Bradley completes schedule

[BUBrave28]

Chico (not to single you out because there are a lot of people this is directed at), I usually agree with just about everything you say, but I think you're being completely short sighted here.

T and Squirrel are right, the games on campus would be "bonus" games to the overall home schedule. Noone would be losing any value on their season tickets.

People complain all the time that students aren't more involved with the program, but then you say if they can't make the 2 mile trip, screw em. The kids will come out to the games on campus and when they see that atmosphere they are much more likely to make that 2 mile trip downtown.

The other huge part you're missing is that if we schedule a couple games on campus all of the season ticket holders will get higher quality opponents in the future. Again, everyone complains that our home schedule is terrible. There is a solution staring us in the face and still all anyone wants to do is shoot it down.

Obviously the best way would be to put a better product on the court. That's an easy answer to throw out there. The complicated part is HOW do you put a better prudct on the court. One answer is to get better quality opponents. Another is to have a great atmosphere. You can help both those things by scheduling a couple of games on campus every year.

To me, it's an obvious solution. Some people need to stop having a me-first attitude when it comes to basketball. Yes, you pay for tickets and donate money. BU is better off because of it. But if you really are looking out for the best interests of the school, then it's easy to see why these couple of games are a great idea.

[tornado]

if the students see just a couple games at the on-campus arena -- then they'll be hooked and more of them will head down to the Civic Center, which is certainly good for everyone!

[Chico]

Chico (not to single you out because there are a lot of people this is directed at), I usually agree with just about everything you say, but I think you're being completely short sighted here.

T and Squirrel are right, the games on campus would be "bonus" games to the overall home schedule. Noone would be losing any value on their season tickets.

People complain all the time that students aren't more involved with the program, but then you say if they can't make the 2 mile trip, screw em. The kids will come out to the games on campus and when they see that atmosphere they are much more likely to make that 2 mile trip downtown.

The other huge part you're missing is that if we schedule a couple games on campus all of the season ticket holders will get higher quality opponents in the future. Again, everyone complains that our home schedule is terrible. There is a solution staring us in the face and still all anyone wants to do is shoot it down.

Obviously the best way would be to put a better product on the court. That's an easy answer to throw out there. The complicated part is HOW do you put a better prudct on the court. One answer is to get better quality opponents. Another is to have a great atmosphere. You can help both those things by scheduling a couple of games on campus every year.

To me, it's an obvious solution. Some people need to stop having a me-first attitude when it comes to basketball. Yes, you pay for tickets and donate money. BU is better off because of it. But if you really are looking out for the best interests of the school, then it's easy to see why these couple of games are a great idea.

I'll comment on your's an T's posts. First of all you are the one who said "screw the students" not me. I said if they can't make a 2 mile trip downtown that's their problem and it is. Farmington Rd isn't much farther and they don't have a problem finding their way down there without a free bus ride. As I said many times before, if they are real sport fans they know when and where games are and should go support their team.
As for having the University's best interest, I have been giving to Bradley, a school I never attended, and not just to the BB program, for longer than many people on this board have been alive.
Sorry, but still can't see how scheduling, like you say, a couple games in the new gym, can help Bradley schedule better opponents in the future. I realize the games there wouldn't be part of the season tcket package. We have more season ticket holders than seats in the new gym so that's logical. IMO, the new gym is a great addition to the campus and I hope the women's bb team and volleyball team fill it up, but they are the only regular season games that should be played there.

[AZ BU Fan]

I wasn't in Peoria much in the 80's and 90's. When BU had some success did students show up at the PCC and get involved in the games/team?

I still think it comes down to winning and having success in the Conference generating student interest in attending.

I have been to several MVC games at Drake, a similar size school, with a smaller, gym like court they play at on campus. I didn't see any more Drake students at their on campus facility home games than Bradley students at home games at the PCC. In fact, if anything, BU students outdraw Drake students for home games, particularly if you count the number of BU students who attend home games at the PCC who are part of the band, cheerleaders, and cheer/dance squad.

BU needs to help create more rivalries in the MVC with their students and fans than just the ISU Red game...Drake, UNI and Creighton games should be just as intense as the Illinois State games. Perhaps some sort of "competition within a competition" between BU and these schools to raise the interest and competition between these schools...fundraising challenges, attendance challenges, a special trophy, student challenges, administration challenges, student prizes for wins in a multi team challenge.

If the Athletic Dept is interested, I have lots of ideas to help generate more interest in students attending home games at the PCC....First off, why not talk to the students who don't go downtown for home games and ask them why? Convenient, free(?) bus transportation, BU tee shirts, pom poms and cheap seats don't seem to be enough. What would make them more interested?

[Out of Balance]

just thought this bears repeating since some seem to have a complete misunderstanding of this and think they are getting cheated..
You are right in pointing out that any and all games on campus would be a complete bonus to what you're already getting so you should be happy not ticked..

Webster defines BONUS as extra payment
So we would be redefining the term Season Ticket Holder now It use to mean when you purchased a season ticket, it meant you bought a seat/seats that untitled you to ALL HOME GAMES (NO Matter the #, + or - each year) plus entitled you to (the first) to purchase those seats for all home played post games So as a bonus to SOME, NOT ALL, unless you can show me a way BU will get all 7,200+ season ticket holders in that 4,200 gym, there will be many who will not be able to attend Then, as for the ones who could get tickets, bonus is the right term, as they would have to and be willing to pay for it Thanks for clarifying it for us T and setting the record straight

So we would have fans in the following category's:
1. Public (ticket at the door)
2. Students (the ones who would come)
3. Mini Package Deals (2,3,4 game specials)
3. Mid Season Package ticket holders (who pay no maintenance fee's)
4. Season Ticket Holders "TERM ONLY" (Who Pay Maintenance fee's)
5. Bonus Season Ticket Holders (Season Ticket Holders willing to pay again
for what they have already pay for, if they
can get tickets)
6. Ticket Holders of seats they purchased in the New Facility (that would
entitle them to any Mens BB there)
Did I miss One Am I a HATER YET

[tornado]

again...sorry to have to correct...
there are NOT 7200 season ticket holders....nowhere close....
Each season ticket holder has from 1 or 2 on up to a dozen seats in their season ticket package...
I am a season ticket holder but I own four seats...some of which I might not care to purchase for extra games, although sometimes I might get more than four if I have an option...
I personally appreciate that I am not forced to take all four of my seats for the extra games, and happy that I can get as many as I want...

there are far less than 4000 season ticket holders.....and some of those season ticket holders who have upwards of 4, 6, and 10 seats in their package would NOT want to get 4, 6, and 10 seats at extra games --
that's why when we have post-season games and exhibitions, they only sell 3000-5000 tix -- and LESS THAN half of the season ticket holders will claim their usual seats.....
as I have said before -- it is expected that any and every season ticket holder can likely be accomodated for the on-campus games given than many will NOT want
as many seats as they have in their downtown season ticket package...
EVEN if there's a game where demand is high and there's a battle for tickets, then some might see that as GOOD not bad.........
just like a restaurant that has a waiting line and some people pass on it when they drive by because the line is too long....they'll realize the quality of what's being sold
must be really high, but this time they'll find something else to do AND the next time they'll call in advance and get there earlier!!

[shaunguth]

that's why when we have post-season games and exhibitions, they only sell 3000-5000 tix -- and LESS THAN half of the season ticket holders will claim their usual seats.....
as I have said before -- it is expected that any and every season ticket holder can likely be accomodated for the on-campus games given than many will NOT want
as many seats as they have in their downtown season ticket package...
EVEN if there's a game where demand is high and there's a battle for tickets, then some might see that as GOOD not bad.........

Again.....here are the actual numbers for the most recent postseason games......

5,928.....2008-09.....CIT.....4 games

6,851.....2007-08.....CBI.....3 games

8,304.....2006-07.....NIT.....1 game

4,472.....Lowest

9,014.....Highest

6,571.....Average attendance

Only three of the last eight postseason games at Carver were under 6,100. I'm sure these numbers are closer to the actual attendance than regular season games, since they are not part of the season ticket package.

[tornado]

but fewer than 4000 were sold to season ticket holders..far fewer...it has long been discouraging to the folks at BU that for the post-season games,
less than half the seats generally sold as season ticket seats, are claimed by the same season ticket holders...
MANY choose NOT to scarf up their season tix.......
when I was at those games...
half of all the lower bowl seats near me were occupied by people that were NOT the usual holders of those seats and were guys who just walked up and bought those seats...that's why they sold so well.....because walk ups could get seats in the first 4 rows at courtside...
Hey -- due to a ticket foul-up there was even a guy who came to my seats claiming he had the right to sit there and his tickets had my seat numbers on them...
it was a ticket office foul up but i got it cleared up since I was the season ticket holder...and the other guy just sat across the aisle in totally unoccupied seats that were Priority I seaosn tickets!!

so----- I stand by the simple point I made that had tickets been limited to 4000, then still every season ticket holder who wanted seats could have gotten them....and same will be the case on the hilltop.....

[Out of Balance]

Webster defines EXTRA as additional!
Bonus or is it Extra? I love your spin on the # of season ticket holders! Your examples and logic are both smoothing to the heart! But I do get it T! If I have a family of 4, wife and two kids,myself and I go down to BU, purchase the 4 season tickets as I do each year, I am the holder and they are not! Then during the year I tell them there is a home game this week-end at BU but we can't go because it's not in MY Downtown Season Ticket Package and mom says there is NO more $ for the bonus games, if I could get them anyway! So suck it up kids and find something else to do and start saving your cans so we can go to one of those BONUS/EXTRA games if I can get tickets. Oh something else, by the way honey/kids I drove by Alvanti's on the way home and there was a long line so we will stay home and have PotPies!
Just for the record I don't have 2 kids at home just the wife and I! I just told her she is not a season ticket holder! Her response was, the HELL I AM NOT, WHO THE HELL SAYS I AM NOT, I said a guy named T!

[Out of Balance]

<P></P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P>Webster defines EXTRA as additional!</P>
<P>Bonus or is it Extra<IMG class=inlineimg title=Confused alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_confused.gif" border=0 smilieid="14"> I love your spin on the # of season ticket holders<IMG class=inlineimg title=Laughing alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" border=0 smilieid="16"> Your examples and logic are both smoothing to the heart<IMG class=inlineimg title="Rolling Eyes" alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif" border=0 smilieid="25"> But I do get it T<IMG class=inlineimg title=Razz alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_razz.gif" border=0 smilieid="19"> If I have a family of 4, wife and two kids,myself and I go down to BU, purchase the 4 season tickets as I do each year, I am the holder and they are not<IMG class=inlineimg title=Laughing alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" border=0 smilieid="16"> Then during the year I tell them there is a home game this week-end at BU but we can't go because it's not in <B>MY Downtown Season Ticket Package </B>and mom says there is NO more $ for the bonus games, if I could get them away<IMG class=inlineimg title=Sad alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_sad.gif" border=0 smilieid="11"> So suck it up kids and find something else to do and start saving your cans so we can go to one of those BONUS/EXTRA games if I can get tickets<IMG class=inlineimg title="Rolling Eyes" alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif" border=0 smilieid="25"> Oh something else, by the way honey/kids I drove by Alvanti's on the way home and there was a long line so we will stay home and have PotPies<IMG class=inlineimg title=Razz alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_razz.gif" border=0 smilieid="19"> </P>
<P>Just for the record I don't have 2 kids at home just the wife and I! I just told her she is not a season ticket holder! Her response was, the HELL I AM NOT, WHO THE HELL SAYS I AM NOT<IMG class=inlineimg title=Mad alt="" src="images/smilies/mad.gif" border=0 smilieid="8"> I said a guy named T<IMG class=inlineimg title=Laughing alt="" src="images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" border=0 smilieid="16"></P>

What the Hell

[AE Braves Fan]

T,

A husband and wife may have seasons tickets and both consider themselves season ticket holders.

By your logic, if the husband is the only one with his name on the account, then you're only counting that as 1 season ticket holder? Hmmm....

[squirrelgotdead]

Out of Balance-

In the pre-inter-league era, a Cubs season ticket holder was not entitled access to the in-season exhibition vs the White Sox or vice versa.

A Peoria Symphony Orchestra season ticket holder has to buy extra tickets to go to next weekend's Beatles tribute.

College of Charleston fans were not entitled admission to the ESPN Tournament on their home floor that they participated in last year.

If an opera company performs the Ring Cycle (a run of 4 straight nights) that would not be part of any base season-ticket subscription.

[tornado]

while everyone agrees that the idea of campus games is not 100% favorable...
neither are the higher prices of tickets compared to a decade ago, and the more difficult parking situation since the Civic Center expansion....but sometimes things just are as they are or as they have to be...

and I suspect not even all the people on the Hilltop are fully in agreement which is probably why it was not done this year...
BUT -- it is part of the way the world is changing -- and when people say..
"well they've never done it before so I don't think they should do it now"
or
"this might make me buy extra tickets for additional events"
or
"they have no right to do this to all of us because were entitled.."

it unfortunately shows the contrast between what fans want and have come to expect...vs. what the University needs to do to stay competitive, and maximize revenue and get more out of the enormous investment in the campus facilities...
If we could just get some friendly politician or someone at the upper level of govt. to just hand over mega bucks as they do to the state and public schools, then there'd be less reason to be so cost-oriented...
but the cost issues are MORE real than most think.....you think BU is rolling in dough??
guess again.............these are hard decisions and some "fans" are looking only at "how's this gonna impact ME"


U of I got nearly a BILLION dollars of general revenue funds from taxpayer coffers...BU got NONE...
and they get far more government grants and funds in other manners as well than BU ever get...

http://www.uillinois.edu/administration/budget.tuition.cfm

Illinois State as well as the other state colleges benefit from $3 BILLION of "State Monies" and taxpayer revenue..

http://www.grapevine.ilstu.edu/fifty_state_summary.htm

The amount that ISU got from the state was $100 million!!!
(actually $97,329,000 in 07-08, and $103,081,000 in 08-09 the most recent year published...)
...and it's nonsense when people say none of that goes to support athletics...as we have shown countless times..

http://www.grapevine.ilstu.edu/statereports/index.htm

[AZ BU Fan]

Have a better team, have more success, make the game night out more entertaining, market the product better, go to the NCAA/NIT, sell out the PCC on a regular basis and make more $$$....

4700 people x $25 pp per game x 2 non con exhibitions = $234,000 less expenses at the on campus arena.

Couldn't BU do as well adding another 3000 people in the stands at the PCC for each of the 16 home games and a couple of exhibitions?

Has anyone seen a financial pro forma on men bb games games at the on campus arena vs at the PCC - factoring in ticket revenue, concession revenue, parking revenue net expenses? Is the financial benefit to BU selling another 500 seat licenses to ticket holders for the prime seats?

[Buesch N Chips]

OoB, even though you may not believe it, the team would be able to play a game without you there.