UTSA Football: Will the Roadrunners Break South Florida's Attendance Record?

How impressive would it be for UTSA Roadrunners football to have a smashing success in the form of a record-breaking opening game sellout? It would be an extraordinary accomplishment for UTSA.

The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce realizes how remarkable it would be. They’ve joined forces with former Minnesota Vikings and Spurs owner, local business tycoon and resident pep rally cheerleader Red McCombs. When The Chamber gets involved, it generally leads to big business.

The coalition also features Bexar County’s Nelson Wolff, Juan Castro, UTSA president Dr. Ricardo Romo, athletics director Lynn Hickey and head coach Larry Coker—all featured on the FOX Sports Southwest reality documentary series UTSA Football – The Birth of a Program. You'll probably enjoy watching.

In the segment aired last Saturday, it was revealed that the coalition hopes to break the modern attendance record for an FBS (NCAA Division-I) school’s first football game. 

According to goUTSA.com (linked below) and goUSF.com, South Florida holds the modern record.  It was set during their program’s first game on Sept. 6, 1997 when  49,212 people witnessed the matchup against Kentucky Wesleyan at Tampa Stadium.

Since UTSA is the second largest UT school in the system with 30,000 students, plus faculty and random beer drinkers—I mean fans stationed in a football town, sorry Spurs fans—I’d say the chances are extremely good for the record to fall and each home game to sell out.

It will be very close. I expect upwards of 50,000 at every single home game. This weekend, the Alamodome could be full once again, and it’s been what seems like almost forever since that has taken place, paraphrasing the mayor from his interview in the FOX series. 

Like Castro happened to point out during the documentary, it's all good for the local economy.  Thanks to UTSA football, business activity on the River Walk will surely increase, and maybe a light rail system to transport people to and from the home games will come about.

I believe UTSA could double the big number of season tickets already sold this year by the start of next season. I also believe cheering for yet another local team can rally the community to become even closer. This thing is really big, but everything is said to be big in the prideful Lone Star State of Texas.

In Hickey’s words: “In San Antonio, you don’t just have a party, you have a fiesta. You don’t just play in a stadium, you play in a dome.”  Those are useful words to live by.

The Alamodome will be put to good use in trying to house some 65,000 college football fans, tailgaters and other interested parties in what will be a historic day for the city this Saturday.

If any historic town deserves a new major college football team in this nation more than the Alamo City, then I’d gladly like to know where it is. If any one of my readers has any knowledge about that, then please gladly let Lake know. 

Yes, I speak in third person quite often, but I often write like three people, so I hear.

Enough about me. It’s all about the UTSA Roadrunners upstart football program—a science on the rise.

The stellar research institution and its friends put their collective thoughts and knowledge together and didn’t just hire a coach to lead their fledgling program. UTSA hired a Division-I national championship coach, and he’s been a draw to some of the best football talent in the area.

All eyes will be on him and his team to see if they can break the attendance record, and if what he’s been teaching his players translates to the playing field. If they perform well in the first game, I suspect it will translate to more season ticket sales. 

The football program has already generated tremendous excitement on campus and in the San Antonio community. A story posted at goUTSA.com states it all:

“We have sold almost 10,000 season tickets and expect right now more than 45,000 to attend the first game,” Hickey said. I believe she's being modest.

“We appreciate The Chamber helping to sell the remaining 20,000 seats. We hope that all businesses will join Mr. McCombs in his effort to complete the sellout of all 65,000 seats. In Red’s words, ‘Let’s fill ‘er up!’”  Red is, of course, Texas proud.

Prediction

The Roadrunners will break the first football game FBS/Division-I attendance record by selling out the Alamodome. UTSA will also win the game, 31-17.

What do you think? Let us know. Comment or contact Lake at [e-mail].