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SPORTS
Attendance at Marshall games down 6 percent
HUNTINGTON -- Bottom line, winning equals increased attendance throughout athletics, college or professional.
Marshall University, coming off four straight losing seasons, has seen its average attendance for four home football games this year drop to 23,183. That's about 6.4 percent lower than its average of 24,766 for all home games last season.
Its most recent home game, a 27-7 win over UAB on Oct. 24, drew just 18,878 fans, a Joan C. Edwards Stadium low dating to 2001.
Now, the Thundering Herd heads into its two final home games of the year following a devastating last minute loss at Central Florida last week. That makes attendance an underlying storyline Saturday when Marshall (5-4, 3-2 C-USA) hosts Conference USA East Division rival Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2). Kickoff at Edwards Stadium is 4:30 p.m.
"It'll be real interesting to see what the attendance will be based on coming off a last-second loss and based on playing another good football team," Marshall Athletic Director Mike Hamrick said. "Southern Miss has been a good program for a long, long time ..."
Hamrick is working through his first football season at the post. Gradually, the Marshall graduate is absorbing a feel among Thundering Herd fans.
The Herd's regular season wraps with consecutive home games -- against Southern Miss and the following Saturday against SMU -- and a road test at UTEP. One win secures bowl eligibility; a seventh victory assures the first bowl bid since 2004.
Hamrick, meanwhile, remains in evaluation mode regarding attendance.
"Obviously winning is important," Hamrick said. "Who you're playing is important obviously. When you play is important, as far as the time of day."
Hamrick, to-the-point, then added, "It needs to improve. It needs to increase."
An uneven economy certainly doesn't aid season ticket sales efforts. Marshall totaled about 11,000 this season, slightly down from last year. Recent losing seasons have factored in, but lessening entertainment dollars also have forced some Marshall fans into tough choices.
Despite that, eight of 12 Conference USA teams are enjoying increased attendance compared with last season. C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky it's difficult to take a snapshot of attendance in one year, but he's pleased overall with the popularity of conference programs in tough economic times.
"We're feeling pretty good about our game attendance," Banowsky said. "We view our increased attendance as very positive and (television) ratings are up for our games. A lot of people are tuning in -- otherwise they're buying a ticket."
He also talked about the importance of home-and-home non-conference series as a factor in how many fans show up at the stadiums.
"I'm very encouraged with Mike Hamrick and the series he's scheduled with Louisville (along with previously scheduled home and away series with Ohio and Virginia Tech). You're going to have one of those games each year and they should be well-attended.
"From a distance I observe Marshall doing things the right way. They didn't get a break (in the last week's dramatic 21-20 loss at UCF), but the kids are fighting and they're still in a position for a postseason bid.
"They have an opportunity and now is the time for fans to rally around the program and give that support in November where people not only go to the home games but the bowl game."
Saturday's game against Southern Miss features both Military Day and Youth Day promotions. Military service members, including police officers and fire fighters, can purchase $15 tickets. Youth football players wearing their jerseys also can attend for $15.
"The economy is rebuilding and if we run the table we can be 8-4," Marshall ticket manager Aaron Goebbel said. "This could be a defining moment where a program coming off such a tough loss at UCF and was able to run the table and win a bowl game.
"It could be a defining moment and that's the way everybody here is looking at it.
"We want to take a negative and turn it into a positive."
