Today was the last game we will EVER have a "home court" with home fans in the minority.
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One positive take-away
- Thread starter ubercat
- Start date
I thought the 1st half (of the two half game) was pretty positive too.
Yeah, you could see it with him early and his confidence has really increased. He’s never going to be a smooth player, but once he develops that outside shot, he’s really going to be a nice piece. Already a huge asset on the defensive end and on the boards. Tons of athleticism and already has good strength.
For all of you that want a bigger WR seating capacity, this game validated my stance that you are out of your mind. 12000 there today, hope everyone of you are thrilled with that attendance when they post in in the Chicago Tribune tomorrow. However; I am not thrilled sitting in the middle of a St. Patrick’s day Parade in the second half. Having screaming 60 year old women in my ear game after game is BS. These are prime season tickets close enough to hear the players and we get totally invaded by frigging Green. Even worse, somehow Sparty got in the all access club with seats on the floor. Shame on you Mr. Big Donor. The crowd was at least 50% Sparty, embarrassing. Every institution needs to right size their Stadium’s to keep at least an 80/20 advantage in support. If you can’t do that your stadium is too big. We are Habit for Humanity for MSU, Iowa, Michigan or Illinois. Pissed.
More than 12,000, and more than 50% greenies.
Hoping that NU monitors those prime seat occupant colors next year, as they have purportedly promised.
Hoping that NU monitors those prime seat occupant colors next year, as they have purportedly promised.
Yep. He already does a lot of the same things as Vic, only lacks the consistent outside shot. That said, he's not a completely lost cause from deep -- remember he virtually locked up the win over Rutgers with a corner 3, before Skelly (a senior!) fouled on a 3-point attempt.
I think many of us underestimated the impact of playing in AA this year, but it has to be demoralizing when you are overwhelmed with visitor fans. I know our home record is not horrible, but being on the road for 75% of your games sucks. We want to be quick to criticize the players but how about the fans that peddle their season tickets for profit.
I dread sitting at the 40 yard line surrounded by ND; Michigan, Whisky, and Nebby fans. Right size Ryan Field too when we redo it.
Do you really think that those same "big donors" and quite a few "small donors" will not sell there seats next season. Just wait until Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and MSU pay a visit to w-r next season. Likely the same problem but with NU making less money. It's not the size of the arena, it's the lack luster support NU gets from it's "fans".
You are right about that. Izzo mentioned it in his post-game press conference. Part of changing the program culture is getting the fans to buy-in. NU isn't there yet.
It's hard to get excited and unite the fan base when you're playing more than an hour off campus (and it is that with the awful parking and commute). We will have a great home court advantage next year and we will not see the kind of crowds like we saw today.
I agree with you about Rosemont. But WRA has not been a house of horrors for visitors, even last season there were "Boiler Up" chants the last game of the season in the best year ever for NU hoops. Season ticket holders need to actually attend all the games and make noise for NU rather than selling their tix to visitors and watching from their comfy schumfy couches!
That’s because there aren’t enough of them. I don’t know if you were there today, but it was embarrassing. Sounds like you are advocating more seating so NU makes more money by selling more tickets even if it is to the opposition. Before I thought your argument was you were getting priced out, so why not more seats for all of us long time supporters.
If you projection comes true and in our small New WR we still are the minority, then I will concede. Of course, I think you are completely wrong. If you are right, I will just keep my money and watch on TV because I sure as Hell am not going to be sitting in seats surrounded by opposition fans game after game. I can understand AA having a bunch of MSU fans because they are unsold seats. If the same thing happens in WR next year, I might as well become a Fighting Undies fan as least they don’t let their stadium get overwhelmed by the opposition. I have faith that we can get 6000 NU fans for each game.
And all signs seem to point to that. Only possible downsides: the ticket brokers selling to the visitors; and the tendency of many of our 6,000 fans treating home games like a 'night at the opera.' Along with the remaining 1,000 seats going to the more rabidly vocal visitors. Either way, increasing the seating capacity would not solve the problem.
Think that for many games last season in old w-r there were very close to one -third or more visiting fans present. Sure 6,000 should be doable but I wouldn't bet on it. probably the last time NU fans dominated in their arena was wh
Well I seem to remember that the visiting fans occupied about a third or more of old w-r many times last season. Sure 6,000 purple clad fans sounds doable but the last time NU packed the arena with their fans was way back in old McGaw Hall and that held around 10,000. Remember the scalpers are still very much around and the "purple seat" crowd are as well. We will see.
Also remember that the maximum number of season tickets sold to one account has been downsized to six. This should drastically reduce the presence of visiting fans via the secondary market. The scalpers will always be there, but their numbers will be reduced.
The mandatory donation for the good seats might keep it unattractive for professional ticket brokers too.
The Fighting Undies are 2-12 and have a sell out of 15000+ against Nebby today. Not many are wearing Red. Makes me even hotter about yesterday.
Interesting that Illinois REDUCED capacity of State Farm Center when they did their latest renovation. It used to seat 17,085, now only 15,500. Take note, Willy!
Well, with over 47,000 students on campus their enrollment is more like 3x NU's, so per student their arena is smaller!!
True but let me ask. How many people live in the Champaign area? Then. how many people live in the Chicago area? case closed.
Next year will be a test of this theory. New area should bring out the casual curious NU fan. If we can’t get 75% of the fans for every B1G game, then I will concede to your conclusion. The NU policy of not selling your season tickets on the secondary market is a joke and unenforceable. All I know is more than 75% of the ticket sales start off in the hands of alleged NU supporters. How many end up there will be the question.
But before they would have the ability to get close to 4000 or more single game seats before we were even talking ST holders selling the extra tickets. Now that number will be reduced to less than 1500. While keeping the size at 8400 or whatever the size was, might have had some advantages, so does reducing the capacity and that is what we really had to work with.. Very little advantage to actually increasing capacity at this point
It is also the state flagship school and the only game in town with no pro alternative. Population of Champaign Urbana area is over 230K and Bloomington is a short trip. Plus enough go down from Chicago. NU has about 30K alums in IL area whil UofI has probably closer to 300K in IL. We have 1200 seats (about 17% of capacity) for 8000 students. Comparable numbers for UofI students alone would be 7200 or about 45% of capacity of the State Farm Center (15.5K perm).
When I was coaching girls' soccer the NU Women's coach came and gave a talk. At the end, as an aside, she asked us Evanston residents to attend on her games. She remarked that when they went on the road....to illinois....Iowa....Neberaska...the game was often the biggest event happening in town that week.
Whereas, in Evanston, people have seemingly unlimited alternatives for their time.
The facts are that NU has the smallest student body in the Big Ten.....the smallest alumni base.....and an alumni base that due to academics is distributed nationally.....and is in the largest market by far. One can't reasonably compare NU to Illinois or any other big ten school in terms of how they draw for revenue sports.
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