Cheesehead
01-03-2016, 11:03 PM
This is old info but I think it still applies as UC attendance is till surprisingly low.
Bearcats played before a season low crowd of 5,113.
UC is averaging 6,140 per game, 46.5% capacity of 5th/3rd Arena. Mick Cronin even expressed alarm over UC's lack of ticket sales for the Crosstown Classic during his postgame last night, "we need to start selling our allotment."
UC basketball attendance this year:
6, 532 North Carolina Central
7,028 North Carolina State
6,194 Appalachian State
6,011 Campbell
5,477 UMass-Lowell
6,627 Kennesaw State
5,113 USC Upstate
--------
Capacity: 13,176
Average: 6,140
I've attended four of seven games this season. Twice I sat court-side, as a member of the media, twice I bought tickets and sat in the upper level with Casey. During those four games I've taken notes and made observations about the team, crowd, arena, marketing/promotion, and the in-game experience at 5th/3rd arena. I've talked with alums, current and former season ticket holders and former players.
I believe UC's ticket and marketing departments have done a really nice job with their Radio/TV/billboard campaign, and offering affordable ticket packages.
Red & Black Pack: 9 conference home games including Louisville & Memphis in the Bearcat Lair (Upper Level Bleachers) for $125....an average of $13.88 per game.
Starting 5 Plan: Seats in the Upper Level Chairbacks for one (1) premium game (Memphis or Louisville) and any other four (4) home games for $125....an average of $25 per game.
I believe this team is fun to watch. The Bearcats are 7-0, with one of the best to ever play at UC in Sean Kilpatrick, a fun/emotional Justin Jackson, and a freshman class loaded with potential. The Bearcats are 81-32 (.717) in the last three plus seasons, with three trips to the NCAA tournament and a Sweet 16 appearance.
But the reality, not enough fans want to attend a UC game. That is not on the fans, that is on UC. It is up to the school to make fans want to attend games and experience UC basketball. In order to do that, UC basketball needs adjustments/improvements to the facility, schedule and in-game experience. Here is a list of ideas I've come up with:
Main points of emphasis: 5th/3rd Arena renovation, non-conference scheduling, TV package, ticket prices, in-game experience.
5th/3rd renovation:
The place is a wreck from a design standpoint, with too much dead space and too many bad vantage points. Tear out the lower level seats and start over. Play at US Bank Arena while renovation is done. Make the lower level a bowl configuration, filling the wasted space in the V shaped open corners of the lower level with seats. Replace the seats in the upper level, they are hard and uncomfortable. The upper level seats without seat backs, need seat backs. Heck, I've paid for seats where I can't even see the other end of the court. Fans in most of the arena can't see the giant inflatable Bearcat the players run out of. We can debate what/how renovation should take place, I think all would agree renovation must happen.
I'm certainly open to US Bank Arena. As Athletic Director Whit Babcock told me, "If they built the Taj Mahal there, we've certainly have to consider it." I could see a marketing campaign of "Bearcats at The Banks!". I could see a Bearcats Happy Hour, involving Holy Grail and the other locations at The Banks.
Non-conference schedule: UC simply must upgrade the non-conference schedule. UC can't continue to schedule the likes of Campbell, Appalachian State, North Carolina Central, UMass-Lowell, Kennesaw State, USC Upstate, and Chicago State. Mick is correct when he called USC Upstate a quality opponent, quality in terms of an RPI win, but not quality in terms of fan perception. The schedule has already taken a big hit with the move from the Big East to the American Athletic Conference.
At the very least schedule area teams such as Dayton, Wright State, Western Kentucky, Indiana, Butler, Purdue, Ball State, Valpo, Indiana State, Evansville, Ohio. Fans of some of those teams might even travel to see the game.
Ticket prices: Drop the price of upper level seats with backs from $22 to $15/$10. Drop price of non seat backs to $7. Saturday we sat in section 206, Row 5 for Kennesaw State. I paid $50, including service fee. That price has to come down. Offer more in-game Red-Black Deals. During Saturday's game UC made a video board offer of $5 tickets for all remaining home games (excluding UL). Fantastic idea. Offer various future game ticket deals for fans in attendance, available for purchase during the game at the ticket office.
Read more: http://www.espn1530.com/onair/lance-mcalister-7818/improving-the-uc-basketball-experience-11879522/#ixzz3wFFPPF2H
Bearcats played before a season low crowd of 5,113.
UC is averaging 6,140 per game, 46.5% capacity of 5th/3rd Arena. Mick Cronin even expressed alarm over UC's lack of ticket sales for the Crosstown Classic during his postgame last night, "we need to start selling our allotment."
UC basketball attendance this year:
6, 532 North Carolina Central
7,028 North Carolina State
6,194 Appalachian State
6,011 Campbell
5,477 UMass-Lowell
6,627 Kennesaw State
5,113 USC Upstate
--------
Capacity: 13,176
Average: 6,140
I've attended four of seven games this season. Twice I sat court-side, as a member of the media, twice I bought tickets and sat in the upper level with Casey. During those four games I've taken notes and made observations about the team, crowd, arena, marketing/promotion, and the in-game experience at 5th/3rd arena. I've talked with alums, current and former season ticket holders and former players.
I believe UC's ticket and marketing departments have done a really nice job with their Radio/TV/billboard campaign, and offering affordable ticket packages.
Red & Black Pack: 9 conference home games including Louisville & Memphis in the Bearcat Lair (Upper Level Bleachers) for $125....an average of $13.88 per game.
Starting 5 Plan: Seats in the Upper Level Chairbacks for one (1) premium game (Memphis or Louisville) and any other four (4) home games for $125....an average of $25 per game.
I believe this team is fun to watch. The Bearcats are 7-0, with one of the best to ever play at UC in Sean Kilpatrick, a fun/emotional Justin Jackson, and a freshman class loaded with potential. The Bearcats are 81-32 (.717) in the last three plus seasons, with three trips to the NCAA tournament and a Sweet 16 appearance.
But the reality, not enough fans want to attend a UC game. That is not on the fans, that is on UC. It is up to the school to make fans want to attend games and experience UC basketball. In order to do that, UC basketball needs adjustments/improvements to the facility, schedule and in-game experience. Here is a list of ideas I've come up with:
Main points of emphasis: 5th/3rd Arena renovation, non-conference scheduling, TV package, ticket prices, in-game experience.
5th/3rd renovation:
The place is a wreck from a design standpoint, with too much dead space and too many bad vantage points. Tear out the lower level seats and start over. Play at US Bank Arena while renovation is done. Make the lower level a bowl configuration, filling the wasted space in the V shaped open corners of the lower level with seats. Replace the seats in the upper level, they are hard and uncomfortable. The upper level seats without seat backs, need seat backs. Heck, I've paid for seats where I can't even see the other end of the court. Fans in most of the arena can't see the giant inflatable Bearcat the players run out of. We can debate what/how renovation should take place, I think all would agree renovation must happen.
I'm certainly open to US Bank Arena. As Athletic Director Whit Babcock told me, "If they built the Taj Mahal there, we've certainly have to consider it." I could see a marketing campaign of "Bearcats at The Banks!". I could see a Bearcats Happy Hour, involving Holy Grail and the other locations at The Banks.
Non-conference schedule: UC simply must upgrade the non-conference schedule. UC can't continue to schedule the likes of Campbell, Appalachian State, North Carolina Central, UMass-Lowell, Kennesaw State, USC Upstate, and Chicago State. Mick is correct when he called USC Upstate a quality opponent, quality in terms of an RPI win, but not quality in terms of fan perception. The schedule has already taken a big hit with the move from the Big East to the American Athletic Conference.
At the very least schedule area teams such as Dayton, Wright State, Western Kentucky, Indiana, Butler, Purdue, Ball State, Valpo, Indiana State, Evansville, Ohio. Fans of some of those teams might even travel to see the game.
Ticket prices: Drop the price of upper level seats with backs from $22 to $15/$10. Drop price of non seat backs to $7. Saturday we sat in section 206, Row 5 for Kennesaw State. I paid $50, including service fee. That price has to come down. Offer more in-game Red-Black Deals. During Saturday's game UC made a video board offer of $5 tickets for all remaining home games (excluding UL). Fantastic idea. Offer various future game ticket deals for fans in attendance, available for purchase during the game at the ticket office.
Read more: http://www.espn1530.com/onair/lance-mcalister-7818/improving-the-uc-basketball-experience-11879522/#ixzz3wFFPPF2H