Herd game update - Thursday

[AppSt94]

Our fund raising has fallen into the ESPN trap! It is very important to have “Stars” or wealthy donors but it is More important to have lots of Jimmy’s and Joe’s. We should have a concentrated membership drive that includes using existing members to recruit. If half of Yosef would recruit 1 new member we could increase membership by 1500. Then make it an annual thing. Incentives could be used to ramp up participation!

We have literally tried this approach for at least a couple of years now. Nothing new. As for the incentives to join, that is a slippery slope. We already have incentives. What are you suggesting?

[Rekdiver]

Our fund raising has fallen into the ESPN trap! It is very important to have “Stars” or wealthy donors but it is More important to have lots of Jimmy’s and Joe’s. We should have a concentrated membership drive that includes using existing members to recruit. If half of Yosef would recruit 1 new member we could increase membership by 1500. Then make it an annual thing. Incentives could be used to ramp up participation!

We have literally tried this approach for at least a couple of years now. Nothing new. As for the incentives to join, that is a slippery slope. We already have incentives. What are you suggesting?

Here is a novel incentive: Better funded Athletics so we can put a cap on student fees. What the hell kinda incentive you want? Everybody wants something until it’s time to pony up. The problem is many think their $10 wont matter but they will buy $ 50 worth of Girl Scout Cookies or a $5.00 Latte at Starbucks

[AppStateNews]

Our fund raising has fallen into the ESPN trap! It is very important to have “Stars” or wealthy donors but it is More important to have lots of Jimmy’s and Joe’s. We should have a concentrated membership drive that includes using existing members to recruit. If half of Yosef would recruit 1 new member we could increase membership by 1500. Then make it an annual thing. Incentives could be used to ramp up participation!

We have literally tried this approach for at least a couple of years now. Nothing new. As for the incentives to join, that is a slippery slope. We already have incentives. What are you suggesting?

Here is a novel incentive: Better funded Athletics so we can put a cap on student fees. What the hell kinda incentive you want? Everybody wants something until it’s time to pony up. The problem is many think their $10 wont matter but they will buy $ 50 worth of Girl Scout Cookies or a $5.00 Latte at Starbucks

Exactly this! If just half of the non-donating living alumni gave $10 a month, we would TRIPLE our current Yosef Club money. TRIPLE!

Give up that mediocre coffee twice a month, or those two beers at the bar, or that one crappy fast food burger and fries, etc. and donate to YOSEF!

[Stonewall]

Playing on TV is no doubt good for recruiting.Playing on TV Saturday afternoon is good for recruiting and a loyal fan base, game revenues and the local economy. Playing Marsha on Saturday would push attendance toward 30,000.The hit financially on the gate receipts and stadium sales , along with the fan base and local economy will be substantial .Ive yet to see it quantified that we will net positive.

[Appmountaineers19]

Our fund raising has fallen into the ESPN trap! It is very important to have “Stars” or wealthy donors but it is More important to have lots of Jimmy’s and Joe’s. We should have a concentrated membership drive that includes using existing members to recruit. If half of Yosef would recruit 1 new member we could increase membership by 1500. Then make it an annual thing. Incentives could be used to ramp up participation!

We have literally tried this approach for at least a couple of years now. Nothing new. As for the incentives to join, that is a slippery slope. We already have incentives. What are you suggesting?

Here is a novel incentive: Better funded Athletics so we can put a cap on student fees. What the hell kinda incentive you want? Everybody wants something until it’s time to pony up. The problem is many think their $10 wont matter but they will buy $ 50 worth of Girl Scout Cookies or a $5.00 Latte at Starbucks

Exactly this! If just half of the non-donating living alumni gave $10 a month, we would TRIPLE our current Yosef Club money. TRIPLE!

Give up that mediocre coffee twice a month, or those two beers at the bar, or that one crappy fast food burger and fries, etc. and donate to YOSEF!

Just doing a quick look. (I know these are larger schools with more money FLA and FLA ST) I found their booster clubs had over 12,000 and 17,000 members respectfully. With min. donation being 70$ and pretty much the same incentives ( parking, ticket levels, etc...) Again I understand why they have to play on a weekday, I particularly don't like it but understand. I don't want to use the wrong words but other than this forum and 247 the following/interest to have APP in all sports advancing to another level doesn't seem to be there (if there was I would like to think there would be more members). It seems that this kind of conversation will continue down the road with us debating and spinning our wheels.

[AppStateNews]

Just doing a quick look. (I know these are larger schools with more money FLA and FLA ST) I found their booster clubs had over 12,000 and 17,000 members respectfully. With min. donation being 70$ and pretty much the same incentives ( parking, ticket levels, etc...) Again I understand why they have to play on a weekday, I particularly don't like it but understand. I don't want to use the wrong words but other than this forum and 247 the following/interest to have APP in all sports advancing to another level doesn't seem to be there (if there was I would like to think there would be more members). It seems that this kind of conversation will continue down the road with us debating and spinning our wheels.

I think a large reason for that is because until recently, there hasn't been a big push by Yosef to get the lower donations (still not a great push, IMO). Most people think Yosef Club membership is only for wealthy people -- simply not the case. Heck, I've been one since I graduated and I'm certainly not wealthy. The thing about that though is I had to do research to find the donation levels. Nobody reached out to me, it wasn't marketed to me, etc.

They have made it so $100 a year gives you parking benefits this year. Hopefully that promotes more interest. The best thing we can do is tell your non-donating App alum friends about the $10 a month being advantageous for App.

Heck, right now, there are 550 users online on this board. If each one got one person to give $10 a month, that's an additional $66,000 a year! That just with this board! The interest is there. We just have to do a better job as members to promote the membership. I get that's what the Yosef Club should be doing. Simply put, they don't have the man power to do it -- and can't afford it. Yosef Club employees are already working 60+ hours a week with little salary to just get by. It's up to us to help generate that interest, get more money, Yosef Club can hire more employees to market (from the example on this board alone, that's easily one marketing employee covered), etc.

Instead of complaining about Yosef Club membership, WE as members have to do something to help!

[pop5app]

Our fund raising has fallen into the ESPN trap! It is very important to have “Stars” or wealthy donors but it is More important to have lots of Jimmy’s and Joe’s. We should have a concentrated membership drive that includes using existing members to recruit. If half of Yosef would recruit 1 new member we could increase membership by 1500. Then make it an annual thing. Incentives could be used to ramp up participation!

We have literally tried this approach for at least a couple of years now. Nothing new. As for the incentives to join, that is a slippery slope. We already have incentives. What are you suggesting?

I guess I’ve missed these membership drives. Been a Yosef member since 1975 and I do remember this approach in the ‘80’s and as I recall it was fairly successful. I also remember we raffled a Van ( still see it at some games) don’t know how successful that program was. As I recall that was also in the late ‘80’s. Since then I don’t recall any REAL attempt to increase numbers. As far as incentives, I’m suggesting fun/good ASU stuff that we’d like to have but might not buy on a whim. All I’m saying is let’s don’t continue “status-quo” but think outside the “APP box”. Not suggesting incentives to join but incentives to do the work to recruit new members! Let’s don’t lay out the reasons we CAN’T do.. but let’s find ways of DOING.

[WVAPPeer]

I will add this - firstly, I don't believe anyone has suggested we lose more or move back - that is so tired !!!
Secondly, you guys just need to keep in mind that being able to attend one game a season or six, there will be a day when just making it to one game will be a joy. A few of us already realize this - not missing a game for maybe 15 years and now only 2 games in the last 5 years, I will be a happy man to see another game in KBS, whenever that might be ---

[AppYosef!]

It sounds great to say that TV games on ESPN (or another network) are a boost to our fan base and recruiting but in recent years that impact may have diminished. The program is VERY well known across the nation now, especially in the southeastern US where the recruiting base is. I would love for ASU's players to get the FULL experience of playing at "The Rock" in front of 30,000+ fans on a regular basis instead of only once or twice a year. They work extremely hard and they deserve to have that experience. For years ASU built a reputation for having a stadium packed with loud and supportive fans. Now the ESPN's of the world come to town on a mid-week night and they only see a mere portion of what they would see on a Saturday. As a fan who has attended regularly since the mid 1980s it is a shame to see the empty seats all over the stadium for a mid-week game. Most fans I know were very exited to have the "Herd" coming to Boone on a Saturday and now much of that excitement has faded. Attendance may well have been over 30,000 for the Marshall game but now will probably be closer to 15,000 and that is a tragedy for the university, the towns of Boone & Blowing Rock, the players, the students, and the fans.

[Black Saturday]

Very disappointing and getting to the absurd level on the amount of mid week games we have this year. Beginning to feel like the MAC and we have all seen what it has done to their attendance. I was hoping to get up to Boone to see this game, but now I need to pick and choose which mid week game I prefer to watch in person since I just can't take off for 3 of them. The only non holiday weekend Saturday games at the Rock this year are against no frill teams (Elon, ULM, USA) and the final one against Southern is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and everyone knows how poorly attendance is at that time slot. There really is no need to ever expand our stadium if we are going to keep putting our biggest games for attendance on dates and times that will severely limit our attendance. Really frustrated over this one.

That is a monster with several ugly heads.

[bcoach]

Our fund raising has fallen into the ESPN trap! It is very important to have “Stars” or wealthy donors but it is More important to have lots of Jimmy’s and Joe’s. We should have a concentrated membership drive that includes using existing members to recruit. If half of Yosef would recruit 1 new member we could increase membership by 1500. Then make it an annual thing. Incentives could be used to ramp up participation!

We have literally tried this approach for at least a couple of years now. Nothing new. As for the incentives to join, that is a slippery slope. We already have incentives. What are you suggesting?

Here is a novel incentive: Better funded Athletics so we can put a cap on student fees. What the hell kinda incentive you want? Everybody wants something until it’s time to pony up. The problem is many think their $10 wont matter but they will buy $ 50 worth of Girl Scout Cookies or a $5.00 Latte at Starbucks

They will never cap student fees. It is free money.

[mike87]

Our fund raising has fallen into the ESPN trap! It is very important to have “Stars” or wealthy donors but it is More important to have lots of Jimmy’s and Joe’s. We should have a concentrated membership drive that includes using existing members to recruit. If half of Yosef would recruit 1 new member we could increase membership by 1500. Then make it an annual thing. Incentives could be used to ramp up participation!

We have literally tried this approach for at least a couple of years now. Nothing new. As for the incentives to join, that is a slippery slope. We already have incentives. What are you suggesting?

Here is a novel incentive: Better funded Athletics so we can put a cap on student fees. What the hell kinda incentive you want? Everybody wants something until it’s time to pony up. The problem is many think their $10 wont matter but they will buy $ 50 worth of Girl Scout Cookies or a $5.00 Latte at Starbucks

Easy on the Girl Scout cookies.

[AppSt94]

Are we hitting the NASCAR conundrum? In the late 90's and early 00's, NASCAR had an opportunity to grow the brand and started making decisions to enter new geographies and to chase the casual sports fan. These changes adversely affected many in their loyal Southeastern traditional fan base. It worked in the short term, but the long term effect sees the sport in decline, tracks removing seats and some of the "new" geographies being abandoned.

September and October Saturdays are special. In my mind, nothing beats a Saturday tailgate on the mountain followed by an afternoon game in a packed Kidd Brewer Stadium. This year, we get to play at BOA (I've never been a fan of playing a college game in an NFL stadium), plus have a Thursday home game against Marshall and a Wednesday home game against Coastal (Both of these games would have been BIG Saturday Crowds)

Our Saturday Home Games in September are Elon on Sept. 18th and ULM on October 30 (almost November). An FCS game and an almost FCS game.

After a year with minimal fans, 2021 is the first season for many to experience the "new" Rock. To see the new configuration, to see the new turf for the first time, etc.

Looking back to 2007 (after opening at Michigan),
HOME September 8--Lenoir-Rhyne 28,802
HOME September 15--Northern Arizona 27,104
HOME--October 6--Gardner-Webb 27,428
HOME-October 20--Georgia Southern (Black Saturday) 28,202

We are hosting much better opponents, but we are getting half the quality Home Saturdays as a fanbase.

The National exposure is great. Our Brand is recognized. We have a top G5 program. But, is the scheduling a detriment?

Is it scheduling or accessibility? I agree that the lack of true local foes and familiar rivals does affect the size of the gate. However, given that all games are available on some sort of media outlet, could this be a bigger root cause? I mean you can watch every game played at the Rock on TV for the price of a single game ticket. That is a huge cost benefit for the casual fan.

This isn’t directed solely at you, but a general question about mini season packets. Less say the Ticket Office offered a mini package composed of three games each. For sake of argument, let’s say the packages are the following: 1) Marshall, USA and ULM (Homecoming), 2) Elon, Coastal, and Georgia Southern. Both decent options when the opponents are presented, but what happens when you buy a packet and the attractive games get moved to a weeknight and you can’t go? Say Southern gets moved to Friday night after Thanksgiving. That’s two non-Saturday games and a FCS opponent. How does the AD and ticket office handle the process of providing a quality customer service experience for those with buyers remorse?

[mike87]

I'd argue that the value of a Saturday game at The Rock is so much higher than being able to watch it on TV that there's no way to compare cost. If all I'd had for the past 20 years was the ability to watch on TV, the incentive to contribute like I do likely wouldn't be there. I agree with 93, this pushing all the premier games away from Home, and away from Saturdays, will come back to bite us. It's short sighted on the part of athletics. They actually set pretty good schedules balancing the home/away and they should fight like hell not to change them.

[AppSt94]

I'd argue that the value of a Saturday game at The Rock is so much higher than being able to watch it on TV that there's no way to compare cost. If all I'd had for the past 20 years was the ability to watch on TV, the incentive to contribute like I do likely wouldn't be there. I agree with 93, this pushing all the premier games away from Home, and away from Saturdays, will come back to bite us. It's short sighted on the part of athletics. They actually set pretty good schedules balancing the home/away and they should fight like hell not to change them.

I don’t know that the administration is pushing games out to fan unfriendly scenarios is all their doing or even desired on their part. If you recall, ECU was slated for Saturday night before the Charlotte folks moved it to make room for Clempsun/Gawga. As for the weeknight games, there are contracts that have to be filled with weekday games. I do understand the frustration. I just don’t know how to avoid these issues aside from being a mediocre team and thus, becoming an unappealing ticket for TV.

[yosef95]

I agree with Mike's comments. This isnt 1980. Every game is on tv in some form. Espn, EspnU, Espn2, internet options. Nothing can replace the magic for recruits, fans (season ticket holders too), students, and FOR THE PLAYERS. Keep all the Sat home games you can.

[mike87]

I'd argue that the value of a Saturday game at The Rock is so much higher than being able to watch it on TV that there's no way to compare cost. If all I'd had for the past 20 years was the ability to watch on TV, the incentive to contribute like I do likely wouldn't be there. I agree with 93, this pushing all the premier games away from Home, and away from Saturdays, will come back to bite us. It's short sighted on the part of athletics. They actually set pretty good schedules balancing the home/away and they should fight like hell not to change them.

I don’t know that the administration is pushing games out to fan unfriendly scenarios is all their doing or even desired on their part. If you recall, ECU was slated for Saturday night before the Charlotte folks moved it to make room for Clempsun/Gawga. As for the weeknight games, there are contracts that have to be filled with weekday games. I do understand the frustration. I just don’t know how to avoid these issues aside from being a mediocre team and thus, becoming an unappealing ticket for TV.

Not saying it's intentional at all. Our schedule as it was set for this year was pretty fan friendly. We got pushed into changing the ECU game, which is understandable since it's not at our house despite being "home", then we accepted the change for Marshall. Not changing Marshall could have been a revenue give in the short term but it would have greatly improved the fall schedule. Keeping me in the give mood and maybe encouraging more. (I'm not threatening not to give but point is the same)

[AppSt94]

I'd argue that the value of a Saturday game at The Rock is so much higher than being able to watch it on TV that there's no way to compare cost. If all I'd had for the past 20 years was the ability to watch on TV, the incentive to contribute like I do likely wouldn't be there. I agree with 93, this pushing all the premier games away from Home, and away from Saturdays, will come back to bite us. It's short sighted on the part of athletics. They actually set pretty good schedules balancing the home/away and they should fight like hell not to change them.

I don’t know that the administration is pushing games out to fan unfriendly scenarios is all their doing or even desired on their part. If you recall, ECU was slated for Saturday night before the Charlotte folks moved it to make room for Clempsun/Gawga. As for the weeknight games, there are contracts that have to be filled with weekday games. I do understand the frustration. I just don’t know how to avoid these issues aside from being a mediocre team and thus, becoming an unappealing ticket for TV.

Not saying it's intentional at all. Our schedule as it was set for this year was pretty fan friendly. We got pushed into changing the ECU game, which is understandable since it's not at our house despite being "home", then we accepted the change for Marshall. Not changing Marshall could have been a revenue give in the short term but it would have greatly improved the fall schedule. Keeping me in the give mood and maybe encouraging more. (I'm not threatening not to give but point is the same)

I completely understand your point and sentiment. I just don’t know if we are in a position to “accept” or decline the option to move the game. I’m sure everyone on Apps side of the table agrees with you on that.

[AppStateNews]

I'd argue that the value of a Saturday game at The Rock is so much higher than being able to watch it on TV that there's no way to compare cost. If all I'd had for the past 20 years was the ability to watch on TV, the incentive to contribute like I do likely wouldn't be there. I agree with 93, this pushing all the premier games away from Home, and away from Saturdays, will come back to bite us. It's short sighted on the part of athletics. They actually set pretty good schedules balancing the home/away and they should fight like hell not to change them.

I don’t know that the administration is pushing games out to fan unfriendly scenarios is all their doing or even desired on their part. If you recall, ECU was slated for Saturday night before the Charlotte folks moved it to make room for Clempsun/Gawga. As for the weeknight games, there are contracts that have to be filled with weekday games. I do understand the frustration. I just don’t know how to avoid these issues aside from being a mediocre team and thus, becoming an unappealing ticket for TV.

Not saying it's intentional at all. Our schedule as it was set for this year was pretty fan friendly. We got pushed into changing the ECU game, which is understandable since it's not at our house despite being "home", then we accepted the change for Marshall. Not changing Marshall could have been a revenue give in the short term but it would have greatly improved the fall schedule. Keeping me in the give mood and maybe encouraging more. (I'm not threatening not to give but point is the same)

We didn't "accept" the Marshall move. In fact Gillin and company fought it. When the schedule was released, it was known the game was likely moving to Thursday. The reason it was announced as a Saturday game initially is because the administration was fighting it and hoping it didn't happen. SunBelt has contractual obligations for number of games in ESPN. There is only so much an athletic department can do. But trust me, they tried.

[huskie3]

So you are saying the sun belt office dictates our ooc games