Student Section

[BU_EMT128]

It is similar to the rivermen... Interest fades, and fades fast, when the team is not doing well. A string of a few more awful losses would make it hard for us to pull 6500....

[real fan]

It is a shame that so few students attend their own schools games, there are a lot of fun players to watch on this team , I would like to say that the cheerleaders are doing a superb job in trying to get the crowd going by some of them going up into the upper bowl before and during the game.

[Bradleyguy10]

Carver is boring....plain and simple. I went with my dad to the game and he couldn't believe how quiet it was through most of the game. The student section didn't seem loud where we were and it's probably due to so little student's being there. I mean people (not in the student section) don't even clap to the cheers...they literally do absolutely nothing.

I was in the upper bowl and could hear the players talking on the court....

THAT'S where our home court advantage went. Carver is boring. The loudest it got during the game was whenever bradley lost the lead so they were negative sounds...that is until the very end.

Man was I bored. Wayyyyy too quiet. Pathetic is the only word for it.

[BU_EMT128]

Carver is boring....plain and simple. I went with my dad to the game and he couldn't believe how quiet it was through most of the game. The student section didn't seem loud where we were and it's probably due to so little student's being there. I mean people (not in the student section) don't even clap to the cheers...they literally do absolutely nothing.

I was in the upper bowl and could hear the players talking on the court....

THAT'S where our home court advantage went. Carver is boring. The loudest it got during the game was whenever bradley lost the lead so they were negative sounds...that is until the very end.

Man was I bored. Wayyyyy too quiet. Pathetic is the only word for it.

and its a shame... Because I KNOW that arena can ROCK. Case and point, that arena was the loudest I have ever heard it for the Michigan State game. The only time i have seen the entire arena stand and scream the entire game.

[Rusty 54]

Another thing that might hurt the size of the student section is that most of the students who are not from Peoria have no idea about the history of Bradley basketball. Coming in as a freshman I had no idea that Bradley was once a national power. I had heard of Hersey Hawkins but other then that didn't know anything. The Sweet 16 really got students fired up, but after that there has been a rapid decline of interest. Just this year, I think how and when we lost our games hurt us. There was a buzz on campus after the win over Illinois, but the next two home games were Western Carolina and Loyola. That might have pretty much killed off the excitement for a lot of the more fair-weather students. There might have been a chance to build a little more of the student fan base after the MSU, SIU and Evansville wins, but the losing to Creighton and then getting blown out at isu stopped any momentum that could have been gained.

Also, the lack of a big name home opponent didn't help. Don't take this as an insult, I think we had a schedule that set us up for a chance at an at-large if we would have won the games we needed too and I realize that big name schools are not exactly lining up to play here, but there was no Michigan State or Butler or any other "name" school that students would get pumped up to go see.

[Bradleyguy10]

I don't know Rusty. I know what you are saying but I think most are saying they don't know why the student's aren't showing up to see BRADLEY not some visiting team that has the name. Why isn't bradley the team you come to see? You know what I mean. The student's should want to come and see their school play not just to see the Mich St's.

Another thing I noticed is the acoustics! Man it was bad. After redbird arena where it felt so enclosed and everyone was facing everyone and you could just hear things so well made it feel even smaller. Carver doesn't have that. It feels big and the only time it feels smaller is when it gets loud. I say mic the student section and band MORE because, dang, it was quiet where I sat. It's like a whole other territory.

[BuB]

Future Walk-On, DUBrave, Stryker, and anybody else let me throw this out there to get your thoughts. In recent years on campus their has been a tremendous increase in the number of task forces or sweeps that actively look for get togethers or parties. They want to check ID's and give breathalizer tests to everyone. I bet you know someone who has had their off campus house barged into. If you fail you get a very expensive ticket. Has that turned into resentment or prevented students from attending pre-game festivities? These get togethers were a blast in past years for many students but new campus policies just put in place have made it harder to get in the mood and get crazy. Put it this way, it was alot easier in the past to pre-game or tailgate. Besides our record being around .500 this year has this been a factor in low student attendance?

[thefish7]

Future Walk-On, DUBrave, Stryker, and anybody else let me throw this out there to get your thoughts. In recent years on campus their has been a tremendous increase in the number of task forces or sweeps that actively look for get togethers or parties. They want to check ID's and give breathalizer tests to everyone. I bet you know someone who has had their off campus house barged into. If you fail you get a very expensive ticket. Has that turned into resentment or prevented students from attending pre-game festivities? These get togethers were a blast in past years for many students but new campus policies just put in place have made it harder to get in the mood and get crazy. Put it this way, it was alot easier in the past to pre-game or tailgate. Besides our record being around .500 this year has this been a factor in low student attendance?

on what basis are they breathalyzing people? If it's like you say someone needs to challenge such policies. They registering very high on my doesntsoundright-o-meter.

[BradleyDU4]

Half of the issue is student apathy, but there still is much room for improvement with better advertising. Why is there no representative ever outside of a cafeteria on game days selling tickets for a dollar and pitching the free transportation? Its honestly like they have no interest if students show up or not. There should be student only marketing, on campus advertising, etc. Whoever is directly responsible for Red Pride is also at fault. Talk about another unadvertised and lame program. Step it up Bradley Marketing.

[SFP]

Barging in off-campus housing is illegal without a warrant or probably cause. So, if that is happening then students need to find out what their rights are.

[BradleyDU4]

Future Walk-On, DUBrave, Stryker, and anybody else let me throw this out there to get your thoughts. In recent years on campus their has been a tremendous increase in the number of task forces or sweeps that actively look for get togethers or parties. They want to check ID's and give breathalizer tests to everyone. I bet you know someone who has had their off campus house barged into. If you fail you get a very expensive ticket. Has that turned into resentment or prevented students from attending pre-game festivities? These get togethers were a blast in past years for many students but new campus policies just put in place have made it harder to get in the mood and get crazy. Put it this way, it was alot easier in the past to pre-game or tailgate. Besides our record being around .500 this year has this been a factor in low student attendance?

This is definitely a non-issue. Task force isnt here on weekdays, unless it is halloween or something of that nature. Pregaming and such simply doesnt happen because students dont even know there is a game that day and/or no attempts have been made to actively get them there by BU marketing.

[SaintLouBrave22]

Who says you have to be completely inebriated to enjoy being at a basketball game?

I just find it utterly ridiculous of the lack of student attendance at games...

It seems like most only go to the ISU game and thats because its ISU and based on the hatred towards the opposing school...heck, half that go to that game spend more time socializing in the crowd than actually watching the game...

I know Bradley is considered more an academic institution, but there have to be some basketball fans out there somewhere...and there has to be a way to get more to the arena somehow.

Its just sad really as the BU student setup may not be the greatest, but its also not that bad...they're given both sections behind the bench and are alloted all seats behind those in the upper bowl. As much as ISU is given a better location (would compare to Sec 4), they are given many less seats to work with.

I don't know what has to be done to get more students to the games, but it certainly can't be ticket prices, as the BU student package is quite a bit cheaper than most schools as far as I know...

Winning would help, but even in the Sweet 16 year, it wasn't like they were having trouble scraping student seats together for people...

Get to the games, support your school!

[Stryker]

Who says you have to be completely inebriated to enjoy being at a basketball game?

I just find it utterly ridiculous of the lack of student attendance at games...

It seems like most only go to the ISU game and thats because its ISU and based on the hatred towards the opposing school...heck, half that go to that game spend more time socializing in the crowd than actually watching the game...

I know Bradley is considered more an academic institution, but there have to be some basketball fans out there somewhere...and there has to be a way to get more to the arena somehow.

Its just sad really as the BU student setup may not be the greatest, but its also not that bad...they're given both sections behind the bench and are alloted all seats behind those in the upper bowl. As much as ISU is given a better location (would compare to Sec 4), they are given many less seats to work with.

I don't know what has to be done to get more students to the games, but it certainly can't be ticket prices, as the BU student package is quite a bit cheaper than most schools as far as I know...

Winning would help, but even in the Sweet 16 year, it wasn't like they were having trouble scraping student seats together for people...

Get to the games, support your school!

Student turnout was very very good in 06'-07' and 07'-08'. Since then it has tailed off quite a bit. And no you do not need to be wasted to enjoy good basketball lol!

[DeltaBrave03]

Future Walk-On, DUBrave, Stryker, and anybody else let me throw this out there to get your thoughts. In recent years on campus their has been a tremendous increase in the number of task forces or sweeps that actively look for get togethers or parties. They want to check ID's and give breathalizer tests to everyone. I bet you know someone who has had their off campus house barged into. If you fail you get a very expensive ticket. Has that turned into resentment or prevented students from attending pre-game festivities? These get togethers were a blast in past years for many students but new campus policies just put in place have made it harder to get in the mood and get crazy. Put it this way, it was alot easier in the past to pre-game or tailgate. Besides our record being around .500 this year has this been a factor in low student attendance?

I was talking to someone about this the other day. It seems that with all the new policies the administration is trying to instill they have really made a lot of students not like what is going on at BU. I think that feeling of displeasure has made its way to the athletics as well because now I know many students who have no pride in BU what so ever because they feel the administration is out to get them. If I wasn't such an avid sports fan I think I would be in the same boat. This school isn't half as fun as it was 2 years ago, and hearing stories from 5 years ago blows my mind.

[BuB]

on what basis are they breathalyzing people? If it's like you say someone needs to challenge such policies. They registering very high on my doesntsoundright-o-meter.

The main reasons they quote are noise violations such as disturbing the peace and visual presence of plastic cups. This is a big reason why many houses have their drapes and curtains taped to the side of windows so no one can see inside. Don't even think about walking outside with a cup.