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Clearing up some misconceptions about A&M
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:44 am
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:44 am
There is the misconception that A&M has long had large-school resources. There is the misconception that historic rivalries were fought on the grounds of equal resources. And there is the misconception that A&M is not currently, in terms of fan base, on par with the more successful SEC schools. The following information should clear those up:
A&M's enrollment through the years (further, it was almost entirely male in 1971):
1971 14,684
1972 16,067
1973 18,410
1974 21,244
1975 24,876
1976 27,547
1977 28,833
1978 30,255
1979 31,331
1980 33,499
1981 35,146
1982 36,127
1983 36,846
1984 36,827
1985 35,675
1986 36,570
1987 39,079
1988 39,163
1989 40,492
1990 41,171
In the 25 years from 1971 - 1990, A&M was totally transformed from what was more or less a bigger version of the Virginia Military Institute into a large state school. All of this is more recent that most people realize. Until the 1980s, LSU would not even come to College Station to play us. If college football had big TV in the 70s, A&M would not have had a chance at playing in a major conference.
It takes a generation for those first graduates of the "new" A&M to fill up the alumni base, which hasn't quite happened yet (although it is close).
This explains why it is surprising to many people how it is possible that, when Nate Silver ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Silver ) wrote an article analyzing the size of the fan bases for college football, he got this ( https://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/the-geography-of-college-football-fans-and-realignment-chaos/ ):
A&M is very new money, so to speak. But it is what it is. As an Aggie, I hope we are able to tap the potential that our newly acquired resources bring, and very soon (it's already overdue!) We'll see.
(Edited to add the misconceptions that I am wanting to clear up).
A&M's enrollment through the years (further, it was almost entirely male in 1971):
1971 14,684
1972 16,067
1973 18,410
1974 21,244
1975 24,876
1976 27,547
1977 28,833
1978 30,255
1979 31,331
1980 33,499
1981 35,146
1982 36,127
1983 36,846
1984 36,827
1985 35,675
1986 36,570
1987 39,079
1988 39,163
1989 40,492
1990 41,171
In the 25 years from 1971 - 1990, A&M was totally transformed from what was more or less a bigger version of the Virginia Military Institute into a large state school. All of this is more recent that most people realize. Until the 1980s, LSU would not even come to College Station to play us. If college football had big TV in the 70s, A&M would not have had a chance at playing in a major conference.
It takes a generation for those first graduates of the "new" A&M to fill up the alumni base, which hasn't quite happened yet (although it is close).
This explains why it is surprising to many people how it is possible that, when Nate Silver ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Silver ) wrote an article analyzing the size of the fan bases for college football, he got this ( https://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/the-geography-of-college-football-fans-and-realignment-chaos/ ):
A&M is very new money, so to speak. But it is what it is. As an Aggie, I hope we are able to tap the potential that our newly acquired resources bring, and very soon (it's already overdue!) We'll see.
(Edited to add the misconceptions that I am wanting to clear up).
This post was edited on 7/31/12 at 9:08 am
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:48 am to Bose Ikard
quote:
1971 14,684
1972 16,067
1973 18,410
1974 21,244
1975 24,876
1976 27,547
1977 28,833
1978 30,255
1979 31,331
1980 33,499
1981 35,146
1982 36,127
1983 36,846
1984 36,827
1985 35,675
1986 36,570
1987 39,079
1988 39,163
1989 40,492
1990 41,171
Any of these female cheerleaders?
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:51 am to Bose Ikard
I'm not even sure what is going on in here.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:51 am to Mo Jeaux
What part was confusing for you?
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:52 am to Mo Jeaux
So the school has grown over the years? Cool, welcome to everywhere else.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:53 am to Bose Ikard
So y'all do or don't have a predominantly gay student body?
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:53 am to Bose Ikard
quote:
What part was confusing for you?
The point of the thread.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:55 am to Mo Jeaux
quote:
The point of the thread.
The point of the thread was to clear up some misconceptions about A&M. I can see how that was confusing, given the title of the thread.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:56 am to Pigimus Prime
quote:
So the school has grown over the years? Cool, welcome to everywhere else.
Can you find any other school in the country with even half as much grown as A&M during that same time span. It wasn't just growth; it was whole scale transformation.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:56 am to Bose Ikard
Not sure what misconception specifically you're clearing up, but anyway.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:57 am to Bose Ikard
quote:
The point of the thread was to clear up some misconceptions about A&M.
But you did not answer Gnar Cat21's question.
This post was edited on 7/31/12 at 8:58 am
Posted on 7/31/12 at 8:59 am to TbirdSpur2010
There is the misconception that A&M has long had large-school resources. There is the misconception that historic rivalries were fought on the grounds of equal resources. And there is the misconception that A&M is not currently, in terms of fan base, on par with the more successful SEC schools.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 9:01 am to Bose Ikard
quote:
Clearing up some misconceptions about A&M
So what would they be?
quote:
Can you find any other school in the country with even half as much grown as A&M during that same time span.
umm...a growth of 12-13K (1/2 of the 25k) over 20 years, yes lots of them.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 9:01 am to Bose Ikard
quote:
Can you find any other school in the country with even half as much grown as A&M during that same time span. It wasn't just growth; it was whole scale transformation.
Central Florida:
1968 - 1,948
2011 - 58,698
Any more questions or misconceptions you need cleared up?
This post was edited on 7/31/12 at 9:02 am
Posted on 7/31/12 at 9:04 am to Pigimus Prime
Central Florida is the standard-bearer for incredible growth. Can you find another school that added at least 13,243 students from 1971-1990? Maybe you can. I'd like to see it.
See the post right above your post.
quote:
So what would they be?
See the post right above your post.
This post was edited on 7/31/12 at 9:05 am
Posted on 7/31/12 at 9:07 am to Bose Ikard
quote:
There is the misconception that A&M has long had large-school resources. There is the misconception that historic rivalries were fought on the grounds of equal resources. And there is the misconception that A&M is not currently, in terms of fan base, on par with the more successful SEC schools.
No one cares about your fanbases own self perceived misconceptions
Posted on 7/31/12 at 9:09 am to NYCAuburn
quote:
No one cares about your fanbases own self perceived misconceptions
Don't be shy. You cared enough to post.
Posted on 7/31/12 at 9:09 am to Bose Ikard
quote:
Maybe you can. I'd like to see it.
University of Phoenix
1975 - 0
2011 - 380,000
Posted on 7/31/12 at 9:11 am to Diamondawg
quote:
University of Phoenix
When you start resorting to naming online universities, you make my point for me!
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