There is a solid core of about 45,000 fans that will go to LSU football games regardless of the accomplishments of the team because it is their passion. The other half of a potential sell out crowd comes from a group that the program has got to attract through the vehicle of success. Give this group of about 45,000 customers something else better to do and they will do it. If LSU is winning football games, competing for SEC titles, and going to bowl games there is absolutely nothing more entertaining in this country than the atmosphere around Tiger Stadium before, during, and after home games. With this being said, it is unfair to blame the diluted nature of the aura of Death Valley on its customers.
Fans are a bi-product of a program in today's modern era.
Far too many uneducated observers seem to believe that the program is a bi-product of the fans. The second trinket of blame has been placed on the moving of night games to the daytime. Not being a very superstitious person, I am not going to dedicate too much of this column to this theory. People point to LSU's record under the lights at Tiger Stadium as opposed to its mark during the day as proof positive that the Tigers play better with the artificial sunshine. With this being the only solid statistical data to support this one has to realize that LSU does not play Cal-State Fullerton, North Texas State, or Western Carolina in the daytime.