September 17, 2012
Okay, Hilltopper fans. Now it's your turn.
WKU did its part beating Kentucky last weekend. Your part comes this Saturday.
You want to support coach Taggart and the Tops? Go to Saturday's home game against Southern Miss.
You want to see the Hilltoppers play in a bowl? Go to Saturday's home game against Southern Miss.
You want coach Taggart to stay at WKU beyond this season or the next? Go to Saturday's home game against Southern Miss.
Because this deal does not work without you.
You cannot support a college football program from a distance. And that's what is happening right now at WKU. The Hilltoppers' season opener drew just over 16,000, at least that's what WKU announced. The school may have sold that many tickets, but I'm guessing there were less than 16,000 fans inside Houchens Smith Stadium. And I don't want to hear the excuse that it was supposed to rain. There was a chance of rain when the Tops played at Alabama. And guess what? The stadium was full. And that does not include the masses that were on campus just to tailgate.
The point is, if you say you're a big Hilltopper fan, and you do not attend Saturday's game, have a legitimate excuse. You would be hard pressed to find better ticket prices at just about any college football stadium at a FBS school.
As you may have noticed, coach Taggart's stock is rising quickly. And as long as the Tops keep winning, it is only a matter of time before a BCS school comes calling. With each passing season, It will become harder and harder to keep Taggart around. The money to pay him will have to come somewhere. And 16,000 fans per game will not get it done.
Who knows? Maybe Taggart will stick around another longer than I suspect. After all, WKU is his alma mater and as he has put it many times, "Western is in his DNA". But the time will come when an offer is too good to refuse.
WKU Football was once a hard sell, and understandably so. It is not a hard sell anymore. And after winning, what I believe, the biggest game in school history, I cannot fathom a better time than this Saturday to show your appreciation.
The school would never say this publicly, but anything less than a sellout this weekend would be a colossal disappointment.
So the ball is in your court. What are you going to do with it?
