TCU's challenge with Amon G. Carter Stadium

Mack Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram here at Amon Carter Stadium where on Saturday TCU will host West Virginia starting at 11 a.m for its homecoming game. Homecoming, that means this place will be packed, right? Probably not. One of the real challenges that faces TCU in this era of college football is filling up its home stadium for football games and in fairness to TCU, most college athletic departments are going through the same struggles. It's hard. TCU's Amon Carter Stadium has a seating capacity of a tick over 46,000, but filling it up has been very, very challenging, even though this is a fantastic place to watch a football game. I've been fortunate to see college football games at every major venue in the state of Texas, and this is as good as any. The sight lines are great. It's clean. It's convenient. It's fantastic for families, and on a great game, it's a wonderful atmosphere, but that doesn't mean filling it up is easy. People don't want to go to games and sit in a bad seat. They want club seats. They want a great seat. But if they're going to sit in a bad seat, it better be a big time game. TCU West Virginia is not a big time game. As a result of all of this, TCU's Amon Carter Stadium has the distinction of having something that is unique to all other sports facilities here in Dallas-Fort Worth. I'm going to guess that seat right there, that one right up there on the top corner. It may offer a great view of campus and the downtown Fort Worth skyline. It is the most infrequently used seat at any major sports facility in DFW. The reality of it is, since TCU renovated this stadium after the 2011 season and finished it for the start of its first year in the Big 12 in 2012, this stadium has been full about seven times. Not announced sellout, not announced sellout. I'm talking full, every seat, including that one in the top corner, occupied. The usual suspects? Yep, they filled it up. Oklahoma, Kansas State, Texas twice, Arkansas, and most recently, the University of Colorado. Colorado is the last time TCU had a full house. That was the first game of the 2023 season, its first game after it appeared in the national title game and more importantly and the biggest reason why the place was full it was Deion Sanders first game as head coach at the University of Colorado and that day a record 53,294 people packed this place for what was a phenomenal atmosphere and a really fun day of college football. TCU West Virginia might be a great game but just don't expect to sell out.