If You Luck, er, Lock Them In They Will Stay Home

WVU Athletic Director can do no wrong in the eyes of many.  The old guard are still in thrall to his days as player when he and then-new coach Don Nehlen led WVU out of the dark ages with new uniforms, a new logo (the now-ubiquitous flying WV), a new stadium, and at least a puncher's chance of competing.

Those who know Luck only as a sports business executive praise his hiring of go-go offensive wunderkind Dana Holgorsen and his deft maneuvers through the college conference minefield as guided WVU to a soft landing in the prestigious Big 12.

Luck disapproved of frequently-sparse 2nd half attendance as the masses returned to the Blue Lot to enjoy additional refreshments.  And so he banned the longstanding practice of issuing passouts i.e. allowing ticket holders to exit and return at will.  His brain wave was fourfold:

1) Keep people in the stands by banning re-entry
2) Sell alcohol in the stadium to stifle protests against access to tailgate supplies
3) Claim that it was an attempt to control consumption
4) Turn alcohol into a nice little earner to pay the aforementioned offensive wunderkind and his staff

For a season and a half it worked a treat.  Alcohol sales brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars and the cameras didn't advertise the fact that 'loyal' fans were absent late in games, regardless of opponent.  Most fans drank in moderation.

But 2012 has been a season of two halves.  A spectacular 5-0 start and national media attention in the form of poll rankings and Heisman Trophy hype for QB Geno Smith have been replaced by a 5-game losing streak and lots of head-scratching by coaches, players, fans and media alike.

Meanwhile, the grand in-stadium booze experiment has gone off the rails.  Overconsumption is now a regular occurrence along with a surprising and unprecedented number of shouting and shoving matches in seating sections where previously genteel season ticket holders are in the majority.  Despite University police, state troopers, and security flunkies glowering into the stands, many are uncowed and freely express their displeasure in hands-on fashion with those seated nearby. 

The prohibition against re-entry has, in delayed fashion, convinced many that, if the game isn't fun and the tailgate inaccessible, it's not worth the bother of fighting traffic to and from the game on Morgantown's inadequate road system.  The team's on-field implosion will be blamed but those making such excuses ignore the fact that college football bluebloods like Oklahoma coming to town for the first time still failed to draw.

West Virginians are independent-minded.  Montani Semper Liberi is not just a Latin phrase on a flag.  Cut them and they will bleed - but more likely they will take steps to avoid being cut in the first place.  The tailgate and stadium experience has been monetized while being devalued.  Fans are voting with their feet.  West Virginia football is still an unending topic of conversation throughout the state but that no longer equates to a full house.

Oliver Luck can stop them leaving but he's powerless to force them to attend in the first place.  Will this cold hard reality penetrate the shell of hearty self-congratulation at Mountaineer Field?