‘A lot of people in red and blue.’ TCU’s Patterson not happy with crowd for SMU game
TCU coach Gary Patterson expressed disappointment in the home crowd during Saturday’s 41-38 loss to crosstown rival SMU at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
“To be honest with you, the crowd left after halftime,” Patterson said. “They want us to come back and win, but I was not very happy with the crowd at halftime. I saw a lot of people in red and blue that were down lower than what they should have been. So I asked that question, ‘How they got there?’”
TCU has been making a conscious effort to boost home-field advantage this season. The university started selling beer to the masses at football games, eliminating its once popular in-and-out policy.
Part of the thought process of selling beer and eliminating the in-and-out policy was to create a better atmosphere after halftime. In previous years, fans lingered at tailgates in the nearby parking lots rather than returning to the stadium.
TCU is only two games into the new policy, and will have a better idea of how the beer sales impacted home-field by the end of the season. But Patterson wasn’t pleased with the results from the SMU game, which drew an announced crowd of 41,250.
TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said it’s always disappointing when TCU fans sell their tickets on the secondary market, rather than ensuring their seats are occupied by fellow TCU fans.
“We have two initiatives in place for those to donate tickets to kids in the local community and veterans that we will continue to educate them on,” Donati said.
TCU fans responded on social media, blaming the football team for the poor attendance. The Frogs trailed 31-17 at halftime, and never took the lead despite staying within striking distance and having an opportunity to win late in the game.
One TCU fan responded to Patterson’s comments on Twitter, writing: “TCU fans expect a better product than what they got in the first half. They deserve it, too. Imagine thinking you were about to watch 30 more minutes of that level of play? Yeah I probably would have left too.”
Wrote another: “We as fans were pretty disappointed on what happened on the field!”
And another: “TCU’s down by 15+ people will leave. TCU’s up by 15+, people will leave. We just don’t have that many die-hard fans. It’s an unsolvable issue. Unless it’s a close game or a big name school, it’s more of a social engagement for a few hours than a football game. Sad reality.”
Austin American-Statesman columnist Cedric Golden chimed in: “Where the fans were sitting is the least of his problems.”
TCU (2-1) opens Big 12 play on Saturday. The Frogs take on the Kansas Jayhawks at 11 a.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 4:52 PM.