"The Dome roof"

[GoSU96]

Yep

The most successful professional athlete that has come out of SU recently is a soccer goalie.

 

[shandeezy7]

The most successful professional athlete that has come out of SU recently is a soccer goalie.

I guess that depends on how you define success. His 2017 Toronto FC salary was $70,000 (I know he'll be making more if he heads to Europe). To put that in perspective, each of our first round NBA draft picks in the past five years made $70,000 in the first month - or less - of their contract.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Yeah, but I've been going to games for 25 years and no matter how good the team was, student involvement has been lackluster at best.

Maybe kids growing up in the Northeast just don't like college football. I don't know and it doesn't really matter. It's not accurate to say that SU has a great student fanbase for football, latent or otherwise.

I was on the hill in the early to mid aughts and student attendance for basketball was always great. You had to be there an hour early just to ensure you got into the first level and often times the second level filled up.

Football started out the same way until we got worse and worse. Attendance started to go with it.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I am not sure the fire laws allow for grills in the dome. At least that was the case originally.

grills in this instance = flat tops.

 

[TexanMark]

I was on the hill in the early to mid aughts and student attendance for basketball was always great. You had to be there an hour early just to ensure you got into the first level and often times the second level filled up.

Football started out the same way until we got worse and worse. Attendance started to go with it.

Our basketball student fan base is very solid...but it has dropped off too. (out of Top 10, changing student demographics, smartphones). I'm not worried about hoops as much...20k is 20k, I can't speak for actual student numbers...as I don't attend too many basketball games in person...it just feels like it has dropped in numbers.

I've been there for many football games. To call the students a great fanbase (by Bnoro) is a wild overstatement. You can make excuses for losing seasons...but my eyeballs don't lie. The students are all about the big events and are front runners. I do agree with Bayside to a point...winning will bring back the student fan base and casual CNY local fan but Syracuse does not have great Football fans...basketball is another story.

Dino has seen it...we need the students and locals to show up. It is hard to recruit when the stadium is half full and lacking energy. We don't have a bunch of bluechip recruits within 3 hours of Syracuse like other schools do and want to play for old state U. Win and they will come...yes...but we need some belief without evidence. Something needs to change to get the students to show up in larger numbers.

 

[cusefan88]

Our basketball student fan base is very solid...but it has dropped off too. (out of Top 10, changing student demographics, smartphones). I'm not worried about hoops as much...20k is 20k, I can't speak for actual student numbers...as I don't attend too many basketball games in person...it just feels like it has dropped in numbers.

I've been there for many football games. To call the students a great fanbase (by Bnoro) is a wild overstatement. You can make excuses for losing seasons...but my eyeballs don't lie. The students are all about the big events and are front runners. I do agree with Bayside to a point...winning will bring back the student fan base and casual CNY local fan but Syracuse does not have great Football fans...basketball is another story.

Dino has seen it...we need the students and locals to show up. It is hard to recruit when the stadium is half full and lacking energy. We don't have a bunch of bluechip recruits within 3 hours of Syracuse like other schools do and want to play for old state U. Win and they will come...yes...but we need some belief without evidence. Something needs to change to get the students to show up in larger numbers.

they should make football free for students. and give them something if they stay till the 4th quarter.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

Something needs to change to get the students to show up in larger numbers.

Short of relocating the university to the Metroplex or importing 10,000 Texas families to CNY I have no idea what that something might be. We are hoping for a cultural change that may well be wishful thinking.

 

[TexanMark]

they should make football free for students. and give them something if they stay till the 4th quarter.

I hate bribery...but it works.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Our basketball student fan base is very solid...but it has dropped off too. (out of Top 10, changing student demographics, smartphones). I'm not worried about hoops as much...20k is 20k, I can't speak for actual student numbers...as I don't attend too many basketball games in person...it just feels like it has dropped in numbers.

I've been there for many football games. To call the students a great fanbase (by Bnoro) is a wild overstatement. You can make excuses for losing seasons...but my eyeballs don't lie. The students are all about the big events and are front runners. I do agree with Bayside to a point...winning will bring back the student fan base and casual CNY local fan but Syracuse does not have great Football fans...basketball is another story.

Dino has seen it...we need the students and locals to show up. It is hard to recruit when the stadium is half full and lacking energy. We don't have a bunch of bluechip recruits within 3 hours of Syracuse like other schools do and want to play for old state U. Win and they will come...yes...but we need some belief without evidence. Something needs to change to get the students to show up in larger numbers.

I don't think Syracuse is the only school that struggles with football attendance. Pretty sure it was down across the board. Ours was down considerably already so it seems exacerbated. People today have a hard time concentrating on things for long periods of time. Football games taking 4 hours can be filled up with a lot of other activities. I watch road games at my house and can still do things around it while I am watching the game.

 

[TexanMark]

I don't think Syracuse is the only school that struggles with football attendance. Pretty sure it was down across the board. Ours was down considerably already so it seems exacerbated. People today have a hard time concentrating on things for long periods of time. Football games taking 4 hours can be filled up with a lot of other activities. I watch road games at my house and can still do things around it while I am watching the game.

I agree...Football games have to get back to 3 hours.

 

[Consigliere]

they should make football free for students. and give them something if they stay till the 4th quarter.

If half of the students who purchase season tickets showed up for every game we wouldn't even be discussing this. If we hand ALL students free season tickets you'll have more empty seats in the student section. Sitting in the Dome on a nice fall afternoon simply isn't high on the priority list for today's students.

 

[blizz]

If we hand ALL students free season tickets you'll have more empty seats in the student section.

I'm sorry, I'm not following the argument on this one...

 

[Moontan]

I'm sorry, I'm not following the argument on this one...

If you allocate a seat for each registered student and they don’t show then that’s 20,000 empty seats.

Most schools which offer “free” seats don’t operate that way, however. They set aside a block of seats and students request them for the game during the previous few days. When they’re gone, they’re gone.

 

[Consigliere]

If you allocate a seat for each registered student and they don’t show then that’s 20,000 empty seats.

Most schools which offer “free” seats don’t operate that way, however. They set aside a block of seats and students request them for the game during the previous few days. When they’re gone, they’re gone.

Right. But if you pick up a free ticket on Friday, go to a pre game tailgate party with your friends on a sunny Saturday afternoon with free beer and most of your friends decide that having that free ticket in your pocket is less enticing than staying at the party you are probably not going to leave them all behind and go to the Dome.
Hell, if we cannot get students who pay for tickets to come to games what makes us think that handing out free tickets will solve it.

 

[RandomGuy]

Right. But if you pick up a free ticket on Friday, go to a pre game tailgate party with your friends on a sunny Saturday afternoon with free beer and most of your friends decide that having that free ticket in your pocket is less enticing than staying at the party you are probably not going to leave them all behind and go to the Dome.
Hell, if we cannot get students who pay for tickets to come to games what makes us think that handing out free tickets will solve it.

The answer is free beer. It always is.

 

[Jake]

The answer is free beer. It always is.

Or at least the ability to drink double fisted. I understand the reason why there are limits...but those limits reduce the appeal to many students.

 

[blizz]

If you allocate a seat for each registered student and they don’t show then that’s 20,000 empty seats.

That's a very literal interpretation of a free ticket policy.

Right. But if you pick up a free ticket on Friday, go to a pre game tailgate party with your friends on a sunny Saturday afternoon with free beer and most of your friends decide that having that free ticket in your pocket is less enticing than staying at the party you are probably not going to leave them all behind and go to the Dome.
Hell, if we cannot get students who pay for tickets to come to games what makes us think that handing out free tickets will solve it.

Your second point here is substantive, and I get more where you're coming from.

Guys, I want to be real careful here, because I respect both of your opinions and continued contributions to this board.
You guys both seem to be conflating your experiences with what a typical student will value or consider a priority today. I don't want to make it sound like that's wrong. First, because I would be full of crap if I were to sit here and pretend like I knew what the solution was. However, with regard to attendance at SU football games, and specifically how the students on campus fit into increasing it and contributing to a better atmosphere, I think all those considerations miss the point. It's not that complicated. There's alot of bare aluminum at nearly every game. The students don't show, and when they do, they often don't stay. The majority of them are clearly not engaged with a significant part of the typical college experience. We've all beat the litany of reasons to death on this board. The point I keep coming back to is why make it more difficult for a student to attend a game? How much revenue is lost by giving them free admission to every game? If they're already not coming, can it be that much? Someone made the point earlier, even if the entire student population showed up, they still wouldn't come close to filling up all the empty seats. So why not, at a minimum, remove the most obvious barrier to attendance.
I think allocating a seat for every student would be foolish and approaching a policy in that manner would obviously lead to lower attendance and lost revenue. Instead I think allowing students entry with a voucher system that gives them claim to an unsold seat would be the way to go. So the capacity of the student section plus the number of unsold seats would determine how many students you allow in at any given time. Just my 2...ok maybe 1...cent.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I am not sure the fire laws allow for grills in the dome. At least that was the case originally.

Didn't think of that, but it could be an issue with the density of the air.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Aha, an important point of correction here. 'Dome Dogs' used to be a brand called Tobin's First Prize (made in Albany, I believe). They were a ridiculously salty skinless hot dog that was way better suited to being prepared steamed than the Hofmann dogs with natural casings. (I think they were pretty good.) In 1997 SU responded to Hofmanns' popularity and introduced the local dog and began to phase out the originals. I don't know when they disappeared from the Dome entirely, but I was able to buy Tobin's at Stop & Shops and Hannafords in the Hudson Valley until 4 or 5 years ago. Now they appear not to exist at all.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that SU sometimes makes snap decisions without the ability to follow through. If you've only got the equipment and manpower to steam hot dogs, don't switch to a product that's completely gross if it isn't grilled.

I think you mean Snappy Griller decisions.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Hi - ticket experience here - free tickets stink. They always have and they always will. If you're saying this ticket has no value - the recipient will not put any value into it either. Free tickets are great for underprivileged groups and organizations. Students don't love the idea of spending 4 hours inside on some of the very few nice weekends they have while they're here. Winning can sway some, incentives can sway some, but I've said forever when you have something extremely popular (SU Basketball) it needs to be leveraged. Those on the hill are too afraid to try anything out of the box. Just the way it is

 

[Consigliere]

Hi - ticket experience here - free tickets stink. They always have and they always will. If you're saying this ticket has no value - the recipient will not put any value into it either. Free tickets are great for underprivileged groups and organizations. Students don't love the idea of spending 4 hours inside on some of the very few nice weekends they have while they're here. Winning can sway some, incentives can sway some, but I've said forever when you have something extremely popular (SU Basketball) it needs to be leveraged. Those on the hill are too afraid to try anything out of the box. Just the way it is

Agree with all but the last two sentences. Stay tuned...

 

[AZOrange]

Hi - ticket experience here - free tickets stink. They always have and they always will. If you're saying this ticket has no value - the recipient will not put any value into it either. Free tickets are great for underprivileged groups and organizations. Students don't love the idea of spending 4 hours inside on some of the very few nice weekends they have while they're here. Winning can sway some, incentives can sway some, but I've said forever when you have something extremely popular (SU Basketball) it needs to be leveraged. Those on the hill are too afraid to try anything out of the box. Just the way it is

The notion of a “college student” is changing dramatically from what it was 20, 40, 50 years ago. Technology, among other things, has changed everything. And there’s no going back. Large venue sports gatherings are a dinosaur.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Agree with all but the last two sentences. Stay tuned...

Haha I've been barking up this tree for a while. Brought numerous examples on why it can work ... I look forward to a vast change on how they do student tickets/experiences.

To edit those last two sentences. Those on the hill HAVE been afraid to try anything out of the box. Hopeful a change is coming

 

[RandomGuy]

Think I read, that nationally, attendance is down 3%. Student attendance is down 7%. It's not just a Cuse issue.

 

[LAOrange]

Think I read, that nationally, attendance is down 3%. Student attendance is down 7%. It's not just a Cuse issue.

I didn't read any of the previous 26 pages in this thread, so I apologize if I'm repetitious. Winning will solve everything. Winning = TV = new fans = attendance = money = new facilities. Students don't go to the games because we don't win. They don't have decades of loyalty to get them through the losing seasons.