Student attendance

[Cheriehoop]

Yea, those are resales. People selling their seats.

Using prices as an excuse - I just don’t see it. As you said, other than a Duke like game - available ticket prices hasn’t been an issue for basketball.

 

[Macky44]

It's all about promotions today. Why do you think every MLB team has a bat day and a cap day? And why do stores run special events? And why do other businesses give things to people who open new accounts? Why do restaurants run "happy hours" during otherwise slow times between lunch and dinner?

It's all about attracting bodies ... that's why. It's called marketing. People respond to the opportunity to get a little something extra for their bucks.

That's how you attract fringe people, not die hards. This is why tbe student section has been a joke since the early 90s. I don't need a Floyd Little bobblehead to get me to come to a Cuse/colgate game.

 

[Macky44]

I don't buy the "cost-keeps-them-away" argument. A combined football/basketballl season ticket package is $220. That works out to about $8.50 a game. They pay more than that for a beer or a pizza on a regular basis.

75% of them have that much in quarters between the seats of their Mercedes benz.

 

[Red Holzman]

75% of them have that much in quarters between the seats of their Mercedes benz.

Oh Daddy, won't you Buy me a Mercedes Benz
My friends all drive Porsches
I must make amends

Studied hard all my lifetime
No help from my friends
So Daddy, won't you
Buy me a Mercedes Benz!

apologies to Janis...

 

[Newhouser]

Does anyone know how the non-student attendance has been this year? Not tickets sold but people actually going? I know some season ticket holders who hadn't attended a game until PITT because the previous years teams were boring.

I think previous years style, some crazy start times and low expectations are just starting to get shrugged off as the public is starting to embrace the team, the style of play and frankly the athletes.

 

[kirbivore]

Why be behind the curve and one of the last to do it? They pay enough in tuition.

behind the curve is the SU way

 

[kirbivore]

Getting season tickets is usually a better deal than single game tickets. Now after the winning streak the secondary market has skyrocketed. I expect it to get worse for Duke when we beat Clemson Tuesday.

That means the dreadful threads of sob stories begging for free tickets

 

[OttoMets]

You realize sports teams have departments dedicated to building pricing models, right? There's a reason the prices are set at what they are. The demand is there, and even if you can't afford it, it doesn't mean that others can't.

But we know it's a lot more nuanced than that - pricing models are developed in the context of historic demand, likely future demand, desire not to devalue the product, secondary market behavior, and a million other variables - not least, in the case of SU and a lot of other organizations, the desire to incentivize the purchase of season tickets.

These things weren't considered back in the Stone Ages. The change (on its face, higher asking prices and fewer butts in the seats) has taken some getting used to.

 

[Red Holzman]

I think previous years style, some crazy start times and low expectations are just starting to get shrugged off as the public is starting to embrace the team, the style of play and frankly the athletes.

With you there Newhouser-
Lots more moxie on this win streak, banging inside, rebounding, getting after it on D, etc.
Some players (ie: Q) figuring it out, and SU playing more like a team.
Watching a team develop is fun, and until 5 games ago this team looked stuck in the mud.
Watching SU had begun to feel like an assignment -stopped looking forward to it as much.
Even if SU had lost a couple of the last 5 games, they are FUN to watch again!

 

[cliftonparksufan]

behind the curve is the SU way

I don't think anyone knows if free tickets are the key to students attending or not but if it is important to the school do incentives. Back in the day my fraternity won a kegorator one year and a TV another year. I know things are different but it depends whats important to the school. Do they want and/or need a full student section each game because if they do that can be accomplished real easy.

 

[DaCuse]

75% of them have that much in quarters between the seats of their Mercedes benz.

I drove a Camaro ZL1 lol

 

[rrlbees]

Why be behind the curve and one of the last to do it? They pay enough in tuition.

behind the curve is the SU way

You guys sure we’re behind the times? Lot of snark too. Schools do things differently but we aren’t behind the times because we don’t give away free tix to students. Many schools charge, basketball and/or football.

A quick check shows Clemson football does season tix for the better seats and then they have a lottery for the others if you pay an activity fee. For basketball Clemson is free except they give some priority for a membership fee. Penn St charges for all games basketball and football. BC football and basketball allows you to buy a pass that gets you into any BC sporting event. Rutgers lets students in for free for basketball but charges for football.

Many schools charge all students an activity fee and then allow students in for free to athletic events.

 

[Rocco]

I understand it, too, but they are missing out. There is nothing like cheering on your team with 15 or 25 or 30,000 fellow fans. The energy is intoxicating! Who needs alcohol? (Ha!) I love everything about attending the games. I love the walk up and back. I love the people I sit with. I love I get to spend time with my daughter. I love the frenzy and noise when the Dome gets going. I love that I get to feel like I’m DOING SOMETHING to help the team, rather than twitching on the sofa watching an away game and making sounds like a dying chicken.

The Dome is hard to get to, the weather often sucks, and the games are expensive. I understand all the reasons people don’t go. But for me, I feel lucky I can.

I agree 100% with all of this. I prefer alcohol, though.

Being in attendance at a big game is truly incredible. The anticipation during warm-ups, the roller-coaster ride of emotions during the game and the memories you get to make with those who you're with is something I greatly cherish.

 

[Moontan]

I agree 100% with all of this. I prefer alcohol, though.

Fortunately, the Dome has always offered both.

 

[Consigliere]

Well if their choice is beer and pizza or going to a game many will pick the former. You really should not expect otherwise. Most students,


I do not believe are exactly flush with excess cash, and those who are usually care not about sports.

That's the truth. I am sure drop in attendance by students is not caused by a single issue, but you need to attack that issue on several fronts, assuming you have any desire to change that scenario. I fail to see where SU has attempted to effect a change in this in any way, and in fact has contributed to it in several ways. That is just my opinion.
Someone else said they doubt cost is an issue, and it certainly would not be for most of us, however our situations are much different than the average students. I think if you are talking about getting the numbers back up cost is definitely an issue for them.

I am sure there are some students who consider cost a barrier, but once again, if half the students who buy the season ticket package showed up for every game there would be no discussion here.

And I have been involved in discussion groups with student representation to talk about the barriers to student attendance. Cost does not make the top ten of reasons cited.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I am sure there are some students who consider cost a barrier, but once again, if half the students who buy the season ticket package showed up for every game there would be no discussion here.

And I have been involved in discussion groups with student representation to talk about the barriers to student attendance. Cost does not make the top ten of reasons cited.

What's the top five? And what has the school done to combat it?

 

[4the Dubbz]

It's really sad. We are playing exciting basketball, and we have a very likable team (really nice kids and no bad actors).

The recent attendance "promotions" (such as today's baby race) are of zero interest to the students. I hope the marketing department (which really has gotten much better since the arrival of Andrew Goodrich) can come up with some ideas to get more students there.

They should do keg stand races.

 

[Consigliere]

What's the top five? And what has the school done to combat it?

More fun to watch the games at parties
Most can't drink in the Dome
Those who can drink, can't drink free.
Walk from frat row is too long. Need shuttle buses
Simple lack of interest. Strong turnout during freshman year but renewal rate has been abyssmal.
Game times. Kids hate nooners. Weeknights are at the mercy of study time, particularly at exam times.

-Syracuse was the first in the nation to roll out a student rewards program in partnership with SideArm. Student program is the predecessor to the Fan Rewards applet and includes more activities and more lucrative rewards.
-Student engagement has been a focus with a dedicated fan experience rep and the extension of Cuse Council from a handful of student reps to a separate student only forum
- Introduced a four year option for athletics last year. Basically you prepay for first three years, get fourth free.
- Several initiatives through Greek Council to build a competitive environment between houses for attendance and support
- I know that representatives from the AD's office, including Wildhack himself have met with various student groups. I believe Dino actually attended one of these sessions last season.

I wonder to what degree the boycott before the holidays has had on January attendance. Did some find other avenues for social interaction and entertainment were more desirable than coming to games? Will be interesting to see the turnout for Saturday.

 

[SUbear]

More fun to watch the games at parties
Most can't drink in the Dome
Those who can drink, can't drink free.
Walk from frat row is too long. Need shuttle buses
Simple lack of interest. Strong turnout during freshman year but renewal rate has been abyssmal.
Game times. Kids hate nooners. Weeknights are at the mercy of study time, particularly at exam times.

-Syracuse was the first in the nation to roll out a student rewards program in partnership with SideArm. Student program is the predecessor to the Fan Rewards applet and includes more activities and more lucrative rewards.
-Student engagement has been a focus with a dedicated fan experience rep and the extension of Cuse Council from a handful of student reps to a separate student only forum
- Introduced a four year option for athletics last year. Basically you prepay for first three years, get fourth free.
- Several initiatives through Greek Council to build a competitive environment between houses for attendance and support
- I know that representatives from the AD's office, including Wildhack himself have met with various student groups. I believe Dino actually attended one of these sessions last season.

I wonder to what degree the boycott before the holidays has had on January attendance. Did some find other avenues for social interaction and entertainment were more desirable than coming to games? Will be interesting to see the turnout for Saturday.

All cogent reasons for lack of attendance, perhaps this will just be the way it is moving forward. Thanks for your knowledgable input.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Lazy!

 

[Stevenson]

More fun to watch the games at parties
Most can't drink in the Dome
Those who can drink, can't drink free.
Walk from frat row is too long. Need shuttle buses
Simple lack of interest. Strong turnout during freshman year but renewal rate has been abyssmal.
Game times. Kids hate nooners. Weeknights are at the mercy of study time, particularly at exam times.

-Syracuse was the first in the nation to roll out a student rewards program in partnership with SideArm. Student program is the predecessor to the Fan Rewards applet and includes more activities and more lucrative rewards.
-Student engagement has been a focus with a dedicated fan experience rep and the extension of Cuse Council from a handful of student reps to a separate student only forum
- Introduced a four year option for athletics last year. Basically you prepay for first three years, get fourth free.
- Several initiatives through Greek Council to build a competitive environment between houses for attendance and support
- I know that representatives from the AD's office, including Wildhack himself have met with various student groups. I believe Dino actually attended one of these sessions last season.

I wonder to what degree the boycott before the holidays has had on January attendance. Did some find other avenues for social interaction and entertainment were more desirable than coming to games? Will be interesting to see the turnout for Saturday.

All good points. I think they need assigned seating for the die hards, and general admission for the other students.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

All good points. I think they need assigned seating for the die hards, and general admission for the other students.

Maybe the students that want to pay get to sit in the 1st ten rows or whatever and then after that first come first served.

 

[Cuse#1]

In my opinion I think the students should definitely get it for free for a couple of reasons, big reasons! Number one they add to the atmosphere that you want to have because we all know that place and get pretty quiet sometimes even with like 20,000 people in that building and that’s not really a good thing to see for potential recruits or even inspiring the players.
2- The more student should get in there early probably need money they’re going to make up just on food alone. We all know how expensive the food is there and drinks and from what I read on this post a lot of students aren’t showing up so give it a shot.
I mean I say were the number one word top five party school in the country well let’s have that party you know during home games for us you in football make it very difficult to win this building! I mean frankly that’s what in the end result that’s what we want. I would like to have another 50 to 59 game win streak like we had an a manly Fieldhouse days

 

[JoeySimz]

Does no one type anymore? Do they just get drunk, hit record and skip the punctuation part?

 

[bnoro]

In my opinion I think the students should definitely get it for free for a couple of reasons, big reasons! Number one they add to the atmosphere that you want to have because we all know that place and get pretty quiet sometimes even with like 20,000 people in that building and that’s not really a good thing to see for potential recruits or even inspiring the players.
2- The more student should get in there early probably need money they’re going to make up just on food alone. We all know how expensive the food is there and drinks and from what I read on this post a lot of students aren’t showing up so give it a shot.
I mean I say were the number one word top five party school in the country well let’s have that party you know during home games for us you in football make it very difficult to win this building! I mean frankly that’s what in the end result that’s what we want. I would like to have another 50 to 59 game win streak like we had an a manly Fieldhouse days

Unfortunately your opinion is just that.

Free tickets do not change attendance behavior, especially across a full season. This has been tested and has failed before. Outside of the big games, you're going to have the same issues, and if kids don't pay, then there's absolutely no obligation for them to go. At least with a minimum fee the ones that want to be there are going to show up.

As for your second point, as a student, I never purchased anything in the Carrier Dome outside of a beer when I turned 21, most students will not be purchasing concessions there either. Most will eat before, or sneak something in. &B also doesn't all go to SU, so the AD would lose money on that proposition.