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Robins Center Attendance Watch

I was at UR during the dark years (end of JW, beginning of CM). I think those years killed a lot of the momentum that had been established. CM’s early years were PAINFUL to watch, especially the first where he was forcing JW’s recruits to stop trying to run and gun and instead run the Princeton offense. I remember CM yelling at Buckner to stop trying to fast break...

I imagine the NCAA years helped rejuvenate a class or two of students, but I think those dark years really helped kill a lot of fans. Hopefully these past few years aren’t having the same effect.
That's exactly what I am concerned about. Please write John Hardt regarding this.
 
Please explain to me why then the student sections at places like duke or even vcu have students who literally camp out for seats. Do they have fewer options and obligations than UR students?

This notion that you can’t get students to games because of XYZ is disproven at any number of universities across the country.

Too much of an apples to oranges comparison. To hold our students' attendance against Duke's is a pretty big stretch. VCU's student body is 10 times ours - so supply and demand. I know first hand they did some very - shall we say creative things - in order to keep their sold-out string alive. The reality is that there are many other options that compete for their attention these days (true with many other sports - NASCAR attendance is down, NFL down, etc.).

Plus, the make up of our student body has changed considerably which affects these numbers. Many more international students who have very little interest in the games. It's cultural, and this has been confirmed to me by people that are engaged with the international student body. And sadly, many would rather play video games than go watch a real one.
 
Too much of an apples to oranges comparison. To hold our students' attendance against Duke's is a pretty big stretch. VCU's student body is 10 times ours - so supply and demand. I know first hand they did some very - shall we say creative things - in order to keep their sold-out string alive. The reality is that there are many other options that compete for their attention these days (true with many other sports - NASCAR attendance is down, NFL down, etc.).

Plus, the make up of our student body has changed considerably which affects these numbers. Many more international students who have very little interest in the games. It's cultural, and this has been confirmed to me by people that are engaged with the international student body. And sadly, many would rather play video games than go watch a real one.[/QUOT
Such rubbish. Have a decent team that gas a chance to go to the dance and the s.s. would be packed. Enthusiasm spreads when you start winning and there is a chance of a memorable experience.
 
Too much of an apples to oranges comparison. To hold our students' attendance against Duke's is a pretty big stretch. VCU's student body is 10 times ours - so supply and demand. I know first hand they did some very - shall we say creative things - in order to keep their sold-out string alive. The reality is that there are many other options that compete for their attention these days (true with many other sports - NASCAR attendance is down, NFL down, etc.).

Plus, the make up of our student body has changed considerably which affects these numbers. Many more international students who have very little interest in the games. It's cultural, and this has been confirmed to me by people that are engaged with the international student body. And sadly, many would rather play video games than go watch a real one.
We can talk hypotheticals and bias all day. Simple question:

Is it possible, dare I say likely, that we would have avid student attendance if the team was regularly in the postseason discussion?

We had heavy attendance student and otherwise for the home NIT games in 2015 and 2017. It seems unlikely that was an aberration. I don’t think we need to search for complex reasons why kids don’t go to the games.
 
Unapologetic propaganda. Has existed for years. UR is onboard and is one of the nations biggest offenders.
Some do not get that an acceptance of reality is the first step in returning to success, but rather adopt this faux approach. I understand it but realize that it is but a temporary fix while risking or not caring about severe adverse consequences in taking such an approach.
There are many ways to create such a mirage. It appears UR has mastered them all.
That said, I am still optimistic that the truthers will not prevail and we will overcome such administrative propaganda while hoping that we can soon discover an effective anti-venom and make the mirage a reality as we did from time to time in years past.
 
Unapologetic propaganda. Has existed for years. UR is onboard and is one of the nations biggest offenders.
Some do not get that an acceptance of reality is the first step in returning to success, but rather adopt this faux approach. I understand it but realize that it is but a temporary fix while risking or not caring about severe adverse consequences in taking such an approach.
There are many ways to create such a mirage. It appears UR has mastered them all.
That said, I am still optimistic that the truthers will not prevail and we will overcome such administrative propaganda while hoping that we can soon discover an effective anti-venom and make the mirage a reality as we did from time to time in years past.
Am I confused about the date that the linked article was written?
 
we definitely didn't make the tournament those years.
doesn't change that I think our roster looks good if it stays together.

It never does stay together. Not with the transient nature of today's players. Also, we have a few redshirts on the team that may bail to play their senior year elsewhere.
 
Looking for some FACTUAL INFORMATION here...

Which of our home games are truly "buy" games? Rothstein referred to Longwood and Hampton in his "epitome of brutality" tweets. Coppin St., as one of the 5 worst teams in all of D1, wouldn't surprise me. IUPUI? SFNY?
 
I think IUPUI and STFU were part of that tournament and therefore not buy games. I presume the other two were buy games. Also, Rothstein is a clown, but everyone already knew that.
 
Copping Hampton & Longwood were all buy games. St Francis & iupui not in traditional sense being they were part of ft Myers tourney but they were getting guarantees to play those games so essentially pseudo buy games. The other home games were part of home & homes.
 
Got it, thanks. So we've paid 3 teams to come here, two embarrassed us and the other played in front of 2000 or so.

On the 14th year of Chris Moon our head coach gave to us.......
Five..Awful..Teams!!!!
Four total wins
Three buy games
Two total dives
and a Win in an Empty Gym.....
 
We can talk hypotheticals and bias all day. Simple question:

Is it possible, dare I say likely, that we would have avid student attendance if the team was regularly in the postseason discussion?

We had heavy attendance student and otherwise for the home NIT games in 2015 and 2017. It seems unlikely that was an aberration. I don’t think we need to search for complex reasons why kids don’t go to the games.

I appreciate your points. However, I vividly recall leaving the cellar on campus prior to the Miami NIT game and seeing students playing video games in the commons. It took everything I had not to scream - don't you realize theirs a post season playoff game on campus! Times have changed and so have the priorities of our students. That wouldn't have been an option when you and I were on campus. And as you even pointed out, pledges would be saving seats and there would have been pre-game partying occurring.

In all fairness, these aren't complex reasons. They're not interested in sports as previous student bodies.
 
1. This is not unique to UR. 95% of the schools in the country have this happening. From Texas the other day against VCU, to VCU themselves, to Auburn, to Boston College, to Northwestern, many schools have problems of poor student attendance to certain games.

2. A lot of it is culture of going to the games. Do you think all the students that go to Duke just so happen to be the biggest basketball fans? Of course not. They go the games because there are decades long history of national success, best players in the country, and it being the thing to do. Here's attendance of the Duke senior night football game against Wake where there is no culture of going to football games at Duke.



3. UR is a smaller school. A 20% attendance showing to certain games will look to have more of an effect than if bigger schools only had a 20% showing.

4. Not many students care as much to go to games against Coppin State. Look at the game before against Wake Forest. The student attendance for that was very good in my opinion.

5.We have had a disappointing record the past few years. There will always be students who always go to the games and students who will never go to the games. However, the majority go or don't go based on success. It is more fun to watch a team that is 7-1, top 25, goes to NCAA tournament, then a team who is coming off of a 12-20 season and is currently 4-5. I wish it was packed for every game no matter the circumstances, but unfortunately that isn't the reality. For any school, not just UR.

If Hardt gets a home run hire coach that can help us win more consistently, make the NCAAs, and have bigger name teams coming to the Robins Center because of that, etc. we will build a culture of winning and get bigger/more consistent numbers to greater amount of games.
 
I appreciate your points. However, I vividly recall leaving the cellar on campus prior to the Miami NIT game and seeing students playing video games in the commons. It took everything I had not to scream - don't you realize theirs a post season playoff game on campus! Times have changed and so have the priorities of our students. That wouldn't have been an option when you and I were on campus. And as you even pointed out, pledges would be saving seats and there would have been pre-game partying occurring.

In all fairness, these aren't complex reasons. They're not interested in sports as previous student bodies.

That Miami NIT game was packed and was one of the best atmospheres I witnessed at the Robins Center. It was even more impressive by the fact we had that turnout and atmosphere for an NIT game. Larranaga even complimented us after that game. Here's video from the entire NIT run (including Miami) which had fantastic attendance throughout.

 
Do you think all the students that go to Duke just so happen to be the biggest basketball fans? Of course not. They go the games because there are decades long history of national success, best players in the country, and it being the thing to do.
This Is the point.

Need to win games and give people a reason to go. Again, it’s not about all of these other reasons, they exist but aren’t in reality the cause.
 
We have a new grandson whom we have been grooming for the baby race, but unfortunately it will be when we are in New Zealand....but we do have another grandson who is due any day now that we'll groom for next season's race!
What is your training regimen for baby races? I have a great athlete but very raw.
 
Baby race rocks - our oldest grandson won when Ukrops was sponsoring the race and we had $250 of groceries so he had a 1 year old birthday party with all kinds of goodies. That was the best moment in Spiders' sports history! Plus the basketball team beat a ranked Temple team that day...................
 
Announced 5107 tonight. Are we really kidding anyone with these numbers at this point?

Ourselves? The AD patting themselves on their back that people are coming to see Mooney and the best class ever? How can you change anything when the future is so bright???
 
I guess the fans that left early missed the big screen notice that the ODU game is next Saturday night.
Who is running this place......geez.
 
I think we are missing the fact that season ticket holders may not be showing up but their tickets purchased are being counted as attendees. I have used one of my season tickets one game to this point.
 
Lame halftime show(?) was appropriate for the lame game. Count me as one who left at halftime.
 
I stayed and watched the homeless trio sing at halftime. Someone turned their microphones off, mercifully. The announcer mentioned something about finding them on 42nd street.
 
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