Reslife4Life Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 The fact that we are having this discussion in the BASKETBALL forum, proves that winning isn’t the cure all to attendance. This conversation happens all the time in the football forum. But if we are talking about this when the basketball team is one of the best in Akron history, maybe there is more to improving attendance than just being good 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csims0917 Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 9 hours ago, LoyalZIP said: I urge folks to look at what McNeese State is doing. That thing has turned into a total party, amazingly without stilts and Tik Tok dances and foul balls sponsored by Luigi’s. They are good, and they make sure people know it. The game-winning dunk (I repeat, GAME-WINNING) at NKU went totally under the radar. Sure, they posted it. With grainy video, no audio, no Zips radio call, and went on their way. That’s not good. It didn’t get outside the Akron bubble we all exist in. There are a few people I spoke with at the Miami-Hamilton game the following week, who obviously follow the program and go to the games, and they said they had heard about some game winning shot but never saw it or had any idea what happened. That blows my mind and should never happen. It’s not 2007 lost footage of a Jeremiah Wood game winning layup at Kent. To add, with promotions, they do not move the needle as much as you’d think. When UA has done them in the past, many students and general public have shown up, picked up their items, and left. There was a whole controversy back in 2015 when all the hats for a football game were given away within 15 minutes of the gates opening. And an empty, rainy infocision stadium watched Akron win their 6th regular season game for the first time in a decade anyway. Same thing with bobble heads over the years. And coasters, lapel buttons. You should have seen the ticket office the last few years before it was cleaned out. It was like a Zips giveaway mass graveyard. The Ark of the Covenant could have been buried in all of the unclaimed items that were supposedly going to help make a difference. It makes me so mad that we cant get easy highlights to any ESPN+ games. How hard is it to post clips with audio in a decent quality that YOU OWN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 8 Author Report Share Posted January 8 Could it be that "Joe Akron" doesn't care about the games of what some consider to be the 15th to 20th ranked NCAA D1 basketball conference? I'm the rare guy that wants to see the Northern Illinois Huskies on a cold Tuesday night in February. We ZipsNation folks are the diehards. I'd like to see this program get the attention it deserves and has earned, but at the same time the grumpy old man in me is content with my $60 ticket and space to spread out at the game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 (edited) Thought #1: It seems to me Joe Akron is oblivious as to how good the athletes at this level in fact are. When I was in high school I was also oblivious. I remember asking one of my friends (6-4, averaged double-digits in scoring) who was on the high school basketball team, and who was going to BUGS the following year, if he was going to play basketball at Bowling Green. He just laughed at me and said, "No." He understood how good the athletes were/are at the mid-major level... but I still didn't. (Mind you this was the pre-internet, early ESPN days.) Then my senior year I went to a couple of Zips football games and went down to the tunnel when the team would take the field and thought - "Holy crap! These dudes are freaking huuuge! And the ones who aren't huge are faaaaast! I'd get killed the first play from scrimmage at this level!" (You can't really tell how big the guys are unless you stand right beside them.) But until then I just thought Akron was... well, I don't know what I thought. But I really had no clue. Here it is, 2024, and it still seems like Joe Akron has no clue. Joe thinks if you averaged 10 ppg in high school you could probably play for the Zips. Joe thinks if you were a JV stud and part-time starter on varsity by the time you were a senior then the Zips probably have a roster spot for you. I have no idea why this is. People are oblivious to what a hidden gem of athletics entertainment is in their back yard and accessible for mere peanuts. Thought #2: We need our football team to perform. NEO is football focussed. Anecdotal, but I used to be somewhat familiar with the Marlington school district. They were very good in both boys & girls basketball, wrestling, baseball, and softball... but everyone in the community thought they were a joke because they traditionally had a very poor football program. Most of the students who went to Marlington were kind of sheepish about how awful of an athletics school it was... even though they were very good in almost every sport except football. Edited January 8 by Blue & Gold 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 57 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said: Could it be that "Joe Akron" doesn't care about the games of what some consider to be the 15th to 20th ranked NCAA D1 basketball conference? I'm the rare guy that wants to see the Northern Illinois Huskies on a cold Tuesday night in February. We ZipsNation folks are the diehards. I'd like to see this program get the attention it deserves and has earned, but at the same time the grumpy old man in me is content with my $60 ticket and space to spread out at the game. I enjoy the cheap tickets as well, but I actually prefer when the arena is 90% full compared to when it's only 20%. It's just a much more electric atmosphere. That's why when the idea of a new arena resurfaces on this board discussion every so often, I'm adamant I want a nice 4500 seat arena over a 8000 seat monstrosity that we could never fill. The build it and they will come philosophy just doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 8 Author Report Share Posted January 8 25 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: I enjoy the cheap tickets as well, but I actually prefer when the arena is 90% full compared to when it's only 20%. It's just a much more electric atmosphere. That's why when the idea of a new arena resurfaces on this board discussion every so often, I'm adamant I want a nice 4500 seat arena over a 8000 seat monstrosity that we could never fill. The build it and they will come philosophy just doesn't work. Just like we're of rare few that show up regularly the polling numbers tell us we're in the rare few willing to support a levy for a new arena. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westie Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 Sadly, for this season, the marketing department should have been laying the groundwork in August. Everybody knew they would be good. But looking back does no good. This team has a heck of a highlight reel thus far this season. They need some slick videos that get blasted out on social media and sent directly to season ticket holders, alums, faculty and students. Promote EF as one of the best players in country (which he is). They should be running an all-american campaign for this kid. He is treat to watch. Throw in some ticket deals - Buy one, get one 50% off for January home games, whatever. Send good quality video highlights to the cleveland tv stations after every win. When they 'do' show highlights, it's grainy espn+ garbage. Get people in the door and show them a good time. They will be back. This is a good product and has been consistently for years. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zips-89 Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 Having been a season ticket holder since 1989... the one thing I have noticed at football and basketball games... the attendees are parents/ alumni only. Its been years since the city had a connection to UA sports... somehow this connection never carried on from the 1950's and 60s as it did in Dayton and other cities. Maybe its the loss of the rubber industry or a city that lost its middle class but its gone and not to return just like the rubber companies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 3 hours ago, kreed5120 said: I enjoy the cheap tickets as well, but I actually prefer when the arena is 90% full compared to when it's only 20%. It's just a much more electric atmosphere. That's why when the idea of a new arena resurfaces on this board discussion every so often, I'm adamant I want a nice 4500 seat arena over a 8000 seat monstrosity that we could never fill. The build it and they will come philosophy just doesn't work. Mack Rhodes way overbuilt our football stadium during his tenure here. It looks like he learned his lesson and built this beauty for Baylor. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reslife4Life Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 2 minutes ago, Hilltopper said: Mack Rhodes way overbuilt our football stadium during his tenure here. It looks like he learned his lesson and built this beauty for Baylor. Love how steep it is. I can only imagine what one of those Euroleague teams with the supporters sections playing in this place would be like 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 3 hours ago, Blue & Gold said: Thought #1: It seems to me Joe Akron is oblivious as to how good the athletes at this level in fact are. When I was in high school I was also oblivious. I remember asking one of my friends (6-4, averaged double-digits in scoring) who was on the high school basketball team, and who was going to BUGS the following year, if he was going to play basketball at Bowling Green. He just laughed at me and said, "No." He understood how good the athletes were/are at the mid-major level... but I still didn't. (Mind you this was the pre-internet, early ESPN days.) Then my senior year I went to a couple of Zips football games and went down to the tunnel when the team would take the field and thought - "Holy crap! These dudes are freaking huuuge! And the ones who aren't huge are faaaaast! I'd get killed the first play from scrimmage at this level!" (You can't really tell how big the guys are unless you stand right beside them.) But until then I just thought Akron was... well, I don't know what I thought. But I really had no clue. Here it is, 2024, and it still seems like Joe Akron has no clue. Joe thinks if you averaged 10 ppg in high school you could probably play for the Zips. Joe thinks if you were a JV stud and part-time starter on varsity by the time you were a senior then the Zips probably have a roster spot for you. I have no idea why this is. People are oblivious to what a hidden gem of athletics entertainment is in their back yard and accessible for mere peanuts. Thought #2: We need our football team to perform. NEO is football focussed. Anecdotal, but I used to be somewhat familiar with the Marlington school district. They were very good in both boys & girls basketball, wrestling, baseball, and softball... but everyone in the community thought they were a joke because they traditionally had a very poor football program. Most of the students who went to Marlington were kind of sheepish about how awful of an athletics school it was... even though they were very good in almost every sport except football. I love your Thought 1. In fact I think the ignorance is deeper than you describe because even high school athletics attendance is down. Since fans don't have an in person baseline to draw from, they cannot draw a comparison in their minds when they see it in person. I'm always shocked at how hard D1 BB players are playing defense. It's something high school players could never come close to competing against. MAC football is also very good. There isn't much difference between a bottom 25% P5 football program and Toledo or Miami this year. Wake Forest isn't much better than the OU team I saw Akron play after Thanksgiving last season. We have the transfer portal to thank for that. Humans are the only animal capable of convincing itself of things that simply aren't true. If everyone remembers when the Browns were struggling a few years ago, there were a lot of people who I'm sure never attended an NFL game in their life, would say Alabama or OSU could beat the Browns. I work with a guy whose brother is a well known defensive coordinator for a team that will be playing this weekend. When people were saying this he asked his brother what he thought. His brother laughed out loud and told him Cleveland would beat either Alabama or OSU 77-0 and the college team would have trouble getting a first down. It would almost be cruel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 15 hours ago, LoyalZIP said: To add, with promotions, they do not move the needle as much as you’d think. You're right to a point. It's not what draws us to a game, most of the time we don't even know there's one going on. But when you attend, and off-and-on get a little "something" thrown in for your ticket, whether a GA or a seat-back, it makes you feel a little appreciated for your effort, and it tends to maybe bring some people back. Just my opinion. And as far as the talk of a $10 vs. $7 GA ticket, I know I'm a 'blue hair" now (although I hide it, but when Hubby and I first started attending games, and bringing our two small children, the difference of $3 per person for a struggling family of four attending grad school and working full-time was a HUGE difference for us, especially when you threw in the cost of concessions, a lot more civilized than todays prices. So don't discount (no pun intended) what $3 a ticket can make to the average local Akron family in deciding to attend or not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 8 Author Report Share Posted January 8 I think part of the issue lies in the inferiority complex psyche of the area in general that bleeds over to the University. The residents of Summit County never much appreciate what they have here, looking to other areas' cultural attractions and sports. Part of that is an underlying propensity of Joe Akron to think it's "just Akron basketball", not "real" D1 basketball like they have in Columbus and Cincinnati. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Roo Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 (edited) Like football and all Akron sports -- have to play and beat some name schools-- and more than once --- cuz once is a fluke. Then Joe Akron might look at it and say --"did Akron Football/basketball just really beat Michigan (we were right there a few years ago). And then say, I gotta see this and be part of it." NIU did it for a little while -- Toledo does it.. How we get there from the abysmal hole we started in football is beyond me though. In Basketball, we compete with the names once in a while-- and occasionally take a game from a lower tier P5. Edited January 8 by K-Roo change 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said: I think part of the issue lies in the inferiority complex psyche of the area in general that bleeds over to the University. The residents of Summit County never much appreciate what they have here, looking to other areas' cultural attractions and sports. Part of that is an underlying propensity of Joe Akron to think it's "just Akron basketball", not "real" D1 basketball like they have in Columbus and Cincinnati. I agree, but I also think the university/athletics do things that make that seem accurate. Our family went to a Friday night game (7 PM start) and my son wanted a snack with about 9 minutes left in the game. Went out and every single concession was closed and the workers were long gone. I mentioned another game we went to a few weeks before Christmas that the team shop wasn't even open. Can't ask others to take your athletics seriously if the people overseeing them don't treat them that way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 2 hours ago, Zippy87 said: I agree, but I also think the university/athletics do things that make that seem accurate. Our family went to a Friday night game (7 PM start) and my son wanted a snack with about 9 minutes left in the game. Went out and every single concession was closed and the workers were long gone. I mentioned another game we went to a few weeks before Christmas that the team shop wasn't even open. Can't ask others to take your athletics seriously if the people overseeing them don't treat them that way. The very basics of producing a game should involve concessions being open until the end and an open team shop for people who want to wait until after the game to on buy something. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 4 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said: The residents of Summit County never much appreciate what they have here, It's a NE Ohio thing. I moved from NEOhio almost 16 years ago. I always look back fondly. It's a great place with lots to do. Pro sports year around, great restaurants, great schools and suburbs, museums, Cleveland orchestra, the waterfront, national parks, universities....the list goes on and on. I travel all over the country for work. There is really nothing going on in NYC or Los Angeles that cannot be done in NE Ohio. I don't know how you make people appreciate what they have. Places aren't boring, people are. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 35 minutes ago, GP1 said: The very basics of producing a game should involve concessions being open until the end and an open team shop for people who want to wait until after the game to on buy something. Yes. We do things small time and get small time results. Concessions not open, no team shop, gear not readily available etc. I'd almost even argue that charging for parking actually helps eliminate some of the small time feel and differentiates from being at a Malone or Walsh game 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 28 minutes ago, zippy5 said: Yes. We do things small time and get small time results. Concessions not open, no team shop, gear not readily available etc. I'd almost even argue that charging for parking actually helps eliminate some of the small time feel and differentiates from being at a Malone or Walsh game Agree 100%. I stopped at the Team Shop attached to InfoCision over winter break. I asked if they had any Nike fitted hats and they did not. The employee told me new Nike fan gear was very, very delayed - they had expected it last summer. He said they now expect to get it in February, but that I'd have to go to the campus bookstore or buy it online because "they were probably going to close that particular Team Shop until Spring". The best Zips gear is at Rally House in Fairlawn. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomzip Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 Perplexing on attendance, but the JAR is a dump. I loathe the bleachers. Stinks that there is no money to let's say build a baby Baylor arena that I know I'd enjoy attending a game with chair backs for everyone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csims0917 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 Guys they must be listening. Look a promotion! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reslife4Life Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 42 minutes ago, csims0917 said: Guys they must be listening. Look a promotion! This is great, now the athletic department needs to come up with something themselves 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy-claws Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 17 hours ago, Zippy87 said: The best Zips gear is at Rally House in Fairlawn. Agreed!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 I dig this 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tboned Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 Interesting comments! I don't have the answer. I know a few people who quit attending games when KD left. As much as I liked KD, I think we have a better coach and a better program with Groce. Unfortunately, I think Groce will move on to greener pasture. I retired from First Energy last year. Several years ago I attended FE alumni game. We had a boxed lunch in the student rec center and the Coach, President, Zippy and I think a player or two came thanked us for our support shook hands etc.etc. etc. I think University comped the event. The theory was get people to one game, and perhaps they will come to additional games. There are still some large employers in the area with many alumni employees. I am thinking of FE, GT,Timken,Gojo etc. My $.02 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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