N.C. State’s eye-popping attendance figure from Wednesday night’s game with North Carolina should serve as a reminder to those who are criticizing Wolfpack fans.
Attendance was announced at 19,700 at the RBC Center. There was a significant minority of Tar Heel blue in the arena, but Wolfpack fans showed up in force to watch an N.C. State team that lost for the 10th consecutive time to its rival.
That increased N.C. State’s season attendance average for 14 home dates to 13,587. With two home games to go, that’s an increase of 403 over last season’s average of 13,184, which ranked 24th in Division I.
Even though there are a lot of empty seats at the RBC Center, Wolfpack fans still are giving top-25 support to a team that’s barely sniffed the top-25 in the polls and hasn’t made the NCAA tournament in five seasons under coach Sidney Lowe.
With N.C. State (14-13, 4-9 ACC) struggling to stay in contention for the NIT, Lowe’s days as coach appear numbered. Because of that, many national and local columnists have weighed in on whether the N.C. State job is attractive to coaches.
Many seem to believe it’s a difficult job. When asked about this subject by a fan in a live online chat two weeks ago, I agreed.
The local competition, with Duke and North Carolina nearby, is stiff. And fans have high expectations because they understandably prefer to remember NCAA titles that happened 37 years and 28 years ago rather than the last 20 years of mostly mediocre basketball.
Nonetheless, to many of the players N.C. State is recruiting, 28 years ago might as well be the Dark Ages.
But if Lowe doesn’t return next season, N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow will be able to make a different point to coaching candidates about the Wolfpack fans. If N.C. State can average 10,321 fans for its final two home dates against Georgia Tech and Florida State, it will show an increase over last season’s top-25 attendance mark.
That demonstrates a loyalty and a passion among N.C. State fans that isn’t equaled at many schools nationally. Wolfpack supporters still are delivering strong numbers.
It would be interesting to see what they would do if they had a team that held up its end of the bargain.
Ken Tysiac
Thursday, February 24, 2011
N.C. State crowd numbers still strong
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8 comments:
lol averaging 400 more fans isn't a significant number. And brag about the sellout all you want, the fact they had to open ticket sales to the public in a "rivalry" game tells you all you need to know. Admit it, Carolina fans helped sell the RBC out.
I was there, Carolina blue was more than a "small" minority.
ANON 1:59pm - You just proved the world is not complete without the arrogant asses from UNC.
Talk about settling for mediocre. Think about it - UNC has 10 All Americans on their squad. They went to the NIT last year and slightly crack the Top 25 this year.
For all the "settling for mediocore" as implied by our UNC friends about NC State, what is it exactly that you have knocked out of the park? You guys should be in the Final Four every year...and that's not of the NIT.
NC State has better fans on far worse results. That's the facts.
I've said this for as long as I can remember: UNC has fans, NC State has alumni. Sure it'd be nice to see as much red and white around the state as there is baby blue, but face it - given (lack of) success we've had over the last 20 years, a time period that has seen UNC win 4 and Duke win 3 national championships (these numbers are from the top of my head and might be wrong - I don't feel like checking to confirm because it will just piss me off), why would a casual fan or kid growing up want to pull for State unless there is some kind of family heritage there.
On average, our fans are more pationate because, for the most part, we went to school there and are more vested in the outcome.
Last 20 years NCAA Championships:
Duke: 4
UNC: 3
Sorry Anon, as a Duke alum I had to correct you there!
"I was there, Carolina blue was more than a "small" minority."
Which is why the post said "significant minority." READING COMPREHENSION. LEARN IT.
Is it overly romantic to say they should consider moving games to Reynolds?
I'm not being insulting here, honestly, so don't slash at my throat. I genuinely feel it would be a better situation for State. Obviously games that will sell 20,000 can be played in the bigger building, but it looks like the atmosphere at Reynolds would help State, and complete control of revenues from the building can't hurt either. Reynolds is a basketball arena, RBC is an entertainment facility.
"Even though there are a lot of empty seats at the RBC Center, Wolfpack fans still are giving top-25 support to a team that’s barely sniffed the top-25 in the polls and hasn’t made the NCAA tournament in five seasons under coach Sidney Lowe."
Or even better:
Even though there are a lot of empty seats at the RBC Center, Wolfpack fans still are giving top-25 support to a team that’s barely sniffed the top-25 in the polls in the last 15 years and hasn’t made the NCAA tournament but five times in 20 years.
Read more: http://aboverim.blogspot.com/2011/02/nc-state-crowd-numbers-still-strong.html#ixzz1EzRFKGbA
Q: What does a State fan and carolina fan have in common?
A: Neither one of them went to unc.
State fans are true fans and loyal to NCSU. Most carolina fans I know cheer for some other college in football. It's true.
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