Year 4

[talhadfoursteals]

Coach is: 56-64 in DI games. He is above .500 in conference games, with a 38-34 record. Yet, has never finished above 3rd (first year). Weber is the sixth seed in this season's conference tournament. Home attendance took a total dive this season, which will affect sponsorships in the future and I'm sure donor support is at a low. Season tickets are down, student support down, and Wildcat Club membership down. I don't even know if there is a Round Ball Club anymore. If there is, I'm sure it isn't highly attended. Weber State Basketball is not a .500 program. That is mediocrity at its best. We should not be fine with a 4th place finish or even a 3rd place finish. We should be competing for the conference crown every year. Weber should be on par with USU, not UTU.

 

[oldrunner]

I feel the same way about WBB, T&F, VB, WS, and all aspects of WSU operations. I can't speak for Wildcat Club or ticket sales, but Round Ball is as active and attended as it ever has been. In some ways, more active. I don't know the exact numbers, but my best guess is that total donations are as healthy as they have ever been. It could absolutely get better and that should be the goal. Attendance has been going down for a while now and that is simply not acceptable. More needs to be done. The product on the floor was improved this year, but it should always be top 2 or it's a failure. If you want success, you need to invest in it. It's hard because money is tight, but that doesn't mean that we should give up on it.

 

[bigskychamps07]

I have several friends not renew their season tickets and no one has even called or emailed them about it. We need new blood all around. Complacency is king at WSU.

 

[BigWaldO]

I feel the same way about WBB, T&F, VB, WS, and all aspects of WSU operations. I can't speak for Wildcat Club or ticket sales, but Round Ball is as active and attended as it ever has been. In some ways, more active. I don't know the exact numbers, but my best guess is that total donations are as healthy as they have ever been. It could absolutely get better and that should be the goal. Attendance has been going down for a while now and that is simply not acceptable. More needs to be done. The product on the floor was improved this year, but it should always be top 2 or it's a failure. If you want success, you need to invest in it. It's hard because money is tight, but that doesn't mean that we should give up on it.

Yeah those meals at Ligoris and Javier’s where you get “insider” information from Duft will never lose attendance. It’s a way for all the old hoagie fans to see each other and BS. Sneak some under the table donations to the program. There’s a reason we aren’t good. That club isn’t funding more than a pack of socks lol

 

[Greatx3]

Yeah those meals at Ligoris and Javier’s where you get “insider” information from Duft will never lose attendance. It’s a way for all the old hoagie fans to see each other and BS. Sneak some under the table donations to the program. There’s a reason we aren’t good. That club isn’t funding more than a pack of socks lol

Judging by how off based this comment is it's easy to tell you clearly aren't a member of the roundball club. This is one group of donors who have actually helped the program directly instead of just to the general athletic fund. Fans are free to complain all they want but if you'd like to see improvement in the men's basketball program then put your money where your mouth is. The roundball club has funded a whole lot more than you think. And for hell's sakes I wish they would move the meetings back to Ligori's and Javiers.

 

[talhadfoursteals]

Personally, I am a huge fan of these committed donors. They continue to support and try when so much is going in a highly dubious direction. I greatly appreciate all that these members have done over the years. Olds invited me to a couple of meetings and I really enjoyed them. I met other great fans and had a really wonderful time. Some of these fans I still call friends, including Olds (even if we disagree at times). I knew Coach Rahe fairly well before, but got to know him on a different level. Though, and regrettably, as long as Duft is the coach, I don't see it growing. Athletics revenue and available resources for student-athletes, coaches, and the programs at large are a SERIOUS concern. If the BIGGEST revenue producer at Weber State isn't growing (it is shrinking), that means Weber State sports isn't growing. WSU's current administrators are immensely concerned about the current direction of WSU Athletics. Funding is atrocious and available resources are stretched. The university is not in a position to bail them out. Calling or contacting former season ticket holders is an easy one. That should be automatic. That that isn't happen is really telling.

 

[oldrunner]

Thanks for the kind words. I've been involved with WSU since the early seventies. I've donated a ton of money to WSU over the past 50+ years. I donated a little even when I had little. Over that 50+ years I have contributed countless hours of volunteer work to WSU athletics. I have gotten to know many of our coaches over that time period. Some I liked a lot, some I respected a lot, Some I thought were not the best coaches, and some I thought were total knuckleheads. I participated on the Wildcat Club Board of Directors for a couple of years and learned a lot about the inner workings of an athletic department. WSU has been a huge part of my life.

I'm moving to a small farm in Oregon and won't be involved as much, for the rest of my life. I will still follow WSU from afar, but it's all on you young guys now. I'll leave you with what Dutch B. told me many years ago; "You need to decide to be part of the solution or you are part of the problem, there is no in-between".

 

[AlumniWSU]

Thanks for your outstanding support to WSU athletics, oldrunner. I've differed from you on several posts back awhile but never questioned your allegiance to the Wildcats. Best wishes, enjoy the country life in Oregon.

I'm sure things will plug along alright with Wildcat athletics, be it mediocre to a lot of us fans or OK with things as they are...to some fans, admin. included. The heydays of the 70's where there was growth & progress in getting Weber State's name pronunciation straight & getting some respect instate were fun & exciting. Some great highlights happened now & then in the Big Sky & post season. Through the years since there have been the normal ups & downs. But just my old fan thoughts on the current era of WSU athletics, there seems to be an administrative acceptance that mediocre is alright, can't be avoided under the circumstances. Whether to old or young fans, it's apparent that with declining attendance, little excitement or interest, shrinking booster funds, lack of championship caliber teams trending, well, let's just say the direction arrow is pointing down. Easy for any AD to say "be part of the solution not the problem" but unless they recognize that problems do exist & show accountability, show transparency in trying actions to solve/correct, then nothing happens along the lines of improvement & success! Time marches on, sure glad you & I got to experience those highlight era's.

 

[BigWaldO]

Judging by how off based this comment is it's easy to tell you clearly aren't a member of the roundball club. This is one group of donors who have actually helped the program directly instead of just to the general athletic fund. Fans are free to complain all they want but if you'd like to see improvement in the men's basketball program then put your money where your mouth is. The roundball club has funded a whole lot more than you think. And for hell's sakes I wish they would move the meetings back to Ligori's and Javiers.

I’ve been to a significant amount of those meetings to know what goes on and I’ve helped handle the finances that it brings in, enough to know it’s not a lot. I’m not taking away from how nice the people are. A lot of good spirited individuals who care but man a club like that is meant for the local diner not an athletic institution trying to grow and as long as people take it that way things will never change. Everyone is too friendly and comfortable when it comes to making decisions, Fans, “boosters”, coaches, etc. are all apart of this monstrosity. Everything needs to change. Am I off based or can you not see it because you are invested? Loyalty without being realistic is counterproductive