The Arena is NOT the Answer!!!

[davidnark]

During my tenure at SLU in the early to mid 90's, SLU soccer went from playing on campus, to playing in Fenton, to playing on campus. You couldn't believe the change in student attendance. They were lucky to have a dozen students in Fenton. On Friday and Saturday night games when it moved back on campus, there would be many hundred--maybe close to a thousand--of students at games. It was a hot social activity. I can only imagine what it will be like for basketball if it were like that for soccer.

[bluecrewprez]

I agree with you whole-heartedly that the Arena is part of the solution / is the first step in the equation. I just hope to God that the SLU AD and the university's administration is sitting down now to develop a long-term marketing plan to make EVERY game a cannot-miss event.

If I had to write an equation for how to market the arena, it would include:

ARENA 15%

STUDENTS 25%

PROMOTION TO ST. LOUIS 20%

TRADITION EDUCATION 20%

.500+ RECORD 15%

THE RETURN OF BILLIKENROY 5%

= FOUNDATIONS FOR LONG-TERM LOYALTY

That was a quick equation break down...if I had more time to think about it might divide it up differently and maybe changes some factors, but the main point is SLU must force students AND this city to rekindle the feeling of the Spoonball era in this new arena (at least how I remember it...I was only 8-9 during that time, so I may remember it differently than others).

[bluecrewprez]

I think that is the whole point: having a home team is actually at home and fully understanding it's significance...obviously those students in the mid-90's understood that.

The only problem is that every 3-4 years, there is a completely new group of students on this campus (case in point: current student turn-out to soccer games). Freshmen in Fall 2008 are not going to appreciate not having to take a bus to the game. There are a few years where people understand how great it is to not have to travel for a home game, but then after those people leave campus, you can't use that same reasoning to try to get NEW students to come to the games. The class of 2012 is not going to fully comprehend what having that arena on campus means, and I don't think we necessarily should be focused solely on that in promoting it to them. Now that we have it, we have to tell teach them WHY it is here, not how long it took us to get it.

[GOSLU68]

polite; and all of these PSL type arenas have a tendency to put well- off, older people near the floor; do you really think people in suits are going to go wild? I see way too many people leave our games wwith two minutes left so they can hear the finish in their cars and be early out of the parking lot; and with the kind of shooters we have with games typically first one to 57 wins-you are going to have to really work at it to get student body enthusiasm resonating through the "gym"

[Clock_Tower]

No offense but teaching should not be needed for the 2012 Class. It's an embarrasment that "teaching" is required now but more an honest comment about a true reality. Also, I remember the 1990's and sudent support was poor then as well even as SLU was winning. The 18,000 who came to a game were not young people and students.

Why the lack of student support? Not just the bus rides but also the time of the games - 1 pm (sometimes Noon) but never a 3 pm or 4 pm game and even fewer 7 or 8 pm games on Saturdays. Why? Arena availability - Blues, etc.. Student attendance would be much greater at 3 pm than 1 pm and even better in the evening - 7 pm would be OK but 8 pm even better for students.

I'm still in my 30's yet closer to 40 than 30. With that said, I don't consider myself "old" but probably am by Jimbo's standards. With that said, am grateful for the "old" people. Without them, attendance would be less than 1,000 per game and then Jimbo would be crying about the lack of support, etc. Has anyone ever thought that it is not that there are so many "old" people as much as there are such few young people or students. Every school has its "old" crowd but most schools have young people and students as well. You would think that there would be a few since this is a college game.

An on-campus basketball-only facility, with evening games and complete control over scheduling, combined with sell-out crowds, a little winning tradition and next thing you know, SLU gets regular commitments and enjoys winning basketball. All of this will draw and keep the students.

Until then, thank god for not only The Band and Blue Crew but also the "old" people.

[rhagolf]

This is the same mistake made in Columbia. The student section, especially the Antlers, were moved from courtside to the ends.

In addition to the damage done by the Snyder debacle, look at the attendance for the MU games - pretty bad.

Courtside seats for the older folk (I'm one of them), makes for a library-like atmosphere.

Put the students on the side, like Cameron, Maples Pavilion, etc. There is your atmosphere!

[cheeseman]

Intersting thread. 1. Never gave much thought to the starting time as a problem but now I have to agree - early afternoon Sat. games probably are not a good fit for student life style.

2. I see no problem with putting the students sections in the end zones. They can still be by the vistor's bench. Those seats will be fine if the kids come.

3. At the last Tip Off Club meeting a member told CL during the Q/A session that the type of music the Savvis Center played was not what the older folks wanted to hear. At first I was a little put off my the comment but then when I looked around the room most people were like me - they thought it was a dumb thing to say. The music is not for the older crowd to smile about and hum to but for the overall atmosphere. The group's lack of acceptance of the comment I actually took as a plus thus the topic died quickly.

4. I do think the smaller venue will add significantly to the noise level. It can not do anything but help - the Savvis is so large that it is hard to really sound loud when it is only 1/2 filled. Also, when you are at any event that is full or almost full you just naturally get caught up in the atmosphere.

5. I am not sure what marketing has to do with getting students to the games. Are you not really talking about two different things. Marketing is about selling the team and tickets. Getting students to the games - which are basically free if I understand it - is about building student excitement. This is not marketing but pep rallying. I am not saying the school does a great job at it but I think you have to be careful not to confuse the two.

[davidnark]

>Also, I remember the 1990's and sudent support was poor then as well

>even as SLU was winning. The 18,000 who came to a game were

>not young people and students.

You are wrong. During the first year of the back-to-back tourney/top 25 SLU teams, SLU didn't offer student season tickets. You had to go to the arena prior to the game and who your student ID to get a ticket. The Memphis game was on a Saturday afternoon that season, and the temperature that day must have been in the 30's. Nonetheless, hundreds of students found a way to get down to the old arena on Saturday morning to wait outside in the cold for an hour or two to get tickets. That season, it was difficult to get a good student ticket, but it was a totally different college basketball atmosphere at SLU. Spoonhour was the toast of the town. The morning of a big game the campus was decorated with plastic spoons.

Because of the large student support during 93-94, the next season SLU went to a student season ticket system. I believe there were something like 1,300 students who purchased the tickets based upon the lottery system. It was a big deal. Unlike today's students, the majority of those student ticket holders actually attended the games. SLUDrew, Box and Won, and other posters who were students during the '93-'95 run can attest.

Part of the problem back then and through today is that the Scottrade/Savvis/Kiel Center has a terrible layout for student tickets. The area behind the basket is fine, but after that the students literally get spread out all over east side of the facility. A few hundred students may look like 50 due to the dillution. This will drastically improve in the new arena.

[Box and Won]

And the way the seats at the Scottrade are set up, visibility is good in the area where the Blue Crew sits, but behind them, the rows of seats are at a relatively flat pitch, which makes it difficult to see the action - that's most likely why you never see anyone sitting there. The non-Blue Crew students usually sit higher up, leaving many rows of empty seats in between. The seats in the new arena will be right on top of the action, which means we should have a much more cohesive student section. Now if we could just get the students to all wear blue, like the all-gold student section at Marquette...

As stupid as it may sound, coming to class on game days and seeing the spoons all over campus is something I remember fondly. It's amazing how something so simple can create a feeling of anticipation and excitement on campus. And who knew that skipping class to sit around in the lobby of the Arena, waiting to get tickets could be so much fun? Ah, the good old days.

[bluecrewprez]

>As stupid as it may sound, coming to class on game days and

>seeing the spoons all over campus is something I remember

>fondly. It's amazing how something so simple can create a

>feeling of anticipation and excitement on campus. And who

>knew that skipping class to sit around in the lobby of the

>Arena, waiting to get tickets could be so much fun? Ah, the

>good old days.

That's the type of feeling that we need to get back on campus. I remember 2nd semester last season, the BLUE CREW putting a few stake signs up all down the middle of campus drastically improved attendence to the games. SLU needs to be able to create that buzz around campus and it is really not that difficult or expensive...it can be as simple as a sign or a spoon. They just need to get someone to do it.

[Taj79]

Some points ... the Arena is NOT the answer but a part of the answer as many have pointed out. Ten thousand seats is going to be a huge improvement over 22,000 because at 9,000 the place is 90% full. The 9K in Savvis means not even 50% full. that alone will improve atmosphere. Will atmosphere win games? Most likely not but it might help sway a run or turn a tide once in a while. Anybody see Maryland host North Carolina last night/ how about the atmosphere at Ohio State? As one who has long advocated an on-campus arena, I never said that it was THE answer but a part of the equation.

The Dayton crowd is as old if not older than us. The Doc has been there for 20 years now and has only moved down from the 400 to the 300 section despite beign a season ticket holder for all those years. He jokes that, much like the Washington Redskins, season tickets get left in wills. Our place can be just as tough as the YouDee Arena despite the oldies. But the game has to be an event ... and for the most part winnable. Is Dayton good or bad this year? At home they are 14 and 2; on the road a direct oppositie. People like winning and winning at home is a direct plus to drawing involved crowds.

Bonwich is right in dissing the wealthy alumni who dashed the baby blues because of whatever. One of the best parts of the old CUSA was the dance teams of UCee, UofL and Memphis. Sex sells and that may make some nervous but sex sells. Give me Carmen Electra over some pasty white women from Milwaukee any day of the week.

Student sections can go anywhere but I think you can do the boosters and the kids either way. Maryland put their student section behind the opposing second half basket but did it at such a high rising angle that the seats and views are good as well as the intimidation factor. The other end does not have that steep a grade and more seats were put into that end. The Peterson Center at Pitt did it another way .. putting loge boxes on the floor across from the team benches. This made the area smaller, with less boxes, but more expensive so the really big shots got what they wanted and even got closer to the action without having the bulk of the fans suffer. Unfortunately, you need the big bucks accomodated if you're going to advance the program and that's just the way it goes.

I can't wait to get to the AC for next week's game(s). I fully expect that "old" group of fans to be the only ones there. Fans travel .... we don't. And I understand why. I'm not a big fan of taking a week off to go into the unknown of AC this year but will do it because its relatively close. We need to win to make that happen. The arena needs to be built. The AD needs to pump up the volume. The students need to do their part. Its all part of the grand scheme of things.

[courtside]

Winning games against high profile competition is the first step in creating interest.

I disagree about 1pm start times on a Saturday. This will no longer be an issue, however 1pm Saturday starts are fine. I have been to many other places with 1pm or even earlier Sat starts and the place is packed and rockin'. The games that draw less students are Sun night through Tuesday night...from what I have seen over the years. But again, if you are good, people will go any time. Getting home Sat games even in the afternoon are just fine. ....if a college student can't go at 1pm on a Sat afternoon...they aren't interested and will never go...that time is fine. Sure everyone likes the weekend night games, but time of game is not an issue. I have been to too many places. No way.

Games should not be catered to older alums with the money. Games in many other places do not do this, why should it be the case at SLU? The music etc...atmosphere should be lively, and be in line with having a raucous atmosphere. If SLU starts winning high profile games, there will be less and little debate about these types of choices....everyone will be happy...and the older folks will tolerate the new atmosphere, and may even come to enjoy it. SLU needs to also find some originality in its presentation too.

As SLU wins and devotes more funds to basketball, more needs to be done to get rid of the advertisements at timeouts, on the court and around the court. The last thing anybody wants to see are all of those ads around the court come to a new building.

For now, the decreased size of the new building will help, because SLU hasn't been doing well...and are getting half-filled crowds of an NBA sized Arena. Noise won't be an issue in the new building.

If SLU can win at a high level, and draw a couple of thousand students on a regular basis...that should be the goal. And those students should and will be given a blue tee when they get their student tix...and have other opportunities for free blue tee's throughout the year from the Athletic Dept. That shouldn't be an issue.

SLU isn't going to be a place where the students are located at half court...but in a smaller building, having them at both endzones is fine.

SLU needs to market the basketball team to all incoming students and returning students. The basketball games need to be an event not to be missed win or lose. Win will help a lot but will not do it alone. Strong marketing, to students, yes...you actually have to give student s a reason to go....none of this well back when I was a kid stuff....win games against high profile teams, less ads....less down time...always have a flow and present an atmosphere...have traditions.....students should know all over campus that basketball games are not to be missed. ....that SLU is a men's basketball school....and when that happens...that SLU is a sports school.

[slu72 fan]

It is my understanding that the student section will be behind one of the baskets. They will be benches, rather than seats, for 1,000. The administration hopes the students will attend, stand and that will allow them to accomodate a few more students.

[davidnark]

Perfect! I love it.

[SluSignGuy]

Benches are definitely the way to go for students. At GW, the entire student section is benches, and what it basically turns into is all of the students standing on the bench in the row ahead of them. You can cram a lot of kids in there if you try.

[courtside]

If need be down the road if and when SLU builds a better hoops program...they will hopefully need to accomodate more students than that. That is far down the road from where SLU is now....but with the new smaller building....every single student that wants to attend should have plenty of student section room, and I would hope down the road, it is well more than 1000.

[jimbofive]

Much respect for having season tickets for as long as I've been alive. With that said, I think that it is as much the fans' job to cheer and support as it is the players' and coaches' job to win and entertain.

Looking at it from a recruit's perspective, I wouldn't want to come play for fans that wouldn't outwardly support me. I know that "older" fans comprise most of SLU's base, and that without their hard-earned monetary contributions, it would be hard to sustain a solid program. But at the same time, since we all know how squeaky clean SLU's athletics program is, as a recruit, I wouldn't care how much money people were donating, because I wouldn't be seeing any of it. I would (in this particular order) want to win, be on TV, have students on campus worship the ground I walked on, and have the fans go nuts when I played well, as well as go nuts when I needed inspiration to play well.

By no means do I want the "old" fanbase to be depleted in any way. I do, however, want the student fanbase to grow exponentially If the students simply won't support the team, no matter the circumstances, then so be it, and even more glory to the faithful alumni who never quit cheering, no matter how subdued. But if it is possible that the students do care, and might just need a nudge to become rabid TOURNEY TEAM fans, then I think that building the arena, an obvious attempt at boosting student attendance, recruiting clout, media exposure, and, most importantly, school spirit and winning percentages, is the best decision this university can make.