"Elite" Student Section

[troj231129]

Exactly. To me the plan seems to be to charge more... And you get in 15 minutes early.

Thats about it.

know there is talk of 'exclusive' viewing parties and such. But IMO I am generally always going to choose BW's or the fieldhouse over a university 'exclusive' event unless there will be hundreds of people watching it in the fieldhouse (ala the Memphis game) and that would be the opposite of exclusive.

The "exclusive" viewing parties aren't official yet either we have to work out a deal with The Fieldhouse in campustown to see if there is a way for us to organize viewing parties that will be booked by the Red Sea Elite, but will be open to everyone. We want as many people to support away games as we can. The extra costs would be for awards for supporting all athletics, covering the costs of t-shirts lanyards, ect. and with any left over organizing cheap rides down to Arch Madness in the spring.

So since we have yet to create posters that are going to be put up around campus, we will take heed to your suggestions, change the wording and have people understand better what they are paying for.

[DeltaBrave03]

I like the idea, but still don't see where the $50 fee is necessary. Charge people who want to ride down to arch madness individually and as mentioned earlier, SABRC distributes nearly $100,000 dollars a semester for student activities such as these. I think the major opposition here is being told we have to pay $50 to be a "premium" fan. This group does have a lot of possibilities though just needs to be open to a few changes IMO.

[troj231129]

I like the idea, but still don't see where the $50 fee is necessary. Charge people who want to ride down to arch madness individually and as mentioned earlier, SABRC distributes nearly $100,000 dollars a semester for student activities such as these. I think the major opposition here is being told we have to pay $50 to be a "premium" fan. This group does have a lot of possibilities though just needs to be open to a few changes IMO.

We are open to the changes, and it is 50 dollars for next year because SABRC had already distributed the money, or already had their budget set for next year meaning that it was to late for us to get any funding. In the future when we can get the funding, the price will indeed go down.

[Chico]

The more I read this thread the more I appalud the 50.00. It's rare now days for someone to give a little more. I have more respect for these students, or anyone, over the ones who won't go unless you "give me something." We can't assume that every student is a basketball fan and don't expect them to be interested. The ones who call themselves sports fans should be there win or lose and support their team. Shouldn't have to bribe them or go try to talk them into coming on down to Carver. They know when there is a game scheduled.

[Stryker]

The "exclusive" viewing parties aren't official yet either we have to work out a deal with The Fieldhouse in campustown to see if there is a way for us to organize viewing parties that will be booked by the Red Sea Elite, but will be open to everyone. We want as many people to support away games as we can. The extra costs would be for awards for supporting all athletics, covering the costs of t-shirts lanyards, ect. and with any left over organizing cheap rides down to Arch Madness in the spring.

So since we have yet to create posters that are going to be put up around campus, we will take heed to your suggestions, change the wording and have people understand better what they are paying for.

I think you would be ok if you didn't have the reserved seating at the games, and didn't charge for people's input by having them joing the group just to give suggestions etc. If you want to have stuff like the Red Pride then go ahead. Just don't alienate people when they are at the games. If people want to pay extra to get a different t-shirt and participate in exculsive viewing parties, then go ahead and do it that way.

What you should be doing is creating awareness on campus. Put up big signs on the quad a day or two before the game, send out your emails, get the Scout to put the gameday stuff in a prominent place, make sure everyone knows about the free rides, not just a 9x11 sheet of paper taped to the student center door. Get the greeks to come down as part of their chapter or what not. Get the freshmen down there as part of some sort of group. There are a lot of ways to get the students out, setting yourself apart is not the way to do it.

[amckillip]

I like the idea, but still don't see where the $50 fee is necessary. Charge people who want to ride down to arch madness individually and as mentioned earlier, SABRC distributes nearly $100,000 dollars a semester for student activities such as these. I think the major opposition here is being told we have to pay $50 to be a "premium" fan. This group does have a lot of possibilities though just needs to be open to a few changes IMO.

Exactly, if I can come to all the viewing parties, they are at an establishment open to the public, I already get a T-shirt with my normal season tickets, what EXACTLY does this extra $35 cover?

I've managed a student organization with an annual budget of a little over $35,000 (as I'm sure the founders of this new Student Section group are aware) and even then I had to account for every penny because students want to know where their money is going. Having a general thing like covering gas money for those who choose to go to St. Louis is not a good budget (nor do I think this is a good idea because you have to figure out hotels and such, plus the Braves club usually gets a bus if we make it to Sunday (been a while... )), nor will you last very long as a student organization.

Like I've said many times, I applaud the effort, but the plan needs some more thought and more than tripling the cost of tickets with no discernable return is not the right approach.

[amckillip]

What you should be doing is creating awareness on campus. Put up big signs on the quad a day or two before the game, send out your emails, get the Scout to put the gameday stuff in a prominent place, make sure everyone knows about the free rides, not just a 9x11 sheet of paper taped to the student center door. Get the greeks to come down as part of their chapter or what not. Get the freshmen down there as part of some sort of group. There are a lot of ways to get the students out, setting yourself apart is not the way to do it.

Rinse, wash, repeat. Great post Stryker.

[SFP]

I like the idea, but still don't see where the $50 fee is necessary. Charge people who want to ride down to arch madness individually and as mentioned earlier, SABRC distributes nearly $100,000 dollars a semester for student activities such as these. I think the major opposition here is being told we have to pay $50 to be a "premium" fan. This group does have a lot of possibilities though just needs to be open to a few changes IMO.

I agree Delta with your sentiments. What they need to do is create a plan where they can get the greatest buy in from the students. Once you get them involved and feeling as part of something bigger then you can start adding the premium status and privileges. Take a look at how airlines create loyalty. If I was in charge of marketing for this I bet you I could change the dynamics of the student body in a positive way. Charging $50 right outside the gate was a bit naive IMO. The idea was not bad but the implementation process in place will not create the desired effect. Since the group is trying to create overall student involvement in all sports programs, why stick $50 to just the basketball fans?

[amettrick]

the goal here is not to make any money. all of the money collect will be put directly back into activities for the students.

I think you are missing the point entirely here. Your goal of bettering the atmosphere and improving student support is admirable, however, your logic is completely backwards.

Your plan makes the assumption that the loudest and craziest fans don't already sit in the first few rows, which simply isn't true. You are essentially attempting to those fans 233% more for seats they were already occupying. All that will do is anger those students and push them out of their seats. That's the opposite of what you want.

If you want to accomplish what you say you wish to accomplish, this idea will not work. What you need to do is simply: sell the idea of attending every game to the freshman students. Get them hooked on the BU basketball as soon as they arrive on campus.

You're right that $50 isn't a huge amount, but the fact that it is such a large increase over the original price of season tickets is a major problem. Especially when there isn't a high demand for student season tickets at their current price.

[RedSeaElite1]

Ok so you are telling us the economics doesnt work, well if it was all economics then students would be at every baseball game where they give out free food and free tickets cuase thats economical. but the thing is even with the cheep tickets, the free give aways and the schools attempt to market the games its not working. I for one know that even ... See Morewhen my high school team wasnt playing the greatest we still had kids at the game, because its fun to yell and heckle the other team and to really make some noise and a difference in games. when more people see that happening hopefully they will want to join in. This is just what we have come up with, from the stories i've heard from some alumni no one has really tried something like this in the past, and obviously from the way the student section was last year what has happened in the past is not working currently at BU. If this doesnt work and flops next year, we gave it a shot and tried to do our part. All of the idea of marketing the games and putting up flyers and having greek night give aways and stuff cost money. BU already takes quite a hit for practically giving away those seats to the students in the student section, th erefore with the money raised by the cost to join we can not only offer incentives to members of the group, but we can use it to raise awarness on campus, and the leaders of the student section can be organized in getting greek houses, and freshman to games. I see where all of you think we will fail, and cool thats great we can all have our opinoins, but i also know some great people that will do everything within thier power to see this succeed and to see that we can build a passionate student section. Give us our chance now that you have gone and if it fails you can say "i told you so" next year and we can try something different. but i would think you all would hope it succeeds cause that would mean a more passionate student section representing your alma mater

[Stryker]

Ok so you are telling us the economics doesnt work, well if it was all economics then students would be at every baseball game where they give out free food and free tickets cuase thats economical. but the thing is even with the cheep tickets, the free give aways and the schools attempt to market the games its not working. I for one know that even ... See Morewhen my high school team wasnt playing the greatest we still had kids at the game, because its fun to yell and heckle the other team and to really make some noise and a difference in games. when more people see that happening hopefully they will want to join in. This is just what we have come up with, from the stories i've heard from some alumni no one has really tried something like this in the past, and obviously from the way the student section was last year what has happened in the past is not working currently at BU. If this doesnt work and flops next year, we gave it a shot and tried to do our part. All of the idea of marketing the games and putting up flyers and having greek night give aways and stuff cost money. BU already takes quite a hit for practically giving away those seats to the students in the student section, th erefore with the money raised by the cost to join we can not only offer incentives to members of the group, but we can use it to raise awarness on campus, and the leaders of the student section can be organized in getting greek houses, and freshman to games. I see where all of you think we will fail, and cool thats great we can all have our opinoins, but i also know some great people that will do everything within thier power to see this succeed and to see that we can build a passionate student section. Give us our chance now that you have gone and if it fails you can say "i told you so" next year and we can try something different. but i would think you all would hope it succeeds cause that would mean a more passionate student section representing your alma mater

Check my reply on fb. Take what you can from this discussion. I think a lot of it was constructive. Nobody wants you to fail at your main objective-get more students to the games.

[BU_EMT128]

In order to improve the basketball experience we are trying to get the student section to be united as one.

I have a hard time believing that the best option to unite the student section as one is to charge the "elite" students a significantly higher fee.

As far as I understand thus far, the following are the "benefits" for those who shell out the extra money... Your going to give a t-shirt, Who cares. You get one with your season ticket package and usually one or two during the season. Your giving a lanyard. Great! I will pick one up for $10 at the bookstore. Private view parties don't work, because as amckillip said, I would much rather be at BWW. You could probably pay for all of the "elite" t-shirts with 2 members fees. I get to go in early and sit in the seats that would have been waiting for me had I not paid $50. I see few benefits.

Have a pregame party at the civic center for members only or something. Simply give us something that we will get that makes it worth spending the money. For as of now, you are offering me no more benefits than what I could get on my own, spending much less money.

[SFP]

Check my reply on fb. Take what you can from this discussion. I think a lot of it was constructive. Nobody wants you to fail at your main objective-get more students to the games.

I agree Stryker. RedSeaElite1 I would bet not one poster here wants you to fail. You cannot get to emotional about this. Passion is one thing but the ability to take criticism, learn from mistakes, improve on what is working and move on is a critical part of creating any dynamic marketing campaign. What you are trying to do has been done before countless of times in a bunch of different industries. Creating a loyalty program which you can transfer to the student body, to keep for a lifetime, is priceless for BU. I'm sure there are quite a few alums who have worked on different programs in which you can gleam some insight and perhaps build a platform which the university can port over to their alumni system.

[Braves4Life]

Well said SFP.

[troj231129]

Hey Guys,

We appreciate all your comments and have taken each and every bit of advice. We are currently having a meeting and looking at all of the different ideas that you have put forward. We are discussing price changes and reviewing the ideas that we had. We will keep you updated as the next few weeks progress. As of right we are focusing on getting together a flyer and preparing for the launch coming up at late night BU. After this meeting is over we will let you know on decisions and other changes that we may make for the fall.