@ LCC 12/13 ( not the day whiny patsos wanted)

[Clickclack]

In order to address a "problem" you first need to understand the problem. In the season ticket package for next year, I would conduct a survey of season ticket holder, the most loyal of fans to understand what their top 3 concerns are with regards to basketball and/or football. I would also do the same with students, to gain greater insight into why they don't come. You have to understand why they don't come.

 

My top 3 concerns would be...

 

- Lack of scoreboards, video boards etc. that add so much to the viewing experience. I have to look at stats on my phone if I want to know how we are doing as team in the rebounding battle, no replays etc.

- Food, a poor pretzel or stale popcorn that was popped 6 hours ago and packed in a box that mascarades itself as freshly popped being barely warm just doesn't cut it.

- Continue to grow the student interest. The card swipes are a good start, but as a part time students I have no idea how, why or where to claim the rewards if there are any. I know kids get that swiped but then what. The clear communication just isn't there or I don't know. Communicate clearly what benefits a student will get from coming to the games, incentivize students with REAL prizes and I don't mean an 18" TV that they tried to give away for 3 years. Give away an Xbox ($349) once a month, advertise the heck out of it at the campus center...kids love gadgets.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Clickclack

[Clickclack]

He was the psych 101 teacher who made you buy his ridiculous books that could not be sold back.

 

LOL...wait, was it the loose-leaf papers bound together by plastic rings that he called a book? That he wrote?

Edited January 9, 2015 by Clickclack

[UA'08]

 

 

He was the psych 101 teacher who made you buy his ridiculous books that could not be sold back.

LOL...wait, was it the loose-leaf papers bound together by plastic rings that he called a book? That he wrote?

Yessir. What a hack.

[Eli]

 

Great comments all. Food - Sedexo needs to be negotiated OFF the athletic venues. Beer, ... a renovated SEFCU should have a beer garden in the arena. Students - it takes a Growl like effort to get significant student participation -the why of that occupies many good minds on campus. Parking - free parking 1/4 mile away on a freezing night does not incentivize me to go and yes that is enough to keep casual fans away.

It's all about the experience so lets summarize =blah food and no beer to make that not matter, half +empty seats, inconistent team during regular season with a style of play only die hard bball fans appreciate, and if first and last impressions matter - a freakin long cold walk back to the car. That's enough to take the shine off an evening and give the edge to what ever else is going on.

 

This is kind of how I see it...there really is nothing the game experience provides that is absolutely top notch. I love UA basketball because that's me, but the overall experience, arena, 1940's scoreboard etc. just isn't going to draw people in like crazy.

 

For the most part the product on the floor is good to very good, I really don't think that is where the problem is.

 

 

Yeah, a nicer hanging scoreboard/video board would be sweet.

 

In order to address a "problem" you first need to understand the problem. In the season ticket package for next year, I would conduct a survey of season ticket holder, the most loyal of fans to understand what their top 3 concerns are with regards to basketball and/or football. I would also do the same with students, to gain greater insight into why they don't come. You have to understand why they don't come.

+1.

[UA'08]

New scoreboard would do wonders. The sound system I remember was terrible. The gray seats make the place feel dreary. It might look weird but maybe add more purple like the end zone bleachers.

[Eli]

New scoreboard would do wonders. The sound system I remember was terrible. The gray seats make the place feel dreary. It might look weird but maybe add more purple like the end zone bleachers.

 

Or upgrade the season ticket seats to ones with nice padding and put the older ones in the end zones or something?

 

Sound system sucks, especially when the cheerleading squad gets on the floor. For anyone who has daughters who cheer, why is ALL of their music super high pitched with max treble/no bass? Makes my ears bleed.

[Clickclack]

New scoreboard would do wonders. The sound system I remember was terrible. The gray seats make the place feel dreary. It might look weird but maybe add more purple like the end zone bleachers.

 

The reality is that all of this costs money, I know this, you know this everyone knows this so there are obviously fiscal constraints on how quickly they can do some things. We get that...we are kicking around ideas. I would upgrade the two center sections to padded seats or something a bit more comfy, and then outfit the rest of the sidelines with these types of seats. You can't really put these kind of chairbacks in end sections as they are so steep.

[Clickclack]

 

 

He was the psych 101 teacher who made you buy his ridiculous books that could not be sold back.

LOL...wait, was it the loose-leaf papers bound together by plastic rings that he called a book? That he wrote?

Yessir. What a hack.

 

 

It was a joke...that "book" of his...He couldn't possible have screamed louder, line my pockets.

[UAalum72]

There are twenty Division I basketball teams in New York. You know how many drew as many fans last year as would fill SEFCU arena? Three - Syracuse, St. John's, and Siena. Two others average between 3-4,000 - Buffalo and St. Bonaventure. We were 120 behind Bing.

 

I don't think students drive attendance almost anywhere. Albany isn't a "Sports School?" What percent of students do you people think should be sports fans? On good days we're drawing maybe 600 in the student sections, which hold about 900. That's 5% of the student body. The area's total population is around 850,000. Five percent of that would be 45,000 fans. Does it look like 45K attend all sports events in the area even once a week?

[DanesRGood]

As someone who comes up for 2-3 games a year and goes to 2-3 road games a year I can say that I agree with many on here about the arena, the food, the lack of student support. I do think that student turnout is hard to get at this level. At the road games I go to, mostly in CT/NYC area (Hartford, Yale, CCSU, Quin, Columbia, etc) there are very little students at these games. I don't get it but I'm a sports fan and when I was at UA and they were D3 we still went to some games to support OUR school and OUR team.

 

Parking: Can I park in the SEFCU lot when I come up for games? I don't think so. I think it is for reserved parking only, which then forces me to park at Dutch lot and it is very annoying to me after the games when it is snowing, raining, freezing. The friends I bring up always say something like, "Can they make us park any further away? this sucks!"

 

As for alcohol at games, I thought there was an actual NCAA rule against alcohol on campus but it's more of an unspoken rule, conference rule or school rule. Did a search and there seems to be a growing movement to have alcohol at oncampus sporting events. Maybe it's coming......

 

here is the search with some interesting article about the subject.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=ncaa%20rules%20on%20selling%20alcohol%20at%20games

[Phoenix]

Yes..you can park in SEFCU for basketball games without a season parking pass. Season passes don't fill the entire lot.

 

No..there is not an NCAA rule against alcohol at college games on campus.

[Dane96]

That's not 100% accurate. There are no alcohol sales allowed at NCAA sponsored events (playoffs and championships).

[UA'08]

There are twenty Division I basketball teams in New York. You know how many drew as many fans last year as would fill SEFCU arena? Three - Syracuse, St. John's, and Siena. Two others average between 3-4,000 - Buffalo and St. Bonaventure. We were 120 behind Bing.

 

I don't think students drive attendance almost anywhere. Albany isn't a "Sports School?" What percent of students do you people think should be sports fans? On good days we're drawing maybe 600 in the student sections, which hold about 900. That's 5% of the student body. The area's total population is around 850,000. Five percent of that would be 45,000 fans. Does it look like 45K attend all sports events in the area even once a week?

Damn bing still draws more than us and they haven't won a game since the drug dealing, condom stealing team lol

[Eli]

Yes..you can park in SEFCU for basketball games without a season parking pass. Season passes don't fill the entire lot.

 

No..there is not an NCAA rule against alcohol at college games on campus.

 

This year is nice. In years past, they would let whoever park in there. Now, those of us who pay for the parking pass have an assigned number, which leaves about half the lot left for regular ticket holders. Nothing sucked worse than going to games last year expecting to have a parking space and not having to walk..only to be turned away and having to walk. They are doing much better this year.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Ilko

[Phoenix]

That's not 100% accurate. There are no alcohol sales allowed at NCAA sponsored events (playoffs and championships).

Correct. There's no rule from or by the NCAA that says a school..like UA..can't sell alcohol at one of our games. Which is why we..and a lot of other schools..do it.