Board Administrator Email To The Athletic Department

[Ottoble]

Same idea I've said over and over. Free tickets to youth sports leagues in town. I don't think anyone who is paying would be opposed to giving the free tickets to our young people and some chaperones. Many of the inner city program kids would never get to see a game otherwise. Once again, maybe you build lifetime fans this way. Maybe one of our city very good players goes to Syracuse because they remember getting free tickets when they were young.
Another option is to give free tickets to schools to use for students who have done something special, like random acts of kindness. They get 4 tickets for their family to use. That has been used by professional teams. We once got tickets to the Knicks that way many years ago.
Either of these are not huge, but you could do a few hundred each week this way.
Good for community building also.

I like the idea that the free tickets are for good students or randomly acts of kindness in the city schools that way its a program that promotes the univeristy athletics program and helps the city schools. I will say a program like this would need to have a way to eliminate resaleability for these tickets for it to function as intended.

 

[storange]

1) Replace the benches with Stadium Seating. The bleachers are too small and uncomfortable to sit in for 3.5 hours...especially if you pay the Orange Pack Donation.
2) Learn how to use the video boards properly.

you would lose several thousand seats which wouldn't make a difference now but would if the program gets better. Also most college stadium are bench seats with the similar space alloted for each person. The dome seating is fine.

 

[xc84]

you would lose several thousand seats which wouldn't make a difference now but would if the program gets better. Also most college stadium are bench seats with the similar space alloted for each person. The dome seating is fine.

The odd thing I find about people who complain about benches being uncomfortable is that those with the most natural padding, who seemingly would be more comfortable, complain the most. I am not in that category and can honestly say I don't even think about it. I am comfortable sitting on the benches. I am not trying to be mean here but that's my observation.

 

[cpatrocks]

you would lose several thousand seats which wouldn't make a difference now but would if the program gets better. Also most college stadium are bench seats with the similar space alloted for each person. The dome seating is fine.

I respectfully disagree that the seating is fine. One of my biggest issues is that non only are we assigned a very small amount of space, but when it gets crowded (especially during BBall season) there are always some jackasses trying to push you down one way or another. Some years I have paid extra for one of those $50 padded seats just to block people from pushing down. The problem is a combination of people being too big for the space alloted and people sneaking down to sit in better seats with their friends. Sometimes the ushers help, but they can't really do much about a couple fat guys in the row. Stadium seating would solve this and would 2) Give you a place to put your coat other than having to stuff it into a garbage bag 3) give you cupholders and 4) would be much more comforable overall.

It's sad that the seating at the Carousel Mall Movie Theatres are 1,000 times more comfortable than the Dome.

Do we need Stadium Seating? No.

Would it make attending the games more pleasurable (which I think was the point of this thread)? Absolutely!

 

[IthacaMatt]

I respectfully disagree that the seating is fine. One of my biggest issues is that non only are we assigned a very small amount of space, but when it gets crowded (especially during BBall season) there are always some jackasses trying to push you down one way or another. Some years I have paid extra for one of those $50 padded seats just to block people from pushing down. The problem is a combination of people being too big for the space alloted and people sneaking down to sit in better seats with their friends.

I agree. I would also add that in the winter, people wearing big down jackets use up a lot of extra bench space, too (me being one of the guilty parties). And then of course people spill beer on your coat if you try to put it underneath your seat.

 

[xc84]

How much will it cost to put seats in? $10M,? $20M How much revenue will be lost with less seats? Or do they just raise prices (uh oh) to cover the lost revenue?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Simple solution:

SU Fan Boot Camp.

8 grueling weeks of "personal training" during the Summer to get the fanbase in shape for the upcoming season. That way we can still fit 34 people comfortably in 34 seats.

JarheadJim can supervise.

 

[IthacaMatt]

How much will it cost to put seats in? $10M,? $20M How much revenue will be lost with less seats? Or do they just raise prices (uh oh) to cover the lost revenue?

I think I read that it would take away about 4-5,000 capacity to have actual seats instead of benches.

 

[Ottoble]

I think I read that it would take away about 4-5,000 capacity to have actual seats instead of benches.

Not really a problem for football right now but that Is quite a lot when 50% of that comes into play for the basketball capacity although if the seats on the lower level were higher with the new stadium seats you could fit more risers in for "floor seats".

 

[xc84]

I think I read that it would take away about 4-5,000 capacity to have actual seats instead of benches.

That's fine. The questions I asked about that reduction still remain. New seats will cost a ton. Reduced capacity means less revenue potential from tickets unless you raise prices.

 

[storange]

That's fine. The questions I asked about that reduction still remain. New seats will cost a ton. Reduced capacity means less revenue potential from tickets unless you raise prices.

Were already a low capacity for a BCS school, bad idea to reduce it further. If SU has a 10-2 type team and were still drawing 38 k then I would think about it.

 

[xc84]

Were already a low capacity for a BCS school, bad idea to reduce it further. If SU has a 10-2 type team and were still drawing 38 k then I would think about it.

Not to mention, what problem would this solve solve? New seats are like icing on the cake. They would be a reward to fans for filling the dome week in and week out someday...maybe. We are not even close to being there. It's way down on the priority list considering the relatively large cash outlay. The university wants a return on investment and paying millions or tens of millions to add fanny padding and reduce stadium capacity is not a way to do it.

 

[Ottoble]

My thoughts from a facilities and destination standpoint.

Seating: Benches or stadium seats either way they need to be multi colorized throughout the dome to give the full effect all the time for TV and patrons. If no Stadium seats possibly seat backs for the upper deck?

Concourses: I would encourage Sheetrocking the concourses and bathrooms, putting down a nice durable floor membrane on the concrete like the one they have in Citi field which happens to be white orange and blue. Also tripling the lighting candle power in the concourses along with adding windows if possible and painting all the overhead mechanicals a single color (black?). Think a combo of the MSG renovation and the Citi field finishes. Swap out the sheet metal mens room troughs with porcelain troughs.

Food: Improving and innovating the food offerings to make the dome more of a destination include popular local faire by partnering with local restaurants and popular NYS food options (shake shack and anchor bar branded buffalo chicken strips anyone?) would really make a huge difference in making the dome a viable food destination beyond the game.

Video Boards & AV: Replay every play at least once regardless of what happens and really multiple times from multiple angles. The dome should have the best in video equipment including multiple angles and the fly over cam that they have at MNF, partner with Newhouse to get the equipment and use it as a teaching tool for TRF. Make a deal with ESPN or ESPN goal line to show highlights of other games on the video boards during TV timeouts.

Sound/Home field advantage: Commission a sound engineer to determine how to make the dome even louder in both football and basketball setups with acoustical panels etc. Also figure out which sections of the dome make the most noise on what part of the field due to sound reflection so those sections can be called to make lots of noise on the video boards. Maximize home field advantage. Seattle built their football stadium with the intent of it being as loud as possible and guess what, it is. This is likely cheaper than it sounds as it is already very noisy when the dome is rocking.

All of these items are the present and future of Stadium design. Their order of importance IMHO is as listed (with replaying every down being higher importance than listed due to the other AV info) but I think they all should go in.

 

[cpatrocks]

They don't have to change all the seats...start with Prefferred Season Ticket Holders (A B C and D). These season ticket holders are already paying a bundle and would probably pay more to sit in a real seat.

 

[xc84]

Ok...since we are going in that direction,

• Free food and beer delivered to your seats (season ticket holders only)
• Bikini-clad young nymphs who provide free massages (until at least the start of the second half)
• Seats that recline with footrests
• Personal assistants
• Put the field on a turntable so it rotates 360 degrees.
  
• Pipes under the seats of opposing team's fans that emit variable foul odors
  
• Topless cheerleaders
• Air conditioning
• A fresh coat of orange paint on all railings

 

[Lawrinson14]

(this may come off as harsh, but I am giving my professional opinion here)

Most of the posts in this thread, while interesting, are merely band-aids for two larger, more pressing issues.

1: Winning. This is a given.

2: The football teams' complete and utter lack of an identity.

When dealing with a product, team, etc, the most important thing is what consumers immediately and almost subconsciously associate with it (feelings, thoughts, objects, symbols, etc).

And while most of you on this board probably have some personal memory or connection that springs to life at the sheer mention of SU Football, for the majority of casual fans the only thing associated with it is losing and...that's about it.

Yes, we have made some progress in the past few years, but to the casual fan, Syracuse's lifetime of success was destroyed by GROB. DESTROYED.

On the field, there is currently nothing unique or interesting about SU football. Nothing. We don't have a nationally known player. We don't have a name brand coach. We have no memorable offensive scheme like a Georgia Tech. We don't have the mystique of a Notre Dame, Army, or Navy. Hell, we had the number 44 and even that was effectively removed.

In essence, Syracuse football is just noise in the cluttered, games-on-10-different-channels-simultaneously world that we live in today. Opposing fans look at Syracuse on the schedule just as we on the basketball side look at a Seton Hall.

The whole gameday experience only exacerbates this phenomenon. What does SU do before, during, and after games that helps it to create a feeling, a "vibe" if you will, that people can positively associate with SU football? The answer is nothing.

Syracuse football is currently brown sugar water. There are plenty of more appealing options to quench your thirst out there.

However, what Syracuse needs is a massive program-wide face lift to turn this brown sugar water into a verifiable Coca-Cola.

 

[xc84]

(this may come off as harsh, but I am giving my professional opinion here)

Most of the posts in this thread, while interesting, are merely band-aids for two larger, more pressing issues.

1: Winning. This is a given.

2: The football teams' complete and utter lack of an identity.

When dealing with a product, team, etc, the most important thing is what consumers immediately and almost subconsciously associate with it (feelings, thoughts, objects, symbols, etc).

And while most of you on this board probably have some personal memory or connection that springs to life at the sheer mention of SU Football, for the majority of casual fans the only thing associated with it is losing and...that's about it.

Yes, we have made some progress in the past few years, but to the casual fan, Syracuse's lifetime of success was destroyed by GROB. DESTROYED.

On the field, there is currently nothing unique or interesting about SU football. Nothing. We don't have a nationally known player. We don't have a name brand coach. We have no memorable offensive scheme like a Georgia Tech. We don't have the mystique of a Notre Dame, Army, or Navy. Hell, we had the number 44 and even that was effectively removed.

In essence, Syracuse football is just noise in the cluttered, games-on-10-different-channels-simultaneously world that we live in today. Opposing fans look at Syracuse on the schedule just as we on the basketball side look at a Seton Hall.

The whole gameday experience only exacerbates this phenomenon. What does SU do before, during, and after games that helps it to create a feeling, a "vibe" if you will, that people can positively associate with SU football? The answer is nothing.

Syracuse football is currently brown sugar water. There are plenty of more appealing options to quench your thirst out there.

However, what Syracuse needs is a massive program-wide face lift to turn this brown sugar water into a verifiable Coca-Cola.

Nice post. And many of the things under #2 you note probably would not require major cash outlays.

 

[rrlbees]

Yes, we have made some progress in the past few years, but to the casual fan, Syracuse's lifetime of success was destroyed by GROB. DESTROYED.

Garbage. Every program, even the very best have down periods. Every one of them. If the program was destroyed how the heck did we go to a bowl 2 years after he left? We be had other down periods too, must be we've bounced back before.

There's a lot more going on than just what a 4 year record was. It's not as simple as you want to make it.


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[Lawrinson14]

Garbage. Every program, even the very best have down periods. Every one of them. If the program was destroyed how the heck did we go to a bowl 2 years after he left? We be had other down periods too, must be we've bounced back before.

There's a lot more going on than just what a 4 year record was. It's not as simple as you want to make it.

Sorry...I should have spelled it out more clearly. The teams ability to win games on the field was not completely destroyed. Rather, the casual fans's perception of SU was destroyed.

 

[rrlbees]

Sorry...I should have spelled it out more clearly. The teams ability to win games on the field was not completely destroyed. Rather, the casual fans's perception of SU was destroyed.

The casual fans perception started to be destroyed when they were told to get a life, then came epic 60-0 loses on national TV, then the infighting between Jake and Cantor and then Cantor, the board and Gross and what to do with P, websites calling for his firing, his eventual firing, the Grob years, the lack of $$$ which led us to $75+ seats on the sidelines got the casual fan, a 9 game BCS losing streak, starting every season against good teams which result in too many bad starts and about 99 other things SU has or hasn't done to attract fans. Picking any one alone is having narrow vision.


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[KaiserUEO]

the epic losses stuff i always found comical.

that really bothered people?? screw them then.

who gives a flying . it counts as 1 slash in the L column.

get over it. the players and staff do.

good lord.

 

[Lawrinson14]

The casual fans perception started to be destroyed when they were told to get a life, then came epic 60-0 loses on national TV, then the infighting between Jake and Cantor and then Cantor, the board and Gross and what to do with P, websites calling for his firing, his eventual firing, the Grob years, the lack of $$$ which led us to $75+ seats on the sidelines got the casual fan, a 9 game BCS losing streak, starting every season against good teams which result in too many bad starts and about 99 other things SU has or hasn't done to attract fans. Picking any one alone is having narrow vision.

No one under the age of 25 even cares/knows about this. Although I see what you are saying.

 

[xc84]

The casual fans perception started to be destroyed when they were told to get a life, then came epic 60-0 loses on national TV, then the infighting between Jake and Cantor and then Cantor, the board and Gross and what to do with P, websites calling for his firing, his eventual firing, the Grob years, the lack of $$$ which led us to $75+ seats on the sidelines got the casual fan, a 9 game BCS losing streak, starting every season against good teams which result in too many bad starts and about 99 other things SU has or hasn't done to attract fans. Picking any one alone is having narrow vision.

I think some diehard fan were upset about the chancellor saying "get a life". I don't think the casual fans cared at all. That's why they are casual fans.

Look at your own personal life," Shaw said. "You go to work. Some days, you really achieve at a level you're capable. Some days, it's like having a career day and some days you might as well have stayed at home. All of a sudden, you look at the football team and they're never supposed to have one of those days? Let's join the human race and get a life."

Not sure if it makes me a lackluster fan but I didn't lose any sleep over it.

 

[Marsh01]

I know we all have issues with the poor attendance at the football games which is due in large part to the pricing structure of tickets, marketing, etc. I think it would be great if the board administrators compiled a list of ideas from all the fans on this site on how to better market the football team/sell tickets and send the list to AD Gross and Marc Donabella (AD for Marketing).

Instead of complaining about the Met Life game, lack of advertisements, ticket prices, etc. let's have the die hard football fans from Syracusefan.Com provide them with some creative ideas that have been used successfully by other college and professional teams.

win games.

 

[bnoro]

On the field, there is currently nothing unique or interesting about SU football. Nothing. We don't have a nationally known player. We don't have a name brand coach. We have no memorable offensive scheme like a Georgia Tech. We don't have the mystique of a Notre Dame, Army, or Navy. Hell, we had the number 44 and even that was effectively removed.

if we ran the wishbone people would stop coming altogether. no excitement.