Soccer on campus is not an easy sell. The men’s programs that draw well have to earn their support.
From bullhorns to bonfires, orthodontists to QuickTime videos, men’s college soccer programs will use almost any gimmick, tap any resource to try and increase attendance at their games.
It is not an easy sell, but when the crowds swell as they often do during the NCAA tournament, the result can be an ambiance unique in its energy and charm.
College soccer crowds are a mix of parents, alumni, youth and students with varying levels of knowledge about the game who often share a personal connection to the players on the field.
Fans attending tournament games frequently must endure rugged weather conditions and will pound their feet on metal bleachers to keep warm as much as to support their team. They are usually rewarded with tense, fast-paced games and narrow margins of victory.
A handful of Division I schools – UConn, St. Louis, Indiana, Virginia and Fresno State among them – generate significant fan support throughout the season.
“It’s just electric,” said Wake Forest coach Jay Vidovich of the atmosphere he and his team encountered at UConn last season. “The field is absolutely surrounded by bleachers and they’re never further than a few yards from the touchline. And their fans are very loyal.”
UConn’s tradition of support for its soccer program started under legendary coach Joe Morrone, who in the mid-1970s created the Friends of UConn Soccer booster club. That organization continues to bring in hundreds of fans and the university invests resources as well.
“Soccer is a major sport here, just like football and basketball,” Huskies coach Ray Reid said. “We have a full-time marketing person devoted to men’s soccer. … It’s the toughest place to play in the country.”
That marketing person, Paul Pendergast, said there is a base of 1,500 to 2,000 fans who will attend almost every Huskies game. His job is to try and double that figure by attracting new fans.
UConn, however, is an exception. Few schools have an established core of fans and even fewer have the school’s level of marketing support.
Many coaches, therefore, end up doing the marketing along with their players.
In the 1970s, Jerry Yeagley’s players would drive a convertible around campus an hour before game time, rallying students with a bullhorn. Although the athletic department provides much more assistance in promotion now, Yeagley still makes his players work for attention.
“I think if the players are actively involved in recruiting the crowds, they are more appreciative of them,” said Yeagley.
The Demon Deacons have drawn well since Spry Stadium was built in 1997, but Vidovich has found the local community to be easier to attract than students. One of his more successful ideas was to invite all the clients of a local orthodontist’s office to a game and treat them like VIPs.
Most coaches agree students are the toughest group to mobilize, including Stanford’s Bret Simon, whose players took the initiative of making humorous video commercials that could be sent by mass e-mail to their classmates. In one, teammates belted junior defender George Michalopoulos with soccer balls while he claimed to be building his toughness.
Simon believes special seating with cover from the elements and better concession access would encourage season-ticket and advance sales.
“I don’t think people will come to a soccer game just to get a free scarf or pizza,” Simon said.
St. Louis, which is similar to Indiana and UConn in its long-standing support, saw student interest revived when the team returned to campus in the renovated Hermann Stadium. The school permitted bonfires before a few night games this season to draw students.
“I wouldn’t say that our crowds are particularly loud or rowdy, but the St. Louis community considers itself pretty knowledgeable about soccer,” said Doug McIlhagga, director of athletic communications. “We rely on the students to get people revved up.”
McIlhagga said the Billikens’ success this year has produced a higher level of excitement. Southern Methodist coach Schellas Hyndman attests that winning is essential to drawing bigger crowds. Following a trip to last year’s College Cup with an undefeated regular season sparked new levels of media attention for the Mustangs.
“We are getting so much coverage that our budget for promotion could never afford,” Hyndman said. “Having this kind of fan support makes the players feel more appreciated and gives them the incentive to go hard for 50-50 balls and win for the fans.”
Fresno State is an anomaly because it has experienced success in the stands without great success on the field. Coach Dave Chesler believes a primary factor in his team’s high attendance figures is its commitment to the youth soccer community.
“Marketing is not something you start in August when you show up, it’s something you do year-round,” Chesler said. “Our results have been fairly average over the past few years, yet our attendance has gone up. … It’s work. You put just as much work into marketing as you do into coaching.”
Men’s Division I
ATTENDANCE LEADERS
(in average fans per game)
2000
| UConn | 2,772 |
| St. Louis | 2,392 |
| Wake Forest | 2,278 |
| Indiana | 2,020 |
| South Carolina | 1,925 |
1999
| St. Louis | 3,037 |
| UConn | 2,423 |
| Indiana | 2,324 |
| Duke | 2,255 |
| Wake Forest | 1,725 |
1998
| Fresno State | 2,716 |
| Clemson | 2,488 |
| UConn | 2,416 |
| South Carolina | 2,040 |
| Indiana | 1,932 |
by Soccer America Associate Editor Will Kuhns