SJUDave
Well-known member
UBS attendance was better than I expected, but still wasn't great. About 7-8k on a weekend afternoon...the prices at UBS are atrocious from parking to food which I know is a factor
Attendance
- Thread starter Eric
- Start date
Yes, we dont have a lot of fans even in good yearsForm red stormsports;
"St. John's averaged 11,488 fans in eight home games at The Garden in 2010-11. The Red Storm's overall home attendance average of 8,431 was the highest since 2000-01, when St. John's boasted an average attendance of 11,223. The overall attendance ranked 57th nationally, up from 88th last season (6,107). STJ rated ninth among BIG EAST schools in home attendance in 2010-11, improving significantly from 14th in 2009-10."
STJ Basketball Scores Nation's Fourth-Highest Attendance Increase In 2010-11 - St. John's University Athletics
May 6, 2011 2010-11 NCAA Men's Basketball Attendance Report QUEENS, N.Y. - In a season of milestones during Steve Lavin's inaugural campaign at St. John's, s...redstormsports.com
We have mostly followers who sign on here at game time and post 70 pages of messages.
If you break it down, new york sport fans only show up when their team is a first place contender. In basketball they only understand the final score not
As I have said before I don't care if a single person from this site goes to games. It's a personal decision and although in general the sentiments I express is agreable to those who go to games, I'm good with anyone who chooses not to.
What I'm not good with is 9000 in the garden for a big east game. It's ridiculous to watch this team every minute of every game, complain when an exhibition isn't on tv, yet infer that its ok to wait until we are ranked, until we win the big east, until we go deep into march, until next season
I'd actually be good with local blackouts or our home games being pay per view or at least subscription channel.
All i care about is a real homecourt advantage and that we get it any way possible.
I am 53 with a full head of hair and very little grey. If my belly lost 20 pounds or so I could be a kid on here.I want to thank you Otis for acknowledging that this bald 53 year old is still young.
As for the Providence game I see both sides. I understand the passion of posters like Beast and Dave. I really don't think they mean to be telling people what to do just showing their passion for the program that they are heavily invested in. I have had that feeling for my own passions at times and maybe pissed a few people off but I meant well.
I also understand the perspective of posters like Logen and Jack. We all can't attend games for various reasons. Life is different for everyone and no one can understand what it feels like to stand in someone elses shoes.
I know if I was 25 working in Manhattan before COVID I would absolutely be at this game downing a couple of beers and screaming and maybe cursing a little bit. At 53 with a very different set of circumstances I am fighting myself to get enfused enough to show up. It's not the money in my case which it may be for others but my own set of circumstances.
In summary this is the last thing we should be fighting about. Like I said in an earlier post is that we just need to take this one game at a time and we will see where it takes us. I have my own belief as to what needs to happen to get better attendance. If we continue winning it will get a little better each game this season with some big crowds with a lot of fans from a couple of teams(UCONN) and what needs to happen for better attendance next season.
I also feel that part of the problem from a home court perspective (not necessarily financially) is the lack of cheering from those in attendance. The Hofstra game was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. 8-10K at the Providence game can be a good home court advantage if more people cheered. I think they will and hopefully I will be there to hear it.
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RedmanMike
Well-known member
I don't follow the attendance figures as religiously as some of you fellows, but didn't we draw very well at the Garden during Mulln's last year? (That year we started out 13-1 or something, and there was a little buzz around town.)
Very well said Andrew. I'm in NC and so long as I'm here attending more than 1 or 2 games a year is out of the question. But even if I were still in Bridgewater, NJ at my age no way I'd attend games at CA. I like to think I'd get to 3 or 4 games at MSG plus the BET as the NJT option makes it pretty convenient. May get to find out if I wind up back in the Garden state in a couple of years lol.
Mike Zaun Returns
Well-known member
This. Again I agree not how it should be, but we had all eyes on us for that Michigan game. If we beat them then Dayton & BC with our only loss being Houston, I really think we’d be seeing 15k+ most MSG games. Not just losing but being blown out by Michigan scared off pundits & casual fans. Not saying it’s fair, but just the truth. It was a splash of cold water during a parade leading up to that game.
I do agree fans can & should do better (best they can, many are quite busy understandably)…but with Pitino most fans expected at worst a close game vs. Michigan & beating Dayton & BC. Just means we have some work to do to win them back. Nova win was very good but Neptune’s Nova looks more like one that may squeak into NCAAT’s rather than compete to be 1 seeds and Final Four shoe-ins like Jay.
I think we land at 12K-14k, which ain't bad all things considered. We got one big W this season, and we're not playing a marquee team. Let's get a few more Ws under our belt and I'm confident we'll get bigger turn outs moving forward.
Types of games like this, I wish we could flood seats with NYC police, fire, EMT, service workers as well as all high school kids on any sports teams at really low to no cost.
I'll be there section 109 row 20 seat 10
The school in the past did first responders day and gave out free tix for NYPD and FDNY workers. not sure if they still do that anymore
Sitting in the arena in Charleston vs Dayton felt like a true road game. Their fan base is incredible.
11 page pre-game thread full of analysis of ... Attendance.
I don't care about attendance. I'll be there, as I always am. Others will or won't, whatever they prefer.
SJU math is pretty straightforward - 5k regulars, another 5k who come if it's convenient or a good game, another 5k after that if it's a great game against an opponent who travels well. After that, when you're a top 10 team folks will come.
Right now it's about stacking wins. Can't take Providence lightly even with Hopkins out. Need the home W or the Nova road W is wasted. Think it will be a competitive game but one we should win. Looking forward to the tipoff ... Even if I'm the only one in the crowd.
I don't care about attendance. I'll be there, as I always am. Others will or won't, whatever they prefer.
SJU math is pretty straightforward - 5k regulars, another 5k who come if it's convenient or a good game, another 5k after that if it's a great game against an opponent who travels well. After that, when you're a top 10 team folks will come.
Right now it's about stacking wins. Can't take Providence lightly even with Hopkins out. Need the home W or the Nova road W is wasted. Think it will be a competitive game but one we should win. Looking forward to the tipoff ... Even if I'm the only one in the crowd.
Wisdom
I'd also suggest SJU in conjunction w/ 3rd party marketing firm send a survey to existing students & alumni on their thoughts, interest level and reasons for attending or not. Cheap and if informative enough can expand out to a sample size of non SJU affiliation in NY area in core demographic who might attend
I think we are lucky to even have the current fans. We have stunk for over 2 decades. Each time there is a buzz you can see how thirsty the potential fan base is and I think we pack MSG well for stinking for over 2 decades. How many die hard SJU fans do you think there are in all of NY who will show up to games no matter what the state of the program? I would be surprised if its more than 2k. But I am confident that will all change over the next 24 months. It takes time to win fans back.
This is the most accurate description of our attendance that I’ve ever seen.
There will be a "tipping point" when attendence gets a nice bump, but Rick or no Rick, it ain't happening overnight. It may not even happen this season. Besides if we get 12-14k tonight I'll consider that a very good night.
Some of the same people who have preached "patience" when a new coach is hired, including Rick, are the same ones who seem to have no patience when it comes to the attendence making a big jump. Meanwhile, didn't season tickets sales increase substantially this season?
So let's take it easy boys, we're in great hands and the program is clearly on the right trajectory. We're probably still going to have some bumps along the way(lose some games we should win) but things are looking better then they ever have for our program.
Some of the same people who have preached "patience" when a new coach is hired, including Rick, are the same ones who seem to have no patience when it comes to the attendence making a big jump. Meanwhile, didn't season tickets sales increase substantially this season?
So let's take it easy boys, we're in great hands and the program is clearly on the right trajectory. We're probably still going to have some bumps along the way(lose some games we should win) but things are looking better then they ever have for our program.