Bobblehead Nights

[skip-zip]

5 hours ago, Balsy said:

 

Akron's also still mostly commuter school.  There's never been a good engagement with students on campus or the commuters; it amounts to a sign that reads "Game Today""get in free with Zipcard", I doubt any random student would know the record of the Zips because they're not engaged at all.   

 

You're right, the "Game Today" signs are worthless.  If you can't get people interested in going, they aren't going to be there because the sign informed them that there is a game.  They already know that Akron has a basketball team, and that they play basketball games. 

 

But.....the "Akron is a Commuter School" excuse has to end.  There are infinitely more students on campus, or near campus than existed 30 years ago.  We went to basketball games when the entire student residences consisted of the old 3-dorm cluster on the old Buchtel Ave.

[kreed5120]

28 minutes ago, ZachTheZip said:

"True fans" have to start somewhere. You get 500+ students to a game and it creates an exciting atmosphere, and some of them might come back because it's fun and not just because free tuition is on the line.

 

Then those same people go to a random game the next season and only see 150 students then say to themselves why did I bother to come. My system would provide some sort of boost to all home games instead of a select small number to create that atmosphere where all games could potentially be exciting. Wouldn't it be exciting to have 400 students at every games (excluding Christmas break) instead of 500 at only 3? 

Edited February 18, 2016 by kreed5120

[Sportsjunkie330]

2 hours ago, skip-zip said:

You're right, the "Game Today" signs are worthless

 

"Game Today" signs are something you's expect to see hanging in the hallway at a high school.

[zipsrule]

6 hours ago, Dr Z said:

 

This one makes me think of an excellent opportunity for a month long promotion.  

I clicked on the link and it took me to our OOC home schedule!     Non Nom Nom.....

Edited February 19, 2016 by zipsrule

[Balsy]

16 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

I'm a recent grad that was there when they were building all the new dorms and 22 exchange and all those other right off campus housing projects. It isn't anywhere near the commuter school that it once was. I don't have figures, but I wouldn't be surprised if ~50% of the student body lives within 15 minutes of campus yet maybe 200 students showed up to Tuesday game on a day where there was no class.

 

I'm a Alumnus of a fraternity on campus and they had an alumni outing for the homecoming game 2 football seasons ago that I went to. I'd say there were about 20 undergrads in attendance. They had a tailgating spot in Lot 9 and they were saying how they tailgate for every game. When it came to game time not a single 1 entered the game. They went to the bar or back home to watch other college games and OSU wasn't even playing at that time.

 

I don't expect students to plan their lives around Akron sports, I surely didn't, but there surely are a good number of sports fans on campus. If you could get these guys to attend 2 football and 3 basketball games a year, you would see a huge surge in student attendance. 

 

I agree with what your saying.  I'm a "recent" grad in the respect that I graduated in 2013, so all the new dorms were built while I was on campus.  Same for 22 exchange and other housing projects.  But the fact of the matter is; most students still are commuters at UA.  The off campus housing you mention doesn't have the capacity for 15% of the student population at UA, and they're not even full.  

 

I don't expect Akron students to plan their lives around Akron sports either, I would like to see Akron take a more proactive approach to engaging students to get them to games.  Setting up a sign that says "game today" is worthless.  That's my point.

[ZachTheZip]

1 hour ago, Balsy said:

The off campus housing you mention doesn't have the capacity for 15% of the student population at UA, and they're not even full.  

 

That might be because all those new apartment buildings charge almost double the rent compared to other nearby options.

[clarkwgriswold]

The bobbleheads appear to be the first decently planned promo this season.  I split season tickets with a friend, going to half the games with those tickets and occasionally buying a ticket for a game he has the tickets for.  He got he certificate for the bobbleheads but my wife and I each ended up with one from the Buffalo game as we were given certificates when we entered. 

 

Despite my outlay of funds and my lower bowl seats, I very rarely get anything.  I get to the games early but everything is gone before my arrival or they only have the stuff at the main door and by the time I get down there they are gone.  I've been to events at other venues where they put the promo items on the season seats so that the "regular paying customers" get some reward.  Maybe they figure we're coming anyway, so they don't need to draw us in with a t-shirt.  In years of doing this, I think I have a replica championship ring from 3 or 4 years ago and a purple Peters t-shirt.  Dispappoitning.

 

The funny thing is that I bet I end up with a Can't t-shirt when I head there for tonight's game.  At least I'll have something to help clean up after the dog. 

[kreed5120]

4 hours ago, Balsy said:

Same for 22 exchange and other housing projects.  But the fact of the matter is; most students still are commuters at UA.  The off campus housing you mention doesn't have the capacity for 15% of the student population at UA, and they're not even full.  

 

I was referring to much more than just those housing projects. Spicer, Quaker, South hall alone represent nearly ~1500 students

 

From Grant Street to Route 8 back to nearly Thornton is mostly all right off campus students. When you add in the people who live in dorms, the people who live in houses and apartments near campus, and people who live at home but can still get to campus in a ~15 drive, you still will end up with a very large number. Perhaps it's more like 33% which means ~8500 live on or near campus.

 

The main point I was trying to get a crossed is this isn't your dads Akron. Despite still being coined as a commuter school, it's nothing like what it was 15-20+ years ago.

Edited February 19, 2016 by kreed5120

[skip-zip]

Kreed.  Thanks for throwing some numbers in there.  I made the point earlier that it's much, much higher now.  And I don't see why we use that as an excuse anymore. 

 

But out of curiosity, I would like to know how significantly it has changed.  All I can say is that the on-campus population when I was in school in the early 80s was limited to the old "towers" that still sit in the middle of campus, a few off campus apartments, and some of the old houses in the blocks around campus.  That was it. 

[Blue & Gold]

http://www.cantonrep.com/article/20160218/SPORTS/302189972/16946/SPORTS

 

Ohio State is "only" averaging 12,600 at games this year.

 

Maybe averaging 1/4 that isn't too bad nowadays?

[morris buttermaker]

The Bobble head give away a good promo?.. they drew less than 3,100 for the game... yes it was a nice give away, but didn't move the attendance. 

[skip-zip]

12 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Ohio State is "only" averaging 12,600 at games this year.

 

The key part of the story is that their ticket sales have dropped significantly over the last few years, dropping about 2,000 per year.  But, their national standing has been dropping over that same period as well.  They've lost 10 games, and their RPI is up about #80 or something. 

 

We're moving in the other direction.  We're at one of our high points right now, possibly the highest ever?  An RPI around #40 that could still climb higher?

 

We should have rising attendance.   

[skip-zip]

3 minutes ago, morris buttermaker said:

The Bobble head give away a good promo?.. they drew less than 3,100 for the game... yes it was a nice give away, but didn't move the attendance. 

 

Morris.  Great point. 

 

I've often said that the giveaways, even the more valuable ones like this one, are just giving perks to people who are already going to the games.  Which is fine with me, but I think they hope that they will draw tons of new people to the ticket windows so they can get free bobbleheads.  And that is obviously not the case. 

[ZachTheZip]

If they're going to do the tuition giveaway thing, why not make it a full season thing? Why wait until there's only three home games left?

[K92]

I bet attendance would spike if Urban Meyer was signing autographs and posing for pictures at halftime.  Anybody know his appearance fee?

[skip-zip]

38 minutes ago, K92 said:

I bet attendance would spike if Urban Meyer was signing autographs and posing for pictures at halftime.  Anybody know his appearance fee?

 

This is sad, but true.

 

I bet you that more OSU Honks who live in this area would buy a ticket to an Akron basketball game to see him vs. local sports fans buying a ticket to get a bobble head of an Akron basketball legend.   

 

My guess is that it would cost less than the price of thousands of bobbleheads too. 

Edited February 19, 2016 by skip-zip
edit

[skip-zip]

52 minutes ago, ZachTheZip said:

If they're going to do the tuition giveaway thing, why not make it a full season thing? Why wait until there's only three home games left?

 

Keep in mind the cost, and the return. 

 

Sure, we get students to a game, possibly create a great atmosphere if they participate, and help our team with a game.  But since they are all getting in for Free, there is no financial return on the investment. 

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, morris buttermaker said:

The Bobble head give away a good promo?.. they drew less than 3,100 for the game... yes it was a nice give away, but didn't move the attendance. 

 

I was being subjective in saying it was "good", meaning that I at least got one of the damn things, unlike to many of the others.  On that note, anyone want a Dru Joyce bobblehead?  I can get you one cheap.

[LZIp]

13 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

Keep in mind the cost, and the return. 

 

Sure, we get students to a game, possibly create a great atmosphere if they participate, and help our team with a game.  But since they are all getting in for Free, there is no financial return on the investment. 

I believe he was talking about making the students go a full season to earn it (not just 3 games) and not giving away more free tuition.

[kreed5120]

I'd expect the Lebron James bobblehead to provide a great draw. I wonder how many people on campus know who Dru Joyce is and of those that do I wonder how many care enough to actually go to a game to get a bobblehead of him?  In reality a free t-shirt might have been appealing to many students. The Zips sold me on the 3 game pack for $24. The bobbleheads were just a bonus.

[LZIp]

3 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

I'd expect the Lebron James bobblehead to provide a great draw. I wonder how many people on campus know who Dru Joyce is and of those that do I wonder how many care enough to actually go to a game to get a bobblehead of him?  In reality a free t-shirt might have been appealing to many students. The Zips sold me on the 3 game pack for $24. The bobbleheads were just a bonus.

Right, take Balsy as Exhibit A. One of the biggest younger Akron fans (gotta be to be on this board), and he didn't know who Joyce and Romeo were. Imagine the regular student who is a casual "fan"?

 

[jupitertoo]

Promotion guaranteed to sell out the JAR, any day of the week, and put 15,000 butts in seats at Info, rain or shine:

 

Scott Scarborough voodoo doll giveaway (pins included)

 

 

[Balsy]

2 hours ago, ZachTheZip said:

If they're going to do the tuition giveaway thing, why not make it a full season thing? Why wait until there's only three home games left?

 

This is exactly the point I was making.  Apparently it got lost over squabbling over if 10% of the student population or 15% of the student population lives on/near campus.  

 

Point:  We need to engage the other 85% of students and make a reason for them to want to attend.  

Point:  We need to engage the 15%, how much of the 15% actually knows there's a game/a reason to care about the game.

Point:  Tuition giveaway should not be one game, one drawing.  Or it should be...but instead of 6 possible free tuitions for one game...2 for each game

 

But for reference:  1500 students for all those dorms (assuming they're full)...1500/25000 = 6% of the student population.  I doubt between 401 lofts, 22 exchange and the other ridiculously overpriced off campus options that there are 3000 other students to get that to 18%.  But the on campus population, isn't really that high.  

 

I live in Highland square, we have a huge student population.  I wouldn't consider any of them near campus.

[kreed5120]

9 minutes ago, Balsy said:

 

This is exactly the point I was making.  Apparently it got lost over squabbling over if 10% of the student population or 15% of the student population lives on/near campus.  

 

Point:  We need to engage the other 85% of students and make a reason for them to want to attend.  

Point:  We need to engage the 15%, how much of the 15% actually knows there's a game/a reason to care about the game.

Point:  Tuition giveaway should not be one game, one drawing.  Or it should be...but instead of 6 possible free tuitions for one game...2 for each game

 

But for reference:  1500 students for all those dorms (assuming they're full)...1500/25000 = 6% of the student population.  I doubt between 401 lofts, 22 exchange and the other ridiculously overpriced off campus options that there are 3000 other students to get that to 18%.  But the on campus population, isn't really that high.  

 

I live in Highland square, we have a huge student population.  I wouldn't consider any of them near campus.

 

I suppose that is where we differ some. I'd consider Highland Square to be near campus, but not the valley. There are about 3500 students that live in residents halls. That alone is 14% of the student body. Now tack on the 401k lofts, 22 exchanges, fur hill, fraternity/sorority houses, all the houses around campus, etc. and we are way over the 15% you have been claiming.

 

Likewise like you I've been saying we need to focus on just artificially inflating 1-3 games. That's why I proposed a lottery a page or 2 back. You could give away more than a scholarship or 2 as well. Perhaps see about getting donations from local campus businesses and give away a $200 gift card to the book store, $25 subway gift card and so on and so on. Hold the lottery the final home game of the season during half-time and make an event out of it and call it student appreciation game.

[kreed5120]

5 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Double Post*

Edited February 19, 2016 by kreed5120