The football team is winless, but students are still showing up to support the team.
Mark Koson, director UNM ticketing services, said 3,419 student tickets were distributed for the Texas Tech game last week. He said 12,270 season tickets have been sold this season, a decline from the 15,054 sold last year.
The Lobos’ drop-off on the field has not led to a drop-off in ticket sales, Koson said.
“We thought we had a good crowd. We had a really nice walk up. We have smart fans,” he said. “We lost big to Oregon, but a lot of teams in the county would have lost by a lot.”
More than 1,200 tickets have already been distributed for the home game this weekend against Utah. Traditionally, most students pick up their tickets late, a ticket office employee said, and the total should meet, if not surpass, last week’s total come game day.
“Support the school … I had a lot of school spirit in high school, and I would like to keep it up, even though we suck,” student Jovanni Garcia said.
The remaining home schedule should provide plenty of entertainment to bring fans to the seats, despite how the team is playing.
“UTEP always brings in a lot of fans from El Paso, and TCU could be 10-1 or 11-0 when we play them at the end of the season,” Koson said.
Koson also said the Oct. 22 matchup against San Diego State should draw a crowd interested in seeing the return of former head coach Rocky Long.
Student Bailey Thompson said school spirit is important to keep up in times of adversity.
“I never attended any sports games in high school,” she said. “But I want to do it in college for the experience, so I don’t leave school and wish I did a lot more to make school fun. When you get involved, it encourages you to like school.”
Garcia said she had to convince her friends to go to the Texas Tech game, but they enjoyed themselves and plan to go to the next game.
“I like the student crowd and the people around us; it was very fun,” she said.
Still, student Keith Lucero said if the tickets were not free, students might not fill their section in University Stadium.
“The Lobos are awful and I’m not into it,” he said. “I wouldn’t try to go if I had to pay. Their record is sad, and it’s a lot of money.”
Still, other students, including Valeene Lynch, said they have too much on their plate to attend a game.
“I don’t have the time. I only went to one game,” Lynch said. “I would rather spend time with my son or hang out with friends.”
Koson said a struggling team can affect attendance.
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“That is a concern not only on the college level, but Major League Baseball and the NBA,” he said. “If you are a football fan, whether Lobo or college football, people should come out for at least one of the six home games we have this season.”
