Student interest

[Da Coach]

Here is something interesting- Bradley has had difficulty attracting students to the home basketball games. One excuse I've heard is that students just don't care about supporting their school's sports any more.
Student tickets went on sale for the SIU-E home basketball games, and hundreds of students stood in line for long waits to buy tickets to their home opener. And their first home game is not until November 13th! Almost 3 weeks away!

Check out this picture of the line for students to buy tickets. Maybe we need to ask Lennox Forrester for tips on how to boost our students' interest?-

https://twitter.com/Joe_Pott/status/393529000103923712/photo/1

[tornado]

students are rabid at many schools...and it used to be so at Bradley...
I know times have changed - but whenever we see some suggestions, years go by and nothing happens

http://www.insidethehall.com/2013/10/22/glass-reflects-15000-student-season-ticket-sales-2013-2014-season/

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/oct/22/mens-basketball-fgcu-announces-ticket-for-at-the/

But here's a school that appears to be having the same problem as Bradley...
Maryland in the ACC - only a little more than a decade from winning the National Championship --
one of the top basketball programs in the nation -- they should have no trouble filling their arena to capacity but they do...
They have had a 26% attendance drop in the past 4 years. 30-40% in the past SIX years! (Gary Williams & Mark Turgeon must feel loved)
"Maryland basketball season tickets are not a hot commodity and haven’t been for five years.
..This year could be a disaster as the home schedule lacks Duke and UNC."

They moved off campus to Comcast Center a few years back but now they are dropping attendance rapidly...
"Because the Terps continue to bleed attendance..."
.... so they are considering a move BACK into their smaller on-campus arena

http://districtsportspage.com/opinion-terps-should-play-in-cole-field-house-now/20387

Maryland's home attendance was 17-18,000 in 2008, last year was 12,400

[amckillip]

Here is something interesting- Bradley has had difficulty attracting students to the home basketball games. One excuse I've heard is that students just don't care about supporting their school's sports any more.
Student tickets went on sale for the SIU-E home basketball games, and hundreds of students stood in line for long waits to buy tickets to their home opener. And their first home game is not until November 13th! Almost 3 weeks away!

Check out this picture of the line for students to buy tickets. Maybe we need to ask Lennox Forrester for tips on how to boost our students' interest?-

https://twitter.com/Joe_Pott/status/393529000103923712/photo/1

For Comparison:

SIU-E Enrollment: 14.5K
BU Enrollement: 6.5K

Not to say that's an excuse, but it certainly is a very large factor. Also, is the lack of outside recognition. Most students who attend BU have no idea the previous success of BU, at more recognizable schools, their sports are on TV all the time, etc.

I.E. Small schools have it tougher, to get students, you better win. And right or wrong, many students who want the sports experience will now elect to go to a Big School, and is a major decision making point for today's students. Even more reason BU needs to encourage a Culture of sports attendance for students, because our support base is slowly eroding and students are the easiest way to develop a new, younger, fan base.

But I agree with most, the best way to do that is win, and win quick.

[Da Coach]

For Comparison:

SIU-E Enrollment: 14.5K
BU Enrollement: 6.5K

Not to say that's an excuse, but it certainly is a very large factor.

I expected someone to bring up the difference in size, but I would debate this as an excuse for a several reasons, and argue that it should be much harder for a school like SIU-E with no basketball tradition to draw significant student attendance at their basketball games. Bradley has always been one of the smallest schools in the MVC, but there were times in the past when student attendance at games was among the best in the league.
Also, SIU-E's undergraduate enrollment is actually 11,300 about twice what Bradley's is. They have almost 3,000 grad students, and I don't think grad students ever get as involved with athletics to the same degree undergrads do. Also, SIUE has a large percentage of students who commute and live at home- it's well documented how difficult it is to draw students to games at commuter schools when students do not live on campus, and aren't part of the campus experience.
And as you cited, their basketball team is new to Division I, and has never had a winning tradition, and they play in the equivalent of a high school gym. You'd have had a hard time finding any students at basketball games just a couple years ago, and now they have long lines for tickets. No matter how you explain it, that's still pretty impressive. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to check into whatever they are doing? Obviously hosting SLU has a lot to do with it. Their students are excited about playing a good team with a natural rivalry.
IMO, our biggest impediment to drawing students and other fans is a home schedule of:
Jacksonville State
Alabama State
Central Michigan
Chicago State
Texas Pan-Am
IUPUI
IPFW
and a depleted South Florida team

[Buesch N Chips]

I've had season tickets for 6 or 7 years and there have never been any students at the non-con games. Not sure why this is a new revelation. The students have always shown up for the ISU game or other big events, but the regular games have drawn little to no interest for years. If student attendance drops from last year's 25 red sea diehards to this year's 15, I'm not sure I consider that something to worry about. If anything, the student attendance decline has mirrored the non-student attendance decline.

Winning, which we should be doing a lot of this year, should help both.