Promotion Promotion !

[Westbadenboy]

Hope I don't sound too negative here guys -- I'm really excited about the upcoming BB season and what McKenna is putting together at ISU. But I've followed ISU basketball since the early 70's and several times (Bird Era) had season teickets -- driving from West Lafayette to attend games in major snow storms -- and I know (unfortunately) how both the students and Terre Haute seem to have a major apathy toward major college basketball. While almost the entire nation has been going crazy over the past 15 years over NCAA basketball, ISU -- even with very, very good teams in the early 2000's struggled to get decent crowds into Hulman Center. True the IU and Purdue games have had good crowds, but with we should been putting 8000 -- 9000 in people in the stands for those MVC games with Menser & Renn.
It took many, many games during the Bird era to get HC filled (and yes I really was one of those watching Bird's first college game at ISU). We weren't filling the stands until we broke into the Top Ten, with arguably the best player in college basketball history -- go figure that one !
My point is this -- I hope folks at ISU don't just "assume" the crowds will show up this season and into the future. It will take effort, creativity, and good judgement to get people into the stands. Promote and advertise, get media exposure, work to get some "name" schools into HC (I know we'll have to do a 2 for 1 ---- do it !), get the campus fired up, rally both young and old in Terre Haute, entice the business community to support.
Do not sit back and assume good team equals 8000 -- 10,000 at the games.
Yes get a couple of home games on TV but not too many ! Yes do some ticket "give aways" -- but give the tickets away at the gate -- not several days in advance ! You do that you got a "sellout", but only 5000 -- 6000 actual people at the game.
Promote ! Promote ! Promote !

Go Trees !

 

[IndyTreeFan]

This is a good point. Remember, after we won the Valley in 99-00, we had four starters returning, and we actually dropped in # of season ticketholders. It just requires more work at ISU...

 

[SycamoreStateofMind]

I would guess that season tickets sales are "way" ahead of where their were last year at this time - it would be really interesting to find some more information about ticket sales for 2009 -2010. Considering the economy and the fact that this was an 11 win program last year ticket sales being up would be great news.

We have an influx of local talent and that has been well documented on this web site. That should help contribute to increased attendance. You have a local kid that has transfered from Iowa and was outstanding last year in the Big Ten, name is Jake Kelly - you very well might have heard of him. But their is a lot of excitement around this years team.

Take the football team for example - the city of Terre Haute has actually embraced the program fairly well considering what they are up against - I guarantee you that attendance numbers are up for that program this year and they are arguable worse. That in its self tells us that attendance is not solely based on win/loss records...

 

[Little Eddie]

I bet the people in the ticket office would divulge what the season ticket sales look like so far...or maybe the sports info guy at ISU??

 

[bent20]

Winning consistently would make a difference, and I'm talking for more than two seasons here and two seasons there.

 

[godfatherdan]

Westbadenboy may well be correct about there being a delay between the time of Bird's arrival at ISU and the stands filling up. I was at most of those games too in the Bird era and my memory may have played a trick on me over time, with the reality of some empty seats in the early days being replaced in my memory by the heady days of the '78-'79 season, when HC was packed to the rafters and toilet paper would rain down as the crowd erupted during the player introductions. I do recall the ISU fans at that peak period having far more enthusiasm for their team than the next year when I was a freshman at Purdue and the Boilers, led by Joe Barry Carroll, made it to the Final Four. There was just no comparison in terms of excitement surrounding the program.

I hope that ISU, and all of the fans, do what we can to fill the seats at Hulman Center, and that we do it sooner rather than later. Go Trees!

 

[Sackalot]

I think promotion is the key....getting out there and promoting. Going to school, civic groups, clubs, etc. Getting everyone excited!

 

[SydCamore]

We will have a hard time averaging 8000 fans....... Even when Bird was here, it took a while to sell out the HC.

Bottome Line is, Terre Haute is a terrible sports town...... I love TH, but it is not supportive of local sports teams....

I have lived here my whole life and never knew a single Colts fan until they won 13 games one year......... When Manning is gone, there won't be many Colts fans around here.

If you are winning conference and division championships, the people around here will show up. If not, they act like you don't exist.

It's the sad truth.....

 

[SycamoreStateofMind]

Syd,

I usually agree with you - but this time I am not sure that I do...

Local sports esp. high school get a bunch of support - take for example the Pizza Hut classic every year. One of the best high school hoops tournaments in the state every year.

Look at all local teams West, Northview, North, South and Marshall they all get great crowds in football and basketball.

Then you talk about the Colts - I think Colts fans are more visible today for several reasons. First and foremost like you said they are winning, so everyone is a Colts fan. But you also have to realize that the Colts now have camp every year in TH and that is going to grow your local fan base and people are going to be more visible. I don't think Colts fans were as vocal as they are now - because they had nothing to be vocal about. Does that make sense? Just because you didn't see them didn't mean they didn't exist - closet Colts fans...

Lastly Indiana State - look at the amount of people who have been going to home football games last year and even better this year. The program is arguably the worst college football program in the history of football and you are complaining about local fan support? You are lucky anyone comes - but the coaching staff and administration have done a great job getting folks to come to games, all things considered.

Look at Womens basketball - this community supports our womens basketball program very well. Womens basketball is not a well attended sport nation wide, but this "terrible" sports town seems to rank pretty high on attendance.

Mens hoops has been down for sure - but you have to look at the product on the floor. Before this year you didn't have any local talent, no real athletic players, it was really boring basketball - besides the fact that they were not winning. So what more can you expect?

 

[sycamorebacker]

Syd,

I usually agree with you - but this time I am not sure that I do...

Local sports esp. high school get a bunch of support - take for example the Pizza Hut classic every year. One of the best high school hoops tournaments in the state every year.

Look at all local teams West, Northview, North, South and Marshall they all get great crowds in football and basketball.

Then you talk about the Colts - I think Colts fans are more visible today for several reasons. First and foremost like you said they are winning, so everyone is a Colts fan. But you also have to realize that the Colts now have camp every year in TH and that is going to one grow your local fan base and people are going to be more visible. I don't think Colts fans were as vocal as they are now - because they had nothing to be vocal about. Does that make sense? Just because you didn't see them didn't mean they didn't exist - closet Colts fans...

Lastly Indiana State - look at the amount of people who have been going to home football games last year and even better this year. The program is arguably the worst college football program in the history of football and you are complaining about local fan support? You are lucky anyone comes - but the coaching staff and administration have done a great job and they get folks to come to the games.

Look at Womens basketball - this community supports our womens basketball program very well. Womens basketball is not a well attended sport nation wide, but this "terrible" sports town seems to rank pretty high on attendance.

Mens hoops has been down for sure - but you have to look at the product on the floor. Before this year you didn't have any local talent, no real athletic players, it was really boring basketball - besides the fact that they were not winning.

Right!

 

[SydCamore]

Syd,

I usually agree with you - but this time I am not sure that I do...

Local sports esp. high school get a bunch of support - take for example the Pizza Hut classic every year. One of the best high school hoops tournaments in the state every year.

Look at all local teams West, Northview, North, South and Marshall they all get great crowds in football and basketball.

Then you talk about the Colts - I think Colts fans are more visible today for several reasons. First and foremost like you said they are winning, so everyone is a Colts fan. But you also have to realize that the Colts now have camp every year in TH and that is going to grow your local fan base and people are going to be more visible. I don't think Colts fans were as vocal as they are now - because they had nothing to be vocal about. Does that make sense? Just because you didn't see them didn't mean they didn't exist - closet Colts fans...

Lastly Indiana State - look at the amount of people who have been going to home football games last year and even better this year. The program is arguably the worst college football program in the history of football and you are complaining about local fan support? You are lucky anyone comes - but the coaching staff and administration have done a great job getting folks to come to games, all things considered.

Look at Womens basketball - this community supports our womens basketball program very well. Womens basketball is not a well attended sport nation wide, but this "terrible" sports town seems to rank pretty high on attendance.

Mens hoops has been down for sure - but you have to look at the product on the floor. Before this year you didn't have any local talent, no real athletic players, it was really boring basketball - besides the fact that they were not winning. So what more can you expect?

Fair enough........... But I still slightly disagree...........

I do believe that our High-Schools receive good support, especially the smaller schools.... THN and THS do not get the support they once did. I remember as a kid in the early 90s going to to THN home games where it was standing room only....... That only happens now during the WVPHC championship and when we are playing Lawrence North.

ISU football is receiving more support now than they have in 15 years probably...... but the fans that show up are the DEDICATED fans, like all of us.........

When it comes to ISU, I am referring to the casual fans....... Which I don't think we have much of. When I go to ISU men's and women's basketball games ( I have only 1 men's game since I went to ISU in 2001), I see the SAME people. I lOVE these people, but we have a hard time drawing the casual fan. I think this is because people that do not have a tie to the team or university do not support the teams.

I went there..... my father and brother wore Sycamore uniforms...... I have a strong tie to the University and you all have similar ties.......... but we still can't get the casual fan. I don't feel a strong connection between ISU and the Community. I agree that it's getting better, but it is sad to see the disconnect.

 

[SycamoreStateofMind]

I guess this goes to everyones argument to me all of the time and it's the most frustrating argument ever when it's directed at me - but just as track and field will never be football because it's not a main stream sport. Indiana State will never be IU or Purdue in terms of local community support or attendance - or whatever you are talking about.

I mean you can blame a number of people - the administration (past), coaches (past), the city of Terre Haute and it's horrible fan base or whoever you want to blame, but at this point that does you no good. It would seem as if the University as a whole has made a huge commitment to it's athletic programs and it would seem as if things have improved in the last 5 years.

I have one more connection you need to make - take for example the student attendance, look how many students came to the first home football game - look at the amount of students that will come to the first couple home basketball games.

In the past they have left the games with no reason to come back - they can find better thins to do. I am sorry but when you have your biggest student section in 20 years and you blow your load on Q then you are going to loose a ton of support. Or when you are the hoops team and you don't win at home people don't come back to support that. It proves we do have casual fans - the students are the best example of this. But you are exactly right, you have to win to capture a casual audience.

 

[Sackalot]

My take is exactly what Dr. Bradley said in his address to the campus and in the Trib Star. Terre Haute is a college town, but has fought that idea for many years. Once TH accepts that it is a college town, things will change as far as support.

 

[landrus13]

I've been to several ISU basketball games over the years, and the students just don't show up anymore like they did when Menser and Renn played. When the students show up that really pumps up the players to play with more emotion. I hope our attendance is up this year, it was terrible last year.

 

[Revolution]

We will have a hard time averaging 8000 fans....... Even when Bird was here, it took a while to sell out the HC.

Bottome Line is, Terre Haute is a terrible sports town...... I love TH, but it is not supportive of local sports teams....

I have lived here my whole life and never knew a single Colts fan until they won 13 games one year......... When Manning is gone, there won't be many Colts fans around here.

If you are winning conference and division championships, the people around here will show up. If not, they act like you don't exist.

It's the sad truth.....

So what you're saying is, Terre Haute is just like every other town in America. Nice observation.

 

[landrus13]

Terre Haute isn't like any other city in America, we have the most boring city in the nation.

 

[Revolution]

Terre Haute isn't like any other city in America, we have the most boring city in the nation.

What an asinine statement. You have my pity. If you really feel that way, that's entirely your fault and you're showing your complete ignorance. :krazy:

 

[bent20]

What an asinine statement. You have my pity. If you really feel that way, that's entirely your fault and you're showing your complete ignorance. :krazy:

Yeah, obviously he or she hasn't been out of Terre Haute much. From an entertainment stand point what do you expect from TH? It has more restaurants than any other city of its size, it has more local colleges with athletic programs than most cities its size. It has more life in its downtown now, more than most cities its size. It has an art museum, a historic movie theater, great gulf courses, a fair amount of nice bars, local music acts with original entertainment (not sure what the scene is like today, but it was pretty impressive when I was a part of it ten years ago). I realize for the 22 and under crowd it might take a little work to meet your expectations. People that age expect to be constantly entertained, but don't know how to entertain themselves or how to appreciate what's available.

 

[landrus13]

When was the last time Terre Haute had a big concert here? What great college athletics are there in town besides RHIT?

Please tell me?

 

[4Q_iu]

?!

When was the last time Terre Haute had a big concert here? What great college athletics are there in town besides RHIT?

Please tell me?

Don't you REALIZE that ISU just HOSTED the NCAA Pre-Nationals!?!?!?!

I'll let Morgan fill you in on the rest of the story;

Morgan...