( 0 Votes )
One of the reasons there was a coaching change late last year was because attendance at Youngstown State football games had steadily been declining over the past decade. It was common to see crowds of 18,000-20,000 fans when Jim Tressel was head coach in the 1990s, but as the numbers show, that was not the case under Jon Heacock. Due to dwindling crowds at Stambaugh Stadium, Athletic Director Ron Strollo was forced to make a change in order to stop the bleeding and to brings fans back down to the campus during Saturdays in the Fall.
Below is the average football attendance history over the past eight seasons at Youngstown State football games:
There is no denying that the community, thus far, has been very supportive of Coach Wolford, his staff, his team, and his overall attitude he has brought to the Youngstown State football program. Since Youngstown is notorious for being a football town, expectations are high for Coach Wolford as he looks to return Youngstown State to the championship tradition they were so accustomed to in the 1990s. Although 75% of local sports fans on MyValleySports.com say they are more excited about Youngstown State football due the coaching change, everyone is still wondering if that newfound excitement will translate into a noticeable change at the gate.
So Penguin fans, will the coaching change bring back fans to Stambaugh Stadium this season, and if so, how noticeable of a change will it be? Vote in the poll and comment below.
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23 August 2010
One of the reasons there was a coaching change late last year was because attendance at Youngstown State football games had steadily been declining over the past decade. It was common to see crowds of 18,000-20,000 fans when Jim Tressel was head coach in the 1990s, but as the numbers show, that was not the case under Jon Heacock. Due to dwindling crowds at Stambaugh Stadium, Athletic Director Ron Strollo was forced to make a change in order to stop the bleeding and to brings fans back down to the campus during Saturdays in the Fall.Below is the average football attendance history over the past eight seasons at Youngstown State football games:
| Year | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Average |
| Attendance | 17,174 | 16,004 | 14,670 | 14,037 | 15,159 | 16,149 | 14,497 | 14,054 | 15,218 |
There is no denying that the community, thus far, has been very supportive of Coach Wolford, his staff, his team, and his overall attitude he has brought to the Youngstown State football program. Since Youngstown is notorious for being a football town, expectations are high for Coach Wolford as he looks to return Youngstown State to the championship tradition they were so accustomed to in the 1990s. Although 75% of local sports fans on MyValleySports.com say they are more excited about Youngstown State football due the coaching change, everyone is still wondering if that newfound excitement will translate into a noticeable change at the gate.
So Penguin fans, will the coaching change bring back fans to Stambaugh Stadium this season, and if so, how noticeable of a change will it be? Vote in the poll and comment below.