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.”