BC Atmosphere

[keefe]

Watching Zags play UCLA at home and the crowd is a major part of the game. They have a real home court advantage.

Reminds me of when we won every game at the Arena for years.

BC offers nothing for the home team. 

[Herman Cain]

Watching Zags play UCLA at home and the crowd is a major part of the game. They have a real home court advantage.

Reminds me of when we won every game at the Arena for years.

BC offers nothing for the home team.

Worked wonders for the Bucks tonight.

When our team is having a good season and the place is  full it is a big benefit.  I agree when the place is half full the advantage is less. Half full at the BC is almost sold out at the Arena.

[Tugg Speedman]

+1

You should watch highlights of tonight's Bucks game.

[KenoshaWarrior]

+1

You should watch highlights of tonight's Bucks game.

. Just got back from bucks game and that place was as electric as I've seen it

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Unfortunately, the BC was electric tonight not because of the home team, but because of the visitors. Keefe's point is spot on.

We have a great fan base, but we are a small private school playing in a modern day Roman Coliseum.

The MECCA had character. The BC does not.

[MUFlutieEffect]

Unfortunately, the BC was electric tonight not because of the home team, but because of the visitors. Keefe's point is spot on.

We have a great fan base, but we are a small private school playing in a modern day Roman Coliseum.

The MECCA had character. The BC does not.

Should we spurn the Bucks, buy out UWM, and return to The MECCA in 2017?

I know it's completely unrealistic, but it sounds awesome...

[Litehouse]

Should we spurn the Bucks, buy out UWM, and return to The MECCA in 2017?

I know it's completely unrealistic, but it sounds awesome...

That sounds like the complete opposite of awesome.  Can't wait for the new arena.

[Benny B]

That sounds like the complete opposite of awesome.  Can't wait for the new arena.

New arena won't be any better.  As long as the place is capable of hosting Monster Jam or the Shrine Circus, the basketball atmosphere will suffer.

[MUfan12]

New arena won't be any better.  As long as the place is capable of hosting Monster Jam or the Shrine Circus, the basketball atmosphere will suffer.

Except for the smaller capacity, better sightlines, more lower bowl seats, and no goddamn Zamboni tunnels it'll be exactly like the BC.

[79Warrior]

Watching Zags play UCLA at home and the crowd is a major part of the game. They have a real home court advantage.

Reminds me of when we won every game at the Arena for years.

BC offers nothing for the home team.

Completely agree. BC is just too big for MU. Arena was great. 11k a game, sold out for years. Perfect size for Marquette.

[keefe]

I think the keys to having a genuine home court advantage incllude:

Proximity: Where are the students seated? At the Arena the students filled the entire end and then wrapped around both sides of the court. We were also very close to the action. Players and balls ended up in the crowd.

And our being on top of the action had an impact on game results. Al said that most of the 5 second inbounds violations were due to the students unnerving the opposition. And the call to action was always the "Give 'em Hell, Al!," guy. There was no better opening to a college game ever. 

Loyalty: Do the students show up consistently, regardless of opponent? We were at every game and made a point of being noticed. Whether we were playing Notre Dame or St Leo's the students turned out in droves. When I see the stands at the BC the place is rarely filled and often has vast stretches of empty seating. (The crowd for Grambling was embarrassing.)

Al said that before every tip off he looked up at the four uppermost corner seats of the Arena. His measurement of job security was that each of those seats was filled. And for years every seat was filled. It shouldn't matter who Marquette is playing. What is important is that Marquette is playing.

Band: The MU Band under Geisheker was large and loud. And even though they were there officially for the first half they stayed throughout and added a lot to the atmosphere. Whether it was playing our fight song or adding color the Band was a factor in our overall advantage.

Every major run Marquette made seemed to start with the band playing the Hamm's Beer song as Walton, Boylan, Sam, or Doc brought the ball up court.

As a Michigan grad I cannot imagine a U of M game without the band and cowbells. That tradition continues in Ann Arbor today and Marquette once had as compelling an advantage. We would be wise to resurrect some of those elements delivered by the band. 

Substituting canned music and superfluous eye wash on the jumbotron for live music is a bad decision.

Winning: Let's face it - Marquette sold out every seat at the Arena for years because we won every home game for many consecutive years and were an elite program. I think Wojo will get us back to a level of consistency where we are always competitive. His success at recruiting is encouraging and winning begins with talent. 

Beer:The drinking age was 18 and a six of PBR was $1.45. Before we began the trek to the Arena we downed more than a few at the Lanche/Gym/Hegarty's to steel ourselves for those cold Wisconsin nights. And we always bought a 6 for the road for in-game refreshment. The optimal quantity was deemed to be 6 beers - easy enough to sneak in while enabling a beer every 20 minutes.

A lubricated crowd is a happy crowd and a happy crowd is a boisterous crowd. We made some noise and had an impact.

Marquette playing at the Arena was once considered one of what Al called the best snake pits in sports. Today, at the BC, we are nowhere close to that.

The best home courts in college hoops today -

McCarthey Athletic Center

Phog Allen Fieldhouse

Cameron Indoor

Rupp

Breslin

The Pit

Rupp

Peterson

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think the keys to having a genuine home court advantage incllude:


Proximity: Where are the students seated? At the Arena the students filled the entire end and then wrapped around both sides of the court. We were also very close to the action. Players and balls ended up in the crowd.

And our being on top of the action had an impact on game results. Al said that most of the 5 second inbounds violations were due to the students unnerving the opposition. And the call to action was always the "Give 'em Hell, Al!," guy. There was no better opening to a college game ever. 

Loyalty: Do the students show up consistently, regardless of opponent? We were at every game and made a point of being noticed. Whether we were playing Notre Dame or St Leo's the students turned out in droves. When I see the stands at the BC the place is rarely filled and often has vast stretches of empty seating. (The crowd for Grambling was embarrassing.)

Al said that before every tip off he looked up at the four uppermost corner seats of the Arena. His measurement of job security was that each of those seats was filled. And for years every seat was filled. It shouldn't matter who Marquette is playing. What is important is that Marquette is playing.

Band: The MU Band under Geisheker was large and loud. And even though they were there officially for the first half they stayed throughout and added a lot to the atmosphere. Whether it was playing our fight song or adding color the Band was a factor in our overall advantage.

Every major run Marquette made seemed to start with the band playing the Hamm's Beer song as Walton, Boylan, Sam, or Doc brought the ball up court.

As a Michigan grad I cannot imagine a U of M game without the band and cowbells. That tradition continues in Ann Arbor today and Marquette once had as compelling an advantage. We would be wise to resurrect some of those elements delivered by the band. 

Substituting canned music and superfluous eye wash on the jumbotron for live music is a bad decision.

Winning: Let's face it - Marquette sold out every seat at the Arena for years because we won every home game for many consecutive years and were an elite program. I think Wojo will get us back to a level of consistency where we are always competitive. His success at recruiting is encouraging and winning begins with talent. 

Beer:The drinking age was 18 and a six of PBR was $1.45. Before we began the trek to the Arena we downed more than a few at the Lanche/Gym/Hegarty's to steel ourselves for those cold Wisconsin nights. And we always bought a 6 for the road for in-game refreshment. The optimal quantity was deemed to be 6 beers - easy enough to sneak in while enabling a beer every 20 minutes.

A lubricated crowd is a happy crowd and a happy crowd is a boisterous crowd. We made some noise and had an impact.

Marquette playing at the Arena was once considered one of what Al called the best snake pits in sports. Today, at the BC, we are nowhere close to that.

FIFY

Obviously tongue and cheek but this is the most important ingredient and the missing one for Marquette as of late. I was a student during the Buzz years and the BC could get rocking when it was game time. The students were loud and showed up in force, even to cupcakes (just not over winter break). However, BC does have several built in disadvantages that keep it from being great. There are also some realities now that didn't exist before. If you want a truly great home court advantage , you put the students in the front rows, preferably very close to the enemy's bench. That will never happen in new stadiums because the atheltic departments need the ticket revenue.

You mentioned loyalty and talked about the students. I don't think they are the ones we need to worry about. From what I can see on my tv, the students have shown up to every game. Some were more sparsely attended and they could certainly improve, but they fill their section and are on their feet screaming for their team. Its the sweater vests that need a lecture on loyalty. Those primo seats right near the action look empty on tv. And the ones that are filled are sitting and looking sour. At least give your tickets to somebody if you aren't going to use them. Plenty of non-profits that could use them as prizes for fundraisers or employees who need positive recognition, or kids from local schools who could never afford a game on their own.

Even if 100% of the student population showed up to a game, they couldn't fill the BC. Alumni are the ones that need to be stepping up to add to the atmosphere. If I lived within 150 miles of the BC, I know I would be there

[mubb3434]

I think the keys to having a genuine home court advantage incllude:


The best home courts in college hoops today -

McCarthey Athletic Center

Phog Allen Fieldhouse

Cameron Indoor

Rupp

Breslin

The Pit

Rupp

Peterson

You forgot one of the best ones...Cameron Indoor of the West "The Spectrum"

[Anti-Dentite]

FIFY

Obviously tongue and cheek but this is the most important ingredient and the missing one for Marquette as of late. I was a student during the Buzz years and the BC could get rocking when it was game time. The students were loud and showed up in force, even to cupcakes (just not over winter break). However, BC does have several built in disadvantages that keep it from being great. There are also some realities now that didn't exist before. If you want a truly great home court advantage , you put the students in the front rows, preferably very close to the enemy's bench. That will never happen in new stadiums because the atheltic departments need the ticket revenue.

You mentioned loyalty and talked about the students. I don't think they are the ones we need to worry about. From what I can see on my tv, the students have shown up to every game. Some were more sparsely attended and they could certainly improve, but they fill their section and are on their feet screaming for their team. Its the sweater vests that need a lecture on loyalty. Those primo seats right near the action look empty on tv. And the ones that are filled are sitting and looking sour. At least give your tickets to somebody if you aren't going to use them. Plenty of non-profits that could use them as prizes for fundraisers or employees who need positive recognition, or kids from local schools who could never afford a game on their own.

Even if 100% of the student population showed up to a game, they couldn't fill the BC. Alumni are the ones that need to be stepping up to add to the atmosphere. If I lived within 150 miles of the BC, I know I would be there

You need a new tv, the students don't show up. I could have counted the students at Jackson State by hand, maybe 200-300 and that's being generous. Maine wasn't much better. Everyone could step up but you know, it's all about winning and playing an exciting brand of ball. We're getting there again after 2 very painful and joyless years.

[Galway Eagle]

We had the longest home winning streak in the country going two years ago and we're saying the BC isn't a good home court?

Anyways things I'd fix: First Keefe has a point about the band. Whoever the conductor is needs to put a bit more energy in the songs and I personally don't think they would be given that whole section when it's half full at best. 

He also has a point about beer prices at the BC, they've become almost as outrageous as the United Center it's terrible. Of course then his rant went into the realm of old guy saying "we did it better blah blah blah". Personally the last game I was sober for in my five years was NC State in 2009 so I don't know what he's talking about. 

Finally TAMU Eagle has a really good point about the sweater vests. They offer nothing in terms of game atmosphere. I haven't been there this year so I'm curious if the recent grad section is rowdy but for the most part the non student section is just silent even if they do all show up. 

[warriorchick]

There is no way in hell we would ever return to The Arena, or a venue the size of The Arena.  Marquette already sells more season tickets than The Arena can hold. 

The alleged advantage a smaller venue would contribute pales in comparison that the millions of dollars in additional ticket sales does.  I would prefer that the program focus on putting out a product that fills up their current place.

I have been a season ticket holder for a number of years, and we have always gotten good crowds  at all of the important games.  Will a few additional butts in the nosebleed seats really make a difference in our W-L record? 

And with all due respect, Keefe, I am not sure you have the best frame of reference to lecture Marquette on how to improve their game day experience.  When was the last time you attended a home game?  IIRC, you have stated previously that you haven't set foot in Milwaukee in decades.

[brewcity77]

It's important to understand the balance between a full arena and revenue. Sure, if we played in an 11,000 seat bandbox we'd sell out every game and fill the place most of the time, and even look full against cupcakes, but that's a lot of revenue the University would lose.

In 3 years, we'll move into a basketball-first arena that will address much of this. The seats will be close to the court, the stands will be full (if nothing else than out of curiosity), and the place will be loud.

As far as moving it closer to campus or making it easier to sneak booze in, well, those are things that simply aren't going to happen. If anything, getting alcohol in for underagers will be harder because of the increased security measures. And justifiably so.

It's entirely possible (and frankly likely) that we will never again create the kind of atmosphere we had in the 1970s and 80s, because it's entirely possible (and frankly likely) that we will never have the combination of an elite program coupled with relaxed societal norms that created that atmosphere.

This year has sucked because we've had two down years leading into it. Get back to the tournament, get people used to this team winning again, and offer some quality opponents and the fans will be back, and the atmosphere along with it. Win for the next three years and the Silk Exotic Performance Center will be rocking just about every game. Maybe it won't equal the heyday of the 70s, but does anyone realistically believe that is even possible?

[1SE]

If you think there are problems with the BC you probably didn't go to many games 2001-2007.  Agree though that it would be great  to seat a row or two of student courtside - at least on the benches side.  But sweater vests won't ever let that happen.

[GGGG]

Really the best thing would be an on-campus arena that sits about 12,000 where MU can collect luxury box revenue.  But that's not happening.  The BC and the new place, are much better options than the Arena.

[Galway Eagle]

Win for the next three years and the Silk Exotic Performance Center will be rocking just about every game. Maybe it won't equal the heyday of the 70s, but does anyone realistically believe that is even possible?

Im sure it's running a little smoother there than the early 70s.

[mu_hilltopper]

FIFY

TAMU .. no doubt, it is about winning.   But to decry the season ticket holders is daffy. 

The students are (by 500 miles) the most irregular attendees, with some games seeing a 2/3rds empty student section.   Your recollection of the Buzz years having students turn out "even for cupcakes" is perhaps a beer soaked, but an absolutely false memory.   

I've been a season ticket holder for 4 coaches worth of years, and while there have been better years here and there, the students are by far the most fair-weather fans.  Heck .. anyone notice that this year, MU has stopped calling them "the best student section in the country"?  They weren't for Buzz either.

No doubt, the 3-4 times a year they show up in force, it's fantastic, electric.  (Yes, it was 8-10x a year for Buzz when we were in the Awesome Big East.)

Now ..  MU has lost 2000 season ticket holders in two years.   The reason is the same for any other business losing customers: the product isn't as good as it was.  We were spoiled in the Awesome Big East when there were a dozen high quality opponents each year at the BC.  Now we've got maybe 4-5 big games a year, aren't a ranked program, and people are fickle with their dollars. 

People used to pay double for the BE games and got the pre-conference games/low interest games for free.  When that equation imploded (and the program started losing) so did ticket sales.

There's been a tremendous decline in passion for the program over the past few years, and that shows up in attendance and BC atmosphere. 

Unfortunately .. I don't see MU pulling up from this passion decline, even with a top 25 program.  Those 2000 ticket holders are gone .. they're buying mini-packs are sitting upstairs quietly, and aren't coming back.

That leaves recent grads as the only possible new customer farm, and the typical slate of games isn't appealing enough to get them to buy 21 games.

MU's base will continue to erode .. and when the new stadium is built and ticket prices go up?  Year 1, people will keep their seats for the novelty .. year 2?  Look out.

There is no way in hell we would ever return to The Arena, or a venue the size of The Arena.  Marquette already sells more season tickets than The Arena can hold. 

Actually, not the case.  MECCA seats 12,700.  MU's season ticket base is now at 11,600 and dropping.

[GGGG]

There's been a tremendous decline in passion for the program over the past few years, and that shows up in attendance and BC atmosphere. 

Unfortunately .. I don't see MU pulling up from this passion decline, even with a top 25 program. 

You went to games in the late Deane / early TC era right?  I did.  And the atmosphere sucked.  Tons of no shows.  Not much "passion for the program" that I recall.

Winning will solve it.  It always has.

[Litehouse]

Actually, not the case.  MECCA seats 12,700.  MU's season ticket base is now at 11,600 and dropping.

12,700 is for concerts with seating on the floor.  Its 10,783 for basketball.

[We R Final Four]

New arena won't be any better. 

? Except this arena will be specifically built for basketball, not hockey.  That alone makes it much better.

[Litehouse]

I see 3 main problems with the BC that are primarily due to its design:

1) Disjointed student section, with the students broken up into 6 separate areas (2 temporary stands in front, 2 back area split by the tunnel, the corner seats, and the upper deck).  This creates a lot of gaps so the section is more spread out and not as dense as it could be, and there isn't as much of a cohesive feel to make the section a single group.

2) Small lower bowl and huge upper bowl that sticks too many people further away from the court.

3) Hockey lay-out with the end-zones set back further from the court.

Hopefully the new arena can improve all these issues.  Everything else can be fixed by winning.