As a senior, I can say that I’ve truly seen the best of times and the worst of times when it comes to Baylor football. However, while the football program has had a tumultuous past couple of years, I have never seen student attendance at games so low.
My first Baylor home game, I waited for two hours to run the Line and by the time I got into the stands, there was not a seat to be found in the Line section. I stood the entire game in the aisles and sang “That Good Old Baylor Line” with a full stadium. This year, I’ve been disappointed by the depleted student section at games.
Many students blame the weather for the mass exodus that has been occurring after the halftime show. The first three home games were played extremely high temperatures with significant humidity. Not to mention, most of the games have been scheduled during the hottest time of the day. Others leave because they think the winner is obvious by halftime and there’s no need to see how it’s played out.
While these are understandable reasons to leave early, they do not explain why the student section was so sparse for the Kansas State game in September. The temperature was in the ’70s and the Bears played great. Yet, while sitting on the home side of the stadium, I observed the student section was three-fourths empty at the start of the fourth quarter.
If it’s not the weather and not the score that is causing students to leave, I believe a significant amount of Baylor students simply do not have a sense of spirit and interest in the event itself. After last year’s disappointing season and seemingly constant reminders of the Art Briles scandal, some Baylor students and fans have lost loyalty and pride for the football team.
Baylor football games are still a vibrant and unique part of every student’s Baylor experience. You do not have to like the team, much less the sport, to still have a great time at a Baylor football game.
Baylor students are very blessed when it comes to their treatment at sporting events. Many schools require students to buy sporting passes, which do not guarantee them a seat at football games, and if they do get a seat, it’s usually in the nosebleeds. At Baylor, we get free admission to sit front and center.
In addition to the prime seating, football games provide an incredibly fun social setting to hang out with friends and meet new people. Even if you barely know what is happening on the field, you can have a blast talking and cheering with friends.
Instead of being flaky fans who only stay if the weather is just right and if the game is especially entertaining, students should embrace the unique college football experience Baylor offers and stick around to sing “That Good Old Baylor Line.”
