Just got out of a meeting on how to up attendance at a local D1 college's football games.

I'll be honest; the team sucks. We're looking for ways to up community, alumni, and/or student attendance.

At the risk of hearing PIIHB, what would get you guys to your local college, alma mater, or school on Saturday for a football game?

Random details: The game is a month away. It's scheduled for noon. The opponent is not a big rival or anything. Tickets are nabout $15 apiece.

Obvious problem: They don't serve alcohol at the games.

Akron University?

Kent State

1. Address obvious problem.
2. Some kind of ticket promotion. $15 may be cheap, but if they suck and no one cares, drop them further to get people in the door. OU has done some seats for as low as $5 just to get asses in seats (they wanted a sellout badly), and those were against BCS schools.
3. If the game is at the same time as an Ohio State game, move it to 4pm. Going up against them while trying to lure casual fans is suicide.
5. Partner with local eateries for a student tailgate. OU does this too on the practice field, with cornhole and other shit set up.
6. Upper deck the toilets on the visitor side. This won't help anything but will bring the lulz

THE4RINGZ;904307 wrote:Akron University?

Steel Valley Football;904309 wrote:Kent State

It is one of these.

ts1227;904310 wrote:3. If the game is at the same time as an Ohio State game, move it to 4pm. Going up against them while trying to lure casual fans is suicide.

Hell move it to Thursday night.

**An alumni tent for all those who have went to the school to come to the game and enjoy a pre/post game food/drink.
**Pack the house day. Promote it like crazy and make it seem like 'the thing to do'.
**If they have any famous former players...make it a day to honor that person and have him come back for a ceremony.
**family day.


and if that all doesnt work.........stripper pole dance off at halftime.


Does bgsu serve alcohol at games? I know a few years ago I got some tickets to a BG game given to me and I shared them with friends. It was alumni day and they had a hospitality tent for those who had attended BGSU and if I remember right they served alcohol in that tent.

Bouncy castles in the tailgating lots.

Sonofanump;904349 wrote:Hell move it to Thursday night.

Weeknight games don't draw for shit, especially a conference game in the MAC. Watch ESPN in November on Tuesday and Thursday and you'll see what I mean.

karen lotz;904351 wrote:Bouncy castles in the tailgating lots.

OU has inflatables in the student tailgate, lol.

yeah...a thursday night game wont do jack. Those are games that people who travel to the game typically dont care to go to.

ts1227;904355 wrote:Weeknight games don't draw for ****, especially a conference game in the MAC. Watch ESPN in November on Tuesday and Thursday and you'll see what I mean.

At least you get the TV ca$h.

Sonofanump;904349 wrote:Hell move it to Thursday night.

It's too soon to change the time or day. I'll have to check and see if it's going to compete with OSU.

ts1227;904357 wrote:OU has inflatables in the student tailgate, lol.

They have, for the time being, put the kibosh on tailgating ... stupid, but it's what I have to work with.

O-Trap;904363 wrote:They have, for the time being, put the kibosh on tailgating ... stupid, but it's what I have to work with.

wow, good luck.

Looking at schedules, considering only one game between both of the mentioned schools combined has a noon kickoff slated for October, I can see that the OSU thing will not be an issue.

But seriously, that matchup is dreadful. With no tailgate... short of filling the student section with hookers, good luck.

karen lotz;904368 wrote:wow, good luck.

ts1227;904375 wrote:short of filling the student section with hookers, good luck.

Kinda what I figured. With such short notice, it seems like a difficult problem to solve.

Do students get in free?

Its definitely Akron..probably against Central Michigan.

From a student's perspective...I go to the games, but usually leave at halftime because its not even close.
1. The number one and most important reason people don't come to the game is because the team sucks. Nobody wants to pay to see a team get blown out every game. Winning fills the stands, just go to a soccer of mens basketball game.
2. Recruit the Akron/NE Ohio area more heavily. There is good high school talent in the area. Go get it and you give members of the community a reason to come so that they can watch their friend or family member play.
3. Nobody likes this coach. He comes off as an arrogant asshole..just the way he sounds in interviews. You never see him at any campus events or the football team doing anything out of the ordinary on campus. Get him/the team involved in other activities, people may feel more of an incentive to go watch the team.
4. They really need to serve alcohol at the games. I dont understand why they dont really, many other places do it. Its not like Akron football games have some crazy atmosphere where there will more than likely be problems. I sneak a water bottle of vodka in every game anyways.

As for specifics at that game..
With a 12pm start time, many students will still be sleeping/hungover and wont have any motivation to get out of bed to watch a bad football team.
I agree with a lot of thevoice's options..things like that will bring in fans that usually wouldnt have came.

Akron made a good move this season by not having any Thursday night home games, because they finally realized the dismal attendance they get on weeknights.

Free t-shirts for students will get them to the game, doesnt mean it will make them stay. The University had a good idea for the home opener this year and gave away 10 prizes worth a couple hundred dollars a piece to students who attended.


Bottom Line: Even though its obvious, winning games, or at least being competitive will sell tickets.

I'm not condoning it but SEC and B1G schools have shown us that paying players and winning at all costs boosts attendance.

yes

j_crazy;904391 wrote:I'm not condoning it but SEC and B1G schools have shown us that paying players and winning at all costs boosts attendance.

Reps when I get to a computer.

Give out Tressel Bobbleheads....

Lebron is out of work maybe he could help you with this.

Charlie Frye Day!

Five dollar tickets to students, and alumni.

The Tshirt thing that pick 6 brought up is not a bad idea, but those usually are from some sort of sponsor and it may be too late for that.


The alumni day idea I think works well but it may be too late to really get that going. Maybe going forward they can promote that in the offseason leading up to the start of the season. You can send ticket order forms to alumni and they can purchase a ticket to the game...or ya can do something like for ever 10 dollars you donate to the University you get a free ticket to the game. STuff like that.


It really is just creating a buzz around the game and making it seem like 'the thing to do'