The secret is out. The boys in Westwood have a pretty good thing
going.
This seems to be the sentiment shared by the national media as
the college football world has started to give the Bruins positive
coverage, wondering if Karl Dorrell is finding his way. ESPN,
Sports Illustrated and just about every other major sports outlet
have started paying attention to UCLA football.
The only people left to convince might be ““ the Bruin
fans.
Indeed, it might seem strange that the pundits would jump on a
team’s bandwagon quicker than the loyal fans of that very
team. It’s usually the other way around.
But given the fact that the Bruins have an aggregate record of
9-3 in their first four games the past three seasons, only to
fizzle in the tail end of the season, the UCLA fanatics might be
reserving their excitement for a few more weeks.
“We can’t really worry about whether or not our fans
doubt us,” strong safety Jarrad Page said. “But we feel
like we’ve got something going and we definitely want the
fans to come along. It’s a new year, a different feeling in
the locker room.”
With a perfect record and their swagger intact, the Bruins know
that each game during conference play matters, and that the
presence of an increased attendance and a loud cheering section can
sway momentum during the middle of a game.
“It’s a huge difference to have all the campus
behind us,” Page said. “It shows at the games. If the
other team makes a mistake, the crowd gets louder and momentum
builds.”
Quarterback Drew Olson, who has seen his play escalate to an
All-American level these past few weeks, scoffed at the idea that
the Bruins might have a letdown entering their game against
Washington, which is projected to finish at the bottom of the
Pac-10 in the preseason media poll.
Olson noted that “it’s a conference opener,”
and they would prefer to see all the fan support they can get.
“We cannot wait to get the stadium packed,” Olson
said. “That is the best atmosphere to play in.”
“It means so much to us and the coaches to have that
support. We need to have an ‘SC-style home game, where the
stands are packed, every week. It makes that much easier for us,
and that much harder for our opponents.”
While nobody will dispute the significance of an outpouring of
support for the team, few know exactly what kind of buzz will be
felt around campus once the student body is back in session.
“Talking to fans, we get the feeling like they are about
ready to really jump on the Bruin bandwagon and come out and get
behind this team, but there’s still some skepticism because
of the last few years,” said Marc Sawyer, president of the
Bruin Den.
As the head student executive of the Den, Sawyer produces
several programs around Westwood that are designed to reach out to
the student body in hopes of creating a strong sports
community.
“There are a group of hard-core fans who will come to the
games and root for the team win or lose,” Sawyer said.
“But what really defines a fan base is the thousands of extra
seats we can pack at the Rose Bowl and get the crowd
going.”
The past two seasons illustrate that the presence of students
back on campus after classes start does, in fact, boost attendance
figures as the student section more than doubles. However, the
relative size of the student section does not increase attendance
by the tens of thousands needed to fill up the Rose Bowl.
“Getting people at the Rose Bowl, to the games, is the
best way to see what kind of attention we’ve garnered for the
team,” said Cassidy Moore, assistant director of marketing
for UCLA athletics. “And the best way to do that is to market
a winning football team.”
Aside from the Bruin Den, the marketing department is the
primary source behind the promotion of UCLA athletic programs.
According to Moore, it’s a responsibility that is focused
toward getting people excited about Bruin football in a city where
there are many alternatives to attending a football game.
“In Los Angeles, there are so many things to do,”
Moore said. “When people live in an international city by the
beach, we have to give them a reason to spend money and time on
UCLA.”
For instance, the attendance for the UCLA-Oklahoma game was in
excess of 55,000 in large part because of the traveling section of
the Sooner fans. Oklahoma is located in the town of Norman as
compared to UCLA’s home of Westwood.
“The location of Western Los Angeles does change the buzz
for our teams because they compete with every pro sports team and
the city,” Moore said.
Another possible roadblock for UCLA football is the location of
its stadium. Pasadena, the location of the historic Rose Bowl,
which has been a local fixture for nearly a hundred years, is 28
miles away from Westwood.
While USC also vies for public attention in the same city, the
Trojans do play literally blocks away from campus at the Los
Angeles Coliseum.
“With the L.A. traffic, we know it’s tempting for
students or any Bruin fans to just watch the game and not make the
drive,” Moore said.
Whether or not the Bruins can successfully compete with the
other public attractions of Los Angeles remains to be seen. Either
way, an increase in fanfare is always welcomed.
“There is definitely more of a crowd when the students are
in session,” Olson said. “The students stand up, and
get a little crazier.”
“Everything is a little more excited on campus; we just
want to keep the excitement going.”