Suggestion Box on how to boost Student Attendance & Enthusiasm at Games

[VU2014]

We need to hear on this board from a couple of leaders of the fraternities.  How will things be different next year?   And if not, why not?

I'm not to sure how many college kids hang around the Valpo Message Boards. I read the message board while I was in college but never made an account till after I graduated because I missed talking Valpo hoops with people.

I feel like it's going to take a few quality and outgoing student leaders to get the Student Section rowdy again. It seems to be cyclical. The Happening Hoops kids seem to be good kids and passionate fans but maybe they aren't the outgoing types that like to actually lead and go the extra mile like banging dorm doors or setting up tables in the student union. Natural leadership isn't within everyone.

I really think attendance starts and ends with the greek life though and other athletes like football players. If we get a charismatic student leaders of a greek life and other student groups it could get the students coming again. It will also take some coordination from the Athletics Department and Greek Life office to make sure no events overlap with games. Other things could probably be done to make the student section more fun again. The Athletics Department should try and make going to the games an event and "party" atmosphere.

[VU2014]

I noticed there have been focus type group meetings students were invited to this semester to see what ideas can be discussed or implemented to better encourage and develop student involvement and support for athletics. If I recall right I saw the post somewhere on Twitter last week. Might be a good starting point. Sorry I don't have a tweet link.

Very interesting. Would love to hear the results from these focus group meetings.

Paul Oren, any way you could get the person in the Athletics Department leading these efforts on the Podcast? That could be a very interesting offseason podcast guest. Student attendance the last 2 seasons has been a sizable concern on the forums. Would be a pretty interesting to hear the results and reasoning from students.

[VUBBFan]

I noticed there have been focus type group meetings students were invited to this semester to see what ideas can be discussed or implemented to better encourage and develop student involvement and support for athletics. If I recall right I saw the post somewhere on Twitter last week. Might be a good starting point. Sorry I don't have a tweet link.

Very interesting. Would love to hear the results from these focus group meetings. Paul Oren, any way you could get the person in the Athletics Department leading these efforts on the Podcast? That could be a very interesting offseason podcast guest. Student attendance the last 2 seasons has been a sizable concern on the forums. Would be a pretty interesting to hear the results and reasoning from students.

I was part of one of those focus groups back in November. It was for season basketball ticket holders and concentrated on the game day experience and atmosphere.


The meeting started out by stating the reason for the focus group, which was initiated by Pres. Heckler, was to address certain requirements by the MVC for us as  a new member school. There were to be several different  and varied groups, people involved and not involved with the University some within the community some that were even out of state. It seemed they were also trying to find out people's perception or knowledge of VU itself.


I have no idea how many focus group there were or what they were focused on. Mine was mainly concentrated on game day experience and "facilities", asking how we felt about them and to a little extent how to improve them.


The meeting was conducted by a professor of marketing and the school's assistant director of marketing. After the meeting I e-mailed several suggestions and concerns. They were met with a thank you and keep sending in more ideas. So it seems the university is gathering input trying to decide on a plan of what to do, I just don't know what they will do with the information.


Probably just a coincident but one of my suggestions was to survey students and the Frats about their attendance or lack there of, and what would it take to increase their interest and attend the games. 

[crusader05]

They did focus groups of the students at the end of this semester as well. I know they sat down with fraternities and sororities as well as other students which focused on game day atmosphere and attendance.

I'm not sure fully what was discussed but I know some feelings that athletes maybe need to be more engaged in overall campus life a little more was brought up.

[VU2014]

They did focus groups of the students at the end of this semester as well. I know they sat down with fraternities and sororities as well as other students which focused on game day atmosphere and attendance.

I'm not sure fully what was discussed but I know some feelings that athletes maybe need to be more engaged in overall campus life a little more was brought up.

I'm glad to hear the outreach happened. Getting Greek Life back on board and restoring the culture is key.

Interesting to hear that athletes (& coaches) may need to get more engaged with student body. It makes sense. Vashil was such a blessing to the University in his time here because he was a great ambassador for the team and everyone loved Vashil because it felt like he was friends with everyone on campus. Those Broekhoff teams were also pretty popular on campus because the players on those teams were always eating lunch at Founders and were pretty noticeable faces all around campus. Maybe we've missed that the last couple years?

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall to hear what was said in these focus group meetings.

[crusader05]

Me Too.

I definitely think on smaller campuses with pretty extensive programming and student involvement you need to have a different kind of sales pitch to students. I do think there are a lot of things they can do to sell the games as fun and exciting and just  work to cultivate a culture of going to the games. Especially with Freshman. That welcome week the events are crawling with upperclass members of fraternity and sorority both attending and hosting events. I don't know how much the athletes themselves are doing out there meeting people and pumping up the new students to be fans.

[crusadermoe]

Two suggestions:

1) Frats could choose to require pledges to go the games and also consider rotating a number of actives on a voluntary basis.  Frats require pledges to do plenty of trivial things (as I know). So why not require a commitment that enhances your degree through better perception of your school.  And it's even fun!

2) Recruit more kids who are "joiners" not loners.  My perception (and only that) is that the fine arts are growing in influence on the campus and steadily have been since the VUCA built in the mid-90s.  Now we have a theatre President and several music people in leadership roles.  That is a critical part of a great university.  However, has the culture shifted too far in that direction?  It's just a theory, but I think business majors tend to be most networked and interested in joint activity.

[VUOR63]

How do the basketball players interact with the other athletes?  A couple of years some of the bball guys came across as a bit stuffy around the training room--the dynamic is interesting since the bball program is fully funded whereas most of the other sports are not.  Other years, there would be approachable guys who came out to some of the football games even though we weren't very good.  You kind of reap what you sow to some degree.  If you want a good environment at the games, you have to be (a) approachable, (b) somewhat friendly and (c) winners.

[crusader05]

I think the thing really needs to be organic. The instinct to push people to say Include sports in their programming turns attendance into an obligation or responsibility. It should first and foremost be enjoyable. There are ways you can woo them by either partnering in regards to events or half-time shows. But expecting them to force members isn't going to work unless athletes start going to Greek Life events as well.

Honestly, I feel like Athletics needs the PR BUT most of it has to be on their shoulders, and that includes Athletes. If we are having buses to away games, maybe, if we're only half filling them, give members of the teams free tickets that they can give away to friends. have members of the football team or cheer team or something out and about the Friday before Game Day signing people up fort he fan zone or just promoting the game. One on One interaction is what's gonna make the difference here.

[talksalot]

"The beatings will continue until morale improves"

[VU2014]

Has anyone heard any news on this front? Is the Athletics Dept going to come up with a new strategy to increase student turnout for the basketball games?

It would be a positive step to see the Athletics Department do something like this during freshman orientation. https://twitter.com/CoachJake_UNI/status/898213496999075840

[VUOR63]

In my opinion, if attendance is down or students have a lack of interest for the basketball team, then the players and coaches actually need to go to the dorms, frats, football team, etc. and create relationships outside of the team.  If they act like they are not a part of the school community (because they are on full rides and are better than everyone) then the school community probably won't be tripping over themselves to get to the ARC for a basketball game.  Pretty sure Matt Lottich understands this as he was at Stanford during the Mike Montgomery era--his teams were known for making a grassroots efforts to get students interested.

[valpopal]

Here is the schedule with all events available for new students during "Welcome Week" (although it actually covers about two weeks): https://www.valpo.edu/admission/files/2018/07/Freshman-Welcome-Booklet-2018-Final.pdf

[VU2014]

Here is the schedule with all events available for new students during "Welcome Week" (although it actually covers about two weeks): https://www.valpo.edu/admission/files/2018/07/Freshman-Welcome-Booklet-2018-Final.pdf

Friday, Aug. 31, 2018
5 p.m.
Fall Sports Kickoff Tailgate
Brown Field
Throw on your Valpo gear and tailgate at Brown Field before women's soccer takes on Bowling Green (game time 7:30 p.m.). There will be free food, inflatables, an obstacle course, and a pep rally to learn Valpo's chants and cheers! Sponsored by Valpo Athletics, Recreational Sports, Counseling Center, and UPC.

Hopefully they get a strong turnout for this and hopefully the coaches and team make an appearance at this event.

[crusader05]

The plan is to have teams involved and it's being paired with organizations who are good at getting students to events, especially that early in the year. For about the first 2 weeks the new students will basically go wherever they are told. I believe there is also something in the works specifically for the football season and hopefully some coordination with the basketball teams.

[VUGrad1314]

Finally getting serious about athletics! This is good to see!

[VUGrad1314]

Some promotional partnership ideas I came up with in the " change the mascot?" thread when the conversation turned to pretzels and the ides of partnering with Ben's Pretzels:

Ben's Pretzels:

If the Crusaders' point total has an 8 in it win or lose: 2 for 1 pretzels

If the Crusaders score at least 80 points and win: free pretzels

If they score exactly  88 and win: 2 free pretzels

Or something along those lines

Valid for Home Games Only  Redeemable only with ticket stub prior to the next Crusader home game This might boost attendance.
Culver's:

Or how about a promotion with Culver's that promises a free scoop of ice cream with every Crusader home win? Excludes Flavor of the Day\Concretes\Sundaes Redeemable only with ticket stub prior to the next Crusader home game. If both this and my Ben's idea are in play, maybe let the patrons choose the one they'd rather have or come up with a system (hole punch for one stamp for the other, or a mark with a marker)

McDonald's:

Another idea I have is if the Crusaders score a double number like 66 77 88, patrons can bring their ticket stubs to McDonald's for a free McDouble win or lose. Again valid with ticket stub prior to next home game.

If we want to expand our reach throughout the region, we should call out to see if restaurants in local towns\cities to see if they would like to participate. This would give us an excuse to advertise and market the team somehow in their store by putting up signage about the promotion, having the restaurants list themselves as a proud partner of the Valparaiso Crusaders, and would allow us to put out pocket schedules in these places for interested parties\to drum up interest in the program.

Albanese:

We could also potentially partner with Albanese if we want to try to expand our reach beyond Valparaiso\Porter County. Gummis are fairly cheap there, like $3-4\pound so maybe a partnership where fans could bring their ticket stubs to Albanese for a free pound of gummis after every Crusader win. Valid with ticket stub only prior to the  next home game.

If they don't want to commit to a full pound promotion we could  make it a half pound promotion for every time the Crusaders go into the locker room with a halftime lead. Bring in your ticket stub and correctly mention the halftime score for a free half pound of Albanese gummis. Valid with ticket stub only prior to the  next home game.

Just some ideas bouncing around my brain  that may boost attendance and interest in the program and allign with our stated interests of deepening our ties with the community and increasing our visibility throughout the region. I'm not sure how many of these have been tried or are even feasible. I'm just spitballing.

Students might be able to access these promotions with their ID cards or we can give them a sheet that certifies that they went to the game and can access these promotions.

[VUGrad1314]

How about making attendance of athletic events available for CORE 5th hour credit or giving students a punch card every month where attendance at athletic events leads to rewards like free food or bookstore discounts or partner with businesses in the community on this venture so that students on a budget can still patronize and support community businesses while supporting their fellow students. Rewards can escalate in value with the number of events they attend. Or you can do this on a point system. Each event a student attends is worth a certain amount of points (same value for every sport--extra points can be awarded throughout the game for students who dress up\make signs and cheer loudly. The points are then redeemed for prizes at least once per semester. Prizes can simply be bought with points or they can be given away in a raffle (attend more events win more points have better chance to win but everyone has a chance at the best prizes) or they can be auctioned off. Students may also have the option to save their points for later if they choose under the buying\redemption or auction format to go for bigger prizes later. Additionally a special set of prizes could be given out for those recognized for their spirit (cheering signmaking wearing Valpo gear). Not sure how feasible any of these ideas are but at least it's a suggestion for whatever that's worth.

[wh]

Some great ideas, '1314.  You should forward them to ml.

[humbleopinion]

How about making attendance of athletic events available for CORE 5th hour credit or giving students a punch card every month where attendance at athletic events leads to rewards like free food or bookstore discounts or partner with businesses in the community on this venture so that students on a budget can still patronize and support community businesses while supporting their fellow students. Rewards can escalate in value with the number of events they attend. Or you can do this on a point system. Each event a student attends is worth a certain amount of points (same value for every sport--extra points can be awarded throughout the game for students who dress up\make signs and cheer loudly. The points are then redeemed for prizes at least once per semester. Prizes can simply be bought with points or they can be given away in a raffle (attend more events win more points have better chance to win but everyone has a chance at the best prizes) or they can be auctioned off. Students may also have the option to save their points for later if they choose under the buying\redemption or auction format to go for bigger prizes later. Additionally a special set of prizes could be given out for those recognized for their spirit (cheering signmaking wearing Valpo gear). Not sure how feasible any of these ideas are but at least it's a suggestion for whatever that's worth.

This would be more palatable if it included other events (concerts, lectures, plays) which are also underattended.  The argument would be to encourage students to be involved in the college community and experience outside of class.

[ml2]

How about making attendance of athletic events available for CORE 5th hour credit or giving students a punch card every month where attendance at athletic events leads to rewards like free food or bookstore discounts or partner with businesses in the community on this venture so that students on a budget can still patronize and support community businesses while supporting their fellow students. Rewards can escalate in value with the number of events they attend. Or you can do this on a point system. Each event a student attends is worth a certain amount of points (same value for every sport--extra points can be awarded throughout the game for students who dress up\make signs and cheer loudly. The points are then redeemed for prizes at least once per semester. Prizes can simply be bought with points or they can be given away in a raffle (attend more events win more points have better chance to win but everyone has a chance at the best prizes) or they can be auctioned off. Students may also have the option to save their points for later if they choose under the buying\redemption or auction format to go for bigger prizes later. Additionally a special set of prizes could be given out for those recognized for their spirit (cheering signmaking wearing Valpo gear). Not sure how feasible any of these ideas are but at least it's a suggestion for whatever that's worth.

There was a program just like this in place and operating in the 2007-2009 range. Several of the student leaders from that program are still occasional posters on this board.

[crusadermoe]

How about fresh energetic leadership at the top of the Student Services department?  I think the VP has been in that job since the early 90s.  Perhaps that is 20-25 years ago?  Maybe I am wrong.

People tend to seek out similar people to fill the roles they supervise.  So...bland process-oriented people have multiplied and change is fought. 

[VU2014]

There was a program just like this in place and operating in the 2007-2009 range. Several of the student leaders from that program are still occasional posters on this board.

I think the underlying problem is the lack of student leaders that organize and energize their peers to get others involved in the basketball culture at VU. At small schools like VU, finding those student leaders probably is cyclical, but there are things the athletics department could do to nurture and help a student organization that would be tasked with things like this. The creation of a student organization could prep one generation after the next to be student section leaders and try and have some sustainability.

I like the idea of making it 5th hour core approved, but maybe make it mandatory that student have to attend 1 non-educational 5th hour event (basketball games) and also at 1 more traditional educational 5th hour core event. I seem to remember that freshman were required to attend multiple 5th hour core approved events throughout the semester.

[VUGrad1314]

How about making attendance of athletic events available for CORE 5th hour credit or giving students a punch card every month where attendance at athletic events leads to rewards like free food or bookstore discounts or partner with businesses in the community on this venture so that students on a budget can still patronize and support community businesses while supporting their fellow students. Rewards can escalate in value with the number of events they attend. Or you can do this on a point system. Each event a student attends is worth a certain amount of points (same value for every sport--extra points can be awarded throughout the game for students who dress up\make signs and cheer loudly. The points are then redeemed for prizes at least once per semester. Prizes can simply be bought with points or they can be given away in a raffle (attend more events win more points have better chance to win but everyone has a chance at the best prizes) or they can be auctioned off. Students may also have the option to save their points for later if they choose under the buying\redemption or auction format to go for bigger prizes later. Additionally a special set of prizes could be given out for those recognized for their spirit (cheering signmaking wearing Valpo gear). Not sure how feasible any of these ideas are but at least it's a suggestion for whatever that's worth.

There was a program just like this in place and operating in the 2007-2009 range. Several of the student leaders from that program are still occasional posters on this board.

That is a little before my time but I assume the program was successful? If so can it be reinstated and how would the university go about doing so? I agree with the poster that said lectures and performances should also be an option. Hopefully we would still get plenty of students into the ARC for events.

[VUGrad1314]

There was a program just like this in place and operating in the 2007-2009 range. Several of the student leaders from that program are still occasional posters on this board.

I think the underlying problem is the lack of student leaders that organize and energize their peers to get others involved in the basketball culture at VU. At small schools like VU, finding those student leaders probably is cyclical, but there are things the athletics department could do to nurture and help a student organization that would be tasked with things like this. The creation of a student organization could prep one generation after the next to be student section leaders and try and have some sustainability. I like the idea of making it 5th hour core approved, but maybe make it mandatory that student have to attend 1 non-educational 5th hour event (basketball games) and also at 1 more traditional educational 5th hour core event. I seem to remember that freshman were required to attend multiple 5th hour core approved events throughout the semester.

There was a program just like this in place and operating in the 2007-2009 range. Several of the student leaders from that program are still occasional posters on this board.

I think the underlying problem is the lack of student leaders that organize and energize their peers to get others involved in the basketball culture at VU. At small schools like VU, finding those student leaders probably is cyclical, but there are things the athletics department could do to nurture and help a student organization that would be tasked with things like this. The creation of a student organization could prep one generation after the next to be student section leaders and try and have some sustainability. I like the idea of making it 5th hour core approved, but maybe make it mandatory that student have to attend 1 non-educational 5th hour event (basketball games) and also at 1 more traditional educational 5th hour core event. I seem to remember that freshman were required to attend multiple 5th hour core approved events throughout the semester.

I think we had to do three while I was there. Maybe expand the number or make it more well-rounded: Your fifth hour events must include: 1 Athletic event (I don't think it's fair to restrict it to just basketball because other sports are also fun to watch and those athletes deserve support too. Nevertheless, I think most people will end up at basketball games because it's our flagship sport) 1 lecture and  1 artistic event  (artist talk, gallery viewing, play, or music performance). I would even advocate increasing it to 6 or 9 or 12 events at the same ratio. One campus event per week doesn't seem like a terribly unreasonable ask. After all, students get in free. I like your idea of a student organization to create sustainability but the key is going to be marketing. The coaches and players throughout the department need to build a presence among the students and get the word out. Having the team hand out free gear or food vouchers or something (if it is okay to do so) could also help. While you have the students attention, tell them about the upcoming schedule.