How to engage the students

[ZachTheZip]

Ianello take note. Something like this could be held during Springfest. It gets the student body involved with the program. And if you're lucky, you might find a few kids who could make the team.

[akzipper]

Want students at games?

win

it's that simple

[g-mann17]

Want students at games?

win

it's that simple

Ask the basketball team, its not that simple.

[Spin]

Hell the baseball team couldn't even see fit to play during the Springfest this year. That was the highlight for me last year. Food, sports. Arcade. Watched softball until BGSU's lack of basic fundamentals made me throw up in my mouth. Then "people" watched until the baseball game.

I bet 98% of the students don't even know what that retention basin behind the soccer stadium is for.

All of the big time sports needs to be a part of this. If nothing else, football should have a booth where you throw footballs through holes in a tarp, staffed by players in jerseys. Hit three in a row and you get a stuffed Zippy. Hit four in a row, and get an ICoach voodoo doll. Basketball could have a foul shot game. Soccer.

Visibility...

[skip-zip]

Want students at games?

win

it's that simple

Ask the basketball team, its not that simple.

Thank You

[Captain Kangaroo]

Want students at games?

win

it's that simple

Ask the basketball team, its not that simple.

I disagree. The basketball team fills a crappy arena to roughly 60-65% capacity by "winning."

"Winning" being defined by a 64% winning percentage, where the team was 12-10 through 2/3 of the reason.

If the football team won 7 games in a given season (58% winning percentage) @ InfoCision, it is pretty much a given that attendance would be around 15k. Virtually identical to the basketball team.

No one should be able to point to the basketball team and say "LOOK...WE WON TONS OF GAMES AND ONLY DREW TO 60% CAPACITY...AKRON FANS WILL NEVER SHOW UP!!" That's plain stupid. The basketball team fills the arena to the appropriate level for it's performance, and facility. That's plain simple.

You want to increase attendance? With something that's within the Program's control?

Build off 2010-11. Don't take a step back, record-wise.

Beat marquee opponents.

Win an NCAA tourney game.

Market Zeke.

Long-term, and outside the Program's immediate control: Improve the facility.

[zen]

I can has teh iCoach voodoo doll?

[plowerman78]

either way he would prolly be unimpressed

[Dr Z]

Market Zeke.

Yep, and football should market #34. Will they? Nope.

[Spin]

I can has teh iCoach voodoo doll?

Now that's funny.

[g-mann17]

Want students at games?

win

it's that simple

Ask the basketball team, its not that simple.

I disagree. The basketball team fills a crappy arena to roughly 60-65% capacity by "winning."

"Winning" being defined by a 64% winning percentage, where the team was 12-10 through 2/3 of the reason.

If the football team won 7 games in a given season (58% winning percentage) @ InfoCision, it is pretty much a given that attendance would be around 15k. Virtually identical to the basketball team.

No one should be able to point to the basketball team and say "LOOK...WE WON TONS OF GAMES AND ONLY DREW TO 60% CAPACITY...AKRON FANS WILL NEVER SHOW UP!!" That's plain stupid. The basketball team fills the arena to the appropriate level for it's performance, and facility. That's plain simple.

You want to increase attendance? With something that's within the Program's control?

Build off 2010-11. Don't take a step back, record-wise.

Beat marquee opponents.

Win an NCAA tourney game.

Market Zeke.

Long-term, and outside the Program's immediate control: Improve the facility.

Wow you really took that the wrong way. First it was about "students" showing up, not just crowds. If students showed up in the number they should (or even to what shows up for most soccer games) Attendance would be 2000 before anyone else walked through the door.

I never even alluded to the fact that "no one shows up" I simply stated that winning isn't all that matters to attendance. The basketball team is a championship caliber team, they have played in the MAC Tournament Final 5 years in a row now and students still don't show up.

You're concept suggest that teams would have to win 100% of their games to get sell outs and that is lunacy. Teams have to be competetive to get the casual fan and have to win to get the bandwagon fan. But that wasn't the question.

The question is, what does it take to get STUDENTS TO SHOW UP?

If the football team was in the MAC Championship game 5 years in a row and played in the post season (bowl game) 4 of those 5 times there would be far more than 15 thousand showing up.

It's not a knock on the basketball team, its a knock on the supposed student organization on campus whose purpose it is to support athletics and build a fan base.

[Dr Z]

The question is, what does it take to get STUDENTS TO SHOW UP?

Beat marquee opponents.

Win an NCAA tourney game.

Market Zeke.

[Captain Kangaroo]

The question is, what does it take to get STUDENTS TO SHOW UP?

If the football team was in the MAC Championship game 5 years in a row and played in the post season (bowl game) 4 of those 5 times there would be far more than 15 thousand showing up.

Fair response. But there was no inference that an undefeated record is required to pack the house.

The Zips have had a very good run in hoops the past 5 years. But no one can deny the fact that it hasn't been "magical" to Joe Akron. Magical to the Zips diehards, and the ZN.O faithful, but not to the average Joe.

This season we were 9-7 in the MAC regular season. Losing 7 games in the MAC regular season isn't magical. It doesn't get any bandwagon rolling. And it doesn't get a student out of his dorm room, away from his X-Box, off Facebook, and removing his red Ohio State Foam Finger to stroll across the campus in late-January and watch the Zips play Eastern Michigan.

The Zips have had nice regular seasons, followed by excellent tourney runs. They haven't had a GREAT regular season, followed by a GREAT post-season. *Note* :Before Basketball Guy blows his top, I will make it clear, again, that everyone on this board has been thrilled with our tourney performance. But Joe Akron isn't wowed by MAC Championships. At least not sufficiently so to make the JAR SRO vs Milliken the following season.

As an old-timer, I can tell you K.e.n.t. State drew flies before Gary Waters. The Zips had more fans at the Ke.n.t. gym during the Bosley/Ball era. Hell, I sat in the K.e.n.t. student section, right next to the floor, because there were no K.e.n.t. students at the games. K.e.n.t. had their magic run with Gates and Co., and it still pays dividends today. 12 years later?

And to your final point, if Zips Football went 7-5 for 4-of-5 consecutive years, and played in 4 lower-tier bowls, and beat no major BCS competition, we'd average 15k. No more. Only a 9-3...10-2..."90's Marshall-type Years" would get the locals to show up in droves. It is absolutely no different than Zips basketball.

[MaxZIP]

I am embarrassed to even invite people to the games this year. I only renewed 2 of my four season tickets because I am tired of having to make excuses for lousy football week in and out to friends and family. IT IS EMBARASSING TO TAKE PEOPLE TO FOOTBALL GAMES . I can’t even sell going to the bars or tailgating. A .500 record would help immensely by removing the 500 pound elephant from Infocision Stadium, Summa Field.

[Blue & Gold]

I am embarrassed to even invite people to the games this year. I only renewed 2 of my four season tickets because I am tired of having to make excuses for lousy football week in and out to friends and family. IT IS EMBARASSING TO TAKE PEOPLE TO FOOTBALL GAMES . I can't even sell going to the bars or tailgating. A .500 record would help immensely by removing the 500 pound elephant from Infocision Stadium, Summa Field.

+1. I put a group outing together for last year's Northern Illinois game. I was humiliated. I'm not subjecting any more casual fans to Zips' football until they become somewhat respectable/competitive. I was completely embarrassed and felt so sorry for the folks that trusted me with their time & $$$ for a fun family night. I'll still be there - every game - of course. But I'm only going with my closest friends.

[MaxZIP]

I am embarrassed to even invite people to the games this year. I only renewed 2 of my four season tickets because I am tired of having to make excuses for lousy football week in and out to friends and family. IT IS EMBARASSING TO TAKE PEOPLE TO FOOTBALL GAMES . I can't even sell going to the bars or tailgating. A .500 record would help immensely by removing the 500 pound elephant from Infocision Stadium, Summa Field.

+1. I put a group outing together for last year's Northern Illinois game. I was humiliated. I'm not subjecting any more casual fans to Zips' football until they become somewhat respectable/competitive. I was completely embarrassed and felt so sorry for the folks that trusted me with their time & $$$ for a fun family night. I'll still be there - every game - of course. But I'm only going with my closest friends.

I am glad you consider us fellow ZNO members friends

[skip-zip]

The question is, what does it take to get STUDENTS TO SHOW UP?

Beat marquee opponents.Win an NCAA tourney game.

Market Zeke.

Nothing can come close to creating the buzz to increase general attendance, or student attendance, as much as just a win or two over a highly recognized program.

Not a decent yearly win percentage.

Not a consistently viable MAC contender.

Those things mean practically nothing to most area college football fans who currently have no interest in coming to Akron football games. Ask one of these people where we placed in the MAC standings last year, or who won the MAC last year, or what our record was the last couple of seasons. Most wouldn't know, and wouldn't care. Beat someone of some significance, and they'll probably never forget.

[Zipmeister]

All of you have ignored Zach's original suggestion. Would our students show up and compete for a chance to stand on the Colorado State sideline for one game in an official CSU jersey? I think they would, as long as someone else pays for their expenses.

[Lee Adams]

Hell the baseball team couldn't even see fit to play during the Springfest this year. That was the highlight for me last year. Food, sports. Arcade. Watched softball until BGSU's lack of basic fundamentals made me throw up in my mouth. Then "people" watched until the baseball game.

I bet 98% of the students don't even know what that retention basin behind the soccer stadium is for.

All of the big time sports needs to be a part of this. If nothing else, football should have a booth where you throw footballs through holes in a tarp, staffed by players in jerseys. Hit three in a row and you get a stuffed Zippy. Hit four in a row, and get an ICoach voodoo doll. Basketball could have a foul shot game. Soccer.

Visibility...

Better find some good weather first...Phoenix is nice in April.