Attendance

[GP1]

The Zips are putting a great product out on the field this year. Why were there only 13,000 at the game? I've been thinking about this and here is what I think.

First of all, OSU is not the reason people do not show up to Akron games. I could really care less about OSU, but I'm not going to blame them for the attendance problems. Hell, they played at noon Saturday. Akron is competing for what I consider to be a "casual" sports fans time. There are very few die hard fans like us. People have a lot of options now with TV offerings being what they are. They may feel they have a better option on TV.

The reason I think the crowd was so small Saturday was the Indians are doing very well. They had a better crowd last year for the first game and the Indians were doing poorly. If the Indians are in post season position next week and then they make the post season, Akron's attendance will be small. Casual fans want to watch the Indians. I guess that puts a lot of you northeast Ohio natives in a bad position. Do you want large crowds at games or do you want the Indians to do well?

Secondly, watch the Miami vs. UC game Wednesday night. I bet Miami only has about 15,000 at the game. Attendance is a problem throughout the MAC.

Also, in years past they had the Acme Zip game where tens of thousands of tickets were given away for free knowing that everyone would not show up. Basically if you went into Acme and bought a light bulb you received a ticket to the game. None of those fans were bought into the program because they had to spend nothing to go. We probably had as many paying customers Saturday as we used to get for Acme Zip, and I'm gald the school is not giving things away now.

Thirdly, the Rubber Bowl has never looked as bad as it does now and it is getting worse by the day. I'm lucky I take a Can't State seat cover into the game (Why Can't State? So my big butt can be placed squarely onto the head of that stupid bird) or I would have ended up with a piece of fiberglass in my leg like my wife did. A casual fan does not want to sit in a place like that. People want their sports entertainment dollars to be spent on what they believe is an event, not just a game. If part of your event takes place in an area of town where there are no bars to go to before the game within walking distance, the tailgate area is next to a run down airport and you risk bodily harm in the stadium from the stadium, would you want to go to that event if you were a casual fan?

In addition, Zips Win! and I were talking at halftime and he told me that only half of the prepaid parking spots were filled. Just a suggestion to UofA. Next year, tripple the price of those spots. They will still sell out and you will make 3X mor money. Also, the more people pay for the spots, the more likely they are to go to the game because they are invested.

Go Indians?

[Buckzip]

IMHO, it is because the Rubber Bowl sucks. I really feel if we had an on campus stadium, not only more students would come, but more from the community would come. I am a fan that goes to games, but I hate the place.

If I wasn't a diehard football UA fan, I wouldn't go either.

[a-zip]

IMHO, it is because the Rubber Bowl sucks. I really feel if we had an on campus stadium, not only more students would come, but more from the community would come. I am a fan that goes to games, but I hate the place.

If I wasn't a diehard football UA fan, I wouldn't go either.

AND we would have a better chance getting TV time. It sounds like too much of a chore to get proper lighting. I sure hope they build a new stadium. I live in the Washington DC area and would love to come a game but I have to say it is not worth the right now to drive to a rundown, isolated stadium.

[bigzipguy]

Both gp1 and buckzip are right on the money with their posts. As far as the Indians go,

people can do what I did on Sat: Go to the Zip game and take a radio!!!!

[GP1]

As far as the Indians go,

people can do what I did on Sat: Go to the Zip game and take a radio!!!!

You are asking too much this day and age. I can't even go to a bar and listen to music during a game because the idiots insist on hearing the play-by-play on television. Why? How do these people actually watch a game in person? Don't they understand the sport enough to watch it and follow along with the graphics or the motions of the umpires? Hell, there are so many graphics on TV now you can hardly see the game.

[InTheZone]

What I was impressed with was the number of students at the game Saturday. It looks like it's finally "in" at the U to go to football games before getting tanked on the weekends (or maybe before, from what I saw ). What I didn't like was that about half of them left early (granted we were up by 21 points going into the 4th). Now we just need more support from the community at large.

[Captain Kangaroo]

only half of the prepaid parking spots were filled. Just a suggestion to UofA. Next year, tripple the price of those spots. They will still sell out and you will make 3X mor money. Also, the more people pay for the spots, the more likely they are to go to the game because they are invested.

Wish I'd have thought of that?

The problem with the Zipsfest turnout is more complex than the cost of the spot.

If I see someone from the Marketing group at the next game, I'll explain. If they want to give me a call, I'm happy to discuss it.

Sufficive to say: They should call up each and every one of the "vacant" spot holders and let them know their money is being refunded and people on the waiting list are being moved up front (they did keep a waiting list, right?). They should also move those fans who put the effort into making the thing an event together. Now. Not tomorrow. Your original spot number now means nothing.

The organization of the students for the game was great, well planned, and worked out outstanding. Conversely: The Tailgate fest wasn't...and it flopped.

[RACER]

the rubber bowl has zero to do with attendance. the reason people don't go is we have

won nothing. notice when we play in a big game mashall last year that matters, the fans show up. we could have a brand new downtown staduim ,but if we don't win it won't matter.no one will show up. i dont know any program that draws fans that loses year in year out. everyone loves a winner! that's the bottom line.

[Dr Z]

i dont know any program that draws fans that loses year in year out.

Cleveland Browns.

[a-zip]

i dont know any program that draws fans that loses year in year out.

Cleveland Browns.

LOL

[RACER]

at least in their history with sipe,kosar they have played for afc championships.we have not even madethe championship game let alone won it.

i sat through almost 20 years of some faust 1-10,owens 2-9 which can't compare to even some of the browns worsts seasons.

[Buckzip]

They may not draw 35000 when losing, but they would draw 18-20K.

The Rubber Bowl sucks. Unless you are a diehard, you don't want to go sit in those uncomfortable seats, with the terrible views, and bad atmosphere.

Pu the stadium on campus, where students can just walk up to the gates, and it's more centered in town, and you will see more people there.

[Dr Z]

The reason I think the crowd was so small Saturday was the Indians are doing very well.  They had a better crowd last year for the first game and the Indians were doing poorly.  If the Indians are in post season position next week and then they make the post season, Akron's attendance will be small.  Casual fans want to watch the Indians.  I guess that puts a lot of you northeast Ohio natives in a bad position.  Do you want large crowds at games or do you want the Indians to do well?

Indians have rescheduled this weeks game on Saturday

for 1:25 so more Zips fans can go to the game.

[GP1]

The reason I think the crowd was so small Saturday was the Indians are doing very well.  They had a better crowd last year for the first game and the Indians were doing poorly.  If the Indians are in post season position next week and then they make the post season, Akron's attendance will be small.  Casual fans want to watch the Indians.  I guess that puts a lot of you northeast Ohio natives in a bad position.  Do you want large crowds at games or do you want the Indians to do well?

Indians have rescheduled this weeks game on Saturday

for 1:25 so more Zips fans can go to the game.

This will be a good test of my theory.

[Zipsrifle]

I remember one seriouis flaw in why the first game last season had 17,000...wasn't it BAND DAY!? No band day last week so 13,000 was pretty good!

What I was impressed with was the number of students at the game Saturday. It looks like it's finally "in" at the U to go to football games before getting tanked on the weekends (or maybe before, from what I saw  ). What I didn't like was that about half of them left early (granted we were up by 21 points going into the 4th). Now we just need more support from the community at large.

Uh, not all that section was students. My group was sitting in the student section because the other old people don't like to cheer. I'm starting my own Alumni group....the AK-OLDIES!

BTW...we're moving our seats for the next game. You would never know that NIU scored 21 points in the 4th because the student section became a social event, nobody was paying attention to the game. Can't say I would have done anything different when I was in school though.