UConn's MBB, Football Teams See Historically Low Attendance Figures As Programs Try To Rebuild

[goskis2018]

I'm sorry but my four years of basketball were the worst in the programs history in thirty years. I went to every home game my freshman and sophomore year and most my junior year. My senior year was unbearable, I went to the big games (Nova, wsu, and Cincinnati) and you looked around the stands and at best gampel was half full (students or anybody else). The games weren't fun and it was frankly embarrassing getting blown out at home or going toe to toe with South Florida or whoever it was that game. I'm not even going to go into the football side of things. I know alot of dudes from my class who followed UConn basketball closely but like me couldn't stand going to the games this past year. Watching a team that can't score and can't stop anyone was a chore but that doesn't mean we wouldn't hate watch it in my apartment. It's easy to go to games when you are going to final fours and winning conference tournaments.

 

[champs99and04]

Shocked there is a 2018 grad who reads the boneyard, didn't think you guys actually cared about basketball.

Your class never attended games, the atmosphere was horrible in person and on tv. Everyone knows it and it has been brought up by at least 1 yarder after every home game (win or lose).

Blame the team, the players, the coach, the conference, how hard it is to get to Hartford, etc it's all just a poor excuse. You guys were awful. We have had poor teams and losing seasons in the past and attendance was never an issue.

I think the school in general has attracted a different breed of student since they started their ascent up the academic rankings. It probably also doesn't help that (so I'm told) there's more to do these days. Herbst might have something to do with it as well.

But it's disingenuous to compare the last four years to any point in the Calhoun era. It's one thing to attend games when you're a 7th place team in the Big East and it's another thing when you're a 7th place team in the AAC. For all the bad things we say about the conference, last year might have been even uglier in a better league. Playing in the AAC undersold how bad we were. A team like 2007 or 2010 is in a completely different class than the one we had last year.

I'm a big a proponent of "proactive" crowds that influence the game before needing to be asked, but you have to be reasonable. For as bad as the team was, they were still harder to watch than their record indicated. Poor body language, poor preparation, same mistakes over and over, zero fight, etc. Every basket was a grind. If you can't give me a good team, give me a team that's somewhat fun to watch, and if you can't give me either of those things, at least give me a good opponent. Blaming the students when nobody turned out for a conference tournament in Hartford last year is quite presumptuous.

 

[goskis2018]

Also if you think 2018 was bad buckle up. I went to UConn from New Jersey as a sports fan who wasn't really in to college athletics who got hooked on UConn bball because of the tourney run in 2014 after I had put down my deposit and events like first night 2014, the Texas game, tourney run 2015 and Georgetown game. The rising sophomores and juniors have had nothing but losing, even the women's team by their ridiculous standard. Those kids don't know any chants or game day traditions, I wouldn't expect huge student crowds just because of a coaching change. As for the UConn has better students now so they don't care as much about sports from my experience that's not the case. Guys are still guys but the games SUCK! Win and it'll be back to normal

 

[Guapo]

Shocked there is a 2018 grad who reads the boneyard, didn't think you guys actually cared about basketball.

Your class never attended games, the atmosphere was horrible in person and on tv. Everyone knows it and it has been brought up by at least 1 yarder after every home game (win or lose).

Blame the team, the players, the coach, the conference, how hard it is to get to Hartford, etc it's all just a poor excuse. You guys were awful. We have had poor teams and losing seasons in the past and attendance was never an issue.

Are you really doing this?

Please don't do this.

 

[UofCT]

Are you really doing this?

Please don't do this.

I'm simply educating @goskis2018 as to why his class was bad. He did not deny anything I said. Everyone has an excuse as to why they can't go or don't want to go to games and because of them we have articles like the one that started this thread.

 

[kemba]

We have had poor teams and losing seasons in the past and attendance was never an issue.

1. We have not had poor teams like these past 2 years in the past, at least not since before Gampel was built.

2. Having full student sections has been an issue in the past, obviously it got worse after 2 terrible seasons, following up an ok at best season, and a bad season

 

[Balker]

I think this goes far beyond wins and losses. People could feel the program trending down. There is no air of excitement. Even when we won the title, the excitement was pretty tempered until the tournament itself.

I think the coach needs to build a relationship with the fans and people of the state to regain the casual fan base and get them in seats. They need to believe in the direction of the program, and the coach leading it. Calhoun did that naturally. He was a New Englander. People related to him. He was angry, the media hated on him a lot, but you knew he had your back as a Husky. I think Hurley can do that, too. KO could not.

 

[Guapo]

I'm simply educating @goskis2018 as to why his class was bad. He did not deny anything I said. Everyone has an excuse as to why they can't go or don't want to go to games and because of them we have articles like the one that started this thread.

No, you're just being a bully.

 

[August_West]

Thank god we are a state university that cant go anywhere otherwise Perter Karmanos would move this whole joint to North Carolina.

 

[Stainmaster]

No, you're just being a bully.

You must have a pretty expansive definition of "bullying."

 

[Guapo]

You must have a pretty expansive definition of "bullying."

Sorry, let me re-state my point (as to not devalue the definition of bullying):

It seems to me that the best way to rebuild the fanbase is to avoid attacking fellow members of that fanbase.

 

[JMick]

I love people that tell others what to do with their time and money.

 

[UofCT]

Sorry, let me re-state my point (as to not devalue the definition of bullying):

It seems to me that the best way to rebuild the fanbase is to avoid attacking fellow members of that fanbase.

If you're going to try and rebuild the fanbase I recommend skipping the class of 2018.

 

[Guapo]

If you're going to try and rebuild the fanbase I recommend skipping the class of 2018.

Yeah that'll work.

 

[UofCT]

No, you're just being a bully.

On what grounds is it bullying?

Send me PM so I can apologize to you directly. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I didn't realize you were so sensitive.

 

[Guapo]

Sorry, let me re-state my point (as to not devalue the definition of bullying):

It seems to me that the best way to rebuild the fanbase is to avoid attacking fellow members of that fanbase.

On what grounds is it bullying?

Send me PM so I can apologize to you directly. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I didn't realize you were so sensitive.

 

[pj]

If you're going to try and rebuild the fanbase I recommend skipping the class of 2018.

Let me guess -- 10 girls from the class of 2018 turned you down?

 

[Bryan Lord]

The casual class of 2018.

 

[Lefty2one]

We never had a 2-year stretch this bad in a conference this boring. It was our lowest point since Calhoun arrived. It's 2018, I don't blame students for not going. It was a challenge just to force myself to watch the games on TV.

 

[UofCT]

Let me guess -- 10 girls from the class of 2018 turned you down?

Don't be a bully

 

[goskis2018]

If you're going to try and rebuild the fanbase I recommend skipping the class of 2018.

Pffffff every 2018 grad who watches sports will be all over the program when it's somewhat relevant. I'm sorry but no one showed up to support the program period, not just students. People didnt show up because the program was trending straight down and it lead to a change for the better. But if you think my year was made up of no one who cares about UConn basketball you are wrong we were just as disheartened as everyone else.

 

[amory]

Gotta love the graduating class of 2018. The worst UConn fans ever.

This is horse crap. I sympathize greatly with today's uconn students. Maybe they got to experience some of the husky glory days growing up, maybe they didn't pay attention to uconn sports until they enrolled at UConn.

Either way, they haven't gotten to experience what it's like to have a winning men's basketball or football team while in college. They don't know the pride, the frenzy, the joy of a packed and hyped gampel pavilion or Rentschler student section. I did, and its an experience I'll always be grateful for.

It's much easier to be a hardcore dedicated fan in the down times when you've experienced the highs firsthand. Students today have only ever been treated to nausea inducing displays from both programs. The product on the field and the court is inept and freakin boring. I don't blame them a bit for finding something fun to do instead.

 

[Guapo]

This is horse crap. I sympathize greatly with today's uconn students. Maybe they got to experience some of the husky glory days growing up, maybe they didn't pay attention to uconn sports until they enrolled at UConn.

Either way, they haven't gotten to experience what it's like to have a winning men's basketball or football team while in college. They don't know the pride, the frenzy, the joy of a packed and hyped gampel pavilion or Rentschler student section. I did, and its an experience I'll always be grateful for.

It's much easier to be a hardcore dedicated fan in the down times when you've experienced the highs firsthand. Students today have only ever been treated to nausea inducing displays from both programs. The product on the field and the court is inept and freakin boring. I don't blame them a bit for finding something fun to do instead.

Preach

 

[whaler11]

Read up on Clemson and their football tickets. They can’t figure out how to get students to their games either.

It’s more than just winning and losing. There is just a ton of stuff to do and the games can be boring and redundant. Jock Jams - it’s 30 years since that got released.

The non-conference games at XL are so boring and it’s so dead half the time I just want it to be over. There are 20 better games on TV and I don’t have to pay $10 for a Coors Light.

I wish the students would show up but it’s 5 hours to go to an XL game. If you are poor and can’t afford the beers or can’t bet $50 on the game to keep it interesting it’s not an easy sell.

 

[UofCT]

Love the excuses for students not showing up to games. Keep them coming! @Guapo @goskis2018 @whaler11