lack of attendance from a student perspective

[<3bradley]

Hi guys,

I was just browsing around through the PJStar forum and found this forum. I love the optimism a lot of people on this board have. Most of the topics I've read sound like their written from people around the local Peoria area. I'm not sure how many students are on this forum but I'm currently a junior at Bradley. I wasn't much of a basketball fan until I came to Bradley and noticed the lack of school spirit here. It's been an issue that has been discussed a lot around campus. We have been referred to as an "apathetic student body" in the Scout newspaper. Literally every person I talk to thinks there is a lack of school spirit.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I came across a post that said that 80% of the student body doesn't care about basketball or don't watch it. I feel like a lot of students love basketball and watch it but it's more of how the Bradley basketball team is doing. They haven't done well at all during the past few years. The majority of the students I've talked to have said they went to some games during their freshman years and then the attendance just goes down hill from there. The Bradley students WANT a winning team.
I was also at the Renaissance Coliseum game this past Monday and I also went to last years. I was disappointed after seeing how many students came out to watch the game. I was also surprised because they had made the tickets free the day of as well. Last years was so much fun because there was so many other students and there was a lot of hype regarding Geno Ford's hiring. The event was also HIGHLY promoted as well. I remember seeing a huge poster in the Student Center marketing the game at the Renaissance Coliseum. This year, there was no marketing done except a mention in the Scout. However, I do like the idea of having games ON CAMPUS because a lot of students feel disconnected with the home games being at the Carver Arena. I just think the administration is trying to build up the school spirit by having games there.
Overall, I believe there needs to be more marketing done in order to increase the student attendance at basketball games and the basketball teams NEEDS to do better. I've been talking to many people and encouraging them to go. When I tell people the team has been beating teams by 20 points, they look at me in shock. I'm super excited for the game versing Michigan at the Carver Arena. I feel like if the game is promoted really well and there is a huge turn out, the team would get a boost from all the hollering and come out with a win.
I still have hope for the team and I'm really hoping they do much better than what they are ranked. I hope they surprise everyone by winning a lot of games this season. I really want them to make it to the NCAA tournament in the two years that I'm an undergrad!
Nevertheless, I love seeing the optimistic posts and as a student from the Peoria area put it "Peorians love their Bradley Basketball".

[Da Coach]

Nice to hear from a real student ! (a reference to the phony student who tried to sneak by the mods yesterday).

If you have any influence on other students, get them to come. The Michigan game will be on ESPNU, so that usually appeals to students. It's likely you'll get on TV, especially if you dress up, paint your face, or act crazy the way the networks like!

[tornado]

Here's a few ideas for game promotions....not sure if they'd work at BU - just FWIW...

a few weeks ago I posted a link to a promotion where people caught $$ falling from the rafters at halftime - it'll work!!

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=262847&postcount=1

Or some promotion like this one that packs the place with students hoping to win free tuition!
This kid that won a YEAR's free tuition was a Peoria kid!

http://www.minnpost.com/minnclips/2009/09/northwestern-college-student-wins-free-tuition-year-halftime-contest

Here's one where students have a chance to win great prizes at games if they attend including $1000!

http://www.ucfathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111612aaa.html

Then there's ways of promoting a "Ladies Night" - which will get the guys out if it's successful...
maybe offering not only FREE things for female attendees, but also get some cosmetic firm or clothing firm to sponsor and have some giveaways...

[KMart]

Hi guys,

I was just browsing around through the PJStar forum and found this forum. I love the optimism a lot of people on this board have. Most of the topics I've read sound like their written from people around the local Peoria area. I'm not sure how many students are on this forum but I'm currently a junior at Bradley. I wasn't much of a basketball fan until I came to Bradley and noticed the lack of school spirit here. It's been an issue that has been discussed a lot around campus. We have been referred to as an "apathetic student body" in the Scout newspaper. Literally every person I talk to thinks there is a lack of school spirit.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I came across a post that said that 80% of the student body doesn't care about basketball or don't watch it. I feel like a lot of students love basketball and watch it but it's more of how the Bradley basketball team is doing. They haven't done well at all during the past few years. The majority of the students I've talked to have said they went to some games during their freshman years and then the attendance just goes down hill from there. The Bradley students WANT a winning team.
I was also at the Renaissance Coliseum game this past Monday and I also went to last years. I was disappointed after seeing how many students came out to watch the game. I was also surprised because they had made the tickets free the day of as well. Last years was so much fun because there was so many other students and there was a lot of hype regarding Geno Ford's hiring. The event was also HIGHLY promoted as well. I remember seeing a huge poster in the Student Center marketing the game at the Renaissance Coliseum. This year, there was no marketing done except a mention in the Scout. However, I do like the idea of having games ON CAMPUS because a lot of students feel disconnected with the home games being at the Carver Arena. I just think the administration is trying to build up the school spirit by having games there.
Overall, I believe there needs to be more marketing done in order to increase the student attendance at basketball games and the basketball teams NEEDS to do better. I've been talking to many people and encouraging them to go. When I tell people the team has been beating teams by 20 points, they look at me in shock. I'm super excited for the game versing Michigan at the Carver Arena. I feel like if the game is promoted really well and there is a huge turn out, the team would get a boost from all the hollering and come out with a win.
I still have hope for the team and I'm really hoping they do much better than what they are ranked. I hope they surprise everyone by winning a lot of games this season. I really want them to make it to the NCAA tournament in the two years that I'm an undergrad!
Nevertheless, I love seeing the optimistic posts and as a student from the Peoria area put it "Peorians love their Bradley Basketball".

I'm a fellow student who's working with the athletic department and we have been trying to figure out what we need to do in order to increase student attendance. I've never been a big college basketball fan until I really came here, and since I've been here I've made almost every home game and try to schedule my classes around the basketball schedule. A couple guys in my fraternity took me to my first game and so it was really a fun social environment that kept bringing me back until I just fell in love with Bradley basketball. From our perspective, we figure you need to start getting freshmen to games in order to start building a tradition, and the Red Sea reward system was set up in order to entice student attendance, but that seems to have had no affect on game attendance this semester. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated and I will be sure to pass the ideas on to my bosses. Thanks.

[<3bradley]

I'm a fellow student who's working with the athletic department and we have been trying to figure out what we need to do in order to increase student attendance. I've never been a big college basketball fan until I really came here, and since I've been here I've made almost every home game and try to schedule my classes around the basketball schedule. A couple guys in my fraternity took me to my first game and so it was really a fun social environment that kept bringing me back until I just fell in love with Bradley basketball. From our perspective, we figure you need to start getting freshmen to games in order to start building a tradition, and the Red Sea reward system was set up in order to entice student attendance, but that seems to have had no affect on game attendance this semester. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated and I will be sure to pass the ideas on to my bosses. Thanks.

I think that's awesome your working with the athletic department. Did you read tornado's options a few posts above?? I think those sound pretty interesting.
I think so many students came to the Renaissance Coliseum game last year because of all the hype about Geno Ford and then when they started losing, they figured they wouldn't win any games this year so attendance dropped.
For the Michigan vs Bradley game, I think you guys should do a lot of promoting and marketing the event so a lot of students come. Maybe some suggestions that tornado posted or even have Geno Ford and players out there mingling with the students.
As for the freshmen attending, I feel like a good part of them are excited about their first year at BU and they ARE attending. A good portion of them. But like I said, the attendance gradually decreases when the team doesn't do well. The main reason is because of the lack of improvement in the past few years. I know a number of students who have joined Red Sea their freshmen year and then don't join after their first year. I think it's all about the marketing and promoting the games during this rebuilding phase where no one knows how the team is going to do this year. I don't think it should be focused solely on the freshmen. It should be focused on the whole student body.

[<3bradley]

Nice to hear from a real student ! (a reference to the phony student who tried to sneak by the mods yesterday).

If you have any influence on other students, get them to come. The Michigan game will be on ESPNU, so that usually appeals to students. It's likely you'll get on TV, especially if you dress up, paint your face, or act crazy the way the networks like!

I've been telling every student I talk to to come to the basketball games more! haha that sounds like fun! the members in the Red Sea usually do crazy stuff like that. They wear those striped red and white overalls and paint their faces and stuff.

[<3bradley]

Here's a few ideas for game promotions....not sure if they'd work at BU - just FWIW...

a few weeks ago I posted a link to a promotion where people caught $$ falling from the rafters at halftime - it'll work!!

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=262847&postcount=1

Or some promotion like this one that packs the place with students hoping to win free tuition!
This kid that won a YEAR's free tuition was a Peoria kid!

http://www.minnpost.com/minnclips/2009/09/northwestern-college-student-wins-free-tuition-year-halftime-contest

Here's one where students have a chance to win great prizes at games if they attend including $1000!

http://www.ucfathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111612aaa.html

Then there's ways of promoting a "Ladies Night" - which will get the guys out if it's successful...
maybe offering not only FREE things for female attendees, but also get some cosmetic firm or clothing firm to sponsor and have some giveaways...

Thanks so much for the ideas! I hope KMart looks at them. The athletic did a promotion a few weeks ago that involved the students attending 3 games (soccer, volleyball, and something else), students had the opportunity to win prizes such as Dr. Dre headphones and even a full year of tuition! I'm not sure how big the turn out was though.

[abesimpson]

Is Red Pride still going on? That seemed pretty popular for a while.

Free food and giveaways also always seemed to generate some interest.

But winning cures everything. Once we start to climb back up the standings and give the tops teams a run or pull a few upsets, attendance will rise for students and everyone else.

Look at the 3 seasons following the Sweet 16 run, 9,8 (following NIT appearance), and then 7 home games with 10,000+ in attendance. The 4th season, just 2 with 10,000+ attendance.

[Headless Bobcat]

Two options for raising student attendance
1. Make the NCAA tournament in consecutive years
2. Lower the drinking age at Carver to 18

I don't see either happening any time soon.

[Da Coach]

Two options for raising student attendance
1. Make the NCAA tournament in consecutive years
2. Lower the drinking age at Carver to 18

That would also raise the attendance at Rivermen games by a large amount.

[Future Walk-On]

I am all for upping student interest....

one question:

Has the Red Sea folded? or did their "leaders" graduate? (I thought they were younger than me) the ones that wore overalls and started the whole Shabang

because I didn't see any of them at the exhibitions or either of the 1st 2 regular season games...so I am hoping they DON'T show up in face paint and overalls for the UM game.

My point is that, for example, the Orange Krush at U of I shows up to every game no matter who it is...I would think the red sea diehards/kids who wore the overalls (there were like 6 of them last year, did you all graduate?) would at least be at these games.

[Chico]

I am all for upping student interest....

one question:

Has the Red Sea folded? or did their "leaders" graduate? (I thought they were younger than me) the ones that wore overalls and started the whole Shabang

because I didn't see any of them at the exhibitions or either of the 1st 2 regular season games...so I am hoping they DON'T show up in face paint and overalls for the UM game.

My point is that, for example, the Orange Krush at U of I shows up to every game no matter who it is...I would think the red sea diehards/kids who wore the overalls (there were like 6 of them last year, did you all graduate?) would at least be at these games.

Maybe they graduated because a couple weeks ago they were complaining how they were treated in seats other than the student section.

[RedSeaElite1]

we did not graduate. Most of us are seniors and unfornately the need for jobs, night classes for upper level classes, and other commitments have prevented us from being as active as we were the past two years. Also beginning last year the official Red Sea has been shifted from run by volunteer students to the marketing interns and many of us are not entirely please with the way we were treated by the sports marketing staff. We continue to support the braves and I was at both exhibition games and the EIU game. But unfortunately for me to graduate in May I have class Monday and Wednesday nights.

[real fan]

we did not graduate. Most of us are seniors and unfornately the need for jobs, night classes for upper level classes, and other commitments have prevented us from being as active as we were the past two years. Also beginning last year the official Red Sea has been shifted from run by volunteer students to the marketing interns and many of us are not entirely please with the way we were treated by the sports marketing staff. We continue to support the braves and I was at both exhibition games and the EIU game. But unfortunately for me to graduate in May I have class Monday and Wednesday nights.

I thought you guys did a great job trying to get more students involved and at the games getting the ones that showed up to stand up and be loud.
The only way to get more students to the games is to start winning a lot of games as everyone wants to be part of a winner, those times are hopefully right around the corner and if you are not far away you guys need to come back as often as you can to see whats its like at Carver when your school is winning big.

[SFP]

we did not graduate. Most of us are seniors and unfornately the need for jobs, night classes for upper level classes, and other commitments have prevented us from being as active as we were the past two years. Also beginning last year the official Red Sea has been shifted from run by volunteer students to the marketing interns and many of us are not entirely please with the way we were treated by the sports marketing staff. We continue to support the braves and I was at both exhibition games and the EIU game. But unfortunately for me to graduate in May I have class Monday and Wednesday nights.

I find it very unfortunate that they would not have continued the volunteer aspect of this club because it is from those members, that you would have true evangelist for the team. Looking from the outside I've been pretty disappointed with the marketing strategy. It just looks very bush league when a bit of common sense or asking a few questions could make it so much better. Marketing is not so very complicated but executing a plan that makes sense for operational goals and re-adjusting on the fly can be for those that have very little real world experience.