9100 Attendance

[Dave in Green]

You're right, "if everything went Akron's way" is a blanket statement that covers it all. It's the hope that every sports fan begins every season with for their team.

[zippy5]

I forgot about the WKU game. Even before that they had no chance at the Group of Five berth

[LZIp]

I forgot about the WKU game. Even before that they had no chance at the Group of Five berth

Before that they were ranked 24th in the CFP poll with Boise being the only threat at 23. Certainly possible an undefeated Marshall team could have jumped one spot.

[zippy5]

Hmm maybe I remember them having no shot at the CFP, certainly possible.

[johnnyzip84]

I can't take full responsibility (or blame) for these ideas, but a few of us got together the other day and discussed attendance in general. Playing the rival twice was the most promising suggestion to come out of that. I added a few more of my own.

Possible Steps to Address MAC Football Attendance Woes:

1. Ditch ESPN and the weekday games (I know, preaching to the choir here).
2. Create a MAC Internet Football Network and stream a MAC Game of the Week, selecting this based on level of importance as the season progresses (forget TV).
3. Allow each team to play their rival TWICE in one season (home and home). One game would be a designated conference game and the other a non-conference game
4. Offer significant monetary advantages to STUDENTS for PERFECT attendance (not just one game)
5. Offer minor monetary advantages (or even just the chance of winning something) for STUDENTS attending any game

[Dr Z]

1. Create a MAC Internet Football Network and stream a MAC Game of the Week,
2. Allow each team to play their rival TWICE

I appreciate anybody who comes on ZN and provides possible answers to questions. Forget tv? You might be right. Two years ago, I would have said your nutz, but I watch just as many sports on other devices as I do on tv now a days. I like that idea.

I do not want to see Ken+s team twice. If our rival was Pitt or Marshall, I could watch two of those games, but watching a crummy Ken+ team twice a year is not my idea of entertainment. Your probably correct in suggesting it would get more people to the game, but I don't want to see it.

[lance99]

I can't take full responsibility (or blame) for these ideas, but a few of us got together the other day and discussed attendance in general. Playing the rival twice was the most promising suggestion to come out of that. I added a few more of my own.

Possible Steps to Address MAC Football Attendance Woes:

• Ditch ESPN and the weekday games (I know, preaching to the choir here).
• Create a MAC Internet Football Network and stream a MAC Game of the Week, selecting this based on level of importance as the season progresses (forget TV).
• Allow each team to play their rival TWICE in one season (home and home). One game would be a designated conference game and the other a non-conference game
• Offer significant monetary advantages to STUDENTS for PERFECT attendance (not just one game)
• Offer minor monetary advantages (or even just the chance of winning something) for STUDENTS attending any game

As much as I cannot stand ESPN, the only other real option at the moment is Fox Sports or CBS Sports.C-USA is about to get a very rude awakening when their contact comes up.

I thought that they were making a network on Roku?

The NCAA would probably have to OK a home and home like you are describing.

No school will give outright money to attend games. Scholarships, yes, but outright $$$, no.

[Balsy]

If we're talkinga bout attendance woes at Akron, how about a competition between student groups, with the prize being a donation to the group's charity. There is a lot of student groups that do charity work in the community. Maybe it would get groups to encourage their own members to attend, increase their own membership, to get points (extra points (or double points) for checking out at the end of the game (etc)). Couple that with a entries for a scholarship drawing, I think it could potentially have an impact.

[K92]

It would also help attendance if the league office didn't schedule the Wagon Wheel game on Black Friday. I'm no MAC Commissioner but I have stayed at a couple of Holiday Inn Expresses over the years.

[LZIp]

Attendance definitely needs to improve and I'm not going to get into all of that tonight, but based on what has been discussed in this thread before with the unfortunate scheduling last year and the somewhat beneficial scheduling this year in regards to dates, times, and opponents I'm will to bet our attendance increases 33% at minimum this season. I hope someone saves this post. Will be interesting to look at after the season.

[zipsoutsider]

It would also help attendance if the league office didn't schedule the Wagon Wheel game on Black Friday. I'm no MAC Commissioner but I have stayed at a couple of Holiday Inn Expresses over the years.

Scheduling this game on Black Friday is incredibly ridiculous. What a great way to kill a rivalry. Neither school has anyone show up.

[Balsy]

Attendance definitely needs to improve and I'm not going to get into all of that tonight, but based on what has been discussed in this thread before with the unfortunate scheduling last year and the somewhat beneficial scheduling this year in regards to dates, times, and opponents I'm will to bet our attendance increases 33% at minimum this season. I hope someone saves this post. Will be interesting to look at after the season.

If we had an increase in attendance by 33% and we finally get over .500, I wonder if the ABJ will publish an article titled "Biggest Attendance Increase In Nation"

[Dave in Green]

... I hope someone saves this post. Will be interesting to look at after the season.

It's pretty easy to bookmark it yourself in your browser and go right back to it at a later date.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Terry Pluto wrote a column on the Zips in today's PD. It isn't worth a link.

Teflon Tom Wistercill still gets no mention of responsibility for the InfoCision tumbleweeds and the Football Program's situation.

And Pluto thinks Dan Enos still coaches CMU.

[Hilltopper]

I found this story much more interesting.

http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2015/07/university_of_cincinnati_ups_h.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Cincinnati subsidy is $911 per student. $27 million last year.

[ZippyRulz]

I found this story much more interesting.

http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2015/07/university_of_cincinnati_ups_h.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Cincinnati subsidy is $911 per student. $27 million last year.

They are on the cusp of P5 membership which would boost their revenue side considerably.

[Blue & Gold]

RubberDucks enjoy record attendance.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/rubberducks/rubberducks-enjoying-record-attendance-1.611342

UA Athletics needs to learn from the RubberDucks. I took a group to the RubberDucks game last Friday night & Canal Park was absolutely packed & buzzing. Everyone had a great time. The fireworks following the game were top shelf. My group ticket sales rep, Jeremy, is the most polite and conscientious sales rep I've ever dealt with - always staying in touch without being pushy - quite an art really; follow-up emails inquiring if we had a good time & if they could do anything to improve our experience; RubberDucks employees walking around Canal Park during the 8th inning simply thanking people for supporting the team.

Good grief. I could go on and on. Get with it, UA.

[Balsy]

RubberDucks enjoy record attendance.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/rubberducks/rubberducks-enjoying-record-attendance-1.611342

UA Athletics needs to learn from the RubberDucks. I took a group to the RubberDucks game last Friday night & Canal Park was absolutely packed & buzzing. Everyone had a great time. The fireworks following the game were top shelf. My group ticket sales rep, Jeremy, is the most polite and conscientious sales rep I've ever dealt with - always staying in touch without being pushy - quite an art really; follow-up emails inquiring if we had a good time & if they could do anything to improve our experience; RubberDucks employees walking around Canal Park during the 8th inning simply thanking people for supporting the team.

Good grief. I could go on and on. Get with it, UA.

This comes down to a point I've tried to make several times: "give a damn!" We need people who 'give a damn' at UA. People who go above and beyond. People whom aren't just going through the motions. I know it's easier said than done, but c'mon akron!

[Lee Adams]

Terry Pluto wrote a column on the Zips in today's PD. It isn't worth a link.

Teflon Tom Wistercill still gets no mention of responsibility for the InfoCision tumbleweeds and the Football Program's situation.

And Pluto thinks Dan Enos still coaches CMU.

Pluto hasn't been relevant for 20 years.

[Jrship35]

Doesn't seem like the team is to active in the community ? Just curious if they are if anyone knows

Thanks

[LZIp]

Doesn't seem like the team is to active in the community ? Just curious if they are if anyone knows

Thanks

I can only speak on what I know. I posted in the Oklahoma thread that I saw them out soliciting donations for an Akron AAU league at a local mall a few weeks ago. I'm sure they also do other stuff that I am not aware of.

[zipsoutsider]

I noticed a bunch of what appeared to be recent alumni tweets last week saying they had received 2 tickets for each home game in the mail. I think this was a great idea. If we are already buying the tickets, why not get money from parking and concessions, if possible.

[Balsy]

I noticed a bunch of what appeared to be recent alumni tweets last week saying they had received 2 tickets for each home game in the mail. I think this was a great idea. If we are already buying the tickets, why not get money from parking and concessions, if possible.

They should just give the Recent grads a parking pass too. I mean, outreach your gosh darn alumni like never before and remind them of the incredible value of getting an alumni season ticket.

For those who don't know...and are alumni...it's like $170 for 1 ticket to all sporting events held on campus. I'm pretty sure you can get multiple tickets too (even for non-alumni) as long as they're season tickets. I have purchased single game tickets for discounted prices to bring friends and family to a game becuase I had the alumni package as well, just call your ticket rep. Now the discounted priced tickets were for football...which they were probably desperate to sell and might have made up the "discount" on the phone...but still!

[skip-zip]

I immediately have these questions regarding the Recent Grad Free Tickets deal.

1) Can we count those as "Paid Attendance"? If so, with two tickets to each new graduate, what does that amount to? Maybe 8,000 or so tickets that we can automatically add to our count for every game?

2) Even if we are NOT counting those as paid attendance, do we have to stop selling tickets at 22,000 for the Pitt game? You can't sell more tickets than seats available, and you have to account for the Free Tickets, right?

3) If 99% of our students never utilized their Free Ticket benefit when they were students, how can we expect them to use them after graduation, when they no longer live on/near campus, and now have to pay to park?

[Dave in Green]

The NCAA counts a ticket sold as paid attendance as long as it was sold for at least one-third face value. Tickets don't actually have to be used (butts in seats), just sold. Part of any sponsorship package can include a block of tickets given to the sponsor in exchange for sponsorship dollars, and those count as ticket sales and, therefore, attendance. For example, CMU sells 5,500 football tickets to IMG and IMG distributes those tickets to various people.

Can't has met NCAA attendance requirements by using athletic department funds to “purchase” tickets after the end of the season. This appears to be a case of one area of a university buying tickets with money that goes right back into the university's bank account. If that's legal, then the NCAA minimum paid attendance rule can easily be met simply by shuffling ticket money within different areas of a university's budget. In other words, no school need fear losing Division 1-A status over NCAA attendance requirements.

There are many ways to distribute tickets that count as paid attendance as long as there are many empty seats to be filled. The only thing a university loses is the ticket sale income that help pays for the facility. If fans aren't fighting to buy tickets and tens of thousands aren't being sold, there's good logic in seeking alternative ways to get butts in seats in an effort to build future demand for paid tickets. I'd expect Larry Williams has lots of good thoughts on this issue.