"Elite" Student Section

[RedSeaElite1]

the goal of the group is not to alienate or exclude anyone, or kick anyone out of their close seats (unless you dont stand and cheer). The goal is to organize the people that are already there, and to get more students excited about going to games. When i've talked to many students about why they dont go to games two things come up, we arent good enough, and we dont have an atmosphere. The first i can do nothing about, and honestly i dont think we are that bad, and next year is looking very promising. but for the second we can work to be louder and to get all those passionate about the team to the games and to yell, cheer and support BU basketball. If the cost is seriously and issue we have a meeting today at which i can bring it up, but i honestly dont know how much we can fluctuate with that. There are some of us who have already put a lot of time and effort into this, and if there are things we can do to get other loyal fans interested that is what we are trying to do. As I've stated before, the student section needs a change, weather this is it or not, I plan on doing everything within my power to see that we get more students at the games, more students yelling and cheering for the team, and creating an atmosphere we as bradley students can be proud of and that can give our team a home court advantage.

[Missouri Brave]

i think the idea is FANTASTIC. Plays to the kids who care most about BU hoops. Great work.

[JMM28]

When i've talked to many students about why they dont go to games two things come up, we arent good enough, and we dont have an atmosphere.

Best of luck in your endeavors. My alma mater(Saint Louis) had similar problems with the student section, and then they started winning some basketball games and generating some buzz towards the end of the year. All of the sudden students started coming to the games in droves. Even into the cbnifeti tournament.

Winning cures all. Putting a top 40 product on the floor will pack not only the student section, but row 30 of the upper bowl.

$50 isn't that much over a 6 month season. Maybe drop the elite part. How about the Lesticles? Just a shame you can't call it the molinarmy.

And maybe the students on the board can help out with this operation, as it seems to be in its infancy. It may not be terribly late to change some things about it.

[sousaman2089]

The marketing of the basketball team here on campus is very small, that I believe would help a lot.

My only problem with the "Elite" thing is that the loudest, craziest fans usually were somewhere near the front anyways. But as a plan to make more money, it will definitely work.

[RedSeaElite1]

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

[Bradleyguy10]

My only problem with the "Elite" thing is that the loudest, craziest fans usually were somewhere near the front anyways.

This.

+1

[Stryker]

the goal of the group is not to alienate or exclude anyone, or kick anyone out of their close seats (unless you dont stand and cheer). The goal is to organize the people that are already there, and to get more students excited about going to games. When i've talked to many students about why they dont go to games two things come up, we arent good enough, and we dont have an atmosphere. The first i can do nothing about, and honestly i dont think we are that bad, and next year is looking very promising. but for the second we can work to be louder and to get all those passionate about the team to the games and to yell, cheer and support BU basketball. If the cost is seriously and issue we have a meeting today at which i can bring it up, but i honestly dont know how much we can fluctuate with that. There are some of us who have already put a lot of time and effort into this, and if there are things we can do to get other loyal fans interested that is what we are trying to do. As I've stated before, the student section needs a change, weather this is it or not, I plan on doing everything within my power to see that we get more students at the games, more students yelling and cheering for the team, and creating an atmosphere we as bradley students can be proud of and that can give our team a home court advantage.

Tell me again HOW this idea is going to get more students to the game? If you really are cheering loudly in the front row at every game and getting people involved, aren't you already doing exactly what you want already? Now you are just giving yourself an "elite" status.

If you want to get more people to the games focus on marketing on campus and doing promotions to draw the kids on campus down to Carver. Get the greek community involved. That is a huge group of students that never show up to games. Talk to their chapters and make an incentive to them to get them to go. You are going to alienate many students by giving yourself some kind of elite status at the games. If you want to lead the cheers and students involved then DO IT! Myself and my friends did it when we were there, you don't need something special to do it!

Go ahead and set yourselves apart by cheering and having your viewing party, but you should never restrict someone if they want to sit up front, and never charge them more for it.

[DUBrave5]

the goal of the group is not to alienate or exclude anyone, or kick anyone out of their close seats (unless you dont stand and cheer). The goal is to organize the people that are already there, and to get more students excited about going to games. When i've talked to many students about why they dont go to games two things come up, we arent good enough, and we dont have an atmosphere. The first i can do nothing about, and honestly i dont think we are that bad, and next year is looking very promising. but for the second we can work to be louder and to get all those passionate about the team to the games and to yell, cheer and support BU basketball. If the cost is seriously and issue we have a meeting today at which i can bring it up, but i honestly dont know how much we can fluctuate with that. There are some of us who have already put a lot of time and effort into this, and if there are things we can do to get other loyal fans interested that is what we are trying to do. As I've stated before, the student section needs a change, weather this is it or not, I plan on doing everything within my power to see that we get more students at the games, more students yelling and cheering for the team, and creating an atmosphere we as bradley students can be proud of and that can give our team a home court advantage.

Going to games for the past 4 years, I've noticed that the first one drives the other. When the team is playing well, the crowd is more vocal, but when the team is doing poorly, the crowd is quiet. The guys are here on scholarship and should have plenty of motivation already to play the game and how they play shouldn't depend on how loud and crazy the crowd is. Do we want a student section that is just loud and crazy the entire game and has no idea what is going on, or a student section that actually cares about how the team does so at times they aren't as loud but they actually care about how the team does. I'll be the first to admit that I am in the latter of those two. I will jump and yell and what not when it is appropriate, but I won't do it for an entire game just to do it. If we are not playing well, I will not jump up and down and act as if we have been winning the entire game. If people have a problem with that, I'll leave the first row and move a few rows back and just sit in my seat and cheer on the Braves in my usual way.

BradleyDU4 said it best when he said that you are creating a product for a high demand environment when there is no demand. If the teams starts winning and especially if they can find a way to get into the top 25, the students will start to come. Call them fair weather fans if you will, but we shouldn't be worried about that. We should be worried about having a product on the court that will keep them coming. I remember days of going to Carver an hour and a half before the gates opened just to try to beat people down to the court and sit in those first two rows. Back then it was after the Sweet 16 and the team did a better job of holding down their home court. That was fun because it became a competition between the groups about who would arrive earlier. Some of my friends called me crazy for doing that, but it was worth it to be there and cheer on the Braves. Put a winning team on the court and we'll see that again.

But how do you get students back to Carver when the team isn't doing well? I know the economy was/is horrible recently and maybe that was part of the reason why the Red Pride points system went away last year, but that needs to be brought back. When the team isn't playing well, there has to be some sort of incentive for the students to show up or they won't waste their time. Well most of them won't, the students that you already see at every game will still show up. This new group looked at bringing a points system back but only for those who pay the "Elite" membership. That won't work. It has to be available for the whole student body for it to have any kind of affect. I personally thought about joining it just so I can collect points when I go to other BU sporting events since I try to make it to all the men's and women's basketball games as well as some soccer games and every now and then a softball game. But if it isn't available to the whole student body, it is just going to flop.

I do like the idea of having a registered student organization to try to make the student section better. If they are registered with SAO then they have the opportunity to come to SABRC and request funding for the different avenues they want to use to get students to the game. Here is the link to the Student Activity Budget Review Committee by the way... http://www.bradley.edu/campusorg/sabrc/

The site needs to be updated still since we recently did elections, but we even have a couple students on the board that I know are big Bradley basketball fans. We can't make any promises that funding would go through obviously, but it is at least an avenue that they can explore. Charging $50 a student isn't an idea that is going to work though. But having some kind of promotion where the a large number of students can win something just by showing up will help get them there. It won't completely fill the student section, but it will be a start.

They could also advertise much better on campus. Right now if you walk around campus on a game day, there is nothing saying that there is a game. And that goes for every sport. Tennis had matches last week and the only reason anybody knew about it is because they happened to walk by the Tennis courts and saw a small sign saying BU Tennis Today. That is how it is with other sports too. Sports are falling by the wayside and being replaced with drinking, video games, and homework. It is great that students care about their grades because they came to school for the education, but if they plan their schedule correctly and do it ahead of time, they can make a 3 hour block free to go to the game. Night class teachers are a big part of that too. I remember having a teacher who would allow us to come into class early on the day of a test and take the test early so that we would be able to make it down to the game. And if you couldn't come in early, that was fine and he would wait until everyone was done and then he would go down to the game. Yes basketball is just a sport and in no way should it influence a teaching schedule, but if the teacher is willing to allow students to do that so they can go to the game then where is the problem?

I know I have rambled on for a while now, but this has kind of been eating at me ever since I was asked to help start the organization and help write its constitution. There is a time and a place for this. The place is here, but the time is not now.

[BU_EMT128]

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

Then why charge the fee? Am I supposed to feel better about myself for paying more for the same seats I have had for the last 4 years?

[BuB]

the goal of the group is not to alienate or exclude anyone, or kick anyone out of their close seats (unless you dont stand and cheer). The goal is to organize the people that are already there, and to get more students excited about going to games. When i've talked to many students about why they dont go to games two things come up, we arent good enough, and we dont have an atmosphere. The first i can do nothing about, and honestly i dont think we are that bad, and next year is looking very promising. but for the second we can work to be louder and to get all those passionate about the team to the games and to yell, cheer and support BU basketball. If the cost is seriously and issue we have a meeting today at which i can bring it up, but i honestly dont know how much we can fluctuate with that. There are some of us who have already put a lot of time and effort into this, and if there are things we can do to get other loyal fans interested that is what we are trying to do. As I've stated before, the student section needs a change, weather this is it or not, I plan on doing everything within my power to see that we get more students at the games, more students yelling and cheering for the team, and creating an atmosphere we as bradley students can be proud of and that can give our team a home court advantage.

I think people understand that it not your goal to alienate students. However it sounds like that is exactly what is happening. It is great to wish we had a few sections of Krazies but the fact is we only have a few rows of them. This is after transportation and cheap tickets are provided. These students who show up are already yelling and cheering and standing all game. They don't care if we are good or not. They are true fans and are coming no matter what.

You mention that some of you have put alot of time into this but yet the diehard students/fans who post here did not know anything about this movement. Sounds like the Athletic Dept. and Bobby Parker didn't know anything either. College students will always always try to get the most for their dollars (Keystone) and to charge these students 50 bucks for what they got in the past for almost free will discourage them. Now if you plan on providing food and beverages at pre game and post game parties then you might be on to something here. I just have not heard those details yet. It is no secret to anyone, the number 1 way to increase long term student attendance is win (especially at home) many more than you lose. IMO putting up flyers and posters on campus, text/e-mail alerts, visiting frat houses, or setting up info tables around campus won't lead to big changes.

[troj231129]

Hey Guys,

I Have been following this discussion now and I am one of the founders of the group. I just want to say first off that I appreciate all the input. We are a new Organization through SAO and just getting our feet wet we have come up with preliminary ideas. The focus of the group is to get the student body more aware of Bradley Athletics in general. Yes the main focus obviously will be the basketball games, however we are also trying to improve student body attendance at other sporting events. We figured with the new Arena opening on campus in the fall we would like to motivate people to come out to those games. These fans would then be awarded for coming out and supporting Bradley Athletics as a whole.

As for the seating at Men's Basketball Games, we have yet to decide exactly how we are going to arrange those seats. From what we have talked about the front rows wont necessarily be reserved but the members of this club would get early admission. With this just being in its infant stages most seats probably won't be affected. So if you are against the group...don't join it. Even as a founder I am not expecting a lot of membership in its first year. However I am looking forward to this organization growing.

I will repeat that this group is made to benefit Bradley Athletics as a whole. And as the semester goes on and people join the group we will have meetings where people can voice their opinions. There will always be change and we will welcome any criticism, feedback, or advice. But like I said this is in the beginning stages and we will work toward creating a Student Body that is supportive of its Athletic teams, and one that will stand by their team win or lose.

[it's boogie time]

Good luck with the new group.

I actually didn't like to sit in the front row when I was in the Molinarmy. Cheerleaders and refs were always getting in the way. Even if we were the first ones there, we would grab a brew and stand about 1/2 up the section. The group seemed to be mostly freshmen women, so the game didn't always seem to be the most important thing.

[Stryker]

Hey Guys,

I Have been following this discussion now and I am one of the founders of the group. I just want to say first off that I appreciate all the input. We are a new Organization through SAO and just getting our feet wet we have come up with preliminary ideas. The focus of the group is to get the student body more aware of Bradley Athletics in general. Yes the main focus obviously will be the basketball games, however we are also trying to improve student body attendance at other sporting events. We figured with the new Arena opening on campus in the fall we would like to motivate people to come out to those games. These fans would then be awarded for coming out and supporting Bradley Athletics as a whole.

As for the seating at Men's Basketball Games, we have yet to decide exactly how we are going to arrange those seats. From what we have talked about the front rows wont necessarily be reserved but the members of this club would get early admission. With this just being in its infant stages most seats probably won't be affected. So if you are against the group...don't join it. Even as a founder I am not expecting a lot of membership in its first year. However I am looking forward to this organization growing.

I will repeat that this group is made to benefit Bradley Athletics as a whole. And as the semester goes on and people join the group we will have meetings where people can voice their opinions. There will always be change and we will welcome any criticism, feedback, or advice. But like I said this is in the beginning stages and we will work toward creating a Student Body that is supportive of its Athletic teams, and one that will stand by their team win or lose.

You still didn't address the posters concerns. All you did is say what you planned on doing which we already know. If you want support tell us how this organization is going to improve the bradley basketball experience, how you are going to get more students, and how this won't alienate some of the fans.

[amckillip]

You still didn't address the posters concerns. All you did is say what you planned on doing which we already know. If you want support tell us how this organization is going to improve the bradley basketball experience, how you are going to get more students, and how this won't alienate some of the fans.

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.

[troj231129]

You still didn't address the posters concerns. All you did is say what you planned on doing which we already know. If you want support tell us how this organization is going to improve the Bradley basketball experience, how you are going to get more students, and how this won't alienate some of the fans.

In order to improve the basketball experience we are trying to get the student section to be united as one. However this will be difficult to do because the bands area is specially made and will be tough to rearrange. Also we will be having opening meetings to where people can come and discuss any and all ideas that will help get all students involved by adding different chants as well as finding ways to gain more involvement. We will always try to motivate people in the stands to be loud and supportive.

Getting more students in the student section as mentioned multiple times is mainly up to the basketball team and whether it decides to play to its potential especially next year. Like people have mentioned, we need to improve on how the games are marketed. Traditional marketing clearly is not working. Since we live in a digital age, I am looking into options where we create E-mails with notifications about games as well as with Facebook connecting everyone now a days, creating events to be sent out to Bradley Students.

Finally, the alienation part that you are talking about will quickly sorted out. As of right now I understand where you are coming from about the people who don't want to join the group but still enjoy being loud and supporting their team, we will gladly work with them on game days to include them. However, I will say this, the best thing is for those who may feel alienated, come to our meetings in the fall express your opinion. The more opinions we have from people concerned with this issue the better. We are not trying to get to the point where we seem to be alienating fans, we want to work with the fans to better the student body in general.