Men's Basketball attendance

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

Students don't get in "free."  They pay through their activity fee.

Even more reason they should attend, they have to pay for it whether they go or not. I think we need to make a conscious effort to make the games more student friendly. If that means changing the way things have been done and upseting a few in the reserved sections so be it. A few of my ideas:

1. Make the game a more student friendly atmosphere...seriously who picks the music, etc. that is played during the breaks. That cowbell cam song is absolutely terrible. I am a big fan of the pep band but we need to supplement their playing with music and effects that students actually like. If we make the game an event/party, students will attend even if it is just for the event, and everyone will reap the benefits. I was watching a Wake Forest game on TV lthis season and the student section was going nuts as "Jump Around" by House of Pain was blared over the sound system just before tip off. It was incredible. To me a student crowd is more easily persuaded than the reserved crowd. The reserved will be there no matter what, they support the team, the students need to be enticed to come at first. Then, it will become an event, and we will have to turn them away from the student section.

2. The skits/games between breaks just didn't do it for me most of the time. Maybe we need to find something that is a little more entertaining. Some of them were decent, but some were pretty weak. It seemed as if we were searching something.

3. The student section needs to be the place to be. I have heard rumblings of Game Day T-Shirts being given to freshman and sold at the bookstore that would improve the visual of Frost Arena if we could get people to wear them. One of my friends at UNL said when he was in college you had to have a specific tshirt on to sit in the student section at the bball games. That would be a great idea. I hope more in this area will be started this fall.

Just my .02 to get started, what does everybody else think.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

Something could be done with the mascot. Why not let the Rabbit slide down the stairs and land on the court? Get him/her a trampoline and some padding, let's see if the rabbit can dunk! ;D

I'm thinking along the lines of the gorilla with the Phoenix Suns. I did talk with an employee (now a former employee) of the athletic department about this at a game last year. She said it will never happen b/c of liability issues.

[filbert]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

Something could be done with the mascot. Why not let the Rabbit slide down the stairs and land on the court? Get him/her a trampoline and some padding, let's see if the rabbit can dunk! ;D

I'm thinking along the lines of the gorilla with the Phoenix Suns. I did talk with an employee (now a former employee) of the athletic department about this at a game last year. She said it will never happen b/c of liability issues.

The two "big-time" schools I'm most familiar with are Tennessee and Kansas.

Tennessee has Smokey roller-blade around in a smoking coat in the first half, then change "clothes" for the second half.

Kansas, when they're playing the school song, has Big Jay and Little Jay dance around the court. As the band plays faster and faster, they circle center court, and slide into the middle just as the song ends.

There's a lot you can do with a mascot (that doesn't risk serious injury to the student wearing the suit). It just takes someone (maybe the mascot him/her/itself) sitting down and thinking up something cool.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

Kind of off topic, but one thing I have noticed is how a number of major schools have canopies/banners hanging above their entrances (like at the Lloyd Noble Center http://www.ou.edu/lnc/su_tradefair.html) parallel to the floor to make it an actual tunnel coming into the arena. Not sure how it would work, but I think it would be neat to do this in the four corners of the floor level. We would have to move the scoreboards, which can barely be seen, anyway. It would make the arena more aesthetically appealing and its fairly inexpensive to do. It would also give the players a feeling of walking a tunnel to get into the arena.

Many schools also have a tunnel cam to show the team in the locker room right before they come out and also as they tunnel walk. The places I have been that do this have really been rocking as the team jogged down the tunnel and onto the floor. This would also be a great use of the fantastic big screens and sound system. Imagine being a Jack and hearing the whole arena going nuts the second you walk out of the locker room.

Something really needs to be done with the student section bleachers. It needs to be lowered so that fans sitting in the upper deck bleachers can actually see the game. To a lot of people, it just doesn't make sense to spend $50 to take your family to a game, and then when you get to your "general admission" seats your 5 year old can't even see the game.

Just a few ideas to spice up the atmosphere and get more people through the gates.

[JH81]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

Something really needs to be done with the student section bleachers.  It needs to be lowered so that fans sitting in the upper deck bleachers can actually see the game.  To a lot of people, it just doesn't make sense to spend $50 to take your family to a game, and then when you get to your "general admission" seats your 5 year old can't even see the game.

1. those bleachers are brand new, so nothing will be done with them.
2. they couldn't have been placed any lower without cutting out a good portion of the seating for the students
3. people need to learn to not sit in the first couple of rows so that they can see over the students
4. attendance hasn't been that great so there has to be plenty of upper level GA spots that people can get unobstucted views in

[Rabbitden]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

The cowbell cam song is "ring my bell"...can you think of something else? Tell Micha Grenz.

As far as the music goes though, whether we like it or not it has to appeal to everyone, not just students. Rule of thumb, if you can dance to it (not mosh pit)...play it.

The promotions during breaks are getting better. They pick up ideas from other venues they visit. Remember, its just not the players that are making the transition here.

The scoreboards are not going to get moved and I agree with the fact that if you do not like to stand, stay out of the first couple of rows in GA.

I know this is all opions but a ton of long hours and hard work is put in by the athletic staff to put these events on. I myself would like to give them koodos for what they have accomplished so far.

There are a ton of limitations that have to be met so the best thing to do is pass your ideas on to the SDSU athletic promotions and marketing staff.

They love to hear these kind of suggestions. If its fan freindly and their able to do it, they'll look into it.

Love you all long time, short time...GO JACKS!

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

Our announcer, like Frost, is one of the best around as well.  

[JH81]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

Our announcer, like Frost, is one of the best around as well.  

Oh man, now his big bald head just swelled even more. Way to go. Nothing like giving credit where credit is due. I just wish he'd speak his mind a little more

[thebluehatman]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

J.T. is a stud. He is loved by us students. ;D I miss his voice already and its only been a week. lets get him to baseball, softball, and football games

[filbert]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

The thing to do with the GA bleachers on the upper south side is, when they replace them (I hear that's in the works) you elevate them by 4-6 feet so that those sitting up top will see over the standing students in the lower section. That's what I'd do.

Plus, when you pull them out, you would have

F R O S T A R E N A S O U T H D A K O T A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

printed on the front of them, just in case you missed all the other signage in the building and weren't quite sure where you were. Plus, it would show up nicely in a wide crowd shot from the TV crow's nest over on the north side at the top of the reserved seats.

Putting "Scott Nagy Court" on the side line in front of the scorer's table is a project for the future. ;D

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

The thing to do with the GA bleachers on the upper south side is, when they replace them (I hear that's in the works) you elevate them by 4-6 feet so that those sitting up top will see over the standing students in the lower section.  That's what I'd do.

Plus, when you pull them out, you would have

F R O S T   A R E N A   S O U T H    D A K O T A   S T A T E    U N I V E R S I T Y

printed on the front of them, just in case you missed all the other signage in the building and weren't quite sure where you were.  Plus, it would show up nicely in a wide crowd shot from the TV crow's nest over on the north side at the top of the reserved seats.

Putting "Scott Nagy Court" on the side line in front of the scorer's table is a project for the future.   ;D

I believe the new seating on the upper south side will be chairback seating.

[JackTwice]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

It is my understanding that the upper south side will still be bleachers. The upper east and west side will be going to chairbacks though.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

1. those bleachers are brand new, so nothing will be done with them.
2. they couldn't have been placed any lower without cutting out a good portion of the seating for the students
3. people need to learn to not sit in the first couple of rows so that they can see over the students
4. attendance hasn't been that great so there has to be plenty of upper level GA spots that people can get unobstucted views in

I'm not trying to start an argument, just making counterpoints.

1-You are absolutely right, the bleachers are new and they look great. However, the problem of obstructed views is old, and should have been addressed. Maybe the admin did it on purpose to try to sell more reserved seats?

2-You wouldn't lose any seats in the student section for basketball games by dropping the entire section 4 feet. The front row drops 4 feet, the back row drops 4 feet, and so does every single seat in between. Does anyone know for sure that this can't be done by removing a short section in the vertical supports under the bleachers?

3 & 4-My only comment is that is not a very good attitude toward selling any product. Do you work for the postal service or something? Just Kidding, I love the postal service, I get mail almost everyday! ;D

Don't get me wrong, I love the way Frost looks with all the new improvements, but there is always something more to do.

Personally, I don't really like the idea of elevating the upper deck because it is putting folks a squeege farther away from the action. But maybe when I see it, I will like it. It would eliminate the obstruction caused by the railings.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

It is my understanding that the upper south side will still be bleachers.  The upper east and west side will be going to chairbacks though.

I'm not sure what is happening on the upper east and west side, but I was told directly the south will be chairback unless the administration has changed its mind.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Men's Basketball attendance

With the new wellness center and track capabilites, maybe we should make the whole upper level a bowl setting with chairback seating. I assume the new track is for general student use, are they still planning on using the one at Frost. If not, it would be nice to get seats in the corners of the arena with good sight lines so the place doesn't seem so square and boxy. (pretty sure that's not a word)

Of course we would most likely need a winning lottery ticket before this is done. ;D