The Biggest Problem with UNC Basketball

[albionmoonlight]

http://www.fof-ihof.com/upload/albionmoonlight/unc_crowd.jpg

I understand that all of those bored grandmas and grandpas sitting in the prime seats paid for the new Dean Dome. And I understand that, as a result of their deep pockets, they were given a stranglehold on the best seats in the house.

But damn if that does not just suck the life out of the stadium. The only ticketholders who get to sit within 100 rows of the floor are people who personally remember the Nixon administration.

Not the atmosphere that you want for college sports.

[wade moore]

You should see a William and Mary Basketball game.

It's not a location issue, it's a % issue. I'd say that my fiancee and I are likely the youngest season ticket holders - by 20+ years. I'd say the average age of season ticket holders is about 60-65.

And that's with a relatively low student turnout, so it stands out even more.

[Butter]

University of Dayton has the same problem. It's rare to get a crowd much into a game, just because Mamaw and Papaw have strangleholds on all the good seats. They draw 12,000 a game, but at least 9k of them sit on their hands the majority of the game. It gets old.

[wade moore]

http://www.tribeathletics.com/files/mbb/2007/wagner/images/bench%2806wagnerRT%290767.jpg

I will say that our old folks are surprisingly roudy though...

But we also only draw probably.. idano.. 3-4k a game...

Edit: Ouch.. just under 2k in 2004.

[Pumpy Tudors]

At least people attend your teams' games. :(

[wade moore]

At least people attend your teams' games. :(

If you're referring to UNO, their attendance is only about 100 less per game than W&M :(...

[JonInMiddleGA]

Not the atmosphere that you want for college sports.

I dunno if that's an entirely fair indictment, and I'll tell you why.

I went to the UGA-Stanford women's game on Sunday. The box score says there were 6,742 in attendance, but if that's true then a lot of them were dressed as empty seats. I'd guess the actual was closer to 4k-5k.

In any event, I was definitely on the young end of the crowd. There were probably as many retirees there as there were young kids, I'd guess 60+ was at least 1/3rd of the fans, 40+ would have been well over half.

And yet with the building only about half full, when Stanford made their run in the final 2 minutes & Georgia answered, the building was loud enough that you couldn't hear the person next to you talk without getting in their ear. Sure, I've been in louder buildings but there was more than enough noise & energy to qualify as a "good college sports atmosphere." And that was for a women's game on a Sunday afternoon in November.

I guess my point is that I'm not sure that the age of the crowd is necessarily the problem. Maybe it's more about, I don't know, the personalities of the AARP ticket holders in some places or something. But I can attest that they don't really seem to be a problem everywhere (in spite of how loathe I am to give any credit for just about anything at UGAg).

[Pumpy Tudors]

If you're referring to UNO, their attendance is only about 100 less per game than W&M :(...
Yep, I meant UNO. I just find it alarming that a school with over 17000 students can't even draw 2000 people to a basketball game. Having lived in New Orleans for so long and being a student at UNO, I guess I understand the various reasons for it. It's still kinda sad to me, though.

On the bright side, if I remember correctly, a good chunk of the attendees were students (or at least around the age of a college student), so it wasn't that bad. UNO baseball, on the other hand, was a completely different story. The average attendance was 299, and I believe the average age of a ticket holder was about the same.

[wade moore]

Yep, I meant UNO. I just find it alarming that a school with over 17000 students can't even draw 2000 people to a basketball game. Having lived in New Orleans for so long and being a student at UNO, I guess I understand the various reasons for it. It's still kinda sad to me, though.

On the bright side, if I remember correctly, a good chunk of the attendees were students (or at least around the age of a college student), so it wasn't that bad. UNO baseball, on the other hand, was a completely different story. The average attendance was 299, and I believe the average age of a ticket holder was about the same.

Well, W&M has a student body of about 5000 in a town that even if youc ount the surroudning area is about 50k ;)...

[Pumpy Tudors]

Well, W&M has a student body of about 5000 in a town that even if youc ount the surroudning area is about 50k ;)...
See, it's not that bad. :)

UNO basketball drew fewer fans than PRAIRIE VIEW. PRAIRIE VIEW!!!

[albionmoonlight]

I dunno if that's an entirely fair indictment, and I'll tell you why.

I went to the UGA-Stanford women's game on Sunday. The box score says there were 6,742 in attendance, but if that's true then a lot of them were dressed as empty seats. I'd guess the actual was closer to 4k-5k.

In any event, I was definitely on the young end of the crowd. There were probably as many retirees there as there were young kids, I'd guess 60+ was at least 1/3rd of the fans, 40+ would have been well over half.

And yet with the building only about half full, when Stanford made their run in the final 2 minutes & Georgia answered, the building was loud enough that you couldn't hear the person next to you talk without getting in their ear. Sure, I've been in louder buildings but there was more than enough noise & energy to qualify as a "good college sports atmosphere." And that was for a women's game on a Sunday afternoon in November.

I guess my point is that I'm not sure that the age of the crowd is necessarily the problem. Maybe it's more about, I don't know, the personalities of the AARP ticket holders in some places or something. But I can attest that they don't really seem to be a problem everywhere (in spite of how loathe I am to give any credit for just about anything at UGAg).

Fair enough. It was a bit generalist of me to assume that all older people aren't rowdy/energetic.

But, as I think the picture above demonstrates, the older crowd that attends UNC Basketball games is definitely more of the wine and cheese variety. So maybe it's not that they are old; it's that they all look like they would rather be watching Walker, Texas Ranger than be at a college baskteball game.

[wade moore]

Fair enough. It was a bit generalist of me to assume that all older people aren't rowdy/energetic.

But, as I think the picture above demonstrates, the older crowd that attends UNC Basketball games is definitely more of the wine and cheese variety. So maybe it's not that they are old; it's that they all look like they would rather be watching Walker, Texas Ranger than be at a college baskteball game.

Is Walker, Texas Ranger the new Matlock?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Is Walker, Texas Ranger the new Matlock?

Based on the viewing patterns of my in-laws & my parents, I think Law & Order on TNT is the new Matlock.

[Wolfpack]

Fair enough. It was a bit generalist of me to assume that all older people aren't rowdy/energetic.

But, as I think the picture above demonstrates, the older crowd that attends UNC Basketball games is definitely more of the wine and cheese variety. So maybe it's not that they are old; it's that they all look like they would rather be watching Walker, Texas Ranger than be at a college baskteball game.

The single best thing NC State did when they opened the RBC Center was carry over the tradition from Reynolds of having the students get all the seats right around the court. The seating is mostly temporary bleachers that get removed when the Canes play, so it pretty much guarantees much of the student section will be standing. Interestingly, the benefit of having the hockey team is the fact that the permanent seating is elevated enough over the floor that the big donors don't really have their view blocked very much by the students down on the floor.

[SnDvls]

Yep, I meant UNO. I just find it alarming that a school with over 17000 students can't even draw 2000 people to a basketball game. Having lived in New Orleans for so long and being a student at UNO, I guess I understand the various reasons for it. It's still kinda sad to me, though.

On the bright side, if I remember correctly, a good chunk of the attendees were students (or at least around the age of a college student), so it wasn't that bad. UNO baseball, on the other hand, was a completely different story. The average attendance was 299, and I believe the average age of a ticket holder was about the same.

guess you haven't seen Arizona State's attendance figures. The second largest university in the country with 65,000 plus and over 200,000 local alumni and we can't filla 65,000 football stadium or a 13,000 basketball arena.

[sterlingice]

I understand that all of those bored grandmas and grandpas sitting in the prime seats paid for the new Dean Dome. And I understand that, as a result of their deep pockets, they were given a stranglehold on the best seats in the house.

But damn if that does not just suck the life out of the stadium. The only ticketholders who get to sit within 100 rows of the floor are people who personally remember the Nixon administration.

Not the atmosphere that you want for college sports.

KU's starting to get like that, too, and it's going to get worse as they only went to a seat and money buying points system a couple of years ago when the new AD, money-focused (grubbing) Lew Perkins, came in.

SI

[Desnudo]

See, it's not that bad. :)

UNO basketball drew fewer fans than PRAIRIE VIEW. PRAIRIE VIEW!!!

There's a lot less to do in Prairie View...

[sterlingice]

There's a lot less to do in Prairie View...

http://bitrot.net/images/blog/tumbleweed.jpg

(hm... I need to find a good public domain tumbleweed pic)

SI

[cartman]

Is Walker, Texas Ranger the new Matlock?

You don't hear about any lists regarding the super-human abilities of Andy Griffith, do you?

[Wolfpack]

...is that it exists at all.
...is Stuart Scott.
...is their imaginary national championship banner for 1924.
...(tied with Duke) is Dick Vitale.

I could go on.... ;)

[SFL Cat]

guess you haven't seen Arizona State's attendance figures. The second largest university in the country with 65,000 plus and over 200,000 local alumni and we can't filla 65,000 football stadium or a 13,000 basketball arena.

It usually helps if your school is a bonafide contender in its conference. Arizona St. has been in coasting in mediocre mode for a while now.

[ntndeacon]

...is that it exists at all.
...is Stuart Scott.
...is their imaginary national championship banner for 1924.
...(tied with Duke) is Dick Vitale.

I could go on.... ;)

Agreed. can we bomb the Dean Dome....durung the UNC Duke game?