Give Me Your Ideas

[ksSooner13]

Okay, so I have a meeting with Coach Kruger here next week and I thought I would open up a discussion here for you, the voice of the real fans, to see if there were any ideas you wanted me to bring to the table. These can be about attendance, student involvement, or overall general things you want to see with this program, just any ideas are encouraged right now.

Please restrain from the $1 beer ideas or the just win and all is fixed mantra, let's hear some feasible ideas from everyone.

Don't worry, after the meeting i'll post (what I can) here so that everyone knows what to possibly expect.

I am doing this because I know people here have ideas, we love this program, and we want it to be the best it can become under Lon.


So, let's hear these ideas....

 

[Soonercuda]

Improve the usage of the scoreboard/big screen. Use more of the screen for stats and game info...less on selling advertisements. Concentrate on improving fan experience and less on generating revenue...if you give the fans a quality experience then more of them will come and then you can generate revenue.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

They may have already done this (but I didn't try last season because of how harshly I was treated before) but let people move down to better seats and call off the security guards. Put the student section facing the camera is the other one, but that will probably never happen.

 

[j2d2]

Permit fans to move down at halftime.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Improve the usage of the scoreboard/big screen. Use more of the screen for stats and game info...less on selling advertisements. Concentrate on improving fan experience and less on generating revenue...if you give the fans a quality experience then more of them will come and then you can generate revenue.

I would second this. I love the new scoreboard, but it doesn't show the stats for individual players all the time.

I would add that the pep band needs improvement. Their enthusiasm is great, but when you compare them to other pep bands, something is missing.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Permit fans to move down at halftime.

Fans are permitted to move down at the first media timeout. Last year, the Rufnex and some of the people in yellow vests moved around the lower concourse (and sometimes the upper aisles) telling people they could move down to empty seats.

 

[Sooner04]

I'm a big proponent of bringing back Top Daug. At least let Lon know that people would want that.

And please tell them to stop trying to turn OU BBall games into NBA games. We have a very good pep band, and they've done a fine job firing up the crowd in the past. When the home team is on a 10-0 run, that's a fine time for a very fast version of Boomer Sooner...it is NOT a fine time for free T-shirts or an ad for some tanning salon. Take away the roaming PA guy, and let the band do the heavy lifting.

 

[MNsooner]

I've always thought we need a player to be the face of the program each season. Sometimes those players are good enough that they make themselves the face of the program through their play (like Blake did), but sometimes it requires marketing. The key is to give casual fans something to want to see. Those of us on here are real basketball fans and OU fans so we don't need to be convinced it is worth seeing the sooners take the court, but a casual fan does. Short of getting them to jump on the bandwagon through winning you can give them someone to know and talk about. If you can convince them that watching Pledger shoot or M'Baye dunk (or Osby or whoever) is worth the price of admission then more people will come. A part of that is them playing well, the other part is really pushing one to two guys to be the face of the program when marketing.

 

[Soonercuda]

Hire a two or three student interns and give them a 12 month job of doing articles, video, social media efforts, etc. on soonersports.com, facebook, twitter, etc. Almost every day during the season and at least twice a week during the offseason there should be some information out about OU basketball. Make it where fans are constantly finding new information out on the team. Give fans something to talk about regarding OU basketball so it is always on fans' mind.

 

[DanielOcean]

Have the Univ. owned trolleys cruise through the dorms and North/South Greek to pick up students to take to games. Have them on a continuous loop for up to an hour and a half leading up to games.

Kids in the dorms never want to drive because they'll lose their spot and you could sell the Greek community that it's a function. Chicks will go if they know dudes are, and vice versa

 

[Mutron76]

I apologize in advance if this offends anyone. I certainly do not intend such and in general make the choice to keep my criticisms constructive. That said, the dude on the P.A. wears me slick. I will not go into detail as to why and I do not imagine Kruger would care to hear it. I think the band is fine but the majority of the elements currently applied to the spectacle around the games (some already discussed) seem heavy handed and desperate. I have literally left a game with an obnoxious loop in my head of (Whhhooo wants a free tshirrrt). Again, I do not mean to offend anyone who puts in time bringing us these games nor apply I could do any better. I would just like to watch a game without all the micky mouse nonsense that I am forced to endure. It makes it easier choice sometimes to just watch the game on television.

 

[mict085]

Get the fans, esp students, closer to the court and behind both baskets. I really like the pep band so definitely keep that going. I think the concourses need to be closed, too much open space. I think it would help seal in the noise better, so to speak.

 

[Chiefdaddy]

I would put up a big tent outside, serve food and beer courtesy of local vendors and have some TV's in there with other bball games on. Maybe do this for the Saturday games? This would bring in alot more people in my opionion. I also agree that the PA guy needs to go. The regular announcer and the pep band is perfect. Maybe mix in some videos on the big screen showing old highlights of great Sooner teams. Something less annoying.

 

[AdaSooner]

They may have already done this (but I didn't try last season because of how harshly I was treated before) but let people move down to better seats and call off the security guards. Put the student section facing the camera is the other one, but that will probably never happen.

If the alumni reunion can be used as a barometer for what fans can expect from the security staff this fall, you may be in for a pleasant surprise.

I was amazed by how friendly and accommodating the security people were, and it was not confined to one or two. Every staff member we came in contact with went out their way to make us feel welcome. I have been remiss in giving them serious props before, because they definitely deserved it.

 

[sooners78]

I would put up a big tent outside, serve food and beer courtesy of local vendors and have some TV's in there with other bball games on. Maybe do this for the Saturday games? This would bring in alot more people in my opionion. I also agree that the PA guy needs to go. The regular announcer and the pep band is perfect. Maybe mix in some videos on the big screen showing old highlights of great Sooner teams. Something less annoying.

i think would be a great idea, i think you would see more students and l know i would come to most games and i live in norman

 

[Mutron76]

I would put up a big tent outside, serve food and beer courtesy of local vendors and have some TV's in there with other bball games on. Maybe do this for the Saturday games? This would bring in alot more people in my opionion. I also agree that the PA guy needs to go. The regular announcer and the pep band is perfect. Maybe mix in some videos on the big screen showing old highlights of great Sooner teams. Something less annoying.

I like the idea about the tent and the vendors. Most good ideas usually start with a modest origin and then take on a life of their own. Other unintended things could pop up around it. I suppose some concerns as well but tailgating probably started under similar conditions. I would come to games earlier and a little more often to stop by the Top Dawg Tent or whatever.

 

[MsProudSooner]

And please tell them to stop trying to turn OU BBall games into NBA games. We have a very good pep band, and they've done a fine job firing up the crowd in the past. When the home team is on a 10-0 run, that's a fine time for a very fast version of Boomer Sooner...it is NOT a fine time for free T-shirts or an ad for some tanning salon. Take away the roaming PA guy, and let the band do the heavy lifting.

I would agree with this. I would only add that if they feel they HAVE to have some of the contests during timeouts, students should be the only participants.

 

[MNsooner]

I would agree with this. I would only add that if they feel they HAVE to have some of the contests during timeouts, students should be the only participants.

I am okay when they use kids too.

 

[coolm]

having games at the field house is a FABULOUS idea. if it's successful then we should really expand on the idea, to wit:

- someone comes in and evaluates expansion possibilities (just to add more seats)
- mini pep-rallies b/w the dorms before taking a march to the fieldhouse
- [fill in with bullets of more things as I am mentally challenged atm]

I know we've been fighting over this for years and I am uber-excited to finally see some of it come to fruition. Getting these games on campus close to the heart of the school is a must IMO.

 

[Darwin]

Student tickets at the door $3 on weeknights. Use it like raffle money for giving a grand prize and several cool prizes to attending students every game like a Schwab box of meats, restaurant or concert ticket gift cards not teeshirts.

Give tickets to area public schools to use as rewards for their student athletes or achievers, mom and dad will have to buy their own. This may make new fans out of some of those kids.