KW Article: To Live, BU Spirit Must Get Younger

[ser_solace]

I agree with Kirk on this entire article. We need to get the students involved more. And BU needs to get the students closer to the floor all around the arena.

http://www.pjstar.com/bradleyhoops/x904841871/Wessler-To-live-BU-spirit-must-get-young

[amckillip]

I agree almost entirely.

[Buesch N Chips]

Kirk is on TV right now with Lee Hall and Mike Dimmick talking about the Jim Les situation.

[BradleyJD]

Kirk is on TV right now with Lee Hall and Mike Dimmick talking about the Jim Les situation.

I've been watching that. Very interesting!

[amckillip]

Kirk is on TV right now with Lee Hall and Mike Dimmick talking about the Jim Les situation.

I turned too late and just saw the Max B stuff (which made me wonder if either guy knew much about basketball, but that is a whole different point.) What was the discussion on JL?

[78Brave]

Today's column is what you call hitting the nail on the head.

[Da Coach]

Seems like everything in KW's column is stuff that has been discussed here many times. Nothing new, except he seems to suggest that moving to the Civic Center and changing the student seats are the only reason the student attendance fell off so much.

As I have said here before, I don't agree with that logic, and I think it is much deeper that just that. Even when games have been played on campus, there are few students at them. College students just have so many more things to entertain them these days than they did a few decades ago when a basketball game was a big deal on campus, and fewer of them are interested in college sports than they were decades ago. Most students today do not care about basketball. Bradley used to be 70% male, and now is a majority female. It is difficult, if not impossible, to interest most of today's kids in basketball. Plus, there are always video games, DVD movies, hundreds of TV channels, games and infinite entertainment options online via computer, as well as the usual entertainment options like local clubs to occupy their time and interests.
Winning consistently might bring back some of the students, but we'll never see 2,000 like Kirk reminisces about.

[78Brave]

There are multiple reasons for the falloff in student attendance. There is no question that increasing student involvement will increase the excitement and enhance the atmosphere at Carver. Do that and more non students will attend also. Bradley needs to do whatever is necessary to get the students back. You can blame them all you want but it's a little like blaming your customers for your business going under. Winning will help alot but Bradley shouldn't depend only on that. People don't fill Wrigley because of the wins.

[BUSongwriter]

I think KW's piece was on target and fair, with one laughable exception:

"'Our' Bradley Braves don't exist. The Braves are Peoria's team; they just wear the name 'Bradley' on their jerseys."

What he didn't say is the most glaring example of that is the introduction of "the pjstar.com starting line-ups" at home games.

Please, please, please......sell every space in the arena from the scoreboard to urinal walls, I don't care. But not the team itself. If KW really wants this to be Bradley's team, I hope he's arguing against that lousy "tradition" being back next year.

[ser_solace]

Has anyone ever led a concerted effort to get the student section to at least be along the court rather than on the end?

[BraveGrad]

Has anyone ever led a concerted effort to get the student section to at least be along the court rather than on the end?

Cant happen because the big time donors will not give up there seats for the students.

[thefish7]

There's a good article. Student attendance at games is the annuity that feeds the future. That's why it didn't matter if you lose some short term revenue to protect many years of continued revenue. Its a tough question though.. How do you fix location of student section, that's a tough nut to crack. We've also had a lot of good suggestions in previous threads here. The change in head coach does give you an opportunity to run out a big new marketing campaign.

[srw]

I think Da Coach is right on whats happening today, and KW is right in what led to it.

There is nothing wrong with being the exception to the rule but it takes time and effort.

Im not sure giving the students good seats would make them come to games. If you gave them the first 3 rows, around the whole arena, I am still not sure they would come.

The product has to be better
The promotion has to be better
The execution has to be better
The experience has to be better


Then the results will be better. I suspect that Butler has a better student involvement than BU

I suspect that Depaul has a worse student involvement than BU.


I know Creighton has a better student involvement than BU.

These things feed off success. Some of it is BU's problem, some of it is the students problem, some is the teams problem..

Whenever a new coach comes about we hear about this issue. Truth is, winning has to occur too.

[amckillip]

Then the results will be better. I suspect that Butler has a better student involvement than BU

I suspect that Depaul has a worse student involvement than BU.

Two years ago they were very comparable, ours may actually have been better. Now? Ok, they win.

[Dallas Brave]

While the history of what happened to student attendance (I was part of the 1982-83 student group) is known to many on the board, I like the fact that KW wrote an article on it as JG and MC do not know the history. If you're going to get a new coach, you might as well address the other issues that are out there.