Low Sunbelt Tournament Attendance

[NewsCopy]

UL's Cajun women did make it to the finals of the Sunbelt Tournament, but the 3pm game time made it hard for many fans to show their support. Fewer than 2,000 people saw that game - which turned out ot be one of highest attendance figures of the tournament. "Hopefully the camera guys will be good at cropping angles," says Arkansas State fan Corey Emerson about the many unfilled seats in the Cajundome. In front of a national television audience, the wave at the Cajundome looked more like a ripple. Some early games drew crowds of only a few hundred fans. Sunbelt Conference offials told us to talk to UL about the low attendance. UL's athletic department referred us back to the conference to ask them about the tournament's marketing. The rest of the story KATC

[cajunfan96]

Sunbelt = Overall, not a very good conference. Bigger conference tournaments get all the coverage and fan interest. You will not get any sunbelt coverage outside of Lafayette.

[RaginPagin.com]

Support for Sun Belt tournaments rests on the shoulders of which group or groups.

Conference (through promotions) 17 39.53%
Host School (through promotions) 13 30.23%
Fans of Host School 16 37.21%
Fans of schools in tournament 17 39.53%
Community and City hosting the sporting event 24 55.81%
No one, roll the ball out and see what happens

[Just1More]

I think it falls on the entire list. But, I think it should be led by the conference, coupled with the host school. The conference should mandate specific requirements for marketing and advertising as part of the host site package, but be fully prepared to support and assist, both financially and with staff. I am unaware of the current process, but the entire conference either benefits or pays the price for poor tournament outcomes. The host site puts a great deal on the line, but the conference itself should take the lead in making sure all tournaments are as absolutely successful as possible.

Once the conference takes the lead, and the host site accelerates the process, it is the host site school's responsibility to advertise and excite the local community.

One provision should be that any host site that does not make the tournament that they are hosting, all of the admin, coaching staffs, and players in all sports must walk the streets of the city, video-taping the process for the record, and draw the crowd. They also must appear at the event, handing out candy to the children (sugar-free of course), and must perform at intermission of each game, doing skits and such (the more degrading the better). Yep, life should be hell when you don't make your host tournament (more than just the standard humility that should exist). That way, there is no way you will ever, ever let it happen again.

[BirdofParadise]

Support for Sun Belt tournaments rests on the shoulders of which group or groups.

That's easy. Everyone's.

It rests on the coach and players of the team hosting the tournament. If your team isn't there, your attendance is non-existent. Moreover, the better you finish, the more support you're likely to have entering the tournament. A team that is a 1 or 2 seed and is the home team will have more suport than a host school that's a 6 or 7 seed.

It rests on the fans of the teams. It's a conference tournament.

It rests on the host city. There are only 30 Div-I conference basketball tournaments in America. It's quite a big deal to host one of them.

It rests on BASKETBALL FANS. And, imo, that's where the Sun Belt really fails. We don't have basketball fans. We have fans of our schools. For instance, if we had BASKETBALL FANS in Lafayette, do you think more than 100 people would have bought tournament books?

But, that goes for other schools as well. Even schools like MT and WKU who have basketball fans, don't support the tournament once their team is eliminated.

You don't have to be in the ACC or SEC to have great crowds at your tournaments. Check out some of the attendance figures of lesser conferences whose local team didn't reach the finals, or whose tournament was played at a neutral site.

It rests on the Conference...for marketing and publicity of the tournament.

Everyone gets a piece of this.

[Cajun Express]

That's easy. Everyone's.

It rests on the coach and players of the team hosting the tournament. If your team isn't there, your attendance is non-existent. Moreover, the better you finish, the more support you're likely to have entering the tournament. A team that is a 1 or 2 seed and is the home team will have more suport than a host school that's a 6 or 7 seed.

It rests on the fans of the teams. It's a conference tournament.

It rests on the host city. There are only 30 Div-I conference basketball tournaments in America. It's quite a big deal to host one of them.

It rests on BASKETBALL FANS. And, imo, that's where the Sun Belt really fails. We don't have basketball fans. We have fans of our schools. For instance, if we had BASKETBALL FANS in Lafayette, do you think more than 100 people would have bought tournament books?

But, that goes for other schools as well. Even schools like MT and WKU who have basketball fans, don't support the tournament once their team is eliminated.

You don't have to be in the ACC or SEC to have great crowds at your tournaments. Check out some of the attendance figures of lesser conferences whose local team didn't reach the finals, or whose tournament was played at a neutral site.

It rests on the Conference...for marketing and publicity of the tournament.

Everyone gets a piece of this.

Does community and city include the local newspapers and media outlets? I mean it is fine to get on a mountain and point out how everybody failed, but does the local fish wrap and media do a minimum in bringing up what the other teams are doing? The Times Picayune lists SEC schools, and CUSA schools and what is happening at those schools during the season. Same with the Advocate. Where there is ignorance there cannot be much passion. Most people are not going to get excited about teams they have little contact with.

[BirdofParadise]

Does community and city include the local newspapers and media outlets? I mean it is fine to get on a mountain and point out how everybody failed, but does the local fish wrap and media do a minimum in bringing up what the other teams are doing? The Times Picayune lists SEC schools, and CUSA schools and what is happening at those schools during the season. Same with the Advocate. Where there is ignorance there cannot be much passion. Most people are not going to get excited about teams they have little contact with.

I am sure that the addage of "everyone could do more" applies.

But speaking just for the "fishwrap", they do a full page on the Sun Belt Conference each week during football, basketball and baseball season.

On the first day of the tournament, they had a four page wraparound with a feature on each team.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

And, who didn't know the Cajun women were playing.....I mean, besides the 30 Cajun fans who showed up for the semis?

[Just1More]

I am sure that the addage of "everyone could do more" applies.

But speaking just for the "fishwrap", they do a full page on the Sun Belt Conference each week during football, basketball and baseball season.

On the first day of the tournament, they had a four page wraparound with a feature on each team.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

And, who didn't know the Cajun women were playing.....I mean, besides the 30 Cajun fans who showed up for the semis?

All very true... and I do not blame the local media. They do very little out of the kindness of their hearts. It leads back to profitability for them... as it should be. I do, however, think they could help themselves out in the Acadiana area, by specifically targeting, without immediate compensation, the promotion of UL in all things (to a fault). Business 101: Help youself by helping them.

The only problem that I have in the general response of "it takes everyone", is that it has to start with the leadership. Always does, always will. If they pick the wrong battlefield, you can't blame the troops.

[Cajun Express]

I am sure that the addage of "everyone could do more" applies.

But speaking just for the "fishwrap", they do a full page on the Sun Belt Conference each week during football, basketball and baseball season.

On the first day of the tournament, they had a four page wraparound with a feature on each team.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

And, who didn't know the Cajun women were playing.....I mean, besides the 30 Cajun fans who showed up for the semis?

Thanks for that information, I get only the online version which carries nothing about the Sun Belt teams other than the one playing the Cajuns that week. Regardless, I do hold the community responsible for their lack of interest in this tournament. As they say it is what it is. The community showed it is a UL, and LSU town when they did not support the New Orleans Bowl in large numbers. The members of the Sun Belt all know that they are taking a significant risk whenever they bid one of these things.

[VObserver]

I am sure that the addage of "everyone could do more" applies.

But speaking just for the "fishwrap", they do a full page on the Sun Belt Conference each week during football, basketball and baseball season.

On the first day of the tournament, they had a four page wraparound with a feature on each team.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

And, who didn't know the Cajun women were playing.....I mean, besides the 30 Cajun fans who showed up for the semis?

I wasn't at the semi's or the finals because of a conflict with that inconvenient 'work' thing. The game times [especially the finals] left a lot to be desired from the standpoint of promoting attendance. The semi's were at a better time for most folks, just not for me.

I also don't think that the general public has any clue about how very, very good the SBC women's teams are this year. If we make a little noise in the tournament(s) this year, it might improve attendance next year.

With regard to your earlier point, I agree. We don't have a lot of college basketball fans here.