Where are all the Syracuse Women's basketball Fans? | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

Where are all the Syracuse Women's basketball Fans?

KellySyracuse said:
there is free parking in the lots around the dome and in the garage for women's games
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Thanks. Can you walk up to a game and pay or do you need go through the ticketmaster thing. I have football season tickets and haven't gone to any single game events in a while.
 
cayugacuse said:
Thanks. Can you walk up to a game and pay or do you need go through the ticketmaster thing. I have football season tickets and haven't gone to any single game events in a while.
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the box office is open inside the main gate which I think is Gate B, the one where you have to walk up the stairs, above the lower stadium team/equipment entrance.
 
We're out there! Me and my parents watched almost every women's game on TV and streaming last year, and me and my younger sister made the trek down to Storrs for the first round game vs Arizona. We live in Vermont so going to home games regularly just isn't possible, but I try to support the team when I can. They're just more fun to watch than the men's team, the passing is better, and they look more like a team and less like a collection of players.

The ACC is sleeping way too hard on them, they weren't as reliant on Fair and Latham as the wider NCAAW world seems to think. If I'm right and they can sustain their success, I hope they'll start drawing larger crowds.
 
orangenauburn said:
2000 people in the cavernous dome makes the optics bad

Too bad there isn't a 2500 seat facility they could use for the women's team and some of the Olympic sports
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Womens' Building gym seats about 3000. Volleyball team plays there. Not big enough for womens' basketball once we get into conference games. And I imagine the attraction of playing in the Dome has a recruiting value, even if fairly empty. I know women's lacrosse sees it as a plus.
 
Dr. Bill said:
This is A Syracuse Women's Basketball thread, yet, there are very few posts about Women's Basketball on here! Where are all the fans who are passionate about Women's Basketball ? I continue to try to help raise the awareness that we have two hoops teams on this campus and they both need our support. I live in South Carolina and get up to Columbia to see my home girl Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks play as often as possible. Every game is sold out! When Dawn's team plays, it is a must see event. Yes, it is easy to say...the fans are coming because they are winning! It wasn't always that way, she built that program into a winner. Coach Jack is trying to do the same thing here at Syracuse...and she is the one who can do it, but she needs our help! Steps we can take:

1A: Come out to the games and support the team with your presence. They need to see us and hear us in the stands!
1B: They are in desperate need of our Financial Support! There are multiple ways you can do this! Everyone can't write a check for a million dollars, but everyone is capable of donating whatever you feel comfortable giving to the Coach's Fund. This money can be used by the team to support vital activities necessary to support
the players and team that fall outside of the existing budget. NIL and collective financial support is huge as it relates to recruiting players now. Look at the state of
our current recruiting, we are not even in the conversation with players who would normally be interested in the Cuse, but because we can't match the money other
schools are offering, top players are cancelling campus visits. Look at our current roster, and next year's potential roster, notice something? We have a huge gap
at Center. We have not recruited a 6-4 to 6-5 post player in the past two recruiting cycles, with the exception of one player from Greece, who was not quite ready
for ACC play. Outstanding players right in our backyard, are not even interested in talking to us after the money conversation ends. This is a huge problem.
Some posters are blaming this on the staff and insinuating about their recruiting chops, and that is similar to the proverbial dog barking up the wrong tree.

2. Demand better media coverage of the team. Why are there so few articles or coverage of the women's team? I have asked this question before and a prominent
Syracuse media personality responded with the fact that when the number of looks are evaluated for Syracuse Women's basketball articles, there are not enough
people even reading the articles, which I find to be very sad.

Women's College basketball is experiencing a huge resurgence in interest and TV viewership and We are a part of that wonderful sport, but for us to capitalize
on this trend, we have to strike while the iron is hot. Come out to the games is a very easy ask to fulfill. We have a very exciting team, the games are fun and as good as any men's game you will ever watch. Support the team with your financial gifts. Our young women need you!
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Kudos for speaking out and trying to get some interest in the womens team.

The answer to your question however isn't one your gonna like. The issue is there just aren't that many SU womens bball fans in general. A majority of the overall SU fanbase including diehards just don't have much interest in womens bball or really interest in most sports outside of fooball, bball and to a lesser extent Mens lax. The womens game just doesn't move the needle for a lot of people and that's just not for bball. Look at womens lax when they play double headers with the men. The men will easily draw 5-6K for a weekend or fri night matchup for a cupcake opponent, the womens team will draw about 1K people.

Syracuse tried to help things out by moving their games to the Dome but the optics as someone pointed out above are bad when the place is 90% empty. The lack of media coverage question you kind of answered yourself, the interest just isn't there to justify the additional coverage.

NIL has exacerbated this as most of the donors and big NIL groups are pouring money into fball, mens bball and lax. I cetainly think SU wants to support the program but the fanbase has made it clear those three sports are the ones that move the needle so that's where SU's resources are going to go. Coach Jack definitely needs more NIL at her disposal to help recruiting but to be honest without a wealthy alumni or former player to make that happen she's gonna have a tough road ahead.
 
Consigliere said:
Womens' Building gym seats about 3000. Volleyball team plays there. Not big enough for womens' basketball once we get into conference games. And I imagine the attraction of playing in the Dome has a recruiting value, even if fairly empty. I know women's lacrosse sees it as a plus.
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also for women’s lax, players and fans don't have to be outside during Feb, March and April. Lax season literally starts in the dead of winter.
 
Consigliere said:
Womens' Building gym seats about 3000. Volleyball team plays there. Not big enough for womens' basketball once we get into conference games. And I imagine the attraction of playing in the Dome has a recruiting value, even if fairly empty. I know women's lacrosse sees it as a plus.
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Back in the day, SU women did play in the women’s gym. We played them there. Sadly I remember helping Muriel Smith, SU women’s coach and her team, dismantle the volleyball setup on the court so we could even play an official game. In the summer I occasionally would go to the women’s gym for some pickup games, it was antiquated back then so I hope and imagine, it’s improved. It has to have improved somewhat, back then there was no way there was a setup to accommodate 3,000 fans.

I went to the SU-UConn women’s game in Manley in 1996 when we beat them. I think we played them again a few years later at Manley and lost. It was a good sized venue for them.
 
Cheriehoop said:
Back in the day, SU women did play in the women’s gym. We played them there. Sadly I remember helping Muriel Smith, SU women’s coach and her team, dismantle the volleyball setup on the court so we could even play an official game. In the summer I occasionally would go to the women’s gym for some pickup games, it was antiquated back then so I hope and imagine, it’s improved. It has to have improved somewhat, back then there was no way there was a setup to accommodate 3,000 fans.

I went to the SU-UConn women’s game in Manley in 1996 when we beat them. I think we played them again a few years later at Manley and lost. It was a good sized venue for them.
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There were some significant upgrades over the summer and it's equivalent to a decent high school gym now but I don't think 3000 bleacher seats is, or should be a suitable venue.


Women's Building - Facilities - Syracuse University Athletics
 
Don’t be surprised if in the future the women start playing games on neutral courts during the preseason. If they don’t get support, they will take it on the road. They can draw better playing away. Coach expects more for her team and they are not getting the support she wants playing in the Dome.
 
I currently live in SW Florida and watch as many games as I am able!

IMG_3669.jpeg
 
I think that FLJ got caught up in the heat of the moment in the press conference, I see plenty more people at the games now than in previous years. Last night's attendance wasn't great but I'm pretty sure most thought this would be an easy win although the Great Danes were 4 and 0 heading into it.

Attendance will pick up once conference play starts. The SU Athletic dept could do promotional nights and give away stuff which they almost never do. The Syracuse Mets do a great job with that and it has helped with attendance.

When Q was coach there would be games where they had the backroom open for courtside fans with a bar and snacks, they'd also put tshirts on our chairs. That hasn't happened in some time now. I also don't think it helps that there is one supporter (the last I knew) that has bought up a good amount of the courtside seats for her own use, not sure how many of those particular seats are filled on any given night but I'm not an insider to the situation.
 
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Empathetic with Coach Jack, but is this really a Syracuse issue? Certainly there are a number of programs where the fan base comes out strongly in support of women's hoops.

But frankly in most places fans don't really support appreciably better than here. Attendance at last night's ACC games:

Pittsburgh: 2682
Clemson: 5008 against #1 S. Carolina
BC: 647
Wake Forest: 744
UVa: 3675
Cal: 1153
 
The reason I brought up the courtside seat thing is that I was fortunate to get my single seat in 2017, the year after they lost in the championship game to UCONN. I'm not sure I would have gone last night if not for my courtside seat so I find it quite remarkable to see so many of those empty at any given game. You would never see that at a men's game.

To belabor the point: Maybe SU could setup a seat giveaway program for those seats with the fans that have paid for them but know that it won't get used for any given game. Folks that are general admission would get a free upgrade and get to experience what it's like to sit so close. It's a totally different experience.
 
Most ACC schools don't see good basketball attendance for either men's or women's. Take BC, who averaged just 5.5k per game for men, well below their arena's capacity, but still managed 1.2k per game on the women's side, for a team that went 5-13 in the conference. Our men's team drew 20k a game while the women were still below 3k despite punching well above their weight class all season. Only team that's even close in attendance disparity is UNC, and they still narrowly outdrew us despite having to compete with one of the best men's teams in the country for eyeballs. Pitt, who was one of the worst power conference women's teams in the country last year, drew 1.4k. And that's comparing a bad team at a school in a large city that has no particular affinity for basketball, to our good team in a mid-sized city that is traditionally a basketball town. Compared to the rest of our conference, a larger percentage of our basketball fanbase flat-out refuses to show up for women's basketball.

I can't speak precisely as to why this is, but I don't blame Legette-Jack for looking at those numbers and concluding that the fanbase doesn't give a about basketball unless it's being played by men. This article's where I'm sourcing these numbers, in case anyone's curious. Syracuse women’s basketball: is there a major gap in attendance for the program? What the numbers say.
 
Bayside44 said:
The could pull a Georgetown and play the Albany-type games there. Georgetown plays some games at McDonough and it looks solid.
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Wonder how available parking is near there? If there is, it could work if people are aware of where it is and if the court can be easily modified from volleyball to a regulation basketball court? Just found a picture of it - it’s been 40 years since I last was in there. Much brighter and nicer from back then for sure.

https://cuse.com/facilities/women's-building/16
 
As I'm thinking about this subject as a regular attendee to games for the past 8 years, my observations:

1. there have been many times when you buy a dome dog the roll is stale, likely because these are leftovers from the previous men's game. I know this because the guy that sits next to me always gets 2 tube steaks, every game.

2. They do not sell coffee at all, even for the day games. Seems minor right? But come on, how hard is it to setup a coffee stand for a day game?

3. The food is not so great and it's not cheap. If you're saving money on a general admission ticket and free parking you can bring a few children with you without breaking the bank, until you hit the concessions. Then when you do get the cheaper option the roll is stale.

4. Having a theme day for every game is great but how does that attract the casual fan? Getting groups of kids there (girl scout day for instance) is great but then the parents spend $75 on drinks and food for a bunch of kids, they likely aren't coming back until the next girl scout day.

Women's basketball is and always has been an afterthought with the athletic dept. I was impressed when they finally decided to open Club 44 for all games for free, at least you can get better food there, can't get a cup of coffee though.

I understand FLJ's pain, for men's sports you have the baked in fanbase and even those folks are finicky. With women's sports you need a hook, Caitlin Clark is a perfect example of that.
 
Cheriehoop said:
Wonder how available parking is near there? If there is, it could work if people are aware of where it is and if the court can be easily modified from volleyball to a regulation basketball court? Just found a picture of it - it’s been 40 years since I last was in there. Much brighter and nicer from back then for sure.

https://cuse.com/facilities/women's-building/16
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There is lot next to the Women’s Building and another one across Mt. Olympus Drive, parallel to Comstock Avenue. Probably less that 100 spaces though.
 
And while I'm on a roll, I get a survey sent to me after every football game on how I rate the experience. I get no communication at all after women's basketball games. I don't know who's running the PR now that Sue left but it's not good and hasn't been since the Q blow up
 
guards98 said:
Most ACC schools don't see good basketball attendance for either men's or women's. Take BC, who averaged just 5.5k per game for men, well below their arena's capacity, but still managed 1.2k per game on the women's side, for a team that went 5-13 in the conference. Our men's team drew 20k a game while the women were still below 3k despite punching well above their weight class all season. Only team that's even close in attendance disparity is UNC, and they still narrowly outdrew us despite having to compete with one of the best men's teams in the country for eyeballs. Pitt, who was one of the worst power conference women's teams in the country last year, drew 1.4k. And that's comparing a bad team at a school in a large city that has no particular affinity for basketball, to our good team in a mid-sized city that is traditionally a basketball town. Compared to the rest of our conference, a larger percentage of our basketball fanbase flat-out refuses to show up for women's basketball.

I can't speak precisely as to why this is, but I don't blame Legette-Jack for looking at those numbers and concluding that the fanbase doesn't give a about basketball unless it's being played by men. This article's where I'm sourcing these numbers, in case anyone's curious. Syracuse women’s basketball: is there a major gap in attendance for the program? What the numbers say.
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Yes, there is not a lot of incentive other than being invested in the team and the outcome to show up for a game. SU is doing it wrong, they should consult with Jason Smorol the general manager of the Syracuse Mets
 
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