Where were the students??

[wizard1]

Where were the students?? It looks like the "Red Sea" may have been a little overhyped and went dry!!

I estimate that there were about 60 students in the student section out of over 5,000 attending BU in spite of free tickets and a Saturday nite game.

Clearly, the students at BU don't care and what has been done to try to change this hasn't worked thus far. Of even bigger concern is what does this say about the future of the basketball program if future BU alums are not interested.
At this point, Bu Basketball is clearly a "Peoria Team" and not a BU team since attendance, support, etc. come from the Peoria community and not the BU campus.

A winning program would obviously help but we havn't had one for many years and a lot of apathy has apparently set in.

Since most of you have lots to say about the game, I'd like to offer a few comments about the new facility, based on last nite---
First, the entrance to the court was terrible requiring a long climb up the steps, and then a trip down the steps to reach our seats----Not much of a problem is you are 25 years old but not too easy for us old dinosaurs!

Secondly---The score boards are terrible. If BU truly decides to play some regular season games in the new place, they better take another look at this. Nothing to show fouls on each player, player scoring, etc. No corner scoreboards on the floor.

The seats are OK for a short while but are really tight and very close together.

For me, the parking was OK but the elevators didn't work.

I much prefer Carver---The new place is very "pretty" but it would not be very good for regular season games, IMO.

[shaunguth]

Where were the students?? It looks like the "Red Sea" may have been a little overhyped and went dry!!

I estimate that there were about 60 students in the student section out of over 5,000 attending BU in spite of free tickets and a Saturday nite game.

Clearly, the students at BU don't care and what has been done to try to change this hasn't worked thus far. Of even bigger concern is what does this say about the future of the basketball program if future BU alums are not interested.
At this point, Bu Basketball is clearly a "Peoria Team" and not a BU team since attendance, support, etc. come from the Peoria community and not the BU campus.

A winning program would obviously help but we havn't had one for many years and a lot of apathy has apparently set in.

Since most of you have lots to say about the game, I'd like to offer a few comments about the new facility, based on last nite---
First, the entrance to the court was terrible requiring a long climb up the steps, and then a trip down the steps to reach our seats----Not much of a problem is you are 25 years old but not too easy for us old dinosaurs!

Secondly---The score boards are terrible. If BU truly decides to play some regular season games in the new place, they better take another look at this. Nothing to show fouls on each player, player scoring, etc. No corner scoreboards on the floor.

The seats are OK for a short while but are really tight and very close together.

For me, the parking was OK but the elevators didn't work.

I much prefer Carver---The new place is very "pretty" but it would not be very good for regular season games, IMO.

I agree that the student turnout was not very good, especially for an on-campus game, but it did cost $1. Winning should definitely help that, but then the students might have to travel all the way downtown to attend the game.

I agree that the way to your seats is most definitely not ideal!

They may not have been displayed the entire time, but I did see individual stats on the scoreboards quite a few times during the game. I would have liked them to be on display the entire game as well.

The seats do seem to be VERY close to one another.

The parking was ok.....and the elevator I used worked just fine.

[Out of Balance]

Where were the students?? It looks like the "Red Sea" may have been a little overhyped and went dry!!

I estimate that there were about 60 students in the student section out of over 5,000 attending BU in spite of free tickets and a Saturday nite game.

Clearly, the students at BU don't care and what has been done to try to change this hasn't worked thus far. Of even bigger concern is what does this say about the future of the basketball program if future BU alums are not interested.
At this point, Bu Basketball is clearly a "Peoria Team" and not a BU team since attendance, support, etc. come from the Peoria community and not the BU campus.

A winning program would obviously help but we havn't had one for many years and a lot of apathy has apparently set in.

Since most of you have lots to say about the game, I'd like to offer a few comments about the new facility, based on last nite---
First, the entrance to the court was terrible requiring a long climb up the steps, and then a trip down the steps to reach our seats----Not much of a problem is you are 25 years old but not too easy for us old dinosaurs!

Secondly---The score boards are terrible. If BU truly decides to play some regular season games in the new place, they better take another look at this. Nothing to show fouls on each player, player scoring, etc. No corner scoreboards on the floor.

The seats are OK for a short while but are really tight and very close together.

For me, the parking was OK but the elevators didn't work.

I much prefer Carver---The new place is very "pretty" but it would not be very good for regular season games, IMO.

By now it is a proven fact, they don't care and at this point I don't see this changing, even after all that has been done to draw their interest and to put their butts in the seats Maybe the plans are to lower BU to a D2-3 program Your right to be concern about the future of BU BB because if you don't have the support of the students now, they sure in the hell are not going to care/give their support when they are alums It's a shame
Right now, I don't think you will find anyone who will disagree's with your statement about BU BB being clearly a "Peoria Team" and not a BU team since attendance, support, etc. come from the Peoria community and not the BU campus.
Great Insight and post Wizard

[amettrick]

even after all that has been done to draw their interest and to put their butts in the seats?

I'm not entirely sure what you're refering to here. As a recent grad (200 my experience was that very little was done to encourage student attendance. There was never anything advertising the shuttle to Carver, or signs around campus reminding students it was gameday, or any kind of program aiming to get freshman interested in the team which I think is an absolute must.

In fact if I had to grade Bradley on its attempts on gaining student interest during the 5 years I was at the school, I'd give them a big fat F.

[theBUer]

Let me speak as a current student here.

The athletics program at BU, for the most part, is an afterthought to many students. It's not so much that people hate sports or general physical activity, after all Markin is pretty bustling all day and all night.

The school attracts a LOT of students from Chicagoland, and the Scout had something about 85% of the student body from being in Illinois. For that reason, I am not so sure if there is that college sports gene up there that you would find here in Central or Southern Illinois where we don't have pro sports in our backyards.

Now Notre Dame is a private school, but bear in mind that Bradley does not have a football program. What this does is that when a new student comes here, they are treated to an Activity Fair or Rush but no big game to unite the students. There is that definite lull between then and the start of basketball season. Sure there is soccer, but how many actually care to watch it? I went to the Drake game last year, it was okay but the atmosphere kinda stunk.

I understand that Bradley should be an educational institution first, but making runs to the NCAA or even an NIT can definitely be free advertising for the school. If BU wants to attract kids from the coasts, they are going to have to WIN. WIN, and you will see increased applications. WIN.

WIN.

[Out of Balance]

I'm not entirely sure what you're refering to here. As a recent grad (200 my experience was that very little was done to encourage student attendance. There was never anything advertising the shuttle to Carver, or signs around campus reminding students it was gameday, or any kind of program aiming to get freshman interested in the team which I think is an absolute must.

In fact if I had to grade Bradley on its attempts on gaining student interest during the 5 years I was at the school, I'd give them a big fat F.

Thanks for your insight and opinion Your insight comes from within (thats great) but myself (because thats who I speak for) am a outside campus person, do not know the facts as you state As a outsider (long time BUBB season ticket holder/fan), I have a hard time knowing/figuring out WHY NO/LITTLE student support for their team I see buses emtry to the CC, emtry student seats, ticket prices that are not unfordable and now a on campus game for a buck, on a Saturday nite and they do not show So much for the excuse thats it's to hard for the students to get to the CC! It's hard for me to understand, that as you point out that BU does not support student interest by doing the things you have mentioned Do students not receive schedules at registration time There's no student news paper or computer e-mails to remind students of games, ticket costs and and extra incentives(like free buses rides, drinks and pop They don't see the players or have conversations with them All this being said, if students really want to support their team, I cannot believe they wouldn't know when its game time and want to be there! I do agree that it all needs to start with getting the freshman involved Thanks

[SFP]

For most of us this is a generational thing or maybe I was lucky and attended BU when the team was great. We would base our weekends and studying around the games. The student section was always packed.

What I believe, this generation of students are a bit different when it comes to entertainment (too many forms) and possess an attention span of a gnat leads to this type of behavior along with the lack of consistency. The question is how do they change behavior. Students are still driven by peer pressure and trying to find the best place to be at any certain time. The Red Sea Elite is a good idea but the execution of the behavioral aspect needs to be modified. I'd also bet the current male population is just not that into sports as the past generation and the females that are just are not as committed as the guys they replaced. These are different times and different marketing plan is needed. I wonder who is doing the strategic marketing for the sports department? The marketing done in the 80s may have worked for the 90s but are not going to work now!

[theBUer]

For most of us this is a generational thing or maybe I was lucky and attended BU when the team was great. We would base our weekends and studying around the games. The student section was always packed.

What I believe, this generation of students are a bit different when it comes to entertainment (too many forms) and possess an attention span of a gnat leads to this type of behavior along with the lack of consistency. The question is how do they change behavior. Students are still driven by peer pressure and trying to find the best place to be at any certain time. The Red Sea Elite is a good idea but the execution of the behavioral aspect needs to be modified. I'd also bet the current male population is just not that into sports as the past generation and the females that are just are not as committed as the guys they replaced. These are different times and different marketing plan is needed. I wonder who is doing the strategic marketing for the sports department? The marketing done in the 80s may have worked for the 90s but are not going to work now!

The students I know are into sports, especially the Bears. They're just not into college sports, and if they are it's either Illinois or Notre Dame. I have seen quite a few Iowa sweatshirts as well.

It's impossible for me to say BU needs a football team. Sometimes I think this school is too afraid of promoting athletics for fear that it will harm its reputation as a premier private school. Please, it never hurt Gonzaga or Butler

[Chico]

Thanks for your insight and opinion Your insight comes from within (thats great) but myself (because thats who I speak for) am a outside campus person, do not know the facts as you state As a outsider (long time BUBB season ticket holder/fan), I have a hard time knowing/figuring out WHY NO/LITTLE student support for their team I see buses emtry to the CC, emtry student seats, ticket prices that are not unfordable and now a on campus game for a buck, on a Saturday nite and they do not show So much for the excuse thats it's to hard for the students to get to the CC! It's hard for me to understand, that as you point out that BU does not support student interest by doing the things you have mentioned Do students not receive schedules at registration time There's no student news paper or computer e-mails to remind students of games, ticket costs and and extra incentives(like free buses rides, drinks and pop They don't see the players or have conversations with them All this being said, if students really want to support their team, I cannot believe they wouldn't know when its game time and want to be there! I do agree that it all needs to start with getting the freshman involved Thanks

OOB, I've been saying most of the same things ever since I've been on this board, but they always have the same excuses for not being there. If they are a sports fan they know when the games are and how to get to Carver. Nobody should have to remind then 7 days a week. Good that the Red Sea is at least making an effort. Hope they succeed. Some on this board like to good naturely get on us "blue hairs". but where would Bradley basketball be without us.

[SFP]

The students I know are into sports, especially the Bears. They're just not into college sports, and if they are it's either Illinois or Notre Dame. I have seen quite a few Iowa sweatshirts as well.

It's impossible for me to say BU needs a football team. Sometimes I think this school is too afraid of promoting athletics for fear that it will harm its reputation as a premier private school. Please, it never hurt Gonzaga or Butler

The students you know are not really into sports because if they were they would rather watch a live game over one on TV. Also I do not buy into the pro-sports team agenda because most of the students could not afford a ticket to see the Bulls or The Bears. A real sports fan would connect to the Braves when they attend the school plain and simple. These are all followers of masses and do not want to stick their necks out and be a bit different. Going home during Thanksgiving and saying you are a BU fan gets you nowhere for these guys but talking Bears smack does. They fear to be different!

The behavioral patterns of this generation is different and if the school wants them to be a part of it they will need to understand the drivers of the current student population. Also, what is the ratio of men to women on campus now days?

[amettrick]

Thanks for your insight and opinion Your insight comes from within (thats great) but myself (because thats who I speak for) am a outside campus person, do not know the facts as you state As a outsider (long time BUBB season ticket holder/fan), I have a hard time knowing/figuring out WHY NO/LITTLE student support for their team I see buses emtry to the CC, emtry student seats, ticket prices that are not unfordable and now a on campus game for a buck, on a Saturday nite and they do not show So much for the excuse thats it's to hard for the students to get to the CC! It's hard for me to understand, that as you point out that BU does not support student interest by doing the things you have mentioned Do students not receive schedules at registration time There's no student news paper or computer e-mails to remind students of games, ticket costs and and extra incentives(like free buses rides, drinks and pop They don't see the players or have conversations with them All this being said, if students really want to support their team, I cannot believe they wouldn't know when its game time and want to be there! I do agree that it all needs to start with getting the freshman involved Thanks

The only thing being done in terms of giving students information about the team is if they sign up for the Red Pride at the activity fair. Thats just not even close to enough. In my opinion there are a lot of things that could be done easily to boost student support and they just don't do them.

1) Put up signs (lots of them) around campus on game day to remind students about the games and let them know there is a free shuttle ride to the arena.
2) Hand out schedules to all students on move in day (especially the freshmen).
3) Put up schedule posters in all the dorm hallways.
4) Campus wide emails to remind students of games and promotions.
5) Get the Greek system involved. Greek life is a major part of BU campus life. Get the frats and sororities to promote game attendance as much as possible.
6) Set up booths in the student center and dorm lobbies to sell student season tickets. The convenience of not having to walk accross campus to the ticket office would help sell additional tickets. It might be lazy on the students part, but if thats what it takes then do it.

Thats 6 easy things to do off the top of my head that aren't being done right now and would definitely help. Bradley needs to create the perception that attending a game isn't just one option for something to do, but THE thing to do.

[SFP]

Something for nothing is nothing. OK what I mean by that if the students are not buying into the games then what is the game worth to them,"NOTHING". The first thing I would do if I was in charge is get the student to purchase season tickets at a nominal fee. Market certain seats as premium and give students the ability to buy their seats by some point based system. Before you start that you would need to fix the teams popularity so a viral marketing campaign could take root. What that marketing campaign would look like would be very important. I'm not in touch with BU students but I'm guessing using social media and a gaming application for mobile device would help a ton! There are some real nice mobile apps that I'm sure the school could use and brand around BU basketball. i.e. http://www.thumpgames.com

[Beninator]

Something for nothing is nothing. OK what I mean by that if the students are not buying into the games then what is the game worth to them,"NOTHING". The first thing I would do if I was in charge is get the student to purchase season tickets at a nominal fee. Market certain seats as premium and give students the ability to buy their seats by some point based system. Before you start that you would need to fix the teams popularity so a viral marketing campaign could take root. What that marketing campaign would look like would be very important. I'm not in touch with BU students but I'm guessing using social media and a gaming application for mobile device would help a ton! There are some real nice mobile apps that I'm sure the school could use and brand around BU basketball. i.e. http://www.thumpgames.com

I very much agree with these ideas as a start to create student interest. However this would require a proactive Athletic Department when it comes to promotions targeted toward student's preferences!

apathetic Athletic Department=no student participation.

[amettrick]

apathetic Athletic Department=no student participation.

exactly. they don't seem to care if the students are there or not.

[SFP]

apathetic Athletic Department=no student participation.

I'd really have to believe it is someone not knowing how to do their job. With the tools out there it would take one person with a minimum budget to drive student attendance. I could be wrong and the department does not have someone who's job is measured by student participation.