Fan Support

[NJCat]

When I looked at the pictured on the NU Facebook site early today, I hoped it wouldn't be embarrassing to see a bunch of empty seats.

Just check out the fan support for the event:

Must have been 3,000 people there. South stands completely filled. The latent fans enthusiasm for NU Basketball is unreal. Just wait until WRA is rebuilt and a couple more Collins recruiting classes are on board. Will be a tough ticket in Chicago.

 

[Secho99]

The impossible dream has happened.

By that I mean the purple seats are full.

 

[Styre]

It was even better in person. A loud, cathartic roar that seemed to come from the building's very foundation.

 

[Katatonic]

Great showing.

I'll bet the students came out in force.

I wonder how many neighbors w/ no connection to NU came just to be part of history?

 

[rwhitney014]

The impossible dream has happened.

By that I mean the purple seats are full.

Amazing what happens when they let the students sit there.

It was a very fun event, well done and not melodramatic. Just a satisfying victory lap, and I couldn't agree more with the cathartic roar comment.

 

[FrancisSearle75]

there's plenty of room on the bandwagon for everyone.

it's a magnificent time to be a fan of both wildcat football and basketball!

#chicago'sbigtenteam

 

[ubercat]

It was a glorious day at the ol' Gray Lady. Tears of joy flowed from the eyes of cynics and supporters alike. It can never be duplicated.

Not only that, there were NO opposing fans in sight.

 

[NJCat]

Not only that, there were NO opposing fans in sight.

Get used to that going forward in the new WRA......

 

[ubercat]

Get used to that going forward in the new WRA......

Hope that the athletic department ticket office has figured out a way to keep that to a minimum. Also that our purple seat no-shows actually start to appear at ... I don't know ... games.

I also hope the Easter Bunny is gonna be good to me this year.

 

[ParisCat]

It was a thrilling day at WRA yesterday -- a truly cathartic event, like when the clock hit zero at the Gator Bowl or when Rizzo caught the last out in Game 7. One interesting tidbit: a few of the sections in the lower purples were reserved for students. At about 4 p.m., the ushers started inviting non-students to fill the seats that were not taken, so that they looked full for the cameras. My kids and I took advantage and plopped down a few rows from the court, one section over from the team. Imagine if they did that on game day -- invite the nosebleeders to fill in the lower-bowl purple seats. One can only dream...

 

[thewildcat2011]

Hope that the athletic department ticket office has figured out a way to keep that to a minimum. Also that our purple seat no-shows actually start to appear at ... I don't know ... games.

I also hope the Easter Bunny is gonna be good to me this year.

Funny story about that...A few friends and I are STHs on the benches. Naturally, we'll scoot down to empty purple seats almost every single game. We have one area that we'll often be in due to knowing a prof. who actually owns seats there. Well, late into the season, the person whose seats were usually empty started showing up to games (late, mind you) and asking us to move. Of course, we oblige and promptly find other purple seats. Now for the Michigan game, he shows up with 10 min left in the first half, or thereabouts, and proceeds to get extremely pissy about my friends being in his seats-- he was visibly angry about the inconvenience. My friends moved and I was treated to 5 minutes of ranting from this guy about their awfulness. Obviously, we all know what happens at the Michigan game.

Fast forward to Purdue...we're in the same area again. Dude doesn't show up, but not only doesn't show up, has sold his seats to very obvious Purdue fans. With fans like these...

We've asked the ticket office to buy purple seats for as long as we've been holders and they are never available, yet plenty of opposition fans and empty chairs are present (even against Purdue, possibly the pinnacle of NU basketball thus far). I really hope the administration can fix this with the renovation.

 

[DaCat]

Funny story about that...A few friends and I are STHs on the benches. Naturally, we'll scoot down to empty purple seats almost every single game. We have one area that we'll often be in due to knowing a prof. who actually owns seats there. Well, late into the season, the person whose seats were usually empty started showing up to games (late, mind you) and asking us to move. Of course, we oblige and promptly find other purple seats. Now for the Michigan game, he shows up with 10 min left in the first half, or thereabouts, and proceeds to get extremely pissy about my friends being in his seats-- he was visibly angry about the inconvenience. My friends moved and I was treated to 5 minutes of ranting from this guy about their awfulness. Obviously, we all know what happens at the Michigan game.

Fast forward to Purdue...we're in the same area again. Dude doesn't show up, but not only doesn't show up, has sold his seats to very obvious Purdue fans. With fans like these...

We've asked the ticket office to buy purple seats for as long as we've been holders and they are never available, yet plenty of opposition fans and empty chairs are present (even against Purdue, possibly the pinnacle of NU basketball thus far). I really hope the administration can fix this with the renovation.

That sucks. You should take a picture of the empty seat with number and post it on social media.

 

[Alan Smithee]

Before I went, I was a little sheepish about going. As we all know, simply making the tournament is not the sports equivalent of curing cancer.

But I said "f--- it, this is plenty special for us" and went. It was a great day and a special moment. I was there to see W-R in, and to see her out, with a very happy sendoff.

 

[ubercat]

Funny story about that...A few friends and I are STHs on the benches. Naturally, we'll scoot down to empty purple seats almost every single game. We have one area that we'll often be in due to knowing a prof. who actually owns seats there. Well, late into the season, the person whose seats were usually empty started showing up to games (late, mind you) and asking us to move. Of course, we oblige and promptly find other purple seats. Now for the Michigan game, he shows up with 10 min left in the first half, or thereabouts, and proceeds to get extremely pissy about my friends being in his seats-- he was visibly angry about the inconvenience. My friends moved and I was treated to 5 minutes of ranting from this guy about their awfulness. Obviously, we all know what happens at the Michigan game.

Fast forward to Purdue...we're in the same area again. Dude doesn't show up, but not only doesn't show up, has sold his seats to very obvious Purdue fans. With fans like these...

We've asked the ticket office to buy purple seats for as long as we've been holders and they are never available, yet plenty of opposition fans and empty chairs are present (even against Purdue, possibly the pinnacle of NU basketball thus far). I really hope the administration can fix this with the renovation.

Just curious. Were those seats in the south upper or lower bowl? It sounds like a similar situation to the one in our section 205. I've talked to some of the asst. AD's about it. And a fellow STH next to me got an answer (paraphrasing): "Well, at least they buy up tickets to help support the program." Yikes!!! I don't think they'll have to worry about THAT any more. C'mon, guys, time to cull the herd.