Vidette - Student Attendance
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Redbird222
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The students for the most part were a no show throughout the year. Even the first game against FGCU they were not in full force and there was a promotion geared towards them. Perhaps they knew more than the rest of us on how the season would end up or they just were not interested from the start.
It’s just surreal to me how much student attendance has dropped off. Even as recent as late 2000s-early 2010s, there was an air around the students that basketball games were the big event and dubbed the “cool” thing to do in town. If you wanted to be with the “in-crowd” at school, you had to get your butt to RA.
Even know some people who attended in that timeframe who occassionally drive back “to relive” it.
Totally agree admission should be free for students.
Even know some people who attended in that timeframe who occassionally drive back “to relive” it.
Totally agree admission should be free for students.
B
BirdGrad2011
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21 years without dancing. Want students to return? Invest in the program and win. People have lost confidence in Muller and there is zero excitement in the program right now.
I know playing in the valley isn't on a lot of top high school players list, but I always wondered how much difference a packed RBA would make in a recruit's decision. The 32k dollars doesn't seem like much to let another 400 students attend the game. I think having them there would pay itself back in creating a more dynamic atmosphere. I say do it. To me the key to attendance is how well does it hold up when your team's having a down year? A more fun atmosphere could keep it stable.
ricohill
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The crazy thing to me is that students pay $10.4 million in student fees according to USA Today to fund athletics. Why in the world are they asked to pay for anything else? They should be let in free to any sporting event since they cover the $9.5 million in coaches and administration salaries.
ricohill said:
And make any giveaways like T-shirt’s or pizza targeted toward students. The old guard fans don’t need incentives to attend.
Let a student shoot a half court shot every game for a chance at a cash prize. Make every game a College Gameday experience.
chuckie1980
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So what does it take for an incoming freshman to move to Normal and just want to experience RA?
I was mesmerized with Horton in my middle school years. I WANTED TO MOVE TO NORMAL AND TO VISIT HORTON as a student. I don't think Horton was really a family oriented safe place.
I lived on 14 Manchester and developed friendships that I KNEW would get me to Hancock and Horton. Is it that easy for a Freshman now to slip into a group of dormmates that want to share a game with?
I still think the RA game experience is so boring that it would have been hard for me to return for a second game. RA is not MILNER.
I was mesmerized with Horton in my middle school years. I WANTED TO MOVE TO NORMAL AND TO VISIT HORTON as a student. I don't think Horton was really a family oriented safe place.
I lived on 14 Manchester and developed friendships that I KNEW would get me to Hancock and Horton. Is it that easy for a Freshman now to slip into a group of dormmates that want to share a game with?
I still think the RA game experience is so boring that it would have been hard for me to return for a second game. RA is not MILNER.
Seriously where is [mention]JCTSports[/mention] when you need him?
Redbird60451
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Why would I even consider donating to an indoor facility if I didn't go to any games while I was a student? It's the argument I have with my wife and when we donate money to the university (I went to a lot of events, my wife went to none, strange because in High School it was the opposite). You feel bad for the 50 kids that do show up (that's the core and probably the only people for your future donation base). Would making it free increase attendance? Maybe a little. Winning would, but for the most part the last 4/5 years we have had good teams come in, and we've won better then 50% of the time. For as much as Dan gets ripped on, we are better then average, just not great.
I don't know, it's no longer the 'cool' thing to do, so why would I walk (normally in the cold) at night (with all the wack-a-doodles out there) to see a game, that I could watch it on my ESPN+ from my apartment/dorm room. This is the generation that has been raised, access to the game from anywhere, why do I need to be there? Different, maybe, but it's also 2+ hours out of my life when I could be facebooking or instagramming or twittering.
Maybe you can't just pull out the free pizza for the big games, maybe you got to do it for every game. I'm guessing with only 50 in attendance, that means roughly 19,000+ other kids are buying those kids pizza right? Maybe make all the concessions free for the students. Not like we are serving beer. How much can some crappy hot dogs and stale popcorn cost? If there is a problem, raise the cost by $0.25 to people who buy tickets and put it on the backs of the people with jobs (who are probably going to complain that they already donate this and that, but you have to factor in student fees as the students donating too then). Remember even with free seats and food, 18,000 probably won't show up or get there in time to take advantage. If you aren't creating your next generation of fans, you might as well tear down RBA and go back to a Valpo/Loyola size stadium. Because big and empty is what it will become, you can see the trend already. Think of the atmosphere free food would create not only at mens basketball, but womens basketball, both volleyballs. Your student sections would be packed and that's will only help in recruitment and thus future donations.
I don't know, it's no longer the 'cool' thing to do, so why would I walk (normally in the cold) at night (with all the wack-a-doodles out there) to see a game, that I could watch it on my ESPN+ from my apartment/dorm room. This is the generation that has been raised, access to the game from anywhere, why do I need to be there? Different, maybe, but it's also 2+ hours out of my life when I could be facebooking or instagramming or twittering.
Maybe you can't just pull out the free pizza for the big games, maybe you got to do it for every game. I'm guessing with only 50 in attendance, that means roughly 19,000+ other kids are buying those kids pizza right? Maybe make all the concessions free for the students. Not like we are serving beer. How much can some crappy hot dogs and stale popcorn cost? If there is a problem, raise the cost by $0.25 to people who buy tickets and put it on the backs of the people with jobs (who are probably going to complain that they already donate this and that, but you have to factor in student fees as the students donating too then). Remember even with free seats and food, 18,000 probably won't show up or get there in time to take advantage. If you aren't creating your next generation of fans, you might as well tear down RBA and go back to a Valpo/Loyola size stadium. Because big and empty is what it will become, you can see the trend already. Think of the atmosphere free food would create not only at mens basketball, but womens basketball, both volleyballs. Your student sections would be packed and that's will only help in recruitment and thus future donations.
chuckie1980
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I think when arenas started to allow food....at sporting events....fat people started to rule the world more than a tight muscled trained athlete.
Bird Friend
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ISU FAN 1 said:
I agree with these. Scary that I would agree with you, I know, but a good idea is a good idea . . .
Winning cures all and we haven’t done that. Free food, free tees, hats etc. Make the experience awesome. Athletics doesn’t seem to grasp that concept. Reach out to the Greeks and give them a section and allow them to hang their banner. As one poster had already stated, if they aren’t interested in being a fan as a student, they sure as hell won’t be coming back as an alum and neither will their $$$. Sorry for pissing and moaning but this thing is headed in the wrong direction and I do not see or hear anything that plans on changing our downward trajectory. Well, at least, we had the ‘80s when video killed the radio star and we danced.
ricohill
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gobirds85 said:
A good first step would have been to not stick them in the end zones with the lower bowl renovation. It will now be another 29 years before they get good seats at mid-court that could actually help create an atmosphere. They paid for the arena and half the athletic department budget each year, you would think they could at least get good seats.
saxman210
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I wonder if anyone has asked the administration about allowing students in for free? I’d be curious what the revenue is from the red alert pass+regular ticket sales. Figure out that number and divide it by the number of students enrolled at ISU and you’ll get a number to increase student fees by. My guess? Less than $20. Every student that “swipes in” with their Redbird ID should get a point, the top point getter at the end of each season gets a prize.
Make Red Alert solely a designated cheering section. I always thought the Red Alert concept was under utilized anyways. They should be a part of every pregame in Redbird Arena somehow. Before the player intros, Play that Red Alert siren (https://youtu.be/6m16Aq9-HhE) in a dark arena with the Jumbotron alternating between a solid red screen and pictures of the student section going crazy. End it with an explosion sound and go straight into the basketball intro music. I don’t know, I just always thought that “RED ALERT” sounded awesome but that we need to use it better.
Make Red Alert solely a designated cheering section. I always thought the Red Alert concept was under utilized anyways. They should be a part of every pregame in Redbird Arena somehow. Before the player intros, Play that Red Alert siren (https://youtu.be/6m16Aq9-HhE) in a dark arena with the Jumbotron alternating between a solid red screen and pictures of the student section going crazy. End it with an explosion sound and go straight into the basketball intro music. I don’t know, I just always thought that “RED ALERT” sounded awesome but that we need to use it better.