MAAC switches to Albany in '09

[MaacGruff]

Yeh! You should be able to fill that 4k arena at least once.

 

You should be able to fill your arena, never?

 

When you play your home games in front of thousands of bagged seats, I would expect some humility, if not embarrassment. When the Stanford game was announced, some came to this board and predicted 12,000+. When the day came I don't think any seats had to be de-bagged. The bags only come off when the Danes go downtown.

 

If you sandwich a Siena game between a Bruce Springsteen concert and a Barack Obama rally, MAYBE you'll sell out a game.

 

 

 

The only game they planned to "DEBAG" was USmallbany with the irony being, you don't send any fannies. Cut thru all the nonsense and speculate if you can...if the TU were your house, how many butts would you seat? I'll concede the place is larger than needed for Siena but again, how well would your university based program do? C'mon, a realistic guess?

[B9j2j6s]

Looking over last year stats not one game on the schedule conflicted time wise, so it is difficult to assess what really is the CD casual fan base. As well as how they might split.

 

Below are the four dates that both of them played on last year. For UA I couldn’t find the start times, so I’m basing this off what I remember being at those games.

 

UA Games

 

11/17/07 COLUMBIA W 70-38 4312(Evening) (Opening Game)

12/22/07 BOISE STATE L 68-74 3214 (Evening)

1/6/08 VERMONT W OT 80-79 2918(Afternoon)

2/2/08 STONY BROOK W 64-46 4538 (Evening) (BPG)

 

Siena Games

11/17/07 1:00 p.m. #20 STANFORD W 79-67 6274 (1PM)

12/22/07 1:05 pm HOLY CROSS WOT 84-77 5285 (1pm)

1/6/08 6:05 pm * SAINT PETER'S W 79-56 4542 (6pm)

2/2/08 2:00 PM * RIDER UNIVERSITY L 6432 (2pm)

 

The location this year is great for UVM, Bing, Hartford and BU fans. UMBC and Hartford should also have a good representation this year due to there success last year making the championship game. I really don't see a major problem with both tournaments going on during the same weekend and attendance being good. The UA game will be like a BPG it will sell out.

 

BTW can you buy individual game tickets to the America East Tournament or do you have to buy a pass for all games on that day?

[Patch]

MaacGruff - No one over here really cares about how many we could draw at the TUC.

 

We play at SEFCU and our attendance continues to grow and our basketball is played in a venue that makes it feel like a collegiate event and that's all we care for.

 

....The only game they planned to "DEBAG" was USmallbany with the irony being, you don't send any fannies... - MaacGruff

 

You must have a $iena degree or something similarly worthless.

 

$iena's avg attendance is around 6K at best, 6-7 thousand more fannies in the seats only when UA plays at the TUC and none of those fannies belong to UA. A Rocket Scientist you're not.

[bob87]

BTW can you buy individual game tickets to the America East Tournament or do you have to buy a pass for all games on that day?

 

 

If I remember correctly you can buy individual session tickets starting about a week before the tourney. In other words once the matchups are determined.

[MaacGruff]

MaacGruff - No one over here really cares about how many we could draw at the TUC.

 

We play at SEFCU and our attendance continues to grow and our basketball is played in a venue that makes it feel like a collegiate event and that's all we care for.

 

....The only game they planned to "DEBAG" was USmallbany with the irony being, you don't send any fannies... - MaacGruff

 

You must have a $iena degree or something similarly worthless.

 

$iena's avg attendance is around 6K at best, 6-7 thousand more fannies in the seats only when UA plays at the TUC and none of those fannies belong to UA. A Rocket Scientist you're not.

 

Ummmm, ya all don't care while still fascinated with the fact Siena does not fill the place but, easily doubles/triples your attendance on any given night. And when you play us maybe another 4 thousand show up but few of them are Albany fans! The additional draw is generally coming to see you lose. Considering the size of the UNIVERSITY, every available seat should be PURPLE and screaming you on to victory (cough). But then, you don't fill your facility either. Quite honestly, all you draw is flies.

 

See you in November (yawn).

[bob87]

Ummmm, ya all don't care while still fascinated with the fact Siena does not fill the place but, easily doubles/triples your attendance on any given night. And when you play us maybe another 4 thousand show up but few of them are Albany fans! The additional draw is generally coming to see you lose. Considering the size of the UNIVERSITY, every available seat should be PURPLE and screaming you on to victory (cough). But then, you don't fill your facility either. Quite honestly, all you draw is flies.

 

See you in November (yawn).

 

 

So now you claim that Siena fans care more about beating Albany than they do of making the ncaa's. (at least according to your numbers) Talk about obsession.

 

And you have yet to figure out that we enjoy mocking Siena's crappy home because some of you clowns think you are a major team. But don't confuse that with caring. Caring would mean that we have a problem with lcc play in the morgue in front of garbage bags and dead people and would want to make it better. Certainly not the case for me. It is fitting that a garbage team like Siena in a garbage league like the maac plays in front of garbage bags except when playing the one team people want to see. Good day.

[B9j2j6s]

Alright so here are the attendence numbers for games between UA and Siena played on the same day around the same time. I found that when both teams play during the same day and time, they both have an average loss in attendence when compared to their season average. Now I should note that the games against UA are not counted over the course of the three years 2004-2005---2006-2007 because it is impossible to get an accurate account of who was a fan of which team. Last year no game was played at the same time and date. I also didn't count the SU game in 2004-05 because the majority of the fans rooting for SU.

 

Season 2006-07

UA / Siena

12/6/2006 (VCU 2,009): 12/6/2006 (Niagara 5013) (7pm)

12/9/2006 (Brown 1,887): 12/9/2006 (Rider 4884) (1pm)

1/11/2007 (Maine 2,472): 1/11/2007 (Canusis 5019) (7pm)

1/15/2007 (Stony Brook 2,012): 1/15/2007 (Marist 6719) (7pm)

 

Season avg. 3175: Season avg. 5080*

Not including the UA game

 

Season 2005-06

UA / / Siena

1/22/2006 (New Hampshire 1,914) : 1/22/2006 (Canisus 4,993)

 

Season avg. 2375 / Season avg. 5107

Not including the UA game

Season 2004-05

UA / Siena

1/12/2005 (Binghamton 1,747): 1/12/2005 (Fairfield 4,705)

1/27/2005 (Hartford 1,427): 1/27/2005 (Niagara 4,710)

 

Season Avg. 1945 / Season Avg. 5465

Not including UA or Syracuse

 

 

 

 

(Duel Home Game Avg. - Season Avg.)

 

 

Season 2006-07 /

2095 – 3175= -1080: 5409 – 5080= +329

 

Season 2005-06 /

1914 – 2375= -461: 4,993 – 5107= -114

 

Season 2004-05 /

1587 - 1945= -358: 4708 – 5465= -757.5

 

Avg attendence loss during duel home games

UA (-633) : SC ( -181)

[MaacGruff]

Ummmm, ya all don't care while still fascinated with the fact Siena does not fill the place but, easily doubles/triples your attendance on any given night. And when you play us maybe another 4 thousand show up but few of them are Albany fans! The additional draw is generally coming to see you lose. Considering the size of the UNIVERSITY, every available seat should be PURPLE and screaming you on to victory (cough). But then, you don't fill your facility either. Quite honestly, all you draw is flies.

 

See you in November (yawn).

 

 

So now you claim that Siena fans care more about beating Albany than they do of making the ncaa's. (at least according to your numbers) Talk about obsession.

 

And you have yet to figure out that we enjoy mocking Siena's crappy home because some of you clowns think you are a major team. But don't confuse that with caring. Caring would mean that we have a problem with lcc play in the morgue in front of garbage bags and dead people and would want to make it better. Certainly not the case for me. It is fitting that a garbage team like Siena in a garbage league like the maac plays in front of garbage bags except when playing the one team people want to see. Good day.

[MaacGruff]

Ummmm, ya all don't care while still fascinated with the fact Siena does not fill the place but, easily doubles/triples your attendance on any given night. And when you play us maybe another 4 thousand show up but few of them are Albany fans! The additional draw is generally coming to see you lose. Considering the size of the UNIVERSITY, every available seat should be PURPLE and screaming you on to victory (cough). But then, you don't fill your facility either. Quite honestly, all you draw is flies.

 

See you in November (yawn).

 

 

So now you claim that Siena fans care more about beating Albany than they do of making the ncaa's. (at least according to your numbers) Talk about obsession.

 

And you have yet to figure out that we enjoy mocking Siena's crappy home because some of you clowns think you are a major team. But don't confuse that with caring. Caring would mean that we have a problem with lcc play in the morgue in front of garbage bags and dead people and would want to make it better. Certainly not the case for me. It is fitting that a garbage team like Siena in a garbage league like the maac plays in front of garbage bags except when playing the one team people want to see. Good day.

 

Silly rant/tantrum.

[Clickclack]

Courtesy of TU...

 

"Will Brown: Two tournaments good for fans

June 5, 2008 at 1:50 pm by Pete Iorizzo, Staff writer

 

Don’t count University at Albany coach Will Brown among those concerned about having two Division I basketball tournaments going on at the same time.

 

Brown said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that he considers having the MAAC and America East tournaments both in Albany to be a good thing for the city and its college basketball fans.

 

“I think there are people who are going to be concerned about two events going on at the same time,” Brown said. ”I think it’s a great opportunity for the city. To me it gets old, all this Siena against UAlbany, the MAAC against America East. We’re trying to be the best we can be, they’re trying to be the best they can be. Both are tring to put together successful tournaments, and I don’t see why that can’t happen.”"

[UAalum72]

McElroy said on TV 13 tonight that America East made a decision, then the MAAC made a decision. We won't be changing anything. The AE tournament was very well received by the business community.

[Dane96]

I think the AE should give more support this year. WHY? Because if we can get the 3500 or so per game that would make this a success...EVEN WITH THE MAAC in town...then that would be a BOON to the league. It will show that the town loves Albany...and the AE.

 

It would be a kick in the balls to the MAAC...and a great recruiting tool for ALL LEAGUE TEAMS ("hey...wanna go to the MAAC, great...we did just fine in a sold out gym...check out the vids...or you can play in a cavern...unless Siena is playing, then it is a half-cavern.")

[I rock(ed) the Cape]

So McElroy said the tourney is going to stay here then I take it?

[UAalum72]

So McElroy said the tourney is going to stay here then I take it?

T-U story today

The MAAC's decision to move its tournament stunned America East and UAlbany officials, who said they never would have bid for the tournament if they could have known the MAAC would hold its event here the same weekend.

 

Through a spokesman, America East commissioner Patrick Nero declined comment until he can discuss the development with the league's schools. The spokesman said the league would not comment on the possibility of moving the tournament to another venue until after those discussions.

 

UAlbany director of athletics Lee McElroy said he learned of the MAAC's decision through the media Wednesday. He said he spent Thursday speaking with sponsors.

 

"We're going to continue to move forward," McElroy said. "It doesn't affect what we're doing."

 

 

March Madness now a double dose also details all the rearranging done by the TUC, the Rats, and High School Wrestling so that the MAAC could be here.

 

Where it was earlier asked (on the AE board) if AEast teams had made their hotels reservations yet, the Albany Convention Bureau did that work for the MAAC.

 

MAAC, America East tournaments in conflict in the Gazette

“We will continue planning and moving forward with the work we have to do. Our next conference meeting is June 22-26, and I’m sure there will be plenty of discussion on what we will do next.”

 

McElroy admitted that he was stunned when he first heard the news.

 

“I had no idea. We had no inkling that this would happen at all,” he said. “It came out of nowhere. No one reached out to us to discuss it. We’ve been e-mailing Patrick Nero to see if he’s spoken to Rich Ensor yet. We’ll get a chance to delve into this and analyze it at a later date.”

 

He admitted that having the MAAC championships and the America East Conference champ­ionship going on at the same time in the same city is not helping UAlbany’s cause.

 

“A true basketball fan has to make a decision,” McElroy said. “There are already two distinct audiences. There is a MAAC audience and an America East audience. That part will take care of itself. The problem comes in with the crossover fan. It will depend on how we play against MAAC schools, how well we’re doing as a conference and how well we’re doing as a team. That will influence how many fans we draw to our tournament.

 

“But this is also a business dec­ision for us. We have a guarantee of $100,000 to the America East Conference, and we have a good model and a good plan to attain that goal. We’re off to a great start in terms of sponsorships, but we didn’t anticipate this news.”

[Dane Pound]

Through a spokesman, America East commissioner Patrick Nero declined comment until he can discuss the development with the league's schools. The spokesman said the league would not comment on the possibility of moving the tournament to another venue until after those discussions.

 

This makes me a little nervous. My guess for their bright idea would be to switch the tournaments in 2009 - give Albany the women's tourney and Hartford the men's. Then maybe give us the tournament again in 2011.