What Has Happened to the AK-Rowdies?

[UAZip0510]

I will admit before anything else that I haven't attended every home game this season. However, the ones I have attended I've seen very low student/Rowdy turnout. Yesterday both ends at the bottom had plenty of seats open.

I'm not trying to start a bashing of the Rowdies, just curious from those on campus/in the group what has happened this year as far as basketball goes?

[ZachTheZip]

The seats next to the band are reserved for recruits and other visitors. There are never more than a handful there.

[UAZip0510]

The seats next to the band are reserved for recruits and other visitors. There are never more than a handful there.

I'm talking the other side...it was 75% full yesterday (and that might be generous)

[roopride]

I'm talking the other side...it was 75% full yesterday (and that might be generous)

I guess I hit a button too soon. Yes the student section attendance was not great and the ones there were not loud.

[Balsy]

I'm not trying to start a bashing of the Rowdies, just curious from those on campus/in the group what has happened this year as far as basketball goes?

Poor leadership and 11:00 game?

[skip-zip]

It was disappointing. School just started, there's no exams, etc. For any students that were interested in supporting Akron B-Ball, this was the biggest game of the year thus far. Very few Rowdies, and was there any assemblage of students in GA anywhere? It seemed like they started to show up in larger numbers for awhile last season.

Back in the early 80s (for those who aren't old enough to remember), we used to gather in the bleachers on our own. No organized student group. Tons of students wanted to get on board, and all we had to look for was the people all dressed up in Akron gear that looked like they were ready to get into the game. We often showed up long before game time to get a good spot in the crowd. It was even tougher for a huge game, and I think Saturday was a huge game for us.

It's beyond me why we have to go to such lengths to get good student participation. If they had offered us a section of seats on the floor back in those days, we would have been fighting each other over the available spots.

[UAZip0510]

I've long fought for one of the lower sections to go to students, but it's tough to support that argument at this point.

[Staton14]

As a member of the AK-Rowdies, I was at the game and down in the floor seats. I think the reason for the poor turnout for Saturday's game was, in part, due to the 11 AM start time. But I think the reason the student turnout is down this season is because poor leadership from the heads of the Rowdies. They do nothing more than send out e-mails reminding students when games are scheduled. In past years they would collaborate with the athletic department to come up with promotions to get more students (Rowdie members or not) to the game. Just not the effort that there used to be.

[Balsy]

As a member of the AK-Rowdies, I was at the game and down in the floor seats. I think the reason for the poor turnout for Saturday's game was, in part, due to the 11 AM start time. But I think the reason the student turnout is down this season is because poor leadership from the heads of the Rowdies. They do nothing more than send out e-mails reminding students when games are scheduled. In past years they would collaborate with the athletic department to come up with promotions to get more students (Rowdie members or not) to the game. Just not the effort that there used to be.

+1. As a recent graduate, I remember the good leadership and they would do those things + round up people in dorms + round up people in the Union + round up people wherever they could find them. They would be shout out chants to the other leaders, and start those chants.

[zippy5]

I don't think the student attendance was bad for a Saturday morning. The top section was about 3/4 full. Problem is they're totally separated and don't have any effect of a student section. But that's a different discussion. The student attendance has actually been really good the last two years.

[UAZip0510]

I don't think the student attendance was bad for a Saturday morning. The top section was about 3/4 full. Problem is they're totally separated and don't have any effect of a student section. But that's a different discussion. The student attendance has actually been really good the last two years.

Were all of those students though? It seems like with GA, a lot of people sit among the students.

[skip-zip]

Were all of those students though? It seems like with GA, a lot of people sit among the students.

Exactly. People purchasing GA tickets can sit wherever they want in the 3 bleacher sections.

Here's the deal. We were about 1,000 short of a sellout in ticket sales, and the no-shows need to be subtracted from that. Knowing that the lower bowl is counted as full every game and counted as part of the 4,500 ticket sales, that means that we were 1,000 or more short of filling the top section. And since Upper Reserve was indeed full, someone really has to be a dreamer to think that the bleacher sections were 3/4 full when those 3 sections had to account for the 1,000 tickets that were not sold. The two end bleacher sections in particular were closer to 3/4 empty than 3/4 full. You could visually count the people in those two sections. That's sad for such a big game.

And please, for those using the TIME excuse, tell me why an 11am starting time on a Saturday is such a big problem for a college student? Plenty of time to sleep in and it doesn't interfere with evening or night drinking hours? Are college kids still sleeping at 11am these days? I don't know. It sure seems like a "nothing else is going on" time frame to me. Come On !! Would students at Kentucky, Duke, etc., pass on a big 11am game on a Saturday? Especially when some of them will get to sit on the first few rows on the floor?

[Balsy]

Exactly. People purchasing GA tickets can sit wherever they want in the 3 bleacher sections.

Here's the deal. We were about 1,000 short of a sellout in ticket sales, and the no-shows need to be subtracted from that. Knowing that the lower bowl is counted as full every game and counted as part of the 4,500 ticket sales, that means that we were 1,000 or more short of filling the top section. And since Upper Reserve was indeed full, someone really has to be a dreamer to think that the bleacher sections were 3/4 full when those 3 sections had to account for the 1,000 tickets that were not sold. The two end bleacher sections in particular were closer to 3/4 empty than 3/4 full. You could visually count the people in those two sections. That's sad for such a big game.

And please, for those using the TIME excuse, tell me why an 11am starting time on a Saturday is such a big problem for a college student? Plenty of time to sleep in and it doesn't interfere with evening or night drinking hours? Are college kids still sleeping at 11am these days? I don't know. It sure seems like a "nothing else is going on" time frame to me. Come On !! Would students at Kentucky, Duke, etc., pass on a big 11am game on a Saturday? Especially when some of them will get to sit on the first few rows on the floor?

Well not that I want to excuse the non-attendance of students...Saturday mornings = laundry, work, cleaning, other chores or things that aren't normally completed during the week time. People are creatures of habit. This isn't just an Akron thing. Michigan's student section was surprisingly empty for a game that started at 12:00.

[zippy5]

Exactly. People purchasing GA tickets can sit wherever they want in the 3 bleacher sections.

Here's the deal. We were about 1,000 short of a sellout in ticket sales, and the no-shows need to be subtracted from that. Knowing that the lower bowl is counted as full every game and counted as part of the 4,500 ticket sales, that means that we were 1,000 or more short of filling the top section. And since Upper Reserve was indeed full, someone really has to be a dreamer to think that the bleacher sections were 3/4 full when those 3 sections had to account for the 1,000 tickets that were not sold. The two end bleacher sections in particular were closer to 3/4 empty than 3/4 full. You could visually count the people in those two sections. That's sad for such a big game.

And please, for those using the TIME excuse, tell me why an 11am starting time on a Saturday is such a big problem for a college student? Plenty of time to sleep in and it doesn't interfere with evening or night drinking hours? Are college kids still sleeping at 11am these days? I don't know. It sure seems like a "nothing else is going on" time frame to me. Come On !! Would students at Kentucky, Duke, etc., pass on a big 11am game on a Saturday? Especially when some of them will get to sit on the first few rows on the floor?

Did you go to college? 11 AM was a struggle on a saturday

[MaxZIP]

I personally feel that the poor attempt at an institution-sponsored student organization kills inclusivity. Just have a section and call it the student section. I was never a rowdy and didn't care to be associated with the group. Not that they are bad people, quite the opposite. I just wanted to root on the team and would have preferred the group to feel less contrived. I am all for rabid fandom as exhibited by the hardcore rowdies. Just feel like the name and group are not as inviting as "the student section". Give them a designated premium standing section w/o seats at the mid court!

[skip-zip]

Did you go to college? 11 AM was a struggle on a saturday

It depends what I put in my body, and how late I was out on Friday

That's why I asked the question. Maybe Saturday mornings haven't changed much since I was there 30 years ago.

[UAZip0510]

I personally feel that the poor attempt at an institution-sponsored student organization kills inclusivity. Just have a section and call it the student section. I was never a rowdy and didn't care to be associated with the group. Not that they are bad people, quite the opposite. I just wanted to root on the team and would have preferred the group to feel less contrived. I am all for rabid fandom as exhibited by the hardcore rowdies. Just feel like the name and group are not as inviting as "the student section". Give them a designated premium standing section w/o seats at the mid court!

I agree 100%. Too much is made of "joining" the AK-Rowdies. If you're a UA student and have a pulse, there should be an open student section seat for you every game with a cheap Zips shirt sitting on your chair.

[UAZip0510]

Well not that I want to excuse the non-attendance of students...Saturday mornings = laundry, work, cleaning, other chores or things that aren't normally completed during the week time. People are creatures of habit. This isn't just an Akron thing. Michigan's student section was surprisingly empty for a game that started at 12:00.

I work full-time, have a 1 year old, and use the weekends to catch up on things I can't get done during the week. I arrived at the JAR at 10:30 and stayed the entire game. Just saying.

[tomzip]

I agree 100%. Too much is made of "joining" the AK-Rowdies. If you're a UA student and have a pulse, there should be an open student section seat for you every game with a cheap Zips shirt sitting on your chair.

20,000 students, yes I know they are not all on campus, but hell, if you get 2000 or even a 1000 rowdy students, that place would be loud. Go back to 1986, there were a ton of students every game.

[Balsy]

I work full-time, have a 1 year old, and use the weekends to catch up on things I can't get done during the week. I arrived at the JAR at 10:30 and stayed the entire game. Just saying.

And I'm assuming you're an (not 19, 20 year old) adult right? I work full time too, and make it to the games...however when I was in college I usually worked on the weekends, which was what I was trying to say by college students and working. Many students have jobs on the weekends, especially the mornings. This was the case for me and my roommates. We'd all go to evening games, but would rarely make it to morning games because of work. Other people I knew would be in bed till 12 (shocker, college kids in bed all day, which isn't just an Akron thing).

I'm not trying to excuse it...but I'm just being realistic. If we want student participation, afternoon-evening is best time for games. Evening if you want the best student attendance.

[Balsy]

20,000 students, yes I know they are not all on campus, but hell, if you get 2000 or even a 1000 rowdy students, that place would be loud. Go back to 1986, there were a ton of students every game.

I wish I could have been there. But I think student attendance is a larger problem than just Akron. It's a generational thing perhaps?

[Hilltopper]

X-Box, Twitter, Playstation, Facebook, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, STO, Instagram, TWCSP, FXSOH...........Who needs to go to the game when they can watch on their 60" HDTV sitting on their couch and sipping a cold one.

[Valpo Zip]

X-Box, Twitter, Playstation, Facebook, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, STO, Instagram, TWCSP, FXSOH...........Who needs to go to the game when they can watch on their 60" HDTV sitting on their couch and sipping a cold one.

I work for a university with a student population of 6,000 (25% of that of Akron). The city population is 30,000 (10% of that of Akron). The team is around .500 in a league that is less competitive than the MAC and the team is meh... and their coach will give a leg to have a player of the caliber of Tree, Quincy, Harney, Jake, Reggie, or Pat. The students all have big screen TVs and video game consoles.

If you're a student, you need to come early to home games because otherwise you won't get a seat! On game days (or the day before, the game is all what students talk about (well 80% of them). The record doesn't matter, the opponent doesn't matter either.

On thanksgiving break, the dorms were open till Sunday (rather than Friday evening) because students wanted to delay going home until after the Saturday game.

Akron doesn't lack numbers, it is not the TVs, it is not the MAC. It is the lack of pride and identity at UA. I can't put my finger on it! It could be that a lot of our students only went to Akron because they couldn't go to tOSU? is it because they don't live on campus, they don't feel as committed and attached? Those are the things you need to look at.

[LZIp]

I work for a university with a student population of 6,000 (25% of that of Akron). The city population is 30,000 (10% of that of Akron). The team is around .500 in a league that is less competitive than the MAC and the team is meh... and their coach will give a leg to have a player of the caliber of Tree, Quincy, Harney, Jake, Reggie, or Pat. The students all have big screen TVs and video game consoles.

If you're a student, you need to come early to home games because otherwise you won't get a seat! On game days (or the day before, the game is all what students talk about (well 80% of them). The record doesn't matter, the opponent doesn't matter either.

On thanksgiving break, the dorms were open till Sunday (rather than Friday evening) because students wanted to delay going home until after the Saturday game.

Akron doesn't lack numbers, it is not the TVs, it is not the MAC. It is the lack of pride and identity at UA. I can't put my finger on it! It could be that a lot of our students only went to Akron because they couldn't go to tOSU? is it because they don't live on campus, they don't feel as committed and attached? Those are the things you need to look at.

I'm trying to figure out which university you work for. It sure isn't ONU and more than likely isn't Findlay unless your numbers are way off.

[Balsy]

Akron doesn't lack numbers, it is not the TVs, it is not the MAC. It is the lack of pride and identity at UA. I can't put my finger on it! It could be that a lot of our students only went to Akron because they couldn't go to tOSU? is it because they don't live on campus, they don't feel as committed and attached? Those are the things you need to look at.

+1. I agree with you 100%. I was a commuter the entire time I was in college and for the first half I had difficulty with identity/feeling connected because I wasn't on campus. My last years I did make a conscious effort to though, and is why I'm a huge Zips fan today. To me it harkens back to the culture. Alumni, Faculty, Staff, students. Most believe Akron to be second tier, or not of the same level as State Ohio. Despite working and graduating there, some still support State Ohio, and sometime over their alma mater. It's a cultural thing we need to fix, and I don't know where that begins.