Fans have not filled Amon Carter Stadium to the brim since Sep. 16, 2006 when the Horned Frogs beat Texas Tech 12-3.
On Tuesday, head coach Gary Patterson called for the TCU community to support his team as it worked toward an undefeated season.
“It’s not all on the shoulders of the team,” Patterson said. “(Fans) need to get themselves out. It needs to be a loud crowd … There needs to be a home-field advantage.”
The athletic department lowered prices of unused seats on the visiting side of the stadium from $35 to $20 in an effort to draw more fans.
One way a group of Frog fans have decided to help raise attendance is to make a donation to Purple People Seaters, a group that helps at-risk youth, and brings the children to TCU football games.
SpitBloodTCU.com, a blog that focuses on TCU sports, is encouraging its readers to donate to Purple People Seaters so more youth will be able to be in attendance Saturday.
Although the idea to donate to Purple People Seaters started with Patterson’s call to the fans, Thomas Fincher of SpitBloodTCU.com said it is not just about football.
“If we can fill the seats (and) it costs $25 and you’re making a kid’s day, it has motivated a lot of people to help out,” Fincher said. “It’s helping two causes, but first and foremost we’re helping out underprivileged kids around the Metroplex.”
Purple People Seaters pays $25 for each youth to attend a game. The price includes a ticket, a Horned Frogs T-shirt, a hot dog and a Coke. Robert Costas founded the organization and started bringing youngsters to football games before the 2007 Texas Bowl.
“I really feel like I was making a bigger impact than I could have with the small amount of money I had on my own,” Costas said.
He said he expected to bring 30-40 kids to the game against UNLV Saturday. The ultimate goal would be the final home game against New Mexico, because Saturday is short notice for parents and he hoped that the game against Utah would sell out on its own.
“The great thing about Purple People Seaters is that it bridges the gap between TCU and the community,” Costas said. “It is a small step in bringing the four corners of Tarrant County together to support TCU.”
With road wins in front of big crowds at Virginia, Clemson and BYU over with this season, Patterson said his team enjoys playing in front of rowdy crowds.
“When we play in front of those kinds of loud crowds, whether they are yelling for us or against us, we have played … at a high level,” he said. “If we can get that in the next five games, you are going to see a very good TCU football team.”
