Fan interest-game attendance
- Thread starter Knight2
- Start date
Win
I think the apathy goes way beyond winning.This past years team had reasonable expectations with some good ball players and the games vs weak opposition at CA struggled to draw 3,500. Other than the SYR game and to a lesser degree Vill and the MSG doubleheader when Geo played Mich St attendance is really poor.
Fans will pay to see Duke next year and the pre season NIT games at MSG if we are there may do well but that may be it.
I don't know the answer except put a top ten team on the floor vs another top ten team and that is not feasible. We might have to swallow our pride and play Conn or ND. I prefer a good crowd even if half are rooting for the opposition. Next year
almost all Big East games will be bad draws.
I don't think it can be any worse than the NIT game this year . Charging five dollars for students and twenty five for every seat and drawing 1027 has to be one of the worst examples in SJU history.
Fans will pay to see Duke next year and the pre season NIT games at MSG if we are there may do well but that may be it.
I don't know the answer except put a top ten team on the floor vs another top ten team and that is not feasible. We might have to swallow our pride and play Conn or ND. I prefer a good crowd even if half are rooting for the opposition. Next year
almost all Big East games will be bad draws.
I don't think it can be any worse than the NIT game this year . Charging five dollars for students and twenty five for every seat and drawing 1027 has to be one of the worst examples in SJU history.
There are a ton of college fans in the NYC area who are willing to shell out the $75-$100 or so it costs--including ticket, transportation, beverage-- to take in a couple of games at MSG. Thousands of Cuse, G'town, Nova, Pitt fans working in the NYC area will watch SJU play a couple of Big East games that do not involve their teams. I know this just from co-workers, I'm sure most on this board do as well. No, they're not first and foremost SJU fans, but they're engaged basketball fans who can help create a great atmosphere at MSG.
But....they are not going to shell out that kind of money to watch a team (other than their own) that starts 0-5 and is losing to the likes of DePaul. That simple.
But....they are not going to shell out that kind of money to watch a team (other than their own) that starts 0-5 and is losing to the likes of DePaul. That simple.
Queens Quiet Skies
Member
Tickets are way overpriced. Security guards at Carnesseca Court are pointlessly rude and overbearing, IMO. Quite a few other reasons. The building just isn't the same. The Mike Jarvis hex still hanging over the program.
Brian W,
Great point re: the Mike Jarvis hex, the last time we sold out a November/December non conference CA game was back in 2001, nearly 13 years.
Each year we fail to make the ncaa we continue to lose younger fans, media attention etc. We are an aging fan base with diminishing returns.
Thanks,
!985
Great point re: the Mike Jarvis hex, the last time we sold out a November/December non conference CA game was back in 2001, nearly 13 years.
Each year we fail to make the ncaa we continue to lose younger fans, media attention etc. We are an aging fan base with diminishing returns.
Thanks,
!985
One way to improve attendance at CA is for the personnel in charge of selling tickets to do whatever they did for last year's Darthmouth game and I have to assume they didn't do for the CA games in Oct to Dec.
The Darthmouth game appeared to be 95 percent full. I stood behind the last row talking to a fellow from Huntington who had no connection to SJU but was with a group of about 20 people made up of the Huntington girls basketball team and some of their parents. They did root for SJU and maybe some will return.What price they paid for tickets I don't know but that game generated a better basketball environment then any of other half filled games.
The Darthmouth game appeared to be 95 percent full. I stood behind the last row talking to a fellow from Huntington who had no connection to SJU but was with a group of about 20 people made up of the Huntington girls basketball team and some of their parents. They did root for SJU and maybe some will return.What price they paid for tickets I don't know but that game generated a better basketball environment then any of other half filled games.
postell25
Member
One solution is very, very simple and every university should do this. Give students free tickets to all games. I'm sure there are little fees like a "General Fee" or a "Student Activity Fee" somewhere in the tuition cost that you can justifiable raise by a miniscule amount to justifiably cover the cost. How much do you think St. John's makes on student tickets? By increasing each student's fee by 10 bucks hidden within the tens of thousands of dollars for tuition (whether they attend games or not) would generate more money and more students would go to games if it was free.
The simple act of a student having to fill out a form, go to a box office or any extra effort or money that it takes to go to a basketball game is going to be a deterrent for a college student. I know when I was 18 if my school asked me for 100 bucks for basketball tickets I may have had to turn it down. I had to work part-time at a Spencer Gifts for like 40 bucks a week just to have that valuable drinking money. I don't know if I could have parted with 100 bucks back then. The fact that I was able to just show up at the arena equipped with just my student ID supplied me with some of my favorite memories from college.
The simple act of a student having to fill out a form, go to a box office or any extra effort or money that it takes to go to a basketball game is going to be a deterrent for a college student. I know when I was 18 if my school asked me for 100 bucks for basketball tickets I may have had to turn it down. I had to work part-time at a Spencer Gifts for like 40 bucks a week just to have that valuable drinking money. I don't know if I could have parted with 100 bucks back then. The fact that I was able to just show up at the arena equipped with just my student ID supplied me with some of my favorite memories from college.