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Poor STUDENT support....


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#PICKING UP THE MIC...#tap, tap...is this thing on??!!!# Attn. Attn: OK..so here is the deal....I have NEVER, EVER seen such poor student support for an athletic program. Can someone PLEASE explain to me why our student section (which is FREE) was so sparse and with so few students? To have to beg a student body to support a program with the success that our basketball team has is HORRENDOUS! I was so upset last night to look up and see so few students coming out. Its' bad enough that I had to watch them practically beg the student body to come out and support the soccer team and now the same with the basketball program? I mean seriously GUYS!

That is so pathetic and so, so sad! As a matter of fact, its an INSULT (there I said it!) WOW! So because you all have to sit in Section 11 (mind you its FREE)...and no one comes? Ok...I get it, everyone is getting ready for FINALS WEEK..well guess what..SO AM I and I drive 2 HOURS there and 2 HOURS back home...while doing homework on my laptop, in the car AND holdin down a 3.5 GPA...OOOooooo and a family, kids, job, church, kids, home, job and husband!

I know there are those of you on here that want to blame the marketing dept or the school and say that they aren't doing enough..but barring them going to student's dorm rooms and yanking them out of their rooms and forcing them to come to the JAR, show there ID (for a FREE ticket) and sit their behinds down to cheer on the basketball program, when will we ask the STUDENTS..what the heck is up with you???? It makes no kind of sense to me! I dont' get it. THAT IS ALL! #dropsmic#

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It's been a very interesting year in regards to student attendance.

Yesterday, Athletics sponsored a rock-paper-scissors contest that the winner would receive 500 dollars to go to text books. 64 people where selected to compete...three of them showed up.

Even if you offer students 500 dollars, they don't show up.

There were 275 students at the game yesterday (which is about half the average of last season). However, with the lack of students, the ROWDIES where still able to give away 90 floor seats to them out of the 100 possible. (which is a pretty high ratio, because again students at Akron a very strange). I also feel that the arena was bouncing yesterday, MTSU agreed on twitter, and I felt the participating students played a big part in this.

Something tells me as the year goes on, especially when we get to second semester and the MAC schedule, things will get better. But I agree it is crazy that they don't want to support the team now.

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I have been watching Akron basketball for 30 years and I don't think the student support for Akron Basketball has ever been that great, especially early in the season when we play an out of conference schedule and the team we are playing is not from this area or a ranked team.

You also have to remember that this was a weekend game and many students go home for the weekend. I am not making excuses, just explaining reality. I believe this team has tremendous talent and as they win more games they will get more students to attend the games. Unfortunately, the University does little to market the games to the students.

I thought it was great to watch the students and the team gets together and do the "I do believe" chant at the end of the game. Hopefully, as more students have a fun experience, attendence will improve.

I liked it when the team got the crowd going and it seemed to ignite the crowd.

If this team beats Creighten next week you may see the numbers improve as there may be a buzz about this team.

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It's an ongoing mystery. I scratch my bald head when I think about it. One could say there was a Browns game, but there wasn't until 4 PM. After years of trying to figure it out, I've given up. It won't just be last afternoon, but we will see this throughout December. Probably throughout the season as well.

Maybe I'm the stupid one, but I think the Zips provide great entertainment for not much money. This goes beyond the students to the alumni and general public. Are the seats uncomfortable? Yes, but there aren't 2,000 more people who would be uncomfortable for two house a couple times a year for great entertainment? It's bad, but not that bad. K E N T is a wildly uncomfortable place to go watch a game, but they get great crowds in a much smaller community.

The Zips have been good enough for long enough now that the team is no secret. It can't be a marketing problem at this point. In fact, going to a Zips game should be "the thing to do" around Akron and it isn't. Maybe it is, but people can't get off their lazy asses long enough to make it to a game.

Last month, I drove three hours to watch the Zips play in Myrtle Beach. For most people, it can't take more than 30 minutes to get to the arena. Shame on people for not going.

:(

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Maybe those students who are buzzed by Zips basketball could help out by trying to create more of a buzz among their fellow students who don't go to basketball games. Maybe try talking up the great show the current players are putting on and how much fun you've had at the JAR. Sure, the seating's not ideal, the back entrance is a pain, halftime entertainment is hokey, food lines are slow, etc. But the main point is that the Zips have evolved into a darn good college team that's fun to watch, and they will perform even better with a large, enthusiastic, noisy student turnout.

Maybe students here on ZN.o who enjoy Zips basketball could try bringing it up in everyday conversation with other students and see how good you are at recruiting higher quality student fans to support the higher quality student athletes Coach Dambrot has been recruiting to raise the level of Zips basketball.

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#PICKING UP THE MIC...#tap, tap...is this thing on??!!!# Attn. Attn: OK..so here is the deal....I have NEVER, EVER seen such poor student support for an athletic program. Can someone PLEASE explain to me why our student section (which is FREE) was so sparse and with so few students? To have to beg a student body to support a program with the success that our basketball team has is HORRENDOUS! I was so upset last night to look up and see so few students coming out. Its' bad enough that I had to watch them practically beg the student body to come out and support the soccer team and now the same with the basketball program? I mean seriously GUYS!

That is so pathetic and so, so sad! As a matter of fact, its an INSULT (there I said it!) WOW! So because you all have to sit in Section 11 (mind you its FREE)...and no one comes? Ok...I get it, everyone is getting ready for FINALS WEEK..well guess what..SO AM I and I drive 2 HOURS there and 2 HOURS back home...while doing homework on my laptop, in the car AND holdin down a 3.5 GPA...OOOooooo and a family, kids, job, church, kids, home, job and husband!

I know there are those of you on here that want to blame the marketing dept or the school and say that they aren't doing enough..but barring them going to student's dorm rooms and yanking them out of their rooms and forcing them to come to the JAR, show there ID (for a FREE ticket) and sit their behinds down to cheer on the basketball program, when will we ask the STUDENTS..what the heck is up with you???? It makes no kind of sense to me! I dont' get it. THAT IS ALL! #dropsmic#

For the (at least) last approximately 35 years student attendance at all Akron sporting events has been less than it probably should have been. I appreciate your concern, but I don't anticipate a long-term improvement in this situation any time soon. Basketball actually does very well compared to other sports. When was the last time you attended a swim meet, a track meet, a tennis match, a baseball game, or (my favorite) a rifle match? No need to answer; I know what your answer is and almost all students would have an identical response.

I am more concerned to learn that you are operating a laptop while driving. Distracted driving is one of the major contributing factors leading to fatal automobile accidents. I highly encourage you to postpone operating any electronic device until you have safely arrived at your destination.

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#PICKING UP THE MIC...#tap, tap...is this thing on??!!!# Attn. Attn: OK..so here is the deal....I have NEVER, EVER seen such poor student support for an athletic program. Can someone PLEASE explain to me why our student section (which is FREE) was so sparse and with so few students? To have to beg a student body to support a program with the success that our basketball team has is HORRENDOUS! I was so upset last night to look up and see so few students coming out. Its' bad enough that I had to watch them practically beg the student body to come out and support the soccer team and now the same with the basketball program? I mean seriously GUYS!

That is so pathetic and so, so sad! As a matter of fact, its an INSULT (there I said it!) WOW! So because you all have to sit in Section 11 (mind you its FREE)...and no one comes? Ok...I get it, everyone is getting ready for FINALS WEEK..well guess what..SO AM I and I drive 2 HOURS there and 2 HOURS back home...while doing homework on my laptop, in the car AND holdin down a 3.5 GPA...OOOooooo and a family, kids, job, church, kids, home, job and husband!

I know there are those of you on here that want to blame the marketing dept or the school and say that they aren't doing enough..but barring them going to student's dorm rooms and yanking them out of their rooms and forcing them to come to the JAR, show there ID (for a FREE ticket) and sit their behinds down to cheer on the basketball program, when will we ask the STUDENTS..what the heck is up with you???? It makes no kind of sense to me! I dont' get it. THAT IS ALL! #dropsmic#

I graduated from Akron in 1971. In some of those years we had a top ranked DIV II team. We actually used to fill Memorial Hall for most every game, and it made a huge home court advantage. I remember standing for a few games.

However, in general, the history of Akron has always been an apathetic townie school.

I lived in the dorms and then later a Frat house. The dorm and Frat people attended the games because it was part of the campus life. I also hung out with people from the Independent Student Association, who were just about all townies. Getting one of them to show up for anything after class was a tall order. Akron students had a tendency of hanging out with their same friends from high school, and getting off campus as soon as they could.

It really is a shame. We have a very noteworthy hoops team, that could make a run this year. A lot of people seem to become interested after they are gone, but not while they are students. It is probably what will always separate us from the "big boys". I have been out on I80 after a Penn State Football game. The traffic jam stretches hundreds of miles all the way to New York. Akron just does not generate that type of loyalty, for whatever reason.

I do, however, remain a charter member of the Shroeders for Lunch Bunch.

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I graduated from Akron in 1971. In some of those years we had a top ranked DIV II team. We actually used to fill Memorial Hall for most every game, and it made a huge home court advantage.

Memorial Hall seated about 2500. The attendance for the Zips first two home games was 2832 and 2771. That would have packed Memorial Hall and made it seem very loud and intimidating. Maybe with all of the talk about building a new larger facility, maybe we should go smaller. :)

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Im not going to get into a lot of detail (prepping for finals) but a theory/suggestion I have is this...

Akron has the label of a being a commuter school. I know the University is making efforts to get more kids on campus, but it is infact still a commuter school. This is obviously going to hurt student attendance, especially on a Sunday afternoon when nobody is on campus.

I believe with the students we have on campus, more of an effort needs to be made by the RAs, (yes I said RAs and not marketing deptartment) to get the kids on their floor to go to games. Getting a group of people to go to an event works. It provides a social setting with people that you know and are friends with, and has a good chance of creating a few new "regulars" when they actually see the product we are putting on the court. My freshman year, I went to many things that I never would have if my RA had not organized it for us. Skating rink, rock wall climbing, EJ Thomas, etc.

The upper class-man need to do a better job with getting the younger students aware and involved.

Akron is in a unique situation. There is only so much the University can do so fast, but there is still a little that the University leaves left on the table.

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Memorial Hall seated about 2500. The attendance for the Zips first two home games was 2832 and 2771. That would have packed Memorial Hall and made it seem very loud and intimidating. Maybe with all of the talk about building a new larger facility, maybe we should go smaller. :)

Well, you have a point except when you consider that:

We were DIV II

We were a smaller school. Enrollment when I started in 1967 was around 5000, if I remember right.

We had only three dorms. Two small womens (two story each) and one mens tower.

Many of the students were there to avoid the VietNam draft and didn't really care about school. (And for anyone who wants to jump down my throat for that, more than 1/2 the freshman on my floor the first year were gone into the Navy or Air Force when I was a soph. It was not patriotism - and I am not knocking them - it was staying out of the Army where most of the KIAs occured).

So there is really no excuse for that kind of attendance now.

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Welp as a recently graduated student (2010), I will offer this. Akron isn't big time to the students. They've seen OU beat us, and beat Gtown, go to the elite eight. They've seen close loss in big game after close loss, and don't think we're getting anywhere/March is all that matters to them. Win some big games (Namely schedule some good home games) and they'll be there.

On an NFL Sunday against Middle Tennessee State (Yeah, I know they're a very good mid-major, but does 95% of the student body? No.), this game didn't have much of a chance at drawing big.

Our home schedule has been absolutely pathetic the past few years. How many Arkansas Pine Bluff or NC A&T's can we play before we get 0 people there? And yes, I get that it is a tough draw getting OOC teams in the JAR, but get someone for goodness sakes.

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To add to my last point, here's a summary of our past 3 home OOC schedules:

Millikin

YSU (2)

CSU (2)

Bethune-Cookman

Arkansas Little Rock

Oral Roberts

Hiram

Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Florida A&M

NC A&T

VCU

Creighton (Bracketbuster)

John Carroll

MTSU

Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Texas Southern

Princeton

Coppin State

I mean...regardless of quality how many of these schools have the average student even heard of? YSU, CSU, VCU, Creighton, Princeton.

Out of those, who are decent opponents? CSU Creighton and VCU. Princeton isn't terrible, but I can't picture any student getting pumped for that one. Out of these decent teams, how many did we actually schedule? VCU and Creighton were return BB games. I'll give them credit for scheduling CSU.

Now with all these other crap teams, combined with a few games against the abysmal MAC West, I don't blame 18-23 year olds not showing up when they have class, football to watch, hangovers to sleep off. Heck, I have an hour drive, and want to buy season tix, but I'm just coming for the MAC games. I realize how good this team is, but I can only watch us beat Arkansas Pine Bluff by 30 so many times. We wonder why people in the area don't recognize us as being an actual D-1 team, well, take a look at the teams they can come watch us play.

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To add to my last point, here's a summary of our past 3 home OOC schedules:

Millikin

YSU (2)

CSU (2)

Bethune-Cookman

Arkansas Little Rock

Oral Roberts

Hiram

Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Florida A&M

NC A&T

VCU

Creighton (Bracketbuster)

John Carroll

MTSU

Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Texas Southern

Princeton

Coppin State

I mean...regardless of quality how many of these schools have the average student even heard of? YSU, CSU, VCU, Creighton, Princeton.

Out of those, who are decent opponents? CSU Creighton and VCU. Princeton isn't terrible, but I can't picture any student getting pumped for that one. Out of these decent teams, how many did we actually schedule? VCU and Creighton were return BB games. I'll give them credit for scheduling CSU.

Now with all these other crap teams, combined with a few games against the abysmal MAC West, I don't blame 18-23 year olds not showing up when they have class, football to watch, hangovers to sleep off. Heck, I have an hour drive, and want to buy season tix, but I'm just coming for the MAC games. I realize how good this team is, but I can only watch us beat Arkansas Pine Bluff by 30 so many times. We wonder why people in the area don't recognize us as being an actual D-1 team, well, take a look at the teams they can come watch us play.

good points. Name of opponent is more important than quality. Same can be said in all sports.

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the fact is MTSU could have been undefeated and nationally ranked and attendance would have been the same. To the average Zips fan hearing "Middle Tennessee State" doesn't do much to excite. They are not a "name" opponent, and they aren't even a conference opponent like Can't or Ohio that is recognizable. It just doesn't hold much weight, just like an big-time school probably doesn't think twice when they hear their team is playing Akron.

Other factors that affect attendance negatively.

- Losses to teams like Coastal Carolina

- 3-2 record

- Sunday, with a Browns game later

- early in the season

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The student attendance problem is easy to solve.

Give each student who shows an ID card a FREE Ohio State tee shirt. In future games give free Michigan,

Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, etc. tee shirts, watch caps, scarves, etc. Student attendance will sky rocket.

Sheeple fed a diet of crap their entire lives are wont to change their stripes.

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Thank you Go Zips for your fecetious solution! :P Now here's something I've picked up on from being a season ticket holder for a commuter school six thousand miles away in the middle of the Pacific:

Winning DOES make all the difference. That's the reason Hawaii volleyball with four national championships outdraws basketball with few winning seasons.

Hawaii started their student Manoa Maniac cheering section only a few yrs ago after they instituted a mandatory student athletic fee (administrative guilt?), and never drew more than a couple hundred students to games. This season, I noticed from game one that the numbers grew to several hundred -- nearing 1000 for Illinois. I also noticed that many of the students seemed to be wearing T shirts printed with Hawaii tennis, waterpolo, swimming and diving, etc. on them. Yes! They came up with the incredible idea of having coaches actually encourage their own student-athletes to attend the games for once. They also have instituted competitions for them, like sign contests, basket shooting contests, etc. It didn't take any great investment ($$), it only took someone in the AD actually being interested and bringing coaches together for one step to a bigger solution. Don't know how long it will last, but the arena is the loudest its ever been.

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To add to my last point, here's a summary of our past 3 home OOC schedules:

Millikin

YSU (2)

CSU (2)

Bethune-Cookman

Arkansas Little Rock

Oral Roberts

Hiram

Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Florida A&M

NC A&T

VCU

Creighton (Bracketbuster)

John Carroll

MTSU

Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Texas Southern

Princeton

Coppin State

I mean...regardless of quality how many of these schools have the average student even heard of? YSU, CSU, VCU, Creighton, Princeton.

Out of those, who are decent opponents? CSU Creighton and VCU. Princeton isn't terrible, but I can't picture any student getting pumped for that one. Out of these decent teams, how many did we actually schedule? VCU and Creighton were return BB games. I'll give them credit for scheduling CSU.

Now with all these other crap teams, combined with a few games against the abysmal MAC West, I don't blame 18-23 year olds not showing up when they have class, football to watch, hangovers to sleep off. Heck, I have an hour drive, and want to buy season tix, but I'm just coming for the MAC games. I realize how good this team is, but I can only watch us beat Arkansas Pine Bluff by 30 so many times. We wonder why people in the area don't recognize us as being an actual D-1 team, well, take a look at the teams they can come watch us play.

Well said. We ZNO posters are more sophisticated than your average college basketball fan. We knew how good of an opponent we had coming into the JAR in MTSU. The problem is that 99% of potential customers didn't. And don't. "Middle Tenne... who?what?"

We need to schedule home games against Big Six competition. And we need to beat them.

Plain & simple.

Oh, and no losing to Coastal Carolina to start the year.

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The student attendance problem is easy to solve.

Give each student who shows an ID card a FREE Ohio State tee shirt. In future games give free Michigan,

Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, etc. tee shirts, watch caps, scarves, etc. Student attendance will sky rocket.

Sheeple fed a diet of crap their entire lives are wont to change their stripes.

Or have The Vest model that nice buckeye jacket he had on during the UM game.

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I hear EVERYONE...and all have very good and legitimate points of view...HOWEVER when does it become about the TEAM and not who they are playing? Pitt students dont give a hoot who their opponent is, they go to those games, pack it out because its THEIR TEAM, its THEIR SCHOOL and I can appreciate that. All I'm saying is that if the student body won't take pride in THEIR SCHOOL, their TEAM regardless...then what gives? It is just unfortunate to read and its seems that the consenses is that the only way to get a good and CONSISTENT student body support is to win games and win games ONLY...but you can't tell me that the electric atmosphere we have when we are playing Can't and OU is not something that those players have earned, deserves and desires to have at ALL HOME GAMES!

Call me old school...but that is my story and I'm sticking to it! blah! blah! blah! Guess I won't be seeing many of them on the 18th when we play *gulping* Arkansas Pine Bluff!!

PS: UUUhhmmmm yeah..Zipmeister...if you honestly think that I could POSSIBLY drive and type on my laptop at the same time...I got a 'bridge' I want to sell you... :lol::lol::lol: BUT..if anyone of you computer, techie genius' come up with a program that would allow me to do that...INBOX ME!!! (OK people..I am ONLY JOKING) so dont freak out on me! MUAH!!!

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Pitt plays the same OOC schedule we do. Their students get rewarded for watching their OOC "contests" with tickets handed out based on loyalty points to see UConn, Georgetown, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Louisville, Cincinnati, Nova, St. Johns, etc.. Our students get to see Miami, OU, Can't, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Buffalo, Toledo after they put up with our OOC schedule. Not to mention the Zoo gets the best seats in the house, in an awesome arena.

Yes I agree, this team deserves an electric atmosphere at every game. They're awesome, and it's a shame they don't get that more than a few times a year.

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I hear EVERYONE...and all have very good and legitimate points of view...HOWEVER when does it become about the TEAM and not who they are playing? Pitt students dont give a hoot who their opponent is, they go to those games, pack it out because its THEIR TEAM, its THEIR SCHOOL and I can appreciate that. All I'm saying is that if the student body won't take pride in THEIR SCHOOL, their TEAM regardless...then what gives? It is just unfortunate to read and its seems that the consenses is that the only way to get a good and CONSISTENT student body support is to win games and win games ONLY...but you can't tell me that the electric atmosphere we have when we are playing Can't and OU is not something that those players have earned, deserves and desires to have at ALL HOME GAMES!

Call me old school...but that is my story and I'm sticking to it! blah! blah! blah! Guess I won't be seeing many of them on the 18th when we play *gulping* Arkansas Pine Bluff!!

PS: UUUhhmmmm yeah..Zipmeister...if you honestly think that I could POSSIBLY drive and type on my laptop at the same time...I got a 'bridge' I want to sell you... :lol::lol::lol: BUT..if anyone of you computer, techie genius' come up with a program that would allow me to do that...INBOX ME!!! (OK people..I am ONLY JOKING) so dont freak out on me! MUAH!!!

Sorry, for 98% of the student body, it's just a place they take classes at. They have no school pride so they wouldn't know what it is, let alone show it off...

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