HOUSTON, Texas -- Last season's 8-3 mark was Texas Southern's best record in football since 1952. It was a big step for the Tigers program. Now, the school is striving for something just as impressive. Recently hired athletic director Alois Blackwell has set a goal of 25,000 season tickets for the 2001 season.

"It gets the eyes lit up," Blackwell said. "It's huge but 25,000 is achievable."

TSU traditionally has drawn in excess of 25,000 with games against Southwestern Athletic Conference rivals Prairie View A&M, Southern University and Grambling State. But then attendance wanes at times against other opponents, drawing as few as several hundred at some games.

"If 25,000 can attend those games, certainly they can attend the other five games," Blackwell said.

Last season, TSU had fewer than 200 season-ticket holders. Aided by 20,000-plus home crowds with Prairie View A&M and Grambling State in 2000, TSU's average home crowd of 6,650 ranked 63rd among NCAA Division I-AA teams.

So from where does Blackwell expect to draw 25,000 people? Three segments according to Blackwell, who came to TSU on Jan. 26 after leaving his post as assistant athletic director for marketing and promotion at the University of Houston.

Blackwell is targeting corporations, local churches and TSU alumni, which, he said, close to 100,000 reside in the Houston area.

"The interest is there," said Blackwell, who also spent six years at UH as the academic counselor for career development. "What hasn't been done in the past is marketing. We've had very limited communication with corporations.

"We're trying for 8,300 per group. The numbers seem big, but when you break it down, it's very achievable."

Season tickets will go for $45 each and a plan for reserved seating will be implemented. TSU has five home games scheduled in 2001 -- Sept. 1, Prairie View A&M; Sept. 15, Alabama State; Nov. 3, Morris Brown; Nov. 10, Southern University and Nov. 17, Lane College.

What might have hindered attendance a year ago was TSU followers weren't sure where the Tigers were playing each week. TSU's six home games were played at five sites -- Reliant Astrodome, Rice Stadium, Robertson Stadium, Delmar Stadium and the Alamodome in San Antonio against Grambling State.

Nothing has been signed, but Blackwell said TSU would probably play its home games next season at Robertson Stadium on the UH campus.

In addition to the football games, TSU will have a festival three hours before each game, which includes live bands.