Spring game attendance nationally

[Excalibur]

Nice slap at UConn.

At other places many go because it is an event.

.

It's no slap to say that there are more hardcore college football fans at many other schools, particularly in the P5 and in the South. Spin it however you want, but it's a true statement.

 

[Excalibur]

that may be true but I think it all goes back to creating a certain type of atmosphere, I believe this again all goes back to the marketing department making this into an "event" or experience. you may not get the gate fees at this game but this needs to be looked at as a long term investment, not so short sighted. the free admission needs to be used to get the casual fan into the stadium and the experience that they have that day is what needs to drive them to come back for the regular season. we are the hardcore fans that love this team but unfortunately until these games become the ticket to have we are not the ones that need to be targeted and catered to.

The return on investment of heavy spring game marketing is near zero. This is where the CFO or Controller tells the one-dimensional ad guy to stop wasting money . . .

 

[Waquoit]

It's no slap to say that there are more hardcore college football fans at many other schools, particularly in the P5 and in the South. Spin it however you want, but it's a true statement.

And that's OK. Doesn't mean we can't have a successful program.

 

[ZOOCONN]

The return on investment of heavy spring game marketing is near zero. This is where the CFO or Controller tells the one-dimensional ad guy to stop wasting money . . .

I guess it just depends on what qualifies as a "return" in your investment for you.

 

[Dooley]

There were a decent amount of people sitting in the second level yesterday. The attendance was pretty solid. Odd thread.

Sure honoring someone like Dixon at halftime would be fun for the die hards that already attend but it's not like someone is deciding to go for stuff like that.

I hear you. No casual fan is going to go because of a video montage for Andre Dixon. But Joe and Jill Casual might have been moved to see Dixon score a game winning TD against a name they no doubt have heard of. Maybe they say "UConn beat Notre Dame? I didn't know that. I'm going to go hook me up with some of these ballooned tickets." Okay, so maybe not right away. But that right there is some seed planting. The majority of our state has no idea how competitive UConn football has been since going FBS. Or they have forgotten. It never hurts to remind or introduce some cool footage to them. This stuff ain't for the diehards like you and me. It's for the Connecticut resident who wants to rally behind a Connecticut product. They just need a reason (or several reasons) to.

 

[whaler11]

Dooley - I hear you.... and what you are proposing would be awesome... but I really don't see how it improves the crowd when Sept/Oct rolls around.

Maybe a video of a game years ago compels someone to buy a thousand dollars worth of tickets but I'm really not seeing it.

 

[Dooley]

Dooley - I hear you.... and what you are proposing would be awesome... but I really don't see how it improves the crowd when Sept/Oct rolls around.

Maybe a video of a game years ago compels someone to buy a thousand dollars worth of tickets but I'm really not seeing it.

I agree, the video itself isn't the selling feature. The whole day should be an event. WBB autographs is a great way to cross sporting interests. Show some clips of UConn football all throughout the game, like Pitt not being able to run a play without a false start penalty AND UConn beating Notre Dame AND UConn trashing South Carolina AND UConn handing Houston its only loss AND Teggart clinching a BCS berth AND UConn beating Baylor and RG III, etc...

UConn has First Night down pat. We were the first school to come up with the idea of having a MBB/WBB game and its been nothing but good to promote UCONN. We can trot out a championship trophy every year (sometimes two) and the skills competitions are top notch. People get FIRED UP for First Night and rightfully so. Unfortunately, we don't come anywhere near that for football Spring Game. We have lazy PR guy reading a 5 second index card about purchasing season tickets and that's it. No excitement.

Put in a skills competition. 40 yard dash race between the 2 fastest players. QB with the best arm. OL bench pressing cheerleaders. Whatever. Add some video clips of the great stuff UConn football has already accomplished and sprinkle in some acknowledgements of former players in the NFL (aside: we have the most NFL alum of any G5...let's advertise and bring some of them back for acknowledgements and autographs) and it could be a fun afternoon for all. Maybe fun enough for people to strongly consider tickets. Maybe they start with going to the UVA or Cuse game or maybe they go fully monty with a season pact. Who knows.

The strict 20 minute countdown clock has to go. Whoever thought that treating the fans like cattle herds at 20:00 needs to go. Either you have the players meet the fans or you don't. Or maybe you limit that to just season ticket holders - old and newly signed that day - and run a line so all fans get all player autographs/pictures.

Of course I'm just spitballin' here. My main point: I was just saddened to see Andre Dixon signing his own business cards for fans without any sort of acknowledgment that he was there. He was practically begging to give them away. Put that man on screen for a second. Put the whole crew on screen for a few seconds and tell everyone who they are. They were beyond friendly and accommodating with the fans (my niece had her picture taken with Lansanah, Easley and Dixon...all separately). Would've been nice to see them honored and show them some love. Especially the 2009 team - who showed true Husky grit the entire year. Great way to build a UConn family and generational fanbase culture.

 

[TheDoggPound]

In all honesty it looked like more than 5,500 Saturday. I thought about 8,000 maybe a little more but it would be awesome if we ever could get to the point as a program to at least have the lower level filled entirely.

Also before we talk about getting the students inside we should probably worry about the people who show up strictly to tailgate and never plan on going in. That should be first and foremost. I witnessed quite a bit of that.

 

[whaler11]

I agree, the video itself isn't the selling feature. The whole day should be an event. WBB autographs is a great way to cross sporting interests. Show some clips of UConn football all throughout the game, like Pitt not being able to run a play without a false start penalty AND UConn beating Notre Dame AND UConn trashing South Carolina AND UConn handing Houston its only loss AND Teggart clinching a BCS berth AND UConn beating Baylor and RG III, etc...

UConn has First Night down pat. We were the first school to come up with the idea of having a MBB/WBB game and its been nothing but good to promote UCONN. We can trot out a championship trophy every year (sometimes two) and the skills competitions are top notch. People get FIRED UP for First Night and rightfully so. Unfortunately, we don't come anywhere near that for football Spring Game. We have lazy PR guy reading a 5 second index card about purchasing season tickets and that's it. No excitement.

Put in a skills competition. 40 yard dash race between the 2 fastest players. QB with the best arm. OL bench pressing cheerleaders. Whatever. Add some video clips of the great stuff UConn football has already accomplished and sprinkle in some acknowledgements of former players in the NFL (aside: we have the most NFL alum of any G5...let's advertise and bring some of them back for acknowledgements and autographs) and it could be a fun afternoon for all. Maybe fun enough for people to strongly consider tickets. Maybe they start with going to the UVA or Cuse game or maybe they go fully monty with a season pact. Who knows.

The strict 20 minute countdown clock has to go. Whoever thought that treating the fans like cattle herds at 20:00 needs to go. Either you have the players meet the fans or you don't. Or maybe you limit that to just season ticket holders - old and newly signed that day - and run a line so all fans get all player autographs/pictures.

Of course I'm just spitballin' here. My main point: I was just saddened to see Andre Dixon signing his own business cards for fans without any sort of acknowledgment that he was there. He was practically begging to give them away. Put that man on screen for a second. Put the whole crew on screen for a few seconds and tell everyone who they are. They were beyond friendly and accommodating with the fans (my niece had her picture taken with Lansanah, Easley and Dixon...all separately). Would've been nice to see them honored and show them some love. Especially the 2009 team - who showed true Husky grit the entire year. Great way to build a UConn family and generational fanbase culture.

Yeah and the combined First Night ruined the season for Ollie's team. How can you support that?

#chieftoldmeso

 

[whaler11]

I agree, the video itself isn't the selling feature. The whole day should be an event. WBB autographs is a great way to cross sporting interests. Show some clips of UConn football all throughout the game, like Pitt not being able to run a play without a false start penalty AND UConn beating Notre Dame AND UConn trashing South Carolina AND UConn handing Houston its only loss AND Teggart clinching a BCS berth AND UConn beating Baylor and RG III, etc...

UConn has First Night down pat. We were the first school to come up with the idea of having a MBB/WBB game and its been nothing but good to promote UCONN. We can trot out a championship trophy every year (sometimes two) and the skills competitions are top notch. People get FIRED UP for First Night and rightfully so. Unfortunately, we don't come anywhere near that for football Spring Game. We have lazy PR guy reading a 5 second index card about purchasing season tickets and that's it. No excitement.

Put in a skills competition. 40 yard dash race between the 2 fastest players. QB with the best arm. OL bench pressing cheerleaders. Whatever. Add some video clips of the great stuff UConn football has already accomplished and sprinkle in some acknowledgements of former players in the NFL (aside: we have the most NFL alum of any G5...let's advertise and bring some of them back for acknowledgements and autographs) and it could be a fun afternoon for all. Maybe fun enough for people to strongly consider tickets. Maybe they start with going to the UVA or Cuse game or maybe they go fully monty with a season pact. Who knows.

The strict 20 minute countdown clock has to go. Whoever thought that treating the fans like cattle herds at 20:00 needs to go. Either you have the players meet the fans or you don't. Or maybe you limit that to just season ticket holders - old and newly signed that day - and run a line so all fans get all player autographs/pictures.

Of course I'm just spitballin' here. My main point: I was just saddened to see Andre Dixon signing his own business cards for fans without any sort of acknowledgment that he was there. He was practically begging to give them away. Put that man on screen for a second. Put the whole crew on screen for a few seconds and tell everyone who they are. They were beyond friendly and accommodating with the fans (my niece had her picture taken with Lansanah, Easley and Dixon...all separately). Would've been nice to see them honored and show them some love. Especially the 2009 team - who showed true Husky grit the entire year. Great way to build a UConn family and generational fanbase culture.

The twenty minute clock wasn't the issue... it was delaying for twenty minutes and after treating the fans like they had Zika for half the time.

The players fixed the security issue on their own - but whoever decided to turn after the game into a TSA situation needs to be reassigned.

Of course they should honor all the former players who come back for the game. Stars like Dixon... but everyone.

This is a school that employs a PA guy who doesn't know the team and didn't have a roster. Baby steps.

 

[Adios]

The banners inside the stadium are a great way to commemorate signature wins. Those do showcase the history of the program.

 

[HuskyNan]

UConn did try to draw UConn women's team fan by having the team there to sign autographs and handing out posters and such.

As for the students, on Wednesday before the game, the team held a Dog House Party that Diaco said was pretty well attended. It seems like an attempt to fire up the student body.

 

[Waquoit]

Winning football will drive Spring game attendance, not vice-versa. Let's save the hand-wringing for more important things.

 

[Palatine]

Here's an simple example. Instead of having the women's parade last week, you hold it this week and it ends at the stadium. That brings thousands of fans, many who have never been to a football game to the stadium. They see the tailgating, enjoy the game, celebrate the women, get autographs, maybe get a little interested.

Why doesn't anyone at UConn ever think like that?

 

[Waquoit]

Here's an simple example. Instead of having the women's parade last week, you hold it this week and it ends at the stadium. That brings thousands of fans, many who have never been to a football game to the stadium. They see the tailgating, enjoy the game, celebrate the women, get autographs, maybe get a little interested.

Why doesn't anyone at UConn ever think like that?

Thank goodness they don't. A parade in that area doesn't work logistically. And reducing a celebration for one of the greatest college teams in history to just a side event for a meaningless scrimmage would be insulting. The team did their bit by showing up for an autograph session.

 

[CTMike]

Here's an simple example. Instead of having the women's parade last week, you hold it this week and it ends at the stadium. That brings thousands of fans, many who have never been to a football game to the stadium. They see the tailgating, enjoy the game, celebrate the women, get autographs, maybe get a little interested.

Why doesn't anyone at UConn ever think like that?

Just curious the logistics of a 4 mile parade from the Capitol to the Rent? Would the parade goers walk their grills? Or would the parade be in Hartford and you announce a 30 minute break for people to get to their cars to the Rent?

 

[Palatine]

Just curious the logistics of a 4 mile parade from the Capitol to the Rent? Would the parade goers walk their grills? Or would the parade be in Hartford and you announce a 30 minute break for people to get to their cars to the Rent?

Not a difficult thing to do. You circle Hartford and have an event at the Rent a little later. Say an hour before kick off.

The NY Giants did this exact thing after the last Super Bowl victory. They had a parade down the canyon of heroes in NYC and ended with an event at Giants Stadium. Both were packed.

 

[huskymedic]

For those who get a woody or agita over these things...

A mid-April look at spring game attendance – No 2-Minute Warning

 

[mes5107]

UCF Spring Game. Their stadium capacity is 44,206. It sure doesn't look like 23,147.

http://www.wftv.com/sports/record-crowd-at-ucf-spring-game/222442100

"Record Attendance
-Official 2016 #UCFastival Spring Game attendance: 23,147
-Although official numbers have not been kept, UCF previously averaged about 4-5,000 fans for spring games. Entering the day, approximately 15,000 free tickets had been scooped up online."

I guess they counted the number of sold, free tickets.

 

[uconnphil2016]

That stadium is so ugly. Looks like a giant tin can.

 

[Dooley]

UCF Spring Game. Their stadium capacity is 44,206. It sure doesn't look like 23,147.

Record crowd at UCF spring game

"Record Attendance
-Official 2016 #UCFastival Spring Game attendance: 23,147
-Although official numbers have not been kept, UCF previously averaged about 4-5,000 fans for spring games. Entering the day, approximately 15,000 free tickets had been scooped up online."

I guess they counted the number of sold, free tickets.

If UCF got 23K for their Spring Game and this is indeed a photo from said game, then UConn got 100K. That is an absurd falsified attendance report.

 

[BugsyCT]

Those numbers might be legit. Found another pic of their game with a larger crowd (during daylight - must have been an evening scrimmage).

(and only 3400 for Houston?)

 

[tiger paw]

have not missed a home game the last 13 years. never been to a spring same, and have no intention of ever going. sorry, but it just can't get into it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Those numbers might be legit. Found another pic of their game with a larger crowd (during daylight - must have been an evening scrimmage).

(and only 3400 for Houston?)

Even that picture is 15k in attendance max.

 

[JMick]

have not missed a home game the last 13 years. never been to a spring same, and have no intention of ever going. sorry, but it just can't get into it.

If I lived in Hartford or the surrounding area I'd make every effort to go, but I'm not going to head up from FFC to watch the spring game unless I have literally nothing else going on. Do wish it was televised though, because I would watch.