Things I would like to see.....

[jeffsu]

You'd be amazed by how many sports fans are out there who don't/didn't care for BU Basketball (or college basketball at all) until they really started getting into games regularly.

Now you can't keep me.. I mean, them... off the board from reading everything!

[Chico]

Rusty, maybe not, but it sure doesn't take long to find out. If they remember the Sweet 16 run, then they know about the program. Face it, all students aren't basketball fans, but the ones that are shouldn't have to be marketed, if that's a word, to go to the games.

[ph]

Athletics always needs to keep reaching out to the general student population.

This year, unfortunately, I have seen a few letter to the editor or response comments from students that are now more jaded by the actions after off the court issues. Some students now have the opinion that athletes do something wrong, essentially get away with it, and the genreal student population ahs to "suffer" with more strict rules.

[Rusty 54]

I agree with you Chico, and even if they don't know the tradition students should still show up to support the team on the floor. The hardcore basketball fans are always going to be there, and the people who don't car about basketball will never go. I think the key is to get the people who go to a couple of games a year to go to more games. The ISU game and Michigan State are examples of every student who would ever go to a game going. Creighton and SIU are also games a lot of students go to. The question at least in my mind is how to get casual student fan going to say, UNI or Indiana State?

[Beninator]

All you have to do is to look at how the NFL and MLB have expanded their fan base by doing various promotions at the begining of the year. These organizations recognized that there is competition for the "entertainment dollar" from the casual fan/non fan and sought out different ways to expand their fan base to include them. Bradley can do the same with minimal cost to build the Bradley brand that President Glasser talks about.

[ph]

The question at least in my mind is how to get casual student fan going to say, UNI or Indiana State?

Obvious answer is to get in the top25, that way every game has national importance, every game is important to your Bradley pride.

[houstontxbrave]

The commercials and entertainment probably are not going to stop because they are sponsored by someone and that means someone is paying for all of you too see their name.

But, I have always thought BU needed to really make a more concerted effort to make BU apparel much more easily available to purchase. At games, in stores in the Peoria area, online and definitly at the Valley tourney in STL. Again this season there was no where for a BU fan to pick up a shirt, sweater, pull over etc at the tourney.

Also, I really like the idea of making BU freshman, BU basketball supporters for their 4 years. Give them incentives at the orientation to go to game, make BU basketball, a must do while they at the school for their 4 years.

I also agree with DRU that every home game is you wear RED. Just simply make it a tradtion. I know many work then go to games but if everyone is in Red most will follow suit. Heck I wear red on BU game days even here in Houston, its just good Karma

[amckillip]

I also agree with DRU that every home game is you wear RED. Just simply make it a tradtion. I know many work then go to games but if everyone is in Red most will follow suit. Heck I wear red on BU game days even here in Houston, its just good Karma

I bought a Bradley Polo for just this occasion. It really looks pretty classy with some nice pants. I normally wear a pressed dress shirt to work, but on game days I wear my BU polo (if at all appropriate). BU also sells dress shirts. OR you can wear a white shirt, and then bring a 'red sweater' to wear to the game... You'll fit right in, haha

[mike radigan]

I bought a Bradley Polo for just this occasion. It really looks pretty classy with some nice pants. I normally wear a pressed dress shirt to work, but on game days I wear my BU polo (if at all appropriate). BU also sells dress shirts. OR you can wear a white shirt, and then bring a 'red sweater' to wear to the game... You'll fit right in, haha

Perfect gear per one of my suggestions that being BU gear Fridays at the school for profs and staff similar to casual Fridays at corporations.

[Out of Balance]

All Quick Change, all the time...

Just once I would like to see the cover be removed before the change is complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BUBalum05]

In my 4 years at BU, I thought BU Sports Marketing did a very poor job recruiting the greeks down to the games. Maybe at the beginning of the season they would show up at a chapter meeting with a few players that would ask us to come out to the games but never did any promotions targeting the greeks which are mind you 1/3rd of the campus. I also think the guys that are only casually interested in basketball might show more interest if they could successfully get the sororities to go to the games. I'm not saying they need to offer a kegger to the house that best represents but they certainly could come up with something to mobilize over 1,000 students to a game or two early, then maybe that would turn into something regular because people do have fun going to the games.

Also, I think the team needs to market itself better on campus. Let's face it, the team tends to stick out as we are not the most diverse campus. They always used to hang out on the benches by Bradley Hall and I'm sure they could recruit some people just by talking to students more as they pass by on the way to class. I got to know a few of the guys on the team back in the day when they'd come around to our parties and I know they're capable of being social beyond with the guys on the team.

Oh and it helps if the team is winning consistently.

[ph]

Marketing to the Greeks is probably the biggest way to get more students involved.
Perhaps some sort of crazy promotion to capture their (Greeks) sense of fun, competition, and charity work to make the croud more involved.
Something like:
The goal is to get the crowd involved and raise money for their charity, and involve the nex tgeneration of Bradley fans.
Bradley sets aside 4 games, and gives 2 houses blocks of 200 seats. (opposite ends of the arena to get cross-changs going) The houses can only fill out to 25% of those seats whith their own, the remaining must be filled by partenering with an area JH or HS. (Get them to show in their own school colors and make noise)
The houses then need to solicit donations from businesses to provide some form of croud cheer / participation device (like signs, baloons, thunder sticks..) which the house sells to the rest (or their half) of the crowd (for no more than $2 a person). Each hose is given at least one timeout to get the crowd involved.
The house gets to keep 100% of those sales for their charity, and at the end of the game, the house that got the best overall crowd participation gets an additional $500 for their charity.

[LG281]

Marketing to the Greeks is probably the biggest way to get more students involved.
Perhaps some sort of crazy promotion to capture their (Greeks) sense of fun, competition, and charity work to make the croud more involved.
Something like:
The goal is to get the crowd involved and raise money for their charity, and involve the nex tgeneration of Bradley fans.
Bradley sets aside 4 games, and gives 2 houses blocks of 200 seats. (opposite ends of the arena to get cross-changs going) The houses can only fill out to 25% of those seats whith their own, the remaining must be filled by partenering with an area JH or HS. (Get them to show in their own school colors and make noise)
The houses then need to solicit donations from businesses to provide some form of croud cheer / participation device (like signs, baloons, thunder sticks..) which the house sells to the rest (or their half) of the crowd (for no more than $2 a person). Each hose is given at least one timeout to get the crowd involved.
The house gets to keep 100% of those sales for their charity, and at the end of the game, the house that got the best overall crowd participation gets an additional $500 for their charity.

Nice thought...it'll never work.

Plus you'll have some very upset band members that don't get to play at yet another time out.

[Chico]

The Bradley fans of the Peoria area have been supporting Bradley basketball for many, many years. Your suggestion, IMO, along with all the others, is ridiculous. If the students want to go to the games, they know where and when the game is. Again, give them a schedule with a note saying come support your team. That should be enough.

[Beninator]

Even though I dont really agree with the ideas stated recently, I applaud the people who are tyring to hash out new ideas and ways to improve things...
We simply can not and should not rely on the same old same old...........