2012 Student Challenge

[mufvr]

Being a season ticket holder I was able to unfortunately witness the vast number of no-shows from the "country's greatest student section" for nearly every game.  The only time the student section was close to being filled was when the rodents made their appearance.  Buzz needs to energize this group in 2012 and it is up to them to get off their asses and go to the games.  We need them to act like they did in the D Wade years when they all made us proud.  They can help the team immensely.

[wadesworld]

1. Not going to happen.

2. The students that do go to all of the games (the big fans) most likely are the same people that would check/post on this board.

3.  The students that buy tickets only to go to the big games and don't really care probably don't care enough to look at Marquette basketball forums.

[ort5210]

1. Not going to happen.

2. The students that do go to all of the games (the big fans) most likely are the same people that would check/post on this board.

3.  The students that buy tickets only to go to the big games and don't really care probably don't care enough to look at Marquette basketball forums.

I think thats why he said "Buzz needs to...."

[Daniel]

I agree that something should be done by the university, Buzz , wahtever to mobilize the student base more.  But reality is, winning mobilizes the base the best.  But the BC had many no shows for most of the games last season.  Some effort is in order.

[Tugg Speedman]

Let me play's devil's advocate here and defend the student section ...

The problem is MU plays in too big a stadium.  Undergraduate enrollment is 8100 and the BC capacity is 19000.  The capacity of our home arena to student population is the largest of major D1 basketball.

Detailed here http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=22857.msg251664#msg251664

Does anyone know the size of the ticket allotment to the student section?  Do they keep attendance records for students only?  What I'm getting at is I believe our percentage of students attending the games is very high when compared to other schools.  Remember the Kohl center in at UW seats 17,000 but they have an undergraduate population of 29000.

Now if you want to donate $50 million or so the MU, I'm sure they could build a 9,000 seat arena and even less students would go to those games but it would look "packed" and everyone would be happy.

[ChicosBailBonds]

We do play in a large stadium, but the students turned out in better numbers in years past...especially TC's last year and Buzz's first year.  So it can be done.

Going to the Sweet 16 and having the core of players back next year should excite those that didn't really get into it this year. Let's hope.  MU's home court wasn't that strong this year IMO.

[Tugg Speedman]

We do play in a large stadium, but the students turned out in better numbers in years past...especially TC's last year and Buzz's first year.  So it can be done.

Those were the last two years we had a top 10 ranking.  So here's Buzz challenge ... get a top 10 ranking again and more people will show up at the games.

Are we breaking new ground here?

[Daniel]

That raises a question: have we been ranked at all under Buzz?  I can't remember - the 10 ranking was not under Buzz right?

[Tugg Speedman]

No, Buzz's first year with the three amigos as seniors we were as high as #8.  Also ranked intermittently last year.

This was the first year in several (I believe 4 or 5) that we were not ranked.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That raises a question: have we been ranked at all under Buzz?  I can't remember - the 10 ranking was not under Buzz right?

Buzz's first year we were ranked a lot.  That team was LOADED.  Then DJ got hurt and it killed us.  I think we were ranked most of that season.  We got up to number 8 when we were 19-2.  That was a special group of players and they were mostly seniors and juniors...a ton of experience and quality.

[Coleman]

I'm not arguing whether it should have to or shouldn't (that is, I'm not defending or accusing the students), but if Marquette wants a full student section it probably needs to make a more conscious effort. Exactly what that means, I'm not sure.

I think scheduling plays a big role (see 10 am on New Year's Day). I know MU doesn't have control over this entirely, especially with conference games, but maybe also working on better promotions and having Buzz make a real effort to contact students and get them out via phone or email. A top 10 team would help too.

But I remember during my time during the Crean years (05-08), we had packed houses (including some record breaking attendance numbers), and our team wasn't always ranked.

[HouWarrior]

I am far removed, so I am curious.
Arent the student tickets priced reasonably, with all sold as part of a season package?
If they have tickets to each game, why wouldnt they go to each game?
Are the games always on TV, too --giving students the option to stay at home/dorm, and watch it there?
If they're not on TV, what else do they do during games--study?......please say no, as study breaks should be mandatory during games.

[bdee29]

I'm personally offended by this thread and other students will be too. As a student that made minimum wage last summer, I spent $100 of my hard earned money on basketball tickets. I sat outside for 5 hours in 15 degree weather before the wisco game. I went to 2/3 ncaa tournament games. I cheered my ass off for this team. That being said, Buzz should feel lucky about how much support he got with the way this year's team underachieved.

Look at the student section in the Syracuse game. major homecourt advantage. Notre Dame game was over break and there was a tremendous turn out. UCONN game was on a tuesday and had a great turnout. the mile walk to the BC isnt made any easier in the dead of wisconsin winter (maybe the alumnus/i that wrote this didnt take that into account on the 5 min walk from their warm mercedes to the arena) Not to mention, our arena is wayyy oversized for our undergrad population.

[MUfan12]

I'm personally offended by this thread and other students will be too. As a student that made minimum wage last summer, I spent $100 of my hard earned money on basketball tickets. I sat outside for 5 hours in 15 degree weather before the wisco game. I went to 2/3 ncaa tournament games. I cheered my ass off for this team. That being said, Buzz should feel lucky about how much support he got with the way this year's team underachieved.

Look at the student section in the Syracuse game. major homecourt advantage. Notre Dame game was over break and there was a tremendous turn out. UCONN game was on a tuesday and had a great turnout. the mile walk to the BC isnt made any easier in the dead of wisconsin winter (maybe the alumnus/i that wrote this didnt take that into account on the 5 min walk from their warm mercedes to the arena) Not to mention, our arena is wayyy oversized for our undergrad population.

I'm offended by how f*cking entitled students think they are.

Unfortunate that a run like this was wasted on this group. As someone who saw two NIT teams, and two first round exits, I would have killed for a Sweet 16 while I was a student.

Bitching about $100 SEASON tickets and a mile walk from campus. And about how this team that made the third Sweet 16 since '77 underachieved.

When I think our students suck the most, they always manage to out-do themselves.

[HouWarrior]

I'm personally offended by this thread and other students will be too. As a student that made minimum wage last summer, I spent $100 of my hard earned money on basketball tickets. I sat outside for 5 hours in 15 degree weather before the wisco game. I went to 2/3 ncaa tournament games. I cheered my ass off for this team. That being said, Buzz should feel lucky about how much support he got with the way this year's team underachieved.

Look at the student section in the Syracuse game. major homecourt advantage. Notre Dame game was over break and there was a tremendous turn out. UCONN game was on a tuesday and had a great turnout. the mile walk to the BC isnt made any easier in the dead of wisconsin winter (maybe the alumnus/i that wrote this didnt take that into account on the 5 min walk from their warm mercedes to the arena) Not to mention, our arena is wayyy oversized for our undergrad population.

Wow. $100 for tickets in today's dollars is cheaper than when I was a student(and yes we all bought them with hard earned job pay).
The rest of your experiences sound great-- enjoy. Years from now they will be fond memories to share. Soon the greatest inconvenience in life wont be a "Tuesday" game, a one mile walk or waiting hours in the cold.

Soon enough, You wont see an MU game even on TV because your boss has you out of town travelling, the parent teacher conference is on Tuesday night, and the only five hour block you get is a boring day long work seminar, a once a year christmas shopping trip, or an all day Saturday soccer/ swim tournament, for your child.

Your mind will wander back to good times, simple times, just walking with your friends to a game in the cold, or sitting for hours awaiting one. You'll think back regretting that....wow the only reason I missed seeing UConn(Kemba Walker Jim Calhoun) play MU in person for $10, was I thought it inconvenient to go on a Tuesday night, and now me and my family cant  spare the $100s to see Kemba play in the NBA.

This is some of the cheapest best quality sports entertainment, you will have avilable to you for your whole life, with the time available to you now like you can never again expect in life..Carpe diem-- The only regret you'll have in life is not what you did, but what you could have easily done, but didnt--dont miss any games, trust me.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I wasn't a Marquette fan in 2003, but was every single game televised? I think that may have a lot to do with it. A lot of students figure, why walk when you can just watch enjoy the game on the couch with a free beer. Now...I am not in the that group, but a good chunk of students feel that way.

[Brewtown Andy]

UCONN game was on a tuesday and had a great turnout.

Depending on your definition of great, considering that it was against the #5 team in the country.  http://twitpic.com/3tfjn7

the mile walk to the BC isnt made any easier in the dead of wisconsin winter

Other than by the free shuttle running from the Sports Annex.

[mugrad2006]

Let me play's devil's advocate here and defend the student section ...

The problem is MU plays in too big a stadium.  Undergraduate enrollment is 8100 and the BC capacity is 19000.  The capacity of our home arena to student population is the largest of major D1 basketball.

Detailed here http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=22857.msg251664#msg251664

Does anyone know the size of the ticket allotment to the student section?  Do they keep attendance records for students only?  What I'm getting at is I believe our percentage of students attending the games is very high when compared to other schools.  Remember the Kohl center in at UW seats 17,000 but they have an undergraduate population of 29000.

Now if you want to donate $50 million or so the MU, I'm sure they could build a 9,000 seat arena and even less students would go to those games but it would look "packed" and everyone would be happy.

This

It drives me nuts when everyone complains about the student section, and how 'wild and crazy' the old Arena used to be when they don't sit back and think about the massive size disparities and seating set ups between the BC and the Arena.    I was a student from 02-06, and I've been a season ticket holder since.  I was in the student section at pretty much every game, even during the bad NIT years, and there was a large contingent of die hards in that group and there still is.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, all of you pining for the 'good old days' when the stadium only held 10,000 or who complain that our students aren't the great Cameron Crazies or post youtube videos of the Utah St. chants, open up your checkbooks and make a big fat donation to set aside more seating in the lower bowl for the students. You put 2,000 students near the court and you'll see one hell of a home court advantage.  Layout matters, and the fact that student section is (for the most part) behind the hoop and the band in the lower bowl contributes in a big way to your perception of their supposed 'lameness'

[PaintTouches]

This

It drives me nuts when everyone complains about the student section, and how 'wild and crazy' the old Arena used to be when they don't sit back and think about the massive size disparities and seating set ups between the BC and the Arena.    I was a student from 02-06, and I've been a season ticket holder since.  I was in the student section at pretty much every game, even during the bad NIT years, and there was a large contingent of die hards in that group and there still is.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, all of you pining for the 'good old days' when the stadium only held 10,000 or who complain that our students aren't the great Cameron Crazies or post youtube videos of the Utah St. chants, open up your checkbooks and make a big fat donation to set aside more seating in the lower bowl for the students. You put 2,000 students near the court and you'll see one hell of a home court advantage.  Layout matters, and the fact that student section is (for the most part) behind the hoop and the band in the lower bowl contributes in a big way to your perception of their supposed 'lameness'

Being a current student, I appreciate the support but . . . it wouldn't matter how small the arena was or how good the seats got. It's really all about winning. I went to watch the Sweet 16 game late at night here in london with two students who had never bought season tickets, had been to only 1 or 2 games, and couldn't name a player other than Frozena. Yet here they were, walking to a bar late at night decked out in MU gear. Winning fills seats.

Hopefully the Sweet 16 buzz will carry over to next year like the 3 amigos Buzz did their senior season. Now getting butts in seats is one thing, getting people loud and raucous, that's a whole nother challenge.

[Tugg Speedman]

Depending on your definition of great, considering that it was against the #5 team in the country.  http://twitpic.com/3tfjn7

Brewtown, thanks for the pic as I see it as showing how GOOD our student section is.  

Why?  Because you have a pic of a Tuesday night game in Milwaukee and, given that the BC holds 19,000, it looks like about 40% of the undergrad population of MU is at this game.

UW has 29,000 undergrads.  Tell me if 15,000 UW undergrads showed up for anything on a Tuesday night in January in Wisconsin that would say support sucked.  Same percentage of MU students and it's somehow a disaster.

So, instead of donating $50 million to MU for a smaller arena, maybe you can donate $500 million so MU can expand to 30,000 undergrads and when 60% of the student could care less about the team, you still have 12,000 crazies at the game.

When are you whiners going to get the problem is the huge BC relative to the student population.  Further, when are you whiners going to go realize that Georgetown, Seton Hall, Notre Dame**, St. Johns and Villanova support, especially student support, is so much worse than our support that they don't even try to fill the available NBA sized arenas for every game.  They only use it for selected games.  Go read their message boards.

If MU admitted defeat and played Centenary at the AL, and packed it with crazy students, and played DePaul and Seton Hall at the Arena, and sold it out, would that make things better?

** = (ND's Joyce Center is 9,000 and they did not sell out the MU game on a Saturday night and were annoyed a 1,000 of the fans were MU faithful.  And they are the vaunted ND and were a #2 seed this year!)

[MUEng92]

Ummm, current students aren't going to want Tobias the money argument about getting season tickets.  Thus isn't a "today's dollars" issue either. I believe the first years in the Bradley Center (1988ish) we paid more than $100 for tickets and that was to watch Bob Dukiet teams.

Stick with the having to sit outside for five hours in the freezing cold argument.  That carries way more weight.

[Brewtown Andy]

Brewtown, thanks for the pic as I see it as showing how GOOD our student section is.  

Why?  Because you have a pic of a Tuesday night game in Milwaukee and, given that the BC holds 19,000, it looks like about 40% of the undergrad population of MU is at this game.

My understanding is that the total number of student section seats is about 40% of the undergrad population.

The thing is that those tickets are COMPLETELY sold.  There were games this year when the student section was completely jammed.  So why are there 1000 tickets going unused against the #5 team in the country in a game that's being broadcast on ESPN?

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Walking to the arena in my day (1977-1980) was part of the fun.  Stopping off at Hegarty's to "load up" the parka; sweating thru the minimal security; clinking & clanking all the way up to your seat; playing "random fan tackle" in the snow all the way back. Houwarrior is correct - great memories!

[MUBurrow]

Here's my proposal:

If the number of student tickets sold is 40% of the student population, lower that to 33%.  When those are gone and you still wish to get tickets, you must go to a mandatory MUBBall class one time only for two hours on a weekday night.  Topics include not only MU specific history and tradition, but also the members of the current team and a 30 minute overview of basketball rules and trends and the nuts and bolts of recruiting.  This makes sure that if you weren't excited enough to get tickets right away, you at least have enough at your disposal to make you excited enough to get to the damn UConn game.  Also should serve to weed out a couple of the typical suburban FIB girls that were far and away my pet peeve at the games  

[brewcity77]

I think that as much of this is about TC as anything. The guy was a great showman and motivator for the student population. Buzz budgets his time to the minute, but I don't know that he's as dedicated at getting students to the BC as TC was. Winning should help, and my personal hopes are more for program success than student motivation, but it's easy to see the personality differences between the coaches that might also be impacting today's lower attendance.