Attendance

[redmen4life]

Reaching casual fans in NYC area is key as you noted.

I chuckle when there is aggressive posting here about attending games. Blowing off steam is fine, but many RM posters do attend, many live in other states and our total readers and posters is not huge enough number to move needle anyway.

“No excuses” mantra seems flawed and better applied to financial support of the program. Just my two cents and realize the basis of exhorting fans to attend games is steeped in good intention.

i look at things thru the opportunity available.

my fuzzy math based on what i've read (nothing concrete here) on 'size of prize' of who would buy st. john's tix (not other opposing fans/teams)

each one of these audiences/targets requires its own strategy.

other than giving heavy discounts, not sure what else the school is doing to attract beyond the core.

 

[austour]

Here's the thing NCJ, most of the other programs that have large, engaged student fan based, have had succsss in those student's lifetimes. Think about it:except for Lavin's first year, I would not call any of the past 20+ years a successful one by most standards. So what do any of these kids know about a successful SJU program, except what they hear from their parents and grandparents about the teams of the 80s and 90s?

So, like the casual NY college basketball fan, it may take some time to get the students on the bandwagon in significant numbers.

I think Lavin's last year was a success in relative terms until Obekpa flamed out literally and figuratively.

Thinking about STJ's last 3 tourney teams it blows.

DJ blows out his knee. (this team had the highest potential)

Obekpa blows out his spliff. (while a bit of a dog's breakfast this team had talent)

Something blows out the bench (I can't recall, why were Keita and Trimble the only guys to get bench minutes vs. Az State? Not that Mikey Dixon, greg and Marcellus might have made a difference in a horrible game )

The last one wasn't as crushing as the first two where those teams definitely had higher aspirations, even with middling regular season success.

 

[austour]

I don’t have access today but will post the link to every program in the country tomorrow. I don’t think there were 15 programs out of 351 that averaged over 15,000. Unverified comments that all the other Big East programs sell out all the time does not match the data. And some that do play in Arenas of about 10,000.

The year that SJU went to the Final Four they played a total of two home games at MSG. Georgetown and Syracuse. And yes both were sellouts. SJU also was at MSG for the Holiday Festival and I’m sure they sold plenty of tickets but I am also sure the other teams did. And as someone who attended those two games guess what? Georgetown and Syracuse sold plenty of tickets to those games. In other words, as someone who never set foot on the campus until 1990, MSG games were special events against premier programs. Who also sold tickets. Not a slate of solid games. I’m sure the UConn game will sell.

If Pitino gets the SJU brand to a point where there is a sea of red in a 19,000 seat arena eight to ten times a year it will be historic. Because I go back to the mid-70s and it has never occurred.

It would be cool if he did but not something I’m stressing about either.

Here's a chart of 2022/23 average attendance top 40 to look at that confirms your supposition. A couple things skew these statistics. Most these teams play in arenas of sufficient size for every home game, be it an on campus arena or full time at a major local arena. No switching between small on campus and larger off campus. Also besides SD St and maybe Marquette all of these schools are in towns where there is sweet FA to do if you don't go to the game.

 

[dk423]

Here's a chart of 2022/23 average attendance top 40 to look at that confirms your supposition. A couple things skew these statistics. Most these teams play in arenas of sufficient size for every home game, be it an on campus arena or full time at a major local arena. Also besides SD St and maybe Marquette all of these schools are in towns where there is sweet FA to do if you don't go to the game.

View attachment 1795

Outside of going to a brewery and eating (really good) curds, I can't tell you three things to do in Milwaukee.

 

[austour]

Outside of going to a brewery and eating (really good) curds, I can't tell you three things to do in Milwaukee.

Yeahk, I guess it's just San Diego.

 

[dk423]

Also if anyone else was wondering, "Where's Gonzaga?" Their home court capacity in Spokane is 6,000.

I should start a "Dayton to the Big East" campaign. They simply deserve it!

 

[room112]

I remember when I started at UConn back in 2001 (they had just won their first title a few years earlier), there were literally tons of students who went to the school just because of the basketball team. Think about that. Then when tickets went on sale, kids would literally camped out overnight for access to student tickets because they were in such high demand.

I get it, comparing us to UConn is not fair, on a number of levels. But how do you generate that type of passion and excitement among the students (which St. John's has sorely been missing out on for decades now)?? To me, the only answer is consistent winning at a high level. Have to be patient and hope it will come.

 

[bamafan]

Also if anyone else was wondering, "Where's Gonzaga?" Their home court capacity in Spokane is 6,000.

I should start a "Dayton to the Big East" campaign. They simply deserve it!

Their 13,407 average is the capacity of their arena.

 

[Notanalum]

Fantastic crowd today! Great job all

 

[Hardy]

Fantastic crowd today! Great job all

Yes crowd was bigger than expected based on this thread and really got into the game.

 

[monte]

Anyone know final attendence? Thank God we didn't loose, or some would have blamed it on our lack of attendance.

 

[redmen89]

11,832

 

[Notanalum]

around 12k maybe a little less I was told

 

[dk423]

St. John’s crowd got loud at the end. Did a great job conserving energy lol

 

[room112]

around 12k maybe a little less I was told

I would say this is very good for a Wednesday night against an un-ranked opponent with an un-ranked St Johns playing. What would have attendance been at this game in years past? Id guess 7-8K. Should only keep building from here.

 

[paultzman]

 

[espken]

Love that school spirit.

 

[monte]

I would say this is very good for a Wednesday night against an un-ranked opponent with an un-ranked St Johns playing. What would have attendance been at this game in years past? Id guess 7-8K. Should only keep building from here.

You'd say that and I'd say that, but there are some who wouldn't say that if we had 19,000 in the house.

What they'd say is "I cannot believe we couldn't sell out MSG! We have the worst(and cheapest!) fan base in all of college basketball. And that's why we've sucked for the past 20 years".

It's the equivalent of victim shaming

 

[mjmaherjr]

when you hear the other fans getting way louder than us early in the game people need to take that as an insult and get a lot louder sooner. My voice was shot when I got home. Plug for Manuka Honey btw

 

[dk423]

when you hear the other fans getting way louder than us early in the game people need to take that as an insult and get a lot louder sooner. My voice was shot when I got home. Plug for Manuka Honey btw

Friar fans were definitely more engaged most of the game. I think it was a closer split than some think, although there were more STJ fans.

I'm not saying this to offend anyone, but it was very apparent that the average age of STJ fans was much higher than Providence fans. It is good that those fans are showing up. I'm not saying it's bad they are. But I AM saying, students and young alumni need to show up in better numbers.