This NAILS it. A small circle of folks has allowed our once proud basketball program to implode. As I’m existing the stands after every game in the Dome, I look at the photos on the walls of so many glory seasons and shake my head in disgust over the fact that this has been allowed to happen.
Problems from my perspective -
1. People hate going to the Cajundome. The floors and rails are sticky and dirty, the employees are rude, the food is terrible and expensive. I find it hard to go there for ANY event. I just spent 2 days there for the beta convention and kids were literally waiting over an hour for expensive and nasty food. Seriously we are the Cajuns a culture known for our cuisine and that’s the best we can do?
2. (And this one is going to resolve itself next season) TICKETMASTER is the WORST. For the casual fan who says ‘let me bring my family to the game tonight’ and goes online to purchase tickets and sees a $25 or whatever ridiculous amount fee added per ticket and doesn’t know you can buy them without that fee at the box office, sees that ONCE and never tries to go to another game. When we started going to games a few years ago, that almost stopped me until my friend told me tickets were less at the box office. I would’ve never attended a game otherwise because I wouldn’t have tried again.
3. Weeknight games 7:30 start time is TOO LATE for the families. We wake up at 5:30 every morning for school. I cannot get my kid to bed on a weeknight at 10pm and expect him to function the next day. So I watch the game at home instead.
4. There is no incentive for break time entertainment at most events. Went to a game this season and 1/2 time was a guy throwing paper into a garbage bin. Seriously wtf? It doesn’t have to be much, get high schools to bring their bands and have them stand still and play a show, have a mini game with kids.
5. Entice crowd participation by inviting buddy leagues or have a dance team night or cheerleader night or band night. Parents love to see their own participate. They will pay for a game.
6. Offer ticket package specials - dads get a free beer night, moms get a free beer night, guys night out 3 pack, family night packs, you catch my drift.
7. Stop the rude staff from being ticket nazis for 4 periods. Let people move seats and get the dome looking fuller on tv. Stop worrying if a student wants a better seat for a game. If it appears fuller, then more people will want to be there FOMO.
8. Ok this one - section 113 tickets are $15. Section 112 tickets are $25. But I sit center court for $25. So make section 112 $20. The seating pricing is off.
It would only take minimal marketing skills to make the experience better for the fans. I didn’t once get into the coaching situation or anything to do with the team. I enjoy basketball, it’s my personal favorite sport to watch live. I think it’s an affordable event and try to attend games. I will get season tickets once my kid is older and doesn’t have conflicts with his schedule, but the experience can easily be made better with minimal changes.
Seems like a lot of problems listed that are not because of marlin
Damn spell check
Why is edit button only on some posts
Good points. MBB tip used to be at 7:05 p.m. which seemed like a good time. Would be prudent to study possibility of the University taking over day to day Cajundome management from the Commission. A 1980's management solution is still being applied 40 years later. The City might be glad to be off the hook. Its just an extra governmental layer.
Nothing will increase attendance, regardless of what is tried. We need a complete reset in MBB.
To think otherwise is just being deliberately ignorant to what the Cajun fan base has been saying. This fan base has quit on this staff. He could go to back to back NCAA tournaments and the crowds won’t be any better.
We sold less than 1000 season tickets. Well less than 1000 season tickets. Regardless of record when you can’t sell enough season tickets to pay for your contract you are over paid. That goes for every sport.
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