Attendance at Ohio University home opener games has fluctuated over the past six years.
A rivalry divided Gwynn Stewart’s family Saturday night.
The 1991 Ohio University alumna attended Saturday’s game against Marshall with her family — all of whom are Thundering Herd fans.
“These games have become a family get together, like an annual thing we do,” Stewart said. “I’m excited to see the band.”
Stewart was one of 25,210 people who packed into Peden Stadium to watch the Bobcats pounce the Thundering Herd, 21-10.
This year’s home opener had one less fan in attendance than the 2014 home opener against Idaho, where the Ohio won 36-24.
“While a rival like Marshall brings even more excitement to the opening game, historically we have drawn well, no matter the opponent,” Michael Stephens, senior associate athletic director of external operations, said in an email.
Saturday’s game saw the fourth largest crowd in Peden Stadium history, Stephens said.
Chris Hall, a 2009 OU alumnus, took Kimber Herron, a junior studying early childhood education, to her first OU football game Saturday night.
“I had to show her her first game day in Athens, and it had to be against Marshall,” Hall said.
Herron said her first OU game was “cold” and “exciting.”
Hall is also a graduate of the Marching 110 who played the trombone.
“You always love seeing (the band) and the hard work that they put in,” Hall said.
He said he enjoyed being in the stands after spending four years on the field marching.
“This other perspective is kinda nice after all those years of hard work,” Hall said.
OU has seen attendance at home openers fluctuate over the past six years. The Bobcats saw a spike in home opener attendance in the year immediately following their first bowl game victory in the 2011 season.
Regardless of the previous season, Stephens said the team can always expect "the best fans in the MAC" to turn out in force for the first game.
“The opening game is always an energized crowd that is excited about the start of the season,” Stephens said in an email.
Students dawned their dark green and white attire Saturday afternoon to show their Bobcat pride.
“I’m super pumped for the first game. This is a build up for homecoming and I get to come with my friends,” Stephanie Cech, a sophomore studying biology and environmental studies, said.
While some fans head for the exit after halftime, that is slowly starting to change.
“Over time fans have begun to stay longer and for the most part, have stayed for the majority of the game,” Stephens said in an email. “Our hope would be that this trend continues, and we will do our part by making the games as entertaining as possible.”
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