Empty seat blues

[todbo]

Lots of empty seats tonight for one of the most devastating defensive efforts I've seen from a UConn team. Constant harassment of DePaul's good outside shooters and swift transition baskets early made this a startling runaway.

And too many Huskies fans missed it.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

I do not know if they missed it.... many watched it on tv. People need to understand that it is hard to get out to Storrs on a workday sometimes... especially for a 6:30-7:00 game. If I wanted to go it would be a good hour and a half drive then add in time for parking, traffic up around Storrs for the game, etc. It becomes difficult. That and the cost of tickets, parking, food (because I assume people need to eat).... then the return trip and if people need to go to work in the morning.... It is not as simple as people just not wanting to go.

Hell, I used to pay $2 a game and had seats right behind the basket.... Give me $2 tickets and maybe that would be the difference maker.

 

[OldAlum]

Yeah,the attendance was disappointing. But it did allow me to upgrade myself to nice seatback seat!

 

[Alydar]

Are all the seatbacks held by season ticket holders?

 

[Ellie]

I do not know if they missed it.... many watched it on tv. People need to understand that it is hard to get out to Storrs on a workday sometimes... especially for a 6:30-7:00 game. If I wanted to go it would be a good hour and a half drive then add in time for parking, traffic up around Storrs for the game, etc. It becomes difficult. That and the cost of tickets, parking, food (because I assume people need to eat).... then the return trip and if people need to go to work in the morning.... It is not as simple as people just not wanting to go.

Hell, I used to pay $2 a game and had seats right behind the basket.... Give me $2 tickets and maybe that would be the difference maker.

Agree with you. We used to attend all the time for men and women but seems many of us are baby boomers in name only.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I do not know if they missed it.... many watched it on tv. People need to understand that it is hard to get out to Storrs on a workday sometimes... especially for a 6:30-7:00 game. If I wanted to go it would be a good hour and a half drive then add in time for parking, traffic up around Storrs for the game, etc. It becomes difficult. That and the cost of tickets, parking, food (because I assume people need to eat).... then the return trip and if people need to go to work in the morning.... It is not as simple as people just not wanting to go.

Hell, I used to pay $2 a game and had seats right behind the basket.... Give me $2 tickets and maybe that would be the difference maker.

I was sleep, I'll watch it on DVR in the morning

 

[BigBird]

Long trip from central Illinois. But I'd love to see them in person before I get too old to care about anything.

 

[OldAlum]

Are all the seatbacks held by season ticket holders?

I believe so. At least most. I certainly haven't seen them for sale on the website. Well, maybe some on the corners!

 

[HuskyBandDad]

I believe so. At least most. I certainly haven't seen them for sale on the website. Well, maybe some on the corners!

Yes they are. You can get on stubhub. Not always cheap though.

 

[alexrgct]

The opponent, the location, and the day of the week, all matter. DePaul should have been a decent draw, but a weekend game at XL would've improved attendance. As is, the Baylor game has easily been the biggest draw...so far. I'm interested to see how the Longhorns draw at Mohegan on Sunday. It doesn't have the convenience of Hartford, though.

 

[bags27]

Gampel has been pretty packed (except against Dayton when the kids were gone for Thanksgiving break), so it may not mean much. But, let's not forget that there's been a massive fall-off of ESPN viewership and of the NFL generally. Just wondering whether the oversaturation of sports in our society plus the fact that the youngest generation is used to getting entertainment on demand--and not having to "schlep" to an arena, find parking, sit through TV timesout, etc.--suggests that America's sports craze, which started in the 1920s, may have peaked. Love the Huskies, but sort of hope so....

 

[herbiep]

Spoiled fans. That is why pro teams sometimes move the franchise. You have the most amazing basketball team in the country, and too far to drive, have to park, have to eat and buy a ticket, such hardships, and you could be watching old reruns on TV.

 

[Charliebball]

Difficult for us New Jerseyans especially on a weekday.........I am amazed how empty the arenas are for many of the best match ups of the season............don't know how Texas can claim to be an influential program and have a 3/4 empty arena against South Carolina.............same goes for Syracuse and many others

 

[herbiep]

J

Difficult for us New Jerseyans especially on a weekday....I am amazed how empty the arenas are for many of the best match ups of the season..don't know how Texas can claim to be an influential program and have a 3/4 empty arena against South Carolina...same goes for Syracuse and many others

Just sayin, UCONN is not other arenas around the country, this is the best. Should be sell out every game. Season tickets should be sold out. I have been a Uconn fan for 20 years and have only seen road games in my area, but, would love the opportunity to have season tickets and drive to the game.

 

[Husky fanatic]

Uconn draws 6K plus vs DePaul and Texas draws 3K plus vs SC. Louisville leads the night with 7 K plus vs Maryland.

 

[Alydar]

Spoiled fans. That is why pro teams sometimes move the franchise. You have the most amazing basketball team in the country, and too far to drive, have to park, have to eat and buy a ticket, such hardships, and you could be watching old reruns on TV.

old reruns on TV

?
Or one can subscribe to a cable service that carries SNY and sit in a wide, thick cushioned seat with a back that's only 30 feet from a bathroom (an issue I didn't have when I was 30). The decline in attendance coincided with the development of HD television in the mid 2000's. I can remember when a TV broadcast of a BB game was much fuzzier and where you would never see all 10 players in a halfcourt set.

Another factor that keeps me away is the demographics of the crowd. I am a "demonstrative" fan and when I voice my opinion about a play or a call by the ref my choice of descriptive phrases can be rather salty and that becomes problematic when grandpa and his 2 grandchildren are sitting in front of me.

Still another issue is the paranoia that the media and government have created over terrorism. I'd guess that there is a segment of the public that is fearful of attending any large public gathering.

I'm sure there are other factors, but as someone else posted, why spend 3+ hours in a car for an hour and a half of entertainment? Sure, I'd gladly do that to see, say, a Steely Dan or Allman Bros concert but if they were performing twice a week for 4 months I'd miss most of the performances, especially if they were televised.

 

[Alydar]

There is no way a bunch of senior citizens are going to generate a lot of noise. If it's excitement that is needed then get more students in the crowd. An idea I proposed a few years ago is for UConn to put all unsold seats on sale to students the day of the game for, say $5.

 

[Monte]

There is no way a bunch of senior citizens are going to generate a lot of noise. If it's excitement that is needed then get more students in the crowd. An idea I proposed a few years ago is for UConn to put all unsold seats on sale to students the day of the game for, say $5.

Why not fill up the empty seats with FREE TICKETS FOR THE STUDENTS?

 

[alexrgct]

Yeah,the attendance was disappointing. But it did allow me to upgrade myself to nice seatback seat!

Maybe allow attendees a random drawing to win a date with SNY announcer Justine Ward. That could boost attendance...

 

[OldAlum]

Not for us heterosexual females! And that's kind of creepy anyway.

 

[herbiep]

Uconn draws 6K plus vs DePaul and Texas draws 3K plus vs SC. Louisville leads the night with 7 K plus vs Maryland.

All of the student tickets are free at the YUM CENTER, in Lousiville.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Uconn draws 6K plus vs DePaul and Texas draws 3K plus vs SC. Louisville leads the night with 7 K plus vs Maryland.

Dawn Staley has written the blueprint for fan support in WBB.

Duke women's basketball takes on Rutgers in ACC/Big Ten Challenge before showdown with No. 3 South Carolina

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

All of the student tickets are free at the YUM CENTER, in Lousiville.

Same at the CLAW in Columbia, but our students don't show up in large numbers for WBB.

 

[tomcat]

Okay, so none of us are getting younger. And as one BYer above noted, it's a lot easier to sit in a comfortable chair 20 feet from the toilet than in an arena, any arena.

But my point is NOT why we don't go to games any more. Uncomfortable seats, a long drive, cost, full bladders, I get all that. My question is this: Who replaces us? Or, rather, why can't UConn find people to replace us? I have a hard time believing that in a state where people grow up on the best brand of women's basketball in the world, an effective marketing effort could not come up with another 3,000, 5,000 or 6,000 people to fill the stands.

I'm afraid the powers-that-be in UConn sports marketing simply have not planned for the time when they needed to replace the faithful, warm bodies that have made it easy to sell out arenas since 1995. That time is past, and now we, and they, are feeling the consequences. On possibility: take a revenue hit and make it easier for kids and members of youth teams to see games. I was at the FSU game a few weeks ago. They got a good and loud crowd by charging very little for tickets.

 

[triaddukefan]

Dawn Staley has written the blueprint for fan support in WBB.

Duke women's basketball takes on Rutgers in ACC/Big Ten Challenge before showdown with No. 3 South Carolina

you didnt need to post that here