Biggest dome crowd this year?

[CorduroyG]

i assume either gtown or louisville

 

[bballbeadle]

Louisville.

 

[shandeezy7]

My guess will be Georgetown. I do know that the first day single-game tix went on sale, I tried to get a few for both the Georgetown and Louisville games and both games the only available seats were in section 336. According to how ticketmaster looks right now, there are far less good seats available for the Gtown game than the Louisville game. Think we should have a decent crowd tomorrow. I'll say 27,000+.

 

[310Pigpen]

Hope we have a good crowd tomorrow, been pretty weak so far imo.

 

[anomander]

This season's attendance has been by far the worst since I can remember. Announced attendance is even pitiful. Not to mention it's been a lazy lazy crowd. I'm hoping Sat at noon for Nova can draw 27k, but I think that may be pushing it.

 

[Marsh01]

Louisville. Will be for the BE regular season title

 

[OttoMets]

If we lose a handful of games, Georgetown will be the biggest crowd. If we have 2 or 3 losses and are in contention for first place, probably Louisville.

Game 12 was on a Saturday last year, too. 25,412 for Marquette, later in the afternoon, also no students. We should see something similar tomorrow, maybe a little smaller.

Attendance has been way down this season. 19,095 through eleven home games - more than 1,500 down from last year at the same time. Attendance for our Big East home opener was almost 8,000 smaller than last year.

 

[bballbeadle]

If we lose a handful of games, Georgetown will be the biggest crowd. If we have 2 or 3 losses and are in contention for first place, probably Louisville.

Game 12 was on a Saturday last year, too. 25,412 for Marquette, later in the afternoon, also no students. We should see something similar tomorrow, maybe a little smaller.

Attendance has been way down this season. 19,095 through eleven home games - more than 1,500 down from last year at the same time. Attendance for our Big East home opener was almost 8,000 smaller than last year.

WHY is attendance down? I have wondered this all year. We have a highly rated team. I know the games are watched eagerly by thousands of people, but why don't they come? Why doesn't the administration do things to entice those students? When the students are around, the Dome is more fun to the 10th power.

It has to be the great television coverage. People have forgotten how great it is to see a game live, and instead cling to their HD TVs (and religion?).

A tangential note: for those of us in the Dome, the constant commercials are a real downer. If something exciting just happened and we go to break, instead of the band playing, we have a commercial. There is so little spontaneity! That's why I like the wave. It is so much more enthusiastic than the cheerleaders instructing different parts of the Dome to chant, "GO . . . . . . . . . . ORANGE." So . . . . . . . tedious.

 

[OttoMets]

WHY is attendance down? I have wondered this all year. We have a highly rated team. I know the games are watched eagerly by thousands of people, but why don't they come? Why doesn't the administration do things to entice those students? When the students are around, the Dome is more fun to the 10th power.

It has to be the great television coverage. People have forgotten how great it is to see a game live, and instead cling to their HD TVs (and religion?).

A tangential note: for those of us in the Dome, the constant commercials are a real downer. If something exciting just happened and we go to break, instead of the band playing, we have a commercial. There is so little spontaneity! That's why I like the wave. It is so much more enthusiastic than the cheerleaders instructing different parts of the Dome to chant, "GO . . . . . . . . . . ORANGE." So . . . . . . . tedious.

I follow this stuff closely and I'm baffled by the drop.

Two things jump out: we didn't have a name non-conference opponent at home (last year we had Florida) and our home opener was held without students on campus. Those both hurt, but one may have assumed that they'd be cancelled out by a spike for Boeheim's milestone games. For whatever reason, they weren't.

It probably didn't help the Christmas break attendance that we lost a game just before the holiday; that kind of thing tends to dampen the buzz. And we've had too many games without students (last season we had 5 - two non-conference and three Big East; this year we have 9 - seven non-conference and two Big East).

One thing is clear: if we want better crowds, someone has to do a better job synching the basketball schedule with the existing academic calendar. (This extended Thanksgiving break experiment should end, more for academic reasons, but it'd help the gate too.) Further, students ticket packages should include these games on the end of breaks. Kids will be back tomorrow; if given the opportunity, many would attend the game. Indeed, they should be encouraged to attend the game.

As you say, the atmosphere does leave something to be desired - the introduction of ribbon boards has done nothing to help the atmosphere - there are still a ton of commercials and the powers-that-be still insist on blaring canned music rather than letting the (more popular) band play.

You're right that television has changed things, but that only answers the question of why crowds are smaller than they were in 1993, not why they're smaller than last year.

There's not much explanation for why our 2012 Big East opener, against Seton Hall on a snowy Wednesday night, could draw 25,081 while the opener against Rutgers, exactly 53 weeks later, at the same time of day but with better weather, draws the fourth-smallest Big East crowd in a decade.

 

[jdubs30]

If GTown was Senior Night, I'd say that; but definitely Louisville at this point. I can't believe our last Big East home game will be against DePaul.

 

[BlueCurtain]

People have forgotten how great it is to see a game live

Actually, people have realized the dome atmosphere is pretty bland. Let the band play, bring back the curtain, and you'd see a big difference. Every other dome that has hosted a basketball event recognizes that they need to provide a divider of some sort to make the environment more cozy. Instead we get to look in the void and see Turning Stone ads.

 

[bballbeadle]

One thing is clear: if we want better crowds, someone has to do a better job synching the basketball schedule with the existing academic calendar. (This extended Thanksgiving break experiment should end, more for academic reasons, but it'd help the gate too.) Further, students ticket packages should include these games on the end of breaks. Kids will be back tomorrow; if given the opportunity, many would attend the game. Indeed, they should be encouraged to attend the game.

What you are saying above is critical. Very smart! Do you have any pull with anyone?

As you say, the atmosphere does leave something to be desired - the introduction of ribbon boards has done nothing to help the atmosphere - there are still a ton of commercials and the powers-that-be still insist on blaring canned music rather than letting the (more popular) band play.

Ya.

You're right that television has changed things, but that only answers the question of why crowds are smaller than they were in 1993, not why they're smaller than last year.

There's not much explanation for why our 2012 Big East opener, against Seton Hall on a snowy Wednesday night, could draw 25,081 while the opener against Rutgers, exactly 53 weeks later, at the same time of day but with better weather, draws the fourth-smallest Big East crowd in a decade.[/quote]

Here's something I've thought about. When you are in the mid-echelon, playing the upper echelon games are exciting. We got so many people that wonderful night against Nova because we hadn't beaten them in, I don't know, a bazillion years? They were always stealing our thunder! Same goes with UConn, Gtown, etc. But now WE are at the top. We've beaten these guys repeatedly. And the Big East has unraveled, the old rivalries losing their zip, and nothing to take their place. I tell you what. When we get Duke & Carolina in the Dome, we will sell out. And maybe they'll thrash us. And then we'll be so mad! REVENGE! The town is talking. People want to see it for themselves. Etc. Perhaps this is just an ironic juxtaposition of being a good team in a dying conference. Whaddya think?

 

[jordoo]

Actually, people have realized the dome atmosphere is pretty bland. Let the band play, bring back the curtain, and you'd see a big difference. Every other dome that has hosted a basketball event recognizes that they need to provide a divider of some sort to make the environment more cozy. Instead we get to look in the void and see Turning Stone ads.

Always prefered the curtain and who doesn't like a band at the game.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Always prefered the curtain and who doesn't like a band at the game.

Seconded, the curtain part that is. What was the reason for removing it? I always enjoyed that as a young kid at the games.

 

[shandeezy7]

Seconded, the curtain part that is. What was the reason for removing it? I always enjoyed that as a young kid at the games.

The reason was so that those in the lower level would be able to see the (then) newly installed video board at the opposite end of the dome.

 

[mantonio]

Hope we have a good crowd tomorrow, been pretty weak so far imo.

I don't.

I want to get in and out smoothly

 

[mantonio]

WHY is attendance down? I have wondered this all year. We have a highly rated team. I know the games are watched eagerly by thousands of people, but why don't they come? Why doesn't the administration do things to entice those students? When the students are around, the Dome is more fun to the 10th power.

It has to be the great television coverage. People have forgotten how great it is to see a game live, and instead cling to their HD TVs (and religion?).

A tangential note: for those of us in the Dome, the constant commercials are a real downer. If something exciting just happened and we go to break, instead of the band playing, we have a commercial. There is so little spontaneity! That's why I like the wave. It is so much more enthusiastic than the cheerleaders instructing different parts of the Dome to chant, "GO . . . . . . . . . . ORANGE." So . . . . . . . tedious.

The economy.

People can't afford to make as many games.

 

[BlueCurtain]

The reason was so that those in the lower level would be able to see the (then) newly installed video board at the opposite end of the dome.

Which was a moronic idea from an administration that no longer exists. They never bothered to ask anyone's opinion. And I don't recall any protest groups banging on Jake's office demanding to burn the curtain in the first place.

Or, and I know this is a crazy idea - put a video board in front of the curtain. My goodness, that would be too forward thinking.

Has anyone ever bothered to email DG about this?

 

[Eric15]

I don't.

I want to get in and out smoothly

I nominate this for worst post of the millennium. You're actually rooting for a small crowd?

Here's a strategy for never having to deal with Dome traffic: when the game ends, just relax. Don't bolt for the exits, just hang out and listen to the band play the alma mater. Then, take 20-30 minutes and grab a post-game slice of pizza at Varsity. When you're done, boom, traffic will be more or less cleared out.

 

[OttoMets]

One thing is clear: if we want better crowds, someone has to do a better job synching the basketball schedule with the existing academic calendar. (This extended Thanksgiving break experiment should end, more for academic reasons, but it'd help the gate too.) Further, students ticket packages should include these games on the end of breaks. Kids will be back tomorrow; if given the opportunity, many would attend the game. Indeed, they should be encouraged to attend the game.

What you are saying above is critical. Very smart! Do you have any pull with anyone?

As you say, the atmosphere does leave something to be desired - the introduction of ribbon boards has done nothing to help the atmosphere - there are still a ton of commercials and the powers-that-be still insist on blaring canned music rather than letting the (more popular) band play.

Ya.

You're right that television has changed things, but that only answers the question of why crowds are smaller than they were in 1993, not why they're smaller than last year.

There's not much explanation for why our 2012 Big East opener, against Seton Hall on a snowy Wednesday night, could draw 25,081 while the opener against Rutgers, exactly 53 weeks later, at the same time of day but with better weather, draws the fourth-smallest Big East crowd in a decade.

Here's something I've thought about. When you are in the mid-echelon, playing the upper echelon games are exciting. We got so many people that wonderful night against Nova because we hadn't beaten them in, I don't know, a bazillion years? They were always stealing our thunder! Same goes with UConn, Gtown, etc. But now WE are at the top. We've beaten these guys repeatedly. And the Big East has unraveled, the old rivalries losing their zip, and nothing to take their place. I tell you what. When we get Duke & Carolina in the Dome, we will sell out. And maybe they'll thrash us. And then we'll be so mad! REVENGE! The town is talking. People want to see it for themselves. Etc. Perhaps this is just an ironic juxtaposition of being a good team in a dying conference. Whaddya think?[/quote]

There's a lot to that. In two of the last three years, we've had a top team. When the rest of the field presents less of a challenge, a lot of the fanbase loses interest. (I'd still rather win every game.)

No pull here - I think the university might rather have students miss out on a higher number of games. They charge the same fee for student tickets, but they increase the number of games for which they can charge $70+ to the general public to sit in the student section.

 

[OttoMets]

The economy.

People can't afford to make as many games.

Wouldn't have any bearing in the attendance drop in the last twelve months.

 

[Eric15]

We got so many people that wonderful night against Nova because we hadn't beaten them in, I don't know, a bazillion years?

Only two. We won in Philly in 2008 with Donte Greene and company.

 

[bballbeadle]

Only two. We won in Philly in 2008 with Donte Greene and company.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Thank you! The loss I found the most egregious was Gerry's last game in the Dome. It was so emotional, and then they beat us. Damn! And then we went to DePaul and they humiliated us by 40 points, or something. The agony! And then, BE Tourney, and "not ten effin games." Talk about peaks and valleys! But I digress.