Mulerider wrote:
FOOT84 wrote:
Mulerider wrote:
Good Morning everyone. I really have been doing some thinking yesterday and this morning. UCA's community and fan support for basketball have been absolutely terrible. I saw that first hand yesterday at a very low attended rival game against UALR. Yes it's a different kind of rivalry, but still. I saw a very poor crowd where they didn't even have to raise the netting to the upper stands. This is the kind of game you should have 4,000 people at. Personally I have learned a few things after attending basketball games over the past couple of years.
1. The University must find a way to get more students at the game. More giveaways, better Wifi, more ways to get the students involved.
2. Security. It's a joke. Your not in the SEC, so quit trying to check my wife's wallet than can literally hold nothing but cards. No excuse, just dumb.
3. Tickets. Yes I understand the school has to make money, but a pass for high school or students from the area need to be sold. Or possibly family passes, not sure if they don't already do it.
4. Sound. THE SOUND SYSTEM SUCKS. UCA, I HOPE YOU SEE THIS.
5. Seating. This whole BS of well the reserved seats in the upper part need to be empty just in case someone who bought a ticket sits there. They were 1/3 full on Saturday..... Come on guys.......
6. Food. Come on... its a joke. Have some flair... The football games are even better it seems like for the same exact food.
UCA Basketball could be a gem, but instead it's something on the lower end of the scale.
I will still attend games as a fan, but all you Alumni need to step up and get to the games.
NUFF SAID
Be careful or you will make someone mad...
Maybe it's good to get the conversation going...
I agree with, most everything, you guys have posted.
Regarding #1, I have been following the mens program for the better part of 50 years. Getting students to the games back then was a HUGE issue as it is today. I have no answers on this one.
#2, Security....I am not aware of this issue so I really can't offer a suggestion or comment.
#3, Tickets....Again, I am not aware of this issue.
#4, the sound system.....that system may be the biggest piece of garbage on the face of the earth. I normally sit on the east side of the FC so I can see both benches....cannot understand a word Jeff Matthews is saying. Trash it and get something else. Someone with a bullhorn would do better.
#5, Reserved seating....I know of , at least, two instances, where we have lost some fans because of the reserved seating. They have absolutely stopped coming to games.
#6, the food issue is tied to the university's contract with ARAMARK and I am not sure anything can be done about this. Oh my, you are correct on how bad it is.
Yes, mens basketball could be a gem....back when I started following the team, it was an exciting bunch with John Hutchcraft, James Dickey, Jim Pickett, Joe Couch and David Farmer, just to name a few. It was a good brand of basketball back there in the early to mid 1970's, but again, turnout was not good. Move on up to the late 1980's when teams composed of Joe and George Sitkowski, Jeff Welch, Zack Burks, Anthony Samuels and others made five consecutive trips to the national NAIA tournament. If memory serves me correctly, they played for two national championships during that time.
Finally, I think we have a good coach and staff, however, when you have an athletic administration that only cares about getting a BIG payday out of mens basketball to fund other non-revenue sports, that just stinks. I think our players play hard and our coaches work hard, but the mens program, the fans and the school deserves MUCH better. Didn't mean to rant for so long.
BTW, I will still continue to come to home games as much as I can.
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