A few thoughts -
1. As this is a St. John's home game the school needs to get students there. You can't charge them much and need to provide transportation. There has to be a student section behind one of the baskets.
2. We do have an aging fan base. We have also lost fans over the last twenty years as the product has been lacking and people move away.
3. I think to some extent building enthusiasm for the basketball team ties in with improving enthusiasm for the university. St. John's is a very good school with some excellent programs but it isn't a school that excites most young people.
4. I have many fond memories of CA but its not an adequate facility for a Big East program. You need to have comfortable seats, and more amenities. Look at what AMC was doing with its movie theaters. Nobody would go to a movie theater like CA. Maybe we don't have the fans for a much larger arena but without an upgrade I don't see how you can sustain a program at this level. If the school can't raise money for a vastly improved arena, I think the long term hopes for the program are limited.
5. The lower bowl at UBS is the vast majority of the seats and looks to me as though it will be close to full. That should make for a loud crowd if we stay in the game. I think we need an upset to build excitement for the Big East season.
1. As this is a St. John's home game the school needs to get students there. You can't charge them much and need to provide transportation. There has to be a student section behind one of the baskets.
2. We do have an aging fan base. We have also lost fans over the last twenty years as the product has been lacking and people move away.
3. I think to some extent building enthusiasm for the basketball team ties in with improving enthusiasm for the university. St. John's is a very good school with some excellent programs but it isn't a school that excites most young people.
4. I have many fond memories of CA but its not an adequate facility for a Big East program. You need to have comfortable seats, and more amenities. Look at what AMC was doing with its movie theaters. Nobody would go to a movie theater like CA. Maybe we don't have the fans for a much larger arena but without an upgrade I don't see how you can sustain a program at this level. If the school can't raise money for a vastly improved arena, I think the long term hopes for the program are limited.
5. The lower bowl at UBS is the vast majority of the seats and looks to me as though it will be close to full. That should make for a loud crowd if we stay in the game. I think we need an upset to build excitement for the Big East season.