well then.. are they not learning anything from what they read. I thought that you had to be smart to lead any aspect of a university. Is there an exception to this rule.
Everyone knows that you have to spend money to make money. A few billboards in busy areas are nothing when your making $10 a seat.

Its almost as if someone is trying to make this program second rate. Its not like UT has a monopoly on basketball in east tennessee, they may have a firm hold on football but Johnson City and the surrounding tri can easily be made into a college hoops community. I mean look at the ACC, they know that football isn't their thing and the fans don't care. So what if ETSU doesn't currently have a football team. That doesn't make our school second rate. Think of it this way. If we use 5-10% of what we were using on the football team on marketing we would have one hell of a marketing campaign. This would increase ticket sales, the university gets more money, more money means better facilities and then eventually football. now don't get me wrong i really wish we had football, but for the time being lets capitalize on what we have and more importantly what we are good at.

Except that they didnt market the football team at all either. But I see what you are trying to say.

Quote:but for the time being lets capitalize on what we have and more importantly what we are good at.

That's the problem, we can't.

Quote:If we use 5-10% of what we were using on the football team on marketing we would have one hell of a marketing campaign.

They're using far more than that now. The marketing budget jumped astronomically after football was cut, yet all this extra money resulted in lower attendance and decreased donations. But instead of fixing their mistake, they keep whistling like nothing's happening... there's a governor in Illinois who's up on this strategy too.

Quote:I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that students partake in a little liquid courage before the games in the interest of drawing a better crowd response and thus improving the prospective return rate of community goers.

Would you suggest Gatorade or Powerade? Or something like Red Bull? I think Michael Jordan drinks/endorses Gatorade, so that must be good......

(01-28-2009 12:20 AM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  

Quote:I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that students partake in a little liquid courage before the games in the interest of drawing a better crowd response and thus improving the prospective return rate of community goers.

Would you suggest Gatorade or Powerade? Or something like Red Bull? I think Michael Jordan drinks/endorses Gatorade, so that must be good......

anything with plenty of electrolytes should work just fine... Drinks with alot of caffeine may have some effect on the first half but i suspect that they would drop off after half time.. and the second half is where crowd response really counts. so yeah if you want to mix gatorade thats fine with me.

I think a wise person once said that doing what you've always done while expecting different results is the mark of insanity. If someone at the university actually does read this board, here are some more inexpensive ideas:
1. Covering the seats on the other side of the dome with the logo really needs to be done quickly
2. Promote ETSU as YOUR hometown (or local or some other word) university. Need to appeal to the vast numbers of local apathetic ETSU grads and try to set ETSU apart from UT
3. Run as many BucShot vans as you can around the parking areas before and after gametime. Getting from the tennis court parking lot up the hill to the dome in cold or inclimate weather can be difficult for older fans or families with kids. Charge a quarter a person if you have to in order to pay for the gas/driver.
4. Normally I'd say to get the ETSU president to be in the concourse to shake hands and welcome fans to the game; but I guess right now, that would probably be a bad idea!

Anybody else have any thoughts to add?

Excellent points, the opposite seats do need to be covered with logo to remove the impression that no bodys sitting there and substitute a feeling of wow, now thats one huge logo.
I can also see how putting a few bucshot buses out on a loop could help improve relations. 1st people that have a hard time getting from far parking lots to mini dome would be served, also it would give a perception that alot more actually goes into the event creating a buzz when entering the stadium.
and I never really thought about it but you just made me realize that I never do see stanton at any of the games. The athletics are always recognizing teams and players during the half time and not once have i seen our dear presindent shake a single hand or congratulate a player.

Ive talked to a couple of people in the administration about putting a huge tarp with the big buc head logo on it over the empty side. Apparently it costs alot of money to get a tarp 100 yards long.

Run shuttle buses from Kpt., Bristol, Eliz., Jonesborough, the mall, wherever. Charge $2 (or whatever) - or better yet - make it free. That would get some attention.

I'm not worried about the appearance of the empty seats, but maybe that's just me.

Once upon a time stanton used to come down on the floor to do the handshaking thing.

I know there has been talk in the past he's worried about being booed. He has been heckled before out there - one of the years right after football was dropped I think.

He would and should be heckled. If I ever see him at a game you can be damn sure I will be heckling him.

He sits right behind me at games...It is clear based on his comments that he doesn't know anything about basketball. There is a woman beside him and I haven't figured out if it is his wife or just someone who sits beside him who is a raving lunatic.

Probably related to him then...