quietfan 233 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 I'm not quite sure if this topic belongs here or another forum (Recruiting, Rivals, All Things Considered?), so Mods, feel free to move it if it belongs somewhere else: A comment in the recruiting forum got me thinking about the relative size of the Auburn/Opelika area vs the success of our football program over the years. I loved my time at Auburn, but I've always been a small town boy (...cue John Mellencamp theme music here). But my question: Is any other perennial football power (i.e., consistently Top 10-Top 20) located in a metropolitan area as small as is AU? Certainly Starkville is is tiny, but I wouldn't call MSU a "perennial football power". How large is the town of Clemson? How about some of the Big 12 powers from the relatively empty Great Plains, or northern Pac-10 teams? I would think in terms of attracting students without some of the entertainment options of larger cities, ease of airline connections, local fan base, etc., Auburn does amazingly well to remain competitive in a relatively small population base. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McWeagle 4 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Very interesting topic. The first one that comes to mind for me is Blacksburg. Va Tech is down right now, but they're still considered one of the big programs over the last 10 years, I would think. Morgantown/WVU is headed that way, but I wouldn't put them there yet. When I think of the Big 12, I don't get past Oklahoma, Nebraska or Texas. Austin is big, and possibly the hottest college town in the country outside of LA. Lincoln isn't huge, but it's definitely bigger than Auburn. No idea about Norman. Again, very interesting topic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcctTiger 0 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Clemson is smaller than AU.....and Norman is really not that big either.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerDad 0 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 I lived in Norman for 5 LONG years , it is small and there is nothing to do other than drive to DFW or Tulsa 200+ miles away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiescottie 1 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 Its an interesting topic, but I don't think it hurts us. Most big state schools are not located in big metro areas, and by that I mean a top 100 area. While Auburn is certainly much smaller than Tuscaloosa, I would say there's so much more to do there than Auburn. (It is closer to B'ham which some would consider a plus) Same with Gainseville, Tallahassee, Oxford, Starkville Fayetteville. Baton Rouge, Knoxville, Athens (just recently) Lexington are a little more sizeable. Very few schools with big time programs meaning money spent on the program regardless of recent won-loss success are located IN a big metro area. USC, UCLA, Texas, BC, Miami, Maryland, the Tobacco Road Schools, Rutgers, ASU, Washington, Northwestern, OSU all come to mind. As you can see, you get varying levels of success. The thing those schools DO have in common is a sense of campus, not just a bunch of buildings on city blocks. Schools like UAB, UCF that don't have as an established campus tend to suffer. So I would say its your campus' actual setting, not its surroundings, that matter the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsbold 70 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 from city-data.com AU/Opelika combined population = 66,000 Universities/Cities with lower population: Clemson = 12,000 State College, PA (Penn State) = 38,000 Blacksburg, VA (Va Tech) = 40,000 Norman,OK was mentioned above; it shows 95,000. Athens, GA is 76,000. There were a lot of college towns smaller than AU/Opelika but their football teams haven't been consistently relevent lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUman43 5 Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 I don't think it hurts us at all.............especially with the RIGHT people. For example, Mother plays a key role in where these players end up and she knows that the temptations and distractions are much less for her son or daughter in Auburn due to it's size. I also believe this plays into Tubs strategy for recruiting good kids with a good attitude. (I know there are exceptions) Tuscalooser lately has had an increase in crime and violence for example, as has other large cities. If I were a mom, I'd sure look closely at where my child went to school. We don't especially want those kids who are more interested in the nightlife than they are in getting a good education and playing the sport of their choice. JMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietfan 233 Posted May 21, 2008 Author Share Posted May 21, 2008 from city-data.com AU/Opelika combined population = 66,000 Universities/Cities with lower population: Clemson = 12,000 State College, PA (Penn State) = 38,000 Blacksburg, VA (Va Tech) = 40,000 Norman,OK was mentioned above; it shows 95,000. Athens, GA is 76,000. There were a lot of college towns smaller than AU/Opelika but their football teams haven't been consistently relevent lately. I had no idea the city of Clemson was THAT small. Is it a reasonable drive to Augusta, Charleston, or elsewhere for students looking for a little more night life, shopping, entertainment venues, or larger airports (like, say, Tuscaloosa & Birmingham)? Ditto for Penn State & Va Tech?Auburn/Opelika has grown tremendously since I graduated in 1976. But my friends and I had no trouble creating our own entertainment. We spent a lot of time partying at home or "in the woods"--Chewacla or trespassing on other private property in the boonies. (Are the sand bar/grass farm and/or old mill pond off Wire Road still there--does anyone know of where I speak?) We won't go into what sort of "chemical inducements" might have contributed to the good spirits, but hey, it was the '70's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthLink02 8 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I grew up in two big cities so when I choose UGA, it scared me thinking about living in a small town but I honestly loved it I think Auburn and Athens are the same.....I dunno.... Per Wikipedia Auburn Area - City - 39.6 sq mi (140.8 km²) - Land - 39.1 sq mi (139.1 km²) - Water - 0.4 sq mi (1.7 km²) Elevation - 702 ft (118-258 m) Population (2006) - City - 51,906 - Density - 954.8/sq mi (368.65/km²) - Metro - 123,254 Athens Area - Total - 118.2 sq mi (306.2 km²) - Land - 117.8 sq mi (305.0 km²) - Water - 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) Population (2006) - Total - 175,085 (metro) - Density - 851.5/sq mi (328.8/km²) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hccobb 0 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Interesting there SL, I wonder what the Auburn "Metro" Area is? By those numbers it's more than just Auburn/Opelika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcctTiger 0 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Interesting there SL, I wonder what the Auburn "Metro" Area is? By those numbers it's more than just Auburn/Opelika http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_Metropolitan_Area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoopie 6 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I grew up in two big cities so when I choose UGA, it scared me thinking about living in a small town but I honestly loved it I think Auburn and Athens are the same.....I dunno.... Per Wikipedia Auburn Area - City - 39.6 sq mi (140.8 km²) - Land - 39.1 sq mi (139.1 km²) - Water - 0.4 sq mi (1.7 km²) Elevation - 702 ft (118-258 m) Population (2006) - City - 51,906 - Density - 954.8/sq mi (368.65/km²) - Metro - 123,254 Athens Area - Total - 118.2 sq mi (306.2 km²) - Land - 117.8 sq mi (305.0 km²) - Water - 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) Population (2006) - Total - 175,085 (metro) - Density - 851.5/sq mi (328.8/km²) We investigated UGA when my daughter was applying for college. Many of her friends went to UGA, but she went elsewhere. Athens is close to ATL and even though only a little larger than Auburn/Opelika, has more of a cosmopolitan feel(big music scene). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxWarEagle 3 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Auburn and College Station are also in similar, but TAMU has more students. Town of ~80,000 Students ~45,000 The Aggies have been hurt recently in football due to UT's rise, and their poor hiring and recruitment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietfan 233 Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 Auburn and College Station are also in similar, but TAMU has more students. Town of ~80,000 Students ~45,000 The Aggies have been hurt recently in football due to UT's rise, and their poor hiring and recruitment. I prefer to blame it on too much inbreeding with uat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCWarEagle 0 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Interesting question and I think some of the previous replies gave a few good examples: Blacksburg, Clemson, etc (who knew Clemson was so tiny?) For further comparison, here is a chart from wikipedia that gives the population (and university size) of the SEC schools and the cities they are in (formatting got a bit messed up w/ the cut and paste, go to the link for more readable form) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_eastern_conference Institution Location (Population) Founded Affiliation Enrollment* Year Joined Nickname Mascot Eastern Division University of Florida Gainesville, Florida (108,655) 1853 Public 51,913 1932 Gators Albert and Alberta University of Georgia Athens, Georgia (111,580) 1785 Public 33,831 1932 Bulldogs Uga / Hairy Dawg University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky (270,789) 1865 Public 27,209 1932 Wildcats Blue / The Wildcat / Scratch University of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina (119,961) 1801 Public 27,065 1991 Gamecocks Cocky University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee (173,890) 1794 Public 26,400 1932 Volunteers, Lady Volunteers Smokey Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee (607,413) 1873 Private / Non-sectarian 11,607 1932 Commodores Mr. C Western Division University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama (83,052) 1831 Public 25,580 1932 Crimson Tide Big Al University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas (67,158) 1871 Public 18,647 1991 Razorbacks, Ladybacks Big Red / Tusk / Boss Hog / Sooie / Pork Chop Auburn University Auburn, Alabama (51,906) 1856 Public 24,137 1932 Tigers Aubie / War Eagle VII Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana (224,097) 1860 Public 33,587 1932 Tigers, Lady Tigers Mike the Tiger University of Mississippi Oxford, Mississippi (14,051) 1848 Public 17,323 1932 Rebels Colonel Reb Mississippi State University Starkville, Mississippi (22,638) 1878 Public 17,032 1932 Bulldogs Bully the Bulldog * Enrollment figures include both undergraduate and graduate students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietfan 233 Posted May 22, 2008 Author Share Posted May 22, 2008 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama (83,052) 1831 Public 25,580 1932 Crimson Tide Big Al University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas (67,158) 1871 Public 18,647 1991 Razorbacks, Ladybacks Big Red / Tusk / Boss Hog / Sooie / Pork Chop Metro Fayetteville (25 mile or so radius) seemed larger than metro Tuscaloosa when I visited. Adjacent to Fayetteville proper are 2-3 other towns housing the corporate headquarters for Walmart & Tyson Chicken with sizable populations. I'm not sure they were included in this total, but it could just be my impression at the time. [Or it could just be Wikipeda] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthLink02 8 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 We investigated UGA when my daughter was applying for college. Many of her friends went to UGA, but she went elsewhere. Athens is close to ATL and even though only a little larger than Auburn/Opelika, has more of a cosmopolitan feel(big music scene). I completely understand. I wanted so badly to leave Louisiana when I was choosing colleges because all my friends were going to LSU. I will pretty much push my kids out of whatever state I am in in hopes of getting them "out" of their circle. I say that now but if I live in North Carolina and they want to go to Duke/UNC, I may not have a problem with that I have told this story before....Auburn was the first college I visited and the first school to accept me. My mom still holds a special place in her heart for AU because you all were my first acceptance. Made her feel good knowing I was "in" a college. I remember taking that tour and standing on top of whatever building they brought us to and seeing your football stadium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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