I think we can now finally admit that this season is over. The guys have tried their best for the majority of the season, but obviously we just didn't have enough this year. I’ve been reflecting on the year, and I read the “culture” article written on the website mainpage… I was wondering how many different ideas we could come up with that could be implemented to change the culture at Loyola.
Despite all this disappointment, I believe that the university has made some great strides in the past few years to improve our program. We can complain that the athletic director has made mistakes or missteps along the way, but the fact remains, the first two steps have been put in place to help us succeed. First we have a new, genuine, college basketball “arena.” Second, we are in a successful, competitive conference.

1. THE NEW GENTILE ARENA
Let’s be truthful with ourselves – we had played in a gigantic high school gymnasium since 1996. One might argue that we would have been better staying in Alumni Gym, and trying to pack the “Big Brown Box that Rocks.” If properly renovated, we might have been able to add seating on the top where the track was, and aim for a “historic” feel that could have been intimidating. Unfortunately, we had a brightly lit, 5,000 seat, sterile stadium that lacked any type of collegiate atmosphere… It had no tradition… there was nothing special about it… and it could never be filled.

Now, however, we have what I believe to be the perfect sized arena for the size of a school that Loyola is. There is not a bad seat in the house, it is a an actual arena, it has video scoreboards, a great audio system, etc… The fact that it is not as big as other facilities in the conference is irrelevant. Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium is only about 9,0000, as opposed to conference rivals like UNC’s Dean Smith Center, which holds twice that at 22,000 and Maryland’s arena that seats 18,000, and NC State’s Arena that seats 19,000. Despite being significantly smaller, it is still an exciting place to watch a game. If given a choice between having too big of an arean, or too small of one – I think having a smaller one is better. Small arenas, if properly furnished, can be fantastic places to play – and as we saw at the Wichita State game – the arena has potential to be an unbelievable place to play if we can get people in the seats. Other than “Suites,” (which I don’t particularly care about) there is nothing that I think Gentile, as a facility, is lacking.

2. THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
Let’s be truthful with ourselves (again) – The Horizon League was rigged with a farce of a conference tournament structure. When I was in school, despite going to a majority of home-games, the only games I cared about, or truly got excited to see, were the ones against Detroit and Butler. Even the years that Wisconsin-Milwaukee or Cleveland State had some talent, I still didn’t care – and I really don’t think anyone else on campus did either. We had a few good teams while I was there (David Bailey’s Senior Season and I got to see one year when Blake Shilb matured), but nobody ever went to the games. I begged people to go with me, but the big gripe from everyone was, “Nobody else is going to be there cuz nobody goes to the games.” Ironically, I knew a ton of people that said they WOULD have gone... but only if OTHERS would go… Maybe a lot of it had to do with the teams we were playing…

Now, however, we are in a conference with great competition, spirited fan-bases, and a history of success. There is potential for great rivalries for us in this new conference, and hopefully in time we will be able to compete for a conference championship. I think we all agree we needed to get out of the Horizon League… and honestly – from a recent success standpoint – there were more deserving teams that could have taken the Jays spot in the league than us –BUT somehow we were able to get in, and I can’t think of a better league we could have moved to than the Valley. If we can improve, I really think this move will be looked at as a pivotal part of our re-emergence in college basketball.

So, the first two steps have been taken… Now I ask, what else can be done to create a “winning culture” at Loyola? Porter has referenced the idea of creating a “culture” on numerous occasions. This is my thought:

TO WIN --- you need PLAYERS
TO GET PLAYERS --- They have to WANT TO COME HERE
TO WANT TO COME HERE --- They need to see PEOPLE in the stands CARING about The team they would be on.
To Get People In the Stands Caring about them --- You need…? You need? You need????

1. Students?
2. Alumni?

So I guess what I’m looking for is constructive ideas on how to improve the culture at Loyola. This IS NOT things like, “Fire the coach,” “Fire the athletic director,” “etc… We all know those ones… Does anyone have any suggestions, big or small, on things they would like to see done which might improve student attendance? Does anyone have any ideas to make students feel more attached to Loyola when they leave, that would make them want to come back to campus to see games?

1) BIG IDEA: Build a “Loyola Alumni Club” or a Loyola “Alumni Pub.”
Has anyone been to University of Chicago’s University-ran Bar, “The Pub”? Google it. What about Caffreys Bar at Marquette? Maybe Loyola could not sustain a 365 day a year pub, but I think it would be awesome to have some type of facility for Alumni for pre-game and post-game drinks / meals. Something that would only be open to alumni and their guests, and could host a “pre-game buffet + game ticket” package would be awesome.

It would have to be something different, and something alumni would be proud to come back to, and also that current students would be intrigued and want to be part of after they graduate. My Idea – GUT the top floor of Mertz Hall – make the whole floor windows. Put in tables and a bar… Open it up for gamedays, special occasions, other alumni events, etc… The top floor of Mertz would give alumni an amazing view of the campus and the city, and would be a unique venue for alumni to come back to. If it cannot be done at Mertz, possibly the old Skyscraper Building or the newly acquired Sovereign building?
I think I would be much more excited to go to a game if I knew there would be a nice place to have dinner beforehand, meet up with fellow alumni, and have a view that you can’t get anywhere else.

2) SMALL IDEA – DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT WHEN WE ACTUALLY WIN.
Put something in the middle of campus where the majority of students walk…. Maybe at that new Wolf and Kettle Statue? Or maybe the entire Della Strada Chapel… Get some maroon and gold lights and only light the statute (or building) up on nights we win. Maybe select a student group to throw the switch. If this is a dumb idea, then lets just think of some other way to create a buzz around campus, or some other way to get people talking about Loyola basketball. I think it would just help to have some type of grand gesture or tradition with winning that we always do.

One big challenge in going after alums is that it is tough to get them interested in a team/program that they weren't interested in as undergrads.

I have a lot of friends who graduated from Marquette and now live in Chicago. They all were big fans of the basketball team while undergrads and went to all the games, etc. Now, as alums, they relish in those Saturdays that they can either drive up to Milwaukee for a night and "relive" their college days by drinking bright and early and then going to the game or, for away games, head to the local Marquette bar in Chicago (Schoolyard, etc.) with fellow Marquette grads and watch the game. If you drive by Schoolyard Tavern on a Saturday afternoon that Marquette is playing, the place will be packed with MU alums of all ages. Their loyalty to the team began as freshmen and continues through their alum years.

If we are going to attract alums to Gentile, we are going to be trying to peak the interest of people who, most likely, never gave a damn about Loyola basketball even as undergrads which is a huge uphill battle. I definitely like your idea of a Loyola Pub type thing. I thought they built some kind of bar in the new student center(?). Any time you can offer a drinking/food package, you will have the interest of some people. It needs to be promoted better though. Not just posted on the Facebook page or Twitter account which has so few followers. Phone calls, email blasts, etc.

The most important thing to sustain future interest is start attracting the undergrads NOW. Make big Saturday home games a campus event. Old Hamiltons should be packed with students drinking bright and early on Saturday home games. Students wearing maroon and gold should be all throughout campus in the hours leading up to the game socializing, drinking, tailgating, whatever...just gotta get them some kind of "experience" that when they graduate, they will miss and want to relive.

Great Guys !! You are true Fans--Ideas Ideas and more ideas !! ALL of them that you talk about are good--Some others that will be listed might even be better BUT and it is a big BUT-no pun here--A guaranteed crowd maker is WIN and Win and win some more. Its the one specific thing that works.

LUC and its Coaches and AD might just try it some time. Now then a real draw will also work--see the Shocker game. So add the two together and you will have success--Just look at the Volley ball team !! Nuf sed !!!

So the teal secrets to success are these--

--Win by having a good team
--Fr G, Ms Calhoun, Coach and Info Director and anyone else who has clout MUST go out and schedule real attractive teams--A few phone calls will NOT do the trick.

We have every thing else NOW --Gentile-- Chicago--beautiful Campus in a grand location . JUST DO IT---DO IT ALL --but WIN is most important--the rest will follow--

What has transpired this year is unacceptable !!!

A furthrer example--Bob Newhart--and old Pal of mine--gave big money for a Theatre--No one will come if an attraction --a good attraction is not there.

You really think having a bunch of drunk alumni wandering around a co-ed dorm on game day, and turning Madonna della Strada into a lighted billboard for Rambler basketball, are good ideas?

Yes

Swella:

First, I didn't say "Drunk Alumni" or "wandering around." I was simply stating that it would be nice to have a fixed place alumni could go before games that had a nice view of the campus / lakefront, etc…

Second, in concern to lighting up the exterior chapel in Loyola Colors, i don't think that would be bad, at all. Incorporating your team into University buildings isn't a bad thing -- It seems to be working out well for "Touchdown Jesus" at Notre Dame… I mean… they LITERALLY CALL IT "TOUCHDOWN Jesus"…

Feel free to share some legitimate ideas you might have. I'm not saying i have great ideas. i was just trying to get input on some things others might think would help get the Loyola community more interested in the Basketball program… or in some cases… even know that we have one...

When alums are a little "oiled up", they (a) have more fun (generally; not applicable to everyone), (b) are louder and more into the game and (c) might be a little more loose cutting some donation checks to the school. I am not talking about alums puking all over campus and starting fights. But, enjoying a few drinks with fellow alums and even going to the bar pregame where some 21+ undergrads might create an energetic audience. It seems to work for a ton of other schools, why not Loyola? Make it an EXPERIENCE going to games. Not just trudging out to Gentile, plopping down $25 and sitting for 2 hours watching the Ramblers lose to whatever podunk school they happen to be playing that day.

AGREED!

Na zdrowie!

_________________
Let's go Braden!