Tennessee State head coach Eddie George calls for more fan support

Tennessee State has already matched its win total from last season. The next goal for head coach Eddie George is to get fans of the program to buy into what he's building.

"We have a chance to go 5-2, we have a chance to have a winning record and a winning season and the people who are interested in watching us play will come out and support us and the people who aren't then so be it," George told The Tennessean.

"Some people may not agree with me being the hire here and that's fine. I'm OK with that. But it's not me that you're not supporting; it's these kids. These kids who get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and bust their tails to study, to practice and give the fans something to be excited about," he continued.

George accepted the Tennessee State job in April 2021 after initially turning down the role because he had no previous coaching experience. The former Division I running back from Ohio State eventually accepted the position after his former head coach with the Titans, Jeff Fisher, persuaded him to accept.

After going 9-13 in his first two seasons — 5-6 in 2021 and 4-7 in 2022 — George is 4-2 this season, including a 24-17 win over fellow historically Black college or university (HBCU) Norfolk State of the MEAC on Oct. 14.

George lamented the sparse crowd at the Norfolk State game, noting the discrepancy between the "30,000 fans" tailgating outside the stadium and the 13,395 fans in attendance. In two home games this season, The Tennessean reports the Tigers have averaged 8,632 fans. 

Nissan Stadium, which hosts Tennessee State, has an official capacity of 69,143.

"We may be playing in front of empty bleachers the last three games," George told his players, per The Tennessean.

Last year, attendance dipped from an average of 16,892 fans during the first two home games to an average of 10,680 during the last two home games, a decrease of roughly 36.8 percent.

If that trend continues, Tennessee State would have an average attendance of 5,458 for its final home games this season, far less than George hopes.

It's not only a shame because of the remarkable turnaround the program's had under George, but also because of the storied football history at Tennessee State.

During his introductory news conference, George acknowledged "the rich history here" when discussing Tennessee State alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Richard Dent and Claude Humphrey. 

The university also had the 1974 No. 1 overall pick, Too Tall Jones, who was selected by the Cowboys. Retired defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is the most recent Tennessee State player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, going 16th overall to the Cardinals in 2008.