UCAFANS.COM | GO UCA BEARS!

This ends up coming up in most of the other threads, so I just wanteded to try to nail it down in one spot. What do we need to do to RAISE ATTENDANCE. I'm not knocking what we have, and I'm not trying to project a number. These are just some observations. Our average attendance is 7,326. That places us at #15/149 in D2. Guys, that is GREAT. Top 10%. That would put us at 57/120 in D1CS already. Top 48%, which isn't bad at all. The problem I see from looking at the other schools is that they average about 150% of enrollment as attendance. That's 18,000 fans for us. That may sound crazy, but I don't understand why that isn't pretty close to our "norm" anyway. What do you, as the true PURPLE FANS, suggest?

You know, I used to think that building a bigger stadium will draw the fans in, but then reality kicked in and I realized that we don't even average our capacity right now so how would building a bigger stadium help?!

Then I thought that we should make it an incentive for the students to attend every home game by giving them free food or something like that, but then I thought that I would rather have the student group that we have now which is very loud and excited about Bear football than a lot more students who just sit there to get free stuff and don't give a crap about Bear football.

I think that advertising more on campus will help draw some more students to the games because I know that when I was there, if I wasn't a Bear fan and took the liberty of looking up the schedule I wouldn't have known about the games until a few days before and if I already had plans than I couldn't go...so advertising well in advance to EVERYONE on campus would help...as well as advertising more to the Conway community somehow...I don't know how exactly, but I am sure if we had more money we could do TV commercials and such, but I am sure there is a cheaper way of doing just such a thing.

You know as well as anyone, Josh, how I've cried and whined about advertising. But honestly, I don't think that's the answer. Somehow, we've got to nurture a feeling of "team pride" in the student body. I mean, of course, there's always gonna be more alumni than student body. But the Alumni get spread out in "life", and geography, and a whole host of other situations. But the student body, on the other hand, is closing in on 12,000 enrollment! You throw in even a little Alumnus and we ought to rock the house. My question is...."Why do the students, who pay more than any of us, not support their teams?"

anyone grabbed those purple Poster Schedules and helped pass them out around town yet? I've seen some of them on campus, and I know there was a pretty big stack of them at scrimmage last Saturday. I also know they were filming a spot to be ran for the CCC at Channel 6 today and we have been running the heck out of the Coach Conque's promo ad/spot on "The Bear" 91.3 and KCON since before the summer started, so I can honestly say campus is pretty well covered. Now whether or not those on campus listen, receive and then act on that information is a whole other point...

That is an excellent question...it may have something to do with the fact that most kids from Arkansas (I am assuming that the majority of the UCA student body is from Arkansas) grew up watching the Razorbacks of TV or going to their games with their parents and so on and so forth. It may have been that they wanted to go to the U of A, but couldn't afford it or something and so when they end up a UCA they don't know who to support. They don't know much, if anything about the Bears so they just continue to support the Razorbacks. That is they way I feel it has been, however I think that things are starting to change and that if we just give it time ( I know that most people, myself included, want to see things change overnight but that isn't going to happen) things will change for the better as far as the entire student body supporting UCA Sports.

You know I think about this question sometimes and I think one answer might be that the fact is, not everyone is a sports/athletics fan. I know that might be plain and simple, but those who don't like sports aren't going to the games. I guess one exception might be if a player happens to be in someone's class and they tell that player they will go to support them. But other than that, some people are into strictly hunting and fishing, others music, others are here at UCA strictly to get an education, and still other are into any number of things and could care less if UCA even has athletics' teams or not. Maybe/hopefully I'm dead wrong on that, but that could always be one reason why some of the students don't show up.

Another reason might be the sheer numbers of commuter students we have attending UCA. According to the numbers, roughly 4200 of about 12,000 students live on campus. That leaves in the neighborhood of 8,000 that don't live on campus, correct? (someone with better math skills help me out) Now to be fair, I also keep in mind commuter encompasses those living in Conway that just live off campus and do not necessarily mean they are living totally outside the city, which still a great number of students do I assume.

O.K., I'm gonna be honest here. Other than UCA, I actually did a 2 yr. stint at StAte. I'm gonna have to give the Greeks Props here, athletics was the SH1T!!! All of the other stuff we had to deal with aside, EVERYBODY had to make the Athletic event that night, whatever night it happened to be. It started out as a burden, but within a month you were looking forward to going to some kinda game, takin some people with ya and talkin' some sh1t. Same as HS except you really think your somebody. I guess what I'm saying is, you don't really have to advertise. If it's that much fun, you couldn't keep them away if you wanted to.

Selling to the Greeks work, until they have to go to the next party, then they are out of the stadium as fast as they staggered in....and yes I was in a fraternity so I don't need bashing on the stereotype I tried to semi-portray here

I think winning, and the bigger named opponents coming to Estes, and or LR once in a while, will help attendance naturally. Other than that I'm not sure I have any more ideas than ones we've been over a few times before in the last year and a half. It's a crapshoot, and hopefully we roll a winner!

Alright, then if the product is great, then what does UCA need to do to get the seats filled?
Promotions on TV and radio. Expensive. But necessary in my opinion. I have heard more UAPB commercials the last few weeks than UCA commercials.
Mailers. Mail the schedule to a large area in central arkansas. Start with conway and surrounding areas. Heck, I'd even volunteer to put them in mailboxes in conway myself!
Game attractions. Halftime acts other than the dance team. THe band rocks but there has to be fun games for the kids and adults. Field goal kicks for meals at restaraunts...you get the picture.
How about pep rallies involving a charity. Bethelehem house could use a good turnout and fundraiser. A cookout with donations going to that charity for example. BBQ always brings 'em in!

...anyway, I know those are vague ideas that maybe aren't the greatest but it would help turnout if we involved the community much more in the events going on at UCA.

7!!!!!

?????

Craps.
Come Oooonnnnnnnnnn SEVEN!!

.....alright you made me pull out the big guns!


Let's put slot machines on the concourse and sell beer during the games..........



(humor me..c'mon)

The concourse is cool with me. I'd like to put in one of those change machines, though, and I would ask that everyone keep it out of the streets and not scare the horses. Horses and drunks are dangerous.

Ill tell you I grew up going to Arkansas Razorback games but once you grow up and get your head on right you should support the school you go to. Cost isnt the issue and it you want to be a hog fan the you should go to fayetteville. Otherwise you damn better be cheering for Da' Bears!