are delusional in thinking you are so much smarter than everyone else here.

No just you or better yet the way u have reacted to a simple statement.

You've been exposed and now you're embarrassed. We get it.

[mbawavefan12]

What the hell are u talking about? Really crazy stuff.

Also, jj. I have never said that there isn't huge potential for this fanbase, please don't confuse my positive statements for yulman as such. I do believe high priced private schools face a much more difficult battle but also feel tu has several advantages vs other similar privates, most notably our locals love to support anything nola based. Part of the reason i have been adamant regarding expansion. I am just not a fan of the tu dome brand.

Roll wave. A big win this weekend just might be the bump needed. I gave my tickets away to two loyola students, they were pumped.

[jonathanjoseph]

No just you and JJ for freaking out and particularly you for labeling, which I will not accept. So I will say it again, there are a lot of free tickets and cheap tickets, it's a good step but it is a fact that should be considered when assessing our fanbase and short/long term potential. You can take it as insulting but it was actually to keep people grounded as some folks (like me) were perhaps unfairly disappointed with the ECU attendance and the opposite could be true after this game.

Lol. Who is freaking out? Seems like only you as the facts are emerging that suggest you might be been mistaken about Tulane's fanbase.

[mbawavefan12]

No just you and JJ for freaking out and particularly you for labeling, which I will not accept. So I will say it again, there are a lot of free tickets and cheap tickets, it's a good step but it is a fact that should be considered when assessing our fanbase and short/long term potential. You can take it as insulting but it was actually to keep people grounded as some folks (like me) were perhaps unfairly disappointed with the ECU attendance and the opposite could be true after this game.

Lol. Who is freaking out? Seems like only you as the facts are emerging that suggest you might be been mistaken about Tulane's fanbase.

See above post. I think u are confusing me with others. But u r right i don't think the dome's capacity or environment is right for us. In a perfect world the houston stadium would be make for the right mix.

[Houma de Wave]

I guess that it is now time for Cowen to conduct another review of the program like he did 10 years ago.

Hey, I am NOT joking! All of you know this guy!

LMAO! Now, this is good!!

[DfromCT]

20,000 ACTUAL BODIES would be a HUGE uptick for this team, and the program. My bet is we're closer to 15k actual, but it remains to be seen.

Either way, a victory is more important this week than turnstyle count.

ROLL WAVE!

[glennc]

40'000. That would mean that the terrace would have to be open, but I doubt the dome would open it. If this is true it means that walk up crowd is going to have trouble getting good seats because the people running the dome are not very competent when it comes to Tulane.

[Fat Harry]

I hope this crowd shuts up the stadium idiots. 2 week marketing blitz and MAYBE 15,000 total.

[JerseyWave]

After 10 years of horrible football you can't build a fan base in two weeks.

[OUG]

I hope this crowd shuts up the stadium idiots. 2 week marketing blitz and MAYBE 15,000 total.

Nothing will ever Shutup the stadium idiots. If in two years we are 9-1 and drawing 18k in a 28k stadium for a big divisional game, they will say we would have 40k if Tulane didn't "signal to the market that we want to be small-time." And you can bookmark that, that train's never late. Oh and they'll say we would have drawn 40k in the climate controlled dome.

[OUG]

After 10 years of horrible football you can't build a fan base in two weeks.

The problem is generational. It will be fixed generationally.

[ExileWave]

After 10 years of horrible football you can't build a fan base in two weeks.

The problem is generational. It will be fixed generationally.

IF we win consistently for a generation.

[DfromCT]

I hope this crowd shuts up the stadium idiots. 2 week marketing blitz and MAYBE 15,000 total.

Nothing will ever Shutup the stadium idiots. If in two years we are 9-1 and drawing 18k in a 28k stadium for a big divisional game, they will say we would have 40k if Tulane didn't "signal to the market that we want to be small-time." And you can bookmark that, that train's never late. Oh and they'll say we would have drawn 40k in the climate controlled dome.

+1000

They are convinced that the OCS is a signal that we don't want to play in the big time. They don't allow any possibility that a lot of the hype about the program is from winning COMBINED with the OCS going up. It's mentioned as a positive in virtually every national media article, and many of the local ones as well. Media is focusing on the turnaround, the OCS and move to AAC in that order. They're relentless in their denial of any opposing viewpoints or facts that contradict their stance.

[Fred Dowler]

I hope this crowd shuts up the stadium idiots. 2 week marketing blitz and MAYBE 15,000 total.

I've been a critic of the whole concept of the new football stadium project since the beginning and before that but I have never, ever been one to contend that the football program can somehow generate a three or fourfold increase in the regular following just by winning a few games (and especially against the kind of schedule that there's been in recent times and across the board with the TU sports programs).

To the contrary, what I've been saying all along is that what's going to happen is that there'll be a time when the boutique stadium is a novelty and there will be solid crowds because of that, but afterward the times when the stadium is going to be full, even with a 25,000 or so seating capacity, will be few and far in between and thus it's going to be a white elephant. Unless the program just takes off and dominates the conference like the Crimson Tide have been dominating the SEC.

The recent attendance during a season that's on the way to being a fairly solid season, purely win/loss-wise and for a program that hasn't had very many of those during the past 25 years has done nothing but give my contention a fair amount of substance.

C-USA, American Conference, what have you, and especially without the attraction of the solid Southern Miss or TCU or Louisville programs that there used to be in the conference, just does very little for the local and regional casual football fan and that plus maybe a Wake Forest or a Duke (football) program or an Army or Navy program plus the in-state programs is what you're going to be getting a steady diet of.

[RobertM320]

After 10 years of horrible football you can't build a fan base in two weeks.

The problem is generational. It will be fixed generationally.

This I agree with.

This was the first game I've actually been to in years, so I can't compare to what I've seen at other Tulane games. I can only compare to my years in the 70's and 80's, along with years of Saints games and knowing the Superdome well. However, no way it was more than 15K actual bodies. For all intents and purposes, the Tulsa side was vacant. So, if the bottom two levels hold 40K, it would mean filling one entire side, both levels, from behind the goal post to behind the goal post to equal 20K. We weren't near that. That said, the atmosphere seemed to be much better than in past years, which could also have to do with actually WINNING.

And I agree very much with you, OUG, this is a generational thing. If we can consistently win, eventually get into a better conference, and have the kids that were there with their families grow up and become Tulane fans, we can rebuild the base. But the growth will be measured in seasons, not games.

[Fred Dowler]

After 10 years of horrible football you can't build a fan base in two weeks.

The problem is generational. It will be fixed generationally.

IF we win consistently for a generation.

Okay, if such long-term, i.e. multi-year, consistency really and truly does take hold that would be a start, but short of that, no, things will not be fixed.

[Fred Dowler]

I hope this crowd shuts up the stadium idiots. 2 week marketing blitz and MAYBE 15,000 total.

Nothing will ever Shutup the stadium idiots. If in two years we are 9-1 and drawing 18k in a 28k stadium for a big divisional game, they will say we would have 40k if Tulane didn't "signal to the market that we want to be small-time." And you can bookmark that, that train's never late. Oh and they'll say we would have drawn 40k in the climate controlled dome.

+1000

They are convinced that the OCS is a signal that we don't want to play in the big time. They don't allow any possibility that a lot of the hype about the program is from winning COMBINED with the OCS going up. It's mentioned as a positive in virtually every national media article, and many of the local ones as well. Media is focusing on the turnaround, the OCS and move to AAC in that order. They're relentless in their denial of any opposing viewpoints or facts that contradict their stance.

My whole point has been that the actual evidence that the TU administration really and truly has designs on the program moving out and up from C-USA/American Conf. is still tremendously lacking.

Is the boutique stadium in fact a signal that the administration is eschewing making a play to be part of the college football big leagues?

What it is is this: just a means for the program to be able to make more money but make just enough revenue to get by (through suites sales, personal seat licenses, gameday revenues, etc.) and ease the financial burden of athletics on the university budget and that's all that it is.

If TU really did have its sights firmly set on moving up then the schedules would be leaps and bounds tougher so that TU could show that it belongs with the big leagues and would not be an embarrassment on the field. Instead, the administration has gone all out the other way with scheduling in an effort to convince people of some kind of commitment to winning, i.e. put on a little show.

No, indeed, the burden is not on those of us who have skeptics to prove that the administrsation is uninterested in the program moving up. The burden has been and still is on the "true believer" crowd to prove that they actually are committed to doing so (talk, publicity and so on mean very little except a way for the administration to spread the party line and get people to open up their checkbooks...playing bona fide tough opponents and being competitive with them and gaining respect with what you do on the field is what's meaningful).

[tpstulane]

In the past I'd be the first to knock the crowd. But what I saw today was something special. Every diehard fan knows that after a decade of losing we were down to 1,500 bodies in the Dome. Today's crowd was loud and enthusiastic. To me it had an impact on the results. Was it 15K, it doesn't really matter. It felt like a real football atmosphere from outside the dome to inside up until the final tick on the clock. If you're anything of a football fan you should make it a point to watch this team in person. They play every down like it's their last. This defense is one of the best Tulane D's I've seen in a long time. And I've seen them all since the late 1960's. They remind me so much of the 2009 Saints defense. Bend but don't break and force turnovers. We have a really special team and group of coaches come out and support these guys!
Roll Wave!!!!!!!!!!!

[RobertM320]

In the past I'd be the first to knock the crowd. But what I saw today was something special. Every diehard fan knows that after a decade of losing we were down to 1,500 bodies in the Dome. Today's crowd was loud and enthusiastic. To me it had an impact on the results. Was it 15K, it doesn't really matter. It felt like a real football atmosphere from outside the dome to inside up until the final tick on the clock. If you're anything of a football fan you should make it a point to watch this team in person. They play every down like it's their last. This defense is one of the best Tulane D's I've seen in a long time. And I've seen them all since the late 1960's. They remind me so much of the 2009 Saints defense. Bend but don't break and force turnovers. We have a really special team and group of coaches come out and support these guys!
Roll Wave!!!!!!!!!!!

Definitely the best defense we've had in a long, long time! Atmosphere was great, people had a good time.

[RobertM320]

I hope this crowd shuts up the stadium idiots. 2 week marketing blitz and MAYBE 15,000 total.

Nothing will ever Shutup the stadium idiots. If in two years we are 9-1 and drawing 18k in a 28k stadium for a big divisional game, they will say we would have 40k if Tulane didn't "signal to the market that we want to be small-time." And you can bookmark that, that train's never late. Oh and they'll say we would have drawn 40k in the climate controlled dome.

+1000

They are convinced that the OCS is a signal that we don't want to play in the big time. They don't allow any possibility that a lot of the hype about the program is from winning COMBINED with the OCS going up. It's mentioned as a positive in virtually every national media article, and many of the local ones as well. Media is focusing on the turnaround, the OCS and move to AAC in that order. They're relentless in their denial of any opposing viewpoints or facts that contradict their stance.

My whole point has been that the actual evidence that the TU administration really and truly has designs on the program moving out and up from C-USA/American Conf. is still tremendously lacking.

Is the boutique stadium in fact a signal that the administration is eschewing making a play to be part of the college football big leagues?

What it is is this: just a means for the program to be able to make more money but make just enough revenue to get by (through suites sales, personal seat licenses, gameday revenues, etc.) and ease the financial burden of athletics on the university budget and that's all that it is.

If TU really did have its sights firmly set on moving up then the schedules would be leaps and bounds tougher so that TU could show that it belongs with the big leagues and would not be an embarrassment on the field. Instead, the administration has gone all out the other way with scheduling in an effort to convince people of some kind of commitment to winning, i.e. put on a little show.

No, indeed, the burden is not on those of us who have skeptics to prove that the administrsation is uninterested in the program moving up. The burden has been and still is on the "true believer" crowd to prove that they actually are committed to doing so (talk, publicity and so on mean very little except a way for the administration to spread the party line and get people to open up their checkbooks...playing bona fide tough opponents and being competitive with them and gaining respect with what you do on the field is what's meaningful).

I think here's where the problem is, Fred. I don't think anyone disagrees with you that its possible the administration isn't interested. But we all know, there truly is no "administration", its all Cowen. And he's GONE IN EIGHT MONTHS. So, like any lame duck boss, politician or CEO, he isn't going to do anything at this point. Now, if CJ keeps the ball rolling AND we support it like today, MAYBE we'll give the new administration a REASON to see things differently. But for anyone expecting to see changes in the athletic department vision prior to July 1, 2014, I think you're going to be disappointed.

[DfromCT]

I hope this crowd shuts up the stadium idiots. 2 week marketing blitz and MAYBE 15,000 total.

Nothing will ever Shutup the stadium idiots. If in two years we are 9-1 and drawing 18k in a 28k stadium for a big divisional game, they will say we would have 40k if Tulane didn't "signal to the market that we want to be small-time." And you can bookmark that, that train's never late. Oh and they'll say we would have drawn 40k in the climate controlled dome.

+1000

They are convinced that the OCS is a signal that we don't want to play in the big time. They don't allow any possibility that a lot of the hype about the program is from winning COMBINED with the OCS going up. It's mentioned as a positive in virtually every national media article, and many of the local ones as well. Media is focusing on the turnaround, the OCS and move to AAC in that order. They're relentless in their denial of any opposing viewpoints or facts that contradict their stance.

My whole point has been that the actual evidence that the TU administration really and truly has designs on the program moving out and up from C-USA/American Conf. is still tremendously lacking.

Is the boutique stadium in fact a signal that the administration is eschewing making a play to be part of the college football big leagues?

What it is is this: just a means for the program to be able to make more money but make just enough revenue to get by (through suites sales, personal seat licenses, gameday revenues, etc.) and ease the financial burden of athletics on the university budget and that's all that it is.

If TU really did have its sights firmly set on moving up then the schedules would be leaps and bounds tougher so that TU could show that it belongs with the big leagues and would not be an embarrassment on the field. Instead, the administration has gone all out the other way with scheduling in an effort to convince people of some kind of commitment to winning, i.e. put on a little show.

No, indeed, the burden is not on those of us who have skeptics to prove that the administrsation is uninterested in the program moving up. The burden has been and still is on the "true believer" crowd to prove that they actually are committed to doing so (talk, publicity and so on mean very little except a way for the administration to spread the party line and get people to open up their checkbooks...playing bona fide tough opponents and being competitive with them and gaining respect with what you do on the field is what's meaningful).

I think here's where the problem is, Fred. I don't think anyone disagrees with you that its possible the administration isn't interested. But we all know, there truly is no "administration", its all Cowen. And he's GONE IN EIGHT MONTHS. So, like any lame duck boss, politician or CEO, he isn't going to do anything at this point. Now, if CJ keeps the ball rolling AND we support it like today, MAYBE we'll give the new administration a REASON to see things differently. But for anyone expecting to see changes in the athletic department vision prior to July 1, 2014, I think you're going to be disappointed.

I wholeheartedly agree not only with the post immediately above, but most of the quoted thread above as well. I don't know that Tulane's next President is going to go guns a-blazing to try to get us into a P5 conference, so I'm excited about the fact that the OCS will at least give us a collegiate feel to our games. 2500 in the dome was like a morgue, and I wish I could have been there today...as it is, I was at daughter's Parent's Weekend at Roger Williams University in RI. (Gametracker sucks on an iPhone!)

[wavedat]

Ten straight losing seasons. Playing the absolute weakest schedule in the history of Tulane football. Playing a 2-4 team. Playing w/out Montana,and yes anyone following local media reports knew he wasn't going to play today. Other team playing their backup and again anyone following local sports figured that too. Yes they beat us 8 in a row by an avg. of 31 but only die-hards care about that. Neither team near top 25 status. Yet a few complete idiots on a couple of message boards think a $50 million dollar POSS is good for Tulane football. Everyone else is spending $250 million but somehow b/c it's Tulane their $50 million POSS will match up to those $250 million dollar stadiums. Only a complete idiot believes that. Fact is Tulane draw a good crowd for those who get reality. This was not a meaningful game in D-1 football. No Gameday. No national coverage. The idiots make it even more embarrassing to be a Tulane fan. You idiots are pathetic.

[Eaglewave]

Ten straight losing seasons. Playing the absolute weakest schedule in the history of Tulane football. Playing a 2-4 team. Playing w/out Montana,and yes anyone following local media reports knew he wasn't going to play today. Other team playing their backup and again anyone following local sports figured that too. Yes they beat us 8 in a row by an avg. of 31 but only die-hards care about that. Neither team near top 25 status. Yet a few complete idiots on a couple of message boards think a $50 million dollar POSS is good for Tulane football. Everyone else is spending $250 million but somehow b/c it's Tulane their $50 million POSS will match up to those $250 million dollar stadiums. Only a complete idiot believes that. Fact is Tulane draw a good crowd for those who get reality. This was not a meaningful game in D-1 football. No Gameday. No national coverage. The idiots make it even more embarrassing to be a Tulane fan. You idiots are pathetic.

Ouch. I think I need to open my eyes a little bit more to what is going on instead of just being excited about winning. Good points Wavedat.