SJU considering playing fewer games at MSG

"With more league games on campus next year, Cragg is planning to enhance the fan experience. That includes exploring the possibility of offering alcoholic beverages and improving concessions."

Was this a quote from Mike Cragg or Mike Maher?
Btw, we should never play less than 5 games a year at the Mecca!
 
It’s about dollars and cents...... which is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
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Maybe five ?

One OOC, Hall, G'town, UConn, Nova?

Would love UConn at Carnesecca to not give them luxury. Think Big East Conf has any influence?
 
Beat top 10 Creighton easily at carnesecca with a hometown crowd lose heartbreaking games to seton Hall Georgetown and Xavier at Neutral court MSG I wonder how different this season would be if we played all our games on our home court like every other team instead of surrendering that advantage to play in a half filled Garden. We better play UConn at Carnesecca next year
 
[sub][/sub]Random thoughts:
-- Wonder if MSG is forcing our hand, since we're not that good of a draw. I expect so, even tho Mr. Cragg will not say.
-- This will hurt recruiting...sorely.
-- No major teams (either BE or OOC) want to play in Queens, or Brooklyn, or Nassau County. So competition level decreases, further lowering SJU's image/prestige/standing.
-- Diminishes the brand.
-- New Belmont arena is calling.
-- Enhancements to CA better be more than beer being sold and other concessions. How about REAL SEATS, instead of toilet seats.
-- Mr. Cragg has been to Cintas Center (at X)...that is the model SJU should follow
 
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Establish a consistently winning team and SJU will have more venue options. Until then, circling wagons and playing five or six of 10 BE home games at dilapidated CA seems necessary financially.

Bigger question is when will the program win consistently. It may take longer than I would like, but one year at a time. Getting better players is immediate crucial issue to me, so staff has to keep pushing on recruiting 24/7.
 
We’ve had the Garden forever and we’ve been bottom feeders more years than not. How the hell has it helped us. Please. Play our home games at home like every other team.
 
My only issue w/CA, other than it being outdated, is that we have a limited on campus student population so other than convenience for team & staff, and the most local of fans, we can really play anywhere and get just as many fans at MSG or Belmont. Perhaps the most loyal are also the closest in Queens, but I think that's more a matter of the generation that saw success than likely for future.

I was at Cintas Center for a college tour for daughter in Nov. It really is a great arena. Now their student population is less than half of St. John's but they have high % live on campus and there is no other pro basketball to compete with.

I understand Cragg said it's not financially feasible, but you have to eventually get more setbacks and figure out how to get kids in the awful looking baseline student sections. Free tickets & tuition discounts likely the quickest way.
 
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[quote="thetux1" post=380144]We’ve had the Garden forever and we’ve been bottom feeders more years than not. How the hell has it helped us. Please. Play our home games at home like every other team.[/quote]

Fair question, but I don't think the Garden has anything to do with whether we win or lose a game so its impact on our record is probably non-existent.

Also, I can't think of one recruit we chased after, or one player that suited up for us, who ever said it was a dream of his to play at Carnesecca arena.

Our dismal record the last 20 years has ZERO to do with playing at MSG and everything to do with hiring the wrong people. If we gave up playing at MSG there would be two major problems: Our attendance would drop from 8-9k a game to 6k a game. We'd also become irrelevant in the NYC entertainment scene. Only a small number of diehard fans would make the trek to CA on a regular basis and the casual fans would disappear.
 
We need a real marketing effort to fill CA and MSG. Disappointing to see CA not packed for every home game. Fill the house even if you have to resort to freebies.
 
I could see playing “fewer” games at MSG until we turn (hopefully?) the Program around. The real problem is that Carnesseca Arena has past its expiration date as an adequate facility years ago. Just compare that to most on campus facilities of good programs. It’s a dinosaur. I also believe we win more games there because we schedule the so called weaker teams there. So I don’t buy that playing there really makes that much of a difference. Good teams find a way. We just haven’t been very good.
 
They're thinking about serving alcohol on campus at a traditional Catholic school? Really?

I enjoy a cold brew. I wouldn't expect one at a religious school's facilities.

Do the Johnnies practice at Taffner Field House or Carnesecca? Which court do they actually use day to day?
 
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[quote="RedStormNC" post=380147]My only issue w/CA, other than it being outdated, is that we have a limited on campus student population so other than convenience for team & staff, and the most local of fans, we can really play anywhere and get just as many fans at MSG or Belmont. Perhaps the most loyal are also the closest in Queens, but I think that's more a matter of the generation that saw success than likely for future.

I was at Cintas Center for a college tour for daughter in Nov. It really is a great arena. Now their student population is less than half of St. John's but they have high % live on campus and there is no other pro basketball to compete with.

I understand Cragg said it's not financially feasible, but you have to eventually get more setbacks and figure out how to get kids in the awful looking baseline student sections. Free tickets & tuition discounts likely the quickest way.[/quote]

There are plenty of students who live on campus. There are also plenty of students who don't give a hoot about sports , Bball in particular. At the Creighton game one part of the student seats were taken by the local CYO team who played at half time. In addition, the band has been moved into the student seats. They used to occupy the corner seats in the past, so there are that many fewer seats available for the students. Cragg and his crew have to find a way to motivate the students. There should not be a problem filling those seats behind the basket at every conference game at CA
 
Fair point...

Would also get the Sports Management major students more involved in the Athletic dept..More internships for experience, tuition discounts and part of that to attend games on gamedays and bring a friend. Motivate & incentivize.
 
You wanna get better attendance for those miserable OOC games? Schedule local teams that are competitive, Iona, Hofstra, Stony Brook. I suspect those teams would love a chance to knock the Big Dog.
 
Am I imagining or didn't Cragg say the goal was MORE games at MSG early this year?
 
Big East opponents Vill, Geo, SH and Conn should be played at MSG along with one top ten opponent. Whoever was responsible for the De Paul game being played at MSG should be banned from any future scheduling discussions.
 
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