Student Attendance

[jackbusiness09]

Re: Student Attendance

All of us students know when there is a game.

I wouldn't say that, I always have a hard time pulling my friends to games and they never seem to know when the games are. Unless you are referring to all the students that are on SDSUfans.com...

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There are lots of promotions during the game to try to get students there and attendance is still lacking. I'm pretty sure during the Burger King cash give away, which was $300 this last game, the student wasn't even at the game. It looked like someone had called him to come to the game after his name was called. He ran down to the scorers table able 10 min after his name was called still wearing his coat and hat. The reason I mention that is because I believe most students are unaware of the promotions which take place at the games.

What I think needs to happen to is a cheering clinic put on by a large number of upperclassmen for incoming freshman during those first days of school year where they all attend things together. I know this has been mentioned before on this board and happens at some bigger D-1 schools (Wisconsin maybe?). This would create an excitement for Jackrabbit athletics and hopefully would help new students attend games since they would feel like they were part of something before even attending an event. Then we could diversify our cheers instead of having the same 2-3 every game.

[sfjacksfan99]

Re: Student Attendance

I don't like the quality on the court arguement B.S. This is more than respectable team at home, this is a pretty good team at home. I keep commenting to people how much better this team is than the previous years and giving them a "sixth man" in the crowd only makes them better. I realize there's only one home game left, but next year has gotta be different. For the students (and other fans) that stuck around for the Oakland game, wasn't that fun? Make Frost Arena like that for every home game, especially in the conference.

And if and when both teams make it to Sioux Falls, it better be electric with blue and yellow in there and not green and gold.

[goon]

Re: Student Attendance

I am usually at most games but I had a test today that I studied for last night.

I agree completely with West Side. Someone needs to advertise these games. Have competitions between the dorms to see who can get the most kids to show up at a game. Put signs in the Union and in the lobby's of the dorms. Do stuff like that and you will see a dramatic increase in student attendance.

for example, greeks at the games or what ever they call it. Its about the only time a lot of fraternities show up in large numbers at games. I agree getting the dorms or student organizations to show up for some silly halftime contest or what ever couldnt hurt. Maybe they do that more then I relize but im not able to make many games to know what goes on most nights.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: Student Attendance

All of us students know when there is a game.

Last week at WIU, I had difficulty finding out where the field house was when driving around and talking to students. The Summit seems to lack natural rivals... putting it politely.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Student Attendance

Last week at WIU, I had difficulty finding out where the field house was when driving around and talking to students. The Summit seems to lack natural rivals... putting it politely.

I believe you might be right GJ, but we don't need to be "Summit" like in our student attendance. We've got a better heritage than that, and I do hope that the interested students and the athletic department, makes a major effort to get more students to our games (it's FREE entertainment for them for gosh sakes).

Having said that, I realize that spending time and effort (and money) by overworked employees in the AD, is hard to justify when you are spending as much time as possible trying to get paying customers in the door, but we need to students to help get the crowd into the game IMHO.

[filbert]

Re: Student Attendance

I believe you might be right GJ, but we don't need to be "Summit" like in our student attendance. We've got a better heritage than that, and I do hope that the interested students and the athletic department, makes a major effort to get more students to our games (it's FREE entertainment for them for gosh sakes).

Having said that, I realize that spending time and effort (and money) by overworked employees in the AD, is hard to justify when you are spending as much time as possible trying to get paying customers in the door, but we need to students to help get the crowd into the game IMHO.

Except that the students are paying customers, too. It's just that they don't have a choice but to pay through their fees. So it's not correct to say that it's free for students. It isn't.

I'm firmly of the opinion that if there's a problem convincing students to come to the games, that's a problem with the athletic department's general outreach effort to the on-campus students, not a problem with the students themselves.

[KUlawJack]

Re: Student Attendance

I stated this before on another thread. At KU there are signs at every parking lot to let people know when they have to be out because of the game and the date of the game. They are removable signs, like political yard signs (little sturdier). I think the AD should put signs like this in at high traffic points around campus and post the time and date of the next upcoming game. Its would be extremely low cost and its efficient to get the word out. All that would have to be changed is the date and time on a sheet of paper and staple that thing on there. I think its a good start at least. With this, no one could say that students don't know when games are.

Another idea is to hand out team posters when students move into the dorms. That, or hang the damn things up in every dorm room. If the students want they can take them down, but this way they are already there. I never paid attention to stuff hanging in the dorm entry ways, but if it was put in my room, can't really not pay attention.

I don't know if the students have a game day t-shirt or anything, but put on a contest to design the official game day t-shirt, publish it in the Collegian, put the signs up about it, and give the winner $1000 bucks, mass produce the things for cheap and sell them all over. Just a way to spike interest. Okay, there are a few ideas.

[mango4]

Re: Student Attendance

All of us students know when there is a game.

That's a lie. There is no where on campus that tells when games are. Absolutely no where. I've complained about this all year long but students could care less about actually watching the games, they go to socialize. It was a problem at football games and now it's a problem at basketball games.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Student Attendance

Except that the students are paying customers, too. It's just that they don't have a choice but to pay through their fees. So it's not correct to say that it's free for students. It isn't.

I'm firmly of the opinion that if there's a problem convincing students to come to the games, that's a problem with the athletic department's general outreach effort to the on-campus students, not a problem with the students themselves.

C'mon Filbert...you know, that I know, that the students are charged a fee. But they aren't students here unless they have paid the fee. I'm talking about the fact that it is "prepaid." There isn't any cost for them to go and see a game...so it's free entertainment as far as I'm concerned and I think more of them should be taking advantage of it.

(Kind of like when we went to Cancun and paid in advance on the all-inclusive cost at the resort, so when the waiter asked if I wanted another margarita, the answer was obviously "SURE", since it was "free". Sure I paid for it, but it was money down the "drain" if I didn't say "SURE".

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Student Attendance

That's a lie. There is no where on campus that tells when games are. Absolutely no where. I've complained about this all year long but students could care less about actually watching the games, they go to socialize. It was a problem at football games and now it's a problem at basketball games.

Exactly. People will only go if they know someone else that is going and then they will just sit and talk the entire time. At football games the only people that cheer are probably in the first 15 rows or so. I try to cheer and people look at me funny. It's pretty bad.

[filbert]

Re: Student Attendance

...so it's free entertainment as far as I'm concerned and I think more of them should be taking advantage of it.

There appear to be at least several thousand students who disagree with your analysis and conclusion. They're voting with their feet.

To me, this is a marketing opportunity. Go find out why they're not coming out (beyond the obvious reasons) and then find out what would start convincing them to attend--especially for the weeknight games.

There are definite reasons why a couple of thousand students aren't at every weeknight game in Frost Arena. Go find out what those reasons are, and then fix the problems that can be fixed. Sounds to me like making sure that those students know that a game is going on in the first place would be a reasonable first step.

[mango4]

Re: Student Attendance

Exactly. People will only go if they know someone else that is going and then they will just sit and talk the entire time. At football games the only people that cheer are probably in the first 15 rows or so. I try to cheer and people look at me funny. It's pretty bad.

I don't even know if it was the first 15 rows, I would say more like first five and then the people standing on the rail. We tried hard to get people to cheer at the appropriate times but we got nothing out of them

[Cowbell]

Re: Student Attendance

The reason why the students showed up in "the old days" is because we won. Period. Yes, the team is better this year but for the better part of the last 5 years we sucked. And, when the students in the past five years came to Frost Arena, they watched suckiness in action. So, like filbert says they have voted with their feet. To get them back, we have to demonstrate a pattern of winning - a 10-15 season just won't get it done.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Student Attendance

There appear to be at least several thousand students who disagree with your analysis and conclusion. They're voting with their feet.

To me, this is a marketing opportunity.

Reread my earlier post: I hope...the athletic department, makes a major effort to get more students to our games (it's FREE entertainment for them for gosh sakes).

What analysis or conclusion? Same as you suggest. I still think it doesn't cost them anything to go attend a game. But I digress...we might be facing another fact, which I hate, but that the times have changed, and they are just not interested. And to put it in perspective, when I go to the Gopher games at Williams Arena, there is one endzone section for students and it is filled...but there are not more than 800-1000 students in it (I didn't count...). Since Minnesota has more than 45,000 students, that means SDSU should have about 200-250 students...probably where we are at right now. Still hope we find a way to get more of them interested!

[sdbballfan]

Re: Student Attendance

I would have to agree that it is the losing over the last few years that has really hurt. For example, I have a a number of friends and a few family members who go to SDSU. I always ask if they went to such and such game and it is always a different reason. The popular reply is that "the men are terrible" for a single game and for doubleheaders I usually hear "Might go and watch the women, but leave after that". And I am not a SDSU grad, but it seems like I am the one convincing them that the men are vastly improved and getting better every game. Something seems off there to me.