ITT: We Discuss Students & Mike Bohn (For Some Reason)

[hokiehead]

Well summarized. Let's not forget that today's students are tomorrow's boosters.

My daughter certainly didn't choose CU for basketball (or football or any other sport), she selected CU for academics and location. Let's be patient with the students, I know I'm a lot more passionate about being a sports fan than I was when I was 19 (i.e., with age, watching sports has become more fun than playing). <sarcasm>I'm sure that everyone here criticizing student attendance made it to 100% of the home games when they were students -- right?</sarcasm> When I think about the things most important to me at that age, none of them were all that conducive to attending college basketball games -- drinking beer (alcohol not served at on-campus games), chasing girls (most college hoops games are sausage fests) and following the Grateful Dead (wrong audience). I like Mtn's idea of continuing student incentives until the culture shift has taken hold. Duke basketball fandom and Cameron Craziness was not built overnight.

Agree with what you are saying. At the same time we are talking about making a cultural change and that doesn't happen instantly. We are looking at a program that not long ago had a hard time getting 3,000 people total in the building much less a significant number of students.

Having a large contingent of students in the building makes the overall experience better for everyone. It is also where we build future fans and donors. If doing giveaways and promotions to get the students in the building has a significant payoff then maybe we should return to doing them until the new cultural norm allows them to be slowly reduced. This doesn't mean they have to send hundreds to the tourney again but if hats and t-shirts or bacon builds can keep it going until it becomes the norm in the future then do it.

 

[Buffnik]

Look, I want to stress that I do not think it is a primary cause to the issue; however, a game at 6 pm on a Sunday after a major powder dump played a part. Also, last year was a decent ski season, but January and February were pretty dry. Two and three seasons ago were disasters in terms of the lack of snow. Again, not a major cause but it plays a part on games that occur during prime ski/travel times on weekends. And yes, I'm a major ski bum and most of my friends at CU were too

Ultimately, it's a combination of all the reasons that have been stated by the posters

I'd probably listen more to that argument if I saw a noticeable dropoff between the Wed-Thu night games vs the Sat-Sun games. Weeknights don't present the ski problem and the student crowds aren't better.

 

[Buffnik]

To hokie's post above that mentioned that the students didn't choose CU because of football or basketball, I think that's an important point. CU didn't have a basketball rep when most of the current students selected a college. And what one there was over the past few years hasn't included the "big time" of Top 10 rankings and deep tourney runs. It's going to take a few years before we have a lot of students from in-state and the Pac-12 region who considered the fun of having a top basketball program as one of the things in the plus column when deciding to attend CU.

 

[FightCu1414]

Precisely. It is a matter of priorities. If it isn't a priority to a lot of them, that is fine, but don't expect a ticket to be there for you for a Kansas/Arizona game if you can't be bothered to show up for any other games. Don't try to drum up support to say you're the best student section in America when the huge swaths of embarrassingly empty seats in your section clearly state that you aren't.

We'll see what the excuse is for the Arizona State game...likely that it's just too late to come out on a Wednesday night.

Right. Everyone feels entitled hence the Women's Iowa game disaster. I don't blame that on the AD it is on the students. For the Arizona game you had to come to 4 out of the 5 last home games to get first priority. I liked this idea, but its been abused. I know multiple people that literally swiped in and left which makes no sense. You are there just stay two hours. Oh well, hopefully next years freshman bring it.

 

[cubuffs85]

Right. Everyone feels entitled hence the Women's Iowa game disaster. I don't blame that on the AD it is on the students. For the Arizona game you had to come to 4 out of the 5 last home games to get first priority. I liked this idea, but its been abused. I know multiple people that literally swiped in and left which makes no sense. You are there just stay two hours. Oh well, hopefully next years freshman bring it.

They've had that "problem" at Maryland for years, "swipe and leave" for the Duke game and other marquee games.

 

[CUwhit21]

Right. Everyone feels entitled hence the Women's Iowa game disaster. I don't blame that on the AD it is on the students. For the Arizona game you had to come to 4 out of the 5 last home games to get first priority. I liked this idea, but its been abused. I know multiple people that literally swiped in and left which makes no sense. You are there just stay two hours. Oh well, hopefully next years freshman bring it.

Must be nice to be spoiled with a competitive team

 

[BuffG]

I'd probably listen more to that argument if I saw a noticeable dropoff between the Wed-Thu night games vs the Sat-Sun games. Weeknights don't present the ski problem and the student crowds aren't better.

I see your point, but i wasn't really making an argument, just stating a contributing factor. If anything, my argument is that it's a combination of all the reasons that have been stated here as opposed to any one listed. There's no silver bullet except for winning.

 

[cubuffs85]

I see your point, but i wasn't really making an argument, just stating a contributing factor. If anything, my argument is that it's a combination of all the reasons that have been stated here as opposed to any one listed. There's no silver bullet except for winning.

I already said it, but isn't the best explanation that CU basketball isn't a big priority for no more than 500-1000 diehard students? And the rest will go if the game is appealing enough and they don't have better stuff to do? I think what hardcore sports fans forget is that not everyone cares about CU sports like we do.

Let me put it another way -- some political junkies absolutely love all the stuff surrounding elections. They'll watch convention speech, debate, read every little detail about the campaign. But then there's the people who just vote (the people going to the Arizona/KU games), but they'll watch the debates and convention speeches when they don't have anything better to do and it's interesting (UCLA, UW, ASU), and don't care too much about reading every little detail about it (Jackson State, Arkansas State)

 

[Buffnik]

I already said it, but isn't the best explanation that CU basketball isn't a big priority for no more than 500-1000 diehard students? And the rest will go if the game is appealing enough and they don't have better stuff to do? I think what hardcore sports fans forget is that not everyone cares about CU sports like we do.

Let me put it another way -- some political junkies absolutely love all the stuff surrounding elections. They'll watch convention speech, debate, read every little detail about the campaign. But then there's the people who just vote (the people going to the Arizona/KU games), but they'll watch the debates and convention speeches when they don't have anything better to do and it's interesting (UCLA, UW, ASU), and don't care too much about reading every little detail about it (Jackson State, Arkansas State)

Sure. That's why the entire 2 million+ Denver metro population isn't lined up outside Coors trying to find a scalped ticket. It's why all 20 thousand+ students aren't fighting to get into the arena.

But that's true everywhere.

What isn't true everywhere is that students are this apathetic about an 18-6 team that's poised for a 3rd straight trip to the NCAA tourney.

That's a problem. It needs to get fixed. Part of the problem is that CU doesn't do enough to build its brand within the state so there's not the normal level of passion among in-state students. Part of the problem is that the university doesn't engage the students effectively enough to get them excited about supporting the men's basketball team. Those are the problems that are readily fixable.

 

[cubuffs85]

Sure. That's why the entire 2 million+ Denver metro population isn't lined up outside Coors trying to find a scalped ticket. It's why all 20 thousand+ students aren't fighting to get into the arena.

But that's true everywhere.

What isn't true everywhere is that students are this apathetic about an 18-6 team that's poised for a 3rd straight trip to the NCAA tourney.

That's a problem. It needs to get fixed. Part of the problem is that CU doesn't do enough to build its brand within the state so there's not the normal level of passion among in-state students. Part of the problem is that the university doesn't engage the students effectively enough to get them excited about supporting the men's basketball team. Those are the problems that are readily fixable.

I'm not sure how true that is?

I don't think the transition from MB to RG is as bad in this area as some people think or atleast yet. The current sophomores to seniors we're all here last year. I have to think a good portion of them just stopped showing up.

But like I said earlier, the team has already been to the Tourney twice in recent years. Seeing an exciting CU basketball team isn't the novelty it once was. Of course, I think they should be getting better attendance, but the Joe Fan doesn't feel compelled enough to watch UW on a Sunday Night because it's too cold and there's some snow on the ground.

 

[Slurpeee]

This really gets to the heart of it. The students have voted with their feet about what their priority is. Therefore, I really never want to hear from anyone ever again about how we have the best student section in the country, or that the school ought to think about moving the students out from behind the basket and onto the floor on the sideline. Frankly, we need to start discussing selling the back half of the student section as general admission. There was more demand than there was supply of tickets from the ticket buying public this year, and the school is going to make more money on the seats if they sell them to the general public. The students have demonstrated that for all but the biggest of games, they can only get about 1,500 students to a game. So be it. Sell the tickets to people who actually want to be there.

Seeing excuses on twitter about how the students don't have the administrative support they need is a total load of crap. The back half of the student section the past couple of years was bought with Mike Bohn's bribes. As soon as the bribery went away, those students found they suddenly had other things to do.

EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID!!!!!

 

[Buffnik]

I'm not sure how true that is?

I don't think the transition from MB to RG is as bad in this area as some people think or atleast yet. The current sophomores to seniors we're all here last year. I have to think a good portion of them just stopped showing up.

But like I said earlier, the team has already been to the Tourney twice in recent years. Seeing an exciting CU basketball team isn't the novelty it once was. Of course, I think they should be getting better attendance, but the Joe Fan doesn't feel compelled enough to watch UW on a Sunday Night because it's too cold and there's some snow on the ground.

But we have a number of "Joe Fan" types on this board. This was a football board. 4 years ago, basketball & basketball recruiting were a single forum that got so little traffic that there wouldn't be a post unless I moved a Newsroom article into here. Most of AllBuffs are football fans that have decided to support an entertaining and successful basketball team on the same timeline that the current students have been at CU.

As one example, you can look at sackman. He never liked basketball. Never followed it. Didn't care. Then his daughter wanted to go to some games. She had fun, so he had fun. He got into it. Now it's to the point where he drove down for Sunday's game in bad weather despite his family not using the 2 other tickets... and he was able to give them to 2 fans who just moved to Colorado and are getting into CU hoops now... after not being big basketball fans before.

Up until this season, I had felt that the growth in student excitement was running in parallel with alumni/booster/sidewalk fan excitement. But that's no longer the case. Something is broken.

 

[GoonieBuff]

I can't believe the excuses continue, and they are comical at this point. That is all.

 

[cubuffs85]

But we have a number of "Joe Fan" types on this board. This was a football board. 4 years ago, basketball & basketball recruiting were a single forum that got so little traffic that there wouldn't be a post unless I moved a Newsroom article into here. Most of AllBuffs are football fans that have decided to support an entertaining and successful basketball team on the same timeline that the current students have been at CU.

As one example, you can look at sackman. He never liked basketball. Never followed it. Didn't care. Then his daughter wanted to go to some games. She had fun, so he had fun. He got into it. Now it's to the point where he drove down for Sunday's game in bad weather despite his family not using the 2 other tickets... and he was able to give them to 2 fans who just moved to Colorado and are getting into CU hoops now... after not being big basketball fans before.

Up until this season, I had felt that the growth in student excitement was running in parallel with alumni/booster/sidewalk fan excitement. But that's no longer the case. Something is broken.

It's interesting to hear about the growth of the board. I didn't really start post with regularity until recently.

I've pointed out how fan support is better now than 3-4 years ago, but when I do it's met with "it's not as good as last year" or "a team of this caliber should be doing better. I agree with both of those, just don't think it's the problem some make it out to be.

I think it's more likely hardcore football fans will atleast show *some* interest in basketball, more if they are winning. Football will bring out a lot more non-sports because it's the traditional main front porch sport at CU, nothing beats a Saturday afternoon at Folsom, and you can make a day of it a lot more than winter day in December in an enclosed environment.

I think it's great to see more fans like Sackman and Hokie Head, I'm sure there are others. I went to nearly every home game when I was at CU and I remember plenty of games, where if we got 6-7k, it felt like a decent crowd.

While I'm discouraged, I'm still not giving up hope for the future with the student support.

 

[cubuffs85]

I can't believe the excuses continue, and they are comical at this point. That is all.

Yeah, that's why I'd prefer not hear the excuses and just the truth. Basketball is typically on the backburner for much of the student population unless there's a compelling game.

 

[CVilleBuff]

the shame of the matter is how this is happening only now, once we finally reached the point of getting regional and national accolades for our student section. Zero excuse. In 2010/11 before CU had even tasted the Dance, that section was beyond capacity for games like Oklahoma State. We weren't ranked and neither were they, but the atmosphere was unreal and there wasn't space to be spared. We've been let down big time by the students. Colorado had cold winters 3 years ago and students had exams and enjoyed skiing then too. 18 wins in early February and this is the support they give the team. Showing up in force against Arizona doesn't redeem it. If they want to end the right way, prove you care by showing up in force against Arizona State. We've only got 2 home games left and we NEED them. A Dance ticket may very well hinge on getting those wins. Support your fellow students, 3 straight Dances and 4 straight 20+ win seasons would be HUGE. Our Buffs didn't throw in the towel when Spencer went down. Instead of catching the fan/student apathy flu rampant in the Pac, use it as an opportunity to stand out even more by providing the fervent support we saw the last 3 seasons until this year's loser effort.

 

[BuffTE41]

Can we for one minute cool it on the self loathing threads and appreciate how far we've come? I think people are romanticizing the past a little bit. I was in the student section in 2010-2011, and for every sold out Texas game there were games where the entire arena was completely empty compared to this season (Iowa State and Kansas State at home) Yes the student turnout is a disappointment this year, but the more sustained success we have in hoops the more that arena will fill up.

I remember games in that arena where we were LUCKY to get 5,000 people. Let's remember that we're new to the scene in college hoops and accept the realities of CU athletics. Even when we were good at football there were games where large sections of Folsom were empty. CU fans are flakey, it's always been that way.

 

[CVilleBuff]

Can we for one minute cool it on the self loathing threads and appreciate how far we've come? I think people are romanticizing the past a little bit. I was in the student section in 2010-2011, and for every sold out Texas game there were games where the entire arena was completely empty compared to this season (Iowa State and Kansas State at home) Yes the student turnout is a disappointment this year, but the more sustained success we have in hoops the more that arena will fill up.

I remember games in that arena where we were LUCKY to get 5,000 people. Let's remember that we're new to the scene in college hoops and accept the realities of CU athletics. Even when we were good at football there were games where large sections of Folsom were empty. CU fans are flakey, it's always been that way.

We've sustained success, that's the issue..

KSU was raucous. ISU was weak.

 

[BuffTE41]

We've sustained success, that's the issue..

KSU was raucous. ISU was weak.

We've been in postseason play for the last 4 years. By Sustained success I mean something like being a tournament regular for over a decade.

 

[CVilleBuff]

We've been in postseason play for the last 4 years. By Sustained success I mean something like being a tournament regular for over a decade.

Lackluster student support for Big Dance Buff teams hurts the chances of that ever happening. Recruits, coaches, etc. If we're already taking a dip in year 4, I don't know that 10 years of success is some magic number that changes things. We should be gaining traction and instead we're losing it. Having concern and disappointment over it is completely justified. Door is wide open to be a premier hostile environment in the West. It's like we caught a case of Pac12 apathy flu from one of the 9 Pac teams with **** fan bases.

 

[FightCu1414]

The attendance at the ASU game will be interesting. 9 pm start. How many non students will be there?

 

[CUwhit21]

the shame of the matter is how this is happening only now, once we finally reached the point of getting regional and national accolades for our student section. Zero excuse. In 2010/11 before CU had even tasted the Dance, that section was beyond capacity for games like Oklahoma State. We weren't ranked and neither were they, but the atmosphere was unreal and there wasn't space to be spared. We've been let down big time by the students. Colorado had cold winters 3 years ago and students had exams and enjoyed skiing then too. 18 wins in early February and this is the support they give the team. Showing up in force against Arizona doesn't redeem it. If they want to end the right way, prove you care by showing up in force against Arizona State. We've only got 2 home games left and we NEED them. A Dance ticket may very well hinge on getting those wins. Support your fellow students, 3 straight Dances and 4 straight 20+ win seasons would be HUGE. Our Buffs didn't throw in the towel when Spencer went down. Instead of catching the fan/student apathy flu rampant in the Pac, use it as an opportunity to stand out even more by providing the fervent support we saw the last 3 seasons until this year's loser effort.

The fan support at that Okie State game was awesome. That little white guard kept hitting 3's! Crowd willed the Buffs to a win that day. Same goes with the Nebraska game that year.

Disappointing to consistently see partially full student sections on TV this year.

 

[Deleted member 807]

The answer is more bacon.

 

[Burrito]

The answer is more bacon.

I could get behind this strategy.

Semper Gumby

 

[sackman]

As one example, you can look at sackman. He never liked basketball. Never followed it. Didn't care. Then his daughter wanted to go to some games. She had fun, so he had fun. He got into it. Now it's to the point where he drove down for Sunday's game in bad weather despite his family not using the 2 other tickets... and he was able to give them to 2 fans who just moved to Colorado and are getting into CU hoops now.

Make no mistake, I'm a total bandwagon fan.

 

[Goose]

That's a problem. It needs to get fixed. Part of the problem is that CU doesn't do enough to build its brand within the state so there's not the normal level of passion among in-state students. Part of the problem is that the university doesn't engage the students effectively enough to get them excited about supporting the men's basketball team. Those are the problems that are readily fixable.

And this has been my entire point. The problem is that the vocal minority of the student section that acted like complete dip****s totally spoiled the well for the good kids there. The Kansas game fiasco really pissed a lot of people off - and I'm one of them. That was a God damn disgrace. And the truth is that there are a lot of students who whine about KU and Zona tickets, but then sit at home and play NCAA football online instead of actually going to the game. **** those people. But why isn't the university doing more to help the diehards? Did the university do ANYTHING to promote the LuOut? I mean, I wasn't the biggest fan of that idea, but at least C-Unit was trying something. And I didn't see the men's basketball twitter or facebook do anything to promote it. Gameday is in 2 weeks. Have you heard anything from CU about what we're doing that day? Do we know what time the doors open? Do we know anything?

Listen, any students whining about KU/Zona tickets or the Vegas trip are idiots. But there are legit concerns on the disconnect between C-Unit and CU. I know the AD has a lot of other priorities right now - and getting football facilities done has to be #1 on the list, but we shouldn't be ignoring the kids. They're the next generation of donors. They're the next generation of season ticket holders. We have to keep them involved.

 

[Quattro]

RK just tweeted some stuff about Gameday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bone Buff]

I'm going to throw this out there, but what if the problem is College basketball itself? The "average" sports fan probably hasn't watched a college basketball game this regular season, and may not watch until the tournament.

 

[Goose]

RK just tweeted some stuff about Gameday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, doors open at 6. Great. Then what?

 

[cubuffs85]

I'm going to throw this out there, but what if the problem is College basketball itself? The "average" sports fan probably hasn't watched a college basketball game this regular season, and may not watch until the tournament.

Just speaking for myself personally, I've probably watched 2-3 games in their entirety that don't involve CU or Maryland. The Tourney is both the best and worst thing for college basketball IMO. The regular season is greatly devalued because schools like Duke/Syracuse/Arizona/Kentucky will get in most years no matter what. And while, you go with the whole seeding argument, I think they'll still have a shot regardless of where they are seeded. OTOH, it's the best sports events.

It's not college football where every game is a must win and the difference between an undefeated regular season and one loss is the difference between the playoff and potentially a major bowl. One loss and two losses between a major bowl or a bowl like the Holiday or Capital One and so on and so forth.

Football is just more popular. And CU is still a football school and will likely always be.