Basketball Attendance

Athletics Department, Facilities, etc.
wiu712
Posts: 6864
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

Both teams are off to good starts. The Men are 7-2. The Women are 9-2.

But where are the fans ?????

Past history has shown us that student attendance improves for the spring semester games (Jan and Feb). The fall semester games come late in the semester when the students are more focused on finishing final projects, final papers, and getting ready for final exams. Plus they are looking ahead to the 4-week holiday and semester break.

Men's attendance so far this season:
November 11 (Saturday) = 694.
November 15 (Wednesday) = 645.
November 18 (Saturday) = 503.
November 28 (Tuesday) = 589.
December 2 (Saturday) = 658.
December 6 (Wednesday) = 616.
December 9 (Saturday) = 663.

Women's attendance so far this season:
November 10 (Friday) = 928.
November 12 (Sunday) = 601.
November 14 (Tuesday) = 352.
November 26 (Sunday) = 469.
November 29 (Wednesday) = 501.
December 5 (Tuesday) = 469.

It appears that our ticket prices are too high: Premium = $22. Reserved = $15. General Admission = $10. Youth/Senior = $7.

The black seats are $22. That probably explains why a lot of those premium seats are empty. Those empty black seats do not look good when the rest of the seats are Purple. I can understand that we are trying to pay for the new seating. But an unsold $22 seat brings in no revenue.

We should be encouraging families to attend the games--especially the Saturday games. But the Youth price of $7 discourages a lot of families.

We need to think of incentives to get more people out: things like "Family Days" with lower priced tickets, etc.

When Helen Smiley was A.D, there was lower pricing and more promotions for the games that came during the 4-week semester break.
vatusay
Posts: 961
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2014 2:14 pm

$34 seems pretty steep for a family of four IMO. Considering the programs past performance. ($22 just to sit in the black seats is quite funny)

Thrown in a few sodas, gatorades, popcorn, and candy bars and you are looking at $50 trip to Ufkes court.

It’s much more convenient and cheaper to watch if streaming from my couch.

A few more wins and I might have to scratch up some extra cash and catch a game at western hall.

Just keep winning, advertise on more than social media, and consider a change to the prices next year.
#ALLIN #YOLO
User avatar
sealhall74
Posts: 5770
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:18 pm
Location: Wherever, Windblows

Each and every game needs a community-oriented promotion. For example, a "Fast Food for Fast Breaks" promotion might be where you can bring in a receipt from a participating local fast food establishment procured sometime during the week for a reduced price ticket. For the more elegant eateries in town, a similar "Dining for Dunks" promotion might work. For local educators, a "Share a Taffy Apple with your Teacher" kind of night might be nice. You get the idea. Would take a lot of thought and coordination but we have a sports marketing program on campus. They can surely come up with some good stuff.
Embrace the pace of the race.
vatusay
Posts: 961
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2014 2:14 pm

sealhall74 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:03 am Each and every game needs a community-oriented promotion. For example, a "Fast Food for Fast Breaks" promotion might be where you can bring in a receipt from a participating local fast food establishment procured sometime during the week for a reduced price ticket. For the more elegant eateries in town, a similar "Dining for Dunks" promotion might work. For local educators, a "Share a Taffy Apple with your Teacher" kind of night might be nice. You get the idea. Would take a lot of thought and coordination but we have a sports marketing program on campus. They can surely come up with some good stuff.
Yes would take work/coordination. Ya know, the type that people get paid to do.......
#ALLIN #YOLO
User avatar
sealhall74
Posts: 5770
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:18 pm
Location: Wherever, Windblows

vatusay wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:58 am
sealhall74 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:03 am Each and every game needs a community-oriented promotion. For example, a "Fast Food for Fast Breaks" promotion might be where you can bring in a receipt from a participating local fast food establishment procured sometime during the week for a reduced price ticket. For the more elegant eateries in town, a similar "Dining for Dunks" promotion might work. For local educators, a "Share a Taffy Apple with your Teacher" kind of night might be nice. You get the idea. Would take a lot of thought and coordination but we have a sports marketing program on campus. They can surely come up with some good stuff.
Yes would take work/coordination. Ya know, the type that people get paid to do.......
The way it looks to me is that most of the people in the masters sports management/marketing program are already getting paid, working as coaches, grad assistants, etc.
Embrace the pace of the race.
vatusay
Posts: 961
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2014 2:14 pm

Yea, that’s what I’m saying. There are people already on the payroll that one would think this area would be considered responsibilities of their job.

Or what is it “other duties assigned”? Lol
#ALLIN #YOLO
wiu712
Posts: 6864
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

Just noticed that when the Men play at Eastern Illinois on December 19, it will be "Youth Night" (All Kid's HS and younger get free admission).

For the Eastern Illinois game that came during Thanksgiving Break, it was "Thanksgiving $1 Daze" ($1 GA tickets, $1 soda, $1 pop corn). They will be having a similar "Christmas $1 Daze" promotion on December 20.

Other EIU promotions include:
Business Person's Special... $2 GA tickets on December 21.
Fred Bird Night on February 10.
meganeck
Posts: 1895
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:23 pm

What about having a "Monmouth Day" or pick an area town or city where if you are from that town you get discounted tickets to the game.

Also I know like at Iowa women;s game sometimes an area bank or Hy-Vee will buy a certain amount of tickets than give those tickets away on a first come first serve basis. The same could be done here give out 250 or so free tickets, something to get some butts in the seats.
themanwithmanyhats
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2016 4:30 pm

wiu712 wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2017 8:19 pm I can understand that we are trying to pay for the new seating.
I just want to point at that the new bleachers were paid for in their entirety by the students. They pay a "Facilities Enhancement Fee" that is supposed to go toward health and safety improvements all over campus. The old bleachers were most definitely a health and safety concern for students and even more so for staff, so it makes sense to replace them. That being said, do not let athletics convince you in any way that they paid a single cent for the new seating, especially if they pass that off as an excuse to increase prices.
wiu2013
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 8:16 pm

If students paid for the seats then they should be allowed to sit where they want. I understand, but I don't understand the "seat police." I get so frustrated when families/students try to sit in the reserve seats and they "shoo" them to general admission. There are a million and one seats open in the reserved section, yet Saturday night the "seat police" had people jam packed in a small general admission section behind the score table.
Post Reply