In Reply to: If I were the coach, my first loyality would be to my team. posted by ej on August 26, 2025 at 14:07:24
I think the athletic department need both winning and fan engagement.
To some extent, they go hand in hand, but teams like Kansas, Kentucky, and Duke have jam-packed arenas whether or not their teams are good.
Lots of mediocre Big Ten teams have great fan support.
A great home environment creates a buzz around the program that you cannot get any other way.
I don't think that is totally the product of a great OOC home schedule. For even the best UCLA home games, there are season ticket holders who don't show up and don't even bother to try to sell their tickets.
Overall, I think the problems with fan engagement are a lot worse on the football side. Part of it is the years of mediocre teams, but it doesn't fell like Coach Foster is really trying to engage the fans.