Building Student Interest

[wizard1]

We all seem to agree that student interest in BU basketball is in the pits and has been for some time. We need to find ways to regenerate student interest.

As a long-time season ticket holder and contributor, I would be more than willing to support the following:
1. Announce a pre-season game in the new facility and give students first priority for tickets after the $500 and $1000 seat purchasers at NO COST TO THEM. Student seats would be right behind the seat purchasers or around the playing floor where seats were available.
2. Students would have to pick up their tickets by a date certain afterwhich
seats ( If any remain)
would be offered to season ticket holders based on a formula using the years one held season tickets and the $ contributed to the BB program the last 5 years. (Example: one point for each year a season ticket holder and one point for each $1000 donated in last 5 years.)
3. This should quickly "smoke out" the true student interest in the program to be used in future planning.
4. It could also serve to create interest and new student fans who could see a game on campus at no cost to them.

[BradleyBrave]

Students will be there when the product is worth watching. There would be plenty of student interest if we won consistently. If we contend for a title this year, they'll be there. If we dance this year, they'll be there this year and next year. You can do everything in the world to make it a great experience for students - if you don't win, they won't come.

[TheAsianSensation]

It would also help if they reschedule spring break. In 2006 students left the Friday before Selection Sunday and BU was already in the Sweet 16 before they got back. That was the chance to build interest but no one was there to grow it.

Winning takes care of a lot of the problems, but they can still do a much better job of promotion, win or lose.

[Chico]

Students will be there when the product is worth watching. There would be plenty of student interest if we won consistently. If we contend for a title this year, they'll be there. If we dance this year, they'll be there this year and next year. You can do everything in the world to make it a great experience for students - if you don't win, they won't come.

It's logical that all students aren't basketball fans, but the ones that are IMO have no excuse for not attending the games. unless they have classes. I bet most of them went to their high school games, win or lose. What better time can you have than going with your buddies to a great arena like Carver and rooting for your fellow students. Even have a beer or two if you're old enough.

[SFP]

It's logical that all students aren't basketball fans, but the ones that are IMO have no excuse for not attending the games. unless they have classes. I bet most of them went to their high school games, win or lose. What better time can you have than going with your buddies to a great arena like Carver and rooting for your fellow students. Even have a beer or two if you're old enough.

Chico I agree but today's kids are a bit different, they have a lot more choices on how to spend their evenings then we did and I can't say as fun either (they have really cracked down hard on student parties??). Those choices may not make you change your behavior but what do any of us from a different generation know what motivates this one. The questions is how do you get them away from their computer screens, online games and social media sites? I'm sure just winning big would make a huge difference but from that, I'm not sure. Also, I bet the demographics of the student population has changed enough where there are not as many rabid sports fan.

Does anyone have the demographics of the University for the last few decades? Men to women? ACT/SAT scores? Majors? Where they are from? I'm sure there are more women then men now, with a higher academic standing then decades past which makes for a group less likely to follow sports. Add in the other distractions and a campus with less tolerance to a wild social scene and this is what happens to student involvement to basketball games.

[Chico]

Chico I agree but today's kids are a bit different, they have a lot more choices on how to spend their evenings then we did and I can't say as fun either (they have really cracked down hard on student parties??). Those choices may not make you change your behavior but what do any of us from a different generation know what motivates this one. The questions is how do you get them away from their computer screens, online games and social media sites? I'm sure just winning big would make a huge difference but from that, I'm not sure. Also, I bet the demographics of the student population has changed enough where there are not as many rabid sports fan.

Does anyone have the demographics of the University for the last few decades? Men to women? ACT/SAT scores? Majors? Where they are from? I'm sure there are more women then men now, with a higher academic standing then decades past which makes for a group less likely to follow sports. Add in the other distractions and a campus with less tolerance to a wild social scene and this is what happens to student involvement to basketball games.

That's my point I guess. If they don't want to leave their computers, etc quit catering to them and worry about the folks that support the program. Students that do support the program win or lose, alumni and of course the "blue hairs". They can't have "wild social scenes" so they don't go to the games?

[Rusty 54]

- Have Resident Advisers take their floors to games as floor programs
- Play big name schools. Students would come out in force for name opponents, there would be no trouble filling the student section for teams like Michigan State, Illinois, etc.
- Get fraternities and sororities to come to games. While there are greeks that go, there does not seem like a lot.

- WIN - if we win, students will show up. The product would market itself.

[shaunguth]

That's my point I guess. If they don't want to leave their computers, etc quit catering to them and worry about the folks that support the program. Students that do support the program win or lose, alumni and of course the "blue hairs".

Don't forget the rest of us that aren't students, alumni, or "blue hairs" that live in Peoria and were raised on Bradley basketball!

[Chico]

Don't forget the rest of us that aren't students, alumni, or "blue hairs" that live in Peoria and were raised on Bradley basketball!

I agree. ALL BU fans.

[BUFanatic]

Here's an idea, let's get a B10 team back in Carver and WIN this time! (Illinois). That'll keep that record crowd coming back for more! Esp. conference games (IMO). Or how bout even Butler, who, at one time if I understand correctly, was supposed to join the MVC?

[amckillip]

That's my point I guess. If they don't want to leave their computers, etc quit catering to them and worry about the folks that support the program. Students that do support the program win or lose, alumni and of course the "blue hairs". They can't have "wild social scenes" so they don't go to the games?

Question for you, how did you become an avid BU BBall fan?

[Chico]

Question for you, how did you become an avid BU BBall fan?

Answer for you, every kid who liked sports growing up in Peoria was a Bradley fan because it was our local team. We didn't care, win or lose they were our team. We would listen to games on the radio and sometimes stay awake for the midnight rebroadcast.

[amckillip]

Answer for you, every kid who liked sports growing up in Peoria was a Bradley fan because it was our local team. We didn't care, win or lose they were our team. We would listen to games on the radio and sometimes stay awake for the midnight rebroadcast.

I guess I was being more specific, but I'm coming from a different perspective (My first time watching a BU game was 6 years ago). I guess my point is that somehow students have to be introduced to the games. And you rarely develop a passion overnight, so we have to make it easy and enjoyable for students to come, even before they know the players names, or in a lot of cases, before they even know much about basketball. We do need to respect the current fans and their interests, but developing new fans and serving the student body should be a big priority as well, someone has to fill the seats in 35-40 years.

[Chico]

I guess I was being more specific, but I'm coming from a different perspective (My first time watching a BU game was 6 years ago). I guess my point is that somehow students have to be introduced to the games. And you rarely develop a passion overnight, so we have to make it easy and enjoyable for students to come, even before they know the players names, or in a lot of cases, before they even know much about basketball. We do need to respect the current fans and their interests, but developing new fans and serving the student body should be a big priority as well, someone has to fill the seats in 35-40 years.

Granted not all incoming students are sports fans, but the ones that are know Bradley has a basketball team. As I said before, give every student a schedule and if they want to go to the games they will. Don't worry, those seats will be filled in 35-40 years by the usual loyal Bradley fans who don't have to be begged to go cheer for their team.

[FortyTwo]

As a former student and current season ticket holder, I see a few issues:

The student population falls into a few categories:

1. bookworms that have no interest in attending a sporting event
2. frats who are too cool to be seen at a school sporting event
3. average students who don't fit in with either group

Group #3 makes up most of the student section and a few of the hold-ups are lack of organized/promoted transportation to and from the games, treatment from the locals and blue hairs who have no tolerance for physically/vocally excited supporters (non-drunk), and lack of a "known" product, and as someone else said there are so many other distractions that can come up. Students don't live a scheduled life. If they are planning to go to the game and have their dollar ticket, an invite to a party, unexpected homework, a video game tournament, dinner turning into drinks, anything can sway them from going to the game. Very few students view games as anything more than something to do if nothing better comes up.

As hard as it is to believe, I met many friends at Bradley that came from out of state who didn't know Bradley even had a division 1 basketball team, and if they did know didn't know anything about the history, teams they were playing or MVC conference. They were more likely to drive to Champaign for a U/I than go to a Bradley/Creighton game.