The Year of No Student Section?????

[Dr. Blackheart]

Does everyone know how other school's would die for MU's basketball experience?  We rag on the BC, but it is the Top 3 in the BE if not #2 to the Yum.  Pitt and Nova are band boxes true by the facilities don't match up. The Carrier Dome is...a dome.  USF plays in an empty dome.  GU bow ties its students on both ends...but they are even more separated and the alumni support is not as strong.  Rutgers is a pit.  SH has a nice arena experience at the Rock for the 1000 who show up...like the Dunk.   The remodel at UND is very nice, but the facilities still don't match the BC.  WVU falls into the good column. DePaul or Storrs?  Don't even need to go there. Is BC any worse than any arena in the B1G?  

Everyone non-MU, and I mean everyone, loves when I take them to the BC...just loves the experience, watching the students, BE hoops, scoreboard, clubs and food, and the surrounding area, etc.  There are maybe 10 schools with a better hoops experience in the country.  We don't know how good we have it.

[Aughnanure]

I never bought into the whole "I need to study" excuse. Students have every syllabus well in advance. They know when tests are coming. It's all about time management. If you stay on top of your school work then you won't need to cram the night before a test and you can go do things like enjoy a basketball game. If you put off your work then you'll be studying the night of a game. Students are in class maybe 3-4 hours a day and then work another 4 hours, if that. You can get a lot accomplished with 16 hours of free time a day.

Yes, I'm a quality engineer who works in process improvement  

Oh, and the MU student section has always been underwhelming, IMO.

^ This. Its called time management, and there really isn't a good excuse for not being able to attend a game just because of something due the next day. Thats how the world works for the rest of us.

[groove]

^ This. Its called time management, and there really isn't a good excuse for not being able to attend a game just because of something due the next day. Thats how the world works for the rest of us.

9

[🏀]

Or maybe a student doesn't like basketball, or has other interests. Got to love the ass clowns who act as those students should be required to attend games. Maybe we can get the head ass clown in Washington to require all catholic college students to attend 8 home games a season.

You're an idiot and you further prove that fact every time you post.

[🏀]

County-owned, since it used to be freeway.  Maybe we can build a new arena on it...preferably one specifically for basketball.

County owned, you are correct.

[groove]

You're an idiot and you further prove that fact every time you post.

have another beer douche and belly up to bar

[Warriors10]

^ This. Its called time management, and there really isn't a good excuse for not being able to attend a game just because of something due the next day. Thats how the world works for the rest of us.

So when the schedule came out in September, could alumni manage their time/vacation and take off for the MLK game instead of complaining about it?

[The Equalizer]

I think one has to be careful on the year-by-year comparisons.  First, we only have Wisconsin every other year, and second, we added a Big East game to the conference slate in 2008.   

Comparing conference per-game attendance:

2012: 15,274 (6 games)
2011: 16,682 (9 games)
2010: 16,883 (9 games)
2009: 18,194 (9 games)
2008: 17,908 (9 games)
2007: 17,928 (8 games)
2006: 15,450 (8 games)

Weekends haven't seemed to matter--looking back at 2009:
Saturday 1/31/2009 vs. Georgetown:  19,011
Wednesday 2/25 vs. UConn: 19.091

Saturday 2/14 vs. St. Johns 18,614
Tuesday 2/17 vs. Seton Hall 18.701

Note that these same numbers show a surprisingly small drop off from the big names (UConn and Georgetown) from the also-rans (Seton Hall & St. Johns)--only 400 to 500 difference.

Next, break games may have traditionally reduced attendance--but that doesn't explain the low attendance this year:
Sunday 1/1 vs. Villanova (Students on break, everyone else hung over) 14,550
Wednesday 1/11 vs. St. Johns (Students on break):  14,481
Saturday 1/14 vs. Pitt (Students still on break) 18,404
Average 15,811
 
Monday January 20 Louisville (Students back the next day) 16,688
Tuesday 1/24 vs. USF (Students back): 13,693
Tuesday 1/31 Seton Hall (Students back) 13,826
Average: 14,735

Compare the St. Johns gam to USF or Seton Hall.  Why would a mid-week game on 1/11 with students on break not draw as well as a mid-week game two weeks later with everyone back?

The shocking thing is that the two most recent games--USF and Seton Hall--are the two lowest attended Big East games since we joined the conference. 

Even comparing a low-level opponent over the years shows poor current performance.  A mid-week game against Seton Hall drew 15,506 in 2007, another midweek game drew 18,701 in 2009, a Saturday game drew 18.436 in 2011, and a mid-week game this year drew only 13,826--that's a drop of 4875 for the same team  and same mid-week timing from 2009.    And last year's Saturday matchup dropped 265 from the mid-week timing of the year before.

Some might argue the economy is the cause--but all hell broke loose in 2008, which would have impacted the 2008-09 and 09-10 seasons more than this year.  Instead, 2009 was our peak attendance year, and both 2010 and 11 higher than 2012.

I don't think one can be faulted for pointing out that the trend in Big East attendance is downward.

[🏀]

have another beer douche and belly up to bar

Point further supported...

[LON]

have another beer douche and belly up to bar

Is a beer douche the same as regular douche?

Pu$$ie$Hairy wet kittens want to know!

[Aughnanure]

Or maybe a student doesn't like basketball, or has other interests. Got to love the ass clowns who act as those students should be required to attend games. Maybe we can get the head ass clown in Washington to require all catholic college students to attend 8 home games a season.

Wow, I forgot how much there is to do around the AMU.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Or maybe a student doesn't like basketball, or has other interests. Got to love the ass clowns who act as those students should be required to attend games. Maybe we can get the head ass clown in Washington to require all catholic college students to attend 8 home games a season.

how insightful.  go away you jag.

[TJ]

Should be better than Cameron Indoor. Should be lewd, offensive and stupid.

It's even better if your a ways from the court and your sitting next to the opposing team's parents. Harangody's mom knows what I'm talking about.

[leever]

So when the schedule came out in September, could alumni manage their time/vacation and take off for the MLK game instead of complaining about it?

This could be a great reality TV series - "Students vs. Alumni"

Seems like there's a whole lot of bitchin' about the BC not being a great place to watch games (or at least not a great place to vocalize your support).  But isn't the BC one of the selling points for recruiting?  Don't they emphasize that you'll be playing all your home games in an NBA arena with NBA facilities?

[MarsupialMadness]

This could be a great reality TV series - "Students vs. Alumni"

Seems like there's a whole lot of bitchin' about the BC not being a great place to watch games (or at least not a great place to vocalize your support).  But isn't the BC one of the selling points for recruiting?  Don't they emphasize that you'll be playing all your home games in an NBA arena with NBA facilities?

i don't think there is a lot of bitching, just a few observations on how the BC is less intimate than other arenas, which diminishes the appearance of our student section.

as many posters have said, there are a lot of pros to the bradley center as well.

[Tugg Speedman]

Comparing conference per-game attendance:

2012: 15,274 (6 games)
2011: 16,682 (9 games)
2010: 16,883 (9 games)
2009: 18,194 (9 games)
2008: 17,908 (9 games)
2007: 17,928 (8 games)
2006: 15,450 (8 games)

...

I don't think one can be faulted for pointing out that the trend in Big East attendance is downward.

Good analysis

But remember we still have three BE games left this year.  Two are weekend games, tomorrow and Saturday March 3 against GU.  The third is a Wednesday game against Rutgers.  Both weekend games are against highly thought of BE opponents.  The last Saturday BE game was last month against Pitt, another highly thought of BE opponent.  That game drew 18,400.

If we draw well in excess of 18,000 for Cincy and GU, the 2012 attendance number will go up a lot and the slide will not look as great.

[Ari Gold]

This could be a great reality TV series - "Students vs. Alumni"

Seems like there's a whole lot of bitchin' about the BC not being a great place to watch games (or at least not a great place to vocalize your support).  But isn't the BC one of the selling points for recruiting?  Don't they emphasize that you'll be playing all your home games in an NBA arena with NBA facilities FROM 1988?

Fixed

[Bocephys]

County owned, you are correct.

Wasn't Kohls rumored to be making a move on it?

[🏀]

Wasn't Kohls rumored to be making a move on it?

That's the most recent rumor.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Fixed

Even at 1988, the BC is still in the younger half of the Big East

KFC Yum Center (Opened 2010)
Prudential Center (Opened 2007)
Petersen Events Center (Opened 2002)
Verizon Center (Opened 1997)
Gampel Pavilion (Opened 1990)
Fifth Third Arena (Opened 1989)
Bradley Center (Opened 1988)
Villanova Pavilion (Opened 1986)
Allstate Arena (Opened 1980)
Carrier Dome (Opened 1980)
USF Sun Dome (Opened 1980)
RAC (Opened 1977)
Dunkin Donuts Center (Opened 1972)
WVU Coliseum (Opened 1970)
Madison Square Garden (Opened 1968)
Joyce Center (Opened 1968, yes, they had a reno, but the structure is mostly the same).

[warriorchick]

Good analysis

But remember we still have three BE games left this year.  Two are weekend games, tomorrow and Saturday March 3 against GU.  The third is a Wednesday game against Rutgers.  Both weekend games are against highly thought of BE opponents.  The last Saturday BE game was last month against Pitt, another highly thought of BE opponent.  That game drew 18,400.

If we draw well in excess of 18,000 for Cincy and GU, the 2012 attendance number will go up a lot and the slide will not look as great.

Per the GoMarquette website, there are only single seats left for the GU game.  I am pretty sure Cincinnati is close to a sellout as well. 

[Ari Gold]

Even at 1988, the BC is still in the younger half of the Big East

KFC Yum Center (Opened 2010)
Prudential Center (Opened 2007)
Petersen Events Center (Opened 2002)
Verizon Center (Opened 1997)
Gampel Pavilion (Opened 1990) -Multiple renovations
Fifth Third Arena (Opened 1989)
Bradley Center (Opened 1988)
Villanova Pavilion (Opened 1986) Also play at Wells Fargo
Allstate Arena (Opened 1980)
Carrier Dome (Opened 1980)
USF Sun Dome (Opened 1980) Two renovations since construction
RAC (Opened 1977) Plans for renovation
Dunkin Donuts Center (Opened 1972) Renovated 2005
WVU Coliseum (Opened 1970) renovated in 2004
Madison Square Garden (Opened 1968) Renovated in 2011, has NBA team
Joyce Center (Opened 1968, yes, they had a reno, but the structure is mostly the same).

I wasn't really pointing out the age of the facilities in comparison to the other BE schools, but commenting that the BC is an "NBA arena with NBA facilities" that are from 1988, which is one of the oldest in the NBA. Hardly a selling point for recruiting IMO.

Also The joyce center isn't the only renovated arena. I'll concede the Allstate and Sun Dome (because the renovations weren't all that extensive) in terms of age. The Carrier Dome is kind of an outlier, but 4 of the other arenas have had renovations.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Per the GoMarquette website, there are only single seats left for the GU game.  I am pretty sure Cincinnati is close to a sellout as well. 

MU Athletics said on twitter yesterday that there were only single seats left for Cincy.

[chapman]

Ok, if you think our student section is pathetic check out Vanderbilt's showing on College Gameday.  Probably the smallest crowd I've seen at one, and you can hear "Go Blue!" chants for Kentucky.   

[Hoopaloop]

Or maybe a student doesn't like basketball, or has other interests. Got to love the ass clowns who act as those students should be required to attend games. Maybe we can get the head ass clown in Washington to require all catholic college students to attend 8 home games a season.

This