No thread on Bonner's attendance piece?

[DawgatAuburn]

I thought it was pretty good. I mean the numbers are horrible, but interesting nonetheless. I think it underscores what most of us believe - that there are many factors which lead to poor attendance. Winning is the primary one for sure, and would solve a lot of our issues. I could have done without the Templeton comments, and I thought the student reseating should have been addressed more. I would also be interested to know the stats on % of attendance, not just total attendance. I mean we could average 10,000 a night and fill the place up and Rupp could be 2/3 full and have 16,000 and we would trail them in attendance.

http://www.clarionledger.com/longfo...-fans-not-supporting-msu-mens-hoops/96161712/

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I wasn't aware of the article. Thanks for sharing. I kind of think the student reseating has a bit more to do with it as well as of course the lack of success this decade.

 

[Drebin]

I think it was good. Our fans, particularly our students, should be called out. There's no excuse for the lack of support. I would hate to see Howland bring us to the brink of respectability and then leave because he doesn't have the support he needs.

 

[Hankp22]

The fans should come before the wins....

I think it was good. Our fans, particularly our students, should be called out. There's no excuse for the lack of support. I would hate to see Howland bring us to the brink of respectability and then leave because he doesn't have the support he needs.

I understand why fans jumped off the ship when Ray took over. I understand why fans were hesitant to jump back on the ship year one in Howlands time. But now, it is time to buy in. He will win if we support the program as a fanbase. I trust his process. I never trusted Rays.

 

[missouridawg]

This is a nationwide problem... not as MSU problem. The SEC Network playing damn near all of our games is going to prevent people from the surrounding area from coming. Particularly is the team is average or below average.

UCLA, a top5 team, is currently having hell getting butts in seats too.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I agree with most of what you write. My one question is that given his track record I don't understand why fans were hesitant to jump back on the ship in the first season of Howland's tenure here at MSU.

 

[Drebin]

This is a nationwide problem... not as MSU problem. The SEC Network playing damn near all of our games is going to prevent people from the surrounding area from coming. Particularly is the team is average or below average.

UCLA, a top5 team, is currently having hell getting butts in seats too.

I don't really care about anywhere else. That's a cop out and an excuse.

There is no excuse - none - why we can't have at least 8,000 people in the house every time we play ball. It's not the SEC Network's fault. It's not ESPN's fault. Basketball is the one sport where crowd support can make an average team a tough out.

 

[Hankp22]

I agree with most of what you write. My one question is that given his track record I don't understand why fans were hesitant to jump back on the ship in the first season of Howland's tenure here at MSU.

That is a fair question.

I jumped on board the minute we hired him because of exactly that.

 

[missouridawg]

I don't really care about anywhere else. That's a cop out and an excuse.

There is no excuse - none - why we can't have at least 8,000 people in the house every time we play ball. It's not the SEC Network's fault. It's not ESPN's fault. Basketball is the one sport where crowd support can make an average team a tough out.

What you call a cop out and excuse, I call facts. Why drive 3 hours round trip in the evening on a weeknight to watch a 2 hour game that you could watch from your recliner? The more games that we put on TV, the less that people are going to show up routinely. This is a fact until the team provides a reason to make that trip (winning).

Im with you... I wish more people would go. But our Athletic department is going to have to tap into the students and the residents of Starkville, West Point, and Columbus to fill the Humo in the meantime. A robust season ticket recycling program might help some.

 

[Drebin]

What you call a cop out and excuse, I call facts. Why drive 3 hours round trip in the evening on a weeknight to watch a 2 hour game that you could watch from your recliner? The more games that we put on TV, the less that people are going to show up routinely. This is a fact until the team provides a reason to make that trip (winning).

Im with you... I wish more people would go. But our Athletic department is going to have to tap into the students and the residents of Starkville, West Point, and Columbus to fill the Humo in the meantime. A robust season ticket recycling program might help some.

Here are facts:

There are nearly 20,000 students on campus. The population of the GTR area is more than 60,000, with most of that in Columbus and Starkville alone. Widen the net to include Tupelo (45 minutes from campus), and that's more than 100,000 people.

I understand the argument for it being a long commute to campus. But there needs to be more enthusiasm from the students on campus, and more energy from the community. People who have season tickets but can't make a commute need an easy way to get their tickets into the hands of someone local who would like to go.

It's not crazy to expect 8,000 fans to hit the hump every time the ball is tossed.

 

[tatedog]

David Murray summed it up as college basketball is quickly becoming a 3 week a year office pool sport.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

who?

 

[Junction John]

Okay, after reading this, I'm beginning to change my stance on Boner.

Damn, that's a negatively-toned article. I have tried to give the guy a break, and think "he's just telling the truth", etc., but you can tell the truth from a neutral position if you want to -- that's not what he does here. The whole thing feels like one long slap in the face of State fans.

There's always an excuse

17 you, guy who lives in Starkville and gets paid to go to the games.

It all creates doubt if Humphrey Coliseum will ever return to what many who followed the team in the 1990s remember it as — one of the most difficult places to play in the SEC.

********. I have no doubt that if/when the team is winning games, the Hump will be right back to a loud and tough place to play. Who doubts that - Boner himself?

You can leave those types of comments out, if it's a real news story and not an opinion piece.

I wonder what it's like to have a beat writer that has a positive opinion of MSU? Or actually *gasp* likes the team he's writing about? I make fun of OM-friendly articles out of the C/L all the time, but it would be fun to try that out. I don't think we've ever had one. Guess I should be used to it by now.

 

[Cow College]

Not to mention we are looking at going to the game next week, 4 hours each way, and tickets are $50 a piece to sit in an empty stadium. To hell with that. I got a 65" UHD 4K calling my name

 

[patdog]

Bonner was OK for a pretty good while, but in the last year or so, he's been either too much influenced by his boss or trying to please his boss. I would have been a lot more disappointed he was leaving a year ago than I am today. Doubt his replacement will be an upgrade though.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

thanks for your support.

 

[DawgsOnTheWing]

I am optimistic about Howland and the team, and would love to make as many games as I could. 2.5+ hours one way on week nights is difficult for me, particularly with so many games at 800pm. Agree about the folks in the GTR region, I would sure be going if I lived in that area.

 

[missouridawg]

Here are facts:

There are nearly 20,000 students on campus. The population of the GTR area is more than 60,000, with most of that in Columbus and Starkville alone. Widen the net to include Tupelo (45 minutes from campus), and that's more than 100,000 people.

I understand the argument for it being a long commute to campus. But there needs to be more enthusiasm from the students on campus, and more energy from the community. People who have season tickets but can't make a commute need an easy way to get their tickets into the hands of someone local who would like to go.

It's not crazy to expect 8,000 fans to hit the hump every time the ball is tossed.

While you're on the facts, how many student tickets are available? It ain't 6000. They have to figure it a way to give purchased season tickets to people who are going to use them in the GTR area. You cannot expect people to drive from Jackson or Tupelo on week nights to make the games.

 

[Maroon90]

Templeton's comment about the NCAA rule change re: students being seated behind the visitors' bench being influenced by crowd noise at the Hump is complete nonsense. I cannot remember a time in the last 30 years when the students were seated anywhere near the visitor's bench area at the Hump. We all know why the student section was relocated, and it wasn't because Kentucky couldn't hear during a timeout.

 

[Drebin]

Well, I said that.

Also, students aren't SOL if they can't get a student ticket. There are other means available.

 

[ronpolk]

The only thing I didn't like about the article was the fact that the article made it seem like this has been a problem since the 80s with the exception of the mid 90s. I think it glossed over the fact that the hump was routinely packed during SEC games for most of Stans tenure. The hump was a great venue from about 2000 - 2010. I remember Florida players saying it was the loudest place they ever played in.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Templeton's comment about the NCAA rule change re: students being seated behind the visitors' bench being influenced by crowd noise at the Hump is complete nonsense. I cannot remember a time in the last 30 years when the students were seated anywhere near the visitor's bench area at the Hump. We all know why the student section was relocated, and it wasn't because Kentucky couldn't hear during a timeout.

He has to be talking about something that happened prior to the mid 80s. That's when I started going to games and by then the students were located where they used to be, from roughly free throw line on one end to behind the basket on the other end, upper and lower.

 

[FlotownDawg]

If the students can't sit behind the benches, then why not move the benches to the other side of the court so the students can be on the side of the arena the television cameras show? It looks terrible to see a bunch of empty seats right behind the benches because that is season ticket holders that don't show up to games. And those are the seats that get on tv the most. If we moved the benches to the other side of the court and put the students in the lower section from baseline to baseline on the opposite side, the seats that are shown the most on tv would be full of excited students and give a whole lot better perception.

 

[Shamoan]

Scott....errr, John, you wanna fix the problem? Move the students back to their old spot. Energy will improve and the whole atmosphere will change. I was at state when students were being turned away because of demand. IMO, the problem began when we got greedy and we did something that made financial sense, but lacked common sense and things were never the same.&

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Here here! That's an SPS Magazine for you 'Moan.

 

[KurtRambis4]

You hit the

nail on the head.

With the population of the GTR, it's absolutely pathetic and absurd that there aren't a minimum of 8000 folks per game (actual).

I fully get the folks that are 2+ hours away (one way). I'm one of them. It's an absolute ***** going to midweek games. I'm practically relegated to only weekend games. This makes virtually 75% of my SEC season tickets unusable, by me.

As Hank stated, too, it's 17ing time for those of us that routinely can show up (which has to be north of 8,000 people), to start supporting the team. We're not talking about some Rick Ray bs where nobody even knows how to beat a press. We're not talking about some cheese-dick players that will never have much hope to play past college. These players that we have, currently, are 4* players. We're bringing in an even more ridiculous class next year. We're getting better. If you wait until we're winning 20+ games, then you're nothing more than a bandwagon fan and a joke, IMO.

 

[Junction John]

Totally agree, but it's going to be difficult to go back and move those

Scott....errr, John, you wanna fix the problem? Move the students back to their old spot. Energy will improve and the whole atmosphere will change. I was at state when students were being turned away because of demand. IMO, the problem began when we got greedy and we did something that made financial sense, but lacked common sense and things were never the same.&

beneficiaries of the 'financial sense' move. Imagine the response of some rich old guy who just committed a large sum of money and got moved down to some better seats -- he's going to be pissed when you tell him to move back. The sad part is, they are some of the ones who hardly make any of the games, and then when they do, they want to sit on their hands the whole time. Bad idea from the start.

I want us to do it, but it won't be an easy move for Cohen.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

This did not happen in baseball, even though Bonner said it did. I was there from 2009-2011. Fans did not come out until we started winning. Not saying you aren't correct, just pointing that out. In that vein, I still think we can do better for attendance in baseball, but that's a topic for another day.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

The students are the answer. They have to come out. If they don't, the atmosphere will be dead. They live on campus and in town, 20 something thousand of them. Nothing can be done about the season ticket holders unless NE MS sees a population boom, but students should show up. For preseason games, I have advocated for playing in arenas around the state, in metro areas, during the time that students are not in school in December, in order to get some crowds. Either way, you can't expect those games to be rocking.

 

[mstateglfr]

While you're on the facts, how many student tickets are available? It ain't 6000. They have to figure it a way to give purchased season tickets to people who are going to use them in the GTR area. You cannot expect people to drive from Jackson or Tupelo on week nights to make the games.

Iowa State pulled in over 14000 fans per game last season. They were good last season and multiple seasons prior, but even in their under .500 years in 07-09, they averaged 12500-13500 fans per game.
Iowa and Mississippi are extremely close in total population as well as both largely being rural agricultural states. Des Moines is closer to Iowa State than any large city is to Starkville, so there is that.
But still- there are 1.71 million people within 75mi of Iowa State. There are 1.48 million people within 75mi of Starkville. That, again, is pretty similar and the distance is very reasonable for travel for a basketball game.


Iowa State's dark years where they were under .500 were also years where they averaged 13000 fans per game and pulled from a population radius similar to Mississippi State's.


Perhaps its more than just MSU being in a rural area or not being great right now. Perhaps people just dont give enough of a 17 about basketball to care unless MSU isnt just good, but really damn solid good.

 

[esplanade91]

MSU's marketing department is not good. $1 night, chicken and waffle night, or pizza night aren't going to help bring in students or townees (they actually just defer money from something that could actually help), and Leah Beasley ad-lib emceeing a halftime contest between an unorganized non-basketball related contest between two random SHS students is not good entertainment. I watch the games and the only music I hear during the timeouts is "Ain't No Mountain High" and Jackson 5. Each game. Throw in the product on the court, seating chart, and strength of schedule, and it's just a recipe for disaster.

If you factor in donations, Mississippi State's baseball program is probably the only one in the NCAA that doesn't end up costing the university at the end of each season. With that luxury I think we have some leeway for at least a year or two of not having to charge for OOC games for basketball (for anyone, not just students... ACTIVELY recruit people unaffiliated with the university in the GTR, especially high school students) and going back to pre-2013 in-venue production and marketing. I find it hard to believe that Learfield somehow can't sell a halftime contest anymore or convince one of their student interns to become an on-court personality WITH talking points.

Just ctrl c everything Clemson does and then ctrl v. They're the industry standard for college marketing, and their town is no bigger than Starkville.

 

[Hoover Dawg]

These are some good ideas. I disagree with most of your points but you seem to have your finger on the correct pulse here.

 

[Dawgs'n'Grizz]

This is a good point. It would seem that there are so many empty seats on each side that a good number of people could be moved to the other side with the same general distance from the court. Just give priority to the people who have used a majority of their tickets.

 

[Junction John]

Let me know when you can't go -- I'll take those tix*

I fully get the folks that are 2+ hours away (one way). I'm one of them. It's an absolute ***** going to midweek games. I'm practically relegated to only weekend games. This makes virtually 75% of my SEC season tickets unusable, by me.

We need a good ticket trader app or something.

 

[Lakedawg]

We need a good ticket trader app or something.

I was reading the ED version (I was bored) of this topic and almost registered just to make one reply. A trading app is a good idea and if implemented properly, could help. But some genius over on ED is spewing the idea, almost religiously, that an app or text message system should be used to report if you aren't gonna attend and must be reported at least 24 hours before tipoff so the tickets could be resold. Fine - whatever. But where he went off the tracks is that he said there should be a penalty if you fail to do this 5 times in one season. That penalty would be the loss of your season tickets for the next year.

Okay. If I'm a donor (big or small) and forget to tell you I'm not gonna make it 5 times (or 1 time for that matter) and you revoke my tickets? That's idiotic. If they want to encourage the use of such an app and end at encouragement, I'm all in. But if they are penalizing people, that definitely a way to estrange the basketball program. I'd lose my ****. I forget to text my wife back during a busy day and I can guarantee you she is more important than the damn basketball box office.

Rant over.

Sorry. Carry on.