Speaking of attendance....

[alexrgct]

People are avoiding going to the games because UConn has an exceptionally cute female student doing sideline reporting???

 

[HuskyNan]

People are avoiding going to the games because UConn has an exceptionally cute female student doing sideline reporting???

It kills the excitement in the crowd. During the Stanford game, the crowd was buzzing with energy which was sucked out of the building during the interviews.

I also understand the need for the cute "Dress like a Husky" contest (sponsor $$$) but we've seen it a billion times and it's tedious now. Get creative.

 

[DEK1234]

2 Stop playing rap music. Maybe it's good for kids, but give everyone else a break!

Do you mean just rap music specifically or pop music in general? Maybe it's just because I'm young, but I like to hear the type of music that will pump me up for the game. What kind of music would you suggest instead?

 

[speedoo]

How else do you explain 6,000 fans for games against CupcakeU and 12,000 fans for games against a competitive team?
It's not necessarily lack of interest, it's more like the level of interest doesn't rise above the hassle of attending.

Well, your numbers are not exactly an objective comparison. The attendance for Towson (a cupcake) in Hartford was almost 8000, so that's a better comparison for the 12,000 which I assume is the attendance for Stanford in the same venue. I stand by opinion that this is not a MAJOR factor. Major factors, IMO are the lousy economy and the aging, moving out of the state, etc. of the UConn wbb fan base.

 

[speedoo]

Sorry in advance to Harriet but, end the contract with CPTV. If the games can't be seen on TV then people will have to go to the game. The fan base is still here but I hear from so many that it is easier to stay home and watch it on CPTV. The big games will still be picked up by the other stations and maybe the Athletic Department will take scheduling tougher non-conference teams more seriously.

I doubt it would effect recruits or their parents if less games were televised. They probably are not watching the Townsend games and the like anyway.

Sorry, but I have to say that this is perhaps the most narrow-minded post I have seen here in recent years. For so many reasons, but #1 is that CPTV's hoopstreams is what keeps fans who don't live in CT on life support.

Sheesh.

 

[alexrgct]

It kills the excitement in the crowd. During the Stanford game, the crowd was buzzing with energy which was sucked out of the building during the interviews.

I also understand the need for the cute "Dress like a Husky" contest (sponsor $$$) but we've seen it a billion times and it's tedious now. Get creative.

I don't even remember but one interview...at halftime. If there were others, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the game. In fact, all I do remember was a) Geno being pretty much at a loss for words by how well KML played in the first half, and b) Emily is exceptionally cute. She's also a student being given a pretty cool apprentiship opportunity.

 

[phil sampieri]

How else do you explain 6,000 fans for games against CupcakeU and 12,000 fans for games against a competitive team?
It's not necessarily lack of interest, it's more like the level of interest doesn't rise above the hassle of attending.

Once a year I have to comment using my reasons for only attending a few games.I usually take 6 of my grandchildren to the game but the increased ticket
prices, parking prices plus 1/2 A million for each hot dog makes it a $200.00 day.
Si, I go 2 or3 times instead of 7 or 8 and I'm sure there are many of the senior fans who are in the same position. If we stop bringing our youngsters we will
for certain be shrinking out fan base. Amen

 

[DaddyChoc]

Do you mean just rap music specifically or pop music in general? Maybe it's just because I'm young, but I like to hear the type of music that will pump me up for the game. What kind of music would you suggest instead?

maybe some Frank Sinatra

this is sort of the the reason I stay home... zero excitement from the fans.

I recently went to a men's game, sat amongst the students.... they were rocking. I enjoyed myself while watching "Coppin State"

 

[DaddyChoc]

Once a year I have to comment using my reasons for only attending a few games.I usually take 6 of my grandchildren to the game but the increased ticket
prices, parking prices plus 1/2 A million for each hot dog makes it a $200.00 day.
Si, I go 2 or3 times instead of 7 or 8 and I'm sure there are many of the senior fans who are in the same position. If we stop bringing our youngsters we will
for certain be shrinking out fan base. Amen

prices have actually gone down

 

[DEK1234]

maybe some Frank Sinatra

this is sort of the the reason I stay home... zero excitement from the fans.

I recently went to a men's game, sat amongst the students.... they were rocking. I enjoyed myself while watching "Coppin State"

HAHA! Love the Frank Sinatra comment!

That's my one gripe about the games. I understand that the fan base is older, but I feel like there is no energy at the games except for the student section. I'm having a blast chanting and jumping while everyone is in their seats politely clapping. I wish the whole arena could have some more life. It would make the games so much more exciting.

 

[Ruffian75]

The new AD has been given a huge job to fix the attendance issues and make the game more fan friendly. Its got to be about bringing the fans more bang for the $$$.
President Herbst has made this priority #1

So the first thing he does is ask everyone to stand and pledge allegiance. Maybe he should start by waving parking fees at the Gampel outpost, serving drinkable beer and edible hotdogs at the XL and asking the security crews to not act like they are the Gezpatcho.

 

[Ruffian75]

prices have actually gone down

Making it cheaper doesn't fix the problems. There were $10 tickets available for a month for Stanford and the attendance was still 2500 short of a sell out for the biggest OOC game of the year.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Making it cheaper doesn't fix the problems. There were $10 tickets available for a month for Stanford and the attendance was still 2500 short of a sell out for the biggest OOC game of the year.

not my point... he/she said prices went UP, thats false!

 

[vtcwbuff]

Well, your numbers are not exactly an objective comparison. The attendance for Towson (a cupcake) in Hartford was almost 8000, so that's a better comparison for the 12,000 which I assume is the attendance for Stanford in the same venue. I stand by opinion that this is not a MAJOR factor. Major factors, IMO are the lousy economy and the aging, moving out of the state, etc. of the UConn wbb fan base.

It all depends on where you draw the line between major factor and minor factor. Looking solely at last years OOC, non tournament games, it's really obvious which games bring out the fans.

Rank/Opp Att Margin
HC 7153 +80
#2 Baylor 12688 +1
Howard 7064 +61
Lehigh 7039 +43
LSU 8120 +30
Scrd Hrt 10223 (?) +54
#22 FSU 16294 +31
#11 Ohio St 15232 +31
#3 Duke 10033 +36
#12 Ok 13458 +41

The team was so good last year that it's difficult to sort the cupcakes from the contenders based on margin alone. However, I think it's fair to say that for the ranked teams at least most fans went into the game expecting a level of competition well above the bottom feeders.

Avg OOC attendance for unranked teams - 7920
Avg OOC attendance for ranked teams - 13541

At face value the attendance numbers seem to indicate that UConn fans do appreciate competitive games - by a significant margin.

While I agree that the economy is a factor, I think it is less than most people believe. Attendance numbers started going south well before the economy did. While the economy has made some feeble movement towards recovery, attendance has not.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

It seems that attendance across all sports has been shrinking like crazy, especially for the football team that is coming off a conference championship and a basketball team that just won a national title. Here are a few of my suggestions

1. Create a season ticket holder exchange service for basketball and football. Allow season ticket holders to put their tickets up for face value. That way, general fans will be able to buy tickets from season ticket holders that can't use them, thus filling their seats will someone who will attend. The premium that these secondary markets (stubhub, ace tickets) is ridiculous and that keeps a good amount of fans away from the stadium

2. Discount the Season Ticket Package-->Offer the ticket package at a lesser price for season ticket holders. This not only will help maintain the season ticket holder base but also entice others to purchase the package as opposed to only buying single game tickets

3. Move the student section-->For basketball, move the student section along the baseline instead of behind the hoop. Having a full student section along the baseline, in the view of the television camera will look better on television and give a better atmosphere at the game with the students closer to the action

 

[speedoo]

It all depends on where you draw the line between major factor and minor factor. Looking solely at last years OOC, non tournament games, it's really obvious which games bring out the fans.

Rank/Opp Att Margin
HC 7153 +80
#2 Baylor 12688 +1
Howard 7064 +61
Lehigh 7039 +43
LSU 8120 +30
Scrd Hrt 10223 (?) +54
#22 FSU 16294 +31
#11 Ohio St 15232 +31
#3 Duke 10033 +36
#12 Ok 13458 +41

The team was so good last year that it's difficult to sort the cupcakes from the contenders based on margin alone. However, I think it's fair to say that for the ranked teams at least most fans went into the game expecting a level of competition well above the bottom feeders.

Avg OOC attendance for unranked teams - 7920
Avg OOC attendance for ranked teams - 13541

At face value the attendance numbers seem to indicate that UConn fans do appreciate competitive games - by a significant margin.

While I agree that the economy is a factor, I think it is less than most people believe. Attendance numbers started going south well before the economy did. While the economy has made some feeble movement towards recovery, attendance has not.

OK, those attendance numbers are flawed because they do not reflect the venue and several other factors.

1. The Sacred Heart, OSU and FSU games came as the 90 game win streak was reaching its climax. Also the OSU game was at MSG in New York. Those factors drove attendance for those three games way up.

2. I'm guessing the HC, LSU, Howard and Lehigh games were in Storrs, where attendance will always be lower, regardless of who UConn is playing.

Here is the reason you will not be able to get me to buy your argument: if you compare the best UConn opponent games in recent years to the best games say 10 years ago, at the same venue, I think you will see at least a 20% decline. The games against Duke, Tennessee, etc. were ALWAYS sold out 10 years ago, but in recent years, the games against Baylor, etc. have not sold out. And that 20% decline (maybe more like 30%), IMO, can only be explained by the major factors I am talking about: the economy and the aging/movement out of state of the fan base.

Same thing with the cupcakes. I think you will find a 20% decline, or more, in attendance figures for the cupcakes over that 10 year span. I remember very close to capacity attendance at Gampel back in the old days for all games, including the cupcakes, but that is no longer the case. And the decline IMO is due to the same reasons: lousy economy and aging/displaced fan base.

 

[Icebear]

3. Move the student section-->For basketball, move the student section along the baseline instead of behind the hoop. Having a full student section along the baseline, in the view of the television camera will look better on television and give a better atmosphere at the game with the students closer to the action

I think you mean the sideline, the baseline is behind the hoop. ?

 

[huskiemaniac]

Agreed…I would love to see the students along the sidelines...

 

[uconnfan68]

"And one thing that speaks to me about loyalty is for our ticket holders to use their seats. Often, there are empty seats for games, when in fact those seats have been sold and the ticket holder just decides not to come. We are asked all the time why those seats are empty.
"To me, a part of loyalty comes with the responsibility of seeing that your tickets are used. And so, we are close to instituting the [ticket] scanning system we use at the XL Center, perhaps as soon as January, at Gampel."

Good! I'm often embarrassed to see all the empty lower bowl seats on national TV because The Suits don't show up for games. Use 'em or lose 'em, Corporate Guys.

Not use 'em or lose 'em. Use them or have them given away to someone else to sit in for the game... for FREE. They are already paid for. You have lines around the block waiting for them.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Not use 'em or lose 'em. Use them or have them given away to someone else to sit in for the game... for FREE. They are already paid for. You have lines around the block waiting for them.

same thing Im saying about someone "selling" corporate tickets... if you're not the CEO and the company is giving them to you but you're not using them "give" them to someone else.

 

[vtcwbuff]

OK, those attendance numbers are flawed because they do not reflect the venue and several other factors.

1. The Sacred Heart, OSU and FSU games came as the 90 game win streak was reaching its climax. Also the OSU game was at MSG in New York. Those factors drove attendance for those three games way up.

2. I'm guessing the HC, LSU, Howard and Lehigh games were in Storrs, where attendance will always be lower, regardless of who UConn is playing.

Here is the reason you will not be able to get me to buy your argument: if you compare the best UConn opponent games in recent years to the best games say 10 years ago, at the same venue, I think you will see at least a 20% decline. The games against Duke, Tennessee, etc. were ALWAYS sold out 10 years ago, but in recent years, the games against Baylor, etc. have not sold out. And that 20% decline (maybe more like 30%), IMO, can only be explained by the major factors I am talking about: the economy and the aging/movement out of state of the fan base.

Same thing with the cupcakes. I think you will find a 20% decline, or more, in attendance figures for the cupcakes over that 10 year span. I remember very close to capacity attendance at Gampel back in the old days for all games, including the cupcakes, but that is no longer the case. And the decline IMO is due to the same reasons: lousy economy and aging/displaced fan base.

The numbers I provided illustrate the difference between ranked and unranked teams. In that context venue has little relevance.

 

[Ruffian75]

Sorry in advance to Harriet but, end the contract with CPTV. If the games can't be seen on TV then people will have to go to the game. The fan base is still here but I hear from so many that it is easier to stay home and watch it on CPTV. The big games will still be picked up by the other stations and maybe the Athletic Department will take scheduling tougher non-conference teams more seriously.

.

Cutting off TV will certainly not get me to go to Gampel for a twinkie team even if I have a 5th row center court seat. I rarely make it to half time with most of these games as it is. Also, I will never ever sit on a bench again in that god awful excuse for an arena.

If Pendergast wants to do something to increase attendance, he should tear down Gampel and build a real arena like Harbor Yard.

 

[AllAmerRedHeads]

Thanks to CPTV, thats how I got into womens basketball. Taking it away will not change much in my opinion.

I do see some comments about aging fan base. I get that, but why are we not replacing it with new fans like what I think happened back around 95 that got people like my family and I so interested.

Just my opinion. I think so much of it comes down to the entertainment dollar.

We are in difficult economic times, yet there is still a lot of people that could fill seats.

You have to want people to spend their entertainment dollars on your product. Personally I hate those backless seats at Gampel. Yet, if I was told Paul McCartney was going to be there in concert and for $150 I could sit in 1 of those seats to watch. I couldnt get my wallet out quick enough.

Women's Basketball has a lot to compete with for the entertainment dollar, along with where the economy is. UConn certainly has a challenge to get back to where it was in putting fans in the stands. I know it can do it, but it is going to take more then just streaks and blow outs.

I am always impressed with the Rock Cats. First or last place good or bad economy, New Britain gets some great attendance figures. Wish we could borrow their personnel for a while and see if they could help.

 

[Ruffian75]

The OP was a comparison to other teams. That is totally irrelevant. Bottom line....UConn's attendance has been in a tail spin for 8 years. We know all the reasons but can't pinpoint any specific one.

My personal opinion....the bloom is off the rose. The UConn women are no longer chic. That ship has sailed. After all, it is women's basketball....hardly a sport that is part of the mainstream. Ticket price is not a problem. Getting gouged at every fork in the road and treated like garbage on that route is though when dealing with a minor sport.

 

[J187Money]

"And one thing that speaks to me about loyalty is for our ticket holders to use their seats. Often, there are empty seats for games, when in fact those seats have been sold and the ticket holder just decides not to come. We are asked all the time why those seats are empty.
"To me, a part of loyalty comes with the responsibility of seeing that your tickets are used. And so, we are close to instituting the [ticket] scanning system we use at the XL Center, perhaps as soon as January, at Gampel."

Good! I'm often embarrassed to see all the empty lower bowl seats on national TV because The Suits don't show up for games. Use 'em or lose 'em, Corporate Guys.

Or, how about we get out of the dark ages like UCLA and allow them to be transferred electronically. Ticketmaster runs a service that allows you to transfer tickets and print them from the web.

I work in NYC so how can I make midweek games? And I can't give the tickets away because people are too lazy to come get them.


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