The idea was a success!

[Chibearsfan10125]

This game was a success in that in generated interest from the students for Bradley Basketball. I have a friend who is a junior who attended his first Bradley Basketball game last night. Not sure if he'll go to any more, but he seemed to enjoy last night's game.

[tornado]

I sat next to a young fan who was under 6 years old and although he had been to a few Bradley games - he noticed a tremendous difference last night and was awestruck - and wants to go to more like that!

[amckillip]

I agree. We'll find out Saturday if student interest has increased. I certainly hope it has!

Unfortunately many of the students who normally attend won't be able to make it. Saturday is a very big night for fraternity and sorority dances...

[jasonpeoria911]

The game gets over by 9ish, they have plenty of time to throw on a dress & suit, dance a little and get trashed LOL. Get food at the game and dance/get drunk afterwards.

Jason

[DUBrave5]

The game itself was a success because we showed improvement, faced adversity, overcame it and pulled out the W.

As for the whole event being a success....I don't know what the goals where in bringing the game up on campus. IF the goal was to increase student interest, only time will tell. IF more students start going to games downtown, then this was a success. IF there is no change in the number of students going to games, then this was not a success.

My problem with the whole idea was that it potentially is a limiting venue. Only 4300(?) can get in there. That COULD scare off a lot of people from going. BU is a program that has more than 4000 diehard fans. Many people, like myself, who are diehard BU fans can't afford to be season ticket holders. Playing at the CC allows for a lot of people, who go to a handful of games, the seating to go and watch.

I have no problem with this being a once a year thing, just don't want it to go beyond that!

Sorry I don't mean to pinpoint you but I read your message and felt that a response was warranted because I think a good number of people feel the same way.

I do not feel the same way. I know BU has more than 4000 diehard fans, but when people were complaining about being able to get tickets earlier this year, I mentioned that I was willing to bet money that you could still get tickets on the day of the game. I bought my ticket the day before while I was at the Women's Basketball game. And it wasn't until an hour before the game when I heard that it was standing room only. If we have that many diehard fans, standing room only tickets should've been the only thing available awhile ago. It is my feeling that any men's basketball game (exhibition or regular season) should be a sellout. It is a 4200 seat arena, there is no reason not to sell it out when we consistently fill more than that downtown.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I thought that the atmosphere was awesome last night. Because of that atmosphere, I like the idea of playing more games at the RC. Obviously not Valley games, but what is more exciting a smaller venue that is completely full and loud, or a large venue that is empty because we don't come close to selling it out? I know there is the downside about not being able to have "beverages" there, but that is a moot point in my opinion. The more games we host there, the more the tickets become must-haves in my opinion and that is a point I would rather be at instead of listening to people trying to give away 2nd row tickets for 10 bucks a piece and nobody wanting to take them (that was what happened Sunday as I was buying my ticket). Since I came to Peoria almost 5 and a half years ago, Bradley has been THE event in the city and I feel that it is losing that flair. Win and it will come back of course, but make it a must have ticket again and it will also come back.

And for the people that were wondering how it was a sellout when there were seats still available. Da Coach mentioned that they go by tickets sold. There were also a lot of fans, myself included, that decided to stand the entire time because from anywhere on the concourse you can still see the action. Personally I really like the building but I may be biased because I used to work there

[shaunguth]

Unfortunately many of the students who normally attend won't be able to make it. Saturday is a very big night for fraternity and sorority dances...

And they're on break next Tuesday?

I guess we'll see how many of them show up on December 6.

[shaunguth]

There were also a lot of fans, myself included, that decided to stand the entire time because from anywhere on the concourse you can still see the action.

Most of those people must've had seats at the end opposite the band, because that section was nowhere near full.

I guess it's possible they sold SRO tickets before the seats were actually sold, but that doesn't really make sense either.

[Old Coach]

I had fun and enjoyed the atmosphere, but when you take away student tickets and comps, there were well under 3,000 tickets sold.

[Old Coach]

I sat next to a young fan who was under 6 years old and although he had been to a few Bradley games - he noticed a tremendous difference last night and was awestruck - and wants to go to more like that!

Wow... That's interesting that a 5 year old was able to notice a tremendous difference and was awestruck. My 5 year old mentioned neither.

[AZ BU Fan]

If your 5 yr old was at the PCC vs Michigan, or at the PCC vs ISU when both were relevant, and the place was packed with 11,000 screaming fans, I bet he'd want to see that all the time too!

The MVC and BU needs to build more intense rivalries within the MVC, and get overall league play/records improved, to increase relevance and crowds.

This will be the only way to get more fans out of their comfy, surround sound, high def big screen tv equipped man caves that feature much lower food and drink costs.

[Bravesfan]

I will agree it was a success last night. However in the long term I hope that it doesn't encourage this in the future. That has been my fear all along. I think even if the arena held double what it does that would be too small for games if BU wants to compete at a decent level. 8,000 is the absolute minimum to play on campus too me. And even that is bad.

Now if they someday come up with money to build an 10,000 or more seat arena on campus I would be all for it. But I would still need to find a differnt place to park than the deck.

I couldn't disagree with you more on this lake Camelot. Try asking Gonzaga and St. Mary's that they aren't successful programs with each arena holding far fewer than 8,000 seats. And these are two programs that have been playing at a much higher level than Bradley has the last few years.

If the issue is with season ticket holders not being able to get into this game, well, I'm sure there are plenty of people who can't get tickets to Cameron Indoor Stadium for Duke games either, especially considering over half of the 9300+ who show up for Duke games are students. Plus we are only talking about at most one game a year, one game reserved for the students who would like to get a taste of what it is like to have an on campus facility to see the games. Every other game would still be held at the PCC, and it as we all know can be very loud when it is filled with students and we are winning consistently. But one game at the Renaissance Center each year wouldn't hurt anything, at least in my opinion.

[Bravesfan]

The game itself was a success because we showed improvement, faced adversity, overcame it and pulled out the W.

As for the whole event being a success....I don't know what the goals where in bringing the game up on campus. IF the goal was to increase student interest, only time will tell. IF more students start going to games downtown, then this was a success. IF there is no change in the number of students going to games, then this was not a success.

My problem with the whole idea was that it potentially is a limiting venue. Only 4300(?) can get in there. That COULD scare off a lot of people from going. BU is a program that has more than 4000 diehard fans. Many people, like myself, who are diehard BU fans can't afford to be season ticket holders. Playing at the CC allows for a lot of people, who go to a handful of games, the seating to go and watch.

I have no problem with this being a once a year thing, just don't want it to go beyond that!

I agree with this being a once a year thing, but I still don't understand how one game could scare people off, or make season ticket holders upset when there will still be 14 or 15 more games at the CC. See my post above which explains this more.

[Chico]

The idea was a success because the reason behind it was to get more students involved and it worked for this one game. I still say that the 1981-82 team should have been honored at a game in the Civic Center. The kids today don't remember that great team and proved it when so many of them left at halftime.

[78Brave]

The few students who left weren't the only ones to leave early. It has also become common for non student fans to leave Carver early, often with the outcome of the game still in doubt. This vaunted Bradley fan base is in danger of becoming a myth. These are not the same fans who parked on side streets and walked blocks through cold, snow, and ice to sit on hard bleachers in a hot and cramped FH - without beer - and actually cheered. We all need to step up.

[Chico]

The few students who left weren't the only ones to leave early. It has also become common for non student fans to leave Carver early, often with the outcome of the game still in doubt. This vaunted Bradley fan base is in danger of becoming a myth. These are not the same fans who parked on side streets and walked blocks through cold, snow, and ice to sit on hard bleachers in a hot and cramped FH - without beer - and actually cheered. We all need to step up.

Tell me about it. I walked many times from W.Peoria to the Fieldhouse, including the game against Creighton when all the side streets were impassable. Many other times we parked several blocks away and made the walk. Wouldn't try it now. Many of the fans you brought up still go to Carver, but the Fieldhouse days were 30 years ago and just like walking several blocks, things have changed. The blue hairs aren't the cause of the fan base becoming a myth.