818

[proudofyosef]

17,000 students on campus and a conference game vs. Furman draws 818 people! Good gracious, Mars Hill does better than this. The student body is completely apathetic to basketball and this is not going to change. If App was 16-8 instead of 11-13, does anyone really think it would make that much of a difference? If you want to attract students to games--and that's the key in all of this--you have to have an exciting product that's different. Hockey on campus would be a happening, something students would actually look forward to attending.

[Gonzo]

If App was 16-8 instead of 11-13, does anyone really think it would make that much of a difference?

Yes.

Step one: Start winning
Step two: Get some decent programs to play us at home
Step three: Win 1-2 NCAA tournament games

then we will develop a basketball following.

[asumike83]

Our students will look forward to basketball games if the athletic department makes a commitment to the program. I love the idea of a rink in the Holmes Center and an ASU hockey team in theory, but it is not feasible.

We need to focus on improving what we've got. In my opinion, three things need to happen to do that: improve the product on the court, schedule better non-conference opponents and dedicate some money to marketing the program.

Attendance for any sport other than football that plays mid-week games will begin and end with the students. Aside from having a quality team to watch and good opponents visiting Boone, game day needs to be an event.

Work with the local bars/restaurants to do game day promotions when you show your ticket stub, put signs up around town, raffles/contests for the students in attendance or whatever else the marketing department can think of. I remember driving through campus when I came up for the Davidson game and thinking that if I was not making a trip specifically to see the game, I'd have no idea it was going on.

[proudofyosef]

If App was 16-8 instead of 11-13, does anyone really think it would make that much of a difference?

Yes.

Step one: Start winning
Step two: Get some decent programs to play us at home
Step three: Win 1-2 NCAA tournament games

then we will develop a basketball following.

The quality of the home schedule does have something to do with it. When your out of conference slate is made up mostly of area D2 schools and your "marquee opponent" is Duquesne (currently last in the A-10), you have a real problem. I am so disgusted by the administration's inattention to what is the second most important sport at App. You can even take it down to the Sports Information level, where you can never find any quotes from our coach on the site after home games. Most modern-day sports information departments offer a text of quotes from both coaches and the home players. Good luck finding that on the App site. No wonder the students are so apathetic.

[GlassOnion]

Game day promotions, student giveaways and all that stuff is like putting a bandaid on a gun shot wound at this point, and its all been done before.

The only way to build the program, is to win. The only way we win is having a great coach that does more with less, or to recruit at another level. The best way to recruit is to have tradition and gameday atmosphere, or to have a great coach guys want to play for, and to win. Its a vicious cycle for us.

The only way I see us breaking the cycle is by ponying up on a coach, that will jump start our recruiting, and wins, and thereby create a gameday atmosphere, at which point the program can sustain and build itself.

[T-Dog]

Why the hell do you care, you wanted to drop the program two days ago.

[ASUPATCH]

17,000 students on campus and a conference game vs. Furman draws 818 people! Good gracious, Mars Hill does better than this. The student body is completely apathetic to basketball and this is not going to change. If App was 16-8 instead of 11-13, does anyone really think it would make that much of a difference? If you want to attract students to games--and that's the key in all of this--you have to have an exciting product that's different. Hockey on campus would be a happening, something students would actually look forward to attending.

I have attended many men's Basketball games. I would never go to a hockey match. Never been to and NHL match. Its a Canadian/European sport not and American one. How many times have we won gold in Olympic Ice Hockey since the Miracle? Travel/Equipment expenses would go way up and its more schollys. NOOOOOOOOO HOCKEY. Look back to 2006-2007 we were doing a pretty good job putting butts in the seats. This isn't a long term issue. Just need to win. Getting a better home schedule (new conference) would also help.

[appgrouch]

17,000 students on campus and a conference game vs. Furman draws 818 people! Good gracious, Mars Hill does better than this. The student body is completely apathetic to basketball and this is not going to change. If App was 16-8 instead of 11-13, does anyone really think it would make that much of a difference? If you want to attract students to games--and that's the key in all of this--you have to have an exciting product that's different. Hockey on campus would be a happening, something students would actually look forward to attending.

If you are willing to defund any other projects, cancel at least one other mens sport and delay the move to FBS, then you can make your points. If not stop being a hockey nutt and give us something constructive.

[asumike83]

Game day promotions, student giveaways and all that stuff is like putting a bandaid on a gun shot wound at this point, and its all been done before.

Maybe so, but we're just letting the wound bleed out right now. A sign or two around Boone and promotions with local businesses would at least let us know Cobb's aware that we do actually play basketball at Appalachian.

This year is pretty much a lost cause in terms of fan support/marketing but with a top 4-5 finish this season and the incoming class we've got for 2013-2014, we may actually have some preseason expectations. It'd be nice if we bothered to tell a few people.

Plus, having a program that is marketed to the students and local community couldn't hurt our cause in finding a good coach who wants to work here. This job is not the easiest sell.

[GlassOnion]

I just see it as wasting resources, throwing good money after bad. The commitment we need is in the program, not the community. The community will come when the progam deserves it.

If you keep advertising, and trying to sell the current program to the community without some hope of improvement, it wont take long for the community to become immune to the advertisements and roll their eyes. Pride and entertainment can be advertised with effect, not mediocrity.

[asumike83]

I just see it as wasting resources, throwing good money after bad. The commitment we need is in the program, not the community. The community will come when the progam deserves it.

If you keep advertising, and trying to sell the current program to the community without some hope of improvement, it wont take long for the community to become immune to the advertisements and roll their eyes. Pride and entertainment can be advertised with effect, not mediocrity.

I can see your point and it is a valid one, in terms of putting the cart before the horse. It is certainly much easier to market a winner.

It is a real Catch 22. Hard to sell all the fans on showing up without a good product on the floor. Just as hard to get good coaches and players to come here with 1,000 people in the stands.

My hope is that the highly regarded 2013 class will give the team some preseason hype and our marketing department capitalizes on it. Of course, any increase in support will be short-lived if the team does not measure up to the hype.

[IGgreer]

Would have been 819 if Cobb showed up...

[cbarrier90]

What I've learned from the every other athletic program here: Boy, do we take those crowds at KBS for granted...

I'm curious. How many people who post in these threads actually attend games?

[GlassOnion]

I just see it as wasting resources, throwing good money after bad. The commitment we need is in the program, not the community. The community will come when the progam deserves it.

If you keep advertising, and trying to sell the current program to the community without some hope of improvement, it wont take long for the community to become immune to the advertisements and roll their eyes. Pride and entertainment can be advertised with effect, not mediocrity.

I can see your point and it is a valid one, in terms of putting the cart before the horse. It is certainly much easier to market a winner.

It is a real Catch 22. Hard to sell all the fans on showing up without a good product on the floor. Just as hard to get good coaches and players to come here with 1,000 people in the stands.

My hope is that the highly regarded 2013 class will give the team some preseason hype and our marketing department capitalizes on it. Of course, any increase in support will be short-lived if the team does not measure up to the hype.

I agree. Its a cycle that must be broken at some point in the circle. If we could get 5,000 people to show up regularly, by advertising, I'd be all goes on the plan, but its not going to happen. The only thing I can think of is sinking a high $ amount on a really good staff. I think we have a better chance of enticing a good coach in to build a program than we do by "gameday atmosphering" our way out of the problem. When we've made a big move on the program, then is a time for a massive local push. If we're serious about succeeding in Bball, its going to take serious investment and bold moves. The locals and students have seen all the gimmicks before, and we surely dont want to be the Ga State of basketball, dropping some BS "vouchers" from the rafters at halftime.

[Gonzo]

What I've learned from the every other athletic program here: Boy, do we take those crowds at KBS for granted...

I'm curious. How many people who post in these threads actually attend games?

Last night was the first home game I've missed all season.

[T-Dog]

Would have been 819 if Cobb showed up...

Except that he was there. He was near the men's entrance.

[GlassOnion]

Would have been 819 if Cobb showed up...

Except that he was there. He was near the men's entrance.

Well d****t, he should have showed up twice, everyone knows 820 is better than 818.

[AppinVA]

Would have been 819 if Cobb showed up...

Except that he was there. He was near the men's entrance.

Maybe Cobb wasn't wearing his makeup, which confused IGG.

[appgrouch]

What I've learned from the every other athletic program here: Boy, do we take those crowds at KBS for granted...

I'm curious. How many people who post in these threads actually attend games?

I have not missed a home game in about 6-7 years.

[asumike83]

I agree. Its a cycle that must be broken at some point in the circle. If we could get 5,000 people to show up regularly, by advertising, I'd be all goes on the plan, but its not going to happen. The only thing I can think of is sinking a high $ amount on a really good staff. I think we have a better chance of enticing a good coach in to build a program than we do by "gameday atmosphering" our way out of the problem. When we've made a big move on the program, then is a time for a massive local push. If we're serious about succeeding in Bball, its going to take serious investment and bold moves. The locals and students have seen all the gimmicks before, and we surely dont want to be the Ga State of basketball, dropping some BS "vouchers" from the rafters at halftime.

Ha, very true. I was thinking more along the lines of partnering with all the bars right there across the street from the HCC. Get them to run some sort of promotion, using the game ticket as a voucher in hopes of getting a pregame/postgame party scene as a sort of tailgating for basketball. Who knows if it would do any good but that's one thing that came to mind.

We did a great job of increasing our football attendance by enhancing the gameday experience, although we already had a quality product in place. At some point, we are going to have to pony up the cash for an experienced staff, especially if an FBS move is in the works. If we were in the Sun Belt this season for example, we'd probably be looking at 1-4 wins in conference play.