Right now, Rutges has jumped well ahead. So, the answer: no, we are not talking about right now. First off, I was referencing the results on the field as well as the fanbase. Secondly, we were talking about the development of a fanbase over time. The 100 year head start for Rutgers and also a long history for Pitt haven't given these schools an in-built advantage over UConn. Over the last decade (until your expansion) the schools were even. UConn sold out in a rainstorm against Murray State! So we had our Norwich St. too. The fact you've jumped now does not speak to a historical development of a fanbase. You had 43,000 fans in 2011. You've jumped from there. Presumably, your 100 year head start should have given you a bigger lead over a school with an 8 year history. Instead, it was a 5k lead.
Here's a link to the prior period:
http://realanalytics.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/rutgers-football-attendance-stats-y-o-y/
Interesting comment:
….What’s the point of providing statistics if the data is false? If you went to the games you would have seen that Rutgers embellished their attendance numbers nearly every week after their first game. For a number of factors Rutgers hasn’t been able to sell out all year long (weak opponents, Friday night games, unmet expectations…) but it’s in the best interest of Rutgers’ football program to inflate the ticket receipt numbers to justify their recent stadium expansion.
If you didn’t go to the games and didn’t know about the invisible fans that’s another thing, but then why do a study on it? RU’s attendance numbers are skewed on purpose and are not factual and that isn’t to say your statistics are incorrect… but I will say that the stats you provided don’t show the actual picture of RU 2008 to 2009 football attendance-
I would love to know what the true attendance bump was from 2008-2009, but Rutgers released those numbers solely to justify their stadium project. I know that has nothing to do with you, but why even use those numbers if they’re obviously wrong.
Then there's this guy:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ight-will-always-struggle-to-maintain-fanbase
Rutgers Football: Scarlet Knights Will Always Struggle To Maintain Fanbase
I'm not saying UConn is better. UConn has gone from selling out 40k to struggling. Thanks Pasqualoni!
There's also the unmentioned big factor. Football revenue. How much do you charge for tix?
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/despite_success_on_the_field_b.html
Despite $30m in direct institutional support from the academic side, your AD was still even with UConn in revenue. UConn does the same thing, but only to the tune of $10m a year. There used to be a $20m funding difference between the schools, and it favored UConn. Presumably, that's a measure of fan interest. I can't see any other way to account for it. Now that you're in the Big10, it will be impossible to do such comparisons in the future (since the TV take between RU and UConn will be entirely different) but I imagine you guys are going to do much much better.