Just some thoughts:

At indiana state we are getting our attendance up slowly but surely. Couple things ppl do that maybe might help.

1. Winning will be probably the biggest thing of em all. but if you do some other things then you can start protecting your home when opposing teams come in
2. Get the students there. Prizes for students such tshirts or free throw contest for 60 credits or however the meal plan works LU students. Something that benefits them. Or if you have a sponsor have a spin the wheel and whatever number it lands on the team has to score that many points and if they do then free ___ for students for an hour. We did alot last year.
3. It's gonna take commitment from somebody who puts their heart and soul into this, not saying nobody isnt, to push ideas and see them through
4. Weather aint helping it's too dang cold. Maybe you guys can create an artificial sun lol
5. Advertise..involve newstations, put it in the newspapers, around campus, ask frats to help.
6. Have the team ask students to come and also gpo speak and personally thank the students for coming out and to community. Do alot of community work.
7. Do ALL of those little things and attendance will grow, then start winning games and see what happens.

Once you get through this struggle you guys will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then the Mvc fans will no longer be mad at you. Look at it this way. I dont see you guys doing any worse starting next season. Now that the ramblers have a feel of what the mvc is like and are starting to buy to Porter's system they are learning how to compete. Now they just have to learn how to win. I think Porter can do it even though I know some of you dont care for him. But even Porter knows he has to be solid on his coaching. And if you havent notice this is a well coached league so Porter is learning too. He has put you guys in alot of positions to win but freshmen and sophmore tend to make mistakes in crucial times. Just have to be patient. Hopefully I gave yous guys some encouragement. Im glad we got the sweep and got yous guys out the way bc I have feeling you guys are gonna beat somebody you shouldnt. Wont say any names tho.

JT. that was a well thought out response. I especially appreciate it from a MVC foe/friend.

I think this is a very complex question. A lot of us Old Timers would of course love to see it be the way it used to be when the Ampitheatere had 12,000 to see LU play Marquette or Mertz Hall and Campion emptied to fill the old gym. But i think this is like the energy problem, it is going to take a lot of approaches.
Our best attendance was 1. When we were Chicagos team along with DePaul and even Marquette. Those were huge rivalries and big draws. ANd even NU to some extent. We have to find a way to tap this again. 2. When we had great teams with great players. The 60's and 80's. The answer to this is of course win and have great players that are local.I think Milton Doyle is the first step.But of course this is tied to recruiting which can be effected by attendance and game time atmosphere.3. When we drew from all of Chicago...this is a hard one. Peoples perceptions of traveling in Chicago have changed . Give parking as part of the ticket????? as many day games as possible????? advertize how close to the L the gym is. 4. When we played a great non-conference schedule.I can still remember the season we played Georgtown, U of Minnesota and Indaina State with Larry Bird all in the same season. Screw the record ...if we are going to lose..lets lose to exciting teams....give fans and Chicago fans a reason to come to the games. Schedule teams with the biggest alumni bases in Chicago.
What has changed that effects attendance? 1. I think we live in an time when people are becoming skeptical about college sports and not for reasons that have anything to do with LU. I am proud that we seem to bring in good student athletes who are also good citizens. Publicize the players more. Publicize how well LU athletes are doing in the classroom. These need to be kids we know and want to root for. Only those really close to the program know some of the great stories and families involved. the feeling of a personal relationship goes a long way. I do not think students feel the same way about sports that they used to. Youth sports has really cut down on the # of kids who participate in sports. Regular students start to view athletes as Prima Donnas who get a free ride while they have to pay a large tuition.Some how this connection between our athletes and students has to be solid. I loved the fact that I had b-ball players living in my dorm. Ronnie Miller lived next to my brother at Campion. I like the fact that our players acknowledge the student section at games. This goes for our coach as well. I feel like I have to dig and dig to get info on the Ramblers. Post some practice sessions. Dont make me go to the website send everyone who attends a game a little something extra like a day after breakdown. How bout a 5 minute pre-game with the Coach for season ticket holders.
How do we get students to the games? First of all I would make them pay...not a large sum..say 10 bucks for a season pass. Some early commitment.Second I would put them in charge of the game experience.....Let them decide how this would be fun. Right now we seem to be just copying everything ,everybody else does. Let the LU student experience be unique and theirs and a respite from studying. make it a social experience....DJ in the Student Union after each game.
Where are the ALums? there is a tremendous void as students over the last 25 years never went to games and it was not part of their experience. Tough to turn around but needs to be done in conjunction with the Alumni Office. Why wouldnt any group alumni experience, class reunions, sports team reunions, etc be held at Lakeshore with the b-ball game as part of the experience? If we get 1% of alums ...jeees.
I know several people have commented that the ticket office is working hard which may be true but they may not be working effectively. I am an LU letter winner and I have never been contacted about being in the Lettermans club. They have never tried to get me and my fellow team members together. Even though I have showed a tremendous amount of interest in LU athletics....I received one phone call and that was the total outreach for me to attend games.
LU will always have to contend with being in Chicago and being just one of tons of options. THey have to find a way to find their niche and rise above the noise. In the end it needs to be a celebration of LU and being part of the LU community and what it stands for....a celebration of the great game of basketball..... and a celebration of the great city of Chicago.
Some specifics to this year. I know the change to Wednesdays caught me by surprise. I will be better prepared for next year and living an hour and a half away the weather has been a factor for me this year.
In summary you have 4 targets 1. Students 2. Alums 3. Chicago basketball fans 4.Opposing fans. "Gitter done"
GO RAMBLERS
PS. NU is having the same problem with getting students to the games. It was either LakethePosts or INSIDE NOrthwestern. Student responses were brutal.

Well John nailed it as usual !!

Smokey and others make great points--

A few I like--

--WIN and WIN a lot
--Better non-conf scheds---BTW both Ireland and Sully challenged ANYBODY ANY PLACE AND PROVED IT---Of course they had the teams to warrant

--One of the best things that SMOKEY came up with--Charge students something--such as a $10.00 season fee. You see, I believe if you GIVE something away free , that is what it is worth--NOTHING--or that is the perception.

--Find some sponsor to promote a Big-Five City competition--like Morse back in the day of packed Chgo Stadium--mostly- Takes $$$$ but that is what Morse did.-, even bringing in BELOIT COLLEGE--Remember ??
Packed the place.

All the rest--fine suggestions but first and foremost--WIN !! Our Conference is a great conduit--eg, WSU vs LUC and DePewl vs Illinois or somebody.

BUT WE MUST WIN first --

Future looks mighty fine !!

Tuition and fees are what, 50k+ now? Keep giving the students tickets. The day you have a problem because the gym is too full of free-ticket students is a good day. I was broke in college. If they'd have charged me to go to the women's games, or men's or women's volelyball, or softball...wouldn't have gone. But they were free, so I attended a lot.

We understand you're a good and reasonable guy and meant no offense. One person took it the wrong way (also took my original post the wrong way at first).

The WSU game is going to be a good test of whether the competition is a significant factor. Unfortunately, the game is the second to last game on our home schedule. I'm hoping for three things: that WSU is still ranked in the top 5, that we get more than 4000 for the game, and... most important... that 70% of the fans aren't rooting for the Shocks.

I think you're right. But I would include it in student activities fees, and break it out on tuition/fee bills by specifically itemizing it. If students see that they've paid $20 per semester for free unlimited seats at Loyola Division I athletics, it might give more the idea to utilize that amenity.

Thanks, Rambler63, for your thoughtful analysis of all issues related to attendance.
My take this season:
Wednesday nights are out for me because of my job. I bet the players miss more classes with Wednesday games.
Students, alumni, neighbors are not at all impressed with the competitors in the MVC. Northern Iowa? Missouri Something? Who cares? If we cannot be in a league with exciting teams, a non-con schedule with some teams from schools and places that anybody has heard of, or local competitors, would be great! Not everybody is a basketball fanatic. But they'll be there with recognizable teams.
Individual ticket prices are too expensive.
We need more personal connection with the individual players. Last year, we had two players with great charisma: Jordan Hicks and Ben Averkamp. Ben - the serious scholar on his way to medical school. Jordan - the handsome, sensitive guy devoted to his desperately sick mother. Maybe we have charismatic players on the team now with compelling personal narratives. But I've not heard them. When people identify personally with the team members, they will be at the games.
To belabor the obvious: win , and they all will come.

Yeah my idea for charging something was not a per game price. But when tuition is due....commit or dont...One price gets you to all games. At least it is not "Ahhh maybe I will go maybe I wont ...what difference does it make" .But an early commitment that says " yeah I would like to see games this year" not a guarantee but I think ups probabilities. and there is no one solution.
But as pointed out before there is nothing like a full house at a live event and vice versa.

I'm sorry. I can't get beyond this. The implication is that you believe that the competition was better in the Horizon. Do you seriously believe that?

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Cigarboy sucks!

Alumni Relations sent an email today advertising Arch Madness (second or third one I've gotten on that) and the alumni pregame gathering that is tomorrow.

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