[LUVol]

Ok I just realized that all the students will be leaving on Friday the 19th for Thanksgiving break so there will be nobody on the student side for a HUGE game and it is also Senior Day. Then if we host a 1st round playoff game that will be the next weekend and most students will not come back till that Sunday!

[01LUGrad]

We've been anticipating this all season. Some people here tend to think that the potential playoff game will be well-attended anyway. I am skeptical, but I hope they are right.

[sheppard]

that is sad, hope we get the chance to have a playoff game and the students attend

[Rooster Cogburn]

Which is why we will bid hard for a bye. BUT WE HAVE TO WIN OUT FIRST.

[From the class of 09]

I know I enjoyed having a week off for thanksgiving when I was in school but isn't this a bit long for thanksgiving break? I think that it is kinda silly that the students have a week off that close to the end of the semester. Do other schools typically have a full week off?

[Chris Lang]

You can't bid for a bye. You're either going to be in the group of bottom eight teams or the next group of seven that get byes, but you can't bid on that.

[Rooster Cogburn]

I stand corrected. Sorry.

[Schfourteenteen]

You can't bid for a bye. You're either going to be in the group of bottom eight teams or the next group of seven that get byes, but you can't bid on that.

Something in my gut says if the Committee can swap team 12&13 to make more money, they'll do that.

[Chris Lang]

Certainly. And if swapping teams 12 and 13 make for a better geographical fit in terms of travel, I could see that happening too. I'm just saying you can't bid on a bye itself. But an attractive bid might help you get there.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Certainly. And if swapping teams 12 and 13 make for a better geographical fit in terms of travel, I could see that happening too. I'm just saying you can't bid on a bye itself. But an attractive bid might help you get there.

That's what I meant.

[From the class of 09]

Yep, possibly the two biggest games in school history, and they will be poorly attended. Hopefully the crowd that is there is intense.

PS- I watched NC State/Florida State last night and noticed how NC State sings their alma mater at the end, like a lot of schools do. It got me thinking, would it help to get students and fans to stay until the end if we had SOME SORT of tradition that was made to be a really big deal that occurred after a game, win or lose? It doesn't have to be the alma mater...just something. Thoughts?

Fireworks anyone?

[LUconn]

Yep, possibly the two biggest games in school history, and they will be poorly attended. Hopefully the crowd that is there is intense.

PS- I watched NC State/Florida State last night and noticed how NC State sings their alma mater at the end, like a lot of schools do. It got me thinking, would it help to get students and fans to stay until the end if we had SOME SORT of tradition that was made to be a really big deal that occurred after a game, win or lose? It doesn't have to be the alma mater...just something. Thoughts?

Graduation was the first time I had ever heard or knew we had an alma mater.

[Kricket]

Traditions are good, but it seems like it'd be a tough thing to fabricate.

[LUnpretty11]

BYD, I agree with what you're saying. I get the feeling that about 50-75% of our students look at the football games with the attitude of, "Eh, I guess I get to go to the game today". Instead of, "YEAH! I get to go to the LU game today!! For FREE!". Until it changes to the latter, we who are the latter will be disappointed.

[SuperJon]

There may be a smaller crowd, but it'll be a more intense crowd. Look at the Elon game in 08. There were only 8000 people there but it was our loudest game of the year because it was 8000 people who were there for the game.

[LUnpretty11]

There may be a smaller crowd, but it'll be a more intense crowd. Look at the Elon game in 08. There were only 8000 people there but it was our loudest game of the year because it was 8000 people who were there for the game.

I was a part of the student side for that game. SJ, you're 100% correct. Those that want to be there will be there, and will be as loud as humanly possible.

p.s. 8,000 seems a little generous. I though it was more like 4-6,000?

[SumItUp]

After my last trip to Tuscaloosa a couple of weeks ago for homecoming there,

Were you a student at Alabama?

[Kolzilla41]

I agree. It plagues our institution. I just feel like we have a university full of takers. No one (or few) feels a sense of responsibility or duty to our school. After my last trip to Tuscaloosa a couple of weeks ago for homecoming there, I've been thinking about the atmosphere a lot, and why it is the way it is. That's just my feeling at the moment.

Two completely different cultures. The "South" is all about football. Plus, Alabama has won 13 NC's in their hundred year history. We've had maybe 14 winning seasons in almost 40 years and never made it to a playoff type of game. It's gonna take a while.

[olldflame]

If the students have the entire week of Thanksgiving to be at home, and then have Christmas/semester break just 2 or 3 weeks later, IMHO it's really not a lot to ask for them to come back a couple of days early for a game. I'm sure many of them will disagree. The ones who care will come, the ones who don't, won't.

I think the school should consider offering tickets on the student side at a very deep discount to any local student high school or below.

[Kolzilla41]

I'm sorry, BYD, i should have clarified my answer. Liberty has experienced recent success under Rocco but other than that, its been almost decades since the program was good. I agree it is disappointing. As far as N.C. State, they were playing a very notable FSU team, ranked in the top 16 and it was on ESPN. I bet if you look at other games this year, the attendance numbers might show something much different.

[Kricket]

I agree BYD, Liberty is a unique school...no reason to not have unique tradition as well.

[From the class of 09]

Winning consistently solves all our problems. Also we have to keep it in perspective. When you look at a school like Alabama the culture has been established over generations. LU is just starting to see second generation (me for one) come through the system. And it will take longer for there to be enough numbers to form a culture that you see at bama. I mean where was LU 20 years ago as far as enrollment? Where was LU as far as D-I athletics? To build culture like that it takes time, although the best accelerant is winning. I agree that the students and alum could do a better job supporting our teams but before I'm too critical just remember that our school is all of 40 years old. Bama was established in 1831 they've had a while to build up the tradition (and as mentioned winning does seem to help things too).

[From the class of 09]

Give us another 40 years and I see us being a BCS power. Again the culture will change with time and I still would wager a big chunk of those bama fans are raised (look at the parents) in the culture not just immersed in it as freshman.

[PAmedic]

Give us another 40 years and I see us being a BCS power. Again the culture will change with time and I still would wager a big chunk of those bama fans are raised (look at the parents) in the culture not just immersed in it as freshman.

most kids grow up WANTING to go to the Penn States, USCs, Alabamas, Texas-essss, etc

FEW, if any- grow up WANTING to go to LU. That will change- but for my generation and, I suspect, many of todays students- MOMMY and DADDY SENT them there.

that has a lot to do with the lack of committment you see

[PAmedic]

I should have also clarified that I'm speaking from personal experience.

I was a total dee-bhag and embodied much of the apathy we all see from a different perspective now

I regret wasting many years with that attitude

(now I'm just an arrogant jerk but my attitude is better)