By Cade Kennedy, Sports Editor
As the fall sports season ends at Northwestern, I begin to wonder about how much can change in one season.
That thought brings me back to a column earlier this year I wrote about how we need to support our teams. Based on the results that I have seen, it seems that you agree as well.
The largest improvement came with attendance for volleyball games, as an average of 272 fans showed up to watch games at Percefull Fieldhouse. While our attendance is nowhere near the top of the conference, the fact that we had 126 more people watching volleyball games shows that we can make improvements and create a better atmosphere.
Volleyball is not the only sport that saw improvements, as the soccer team had an average of 91 people watching their games. One of those games stood out to me, as 157 people watched the Lady Rangers play Harding on Oct. 1. If we can get that kind of support for every single game, then we could have a chance to lead the GAC in attendance.
While that may not seem like an accomplishment for some people, the idea that we potentially could fill a stadium could entice some athletes to come to Northwestern and help improve our program. You need an advantage in every aspect of your program, and having a great atmosphere starts with filling a stadium.
While volleyball and soccer have shown improvements in attendance, football has seen the exact opposite. Only 2,275 people attended football games this year, which is a stark decline from last season. In 2021, 2,917 people showed up to Ranger Field to watch games, meaning that an average of 642 people decided to not show up to games this year.
I understand that not everyone can attend games, but when that many people decide not to show up, it can become a problem.
What does that say about our programs when seemingly no one wants to watch them?
We must do better when it comes to promoting our teams. Think about how many people show up to our games with little promotion. If we had more energy towards getting people to games, our programs would be better off.