Eli Drinkwitz Calls Out Missouri Fans, What Could Go Wrong?

Eli Drinkwitz entered the 2023 season with 16-1 odds to be the first college football coach to lose his job. Before the calendar turned to January, he brought a Cotton Bowl trophy back to Missouri to cap off an 11-win season, the most wins by a Tiger football team in a decade.

Drinkwitz is quickly using up the goodwill he gained last fall.

Riding that wave of positive momentum from 2023, oddsmakers currently project Missouri in the CFB Playoff field as the 12th team with +180 odds. That should get Missouri fans fired up to fill the stands at Faurot Field, right? Well, not exactly.

Ahead of next Thursday’s season-opener, Drinkwitz took to the podium and essentially gave his supporters an ultimatum. Show up, or prove that you don’t deserve this success.

“We are a top 11 program in the country coming off a Cotton Bowl win, said Drinkwitz. “In my opinion, if we don’t sell out the first game, then that shows me we’re not where we want to be as a fanbase yet. That’s just the reality of it. Don’t sit on the sideline and wait. ‘Well, it’s gotta be this game.’ No, it doesn’t. Come watch this team. Be excited about this team and embrace this team.”

If you noticed, Drinkwitz was careful to point out the root of the problem, which is also the reason why many believe Missouri can be a CFB Playoff team. The Missouri football schedule stinks. The game he is calling on fans to sell out is a Thursday nighter against FCS Murray State. Mizzou doesn’t play an opponent with a pulse at home until Auburn comes to town on Oct. 19.

An easy, palatable schedule can help you climb up the college football pecking order, but it’s not going to help sell tickets. I don’t think “challenging” fans will either.

Yes, the official Mizzou Athletics account used the clip to try to encourage more fans to buy tickets. There’s no way this can backfire.

🗣️ @CoachDrinkwitz

🎟️: https://t.co/Ko6CL4hohR#MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/moGQgwPEo3

— Mizzou Athletics (@MizzouAthletics) August 20, 2024

Remember That Time Charlie Strong Called Out Louisville Fans?

Once upon a time, Charlie Strong took a similar tactic to Drinkwitz. It was one of the biggest public flubs in the history of college football.

Ahead of the Sugar Bowl, rumors swirled that Strong was leaving Louisville for Tennessee. Before one of the biggest games in the history of Louisville football, he failed to shoot down those rumors, then said he wants Louisville fans to act more like Kentucky fans.

“You want the passion from the fans,” Strong said. “You want the support. When we came here for senior day and when we got off the bus – and I don’t care what time Card March is – no one came out. We had a few fans out there, we had the real fans out there, but you’d like to see more fans come out.”

“Not to throw any salt in an open wound,” Strong prefaced. “Kentucky can travel with the Big Blue Nation and go take over. We should have that same passion here and go take over.”

Card Chronicle

At least Drink didn’t tell Missouri fans to have that same passion as Kansas football fans.

Sure-Fire way to get Missouri Fans to Football Games

You can’t provide free beers to fans, but if an 18-wheeler just so happens to lose its cargo in front of the stadium and fans volunteer to clean up, what can you do?

Jefferson Ave between North Lamar and North 9th Street is closed due to an 18 wheeler losing part of its load. Please use another route. And no, you cannot come help “clean up.” pic.twitter.com/beXIlbSWkc

— Oxford Police Dept (@OxfordPolice) August 21, 2024