COLUMN: Gymnastics success demands more fan support
For four consecutive years, Central Michigan gymnastics has proven it’s the best team in the Mid-American Conference.
Four MAC championships and its current spot at No. 19 in the nation prove the Chippewas deserve the designation. The women competing on Sunday against rival Kent State are one small step away from Olympic caliber gymnasts.
Now it’s about time the Chippewas have the best fans in the MAC.
CMU gymnastics has a history of finishing in the Top-25 in the rankings, but the average attendance numbers remain far below other schools in the nation.
The last time CMU's average home attendance was in the Top 25 was 2002. This year, the fan showing is mediocre, averaging less than 546 spectators per event compared to last year’s more than 708.
If there was ever a time to change that, this weekend would be it.
The Golden Flashes take on CMU Sunday for what head coach Jerry Reighard said will likely decide the MAC regular season champion.
KSU was picked to win the MAC over CMU this year and are 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the MAC. The Chippewas are a step ahead at 9-0, 3-0 in the MAC.
This is the matchup of the year in the conference.
Reighard said the fans at KSU made very unfriendly hosts.
They were obnoxious, and the Chippewas lost. Now it’s your turn, CMU fans, to return the favor.
In a sport where there is no defense, and the only way to win is to get nearly-perfect scores.
For a KSU team that has had more than 2,800 fans at two of their home meets already this year, a few hundred people won’t be rattling.
We believe in the Chippewa faithful. All of the varsity sports have picked Sunday for their athletes to attend and Reighard expects many RSO’s to challenge their members to attend.
Plus, it’s the first time two Top 25 teams have faced off in McGuirk Arena in years.
And of course, there are always t-shirt cannons.
“These athletes are here to entertain you,” Reighard said. “A lot of people pay big dollars to go to Cirque du Soleil. This is very close to what you’re going to see. We’ve got no pools of water, but we certainly have the acrobats that will entertain.”
There’s no doubt the Chippewas will be entertaining. There’s no doubt they will be competitive.
CMU gymnastics, as it stands, is the best team that the university has the pleasure of calling its own.
Although women's basketball is also undefeated, it seems like their support is growing with continued success. On Dec. 18, they tallied 3,793 spectators.
Gymnastics shows no signs of slowing down. Even with ranked opponents, CMU has not faltered.
A No. 19 vs. No. 25 matchup is what the conference should be all about. The programs are two of the best in the nation and are lucky enough to be division rivals.
Their national ranking, undefeated season, the biggest MAC gymnastics rivalry and an undefeated MAC record thus far deserves the respect and attendance of more students and fans.
The only question left is, can they get the fan support they deserve?
