Some College Football Fans Question LSU Fan’s Loyalty

(Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - LSU may have a problem, and it has nothing to do with the team's play on the field.

If you are familiar with college football, you know that other teams and fans have always known LSU as an intimidating place to play football, especially on a Saturday night. However, that intimidating factor may be slowly eroding from inside LSU Tiger Stadium.

I recently attended the LSU-South Carolina game in "Death Valley," and I couldn't help but notice the numerous empty seats in the stadium after halftime. Like many, I just figured that the lines were long at the restrooms or concession stands, but that may not have been the case at all.

As the third quarter approached its end, the empty seats never filled, and as a matter of fact, I noticed more seats empty as the fourth quarter began. Let me note that as fans departed from Tiger Stadium, LSU was only up one possession, and it was still anyone's game to win.

So, why are LSU fans leaving Tiger Stadium early, when games are still within reach? The oldest, and perhaps best, excuse from fans is that they are trying to avoid post-game traffic. And yes, traffic around campus is a nightmare after an LSU game, but is there more?

Others say that with so many television timeouts, the games are dragging and fans are losing interest, and that may be so. After all, we've seen baseball implement things to speed up the game because fans were losing interest and leaving.

Jokingly, some LSU fans party too hard during the day, and by the time the game reaches halftime, fans are exhausted or just done for the day, and that is a fair assessment. I mean, have you seen tailgate parties on campus during game day?

Whatever the case may be, while sitting in Tiger Stadium last weekend, it just didn't feel as intimidating as it had in the past, and fans are taking note of that. LSU fans do seem to stick around for big games, such as when Alabama, Ole Miss, and Florida are in town. However, the stadium is often 30-40% empty at the start of the fourth quarter for other games, which is undesirable.

Now, let me be fair here, attendance in the second half at LSU games isn't just an issue in Baton Rouge; it's being discussed across the country. Fans are either not showing up for games or they're leaving the stadium early. Whatever the case may be, college football needs to figure out how to attract and retain fans at games, and that may not be an easy task.

LSU hosts Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium in a few weeks, and I anticipate that the stadium will be alive. However, what happens if either team gets up by two or more possessions? Will fans make a quick dash for the exits again?

Let's wait and see. And let's see if LSU is as intimidating a place to play as some make it out to be, and should be.

Here's what some fans are saying on social media about LSU fans leaving early and their experiences in Tiger Stadium.