BG gives props to the AK-Rowdies!

[unZIPped]

Check out the link below and read a little further down in the thread. Gotta love when our Rowdies get some love!http://www.ay-ziggy-zoomba.com/phpBB2/view...2810ba9cafad161

[skip-zip]

I don't mean to be critical here, but I still can't figure out why AT LEAST 300 students are not beating down the door at an opportunity to sit courtside for a basketball game. I'm assuming that's about all it would take to fill up both of the sections behind the baskets. The OU game looked pretty promising, and I had hoped it would continue. Tonight, I think I saw about half of the south side filled (the half that the band is not occupying), and then only about 20 or so people on the north side, and a lot of empty seat. Back when I was in school, when the JAR was first built, we would have JUMPED at the opportunity to sit in those seats. I just don't get it.

[zippy5]

The band side was full...but I don't understand it, first off it's D-1 basketball, good or not, you would think out of 24,000 students, 300 would show up. Second, we're pretty damn good too! Defending MAC East champs, 14-3 now, probably even getting votes to be ranked next week. there should be 500 or 600 at each game, I don't get it. But, I do think the marketing dept. could do a better job of advertising the games. The OU game, there were posters everywhere, and I received 2 e-mails about the game. Guess what? There was a line to get in, and the student section was sold out!!! That said, the students shouldn't be so apathetic where they need to be reminded when each game is...

[w00t]

Hate to say it, but student support is atrocious, especially considering how well the team is doing and the fact that they never lose at home. Tens of thousands of UA students and unless it's a "big" game the 300 seat student sections don't fill up.

[zippyrifle32]

well the sad truth is that the majority of the students that go to akron don't care about akron athletics. as an athlete it's a hard truth to swallow, and don't i think it's right, but students just aren't interested. there are several reasons including: being a commuter school, many students having to work through school, other sporting teams (pro and college) in the area taking away from the market, poor communication to the student population etc. it seems that we (as loyal fans) walk the fine line between being critical of the people who do show up (calling the rowdies pathetic) when we just want to fill the stadium, and begging anyone and everyone to come to the game. at this point in time, one would be asking too much to have their cake and eat it too. we continue the success and build tradition and eventually things will fall into place, until then we must be patient.

[Big Zip]

The commuter school excuse is old and bogus -- I'm not buying it. The article in the ABJ over the weekend about the horrible police presence around the University pegged the student population in off campus housing at over 5,000 add to that the students in on campus housing (growing by the semester it seems) and there are more than enough students to fill a 300 seat section. There is no problem filling the sections for particular games which leads me to believe there is something else at hand. Students aren't into sports is bogus too. It isn't about sports at the college level when it comes to athletics -- it's about marketing the game, a party atmosphere (every college student loves a party) and just plain fun. Reading on this board about the control some students tried to exert over the student section a few years ago leads me to believe the administration needs to lend more than a helping hand to get this organized. The marketing and organization around Akron athletics needs a serious upgrade.

[AK-Zips]

The commuter school excuse is old and bogus -- I'm not buying it. The article in the ABJ over the weekend about the horrible police presence around the University pegged the student population in off campus housing at over 5,000 add to that the students in on campus housing (growing by the semester it seems) and there are more than enough students to fill a 300 seat section. There is no problem filling the sections for particular games which leads me to believe there is something else at hand. Students aren't into sports is bogus too. It isn't about sports at the college level when it comes to athletics -- it's about marketing the game, a party atmosphere (every college student loves a party) and just plain fun. Reading on this board about the control some students tried to exert over the student section a few years ago leads me to believe the administration needs to lend more than a helping hand to get this organized. The marketing and organization around Akron athletics needs a serious upgrade.

The commuter excuse IS old AND bogus. Seriously, throw up some flyers around campus, post on Facebook, Zipline, signs at the union restaurants next to the cash register, and put up table tents in the union. THIS IS ALL FREE AND TARGETS YOUR CAMPUS AUDIENCE! That doesn't solve the problem of selling tickets but it does create a better atmosphere which gives people (the general public) a better reason to come to games other than the amazing brand of basketball we play. Does anyone disagree?P.S. think outside the box here. The marketing department should not be targeting you, the reader of message boards, but the people who have never heard of Zipsnation.org but have some connection and interest ot the university of Akron and its well being. YOU, kind reader, already know about the athletics schedule, who we play, and when we play. Why convince you to go? You should be going anyway and helping lead the charge to a sold out arena for home games! GO ZIPS!

[ziptrumpet87]

The commuter school excuse is old and bogus -- I'm not buying it. The article in the ABJ over the weekend about the horrible police presence around the University pegged the student population in off campus housing at over 5,000 add to that the students in on campus housing (growing by the semester it seems) and there are more than enough students to fill a 300 seat section. There is no problem filling the sections for particular games which leads me to believe there is something else at hand. Students aren't into sports is bogus too. It isn't about sports at the college level when it comes to athletics -- it's about marketing the game, a party atmosphere (every college student loves a party) and just plain fun. Reading on this board about the control some students tried to exert over the student section a few years ago leads me to believe the administration needs to lend more than a helping hand to get this organized. The marketing and organization around Akron athletics needs a serious upgrade.

I do agree we should be able to get the lower student sections full. Even though there are thousands of students on campus, many of them do go home for the weekend, so I don't know how may are actually on campus then, but again, there should be enough to fill just the lower sections.

[skip-zip]

zippy 5...I'm sorry. When I said that the south side was half-full, I was referring to the fact that the band takes up the other half. So, lets say that there were 60-80 students on the south side, and another 20 on the north side. I don't know how accurate that is, but I would think that we'd have to turn people away from sitting in those seats because everyone would want to sit there. I would have done anything to sit down there when I was a student. Tell me if this is still the case, but don't the students still get into the games free? And isn't it only like a $10 fee to get a membership to the Rowdies club to sit down there? Seems like a small price to pay for an excellent view of the game. I think that there has always been a lack of student awareness that Akron plays D-1 athletics. But still, you would think that there would EASILY be 300 or so students that would love to sit in those seats, game after game.

[ZachTheZip]

ALL students get in FOR FREE. We have free pizza for everyone before certain games. It is only $10 for a Rowdies membership which gets you a t-shirt, Rowdie Rag, and what essentially amounts to courtside season tickets. You get free trips to some away games, and discounted tickets to watch the game at Can't. What else could you possibly want? Have a deal like that at almost any other school and you would have lines wrapped around the building to get in on it.Weekend games draw less not because students go home; there are at least 10,000 living on or very near campus, and we can't get 225 (the max seats once you factor in the band) to show up. Most are out at parties. What needs to happen is to create a party atmosphere within the JAR. Go to a few games and you see that besides the on-court action, there isn't much happening. Yeah the cheerleaders throw t-shirts and we have the dance team. Occasionally we get a good halftime show, too. The thing is, the people there don't seem all that interested in it. Especially the many many senior citizens that show up to the games. Nothing against them, I'm glad they care enough to support the team, but it creates a boring atmosphere. The fans have to create the party, there's only so much the production guys can do. When you're there you NEED to be wild. This goes for both students and alumni. You need to be passionate about your Zips. Show your emotions, don't just sit there and clap a few times when something good happens. Stand up and cheer after a dunk. I realise that we're all walking a thin line between wanting more people to show up and chastising the ones who actually DO show up, but something needs to happen, and it starts with being able to awaken the fans. They're a slumbering giant for the most part. You've seen the JAR rocking with nearly packed houses where everybody is screaming and jumping and going nuts. It needs to be like that most of the time. The OU game was a good example of an incredibly intense crowd. The BG game was a blowout, but the crowd kept the team awake by refusing to let up even when we were winning by 40+. We're starting to "get it", but there's a long way to go.

[Hilltopper]

ALL students get in FOR FREE. We have free pizza for everyone before certain games. It is only $10 for a Rowdies membership which gets you a t-shirt, Rowdie Rag, and what essentially amounts to courtside season tickets. You get free trips to some away games, and discounted tickets to watch the game at Can't. What else could you possibly want? Have a deal like that at almost any other school and you would have lines wrapped around the building to get in on it.Weekend games draw less not because students go home; there are at least 10,000 living on or very near campus, and we can't get 225 (the max seats once you factor in the band) to show up. Most are out at parties. What needs to happen is to create a party atmosphere within the JAR. Go to a few games and you see that besides the on-court action, there isn't much happening. Yeah the cheerleaders throw t-shirts and we have the dance team. Occasionally we get a good halftime show, too. The thing is, the people there don't seem all that interested in it. Especially the many many senior citizens that show up to the games. Nothing against them, I'm glad they care enough to support the team, but it creates a boring atmosphere. The fans have to create the party, there's only so much the production guys can do. When you're there you NEED to be wild. This goes for both students and alumni. You need to be passionate about your Zips. Show your emotions, don't just sit there and clap a few times when something good happens. Stand up and cheer after a dunk. I realise that we're all walking a thin line between wanting more people to show up and chastising the ones who actually DO show up, but something needs to happen, and it starts with being able to awaken the fans. They're a slumbering giant for the most part. You've seen the JAR rocking with nearly packed houses where everybody is screaming and jumping and going nuts. It needs to be like that most of the time. The OU game was a good example of an incredibly intense crowd. The BG game was a blowout, but the crowd kept the team awake by refusing to let up even when we were winning by 40+. We're starting to "get it", but there's a long way to go.

The University is trying to get more students to the games. I know that for the OU game they gave free pretzels to the first 500 students and they also are sending the ROO Express buses to all the dorms and frat houses to provide free transportation to the JAR.