"Elite" Student Section

[real fan]

How about having frat sections and sorority sections, not front row sections but ones that put them together and come up with some random drawing for gifts .

[amckillip]

Pretty much sums it up. I think a freshman should be able to sit front row though - if they're at every game, get there early, and scream and shout. What is funny is that you look at the people who are organizing this, and most attend at most 5 games a year, never get there early, and then get frustrated when they can't come down to the front and act like they belong.

BTW, I'm not entirely convinced this is official and am going to email Bobby Parker to investigate...

Reply:

Andrew,



I just saw that thread on BradleyFans.com and it is the first I have
heard of it. I logged on to the Facebook page and did not recognize any
of the administrator names. I just forwarded the group page to Rob
Bogardus in the ticket office to see if he knew anything about it.



BP



Bobby Parker

Associate AD for Communications

Bradley University

So it doesn't seem credible to me... but maybe Bobby just doesn't know about it. That would really surprise me, because he is usually THE source for BU basketball information.

On a completely separate not Bobby's signature says Associate AD, is this new? As in a change from Information Director? If so it was a much deserved promotion as Bobby does an excellent job especially working with fans.

[Beninator]

Reply:




So it doesn't seem credible to me... but maybe Bobby just doesn't know about it. That would really surprise me, because he is usually THE source for BU basketball information.

On a completely separate not Bobby's signature says Associate AD, is this new? As in a change from Information Director? If so it was a much deserved promotion as Bobby does an excellent job especially working with fans.

Thanks Amckillip.... It seemed a little strange to me as well.

[Braves4Life]

How about having frat sections and sorority sections, not front row sections but ones that put them together and come up with some random drawing for gifts .

They had this when I went to BU a LONG time ago. I would be surprised if BU still does not do this.

[DUBrave5]

Pretty much sums it up. I think a freshman should be able to sit front row though - if they're at every game, get there early, and scream and shout. What is funny is that you look at the people who are organizing this, and most attend at most 5 games a year, never get there early, and then get frustrated when they can't come down to the front and act like they belong.

BTW, I'm not entirely convinced this is official and am going to email Bobby Parker to investigate...

Reply:




So it doesn't seem credible to me... but maybe Bobby just doesn't know about it. That would really surprise me, because he is usually THE source for BU basketball information.

On a completely separate not Bobby's signature says Associate AD, is this new? As in a change from Information Director? If so it was a much deserved promotion as Bobby does an excellent job especially working with fans.

Thanks Amckillip.... It seemed a little strange to me as well.

This is actually happening and it is being done by the marketing department. I was asked to be a part of the founding for this but I was asked to go to the meeting a few hours beforehand and couldn't make it. You can PM me if you want to know who started this, I don't want to put his name out on the board.

[SFP]

They had this when I went to BU a LONG time ago. I would be surprised if BU still does not do this.

This was great because everyone had assigned seats back then by lottery. The frats and sorority would be counted as one during the drawing and then they could chose a block of seats. Our house was lucky one year because we got seats right in the front row my junior year. Then again tickets were hot commodity and everyone wanted to go to the games. If they really wanted to create an elite student section they could move them to seats that were closer to 1/2 court. Now that would be elite.

[AZ BU Fan]

Got to be a sham!

I couldn't begin to imagine something so capitalist, so right wing, a program for "Elite" people who can pay $$, coming out of an educational institution of higher learning.

Dare I say that BU is now a university that doesn't lean to the current Democratic/Socialist movement of equal access to all things good to all people regardless of effort?

Here are some ideas to get students into Carver screaming their heads off for the Braves:

• Win something other than 2nd place in the CBI and CI.com post season exhibitions. Other than possibly graduate students, there aren't many students left at BU who were around for the NCAA glory run of 2005-06. Today's BU seniors were 6 years old when BU won its last MVC title.

• Build a home game unbeaten streak

• Consistently beat teams who should be BU's natural rivals - Creighton, ISU Red, SIU, UNI, Drake

[Beninator]

This is actually happening and it is being done by the marketing department. I was asked to be a part of the founding for this but I was asked to go to the meeting a few hours beforehand and couldn't make it. You can PM me if you want to know who started this, I don't want to put his name out on the board.

Thanks for clearing this up. At least there is a little more clarity on this subject.


JMHO I still think that this is a terrible idea!

[Chico]

If true, I think that this is a terrible idea. We should be finding ways to encourage student participation and not try to alienate students. Some of the older posters on here will remember the Fieldhouse days in which there was a true student atmosphere to the game. Ever since the move to the PCC, the atmosphere is more corporate!


also there is an "End of the year party"???? I find this very interesting... (if true)

I wouldn't be in favor this either. But I don't think the move to the Civic Center from the Fieldhouse should have made a difference in student attendance. The Civic Center isn't that much farther than the bars on Farmington Rd. and they don't have a problem with heading there. I realize that not all students are basketball fans, but the ones who are have no excuse. Games are over by 9 and the bars don't close till early morning. We always went to the games and headed back to our favorite watering holes to discuss the outcome.

[amckillip]

I got an email from Jacob Miller in marketing explaining the situation. I do not want to post the email, but from the administration it seems well-intentioned. I question the method and who they have selected/allowed to run it, as they are at most, newcomers to regular BU Basketball attendance, though most people I talk to say they 'occasionally show up for big games.' We'll see if it pans out, I hope it does, but I already very much question the direction it is starting out...

[Beninator]

I wouldn't be in favor this either. But I don't think the move to the Civic Center from the Fieldhouse should have made a difference in student attendance. The Civic Center isn't that much farther than the bars on Farmington Rd. and they don't have a problem with heading there. I realize that not all students are basketball fans, but the ones who are have no excuse. Games are over by 9 and the bars don't close till early morning. We always went to the games and headed back to our favorite watering holes to discuss the outcome.

We can agree to disagree on parts of this, but imho the seating arrangements for students at the fieldhouse were much better than the corner student section at the PCC. The students were shoved in a corner and the interest went away with the poor seating.

[Stryker]

We can agree to disagree on parts of this, but imho the seating arrangements for students at the fieldhouse were much better than the corner student section at the PCC. The students were shoved in a corner and the interest went away with the poor seating.

I disagree. Where they are seated has nothing to do with them showing up. We had huge turnouts of students in 07-08. We just need a successful basketball team.

[RedSeaCrazie42]

Even if the $50 "Elite" program starts next season, how many people will actually buy them? I've been a student season ticket holder and attended every home game and every Arch Madness game since the beginning of the '07-'08 season. Furthermore, I tend to be in the front row for most games. I already deal with enough costs with concessions, programs, etc. I refuse to pay $50 for this and will see to it that I will still be in the front row no matter what. What do the other students on BradleyFans feel about this?

[Fetz86]

Sounds like an idea they came up with last Tuesday if you ask me. No way I would pay 50$ for this, its the sort of thing they should be offering for free and promoting the heck out of it to increase student interest and participation.

[TheAsianSensation]

I think in all the cases where this strategy is used for other programs, it's with established programs with rabid fan bases already. This is obviously apples and oranges, but compare it to the Orange Krush where charity is actually required to be a part of it, IIRC. But for Illinois, the student crowd is already established.

I'd like to see Bradley establish a consistent disruptive full crowd before going down this road. I don't think the crowd is to that point yet.