-
Hi Guest,
We've updated the site to combine all the forums that were part of the Big Sky Fans Network into one location. This will make it easier to navigate and participate in all the discussions for each school without having to have multiple accounts, etc. We are still working out some tweaks but please let us know if you notice anything.
With the migration, in some circumstances, your username could have been merged with one of your other usernames from the other forums. If this is the case, you can request to change your username in your account details page of your profile. -
Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!
-
Guest, do want an ad free experience on BigSkyFans.com among other benefits? Upgrade your account today!
Simply click your profile name > account upgrades > BigSky Club > choose between the year long subscription (two free months) or month to month
Thanks for the continued support. Cheers!
Where are all the people?
- Thread starter ajwildcat
- Start date
SWeberCat02
Active member
The article is really no more than an editorial. The question asked is never answered, or really even attempted to be answered. Just some bemoaning that more people aren't coming to games. If he wants to be a journalist he should try asking the athletic department if they are concerned about the decrease in attendance, why they believe attendance is falling, and what they are doing to improve it. Or, ask fans why they aren't attending more.Back2WSU said:
WeatherCat, I agree with your statements as well. I was born to be a Cat. However, our experiences are unique. Most fans become attached to the (their) university while students. That is the time when you need to sell it and get them to buy into being fans. Nonetheless, REALLY there isn't a wrong answer when it comes to marketing. Just doing some marketing would be an improvement for Weber and I fully support a mixed marketing approach. One that focuses on students, community, alumni, and sponsorships. Problem is, nobody is really willing to go to bat and try.
Geo hit a lot of issues on the nail. He is closer to this current student body than the majority of forum members. I graduated in 2004. Hard to believe for me that it will be 12 years this May. A lot has changed in those 12 years. University students had distractions and entertainment options but nothing like they do now. Most have a phone screen practically glued to their face. It is hard to get them to focus, but I believe it can be done. Thousands of students at Weber are begging for a college experience, but nobody wants to provide it. Yes, academics are first, as they should be. It is an institution of higher learning with a lot of highly respectable and nationally recognized programs, but that doesn't mean that the institution should forget about providing them with the other meaningful aspects of the college experience; college life. Not all of them want to be sports fans, but I'm pretty sure that there are more than 50. They just don't know. Very few people on campus know about tonights game. Major Fest was on Wednesday. Almost 1500 students attended, with another 1000 to 2000 participating outside the ballrooms. Was athletics, SAA, SAAC represented? NO... That is the usual answer when it comes to athletics. Is there anything on campus telling students about this weeks games? NO... See the issue? If nobody knows, how can we expect them to come? You have to build it for them to come.
I stand by my original statement. STUDENTS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Without them there isn't a university. They are the past, future, and the now. Athletics and in extension, the university needs to do a far better job of getting them more involved. It will pay off in the future.
Geo hit a lot of issues on the nail. He is closer to this current student body than the majority of forum members. I graduated in 2004. Hard to believe for me that it will be 12 years this May. A lot has changed in those 12 years. University students had distractions and entertainment options but nothing like they do now. Most have a phone screen practically glued to their face. It is hard to get them to focus, but I believe it can be done. Thousands of students at Weber are begging for a college experience, but nobody wants to provide it. Yes, academics are first, as they should be. It is an institution of higher learning with a lot of highly respectable and nationally recognized programs, but that doesn't mean that the institution should forget about providing them with the other meaningful aspects of the college experience; college life. Not all of them want to be sports fans, but I'm pretty sure that there are more than 50. They just don't know. Very few people on campus know about tonights game. Major Fest was on Wednesday. Almost 1500 students attended, with another 1000 to 2000 participating outside the ballrooms. Was athletics, SAA, SAAC represented? NO... That is the usual answer when it comes to athletics. Is there anything on campus telling students about this weeks games? NO... See the issue? If nobody knows, how can we expect them to come? You have to build it for them to come.
I stand by my original statement. STUDENTS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Without them there isn't a university. They are the past, future, and the now. Athletics and in extension, the university needs to do a far better job of getting them more involved. It will pay off in the future.
SWWeatherCat
Active member
Tal, I certainly don't disagree that students and student groups are an important part of the problem as a whole, however, I don't believe the issues with the current student body are too much different than in any other period and think a much more important, missing focus is with the community, including us "old folk" and business alike. This is why I'm so passionate about the fact that reNO absolutely blows! This breaks a VERY important tie to the fans/community/business. It hurts BSC venues in so many ways and was absolutely one of the major straws that broke my support back. It really isn't about "this problem" or "that problem," it's about all the problems piling on top of each other.
Athletics does need student support and there very well should be some student groups getting off their @$$, taking some pride in their school, and getting a fraction of a 25K student body to the "free" games. Aren't there student fees and/or some form of salaries for this very thing? Weber has always been a commuter school but it sure seems like it's gradually gotten slightly more traditional over the years. One student problem that I don't believe there is a solution to is the students using "just Weber" for their undergraduate work because it's cheaper and/or closer to home than the other in-state school that they want to attend. That fries my @$$ and I wish there were a way to have only students that want to be a Wildcat. Students add another level of excitement to the games and I'm sure add to the player's experience. They need a solid student section as an important part of the athletic experience and, in turn, will want to share their enthusiasm and pride with others, including their own families to come.
It needs to come much earlier than the current student body, though. I'm not sure if they've been doing it this season since I haven't attended too many games, but they need to get sections of grade school kids to many more than one game a season. That is totally awesome when there are 200+ "future Wildcats" at a game, having fun, adding to the experience, and being vocal, out-cheering the cheerleaders and student section. Why not make that a regular thing? It's not like there aren't any empty seats for it; it's not like there aren't countless schools in the Weber/Davis area that wouldn't enjoy opportunities to be able to do something like that cheaply or even free that would add support to WSU, serve as building blocks for future fans/supporters, and also build unity among their own students and for their own school.
Along these same lines, start reducing the price drastically for upper sections, behind the baskets, to a point where Jr. High and High School kids can't afford to not go to the games. Give 'em a cheap date night and include affordable snacks with their SIDs and tickets. Pick up several hundreds of dollars a game while filling some empty seats and building more current and future fan support. Plant that seed that Weber IS where they want to be. Make pricing plans and accompanying seating areas more affordable to where fans and supporters feel the product matches the value, and subscribe to the economic notion that twice as many customers paying less and actually attending and supporting the event is far better than giving tickets away and forcing long-time supporters to nose bleed seats, or worse yet, to not renew and watch (or not watch) it on-line/TV.
At the same time, get some teams to the DEC that people want to watch Weber play. Save the weak-@$$ excuse that it's impossible to do, swallow some pride knowing you might lose a few along the way, and get something on the floor that people would enjoy watching. Get marketing to promote the teams and games in fresh ways. Run promotions that make sense-- as in supporting a business model that promotes paying customers in seats, not tickets "sold." Include students and/or student groups in running the show in as many ways as possible. Get business students involved in running the actual aspects of business. Give your students some practical experience. Build good and better partnerships with business and/or the community. Since there seems to be many heads in @$$e$, it was a real @$$-scratcher to hear a couple of examples over the years of how Weber deals with (at least) some businesses that want to partner with them. They need less of a "good-old boys club" and stagnant feel and, instead, have meaningful partnerships, benefiting both sides and with dynamic changes so it isn't the same ol', same ol'. Community visibility, involvement, and strong ties are crucial.
Wow, that ALL came out fast! I'll shut-up again.
Athletics does need student support and there very well should be some student groups getting off their @$$, taking some pride in their school, and getting a fraction of a 25K student body to the "free" games. Aren't there student fees and/or some form of salaries for this very thing? Weber has always been a commuter school but it sure seems like it's gradually gotten slightly more traditional over the years. One student problem that I don't believe there is a solution to is the students using "just Weber" for their undergraduate work because it's cheaper and/or closer to home than the other in-state school that they want to attend. That fries my @$$ and I wish there were a way to have only students that want to be a Wildcat. Students add another level of excitement to the games and I'm sure add to the player's experience. They need a solid student section as an important part of the athletic experience and, in turn, will want to share their enthusiasm and pride with others, including their own families to come.
It needs to come much earlier than the current student body, though. I'm not sure if they've been doing it this season since I haven't attended too many games, but they need to get sections of grade school kids to many more than one game a season. That is totally awesome when there are 200+ "future Wildcats" at a game, having fun, adding to the experience, and being vocal, out-cheering the cheerleaders and student section. Why not make that a regular thing? It's not like there aren't any empty seats for it; it's not like there aren't countless schools in the Weber/Davis area that wouldn't enjoy opportunities to be able to do something like that cheaply or even free that would add support to WSU, serve as building blocks for future fans/supporters, and also build unity among their own students and for their own school.
Along these same lines, start reducing the price drastically for upper sections, behind the baskets, to a point where Jr. High and High School kids can't afford to not go to the games. Give 'em a cheap date night and include affordable snacks with their SIDs and tickets. Pick up several hundreds of dollars a game while filling some empty seats and building more current and future fan support. Plant that seed that Weber IS where they want to be. Make pricing plans and accompanying seating areas more affordable to where fans and supporters feel the product matches the value, and subscribe to the economic notion that twice as many customers paying less and actually attending and supporting the event is far better than giving tickets away and forcing long-time supporters to nose bleed seats, or worse yet, to not renew and watch (or not watch) it on-line/TV.
At the same time, get some teams to the DEC that people want to watch Weber play. Save the weak-@$$ excuse that it's impossible to do, swallow some pride knowing you might lose a few along the way, and get something on the floor that people would enjoy watching. Get marketing to promote the teams and games in fresh ways. Run promotions that make sense-- as in supporting a business model that promotes paying customers in seats, not tickets "sold." Include students and/or student groups in running the show in as many ways as possible. Get business students involved in running the actual aspects of business. Give your students some practical experience. Build good and better partnerships with business and/or the community. Since there seems to be many heads in @$$e$, it was a real @$$-scratcher to hear a couple of examples over the years of how Weber deals with (at least) some businesses that want to partner with them. They need less of a "good-old boys club" and stagnant feel and, instead, have meaningful partnerships, benefiting both sides and with dynamic changes so it isn't the same ol', same ol'. Community visibility, involvement, and strong ties are crucial.
Wow, that ALL came out fast! I'll shut-up again.
hawkssb04
Active member
The SE has these almost daily now. The newspaper is going down the toilet fast. Coming to Garside's defense, though. This isn't his mistake. This is a copy editor/paginator issue. He just writes the stories, not the headlines.webergrad02 said:Back2WSU said:
The biggest problem that I have is that I have a very similar degree as Brandon, took journalism classes and wrote for the Signpost for 2 years. Most of the stuff he writes is so one sided that it probably wouldn't fly at the Signpost. He rarely covers both sides of an issue. He asks questions and then doesn't answer them. Go back and compare Hollis' stories to Brandon's. Compare Burtons for that matter and you will see a huge difference. I have also noticed that Brandon's stories have more detail issues than the others. Plus it bugs me that he refers to Jay and Randy as his "buddies or "bros". (privately to friends)
It could have been his editors mistake, but did anyone else catch this beauty?
