Is Fan apathy setting in?

And it doesn’t change often.

 

I agree with you about the right coaches. Disagree with the pressure at FL. Regardless of the pressure to win, the coaches we hired just straight up stink.

Got a little bit of a spark with the Urbs and Mullen hire, but the guys either burned out, got lazy, or went through a mid-life crisis in the middle of their tenures

 

The only cure for fan apathy is winning. Mediocrity in the product put on the field results in lack of interest and empty seats. Fans have too many interests competing for their time to put up with year after year of sub par Gator football teams.
The new college football world of NIL deals and the transfer portal have turned college football into a semi-pro sport. That fact leaves little room for sentimentality. Win or die.

 

Your last statement hits the nail on the head. I think we underestimate the significance of sentimentality over the years. The 6 football seasons I experienced as a UF student were some of the worst in our history thanks to Doug Dickey, yet I never missed a home game when I was there. We basically sucked, yet we rolled out every Saturday to cheer on our Gators and scream at the other team - and pretty much filled the stadium. That kind of loyalty (or sentimentality) doesn’t exist today - pretty much in our society as a whole.

Yes winning will put more butts in the seats, but it’ll never be what it was

 

Yeah, we pack the stadium last year for a horrible team

 

To me, blame starts at the top. Our overall athletic department is slowing sinking under Stricklin. He's not a leader and doesn't know how to build winning programs. The ones that are still winning are doing so because of the coaches and staff already in place. Football is the engine that drive the train, with men's basketball #2 in prominence. Both programs have floundered under the current leadership and until we get a new Athletic Director, we will continue to slouch towards a Mississippi State-like athletic department.

 

Well, I guess I would have to know your reasoning for why you think it's necessary, and exactly what you mean by a house cleaning.....surely not because we lost an NIT basketball game

 

Because nobody is acknowledging his incessant whining.

 

Well, we let the coaches in both those sports go because of a difficult seasons (I'm curious what you think the hoops record was last season and what your definition of "losing season" is)....so I'm pleased they made a change when it became necessary.
There is no overall decline in athletics.....UF has remained a top 5 national athletic program and is well positioned to continue moving forward. Financially we remain strong AND this admin has vastly improved facilities (something that everyone on these boards was losing their minds about for years). And there are ongoing facility enhancements to keep us well positioned in that regard and maintain a strong balance sheet.
If there is a failure to adapt to NIL it is our cheap fanbase. The only thing holding us back is people getting off their wallets instead of whining. I mean, you do understand NIL is wholly funded by non-UAA sources right? If you actually talk to the people that are largely funding our efforts they are behind SS. To house clean because of NIL UF should get rid of you and me...the fans

 

What is this “failure to adapt to the NIL” of which you speak?

 

It’s possible — the boy is highly emotional

 

Perhaps you know nothing of the plan they did have and what really transpired to derail that plan.

 

Sorry, you don't get to establish the criteria for NCAA all sports rankings

 

Somebody doesn't understand the rules.
By the way, why aren't you out there putting together and funding these deals rather than wasting time here on the boards? Seems counterproductive to your expectations.