MBB VS. ODU

[UL_Cajuns]

It’s also time that we have honest, reasonable discussions about what we should consider successful attendance at our sporting events. I’d be interested to hear what others think on that.

Fine I will go:
With all the games now streamed on ESPN + everywhere, the debacle what we now call so called "College Athletics", and so much other things to entertain us in this world via devices:
I think reasonable expectations on attendance should be
20,000 per football game.
3500 per basketball game
4000 per baseball game
2000 per softball game

Notice I said reasonable expectations which your expectations should always be higher than what reality will be so I am sure we will be under those numbers on some sports.

alright yall go now!

[ZoomZoom]

It’s also time that we have honest, reasonable discussions about what we should consider successful attendance at our sporting events. I’d be interested to hear what others think on that.

You are correct, attendance has been on an overall steady decline since the dome opened. All the HCs that coached in the dome had peaks and valleys.

But this has been grossly ignored. CBM just happen to here too long, needed to go (which I 100% agree with), which made him the fall guy. But this has been coming for years and nobody worked on all the other things that make for an inviting experience.

Overhauling the dome with Katrina money and touting “look what we’ve done” and expecting people to attend just on that doesn’t work. Hope the same approach isn’t used for Cajun Field.

Just attaching this since some people tend to “misremember”.

[Turbine]

It did seem like some were saying firing Marlin was the magic key to open up MBB fandom again though.

You are not wrong.

That is exactly what I was hearing on the street and what promted my early on post.

[Esqueleto]

Fine I will go:
With all the games now streamed on ESPN + everywhere, the debacle what we now call so called "College Athletics", and so much other things to entertain us in this world via devices:
I think reasonable expectations on attendance should be
20,000 per football game.
3500 per basketball game
4000 per baseball game
2000 per softball game

Notice I said reasonable expectations which your expectations should always be higher than what reality will be so I am sure we will be under those numbers on some sports.

alright yall go now!

I think 6k for basketball is reasonable with an entertaining product

[zeppelincajun]

Oh I get it. More tongue in cheek than anything. It did seem like some were saying firing Marlin was the magic key to open up MBB fandom again though.
We cannot score but at least we are running a semblance of an offense now. We have some guys who can play but it does not look like we have meshed. Defense looks good most of the time. Evans needs more minutes. Dude played 17 minutes and scored 19.

I hear you on your first point. I’ve been trying to make that point for years that there is no magic wand in terms of our attendance issue (in any sport). It was supposed to be winning in football. Now it’s the stadium. In basketball, it was Marlin supposedly. These are all things that have to happen, but they aren’t cure alls for other failures. I do believe any effort to turn basketball’s attendance problem around was not going to get off the ground with Bob still here, so this was a necessary first step (one of hopefully many).

With Evans, I saw some of what Duggie saw. One time I watched him get pulled from the game after a couple nice buckets, and he didn’t look upset to be leaving the game at all. True Freshman adjusting to the college game. Was excited to finally see flashes of why he was so highly touted. Passed his previous career high by 11.

[JMV JustMyView]

Fine I will go:
With all the games now streamed on ESPN + everywhere, the debacle what we now call so called "College Athletics", and so much other things to entertain us in this world via devices:
I think reasonable expectations on attendance should be
20,000 per football game.
3500 per basketball game
4000 per baseball game
2000 per softball game

Notice I said reasonable expectations which your expectations should always be higher than what reality will be so I am sure we will be under those numbers on some sports.

alright yall go now!

Not many games at Lamson has had crowds over 2000.

[zeppelincajun]

You are correct, attendance has been on an overall steady decline since the dome opened. All the HCs that coached in the dome had peaks and valleys.

But this has been grossly ignored. CBM just happen to here too long, needed to go (which I 100% agree with), which made him the fall guy. But this has been coming for years and nobody worked on all the other things that make for an inviting experience.

Overhauling the dome with Katrina money and touting “look what we’ve done” and expecting people to attend just on that doesn’t work. Hope the same approach isn’t used for Cajun Field.

Just attaching this since some people tend to “misremember”.

These are important numbers to look at for what is reasonable. I know people don’t like to hear it, but upwards of 4,000 - 4,500 would be successful for Cajuns basketball attendance. That would put us in the top 3 to 4 teams in our league with our top competition being East Coast teams. The glaring issue in terms of accepting that is the CD. It’s much easier to sell someone on the notion that others are also excited about your product when you can consistently point to sell outs or your venue being at 85-90% capacity. 7,000 empty seats in the CD means we are drawing well, but it looks horrible.

[ULvictory]

You are correct, attendance has been on an overall steady decline since the dome opened. All the HCs that coached in the dome had peaks and valleys.

But this has been grossly ignored. CBM just happen to here too long, needed to go (which I 100% agree with), which made him the fall guy. But this has been coming for years and nobody worked on all the other things that make for an inviting experience.

Overhauling the dome with Katrina money and touting “look what we’ve done” and expecting people to attend just on that doesn’t work. Hope the same approach isn’t used for Cajun Field.

Just attaching this since some people tend to “misremember”.

The 2025-2026 basketball season will give us a lot of answers. We will have a new coach, and we finally have a more affordable ticket structure in place (Paciolan instead of Ticketmaster) that doesn't rob us with fees. I have heard that there's quite a few more people that will be buying season tickets next season as well. We do need to reach out to the students and start getting them to attend games and build some energy in that student section, but we will see.

Hopefully, all of these factors will compliment better attendance numbers.

[CajunSID]

The 2025-2026 basketball season will give us a lot of answers. We will have a new coach, and we finally have a more affordable ticket structure in place (Paciolan instead of Ticketmaster) that doesn't rob us with fees. I have heard that there's quite a few more people that will be buying season tickets next season as well. We do need to reach out to the students and start getting them to attend games and build some energy in that student section, but we will see.

Hopefully, all of these factors will compliment better attendance numbers.

Eliminating non-D1’s on the schedule would help as well. Not saying have to bring in a blue blood, but enough with the St Mary’s Schools for the Perpetually Sad.

[CAJUNSby90]

Eliminating non-D1’s on the schedule would help as well. Not saying have to bring in a blue blood, but enough with the St Mary’s Schools for the Perpetually Sad.

So no College of Biblical studies or mississippi university for Women like Willy Wade Schedules?

[ULvictory]

Eliminating non-D1’s on the schedule would help as well. Not saying have to bring in a blue blood, but enough with the St Mary’s Schools for the Perpetually Sad.

Very true

[Big Tyme]

I hear you on your first point. I’ve been trying to make that point for years that there is no magic wand in terms of our attendance issue (in any sport). It was supposed to be winning in football. Now it’s the stadium. In basketball, it was Marlin supposedly. These are all things that have to happen, but they aren’t cure alls for other failures. I do believe any effort to turn basketball’s attendance problem around was not going to get off the ground with Bob still here, so this was a necessary first step (one of hopefully many).

With Evans, I saw some of what Duggie saw. One time I watched him get pulled from the game after a couple nice buckets, and he didn’t look upset to be leaving the game at all. True Freshman adjusting to the college game. Was excited to finally see flashes of why he was so highly touted. Passed his previous career high by 11.

First step is true. Zim might be the right next coach but if we hire him, I bet many will see it as a low effort hire and complain. I think some feel the need to make a "splash" hire(Not BB, please!)


He may have been gassed. He was banging with the bigs inside and his frame is still in high school mode. Guy was not afraid to work inside though. Another year in the weight room and at the training table will do him good.