Nebraska Football: Colorado spring game attendance is cute … or sad
Considering that the Nebraska football team’s spring game tends to either sell out or come darn close, it can be hard to remember that near-capacity attendance is not the norm for other college programs. Case in point:
The Colorado Buffaloes.
The Buffs are touting the fact that they’ve sold 30,000 tickets to their Spring Game to see the first squad under new head coach Deion Sanders. That number isn’t terrible, but it’s certainly not all that impressive when you’re a Nebraska football fan and used to seeing 70,000+ tickets to the spring game get sold.
What makes the number of tickets CU has sold this year more noteworthy is that they’re actually charging $10 a piece after giving them away for free in years past. Oh and when they were giving those tickets away for free, it took them seven years to get someone to take 30,000 tickets off their hands.
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=592265686109859&set=a.386991666637263
You read that right.
Colorado has already sold more tickets to the spring game this year than they gave away in the last seven years combined. So it makes sense that the Buffaloes are very proud of what they’ve managed to do this spring. It’s just also a little bit sad.
It also helps explain why there is so much excitement around Deion Sanders. It’s also why when people like Dylan Raiola are blown away by the dedication by the Nebraska football fans, it really means something.
I’m sure Colorado fans will come back with claims the spring game attendance is indicative of there being nothing to do in Nebraska and plenty to do in Boulder. Which … fine whatever. But the fact of the matter is that there is a big reason why the Huskers are one of the most storied programs in college football history, and Colorado is very much not.
Dedication to a program helps that program. Especially through the lean years.
Right now, the Buffs fans are very excited about where they think their program is going. But what if it doesn’t go there? Will spring game attendance slip down to a couple a thousand a year? History says it will.
Meanwhile, Nebraska football will keep nearing capacity for a glorified practice. And that’s why guys like Dylan Raiola will see past the slogans and recruiting pitches, to the fan base and program underneath.