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As a fan of all things UTEP, University of Texas- El Paso for the casual fan, it is easy to get lost in the noise surrounding the program and put fandom on cruise control. If the team gets blown out, has a bad season, didn’t sign the local player, etc., it is much easier to simply sit at home and “cheer” from afar nursing the feelings of personal anguish. Yet, in times of perceived struggle or difficulty, we as fans need to make our presence felt stronger than ever to ensure we are still generating the multiple forms of revenue desperately needed from every football game. I am simply talking about the Fan Revenues.
The top form of revenue generated from a fan is actual FINANCIAL REVENUE from tickets sales, merchandise purchases, food/beverage at games and more while one actually attends the football games! Holy cow is this just common sense on the impact it has for our Miners. All proceeds go to support salaries, scholarships, travel, training supplies, venue upgrades to the Sun Bowl or practice field, fun fan events before games and so much more. This stuff does not magically fall out of thin air Miner fans. Fans can’t complain about not having certain upgrades or amenities if we do not have the funds to actually pay for it.
MORALE REVENUE is a desperately needed commodity at UTEP. The negativity that exudes from an empty Sun Bowl and pure nonsense posted on social media by the thumbprint warriors is enough to scare away potential fans and certainly recruits. Our players deserve better as well; they are still kids/young adults in the end. Win or lose, they are busting their tails to exectue a game plan for a Miner victory. They are NOT playing to lose! So no matter what, be the beacon of positivity and support the program both online and in person. Cheer loud for them and turn the Sun Bowl in to a deafening place for opponents to play. A packed house is the biggest sign of thanks to a player and a coach that their city is behind them. THEY WANT TO PLAY FOR A SOLD OUT CROWD!!!!!!!
Lastly, we turn to one that smaller programs or struggling programs lose sight of big time when the fans disappear in the, RECRUITING REVENUE. When the football team is hosting a prospect, that young man is looking and listening to everything! They can see and understand the upgrades made to the Sun Bowl for fans to enjoy and all the great additions made to campus for the academic success to continue. However, we should NEVER let them have to fantasize about what it means to play for a large crowd while sitting in an empty Sun Bowl. At the end of the day, these recruits want to play in front of a full stadium with the raucous cheers of El Pasoans preparing them for battle! As they make their decision on where to sign, one must believe that crowd support plays a huge role for a few potential Miners. So we must show up and leave no doubt that we as fans are behind them.
I have always been told that if your team wins, the fans show up. We are currently 6-3 on the season. Outside of the +31,000 that showed up on October 6th for the UTSA game, Miner fans have sadly lost sight of the impact their physical presence bears on the success of our program. Our football team is bowl eligible for the first time since 2014 and yet we struggle to surpass 30% of Sun Bowl capacity for home games. We can sell that stadium out for Monster Jam that packs up and leaves once their event is over but not our home town team? I really can't fathom the rationale behind it but each person can make their own decision on what to spend their money on.
In conclusion, to the diehard Miner fans that show up on gameday consistently and cheer their hearts out, THANK YOU! The players and coaches see you there and are beyond thankful. Heck, even the parents of the student-athletes are thankful as we have recently seen expressed via social media! And to the ones on the fence, I hope the next home game is the one you watch in person so you can experience firsthand how you positively impact the program’s finacial revenue, increase the morale revenue of the current team, and aid in support to assist in the recruiting revenue for those prospects in attendance or watching on tv.
Picks Up and Go Miners!
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