Cajuns hoops crowds top SBC

[SlickRick]

No excuse for it not being all 5. Our numbers in Football, and both Hoops need to improve. With the success we have had the last few years we should be averaging 30K+, 6K and 2K.

VO...see my post on schedule comparisons. We have the opportunity this year to raise football attendance to new highs....if the weather cooperates and we start the season strong, i.e. 3-1, not 1-3.

[BirdofParadise]

You totally missed the point. Let me put it to you in a language you are familiar with "radio" !

Worst advertising medium I used. Then I started using it in much smaller bites. Name
/and type of products recognition instead of sales specials. That worked great.

You will not bring them back with one team a year and two none division ones. You have to invest over and over again like I did with radio.

You and Farmer can point out failed individual events all you want. Nobody cares at all about Louisiana College unless you lose to them. For sure that strategy has resulted in smaller and smaller core fan base.

False.

Our attendance figures in non conference action were small before Scott Farmer became director of athletics.

While I could show you the fact it's been a trend for a long time now, I'll simply use 2004-05 as an example.

We were coming off an NCAA appearance, and would win another championship in said year.

Home games against Rice, McNeese State and Southern Illinois (who was pretty damned good then) averaged about 3600 fans. A non D-1 game that year drew 2500.

Then football bowl season ended. Our smallest crowd after that was 4500 fans with a high of over 6000.

That has happened over and over again during the last 15 years.

Who we play at home in non conference has little to do with attendance. The numbers back up my contention.

Last year we drew about 1000 more fans for Tech than we did against Louisiana College.

It's a way of life now in the deep south. Period.

It should also be pointed out that with a couple of exceptions, we've been playing at least one non-D1 opponent for the last 15 years.

Bring in whoever you like. Non conference attendance is not going to be good, unless you bring them in after Jan.1.

And with 20 conference games, that isn't going to happen.

[VObserver]

False.

Our attendance figures in non conference action were small before Scott Farmer became director of athletics.

While I could show you the fact it's been a trend for a long time now, I'll simply use 2004-05 as an example.

We were coming off an NCAA appearance, and would win another championship in said year.

Home games against Rice, McNeese State and Southern Illinois (who was pretty damned good then) averaged about 3600 fans. A non D-1 game that year drew 2500.

Then football bowl season ended. Our smallest crowd after that was 4500 fans with a high of over 6000.

That has happened over and over again during the last 15 years.

Who we play at home in non conference has little to do with attendance. The numbers back up my contention.

Last year we drew about 1000 more fans for Tech than we did against Louisiana College.

It's a way of life now in the deep south. Period.

Even if this is true, and I have no reason to doubt you; playing a stronger OOC schedule still benefits us in ways that I believe outweigh the costs.

Say we eliminate 3 Non-D1 home games and substitute RPI savvy mid major teams. The extra 3000 [your number] in attendance offsets some of the cost, and there are two additional benefits. The first is perception among our fans that we are trying to compete instead of playing 'give-up'; which might encourage more attendance later in the season. The second is that maybe, just maybe, when we win the conference tournament, we get an 11 or 12 seed instead of a 15 or 16; which gives us a much better chance to win a tournament game.

It is not like we are talking about millions here. Not that $150K is chickenfeed, but is less than 1% of our athletic budget, an amount that we should be able to handle.

[CrazyCajun]

Everybody buy a couple extra beers... Problem solved.

[Boomer]

Everybody buy a couple extra beers... Problem solved.

---So LSU is pushing the basketball thing big time with their incoming super star---wonder if this will spike their attendance???

[cajun_lannister]

till they lose a game then its a gymnastic & golf town

[Turbine]

Since basketball doesn't have the marketing luxury of a once a week invitation, every single game needs to be hyped.

[BirdofParadise]

Even if this is true, and I have no reason to doubt you; playing a stronger OOC schedule still benefits us in ways that I believe outweigh the costs.

Say we eliminate 3 Non-D1 home games and substitute RPI savvy mid major teams. The extra 3000 [your number] in attendance offsets some of the cost, and there are two additional benefits. The first is perception among our fans that we are trying to compete instead of playing 'give-up'; which might encourage more attendance later in the season. The second is that maybe, just maybe, when we win the conference tournament, we get an 11 or 12 seed instead of a 15 or 16; which gives us a much better chance to win a tournament game.

It is not like we are talking about millions here. Not that $150K is chickenfeed, but is less than 1% of our athletic budget, an amount that we should be able to handle.

Well, first of all, when you have to play three guarantee games just to balance the budget, it becomes pretty obvious 150K in extra expense is a helluva lot of money. And if you're talking about buying teams, that figure needs to be adjusted. You can get two games for that price. Not three.

Ideally, a home and home in the same season against a decent RPI team would be good. We did that with Georgia State on two occasions and against Bradley one year. But good luck trying to find schools to agree with that.

We've played at least one non D-1 game in most of the last 15 years. The majority of mid majors do.

My point is playing better opponents in non conference will not bring in the attendance figures people think. That was the argument being made.

I don't disagree with your point VO. I just think it's a lot easier said than done.

[NickatNite]

So, what can Broadhead do to make going to a a Women's game more appealing!? They had one Senior (albeit a good one - Thank You Robbie Brown!), so good nucleus returning and now they KNOW how to win!
But, these 4 and 5pm start times, make it difficult for a fan to attend. I do like the fact that they play most of their games in the Dome now.

[Turbine]

So, what can Broadhead do to make going to a a Women's game more appealing!? They had one Senior (albeit a good one - Thank You Robbie Brown!), so good nucleus returning and now they KNOW how to win!
But, these 4 and 5pm start times, make it difficult for a fan to attend. I do like the fact that they play most of their games in the Dome now.

Build a passionate "unique" fan base.