Is Fan apathy setting in?

I’d say it’s just you but between buying teams and lack there of, I think college football is taking a downturn in general. I don’t expect UF to even have chance to compete with the big boys for a couple more years, it’s not terribly interesting at this point. I’ll probably go to a game or two but that’s all the games worth traveling for. Maybe I’ll go to Arky and fsu if we show positive progress.

 

How many factors (NIL, transfer rules, changing rules of the game to name a few) make it harder to remain an avid fan vs. the factors (fan loyalty & not much else) that make fanhood worthwhile? I realize this sounds gloomy & doomy, but this day's game calls for excellence or an easy pass for fans.

 

I think what you're seeing is real. Winning will reduce apathy.

 

Agree. I’ve lost interest in games since NIL, collectives and money grab, but I think it is the frequent ability to transfer from college to college that has left me most disappointed. Watching starters transfer elsewhere for money has been a deal breaker for me.

 

The second part of your post is the real answer.

People use NIL, transfers etc as excuses. But the reality is fans want wins.

Win games and the stadium will sellout, win games and interest will return, win games and the fans will forget about and even cheer NIL and transfers at Florida.

 

If that’s completely true, why don’t many of us watch the nfl anymore? It’s true the nfl has done well to replace many of the fans they lost but many quit watching over the years.

 

I have no idea why many won't watch the NFL, top athletes at the pinnacle of the game. The NFL is full of good dudes, I have interacted in my career with many. I just know there are plenty of fans that claim CFB is dead and they're done but will be back here next season, cheering the Gators and extension, CFB. They will be talking with their buds about the games, etc.

Winning cures apathy. We see it in every fan base. Take FSU as an example, we made fun of them for their down years and empty stadiums. They start winning this year and the stands fill and all is well and the future looks bright.
The same will be said for UF. Billy goes 8 or 9 games and the stands will fill and there will be buzz. Lagway shows up next year and Billy scores a few big time transfers (with NIL money) and fans will cheer.
Winning cures apathy.

 

I was there last year and tge stands were full. There’s only a few games next year that interest me though. Our home schedule is pretty weak. I use to watch the nfl but over the years I’ve lost interest. I can’t speak for others but I know why I don’t watch. When it became more about the money and individuals and less about the team and winning, I gradually lost interest. When winning became more important than integrity, I lost interest. When the name on the back of the jersey became more important than the name on the front, I was done. If Tim Tebow can wear an FSU jersey , I can’t watch. College wasn’t that but the nfl was. That’s why I moved my allegiance to college. As a younger man, I loved the nfl much more than college. I don’t think it had to do with my age but what I believed I was watching. I thought my players despised their rivals just as much as I did. Now, they just go a play for their rivals. The day Terrel Owens joined the cowboys, the guy that got knocked off the Cowboys star, I was appalled. Timmy would never join FSU right? I dunno in this day and age, maybe it’s only about the money now too. Fans are different today. Many are fans of players instead of teams when it comes to pro sports. I guess if you’re a Labron fan, that says it all.Who cares what team wins, they care if their player wins.

 

As for me… I’ll watch the Spring Game with great interest, and I’m looking forward to the beginning of next season… can’t wait really.

But with everything happening in college football… the NIL, recruits going to the highest bidder, to mention a couple things, I’d rather live my life with peace and happiness. I tune out whatever is unnecessary abuse to my mind (that includes many things besides some football stuff).

However I’m all for the Gators, love the Gators big time, and look forward to - “let the games begin”.

For me - “once a Gator fan, always a Gator fan”. Go Gators!!!

Doing what I can to be patient.

 

Yes, I believe some interest is decreasing, especially for spring practice and O&B game.

I used to eat that stuff up. But with the spring game during the week now, I don't have any interest in it. For a few years that game has been nothing really because we didn't have enough players to do much with.

With the immediacy of social media and cell phones, practices have become more locked down and less accessible to fans.

There has been some debate here about the impact of NIL. yes, winning helps, but NIL in my opinion is making a big impact on fans.

 

Bingo. College football and basketball has become a money grab.

The traditional difference between professional sports and college was the commitment to play for love of game. For most, the money would come later.

Now, the bromance is dead.

It's like a new relationship after a divorce. It's become a business transaction.

 

What’s there to be angry about right now? I’m pretty interested in spring practice, is there a thread with all the updates?

 

There will be just as many eye balls watching the game, when they suit up and play, as there’s always been. The “apathy” is the losing interest in how the sausage is made. Whether it’s NIL, the transfer portal, the dozen conference realignment models that no one likes, abhorrent off field behavior with different punishment standards (if any) …the off season has become too gross to follow. Especially to those who used to enjoy it. But when they line up and play, different story.

 

“Different story” but not as intense as it used to be. At least for me

 

I think fans of college football itself are far less invested while the fans that remain and new fans will mostly be fans of points and shiny teams. It will be much like the NBA where players that score points do what they please since the average NBA fan has never touched a basketball and doesn't know what a travel is, let alone a lane violation or illegal screen.

These type of fans don't care about the team, players or coaches so if you're not winning and scoring lots of points you'll be in trouble as an organization.

 

It all started on a foggy Saturday night in December 2020... pigs didn't fly, but shoes did.

 

Well now, let's review:

Institutionalized Cheating has been happily approved by the University Presidents and the NCAA, oh and BTW, little to no rules about the depth of cheating.

Jerks like the dude from Miami wave big dollars in front of kids and off they go.

The conference is realigning to expand, to make more money, destroying traditional schedules and rivalries.

Fans are now being advised that, if you want your team to recruit and compete, pay up.

Players transfer out if a coach is not satisfied with effort and makes a kid run sprints. Dayum coach, I can't do no extra running, I quit, that interferes with my social media time.

College is now the NFL light with free agency (transfer portal).

The concept of amateurism has been obliterated.

Jason Rashada situation

Destruction of bowl concept. Means nothing anymore, players won't even participate.

Powers at be dont give a shit about the students or most Americans. Its all tailored to the luxury box seat crowd now. Just like the NFL, forcing the everyday Joe out unless the cash wad is thick.

And on and on and on.

I do like UF and collegiate sports but I am disgusted how the folks in charge have turned it into a rat race about money.

 

I would say that apathy is setting in in a variety of reasons. If we want to put a face on the "UF" version, it is plausible to say that Foley saw that football was getting ready to swallow the entire athletic system and chose to feed it prudently rather than open up the frig and let it do what it wanted. As of now, we have a stadium which is essentially land locked and so expanding it to 100,000 seats isn't doable. At least not prudently. Basketball was a backwater who hit a home run with Donovan. But as we should all realize, it was (still is?) the modern version of boxing - a vehicle for poor athletes to become wealthy. And to attract a bunch of parasites who want a piece.

Now we have the NIL and the concept of buying players with impunity. This also includes niceties such as shiny new facilities. We can definitely say that we are behind the trend, but we still seem to have embraced the "prudent" model that Foley built. Having two newly minted major college head coaches right after several less-than-desired candidates (football especially) isn't helping. I would call it fatigue rather than apathy. No one can say where it will end - even the elite coaching hires are not guaranteed to succeed to the fans' expectations - but all we can do is to have some level of faith until we decide it isn't working.

 

Meh