Kudos to the 29

[WestCoastHusky]

Why don't UConn give points to students who attend football games for basketball games? Create some kind of husky fandom point system. If they stay until end of the game, you get a bonus etc.

Students and fans can use points to get priority seating at basketball games, get discount for UConn merchandise, and get freebies etc.

It can't be that hard to put this kind of system together. Kids get scanned when they coming in, and when they leave. They can even get scanned when they get on the bus etc.

 

[Scoe]

Out of curiosity, when did you go to UConn? Our Big East days? There are two big reason no one cares about these games. One is the consistent terrible football we've played for the past decade plus. The second is the opponents we play. There is no connection to them. Even a P4 ACC team isn't that enticing. What do we care about with Wake?

The student section was packed when we were in the Big East and we hated schools because of our basketball history. Even though we didn't have a real football history, we all hated Syracuse and Rutgers football. We had history between the universities and fanbases. Who the heck cares now about the teams we play?

If I'm a student, I'm not buying in as a casual fan on a Friday night when it's unseasonably warm. If I can't stumble to the game on a Friday night, I'm out for a game vs GA St. (I'm speaking for a general student, not myself)

I also think its the social media age too even Alabama has had trouble filling up their student section.

 

[ZooCougar]

Does anyone have a YoY comparison of attendance from '21 until present day? Seems like overall we are on the upswing.

Students? I have no earthly idea.

I have been to umpteen on campus stadiums. When the home team is bad, students don't go even if it's a 20 minute walk. On campus stadiums are usually in actual proper college towns too.

 

[cellocgg]

The student section is just one section of the stadium. Let's focus on filling literally every other section, the ones with the paying attendees lmao

 

[cellocgg]

Why don't UConn give points to students who attend football games for basketball games? Create some kind of husky fandom point system. If they stay until end of the game, you get a bonus etc.

Students and fans can use points to get priority seating at basketball games, get discount for UConn merchandise, and get freebies etc.

It can't be that hard to put this kind of system together. Kids get scanned when they coming in, and when they leave. They can even get scanned when they get on the bus etc.

Top Dogs Rewards is forgotten

 

[NEforceUConn]

Jeez, answer is easy. Have a CT company sponsor a “Hottie Huskies (yes female) for FB” bus and a dedicated open student tailgate.

Hot chicks always draw a crowd. Just ask the SEC sororities.

Y’all can thank me later. This isn’t a sexist post, rather the reality of FB being a violent sport.

Ps. Looking forward to meeting anybody in Greensboro at the woman’s bb game vs UNC on 11/15. Go Huskies!

 

[huskymedic]

Why don't UConn give points to students who attend football games for basketball games? Create some kind of husky fandom point system. If they stay until end of the game, you get a bonus etc.

Students and fans can use points to get priority seating at basketball games, get discount for UConn merchandise, and get freebies etc.

It can't be that hard to put this kind of system together. Kids get scanned when they coming in, and when they leave. They can even get scanned when they get on the bus etc.

Top Dogs Rewards is forgotten

It’s still active and being utilized this season… whether it moves the needle is another story:

Top Dogs

Top Dogs

uconnhuskies.com

 

[cellocgg]

It’s still active and being utilized this season… whether it moves the needle is another story:

Top Dogs

Top Dogs

uconnhuskies.com

I am a current student and have never used it nor have I seen another student using it. It doesn't help that the school barely advertises it and it's practically hidden in the UConn Athletics app

 

[UCFBfan]

I also think its the social media age too even Alabama has had trouble filling up their student section.

I was going to add this as well. The world in our glory days of football is nothing like the world now in terms of technology and it's influence in students' lives

 

[politics]

Thread title made me think this was gonna be about remaining season tix holders from 2003

 

[Scrutineer]

Why focus so much on the students?
The adults in the room need to look in the mirror. Here we have a winning team, a team that could well be 8-1 right now, and the final home game of the year was poorly attended.
If you want to reflect on why all these other teams (that win nothing of significance but put more fans in the seats for football games) get invited to the major conferences, go back and look at attendance the past dozen years. And even this year with a much improved team.
Attendance is pathetic and a real blight on the image of UConn sports.

 

[cellocgg]

Why focus so much on the students?
The adults in the room need to look in the mirror. Here we have a winning team, a team that could well be 8-1 right now, and the final home game of the year was poorly attended.
If you want to reflect on why all these other teams (that win nothing of significance but put more fans in the seats for football games) get invited to the major conferences, go back and look at attendance the past dozen years. And even this year with a much improved team.
Attendance is pathetic and a real blight on the image of UConn sports.

I know we're basing our expectations on stadium capacity but remember UConn is G5 and has been historically bad. The average G5 is averaging like 15-20k per game. We are averaging about the same as Memphis, everyone's darling to enter the P5 and they have a 50k stadium lol. We are both getting around 25k

 

[UConnDan97]

Why focus so much on the students?
The adults in the room need to look in the mirror. Here we have a winning team, a team that could well be 8-1 right now, and the final home game of the year was poorly attended.
If you want to reflect on why all these other teams (that win nothing of significance but put more fans in the seats for football games) get invited to the major conferences, go back and look at attendance the past dozen years. And even this year with a much improved team.
Attendance is pathetic and a real blight on the image of UConn sports.

It's because when Wright picks up the ball and scores a 99-yard TD on a goal line stand in the final seconds of a game, he celebrates in the end zone in front of 12 people...

 

[cellocgg]

I know we're basing our expectations on stadium capacity but remember UConn is G5 and has been historically bad. The average G5 is averaging like 15-20k per game. We are averaging about the same as Memphis, everyone's darling to enter the P5 and they have a 50k stadium lol. We are both getting around 25k

hell ranked Army is right there with us as well

 

[ScottVib]

Why focus so much on the students?

I think in part because when we have the weekly on-campus stadium thread (or other topic that devolves into that) one of the reasons that on-campus stadium enthusiasts promote is it'll help student attendance. Others think that the issue is more of a the students don't care so while making it more convenient for them to show up has a theoretical benefit, it also makes it easier to bail out early. (It also becomes an easy thing to blame, when you know the entire end zone is reserved for students and the entire end zone is empty)

Ultimately it's a student engagement issue, they've got to do more to build football into an event a student wants to be and stay at, regardless of location. They have a similar issue with non-students, building the attendance base back up and ultimately getting those fans to make it in at the start, and keep them there to the end of the game. Football (and even basketball) games often feel like a race to leave when people feel like the game has been decided with people wanting to "beat the traffic" to get out of the lot.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

It’s still active and being utilized this season… whether it moves the needle is another story:

Top Dogs

Top Dogs

uconnhuskies.com

It is nice they have this already. However, they need to make it public and have a weekly or daily top 25 standing. Put names of all the students with highest scores on social media and websites along with prizes. Gamify the thing and spread it on social media.

 

[JohnFSilver]

I'm so tired of hearing excuses for students. They're not interested. They don't want to go. It's not a bus issue or a holiday issue or a Friday isse. It's a "they have absolutely no interest in football issue." When I was there I don't remember anybody complaining about the bus ride and we used to pack the student section every week, as did the classes that came after me. If you hated the bus, you found someone with a car which wasn't hard to do, because everybody was going to the game.

All season.. "well what did you expect, are you really gonna wake up early on a Saturday to get on a bus for a noon kickoff?" Yes, be still my heart, it's been done before.

"What do you expect? It's a Saturday night on campus?" Well, I remember being out til 2 or 3 in the morning in college. The party will still be there.

"What do you expect? It's a Friday night after Halloween on campus?" So wear an ephing costume.

Apparently, it has to be a 3:30 kickoff during a non-holiday month with 70* weather for them to show up ... and then vacate at halftime.

Agree.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

This isn't a UConn issue. It is a reality for 80% of college football programs. Stadium location is not the issue. Time of kickoff is not the issue. Students have multiple entertainment options, and most don't require them to leave their room. Most of our current students came of age during the worst period of our program. There is no momentum for young fan support. We need to string several good years together. Even then, student support won't be what some think it should.

 

[giddyup]

What surprises me is that many fans at games don’t seem to be enjoying the experience or know when to make noise. When watching on TV, the cameraman often pans the crowd, and I notice that a significant number of fans are sitting down, not cheering or standing during critical moments like third downs. I recently watched the replay of Brinson’s interception, and in the background, several people in the front row had zero reaction—it was as if they weren’t even watching the game. Unlike other parts of the country, we don’t grow up with the Friday night lights culture here in New England, which contributes to fans leaving early and a general lack of support.

We used to have one of loudest venues in college football. We know how to do it. The crap has been kicked out of program for over a decade…enthusiasm wanes. We will get it back once we hit P4. The Rent used to be pretty nuts.

 

[RioDog]

I think in part because when we have the weekly on-campus stadium thread (or other topic that devolves into that) one of the reasons that on-campus stadium enthusiasts promote is it'll help student attendance. Others think that the issue is more of a the students don't care so while making it more convenient for them to show up has a theoretical benefit, it also makes it easier to bail out early. (It also becomes an easy thing to blame, when you know the entire end zone is reserved for students and the entire end zone is empty)

Ultimately it's a student engagement issue, they've got to do more to build football into an event a student wants to be and stay at, regardless of location. They have a similar issue with non-students, building the attendance base back up and ultimately getting those fans to make it in at the start, and keep them there to the end of the game. Football (and even basketball) games often feel like a race to leave when people feel like the game has been decided with people wanting to "beat the traffic" to get out of the lot.

Hence my previous post.

 

[Scoe]

This isn't a UConn issue. It is a reality for 80% of college football programs. Stadium location is not the issue. Time of kickoff is not the issue. Students have multiple entertainment options, and most don't require them to leave their room. Most of our current students came of age during the worst period of our program. There is no momentum for young fan support. We need to string several good years together. Even then, student support won't be what some think it should.

The times have changed from even 10-20 years ago, people have shorter attention spans now. Basketball games your in and out. Understood it will have its challenges getting students to games but one thing that is very doable is filling up the student section let fans sit there. Maybe you hand out a free ticket to a basketball game of that fans choice do something.

 

[Scrutineer]

This isn't a UConn issue. It is a reality for 80% of college football programs. Stadium location is not the issue. Time of kickoff is not the issue. Students have multiple entertainment options, and most don't require them to leave their room. Most of our current students came of age during the worst period of our program. There is no momentum for young fan support. We need to string several good years together. Even then, student support won't be what some think it should.

Good points.
And you're right about it being somewhat universal (while maybe not as bad as our students), as I've noticed empty seats in major conferences' games over the last decade. Even the SEC and even at Florida where friends who are alums always boasted about the passion of their fans.

 

[ZooCougar]

I don't know what is worse. The weekly on campus stadium thread, or the weekly "where are the students" thread.

 

[Scoe]

I don't know what is worse. The weekly on campus stadium thread, or the weekly "where are the students" thread.

Or the weekly if we had a better qb comments in a post game thread after Evers plays well.

 

[BlueandOG]

I give the students a pass this season. They have been pretty good considering the football that has been played over the past 10+years. I know they will come back when we break into the top 25 again.