DE Assistant Sports Editor

If you build it, they will come.

For football teams in the Gateway Conference, the building is not a new stadium, but a winning season. There is a marked increase in home attendance for teams who have improved their records since last year.

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SIUC is probably the biggest example of this. In 1994, the Salukis went 1-10 and drew 8,420 per contest in five home dates. Through six games this season, the Dawgs are 3-3 and are averaging 10,800 in their three home games an increase of over 2,000 a game.

University officials passed an $8 athletic fee increase in May that allows SIUC students to attend all home games free of charge. Last season it cost students $2 to attend football contests.

Saluki head football coach Shawn Watson said the athletic fee increase is helping boost home attendance.

Winning, plus students getting in for free, has helped tremendously, he said. I think that (fee increase) was a good move by the administration, and I’ve said that from the beginning.

Watson also said he believes the positive attitude he has with his squad helped in increasing the team’s win total

There are two types of people in this world those that are positive and take adversity head-on, and those that are negative, he said. I think we’ve handled things pretty well.

The Salukis are not the only team enjoying success on both the gridiron and at the ticket counter.

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Eastern Illinois finished with a 6-5 overall record last season, and averaged 4,609 fans at O’Brien Stadium. This season, however, the Panthers have almost equaled their win total (5-1) with five games remaining on the schedule.

Just like at SIUC, Eastern Illinois University has proposed an athletic fee increase that would eliminate the 50 cent admission price for home football contests, as well as the home games of its other sports.

Eastern Illinois’ Athletic Director Bob McBee said winning is the key to attendance, no matter what students do or do not pay to watch the games.

It all comes down to winning, he said. It doesn’t matter if we let them in for free if we aren’t winning.

Just as winning is conducive to better attendance, losing has the opposite effect.

Both Illinois State and the University of Northern Iowa have less wins to this point in the season, and their attendance averages are down from last year.

Illinois State, coming off a 5-5-1 record in 1994, are averaging 6,576, as opposed to last season when the Redbirds drew 6,795 fans last year.

Although Northern Iowa’s record (3-2) and attendance (12,210) is down from last season’s totals, UNI is not hurting. The Panthers are coming off an 8-4 record and a near capacity (16,324) average crowd of 14,735 in 1994.

The Gateway Conference has a few teams, however, that defy explanation because they do not follow the trend of winning and losing on attendance.

Indiana State has won as many games this year than they had won all of last season and its average attendance has dropped 1,605 per game from 5,733 to 4,128. The Sycamores went 5-6 in 1994 and are 5-1 this season with five games remaining.

Then there are the cases of Western Illinois and Southwest Missouri State. Both teams have losing records this season, but have seen an increase in home attendance.

Western Illinois had an 8-3 season last year, and has followed it up with a 2-3 record after five games. Home attendance, however, is up 1,640 from 1994 to 7,060.

The situation in Springfield, Mo. is similar to that at Western Illinois, except the Bears appear to be on the way to another losing season. SMSU is 1-5 this season after posting a 4-7 in 1994.

Despite the encore performances on the field, Southwest’s attendance is up by an average of 3,460 per contest. The Bears packed in 8,929 a game last season, but to this point SWMS has attracted 12,389 through four home games in 1995.

Overall, the Gateway Conference’s attendance is up over last season’s average. In 1994, the conference teams combined for an average of 7,559. This season the seven teams have an average of 8,253, an increase of 694.