School website....always behind the times!

[Dane96]

Why is it that we are probably the only school in conference where you cannot go to the team website and click on the player name and get a bio. DIII schools have this but we don't?

 

It is not like it is hard to do. They have the info available (used in media guides) and they have stock photos (see the new EROD chasing the aces record part of the website).

 

These are the things recruits and other fans/opponents of the program look at. It makes us look bush league!

[DanesFan95]

I could not agree more. While the website has come a long way in the last year, it is still light years behind the other SUNY and other AE schools when it comes to depth of information available. The website should be outsourced to a company that specializes in this type of web design so we don't look like such a joke to our opponents and potential recruits!!!

[Dane Pound]

I don't see where the other NY schools site are any better than UA's. They're all pretty much the same format and none of them have current pics at least for BB). Bing's team photo is from 2002-2003 for some reason. If I had to vote for the worst site in the AE it would easily go to Vermont. Maine has a nice site but they have that floating ad which I find irritating.

 

It's interesting that Maine, UNH and Northeastern all feature ads on their sites. I wonder if they outsource they're web work and then sell advertising to offset some of the costs.

[UAalum72]

The website now has a link to homecoming events, but when I was mailed the announcement there was mentioned a 4:30 Saturday presentation of the Athletic Facility Master Plan by Dr. McElroy in the Hall of Fame room. The online schedule doesn't mention it. I emailed Lee and he replied that the event is still on.

 

You'd think there would be major press coverage, except that since it's a Saturday pm there probably won't be any blockbuster news, but I think I'll wander over after the football game anyway.

 

As for the rest of the website, isn't it about time there were pictures of the new uniforms instead of last year's photos?

[danefan]

Once again it is UA's failure to realize that the little things matter. This school has done that since they went division I. Lack of media coverage, subpar website, lack of community interaction, lack of alumni contact, lack of fan interaction at games, lack of student interaction at games and on campus. These are all things that the school has neglected to take into consideration, or has taken into consideration but failed to do anything about and this is what separates top notch programs from UA.

[DaneFan2k3]

this is what separates top notch programs from UA.

 

I would argue that it's more like $3-15 million that separates UA from the top notch programs. There is only so much you can do at this level. I think that UA fans end up comparing the Great Danes and the department to the big boys, instead of looking at them vs. their peers. There are many factors involved, not the least of which is a lack of student support (which is not the fault of the department) and the lack of big name sponsorship that comes with heavy student support (big buying group).

[Dane96]

Jeez, sometimes your smarts amaze me D2k, other times I question if you actually read the prior posts. Each fan has posted that our PEERS HAVE DONE WHAT I SUGGESTED. We are not comparing ourselves to Texas, we are comparing ourselvs to the AE schools and DIII schools (as I have mentioned) that have what we should have for a website.

 

It does not cost UA much in manpower or webdesign to do exactly what I have said considering that info is online in the media guides.

[Dane96]

And to prove my point....here is a peer within a couple hundred thousand $$ of UA.

 

http://athletics.binghamton.edu/sports/vba...all/roster.html

[danefan]

I would disagree with you, DanFan2k, on the statement that the lack of student support is not the athletic department's fault. I see it as the fault of the school administration. of which the athetic department is a part of. UA should be promoting football games as a number one priority on campus. Sponsor tailgates for students, not for people you think are going to give donations. The Fordham game was a great example of a small microcasm of students and alumni who took it upon themselves to organize a tailgate. Put some UA money behind that and you can just imagine how it would be. You might say this doesn't matter to the succes of a program, but let me tell you when a recruit comes to a football game and sees an empty parking lot before the game and then visits Monmouth the next week and sees 2000 people pregame tailgating it may be a deciding factor. It gives the impression of an athletic atmosphere filled with the support of peers.

[Ruler]

I have to say, the crowds at the football games have been pretty good. The fans will come out with named competition. HC last year against SBU and Brown both had roughly 5000 people. This year Fordham had roughly 4500. These are good turnouts. Now if we are 1-9 going into the last game in November how many people will show? Not many.

 

If we have a beautiful state of the art stadium the crowds will also turn out. No there won't be 25,000 like Montana but we can equal Hofstra and SBU. If we can improve the facilities and upgrade our talent with schollie moneyand bring in big name teams and compete with them we will bring in 6-7k every home game. If not more. How many fans would turn out if we were playing Harvard on HC in a brand new stadium? A TON! Especially if we were playing at the same level in a new house ....with Purple turf. WE NEED A COMMITTMENT FROM MCELROY End Of Story!!!!

 

Yes that sounds like a tall order, but it is not! If the University is committed to football this all will fall inro place.

 

I do not understand why they do not come out for hoops. They have the committment and the facility.

[olddog71]

I do not think the sparse crowds at UAlbany basketball games are any mystery. A dismal 5-23 record last year does not help. Personally, I liked watching the team better last year though we won two fewer games than in 2002-03. Last year's team was "in" more games and had more intensity more of the time, but the 5-23 record is what people look at.

 

I do believe, however, that this year's team will turn the corner. Spectators will come out to see a 7'1" center. They will like Jamar Wilson's moves and improvements the other team members will bring to the action. And we should not be seeing the team's energy lag at the crucial end of the game. All these factors will draw more students and then more members of the community.

 

It might take a couple seasons before we see decent crowds, but this season, barring any unforeseen tragedy, will mark the beginning of a more loyal fanbase.

[DaneFan2k3]

I don't think that you can put the fault of students not coming out to games onto the shoulders of the administration.

 

Many students aren't interested. I've seen many times where events were planned well and promoted out the rear, and students just didn't show up. Big Purple Growl gets promoted very well, all over campus, and if it weren't a fraternity/sorority and housing lottery draw event, I don't think that students would show up (any more than usual).

 

Even at the BPG, student attendance is pathetic, considering the size of the school overall. It's fine to say that they're not promoting the games like they should, but at the same time you can't really put all of it on the administration because students just have to choose to make the effort to come to games. If they were fans, they would know when the games were. You shouldn't have to pull them down to that part of campus.

 

I don't disagree with the post that showed the Binghamton web site with player profiles. At the same time, they do not invest in football. So I don't have the hard facts in front of me, but I would imagine they have a lot more "loose" money in their budget, even if overall it is relatively the same as UAlbany's. If you have two budgets, within the same relative range, but one is sponsoring football and all that comes with it - the other school SHOULD have a better web site, facilities, etc. because football is a great expenditure. It also takes up a good chunk of time.

 

I see a general trend on the board - blaming the administration for the lack of winning games, promoting the teams, and getting fans out to the games. At some point you just have to stop pointing fingers and take it upon yourselves to get people out to the games. Bring five friends. Tell them to bring friends.

 

I also agree with DaneFan that the atmosphere and web site do affect recruiting. But again, as others have pointed out, winning has a lot to do with atmosphere. So does personal reponsiblity on the part of alumni and students, who aren't coming, for whatever reason.

[Dane96]

Look...whether you like it or not, our site sucks. Look at SBU....whats the excuse...they have football and the same budget. We have one of the top CIS progams....why not make it a project...work with that dept. You can develop 400 HTML pages worth of content if they think creatively.

 

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR OUR WEBSITE.

 

BTW, Bingo spends money on other sports than the ones we have. Our football budget is a smallish 500k. You dont need 500k dollars to create a decent website....SORRY.

[UAalum72]

I don't think there's much wrong with our web site design - which is where money and technical effort have to be spent. It's simply a matter of updating the content, and after a little training that's basically secretarial work. All you need is somebody typing rosters and press releases, taking and uploading photos, and listing future schedules, and most of the complaints about the site are taken care of.

 

The bigger question is the athletic admin recognizing they have to put the effort into what is the 'front porch' for athletics contacts, just as the Administration Office must recognize how much athletics is the front porch of the entire University - the part the public sees first and most often.

[DaneFan2k3]

Dane96 wants to hire a company to do the web site. Why not contact the alumni office and set up a fund, specifically geared toward only that. You can make the first contribution with your tips from the coming weekend. Then, post how to donate to the fund. In no time you'll have one year's worth of financial commitment for an outsourced web site.