Student Section is a Joke

[oldanintheway]

The students came they just didn’t stay.

They don’t want to sober up so they leave. Lower the drinking age and stick kegs in the student section and they stay.ht ou

Like more and more U's, here in Charlottesville, UVA just this year has implemented 2 areas, "beverage gardens", beer, wine and hard cider, bracelets not more than 4 drinks, not in the stadium, but just outside. Closes at end of 3rd Qtr. HC Bronco Mendenhall's 4th year, UVA picked to win their division and meet Clemson for ACC title.....

 

[CL82]

Lower the drinking age and stick kegs in the student section and they stay.

Um, I think Whaler just solved the nationwide student sports attendance problem.

 

[whaler11]

Yep - tis true. Kids today (people under 25) aren’t that into sports. I see it my office. I think their only real passion is checking off bucket lists and watching social media video clips of any variety that are less than a minute long.

They are also much more serious students. One girl at a party was going to be a trauma ER nurse at Hartford Hospital in like 2 weeks. To be qualified to do that after a full academic scholarship at 22/23 isn’t what UConn was like decades ago. Kids went there because they liked the bb team not the other way around.

 

[huskymedic]

The student section was ok to start the game. And there were many more students tailgating that never went into the game. The line of cars leaving the Red lots at 3 PM was startling.

... and for some there was never an attempt to go to the game. There are some “entrepreneurial” student run “tailgate” buses to the game for $15 RT that are scheduled to leave 20 minutes before game-time. No game ticket needed to get on the bus.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I feel for the players and don't blame them for calling out the student section. As a UCMB alum, I know how it feels to put in all that work just to see the majority of the crowd get up and walk away. I know it's half time and you need your bathroom break, but still it was frustrating to the band to see everyone get up

 

[Guapo]

They are also much more serious students. One girl at a party was going to be a trauma ER nurse at Hartford Hospital in like 2 weeks. To be qualified to do that after a full academic scholarship at 22/23 isn’t what UConn was like decades ago. Kids went there because they liked the bb team not the other way around.

And the BB programs, in my opinion, played a major (if not even the biggest) role in making UConn an attractive destination for higher quality students. Funny,

 

[whaler11]

And the BB programs, in my opinion, played a major (if not even the biggest) role in making UConn an attractive destination for higher quality students. Funny,

the bb programs were part of the reason the state invested so muc so yes.

 

[Guapo]

the bb programs were part of the reason the state invested so muc so yes.

Definitely and they made UConn a school kids wanted to go, rather than a safety school, which in turn made it more competitive which in turn attracted higher quality students yada yada yada nursing majors with no time for sports.

 

[gampelcrazies]

I’m a 21 year old student/fan. You guys hit it on the head. Students today could less about sports. They are more worried about social media and parties.

My friends are amazed with how much time I put into watching and attending games

 

[Guapo]

I’m a 21 year old student/fan. You guys hit it on the head. Students today could less about sports. They are more worried about social media and parties.

My friends are amazed with how much time I put into watching and attending games

A kid this day kids these days-ing

 

[ConnHuskBask]

A kid this day kids these days-ing

I think that sentence short circuited my brain.

 

[John]

He is right but this will not go over well coming from a football player.


Saban rips the bama student section constantly and they have implemented this point system. UConn needs to tie it to BB tix.

Alabama has tried to entice students into staying longer by using a phone application that tracks location and rewards Tide Loyalty Points: 100 per game for attending a home football game and 250 per game for staying all four quarters. The points can be used toward priority access to student football tickets.

they don't go to basketball games either.

 

[Guapo]

they don't go to basketball games either.

Again, since this is the football board I don’t want to get too far into the weeds on this issue, but is that true?

I thought, for the most part, student turn out was ~ok~ last year considering the team and conference was still nothing to really write home about (and I thought it was substantially better than the nadir of the Ollie years).

I suspect we’ll see continued improvement as Hurley continues to build a competitive program and the move to the Big East won’t hurt either.

 

[John]

Again, since this is the football board I don’t want to get too far into the weeds on this issue, but is that true?

I thought, for the most part, student turn out was ~ok~ last year considering the team and conference was still nothing to really write home about (and I thought it was substantially better than the nadir of the Ollie years).

I suspect we’ll see continued improvement as Hurley continues to build a competitive program and the move to the Big East won’t hurt either.

I was only saying that because I don't think you could leverage football by promising basketball seats like bonehead mentioned with the Bama case. I go to all the XL games and they do not do a very good job at all at attending there. Maybe Gampel is different, but for the games I've attended on occasion, even that is sparse.

 

[Husky25]

It’s a more macro argument than that.

The stadium being built that far off campus made it that much harder to build a student following.

It was going to be hard enough to microwave a football tradition at UConn. It became damn near impossible when you took the microwave out of the kitchen

This is a recent phenomenon. In Edsall's 1st tenure, the student section was pretty full, basically until game results were no longer in doubt. By the end of former "Coach" Pasqualoni's final full season, the PA announcer had to stop the already joke of a refrain of "The Best Student Section in the Country," as he was only referring to aluminum benches.

Cost/Benefit
A significant issue is, as always, price paid for entertainment value received. Game tickets and transportation can cost -0- but how about time? What if a student cannot get a seat on the final bus? The tailgate is entertaining and worth it. The game is not. It's that simple. Semantics or not, on-campus facility wouldn't change that and it's going to take more than two games to get it back, particularly with the University about embark on the Independence path.

Instant Gratification
It's been growing since the dawn of cable TV really. Not entertained by what you're watching? You don't even have to get up off the couch to turn the dial. Just a few click on the Silent Shifter of Wonder to see if something else can hold your attention.

Cost of being a Student
I went to UConn as an out of state student. Disregard the notion that my scores may have not been high enough to get in now (I.e the educational is set higher), I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $17k ('96) as freshman and $24K as a senior ('99). In-state estimates now eclipse $30 grand (OoS > $50k). If a student can't afford tuition in the first place, they certainly can't afford to flunk out.

 

[whaler11]

UConn experienced the opposite of what you’d expect when their programs peaked.

Basketball attendance started falling after the 04 title. Football attendance as going to fall in 2011 even if Edsall stayed.

On the football side in retrospect it looks like - oh you make the Fiesta Bowl... and that’s it? That’s the payoff? It was like the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.

On the basketball side once they got over the hump, people stayed interested in the events - but the boring 18 games against 150+ ranked teams just weren’t worth investing in because they are both boring and once you’ve been to the top a few times the front end of the build just isn’t as interesting.

Just look at this coming season - the home games are pointless unless you are a junkie. If they win who cares, if they lose it’s a disaster.

 

[Guapo]

This is a recent phenomenon. In Edsall's 1st tenure, the student section was pretty full, basically until game results were no longer in doubt. By the end of former "Coach" Pasqualoni's final full season, the PA announcer had to stop the already joke of a refrain of "The Best Student Section in the Country," as he was only referring to aluminum benches.

Cost/Benefit
A significant issue is, as always, price paid for entertainment value received. Game tickets and transportation can cost -0- but how about time? What if a student cannot get a seat on the final bus? The tailgate is entertaining and worth it. The game is not. It's that simple. Semantics or not, on-campus facility wouldn't change that and it's going to take more than two games to get it back, particularly with the University about embark on the Independence path.

Instant Gratification
It's been growing since the dawn of cable TV really. Not entertained by what you're watching? You don't even have to get up off the couch to turn the dial. Just a few click on the Silent Shifter of Wonder to see if something else can hold your attention.

Cost of being a Student
I went to UConn as an out of state student. Disregard the notion that my scores may have not been high enough to get in now (I.e the educational is set higher), I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $17k ('96) as freshman and $24K as a senior ('99). In-state estimates now eclipse $30 grand (OoS > $50k). If a student can't afford tuition in the first place, they certainly can't afford to flunk out.

Sure, all those things could definitely be factors but the most implant factors you’re leaving out are the following:

The team (and stadium) was shiny, new and GOOD (and playing in a BCS conference).

Traditions and fandom are not built overnight; so, of course, when the program and conference fell apart; people didn’t really have the same feeling of loyalty towards the football program because there was really not much loyalty to begin with.

I don’t like to play this card often here (since this is a UConn football message board) but I am a Georgia football season ticket holder. You’re just going to have to trust me when I tell you I might no a little something about how fanbases and traditions are built in college sports.

 

[Exit 4]

Basketball attendance started falling after the 04 title. Football attendance as going to fall in 2011 even if Edsall stayed.

On the football side in retrospect it looks like - oh you make the Fiesta Bowl... and that’s it? That’s the payoff? It was like the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.

On the basketball side once they got over the hump, people stayed interested in the events - but the boring 18 games against 150+ ranked teams just weren’t worth investing in because they are both boring and once you’ve been to the top a few times the front end of the build just isn’t as interesting.

Kinda of the modern New England box checker mentality. Do something once, then move on. This is a global phenomena but we seem to be in the lead and have far more of them - those that try everything once. Not faulting anyone, just saying.

 

[Guapo]

UConn experienced the opposite of what you’d expect when their programs peaked.

Basketball attendance started falling after the 04 title. Football attendance as going to fall in 2011 even if Edsall stayed.

On the football side in retrospect it looks like - oh you make the Fiesta Bowl... and that’s it? That’s the payoff? It was like the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.

On the basketball side once they got over the hump, people stayed interested in the events - but the boring 18 games against 150+ ranked teams just weren’t worth investing in because they are both boring and once you’ve been to the top a few times the front end of the build just isn’t as interesting.

Just look at this coming season - the home games are pointless unless you are a junkie. If they win who cares, if they lose it’s a disaster.

I think on the basketball side I get the feeling that, with everything the program has been through, there’s a lot of pent up passion to be unleashed there if/when the team gets good again.

 

[gampelcrazies]

UConn experienced the opposite of what you’d expect when their programs peaked.

Basketball attendance started falling after the 04 title. Football attendance as going to fall in 2011 even if Edsall stayed.

On the football side in retrospect it looks like - oh you make the Fiesta Bowl... and that’s it? That’s the payoff? It was like the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.

On the basketball side once they got over the hump, people stayed interested in the events - but the boring 18 games against 150+ ranked teams just weren’t worth investing in because they are both boring and once you’ve been to the top a few times the front end of the build just isn’t as interesting.

Just look at this coming season - the home games are pointless unless you are a junkie. If they win who cares, if they lose it’s a disaster.

Thats why I question if the masses will come back if either basketball or football starting winning again. I'd like to believe so but the numbers started dropping before we got bad.

 

[whaler11]

Thats why I question if the masses will come back if either basketball or football starting winning again. I'd like to believe so but the numbers started dropping before we got bad.

Basketball to a certain degree - Football outside the P5 never.

Basketball will always draw for the events - i.e. Arizona at XL recently.

 

[Guapo]

Thats why I question if the masses will come back if either basketball or football starting winning again. I'd like to believe so but the numbers started dropping before we got bad.

I firmly believe they will in basketball. Hell, attendance started clicking upwards with Hurley last year and I think it’ll only accelerate with the Big East and Hurley’s track record of turning around programs.

You could feel it trying to start with the Syracuse game and then the crowd at the Arizona game.

Unlike football, UConn has an organic and deep basketball history and tradition. For football I guess it depends on your definition of “good.” If “good” means 7-5 or 8-4 every year than probably not.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Basketball to a certain degree - Football outside the P5 never.

Basketball will always draw for the events - i.e. Arizona at XL recently.

I firmly believe they will in basketball. Hell, attendance started clicking upwards with Hurley last year and I think it’ll only accelerate with the Big East and Hurley’s track record of turning around programs.

You could feel it trying to start with the Syracuse game and then the crowd at the Arizona game.

Unlike football, UConn has an organic and deep basketball history and tradition. For football I guess it depends on your definition of “good.” If “good” means 7-5 or 8-4 every year than probably not.

You guys are probably probably right but thats for a "marquee" game. Will fans show up for tier 2/3 games.

 

[Guapo]

Basketball to a certain degree - Football outside the P5 never.

Basketball will always draw for the events - i.e. Arizona at XL recently.

One thing that I never hear talked about is the affect of the scandals on basketball attendance.

UConn basketball in the 90’s through the early 2000’s was giddy and pure and good.

I know that the laptops and the academics and the recruiting violations took the shine off for some people.

But, I think everyone is just about over it now or have forgotten.

 

[Guapo]

You guys are probably probably right but thats for a "marquee" game. Will fans show up for tier 2/3 games.

Look, they’re never getting a sold out Civic Center for an exhibition against Marathon Oil again; but, a ranked UConn team against a Butler or Creighton? Absolutely.