What will make our football program legit?

[Hornet25]

I thought I'd change it up a little bit and ask a question rather than report news. Give an opportunity for lurkers to voice an opinion if they don't have facts to provide. What do we need to be considered a worthy program in the eyes of the city, the region, or even the country? Outside of winning of course, as that is a given.

There have been some changes lately with the program that is starting to make me think that the athletic department is getting serious about making this a real program. The field house. Field turf. New radio stations that can actually reach people outside of a 10 mile radius. Having a professional sports editor devote an entire site to Sac State sports news is HUGE. The following are a couple of things I think we need in order to keep this going.

1. A permanent stadium structure. Or update the faded green siding on the seats and put in permanent bathrooms and concession.
2. A broader marketing campaign that targets the entire Sacramento area, rather than just students and alumni. (take a page out of the Mountain Lions marketing book)
3. A serious marching band. Yes, I think this is football related. Creates atmosphere.
4. Nevin Shapiro.......just kidding.

Thoughts?

 

[superhornet]

First off, who said our program WASN'T legit? Coach Sperbeck has us going in the right direction both in terms of recruiting and production. And that's with admittedly subpar facilities (though they're getting better to some degree, i.e. the Broad).

Sure there are some things we can do to make the program better: demolishing the erector set bleachers and installing "real" stands, getting rid of the FieldTurf, marketing to both the community and the campus (especially the dorms, which have traditionally been ignored). And, yes, I would LOVE to see a marching band perform at halftime.

OK. So I'm the only old-timer around here who doesn't like ANY form of artificial turf. I think we can agree on the rest of it, though. Another thing we can do is see if the Big Cat has any interest in a special fundraising position; if there was anything he did well during his tenure here, it was that. It takes a guy who loves the place to truly raise good support, not some jabroni off the street with a fresh MBA in "marketing."

 

[Hornet25]

Ha! I knew that the legit program comment might not come off well, but I left it anyways. I'm happy with our program and I'm not speaking about it being legit from my perspective. There has just been a negative outside perception, right or wrong. I too am impressed with what Sperbeck has been able to do in a short time. Definitely going in the right direction.

Serious fundraising is a talent and isn't learned in school. Helps to be emotionally invested and believe in what you're selling.

 

[superhornet]

That punk on KHTK spewing froth about us every chance he gets doesn't count as Sac not being "legit." He has NO cred.

Haters gonna hate. That's just the way it is.

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

1. Expect to win, not just go through the motions. Fans want to attend to share the good feelings after a win.
2. Construct a facility that is fan friendly. Is the current stadium earthquake proof? I'd hate to be on that top row and have a 7.2 come rolling in. Portapotties doesnt express longevity and a commitment to the program by the school. If it is easy to put up it will be easy to take down.
3. Annually making the playoffs, again everyone wants a winner and can view the game in comfort. Ease of access to bathrooms, concessions, tailgating, etc.

 

[Hornet25]

A win against a Pac 12 team.

Maybe a few games on local TV.

 

[SDHornet]

Well first I think it’s a great idea to point out the recent improvements we’ve seen. The Hornet football Facebook is a great idea and I have been thoroughly enjoying the videos, I really hope that these continue throughout the season. The change to an FM radio station is a huge boost. The addition of cosmetic features at Hornet Stadium over the offseason is a nice improvement to go along with the more significant additions such as the Broad and the Fieldturf.

I hope to see these things continue to improve. What I don’t want to see happen is the program get content with the recent improvements and take a “that’s good for now” kind of attitude. I hope all the staff members continue to refine their efforts to continue to improve the visibility, marketing, and performance of the program.

Marketing/Fund Raising/Visibility

• • Use some billboards along major highways or intersections touting Hornet football. Basically take one of the wallpapers and put it on a big billboard to encourage attendance and awareness of the program to the populace.
  • Buy some TV air time and run some commercials with a lot of highlights. They could even use that promotional video that was posted on the Hornet Facebook page.
  • Purchase advertisement space on RT and at bus stops and use that to post football schedules or other graphics to improve awareness. I think this has been done in the past.
  • A weekly coaches show on the radio to get the area fans excited about the program on a weekly basis. Not sure if this is done but I don’t recall there being one when I was a student. If Sperbeck objects, write this in as a stipulation in his next contract extension.
  • A weekly news conference. Invite all the local media (TV, papers, radio, online) and have a coach or two along with some players be made available for Q&A. Again if Sperbeck objects, make this a stipulation in his next contract extension.
  • Blanket the surrounding communities and commercial areas with schedule posters, fliers, etc. Encourage these places to pin up these posters in their window.
  • Get large 4’ x 4’ schedules (with little or no graphics) for places like gas stations to post (if they will allow it) on their premises. I saw these in Eugene last spring; they had large block lettering listing the home football schedule in tabular form. I thought this was a simple yet effective way to let people know when games are scheduled.
  • Hand out a lot of free general admission tickets at places such as malls and restaurants near campus, etc. Much of the general admin tickets go unused/unsold so handing out buckets of free ones aren’t going to hurt anything.
  • Solicit the local and regional businesses for corporate sponsorships. Hell, cold call these people if you have to. I would bet a lot of local business would love to have their name in front of the folks attending games if it can be a boost to their business.
  • Have game day giveaways to encourage attendance. They might already do this.
  • A new athletics website. I think Hornetsports has done a fine job and the current website isn’t terrible, but it’s time for something new and improved. Include video and audio clips and more improved images/graphics to really make the site pop. Also improve the links so they are more user friendly.
  • Improve the Donor areas of Hornetsports so they are easier to navigate and interconnected with the various booster clubs for each program. Revamp the SAA solicitation materials to encourage more donors (I’ve sent an email to the SAA folks this summer with some ideas and outlines to make things more streamlined. I haven’t seen anything changed though.)
  • Revamp the Corporate sponsor’s area of Hornetsports. Make it more clear about what potential sponsors receive in exchange for supporting Hornet athletics (radio time, advertisement at games, promotions, etc).
  • Blanket the dorms with schedule posters, beer fridge magnets, and pocket schedules. Get some cheerleaders and dance squad chics to the dorm quad in skimpy clothes, blast some good tunes and let the students flock in…then shower them with the marketing materials and remind them that the games are free and heavy drinking is not only encouraged, but mandatory. (Ok maybe not the drinking part, but you get the idea.)

Facilities
Starting from easiest/cheapest as well as most practical:

• • Get a Beer Garden up and running beyond the south side if the endzone near the ticket office. I have no problem smuggling in a few bottles of beer (did it at the Homecoming game last year and I’ll do it again this year) but it would be nice to throw back a few at halftime with some fellow Hornet fans.
  • New scoreboard. Seriously it’s time for a new one. Let’s make it nice and big with a super huge HD video screen so people from the Well balcony can see the damn thing.
  • Add more chairbacks seats. I’m not sure if they all get filled up during games but adding more comfortable seats near midfield can only help.
  • Throw up a permanent concessions, utility, storage, and bathroom building either behind the west grandstands or north of the west grandstands.
  • New media booth with suites on the west grandstands. This can be done without impacting seating. Reno did it, it looks awful, but it’s the only option if building a new stadium from scratch unattainable.
  • Finally if money is no object, take a wrecking ball to Hornet Stadium and build a new state of the art 25k minimum capacity stadium with suites all the amenities expected of new digs. Design it with expansion in mind so it can be built out in phases over time to say 35k. Also make sure there is no track so the fans can be closer to the action and noise can be a factor.

So a lot of these ideas are doable and some maybe a little extreme, and since I am not in the Sac area anymore, they might even do some of them. But the point is there are a lot of options to improve visibility for the program and it just takes an honest effort and some hard work to get done. Hopefully this program continues to make strides to improve its visibility and product.

 

[StungAlum2]

That punk on KHTK spewing froth about us every chance he gets doesn't count as Sac not being "legit." He has NO cred.

Haters gonna hate. That's just the way it is.

My buddy lives right around the corner from him, we flip off his house every time we drive by.

 

[StungAlum2]

A win against a Pac 12 team.

Maybe a few games on local TV.

That would help for sure, at least in the short-term. (I don't think the program isnt legit, just agreeing that a win against a Pac-12 team would be a huge program boost locally)

CSN West televises the Causeway every year, however, it's not local.

 

[Hornet25]

Good ideas SD. I've written to the athletic department in the past about ways to improve the website and marketing as well. If we get enough ideas on here, i'll send a link to this post as well.

One thing that you brought up that I've thought about in the past is giving away free tickets. It's better to have people in the stands, even if they are not paying, then it is to have empty seats. You can take advantage free admission financially by actually owning some of the concessions.

Go out to the Pop Warner football leagues and give handfuls of free tickets to the coaches to be passed out to parents. This does a couple of things. Parents are always looking for cheap things to do with their kids, so it gives them incentive to come. The kids get used to seeing Sac State and grows familiar with the program. If they are actual good players in the future, Sac State is now on their radar.

Beer garden is great. I don't know if drinking is allowed in the stadium, but you can set one up for tailgating. Again, make it school sponsored so you can take the profits. Go to large local businesses and ask if you can leave schedules, ticket discounts and flyers advertising for your pregame festivities in their lunch room. I bet there are a lot of people who would come to games, but when Saturday rolls around, they've simply forgotten about it because it's not in front of their face.

 

[StungAlum2]

Beer garden is great. I don't know if drinking is allowed in the stadium, but you can set one up for tailgating. Again, make it school sponsored so you can take the profits. Go to large local businesses and ask if you can leave schedules, ticket discounts and flyers advertising for your pregame festivities in their lunch room. I bet there are a lot of people who would come to games, but when Saturday rolls around, they've simply forgotten about it because it's not in front of their face.

Alcohol sales are banned at CSU sporting events at CSU campuses. Would need to get the Chancellor to reverse his decision which isnt likely.

However, alcoholic beverages can be given away prior to kickoff at football games. Last year, although not at Sac State, my buddies and I were on the bus to the Stanford game and they gave away beer and wine on the bus. Once we got to Stanford, they gave more away. Not only that, but they allowed us to bring our own alcohol along as well, we had two ice chests that we brought with us.

 

[SDHornet]

Alcohol sales are banned at CSU sporting events at CSU campuses. Would need to get the Chancellor to reverse his decision which isnt likely.

Whoa whoa whoa…who said anything about alcohol sales? Now if tickets are sold by for “entrance” into an area where a promotion is “giving away” certain “adult” beverages…well let’s see the CSU chancellor do anything about that…

 

[StungAlum2]

Alcohol sales are banned at CSU sporting events at CSU campuses. Would need to get the Chancellor to reverse his decision which isnt likely.

Whoa whoa whoa…who said anything about alcohol sales? Now if tickets are sold by for “entrance” into an area where a promotion is “giving away” certain “adult” beverages…well let’s see the CSU chancellor do anything about that…

Still, there might be problems. I don't know if it's a CSU rule or if it's a Sac State rule, but as of now, alcohol consumption must end 15 minutes or so prior to kickoff at football games.

Giving away alcohol inside, even in a designated area, would probably violate this rule. However, I do think it's a good idea.

And to anyone who might suggest alcohol contributing to violence before/during/after football games at Sac State, it's very rare and I can't think of a single instance in the past 5 or 6 years. The biggest problem they have is underage drinking, which happens everywhere no matter what.

 

[SDHornet]

I agree and good points. I don’t think the University would ever put themselves into some kind of risk with alcohol so as to break a CSU rule and possibly face fines. I just think if they really wanted to create a Beer Garden, there would be some way to legitimately do. Maybe create a plan about how the area would work and how the area would be regulated by security or whoever to eliminate the risk of underage drinking.

Also agree about how there will always be underage drinking going on. Hell I had no idea about the 15 minute no drinking rule prior to kickoff. That sure didn’t stop me and my tailgating group from drinking up until kickoff.

Speaking of alcohol, you gotta love the Miller Lite and Budweiser advertisement signs that are usually on display at Hornet events. :lol: :roll:

 

[Hornet25]

The first time I went to a game and saw the Budweiser advertisement, I went around looking for their stand. Yeah......major disappointment when I realized no beer for sale.

Free concert before the game, with the purchase of a game ticket? Students free of course. Then they'd already be there. Might as well stay and party at the game. The school is always bringing in guests and performances. Why not one for the football game? Or Let one of the frats on campus organize one and throw it in the parking lot. Then they can advertise their after party. Too much? I don't know, but you have to make college football an all day event.

They have the band march in before the game. Start the band march at the student dorms, with some pre festivities. Maybe this would entice them to follow down to the stadium afterwards. Just throwing stuff out there as it comes to mind. I'm trying to incorporate beer into any idea I have. "Festivities" is code for ice cold adult beverages.

 

[superhornet]

That punk on KHTK spewing froth about us every chance he gets doesn't count as Sac not being "legit." He has NO cred.

Haters gonna hate. That's just the way it is.

My buddy lives right around the corner from him, we flip off his house every time we drive by.

Normally, I don't approve of such behaviour, but in HIS case...

:notworthy:

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

That punk on KHTK spewing froth about us every chance he gets doesn't count as Sac not being "legit." He has NO cred.

Haters gonna hate. That's just the way it is.

Can't wait for that troll Napear to retire or return home....

 

[Hornet25]

Program is now legit. This thread is closed!

 

[BuckeyeHornetFan]

Program is now legit. This thread is closed!

Yep.

While I realize a win against a young, injury-ridden OSU team isn't going to start landing the program elite recruits, it SHOULD really help with recruiting against other Big Sky programs. EWU may have last season's FCS title to hang their hat on, but the Hornets have the Big Sky Conference's first and only win against an FBS program on their resume now (at least until UC Davis officially joins the conference). That certainly can't hurt. Going in to today's game, the Big Sky was 0-48 all-time against the FBS.

 

[Hornet25]

Nobody is going to remember how many injuries or how young a team is when they look back at the score. This will matter as long as Sac State can keep the momentum going. Keep winning this year and make the playoffs and use it to get better recruits. Then keep it rolling from there. If we get a monopoly on Nor Cal talent, that would be enough to make us a powerhouse in the FCS. We have to separate ourselves from Davis right now while we can.