Poor fan showing at Gampel

[Robrio89]

For Christmas my wife surprised me with tickets to the Marquette game at Gampel. She bought them on SeatGeek for $250. We were the second to last row in the building. I couldn’t believe she spent that much on these tickets. And I understand the fee structure to those resellers. Still $250 is crazy for those tickets. I truly believe most of our fanbase is being priced out of games. I understand we have to make money but this isn’t helping the crowds having wealthier people skip games or being forced to overpay on the secondary market.

Others have made the point that it is a Saturday Valentine’s Day and that had to have had some impact. Then the other point that this conversation was started by the opposing coach who, even if right in his assessment, has no reason to scrutinize. Hurley responding to it might have more to do with him knowing these responses to the media are a way for him to speak directly to us and motivate the fanbase to step it up.

But I also believe it is true because I watch enough basketball to see that these other fanbases have a much younger and rowdier crowd. Find a way to reduce empty seats and get tickets in the hands of real fans, not those who are feeding the secondary market.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

It's like everyone is forgetting that Ed feels his #1 job is to needle opposing fanbases, instead of actually fielding the best team.

And providing a cool drink of room temperature water to fans in the first row behind his bench when they lose to a mediocre team!

We don’t have a good college basketball atmosphere at either venue save for Top 10 opponents coming in and pointed times during close games. I watch our games and also Duke, UNC, Kansas, etc and the atmosphere differences are vast. It’s not even a debate.

 

[Uconn10922]

We can see the indifference of fans in many sports, coming in late, leaving early, etc. The current financial structure may also be a turnoff for some as the spread between what the top college sports pay and what most students have at this stage of their lives has been growing a lot. When you add in the transfer, one and done players, lack of home-grown players, fan loyalty may suffer.

The above doesn't address the growing list of distractions. The college game has moved to being a big business. Just look at the number of supporting staff sitting with the players. TV, streaming and deals to grow the brand seem to greet us every year.

In any case, we are blessed to have a great team/s gathered to compete at this top level by the best coaches in the business.

This is all very concerning. I feel like something similar happened to the Red Sox after their run of success. They had a passionate fan base, Fenway was packed, the crowd was awesome and then it started to change. More people came as a Social event, prices continually increased, and now in stead of Red Sox fans invading other stadiums, other fan bases can come and make noise at Fenway.

Something has to change. Hurley has done everything possible to turn this program around. And yet it feels like he may be more and more inclined to walk if it continues this way. In the next couple of years big programs could be looking for a new head coach, UNC, Kentucky, Kansas. Hurley and UConn are a perfect fit. Something has to change because nobody wants to go back to the post
2014 days.

 

[FreeKlaiber]

true or not true, Danny should focus more on drawing up and drilling in practice an inbound play that isnt designed to enter the ball into a corner trap. He has to control what he can, and blaming fans is more of a deflection imo

 

[JoeyBuckets]

Would things be different in a better Conference? 8 pm on a sat student's should of been out in full force..what happened?

 

[JMick]

I need to watch more of the top team's home games (e.g. Duke, Zona, MI, UH, etc.) against their bottom dwellers to get a true comparative sense for whether our crowd is significantly worse.

I was at Dean Dome yesterday vs Pitt. It was 97% sold out on the ticketing sites but probably about 75% full. The crowd was really good though. Honestly their entire production was really, really good. I haven't been to a game in Storrs in a while but I'll be there Wednesday. Im curious to see how it compares while UNC is still fresh in my head.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

For Christmas my wife surprised me with tickets to the Marquette game at Gampel. She bought them on SeatGeek for $250. We were the second to last row in the building. I couldn’t believe she spent that much on these tickets. And I understand the fee structure to those resellers. Still $250 is crazy for those tickets. I truly believe most of our fanbase is being priced out of games. I understand we have to make money but this isn’t helping the crowds having wealthier people skip games or being forced to overpay on the secondary market.

Others have made the point that it is a Saturday Valentine’s Day and that had to have had some impact. Then the other point that this conversation was started by the opposing coach who, even if right in his assessment, has no reason to scrutinize. Hurley responding to it might have more to do with him knowing these responses to the media are a way for him to speak directly to us and motivate the fanbase to step it up.

But I also believe it is true because I watch enough basketball to see that these other fanbases have a much younger and rowdier crowd. Find a way to reduce empty seats and get tickets in the hands of real fans, not those who are feeding the secondary market.

It is my dream to win Powerball for 1 billion.

Then, I will buy out the first 10 rows at Gampel and Peeps. Only students and rabid fans will be allowed to sit in those seats (for free). It will be set up in my trust and will for perpetuity. I will have a carefully selected arbitor to ensure that appropriate loudness/rabid fan metrics are maintained in those seats.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

true or not true, Danny should focus more on drawing up and drilling in practice an inbound play that isnt designed to enter the ball into a corner trap. He has to control what he can, and blaming fans is more of a deflection imo

You’re not wrong but he was asked a question by a reporter, he answered it. I doubt he’s thinking “these fn lame crowds” as he’s planning his practices.

 

[mike012]

Cause and effect I believe. Have to pay a large salary for Hurley and need to raise tickets. So you get a different crowd. I enjoy basketball but I’m not going to spend 500-1000 for a family of 4 for a game against Georgetown when the game is easily accessible on tv.

 

[Tenspro2002]

What will Tuesday bring? Unfortunately probably a worse turnout than tonight.

Prepare to be massively disappointed. It is going to be empty on Tuesday. (We play on Wednesday.)

 

[KingAG]

true or not true, Danny should focus more on drawing up and drilling in practice an inbound play that isnt designed to enter the ball into a corner trap. He has to control what he can, and blaming fans is more of a deflection imo

Why do you think he isn’t focusing more on that?

That’s like me saying you should focus more on whatever important things you have going on than posting on a message board

 

[UC77]

The fan base stinks. It’s not just Gampel, I have gone to the last three final fours and we have never even filled the student section, the 2024 one was particularly embarrassing. I probably had a dozen Purdue fans ask what was up with the fan base. Hurley has tried to sell the fan base as being one of the best but it’s simply not true. As passionate as Hurley is, it could be the one thing that UNC or other powerhouse school has that could convince him to leave….how embarrassing, another coach says, “what up with your fan base”. See you in Hartford for the St John’s game.

Maybe they should stop scheduling men and women on same night like this week ...

 

[BigTenFan]

Not to bring football into the discussion- but I will. If there is concern about filling the seats at Gampel for one of the best teams in the country year after year- that doesn't paint a good picture of on campus football.

Gampel should be packed every game, no matter who the opponent.

 

[Flipside]

... Duke/Cameron would have similar struggles but they don’t ...

they used to (mass email) blast season ticket holders and all attendees for 'leaving games early' ... and in some cases, threaten to revoke current tickets and future purchasing rights

 

[upstater]

Not to bring football into the discussion- but I will. If there is concern about filling the seats at Gampel for one of the best teams in the country year after year- that doesn't paint a good picture of on campus football.

Gampel should be packed every game, no matter who the opponent.

The problem is the popularity has caused a huge rise in ticket prices. It's not the same as football.

Upper level seats at center court cost $200+ these days.

 

[FreeKlaiber]

Why do you think he isn’t focusing more on that?

That’s like me saying you should focus more on whatever important things you have going on than posting on a message board

righttttt....I think this from watching this team the last couple of years. Tonsss of oob sets exist that dont enter it directly into where the defense press wants to trap (the corner- bball 101). The inbounder, the motion off screens matter as well, but we repeatedly enter it directly into the corner. Thats design. You have seen this, no?

 

[drayenob]

I have noticed the student section at pba seems to be smaller and they don't seem to be as into it as they were even last year. It definitely affects the overall atmosphere. Did something change in the way student tickets are distributed?

 

[Pmac923]

Maybe don’t price out the true fans from these games. It’s easy to deflect to the fans when the team isn’t playing to the level you expected. No reason to lose your voice and sweat out a game you should be up 25, all to sit in the north garage for an hour after the game. The fans have always shown up to rally the team.

 

[Greedo]

I don’t live locally, but tickets are expensive. I go to the game at Villanova every year, but can’t really afford to go to more games than that anyway.

Sports in general are pricing out the hardcore fans. It’s ruining the atmosphere.

 

[businesslawyer]

My wife said much the same as she nearly fell off her seat when Demary made the spectacular pass to Ball for our first fastbreak basket of the year.

She went on to reminisce about how we once used the PnR to get multiple alley oop dunks per game as recently as last year.

Another observation was how the opponents are easily able to penetrate our defense and drive for layups and dunks, and get the "and ones", while our guys just dribble the clock down and force up shots that too often are taken late in the clock with no one in position for a rebound.

We watched other games this week and marveled at how easily the defense played by a bunch of farm boys from Wisconsin shut down a big, athletic, MSU team. We wonder if any effort is made to school our players in shutting down other offenses.

Final observation. Nothing has changed much from last year so maybe the coaching staff needs to look in the mirror for answers.

Good God. You know what the coaching staff is going to see if they look in the mirror? I’m guessing they’ll see that they are coaching a team that is 24-2 and in position to win the Big East regular season and get a #1 seed in region. In our 6 championship years, the record was only matched in ‘99. If you can’t get into that, it’s not on the coaches and players. You should look in a mirror.

 

[Platt81]

Saturday night, Valentines Day, weak opponent. It’s definitely a level of a spoiled fanbase, but I’m skipping this one before dealing with the wrath of my wife not being home from 6-12 Valentine’s Day evening. If it was St John’s I’d be willing to deal with it, not for Georgetown. So yes, completely spoiled. Take it for what it is.

 

[mihusky]

So I was at the game, and afterward walked around campus. The place was absolutely dead on a Saturday. I took a drive through Hunting Lodge. Nothing. Nothing going at all.

After the game, I tried to get a UConn chant going, and nothing happened.

Are the kids alright? What the is going on?

off campus frat parties

 

[businesslawyer]

true or not true, Danny should focus more on drawing up and drilling in practice an inbound play that isnt designed to enter the ball into a corner trap. He has to control what he can, and blaming fans is more of a deflection imo

Deflection from what exactly? Having won 2 of the last 3 national championships and being 24-2 this year?

 

[KingAG]

righttttt....I think this from watching this team the last couple of years. Tonsss of oob sets exist that dont enter it directly into where the defense press wants to trap (the corner- bball 101). The inbounder, the motion off screens matter as well, but we repeatedly enter it directly into the corner. Thats design. You have seen this, no?

Same design that won us 2 championships.

He’s 24-2(14-1) what exactly do you think hes deflecting from? Not being undefeated lmao.

The crowds have sucked. And he is the coach of a spoiled, entitled, apathetic fan base. The team doesn’t suck as much as this fan base does.

His point was this team should be celebrated and backed. That isn’t happening.

Do you think he’s also coaching Taris and Reibe to have 3 collective rebounds?

Here’s a nugget, college kids don’t always execute

 

[kemba]

I have noticed the student section at pba seems to be smaller and they don't seem to be as into it as they were even last year. It definitely affects the overall atmosphere. Did something change in the way student tickets are distributed?

Don’t think so just the student section has sucked for years and keeps getting worse. Outside of during opponent free throws it just feels like another section. Usually they at least show up to gampel though, that amount of empty seats last night was awful.

Other than that, look the quality of opponents at home has played a role and it’s not completely fair to compare what we face in creighton when we play them as the #2 team in the country vs why creighton will probably face when they come here as a very mediocre team. And I’m sure the crowd will be electric for St. John’s. That said, it should still be a lot better than it is. Villanova a few weeks back should have been electric from the start and was dead until it got late. I didn’t think last night was terrible noise wise but Saturday night against Georgetown should be loud regardless of their record, especially when so many fans say we need to stay in the big east to play our traditional rivals.

Besides the students I do think the new seating and pricing has played a role. Past years I’ve thought we wait too much for Hurley to get people going to get loud…but still when he wanted people loud the crowd would always respond especially lower bowl behind him. This season that has not happened nearly as much and he’s been visibly frustrated many times. And yes there’s some level of just being spoiled in our fan base comments like this team isn’t fun to watch or we should be beating them by 25 so I’m not going to be loud show that