IU coach Bill Lynch said to WIUX he will attempt (more than ever) to get students to pack the Rock in 2009.
Attendance was definitely an issue in 2008. The averge crowd at Memorial Stadium fell between 20,000-30,000. Students, specifically chose the tailgate fields instead of the game. Maybe that's not surprising? But to make matters worse, the students who actually showed up only stayed for the first half.
Lynch said his staff and players will promote the program to frats, sororities and campus residence halls. It's a little late, but I'm sure IU Athletics Director Fred Glass told him fans need to support this football team now more than ever.
During the season, I wrote a column on Lynch's little involvement on campus, in particular, with the student body. Lynch has spoken to classes, but his public presence still, in my mind, is lacking around B-town. I do, however, acknowledge his vow to revive pigskin.
One pet peeve to end this post - Stop saying Lynch should act like Terry Hoeppner, Tom Crean or Felisha Legette-Jack. Lynch is different. His style is different. He motivates his players enough for them to have some incentive to win (trust me, the media has seen it at practice). It's whether the athletes respond is the question.
So, do you think Lynch will change up his approach? Do you ever see him on campus? If you were the coach of a declining team, how would you promote the program? How do you keep attendace at a premium?
