cgeldmacher

I think all of the factors mentioned have hurt attendance, but the primary way to bring back attendance is not pricing or game experience. That's not to say these issues can't be improved. The best way to pack the place is winning. The evidence for this is the fact that big games get big attendance. The Auburn and Dayton games last year were packed and the crowd was electric. There is a market in St. Louis for folks to attend those sorts of game. If we build a better winning tradition, casual fans won't be able to get tickets to those games as easily. Then folks that want to attend those matchups now have to decide what is the next best option. They end up going to VCU, Davidson, or Loyola games. Once we make those tickets too hard to get, folks start opting to pack the Richmond, Bonaventure, Rhode Island games, etc. etc.

I think Pitckett is a starter. Thatch is sometimes starter if Perkins isn’t ready, but gets a ton of minutes. Collins Jimerson Perkins/Thatch Pickett Okoro

I hope Thames sticks like glue to That h for the next two years and learns everything about how he plays the game. Thames’ natural talents combined with Thatch’s preparation, effort, and smarts would make a pretty amazing player.

Hopefully, he will also have to earn time by handling the ball better than he did in the scrimmage. Lot of potential, but can’t have that many turnovers.

I have to say, your insight of Billiken performances, based solely on descriptions you read on Billikens.com, are always spot on. Keep the high level breakdowns coming.

This

We did the 2017 trip but didn’t do the bus. We also did the Butler game in, I think, 2014 where Butler was ranked and we beat them. That was our first trip. The origin of our group trip was the fact that SLU had organized that particular road game for the fans. I suggested to some guys that we go. It became an annual tradition after that.

I have a group that has gone to a road game 9 of the last 10 years. It is a group of guys that were all at SLU at the same time in the 90s and in the same fraternity. We have gone to Butler twice, Dayton three times, VCU, Fordam, St. Joes, and Duquesne, last year. I have met several guys from this board at the games including Pistol (years ago), Taj, and Billiken Booster. We normally has 6-10 guys go, but last year we had 17 in Pittsburgh. The biggest factor in a road trip, at least for my group, is finding out what road games will be on a Saturday. Weekday games will not work for my group. As a result, I am usually anxiously awaiting the final scheduled to determine what games will be options. Here are my thoughts about several A-10 destinations to give you a little insight into Billiken Road Tripping: Dayton - Not much to do in Dayton, so I recommend staying in Cincinnati and commuting the 50 minutes or so north for the game. Dayton Arena is, in my opinion, one of the worst to visit in the A-10. There are very few seats behind each basket and then huge, seemingly endless seats on the sidelines. The seats you can get as a Billiken fan will be very high up on the sides. You will feel like you are in the upper deck at a dome you will be so far away from the court. A positive is that there is usually a nice contingent of Billiken fans at the Dayton away game. The Dayton fans are tolerant of Billiken fans, but not friendly. St. Joe's/LaSalle - I put these two together, because they are both in Philadelphia. Philly has a reputation for rough people and difficult fans if you are cheering for the road team. I disagree. The fans and St. Joe were very pleasant. As long as your not being a jerk, the Philly fans will treat you well and be friendly. Talk A-10 basketball with the people around you and you'll be fine. Philly is a great town to visit with a lot of history. We hit the bars in South Philly and found that the City of Brotherly Love distinction was more accurate than the stereotypes of people from Philly. It was a very fun trip. GW/George Mason/VCU/Richmond - I group these together, because GW is in downtown D.C., GM is in Fairfax, VA, just outside of DC, and VCU and Richmond are both in Richmond, VA (90 miles south). Since Richmond can be difficult to get to, I would suggest staying in D.C. and commuting to the game. D.C., obviously, has a ton of history and cool things to see. When we went, for the VCU game, we stayed in D.C. at a hotel that was basically on GW's campus. We didn't choose it because of GW. We choose it, because it was walking distance from the National Mall and all the cool stuff that D.C. has to offer a tourist. D.C. is also a fun town. I would recommend the Georgetown area for bar hopping. Many great restaurants in D.C. as well. Fordham - This was one of my favorite trips. We stayed in Manhattan and took the subway to the game. Their gym is very small and, in my opinion, a blast to visit. We got seats in the first row under one of the baskets for $5.00 a seat on a group deal. Best deal we've ever gotten. The fans were the best to interact with also, because there are so few of them and because they don't expect to win. As road fans showing up as a group to Rose Hill, we were a novelty. Everyone wanted to talk to us. They complimented our team throughout the game. After the game, a group of fans we were talking with inside chased us down outside and invited us to the bar they hang out in after the games that is under the gym. I will warn you that the subway drops you off about a mile from the campus and gym and the walk is through areas that most tourists avoid. I didn't feel in danger at any point, but it wasn't the best neighborhood in town. Consider talking an Uber to and from the subway station. As far as Manhattan, that speaks for itself as far as other stuff to do while on your Billiken trip. St. Bonaventure/Umass/Rhode Island - Never been to these places, and may not end up going to them. I say this, because they are hard to get to. Bonaventure is, infamously, in the middle of nowhere. UMass is not near Boston and is actually closer to Hartford, although still over an hour away. Rhode Island might be doable if there were easy flights into Providence, but I have never seen any from St. Louis. Davidson - Haven't been to Davidson either, but it is on my list of places to eventually see a Billiken game. Davidson, NC is 25 minutes north of downtown Charlotte, NC. If you want a game where you are not going to freeze most of the trip, this is the A-10 road destination for you. I don't know much about the city, but want to visit for a Billiken game soon. Duquesne - Duquesne is walking distance from downtown Pittsburgh (probably a 15 minute walk). Downtown Pittsburgh is great, because it is a self-contained little peninsula created by the rivers. Tons of great restaurants and bars in the area. The arena is new and shockingly small for a brand new facility. The fans were, the best way I could say it is, strange. They did not want to engage in talking with us at all. They barely cheer for their own team for that matter. Our 17 guys were louder during introductions that the entire rest of the crowd was for their home team. Lot of sitting on hands and not really paying attention to the game by the home fans. Then, when we would make noise for the Billikens, we got strange looks. Loyola - Brand new to the conference and a new road trip destination. Because of this, my group has not yet been there. Loyola is not in downtown Chicago. It is north of downtown. It is actually closer to Northwestern in Evanston than it is to the Loop or Magnificent Mile area. If you stay in downtown Chicago, it will be a 40 minute ride on the Red Line to get the the stop that is closest to the arena. That being said, it might be worth it. Chicago is a fun town. Let me know if you end up going to a game. If my group is at the same game, we can meet up and hang out.

I don't think that the Nebraskas or the Mississippi States of the world are. I think they will have NIL money and be wanting to get a guy they see has about to take the next step rather than a guy who has already shown poorly elsewhere and is taking a step down. I do think that the unlimited free agency being created will do that.

So, it wasn't for a better title, just more money?

I wasn't really quantifying it, but I would say a decent season for a freshman who was just in high school the year before would be averaging 6 - 10 points a game. Then a low level power conference team, who just lost kids it had due to transfer, notices the kid. They scout game video and determine that he is slated to pick up more playing time next season for his mid major team and figure that he has the potential to turn into a 10 - 15 point a game guy. They go after him as a transfer and their pitch is that they can get him more NIL money. That's what I was thinking.

Can anyone recall the reason Bailey left?

I was talking about a hypothetical mid major freshmen who has a decent year switching from his mid-major school where he gets $2,500 to a low level power conference school where he can get $10,000. That's a switch that wouldn't have occurred in the past, but will start happening purely due to the money involved.

I don't disagree, but I hate the idea of the NCAA ineptness being blamed on one group of people that most think of as the NCAA. The problem with the NCAA is not its administrators. The people running the NCAA have the deck stacked against them from the get go. The problem is that the NCAA has like 400 bosses. Also, those bosses have a caste system that determines their relative importance to the overall set up. The interests of a school like SLU ranks higher in that system than say SIU-Carbondale, but is nowhere in the same category of the power held by Ohio State. That sort of power structure is never going to work. I blame the entire system or the schools more so than I blame the people in the NCAA offices. Sadly, I think most people don't see the forest for the trees and just blame some suits in Indianapolis.

I don't think so, but I believe that a freshman that had a decent season would switch for $10,000 in NIL.