Pete Lembo follows his team out of the locker room and immediately lifts his head up to scan the stands of Scheumann Stadium.
From left to right, thousands of fans are lined throughout every section of available seats. Students with their chests painted red and keys in hand ready for kickoff are as crazy as ever, cheering and shouting as the Ball State football team charges onto the field.
Unfortunately for Lembo, that scene has yet to become a reality.
Ball State only managed to average a home attendance mark of 10,032 fans throughout the 2011 season. While a slight bump up from its 8,947 average in 2010 - last among FBS schools - the 2011 average only filled 39.5 percent of Scheumann Stadium's full capacity of 25,400 seats.
But as the coach works through his second offseason as head of the program, that vision is still fresh in his mind.
Now more than ever, he's been able to work on creating a better atmosphere at football games, starting with student attendance.
"This time last year, it would have been hard to imagine being able to spend time on projects such as student attendance initiatives at football games, and yet this spring, I've been able to dedicate a lot of time to that because our foundation is in place in other areas," Lembo said.
Despite the increased attendance in his first year as coach, it's not enough for Lembo. His desire for better results next season started at the beginning of the offseason.
He said he worked with two immersive-learning classes this spring to discuss different concepts and ideas toward filling the stands with more students.
Lembo's goal was to incorporate students' perspectives into the plans.
He could not expand on any ideas created, saying, "I'd hate to say that X, Y and Z is going to get done before anything is official."
Lembo did confirm that the athletic department brought in a graduate assistant named Lauren Ross to "solely focus on improving student attendance at all athletic events."
In the last year, Ross worked with Late Nite.
"That was one of the reasons why she was an attractive candidate for that position," Lembo said.
These ideas don't just cover the upcoming season. Every decision by Lembo is centered toward building a foundation of high attendance for years to come.
"I'm excited to incorporate some of these initiatives this fall and beyond," Lembo said.
Read More
Ball State soccer's season ends with zeros on the scoreboard
By Meghan Sawitzke / 1 hours agoThe Cardinals close their season in a draw, finishing with a 7-8-3, 2-6-3 MAC record.
Competitive, physical, tough basketball: Ball State women’s basketball prepares for 2024-25 season
By Logan Connor and Elijah Poe / 13 hours agoThe Cardinals begin the season with two goals: A MAC Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.
A different team with the same goal: Ball State Men's Basketball is prepared for a new season with an updated roster
By David Moore , Zach Carter and Derran Cobb / 14 hours agoBall State Men’s Basketball tweaked its roster for the 2024-25 campaign – and has its sight set on a conference championship.
