On a glorious mid-autumn afternoon in the Big Country, Shotwell Stadium is the place to be.
The bleachers are uncomfortable; the sound system is nearly inaudible and scattered purple banners try to make us forget the Wildcats play in a high school stadium. But there is still something special about ACU football.
It’s charming when half the stadium sings the alma mater and the other half hums because they only know half the words. Crowds of 10,000 provide a level of intimacy not found at larger schools.
But as fans we can do better. We can be a better pep squad, cheering one of the nation’s best teams to victory. Rally towels, thunder sticks and purple foam fingers that no one can figure out how to hold are a start, but not enough.
Home-field advantage means more in football than any other sport. Loud, rambunctious crowds can be a huge advantage for the home team – but not always.
During Saturday’s game, the Wildcat faithful were as loud as I’ve ever heard them when Midwestern State was on offense. Loud crowds can be a nuisance for offenses who can’t hear audible calls from the quarterback, and subsequently botch a play or flinch offside.
The loud crowd at Shotwell caused several Midwestern mistakes, which should have been a huge advantage for the ‘Cats. The problem is, the crowd was just as loud when the Wildcats were on offense.
It’s great that fans are loud, but quit blowing the conch shell when ACU is on offense, and quit banging the sticks together when ACU is trying to call a play.
Cheering after a huge pass from quarterback Mitchell Gale or a big run from Darrell Cantu-Harkless is great, but not before the play.
When the Wildcats are forced to call a time out because the team can’t hear over the crowd noise, home-field advantage is mitigated and equally disadvantageous for both sides.
ACU averages some of the largest crowds in NCAA Division II, which can be a huge advantage. We as fans can go a long way in making Shotwell Stadium one of the most notoriously difficult places in the nation for Division II teams to play.
Let’s keep it up Wildcat fans. Saturday’s rowdy crowd was undoubtedly an encouragement for the team, and football without fans is meaningless. But let’s be an asset and not a liability. Let’s make opposing teams fear Shotwell Stadium.
