Kruger's Open Letter to Fans

[TheGimper]

It all begins with the students. Including the Sooner Showmen, the team, the trainers and the cheer squad, the total student attendance in the first few home games has averaged between 150-200.

I counted roughly 30-40 students in the student section for the first home game, which is brutal.

 

[BoulderSooner]

I think basketball needs to start changing how they do things in anticipation of the smaller crowds. That is why I said for YEARS AND YEARS that the fieldhouse needs to be redone and used as the main basketball venue. Make it a cramped, close, loud environment where tickets are near impossible to get and suddenly you have a hot commodity. I think our venue should have no more than 5k seats.

we sell 10k tickets for non con games ... we sell over 12k for conf games ..

we are not going to move to a smaller arena ..

 

[bocabull]

I'm not sure which is sadder, writing such a letter or using all caps on certain words for emphasis like an email from your crazy ex. lol smh

 

[scrybe]

I'm not sure which is sadder, writing such a letter or using all caps on certain words for emphasis like an email from your crazy ex. lol smh

What's even sadder is the same tired narrative that we get on every post from boca(fullof)bull.

 

[OklahomaLibertarian]

How hard would it be to have a small call center who calls/emails or texts season ticket holders days before each game to confirm their seat? At least for bigger games. Then, let those fans basically give that seat away to someone else for free - although it's not free because the season ticket holder paid for it anyway. Then you get an excited fan basically getting in for free yet the univ is still not losing much money (outside of that paid for the call center)..

 

[Kewllane]

I've been at all the home games and the student section hasn't looked any better than in the years past.

One of the big problems this year has also been 2pm starts on Sunday afternoons. Just not a good time for people around here. Never been a big fan of Sunday games.

 

[Kewllane]

It all begins with the students. Including the Sooner Showmen, the team, the trainers and the cheer squad, the total student attendance in the first few home games has averaged between 150-200.

And I would say you're being generous with the 150-200.

 

[BigTime]

we sell 10k tickets for non con games ... we sell over 12k for conf games ..

we are not going to move to a smaller arena ..

This is not true and hadn't been since Tiny/TMG fresh year fiasco.

Also the tickets we sell are deeply discounted by and large.

Need to downsize the LNC or move into a smaller venue designed for basketball....

 

[SoonerTraveler]

...

Now all that said, i don't know how you can increase attendance since the athletic department relies heavily on donors

There is nothing that prevents NON-donors from buying tickets and going to the games. There are tickets available from the ticket office. There are tickets available from StubHub. There are promotional offers from the ticket office. There are even scalpers outside the LNC on game day.

It is easy to go to the games if anyone wants to.

 

[Max Power]

There is nothing that prevents NON-donors from buying tickets and going to the games. There are tickets available from the ticket office. There are tickets available from StubHub. There are promotional offers from the ticket office. There are even scalpers outside the LNC on game day.

It is easy to go to the games if anyone wants to.

Looking on stub hub, there are no tickets available in my section, RE3. There are also none available on Soonersports.com. I can promise you not every seat in my section will be full Friday. That means the donors are just sitting on unused tickets. How do you change that? The basketball team doesn't make money on its own so has to have donors help.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Looking on stub hub, there are no tickets available in my section, RE3. There are also none available on Soonersports.com. I can promise you not every seat in my section will be full Friday. That means the donors are just sitting on unused tickets. How do you change that? The basketball team doesn't make money on its own so has to have donors help.

I am not disagreeing with THAT. THAT is a fact. It drives me nuts that I am also surrounded by empty seats in my section (which is RW1 this season). It has driven me nuts for over 30 years. I wish this could be changed. Lord knows OU is trying.

Even with the large numbers of no shows, OU is not turning people away at the doors. They are PLENTY of tickets available if ANYONE wants to go to the game. At this point in time, the donors are not keeping anyone from getting into the LNC.

 

[Max Power]

I am not disagreeing with THAT. THAT is a fact. It drives me nuts that I am also surrounded by empty seats in my section (which is RW1 this season). It has driven me nuts for over 30 years. I wish this could be changed. Lord knows OU is trying.

Even with the large numbers of no shows, OU is not turning people away at the doors. They are PLENTY of tickets available if ANYONE wants to go to the game. At this point in time, the donors are not keeping anyone from getting into the LNC.

Then I'm not sure what problem you had with my post. If we move to an arena that holds 5K, then those tickets will cost at least the $1250 you and I pay per ticket. That limits the tickets to the same donors that don't go to the games out side of bedlam, kansas, and texas. There would still be some of us like you and me that have our seats filled every game, but most would be empty. Therefore, we would have even lower attendance. That is why i am against a smaller arena.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Then I'm not sure what problem you had with my post. If we move to an arena that holds 5K, then those tickets will cost at least the $1250 you and I pay per ticket. That limits the tickets to the same donors that don't go to the games out side of bedlam, kansas, and texas. There would still be some of us like you and me that have our seats filled every game, but most would be empty. Therefore, we would have even lower attendance. That is why i am against a smaller arena.

The first time I read your post I took it completely out of context as I did not read through the entire thread. I readily admit I do this on occasion as I hurriedly scan through threads. I never should have quoted you to start with, as I went off on a tangent with my "anyone can get in" sermon.

The fact is that I agree with all you are saying here. I am also against a smaller arena. I have always believed the fans make the arena, and not the other way around. The LNC can rock and roll when it is full.