I appreciate the fact that you have to fly to watch a game but the statement "I'm not flying in for nose bleeds" is the perfect embodiment of this team's fanbase. I've flown to watch a lot of Miami away games and if I decide to go I just want to be in the building. I don't care where I sit. And I've paid $100 to sit in nose bleeds.
And I promise you Miami isn't going from 40,000 fans to 65,000 fans because 25,000 people flew in. I'm a season ticker holder and I sit around Miami season ticket holders. Some of these people show up for 1 or 2 games a year because they treat it as a Saturday event, not something they can't miss. They're doctors and lawyers and care when they're in the seats but don't care if they miss it either. And these are Miami grads. The rest of the stadium gets filled by people who tell you they're Miami fans, believe they're Miami fans, but don't watch the games unless the team is good. On Wednesday they'll have a friend who decides to go to the game because they think it'll be fun and get a text saying, "going to the UM game Saturday. Wanna go?", and they'll say, "sure". No idea, no plans, until a few days before the game. Those people are EVERYWHERE down here. When Miami is good those texts go out a lot more.
We have about:
-25,000 people who won't miss a game unless things are really bad
-10,000 people who will go to most games
-10,000 people who will go to most games if we have a good year
-10,000 people who will go to games if we're really good
-10,000 people who only go to big games when we're really good