Home attendance and environment

[SoMuchDramaInTheLNC]

The hard thing to understand about attendance is the number of no-shows. Last home game vs Iowa st, attendance was listed as 11105. Obviously there were not 11000 people there. Plus a lot if those fans that do attend bail at either the under 8 timeout or definitely the under 4 TO. I've even noticed fans not even doing some of the "traditions" like standing until the first made basket of the half, or standing and cheering when the teams comes on the floor at the start or at the half. My guess is we have about 3000 "core fans" that really support the team game in game out. Another 2-3000 come to the games, but as evidenced in the seats around us, are on their phone, or even ipad, most of the game. It's frustrating for me to not see more local support as we have our tickets for the last 12 years, making the drive from Tulsa each game and only miss a couple of games a year.

The "we don't sit until the Sooners score!" thing has to go. What started with the Hornets in 2005 has resulted in, essentially, the announcer telling the crowd (students included, often) to check out after the first made basket. That's an NBA thing. Also, I've been critical of the emcees OU has had, and to my second bolded point, what was wrong with the old welcome, which had the band playing Boomer Sooner with the full drumroll intro, and the regular PA announcer announcing their arrival to the floor? I think that would fire the crowd up more. Or, for next season, a short hype video a la football.

 

[BigTime]

The LNC was built in the early 70s, is too big, and was not made as a basketball-only arena.

It's time to build a new one!


- one other thing I would add would be (whether LNC is renovated or a new arena was built near the LNC) to add a "Campus Corner South" development near the arena with some restaurants etc...I think those places would end up doing well.

 

[WTSooner]

LNC is on campus

Exactly. I hate it when people make comments that suggest it is not.

 

[WTSooner]

They've already sent out questionnaires about what tickets holders want in a renovated LNC, so the pipe dream about an arena on campus can stop.

It has been awhile since I completed that survey, but I thought it had mentions of a "new arena" as well.

I don't think that is the route they will go, just I do think they mentioned it as a possibility.

 

[DenverSooner]

Exactly. I hate it when people make comments that suggest it is not.

I don't know the actual distances, but the dorms and South Greek to the LNC is not much further than the library. In fact, I would wager the south end of South Greek (Pi Phi House) is closer to the LNC than almost every lecture hall on the main campus with the possible exception of Dale Hall. (Am I remembering correctly that Dale Hall is the building on the corner of Lindsey and Elm?)

 

[tycat947]

LNC is exactly where it should be. We could build a brand new facility in the middle of main campus and it still wouldn't be full (maybe sold out but it's close now!) except for certain games after conference games started. Also, most of the students live off campus in apartments so they are going to have to drive either way.

I don't have the link but someone said a few months ago that Joe C mentioned in a radio interview they could potentially spend up to $100M on LNC renovation/replacement. That's a lot of money to potentially spend and I'd venture to guess if LNC is renovated, the seating bowl will be ripped out and replaced in a rectangular format, with probably retractable seating on the four sides going down to the court. People that do show up are always leaving early because they might have to wait an extra 3 minutes in traffic so LNC is is a perfect location now and it's near Hwy 9 and easy to access I-35 as well. People come up with every excuse in the book to not attend the games IMO and I doubt that changes even with a brand new arena.

 

[skyvue]

The present LNC should not be keeping one fan from attending the game.

I agree with everything Spock said (I've said most of it myself more than once, though not as well as he did).

Putting the arena in the interior of campus will hurt attendance, not help it (once the new-arena smell has dissipated, anyway). It would be an additional pain for those outside Norman to reach such an arena.

 

[Kewllane]

It has been awhile since I completed that survey, but I thought it had mentions of a "new arena" as well.

I don't think that is the route they will go, just I do think they mentioned it as a possibility.

It did mention a new arena. I had heard a long time ago that they had thought about putting a new arena on the south side of the LNC. I think that makes sense. You could have the LNC with the practice gyms, then hooked on the other side of the practice gyms, you could have the new arena. You could utilize the parking at the LNC for this, and there's plenty of room to the south to fit a new arena and have quite a bit of parking. Plus, you wouldn't need to build new practice gyms or have the team practice in a completely different part of campus than the stadium.

 

[NMSooner'80]

They should TAKE AWAY football priority points for excessive no shows. They will never do it, but they should.

Absolutely. Football priority points should never been part of basketball ticket sales, for reasons that ought to be obvious.

 

[BigTime]

If they are planning on spending 100 million dollars then build a new 9k arena!

The LNC is too big for our fan base - especially now that the Thunder are here.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Absolutely. Football priority points should never been part of basketball ticket sales, for reasons that ought to be obvious.

They are not

 

[BoulderSooner]

If they are planning on spending 100 million dollars then build a new 9k arena!

The LNC is too big for our fan base - especially now that the Thunder are here.

We have sold over 9k tickets in pretty much every game this year

 

[StatGeek]

We have sold over 9k tickets in pretty much every game this year

Not the point

 

[BoulderSooner]

Not the point

So who do you think are the people that are going to buy tickets in the potential new arena?

Yep you guessed it corp donors and big money boosters. Those that want tickets for ku and osu. And don't come for lots of other games.


You build an 8k arena. You will just have less ticket for the average joe

 

[ouboomer]

Watched the Ohio State and Nebraska game tonight on TV and Nebraska was a .500 team with a 0-4 conference record, yet their fans showed up tonight and were into the whole game. Yes they have a new arena, but they have not had near the success OU has had in basketball, yet their fans/students show up because their team is playing. For some reason showing up because the Sooners are playing is something that is missing here.

 

[big-hOUnd]

What would you say the day you are running late or get stuck in traffic and they sold your ticket? The concept has some logic to it but I see a lot of problems.

They could have a Text/Internet/Phone system to record if you are coming, so your tics would be held. I know it would'nt be as simple as I stated, but their are easy ways to make it work if they chose to do it.....

 

[sooner_fan1]

A renovation is coming to the LNC. Not sure the year yet, but I know they are going to remove a couple thousand seats. Widen the upper concourse to make it easier to move around in and for vendor stuff. Move the lower sections court side seats closer to the floor and other stuff like that. The seats behind the basketball goals won't be moved closer. It should be nice when it is finished. They already have the architecture modeling and stuff like that in place.

 

[BigTime]

A renovation is coming to the LNC. Not sure the year yet, but I know they are going to remove a couple thousand seats. Widen the upper concourse to make it easier to move around in and for vendor stuff. Move the lower sections court side seats closer to the floor and other stuff like that. The seats behind the basketball goals won't be moved closer. It should be nice when it is finished. They already have the architecture modeling and stuff like that in place.

Hope they put in a ribbon board and some luxury boxes.

Why on earth would they not move the basket ends down to the court? Do that and square the floor seats...

 

[AdaSooner]

Hope they put in a ribbon board and some luxury boxes.

Why on earth would they not move the basket ends down to the court? Do that and square the floor seats...

Exactly! I like the plan sooner_fan1 outlined, except that part. Student seating at the ends need to be as close as possible to the floor.

 

[sooner_fan1]

I'm not sure why they wouldn't unless they need the room for other sporting events that occur at LNC. The removing of the couple thousand seats should be helpful and create some demand for tickets.