Crowd sizes

[orangemass]

Anyone going to games anymore? Looks sparse. Size matters.

 

[Lukeyloo]

I don’t think the crowds are any different than the past couple years. We’re seeing that basketball is treated the same as football, fans show up when the team is good and don’t when they aren’t.

 

[corpjet]

Definitely appear off, is that a factor of losing Coach Boeheim, the roster or a combo of both?

Or is it simply something else, money getting tight for some people?

From a tv perspective the crowd looks sparse. (Definitely down from years past)

 

[orangemass]

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a high quality product. Not sure if I was local I’d go. But college basketball is a shell of its former self

 

[jncuse]

Definitely appear off, is that a factor of losing Coach Boeheim, the roster or a combo of both?

Or is it simply something else, money getting tight for some people?

From a tv perspective the crowd looks sparse. (Definitely down from years past)

Its a factor of not being particularly good since the 2014 season -- and being even worse the past 2 years. That builds new tendencies within a fan base.

There are some hard core fans who will go no matter what. And there are also fans that like the Orange a lot (beyond casual) and very well might be hardcore as well, but they also have other priorities in life that have become easier to place above Syracuse basketball. Once you have made the decision to prioritize other things (and start to enjoy those other things - entertainment wise or saving $), its hard for the team to get you back without winning. And that group becomes larger each year.

 

[Fly Rodder]

It’s sparse but there’s only been three five (ETA: forgot about the UNH and Canisius games, also most of our early games have been on the road) home games and one was during a lake effect event that dropped right at 4-7pm. But SU is also not a good team. I missed one game with Covid and the snow storm. I know my friends who sit next to us missed two games as well.

Winning brings fans.

ETA: 6 of our first 10 games are on the road.

 

[upperdeck]

attendance was 20K in the books. I mean that place is so huge it looks empty when many places dont even hold 10K to begin with.

 

[ar inj]

It is very sparse and low energy kind of like the teams offense and much too often, its effort.

 

[SUFan44]

Its a factor of not being particularly good since the 2014 season -- and being even worse the past 2 years. That builds new tendencies within a fan base.

There are some hard core fans who will go no matter what. And there are also fans that like the Orange a lot (beyond casual) and very well might be hardcore as well, but they also have other priorities in life that have become easier to place above Syracuse basketball. Once you have made the decision to prioritize other things (and start to enjoy those other things - entertainment wise or saving $), its hard for the team to get you back without winning. And that group becomes larger each year.

I have been to two Bills road games (Eagles, Jets) and have not even thought about going to an SU basketball game. For a few reasons, but mainly because the product isn't any good.

Previously, if they were at the Garden or Barclays Center, I'd be there without question.

Going to be an interesting next couple of years. Hoping the next recruiting cycle will help - problem is, I do not see much talent on this current squad. At least not enough of it.

 

[CuseTG2003]

Didn’t they allow people sit wherever one year for the NIT? It created a great atmosphere. Why not do that if you know you can?

 

[FrancoPizza]

attendance was 20K in the books. I mean that place is so huge it looks empty when many places dont even hold 10K to begin with.

maybe the books are all the bean counters care about, but perception matters. And perception is we're drawing about 10k actual butts in seats.

We're heading down a path where it will take another Fran Brown to give the fan base a reason to come out again.

 

[tbonezone]

8 pm tuesday is a tough sell. but new FBHC Fran Brown did addressthe crowd and talked briefly with matt park and coach satalin last night during the game broadcast. said he looks forward to seeing a full dome in the future.

 

[upperdeck]

maybe the books are all the bean counters care about, but perception matters. And perception is we're drawing about 10k actual butts in seats.

We're heading down a path where it will take another Fran Brown to give the fan base a reason to come out again.

yup.. and 10k is top 30 in the country.. an empty dome is still one of the most attended games in the country. Our sucky nights are top 10-15 worthy..

 

[UpstateSM]

Didn’t they allow people sit wherever one year for the NIT? It created a great atmosphere. Why not do that if you know you can?

It would piss off people who pay/donate lots of money for their seats

 

[Fly Rodder]

8 pm tuesday is a tough sell. but new FBHC Fran Brown did addressthe crowd and talked briefly with matt park and coach satalin last night during the game broadcast. said he looks forward to seeing a full dome in the future.

Fran Brown was supposed to be introduced at halftime. (my bad, I thought it said halftime, the initial tweet didn't specify, later pre-game media shows said it would be during a timeout I guess. I don't know I didn't watch/listen to them) He came out and spoke during a TO and no one was really expecting it. The whole thing was over in about 2 minutes. And if you weren't paying attention at the very start of it, it could have been just another promotional contest.

The AD has zero understanding of how to promote something. There's a bowl game coming, promote the players, promote the new HC, promote the changes. How about a video board intro? No one had time to put together a few clips? Freaking amateur hour.

Two other asides:
1) ADJW, HCFB, and Elijah Robinson all sat behind the home basket until the end of the half, left and never returned. Probably had to beat traffic.

2) No banner in the dome for Men's Soccer National Championship yet? That was one of the best things that happened (on the video board) in the dome last season.

 

[CuseTG2003]

It would piss off people who pay/donate lots of money for their seats

Sure would, and the people it would piss off bare some responsibility for the poor atmosphere/sparse attendance.

 

[CuseTG2003]

yup.. and 10k is top 30 in the country.. an empty dome is still one of the most attended games in the country. Our sucky nights are top 10-15 worthy..

The issue is 10K in a huge dome creates a very lacking atmosphere. SU needs to be creative and stop treating every game like 25K+ will attend.

 

[Brian Orange]

It also looks much darker on TV than it used to be. My guess is it's the new lighting system that shines it all on the cours but the stands look darker.

 

[upperdeck]

Its too bad they dont come up with a way for people to let them know when they are not attending or using their lower bowl tickets and then let people upgrade for a fee to those seats at a cost

Technically it would be easy.. If the seats are not being used or sold who cares how much they charge to upgrade but I am sure some would complain.

If i had the $200 seats and wasnt using it and want to give it away for free thats on me.. The others in that section might complain.

but Only sell it as an upgrade seat once you are in the building. Make people buy tickets and go in. they do that at other arenas for seat upgrades. That way you can sell the ticket online for whatever you want but once it gets close to game time you let SU sell it as an upgrade seat.

I bet it would make money and most of us are never going to get that seat any other way.

if 2000k were moved lower in upgrade seats a game that would make it be much better than spread around the upperdeck.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Everything is stale . Crowd/team and the sport in general

 

[Consigliere]

Largest attendance in college basketball last night by a wide margin. Yes, there are some no shows, but that's true everywhere. Announced 19,390. Estimate at least 15,000 there but that's based on my limited view from my seats in the Dome. I didn't have the advantage of multiple tv shots from my couch.

 

[Consigliere]

maybe the books are all the bean counters care about, but perception matters. And perception is we're drawing about 10k actual butts in seats.

We're heading down a path where it will take another Fran Brown to give the fan base a reason to come out again.

No disrespect intended, but money matters. Perception of people watching on tv doesn't matter a bit. NIL opportunities are ramping up. Recruiting is returning to an elite level. Let us enjoy a little optimism.

 

[CusefanATL]

Anyone going to games anymore? Looks sparse. Size matters.

its def an issue at this point in my mind.

 

[rrlbees]

Fran Brown was supposed to be introduced at halftime. He came out and spoke during a TO and no one was really expecting it. The whole thing was over in about 2 minutes. And if you weren't paying attention at the very start of it, it could have been just another promotional contest.

The AD has zero understanding of how to promote something. There's a bowl game coming, promote the players, promote the new HC, promote the changes. How about a video board intro? No one had time to put together a few clips? Freaking amateur hour.

Two other asides:
1) ADJW, HCFB, and Elijah Robinson all sat behind the home basket until the end of the half, left and never returned. Probably had to beat traffic.

2) No banner in the dome for Men's Soccer National Championship yet? That was one of the best things that happened (on the video board) in the dome last season.

Brown was leaving this morning on a recruiting trip. He may have wanted to get out quicker or maybe he and Robinson were going to make some calls. It’s entirely possible Brown wanted to speak earlier so that when halftime came he could immediately get out of there.

 

[Consigliere]

Brown was leaving this morning on a recruiting trip. He may have wanted to get out quicker or maybe he and Robinson were going to make some calls. It’s entirely possible Brown wanted to speak earlier so that when halftime came he could immediately get out of there.

Announcement on pregame show and local media consistently said he would appear during one of the early game media timeouts. Halftime might have been better but then he would have to compete with the crowds rushing to the concourse to get another couple beers.