2012 Student Challenge

[TallTitan34]

Stop using the studying excuse please.  There is a game once or twice a week.  I think you can find a way to study and make it to 2 games over the course of a 168 hour week.

If you don't go because you don't feel like it, fine.  But please don't make excuses that you are busy studying.

[foreverwarriors]

Stop using the studying excuse please.  There is a game once or twice a week.  I think you can find a way to study and make it to 2 games over the course of a 168 hour week.

If you don't go because you don't feel like it, fine.  But please don't make excuses that you are busy studying.

When students use this as an excuse, they aren't being honest with themselves about how they manage their time...

[Coleman]

I'm an alum, a huge MU basketball fan, and drove in from Chicago this season for (almost) every game.

I attended (almost) every game as a student.

But notwithstanding the kid with an attitude earlier on this thread, the attitude of alumni on this board isn't a whole lot better. Get over yourselves. Some kids don't want to go to the game. For some, its not worth the investment, or time, when they could be studying or doing things they find more enjoyable. That doesn't make them bad people. As has been stated, its NOT a requirement. Yeah, its embarassing when you see empty seats, but that's their personal choice. I am really sick and tired of this "good old days" crap. Marquette has changed. Some ways for better, some for worse. I guarantee you the academics have never been better or more demanding. I know engineering majors who were in the library EVERY NIGHT until 2 am, because they had to be. They were smart, and weren't poor planners. They only went to games on the weekends because that's what they felt they had to do to get into a solid graduate engineering program. I know people who were pre-med or pre-law in the same boat. Our rankings also speak to the changes. Along with that, the typical Marquette student, and that student's priorities, has changed.

The cost of college has skyrocketed in the past 15 years. I know many people who had to work two jobs through college just to survive on ramen. These people didn't have money to piss away or time to spend 20+ days away from work each year.

The bottom line is, neither you nor I know the specifics of these kids' lives. Don't make a judgment on people you don't know.

[muwarrior87]

When students use this as an excuse, they aren't being honest with themselves about how they manage their time...

i.e. too much time on W.O.W. or Halo...

[TallTitan34]

Maybe that is the solution.  Raise the cost of student tickets.  If they spend more money on tickets then maybe they will want to use them.  Then again I'm guessing the parents of many students buy the tickets.

[MUfan12]

But notwithstanding the kid with an attitude earlier on this thread, the attitude of alumni on this board isn't a whole lot better. Get over yourselves. Some kids don't want to go to the game. For some, its not worth the investment, or time, when they could be studying or doing things they find more enjoyable. That doesn't make them bad people. As has been stated, its NOT a requirement. Yeah, its embarassing when you see empty seats, but that's their personal choice. I am really sick and tired of this "good old days" crap. Marquette has changed. Some ways for better, some for worse. I guarantee you the academics have never been better or more demanding. I know engineering majors who were in the library EVERY NIGHT until 2 am, because they had to be. They were smart, and weren't poor planners. They only went to games on the weekends because that's what they felt they had to do to get into a solid graduate engineering program. I know people who were pre-med or pre-law in the same boat. Our rankings also speak to the changes. Along with that, the typical Marquette student, and that student's priorities, has changed.

That's such a load of bull. If they don't want to go, do not buy tickets. That's the whole point. It's the people who show up to 5 or less games a year that are the problem.

And the majority of the alum response here has been from people who have graduated in the last four years. There's no big dramatic academic change from when we were there.

Like I've said all along, cut the student section to 2500 seats and sell the end zone sections for $120/season, just like the other end of the court. Eff these ingrate students and make some money off of people who want to come.

[groove]

Groove--Not to argue but...Do you think it is strange that 2300 or students have decided that basketball is no longer interesting over past two years? If students never attended your point is valid, however they have attended in masses in past decade.

I could not care less if kids wanted to attend other sports as well.

Yes I do understand your point about declining student attendance. I just think the overall tone of the posts seems to be attacking the students, instead of figuring out what factors are going into the decline. What has changed over the past 2 years.

[Coleman]

That's such a load of bull. If they don't want to go, do not buy tickets. That's the whole point. It's the people who show up to 5 or less games a year that are the problem.

And the majority of the alum response here has been from people who have graduated in the last four years. There's no big dramatic academic change from when we were there.

Like I've said all along, cut the student section to 2500 seats and sell the end zone sections for $120/season, just like the other end of the court. Eff these ingrate students and make some money off of people who want to come.

Yup, its a load of bull that my friend wanted to get into an engineering PhD program at MIT and did what he had to do to do it. What a bad representative of Marquette.

[Brewtown Andy]

But notwithstanding the kid with an attitude earlier on this thread, the attitude of alumni on this board isn't a whole lot better. Get over yourselves. Some kids don't want to go to the game. For some, its not worth the investment, or time, when they could be studying or doing things they find more enjoyable. That doesn't make them bad people. As has been stated, its NOT a requirement. Yeah, its embarassing when you see empty seats, but that's their personal choice. I am really sick and tired of this "good old days" crap. Marquette has changed. Some ways for better, some for worse. I guarantee you the academics have never been better or more demanding. I know engineering majors who were in the library EVERY NIGHT until 2 am, because they had to be. They were smart, and weren't poor planners. They only went to games on the weekends because that's what they felt they had to do to get into a solid graduate engineering program. I know people who were pre-med or pre-law in the same boat. Our rankings also speak to the changes. Along with that, the typical Marquette student, and that student's priorities, has changed.

The issue is that the tickets are sold.  I'm not saying everyone who buys the pack has to go to every game, but there HAS to be ways for the tickets to get used if people can't go for whatever reason.

[Coleman]

The issue is that the tickets are sold.  I'm not saying everyone who buys the pack has to go to every game, but there HAS to be ways for the tickets to get used if people can't go for whatever reason.

Agreed

[muwarrior87]

Yup, its a load of bull that my friend wanted to get into an engineering PhD program at MIT and did what he had to do to do it. What a bad representative of Marquette.

Vic, I had two classmates that are now going to MIT for graduate school. Both were avid MU fans and rarely missed a game. If he bought season tickets knowing that he'd most likely miss a large number of games, why buy the season tickets in the first place. If he didn't buy tix, it's a moot point.  

[foreverwarriors]

And the majority of the alum response here has been from people who have graduated in the last four years. There's no big dramatic academic change from when we were there.

+1

[TallTitan34]

Yup, its a load of bull that my friend wanted to get into an engineering PhD program at MIT and did what he had to do to do it. What a bad representative of Marquette.

Your friend wanted to get into a PhD prgram at MIT yet he couldn't balance his school work and two basketball games a week?

[muguru]

I drive an hour one way to go to games, and i haven't missed a game in my 8 years as a season ticket holder. I think the students can get their butts to games. As a fan who sets next to the student section, it is pathetic that their are not more students there then what there is.

However, that being said... There are a few reasons why I think the student turnout is lower. I don't agree with some of these as excuses, but i really think they are contributing factors.

1. As Brewcity stated earlier, it's about no more TC. TC did a fantastic job of energizing the student base and getting them to games. Buzz doesn't seem to care as much about that, and in a lot of ways I understand that. Why should the Head Coach need to basically beg and plead to get students to games?? They should just go...regardless of the night or opponent or anything else.


2. It helps if you win more games at home. People get discouraged when you lose so many games at home like they did this year. Sorry, but 4 home losses, is NOT acceptable.

3. This is the weakest excuse yet, but unfortunately, I think it plays a big part.....Giveaways. Now frankly, I could care less if I am getting something to go to the games, cuz I go to watch the team play, but many do care, and the last couple of years there has been no free t-shirts or more specifically, bobbleheads. Again, it's sad that it takes things liek that to bring fans in, but sadly enough, it does.

[TallTitan34]

There are reasonable excuses for students not making it to games.  Maybe they are working a job every night to pay for college.  Maybe they want to get into MIT.  Maybe they have a GPA they have to maintain for a scholarship.

The point is if you don't intend on going to the games don't buy the tickets.  The school could sell these seats to the public and make money off of them.

[TallTitan34]

Craig Pintens once considered moving the student section into a "bow tie" similar to the attachment below.

[DrDestiny911]

I'd also like to point out that Bdee29's post is no way indicative of what the overwhelming student body believes. I don't think even the kids have no interest in bball would agree with him. Please stop interpreting his ill-founded conclusion to be representative of the entire student fan base.

[Goose]

muguru--I like your giveaway idea. Strong should give every fan that attends Longwood game a $1000. I would still same home! We need better home schedule.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Craig Pintens once considered moving the student section into a "bow tie" similar to the attachment below.

I like that idea.  or just the 2 sections in both lower endzones.

then we could get an "eat sh!t/f*ck you" chant going, cuz that's never been done before.

[Coleman]

There are reasonable excuses for students not making it to games.  Maybe they are working a job every night to pay for college.  Maybe they want to get into MIT.  Maybe they have a GPA they have to maintain for a scholarship.

The point is if you don't intend on going to the games don't buy the tickets.  The school could sell these seats to the public and make money off of them.

Fair enough. Maybe its time to think about shrinking the student section.

[TallTitan34]

Fair enough. Maybe its time to think about shrinking the student section.

Agreed.

[GoldenWarrior]

This is very outlandish and I'm simply throwing it out as something that popped into my head, but what if the University increased the price of student tickets (let's say $15-$25 on the year) and for each attendance by a student ticket holder, they get a certain amount of that back.  This is a way to create an incentive for those "middle of the road" fans to attend more games.

You're not going to get the population mobilized simply by complaining or trying to plead with them, you do so through creating an incentive for them to act.

[DrDestiny911]

Just thought of something, in the 2006-2007 year tickets were 50 bucks, in the 2007-2008 they were 75. It wasn't until Buzz's first year that tickets jumped to 100$. I know my last two years there, there was some sentiment that paying twice as much for tickets as they did just two years prior for a lesser quality team.

It's not a good excuse but its reasonable to expect. I think until the talent is a bit better and the students that remember tickets being cheaper have graduated that the attendance is going to be low.

Prediction: 2012-2013 will be packed to the brim again

[Coleman]

Have any of you ever read Freakonomics? This would be an interesting scenario. How do you give incentive to students to go? What is the right balance of price and available seats?

[drewm88]

Just thought of something, in the 2006-2007 year tickets were 50 bucks, in the 2007-2008 they were 75. It wasn't until Buzz's first year that tickets jumped to 100$. I know my last two years there, there was some sentiment that paying twice as much for tickets as they did just two years prior for a lesser quality team.

It's not a good excuse but its reasonable to expect. I think until the talent is a bit better and the students that remember tickets being cheaper have graduated that the attendance is going to be low.

Prediction: 2012-2013 will be packed to the brim again

06-07: $55
07-08: $70
08-09: $85
09-10: $100

They made it known that they would be increasing the price by $15 each year for 3 years and then leaving it at $100. Not sure how many students actually received that message, though.