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2013 - 2014 student section report card

W

Webergrad02

Active member
11-26-2013 Utah State A
We had lots of students loud and involved for the Utah State game. The section was rocking and I thought they did a really good job.

11-30-2013 San Jose State C-
I know it is a holiday weekend but we should have done much better. We are not going to get a lot of MWC teams to play us at home. The students that were there were doing the best they could. I estimate out of 5,500 (alleged) fans, we had 25 students up and standing. That is a percentage of .0045%, probably one of the only percentages lower than our free throw%. This picture was taken with 5 minutes to go in the first half.


 
If I'm not mistaken, the students have that whole side of the court, do they not? So while there was only a group of vocal students in that one section, courtside, there were a lot more students in attendance. Would be nice if the rest of the students would make their presence more known.
 
Student attendance is a sign of student leadership and marketing. Regrettably, there are lots of things to do in the area and our students aren't trapped like USU's students, hence why basketball is the "thing" to do up there. The problem is marketing and an attractiveness to participate in the event. Once again, it isn't a hard thing to market to students. If anything, it is one of the easiest and most fun things to do. Really, not rocket science here. Put up a schedule banner on the bell tower, put up boards and signs around campus before game day (ones that people can actually see, not the small ones, the bigger the signage, the better, in my opinion). Have a presence on campus. Heavens, there are three student organizations that should be helping to get students to games: WSUSA, SAA, and SAAC.
 
It's probably too late to discuss this for the current season but in 99.9% of great college basketball environments, the student section is behind the opponents basket in the second half. This causes the road team to melt under the pressure of a relentless crowd late in games. The current student section location makes us seem incompetent and makes play easier for opponents in the second half vs. the first since the road team sees no students when possessing the ball. If the student section is moved behind the opponents second half basket, scoring will be more difficult and free throws may become a nightmare as distractive costumes and signs become the norm.

Top reasons for the move.

We will win more big games. Could you imagine beating Montana is 2010 or ECU in the Spring? In both games we were one play away. When the game is on the line in the second half, students will be looking directly into the eyes of the opposing team’s players as they possess the ball. This will cause students to be much more involved and likely to chant louder, jump up and down, and try to distract the opponent any way they can. The result will be a much louder student section which is more emotionally involved in the outcome of the game.

Home attendance will increase. When members of the community experience “The Pack”, and its impact in the second half of games, they will know Weber Basketball means business. They will return to games excited to see a large, proud, and loud student section. Thus attendance will increase.

The capacity may be increased. In the 2013 CIT Title Game and during the USU home game, the student section has reached capacity. At its current location, a divider, created by the portal walkways and band, exists between the bottom and top of the student section. This has caused students to move to other sections or simply sit down on top reducing noise and chanting. A move would allow a united section to be filled to the rafters if attendance permits.

Finally, the change will likely spark much needed excitement and make “The Pack” a lively place to attend games. Televised events will appear much more exciting for potential fans and recruits. Multiple athletes on this year’s team have expressed genuine desire to have the student section moved after falling victim on the road in important games, Montana in particular. Doing so would allow the team to prepare for a ruckus second half road student section by experiencing the support of their own during home games.

How to get it done

Option A is to move the student section to E, F & G along with a switch of team benches and baskets. In this scenario, the band should be given front seating area in section E. A banner which reads “The Pack” with a wildcat logo should be placed on the wall directly behind the basket below the section.

Option B is to move the students to Q, R & S. In the scenario benches and baskets do not change but the band should be given front seating in section T, closest to section S. A banner which reads “The Pack” with a wildcat logo should be fitted and placed in the entry hole area beneath section R. See below.


Go wildcats!!


 
Excellent explanation and description. I have NEVER understood why the opposing team has virtually zero home fans to deal with in the 2nd half while shooting FTs. I have also questioned the location of the student section for many years. I'd would love to see a change as you've proposed but kinda have doubts those who could make it happen will give it any serious consideration. I've witnessed several instances of ushers disallowing signage and other distractive actions behind the Weber bench-side basket. There have been times where it feels like WSU bends over backwards to welcome and accommodate the opposing team at the expenses of a legitimate home court advantage. Even byu allows the students and student section to be a part of the home court advantage, why in the world doesn't Weber?
 
Making a move like that would require relocating season ticket holders as well as the students. That has been proposed in the past and the students have been the ones who have objected. They felt they would be giving up prime seating and getting less desirable seating. Athletics wanted to market those seats as part of the high rent district.

I think this could be done, but it might be a bigger can of worms than you would think. :coffee:
 
Could the band be moved down to the SE corner behind the opposing teams basket/bench in the second half of the game?
Most arenas, the visiting team has to put up with students, the band, etc. espeically in the 2nd half for timeouts, media timeouts, etc. Makes it harder for the coaches and players in a close game. I think part of that area is reserved for visitors now.....
 
15-20 years ago didn't we have a small set of bleachers behind the opposing teams basket in the tunnel? I believe there was about 30 crazy students that would heckle opposing teams behind the basket.
 
webergrad02 said:
15-20 years ago didn't we have a small set of bleachers behind the opposing teams basket in the tunnel? I believe there was about 30 crazy students that would heckle opposing teams behind the basket.
Click to expand...

Yes, we did, I believe the big sky made us remove it, and it may be their rule to prevent us from placing the students closer to the visitors basket also. I was removed closer to 10 years ago I think since I remember it was till there when I was in school. Most of the students that were on those bleachers were part of a fraternity.
 
As a student, I am opposed to moving. Given the amount of funding provided by student fees, the students are not taking advantage of the seating they are allotted. For those of us who seldom miss a game, we want to be down near the action. Putting us above the tunnel with the band getting priority seating is asinine. The few of us that do make our presence known to the visitors will have little to no effect as we are moved out of earshot and behind the backboard-mounted clock. We lose our view. We lose our impact. We lose our accessibility to the players. This makes the situation worse and the few dedicated student-fans feel ostracized. We pay for the admission with our student fees. We can't afford to buy season tickets in the rafters.

I do have a proposal that would make the rest of the student section a profitable venture instead of an unofficial general admission seating. Require the students to pay a nominal fee for a season pass so that an expectation of need can be set instead of a blanket designation of such a large area. Isolate those students together with assigned seating in the area they regularly sit. Let the uncommitted student-"fans" pay a nominal fees per game for general admission above that area. Convert sections U, V, & A into Season and Single-game assigned seating. If there becomes a larger commitment from the student body, Section A can be reannexed and later, God-willing, Sections V, then U.

Y'all may disagree, but I want my prime seating even if it costs me an extra $20 a season.
 
Or we can just abolish the whole student section thing and continue marketing to the community instead of the students. Just don't expect a home-court advantage, or any further funding from student fees.
 
"Y'all may disagree, but I want my prime seating even if it costs me an extra $20 a season."

Kiltman that's some funny stuff. Your post is offensive to Wildcat Club members who pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year for their prime seating.

Student fees do not keep the athletic department funded, The program needs community support to function. The fans across the floor from you are funding the program. We need to market to the community. Have you seen the donation that is associated with getting seats similar to the ones you have? I love my alma matter and gladly donate when and where I can.

Weber students have it good. Most schools have student seating behind the basket. That's where you do the most good. You can't even get 100 students on their feet for most games. Remember the brilliant wrist band idea from last year. That is how well your nominal fee idea worked. Lets get the students there first.
 
Kiltman said:
As a student, I am opposed to moving. Given the amount of funding provided by student fees, the students are not taking advantage of the seating they are allotted. For those of us who seldom miss a game, we want to be down near the action. Putting us above the tunnel with the band getting priority seating is asinine. The few of us that do make our presence known to the visitors will have little to no effect as we are moved out of earshot and behind the backboard-mounted clock. We lose our view. We lose our impact. We lose our accessibility to the players. This makes the situation worse and the few dedicated student-fans feel ostracized. We pay for the admission with our student fees. We can't afford to buy season tickets in the rafters.

I do have a proposal that would make the rest of the student section a profitable venture instead of an unofficial general admission seating. Require the students to pay a nominal fee for a season pass so that an expectation of need can be set instead of a blanket designation of such a large area. Isolate those students together with assigned seating in the area they regularly sit. Let the uncommitted student-"fans" pay a nominal fees per game for general admission above that area. Convert sections U, V, & A into Season and Single-game assigned seating. If there becomes a larger commitment from the student body, Section A can be reannexed and later, God-willing, Sections V, then U.

Y'all may disagree, but I want my prime seating even if it costs me an extra $20 a season.
Click to expand...

Look at the big picture: you (most likely) wont always be a student :lol:

Seriously, and especially when looking at the historical numbers of enthusiastic students, I don't see what would be the problem with moving the students to sections Q, R, and S. There are lots of good, unobstructed seats in Q and S and they're right on top of the opposing team's offense in the 2nd half. Maybe put the band in R, above the tunnel. If that's not deemed a reasonable move, then swap benches and baskets and move the student section to E, F, and G. Again, this would be right on top of the opposing team's offense in the 2nd half and even closer, overall. Either change would create a more hostile home-court advantage, something that is truly missing in the majority of Weber State games. Who knows what might have been if EC would have had to shoot FTs in the 2nd half of the CIT 'ship with a rabid student section behind the basket instead of friends and family and a tunnel.

Additionally, being able to market sections V, A, and B similar to K, L, and M, would more than likely boost attendance and revenue from the community. It's really too bad Weber students (in general) so poorly support a winning and exciting program when they can do so at no additional cost above student fees. What's truly asinine is wasting so many prime, empty seats for potential paying customers. I really don't see it as a downgrade to the students who stand and get into the game, rather a good way to "up their game" with regards to interacting with and getting in the heads of the opposing teams. I can't imagine season ticket holders in Q, R, S, or E, F, G, who wouldn't be willing to relocate to V, A, and B, although, there always is someone. I still say a change like this would be a win-win nearly all around.
 
The SAA had the wristband idea and IT WAS A JOKE! The whole SAA is pretty much worthless. The students don't commit to anything and the leadership, who are on scholarship for their positions, don't put in the effort to make the organization worthwhile. Those of us who keep coming are committed to the basketball program. By giving us the prime seating, they are investing in our future interest in the program. WE ARE THE FUTURE GENERATION OF THE WILDCAT CLUB. That means we will also be paying those hundreds and thousands of dollars if we see the value NOW. Most of the students don't know what the Wildcat Club is. The handful of us that care are in the know. We do appreciate the support of the WC! We know the value of those seats and we look forward to the day when we can afford to give back. Take a look around you at the next game and notice the "missing generation." The biggest problem is that they are not selling the idea of a successful athletics program to the students. The majority of "sports fans" amongst students are fans of the U, USU and YBU. They think the entire WSU athletics program is DI-AA. They don't get it. But punishing those of us who know, care, and commit to Weber's success is a message that I receive as "Don't worry about our future because we don't see you it."
 
Kitman, each one of those schools you mentioned has a student section located behind the opponent's basket in the second half. This is because they understand that the future of their program depends on convincing casual fans who show up only because their daughter is performing at half time, that they aren't d1-double a. When YBU moved it's student section a few years ago, it led to a dramatic attendance increase dispite moving to a weaker conference. They understood that progress may not be welcome by a small minority at first, but in the long run, everyone will be more happy because the program will be more successful. Have you sat behind the basket? It's an excellent place to stand and heckle. Also, I feel it's counter productive to call anyone who is willing to support our program worthless. We have done so many things very well.

http://harmonshalftime.blogs.desere...ott-center-change-draws-byu-student-reaction/

WE are WEber
 
You need a successful student section before you place them in seats with obstructed views and expect them to contribute to the atmosphere. With the current size, they don't infringe upon the majority of their section, sections U, V, A, B, & C. The designated area should first be reduced without relocating them, increasing revenue and assessing the true size of the attending student population. This will also get rid of the feel of general admission in sections U, V, & A. The people sitting in these areas call it such and don't pay the premium price. If they did pay more, they would value their experience more. If we have little/no effect now, what improvement could possibly be EXPECTED from a different position that would make the attending students feel "pushed aside"?
 
DeeWildcatTailgater,

The SAA supports athletics in name only. As for their effect as a supporting organization, I DO believe they are worthless. They also fail to deliver on the many promises they make to those paying to sign up. The only thing we could count on was a t-shirt to advertise their organization, and a trailer at the tailgate where the limited food was often scavenged by non-members. The true student fans will be at the games whether or not they signed up as members of SAA.
 
When we are down to USU by 3 points in the second half and the student section is making very little noise, which view is more obstructed? The one where the students are on the other side of the arena when we play defense, or the one where students are 20 feet away looking directly at the facial expression of the &aggie possessing the ball. When students on the front row throw their arms in the air in an attempt go get everyone loud, others in the current location are usually looking away to the other side of the court. Have you ever wondered why student section noise usually dies with about 15 minutes left in the game? It's because the casual student sitting several rows up doesn't feel close enough to be loud and make a difference. In Logan for example, many teams lead in the first half but fall apart late. Why would we make life easier for the competition in the second half when the game is on the line? I am 100% sure that if the student section was behind the basket in 2010, we would have gone dancing and Johnson wouldn't have been nominated for an ESPY.

WEber Nation
 
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