So, Why Don't YOU Come to the Games?

[JBaker]

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=dallascolleges&id=4687730

If SMU can do it then why can't we? It makes utterly no sense! The people of Dallas have plenty of other things to do then go watch the Mustangs, but they have 7 sellouts this year (actual butts in the seats). I don't buy all this well OKC has stolen our fans, look at SMU for a debunking of that theory. It's just plain disappointing.

Not to defend our crappy attendance, but SMU had 7 sellouts in an arena that only holds 7,000 people smack in the middle of a metroplex that has almost twice the population of the entire state of Oklahoma.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Joe Castiglione should pay for all the student tickets for an entire season or 2 so they can go free after he tanked the program with the hire of the previous coach. OU basketball was in a precarious position and with the right hire at that time, the attendance could have grown and at worst would have stayed the same which was better than it is now.

As for all the crap the LNC is the reason for bad attendance, that's utter stupidity. If people really don't go to games because of the LNC then they aren't basketball fans anyway.

I live in Kansas City and the busiest time for my employer is basketball season. If I could get away and make a few games I would be there in a heartbeat. I'm a former season ticket holder too.

 

[BoulderSooner]

8pm game and rain/ threat of ice/snow ... had a lot to do with not having 9k+ there last night

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Joe Castiglione should pay for all the student tickets for an entire season or 2 so they can go free after he tanked the program with the hire of the previous coach.

he tried that already and it didn't help

 

[JBaker]

he tried that already and it didn't help

He actually made a really convoluted system that was hard for most students to take advantage of. You had to buy season tickets in advance, then if you missed 1 or 0 home games, you got the money credited back to your bursar at the end of the season. The main problem being that 2 games were over winter break. And it wasn't a huge incentive for students to attend because their parents were footing the bill anyway.

They should just make men's basketball like women's basketball, baseball, or any other sport. Students get free admittance at the game with their student ID. Once you reach the student section limit, you turn the rest away. Then you'd get students getting their hours early for really big games and camping out, and create a cool little environment like a ton of other schools have.

 

[campbest]

He actually made a really convoluted system that was hard for most students to take advantage of. You had to buy season tickets in advance, then if you missed 1 or 0 home games, you got the money credited back to your bursar at the end of the season. The main problem being that 2 games were over winter break. And it wasn't a huge incentive for students to attend because their parents were footing the bill anyway.

They should just make men's basketball like women's basketball, baseball, or any other sport. Students get free admittance at the game with their student ID. Once you reach the student section limit, you turn the rest away. Then you'd get students getting their hours early for really big games and camping out, and create a cool little environment like a ton of other schools have.

It's simple economics...have to price to your demand. If there isn't demand from students to go, then there shouldn't be a price.

 

[badger]

Joe Castiglione should pay for all the student tickets for an entire season or 2 so they can go free after he tanked the program with the hire of the previous coach

I like that they are trying to do more to get students there. When I was a student, season tickets for mens basketball were more expensive than football tickets for students. More games, etc., but not more desired, an off-campus locations, etc.

I miss seeing OU basketball in person and hope to get to more games in the near future

 

[Big Old Booger]

If mid-week 8 pm games are an issue, then play those games in the fieldhouse. That crowd last night would have filled the fieldhouse to almost capacity and it would have been rocking.

I'm sure the logistics of that aren't easy but they should try it for a few of the mid-week games vs the likes of WVU and TCU.

 

[BoulderSooner]

If mid-week 8 pm games are an issue, then play those games in the fieldhouse. That crowd last night would have filled the fieldhouse to almost capacity and it would have been rocking.

I'm sure the logistics of that aren't easy but they should try it for a few of the mid-week games vs the likes of WVU and TCU.

Athletic depts do not turn down people that want to buy seats .. in your example we would be giving away 100 thousand dollars +

 

[quick release]

Over the past several years there have been several games that were made free to students (weather related issues). Baylor and texas are 2 i can remember off the top of my head. All they had to have to get in was a student id. In each case the students packed the house. If they want students there this is the method.

 

[WaymanFan]

I was just making a joke. My post was how 04 has been posting lately

Yup...I'm a little slow on the take.


The good news in all of this is that Lon Kruger knew about our attendence issues when he took the job, so I'm sure he and his staff have long come up with all the answers to recruits who broach this subject.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Yup...I'm a little slow on the take.


The good news in all of this is that Lon Kruger knew about our attendence issues when he took the job, so I'm sure he and his staff have long come up with all the answers to recruits who broach this subject.

He was able to generate interest when he was at all his previous stops, and especially at UNLV. That was another reason why Joe wanted him, at least that is what the newspaper articles said at the time. This is only his 3rd season and the attendance has gotten better each year. If he keeps winning and fielding exciting teams, people will come.

 

[schoonerdriver]

Students don't show up or stay for football games. I say forget'em. Hell, they had a policy that if you attended so many men's games then you got your money back for the tickets and still no students. Cost is not the issue. They just aren't interested. They used to give away money at the games to students and it would roll over when the winner wasn't there. It was quite comical seeing how long they would go before a student was in attendance to claim their prize.

There isn't one fix all. Just look at all of the excuses people give for why they don't come. I think winning will bring in the most people. Start competing for conference championships, beating top 25 teams, playing some good teams at home in the non-conference and I think our attendance would creep up.

 

[statprof]

Well I do :OUbball-logo:

Assuming this about the lower-level donor seats that are frequently unfilled, a couple of possibilities come to mind.

I sit behind the OU bench so I pay a bit more for those. Between my donation to the Sooner Club and the price of two tickets, I pay a little over $2000/yr. We share our tickets with another couple so when either of us are busy (kids, work, etc) someone is always there.

But is the experience of a live game THAT MUCH BETTER than the HD experience is these days? I would argue YES, if everyone showed up (including students) and created the electric atmosphere of the 80's and 90s. But I know they probably won't, so maybe the HD experience has become a desirable alternative.

So how can someone WASTE a couple of thousand dollars and never show up?

First, they do sometimes show up ... we can all name THOSE games.

Second, corporate tickets can be completely written off and even non-corporate donations are partially tax-deductible, making the tickets actually cheaper than their nominal value.

Third, you get additional benefits for your donation (e.g. better seats for the OU-Tx football game).

Finally, I really hate to say this given the income inequality that exists today, but $2000 really isn't that much money. Compared to comparable seating Thunder prices or concerts, it really isn't very much of a difference and so trade-offs with other activities actually come into play.

So, knock-off $750 from the $2000 due to tax write-offs. Now, suppose you only go the 5 games a year (OSU, TX, Kansas, Iowa State, One good outside-of-conference game). That means you will use 10 tickets total or about $125/ticket for those games. That's pretty comparable to many big event ticket prices (concerts, OU-Tx Football, etc).

Once you have paid your money, you've done your part and the cost per game of attendance to just a few of the games isn't really that much and so you just don't go to the games which do not interest you.

I know this sounds like a dry economic argument - and it is - but that is what I think is going on.

I, on the other hand, like live events so I am there. But it is NOT because of the money: it is just not enough of a ding to my pocketbook to make it aversive if I did not go.

As for students, OU isn't the only one having trouble. See this article :

http://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...ance-forces-duke-athletics-sell-student-seats

It has very little to do with the arena, or seating, or the usual suspects. We just have a lot more entertainment options now than we used to have.

 

[coolm]

because I am old and in poor health. Energy is a finite resource and I use it for the courthouse ... so I like to RELAX and watch the games. Not grind myself down by going.

 

[garyeb2]

It is the Thunder. If I had big money, I would buy the team and move them back to Seattle.

The local media abandoned OU and OSU basketball for the most part and their non stop slobbering about the Thunder has convinced casual fans that is the place to be and be seen.

Kruger and his team can probably build back fan support to some degree. But, the long strings of sellout home crowds is probably over for good.

 

[Soonerman]

Students don't show up or stay for football games. I say forget'em. Hell, they had a policy that if you attended so many men's games then you got your money back for the tickets and still no students. Cost is not the issue. They just aren't interested. They used to give away money at the games to students and it would roll over when the winner wasn't there. It was quite comical seeing how long they would go before a student was in attendance to claim their prize.

There isn't one fix all. Just look at all of the excuses people give for why they don't come. I think winning will bring in the most people. Start competing for conference championships, beating top 25 teams, playing some good teams at home in the non-conference and I think our attendance would creep up.

I wonder how many of the empty seats in the LNC were the non-student, "old people" seats. Or the percentage. Probably a lot higher than that of the students. All those empty seats behind the scorers table always looks great on TV.

 

[BoulderSooner]

It is the Thunder. If I had big money, I would buy the team and move them back to Seattle.

The local media abandoned OU and OSU basketball for the most part and their non stop slobbering about the Thunder has convinced casual fans that is the place to be and be seen.

Kruger and his team can probably build back fan support to some degree. But, the long strings of sellout home crowds is probably over for good.

the thunder has very little impact on OU games

 

[BoulderSooner]

Over the past several years there have been several games that were made free to students (weather related issues). Baylor and texas are 2 i can remember off the top of my head. All they had to have to get in was a student id. In each case the students packed the house. If they want students there this is the method.

first 2,500 students last night got in free and got a coke and popcorn ...

and there were not close to 2,500 students there last night .. so your argument is not correct

 

[AdaSooner]

We all have our reasons: some good, some bad, some perfectly legit, some little more than an excuse. I suppose mine could fit into any of those categories. It depends on your perspective.

My wife and I enjoy going to games. We usually make an evening out of it by going to dinner in Norman before we go to the LNC. Sad to say, we haven't been to a single game this season, and it's all on me. Like some of the others on this thread, health issues have been a real problem for me last couple of years. My feet hurt, my knees hurt and my back kills me when I sit for long periods in a position where I can't get up and move around, and stretch or lie down to find relief.

Thus, it's easier to watch the games from home. My guess is I'm not alone. If you live long enough, nearly everyone here will know exactly what I'm talking about. If not, say a prayer that you don't have to experience the pains and discomfort of getting old.

I try not to complain too much, because I realize there are plenty of people my age who are not nearly as fortunate as me. I'm not doing that now, I'm just answering Sooner04's question as honestly as I can.