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Sounds like it has NCAA violations written all over it.  It is too logical.

A phone call from their personal phone wouldnt be a good idea, but one from a phone bank would be excellent marketing.  Again...NCAA would find something wrong with it.

lowposter

+1

I asked about doing this or sending personalized letters to season ticket holders last year and was told no...

Question for valpomarketingguy:  Is is possible to update the player info, on the video boards, a little faster?  A new player comes in and it takes a couple of plays before his name appears.  Same thing when a player scores, rebounds or fouls.  More realtime updates would be more credible.

Unfortunately, it is my understanding that this is the only option we have right now.  I know it is a bit frustrating to have to wait for it to update, but it is far better than what we had 12 months ago!  I will continue to try and improve the fan experience using the board, so please continue to send suggestions and comments my way.

Dear Valpo Fans,

As you may know, former Valpo Basketball Head Coach Homer Drew and his wife Janet were both recently diagnosed with cancer within a three day period.  Valpo Basketball takes on Akron at the ARC on Friday, November 18, at 7:30 pm, as part of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.  Valpo Athletics is organizing a fundraiser to make a donation to cancer research in the Drews' honor, and we need your help.

-Come to the game Friday, November 18, at 7:30 pm

-Wear light blue to the game, AND get a t-shirt at the game in return for a donation (minimum $5) to cancer research.  Light blue represents prostate cancer for Homer.  Yellow represents bladder cancer for Janet.

-Help by making a pledge to donate as little as $0.10/student (a dime) that comes to the game.  If 300 students attend (our goal), this would be $30.  This is the beginning of Thanksgiving break for students, so we are asking students to pledge to "Stay A Day" in support of Homer and Janet and to help raise money.  Having money donated per student will help motivate more students to attend the game and help raise more money.

If you would like to support Homer, Janet, Valpo Basketball and Cancer Research by donating a dime (or more) per student that attends the game, please email Jenny Garrett at Jennifer.Garrett1@valpo.edu by Tuesday, 11/15, at 7:00 pm with the amount you wish to pledge.

We look forward to seeing you on Friday night wearing blue!

To watch the video or read the article recently done by Andy Katz of ESPN about the Drews, click here: ESPN Coverage of the Drews' Story

Go Valpo!

Jenny Garrett & Brad Swanson

Assistant Directors of Marketing

Valpo Athletics

I really like the intro.  It was a great idea and a great use of the new video boards.  I don't really get why streetball scenes were chosen.  I would rather see actually valpo highlights or players in uniform.  Just my two cents. 

Also, there seemed to be about a 2 possession delay before the individual player stats were updated during the game.  Is that how it will always be?  Or is it fixable?


Same old sound system.  I do enjoy listening to Charlie Brown's parents announcing the game.

Try watching the video another time or two and pay attention to the words on the screen, especially at the beginning and end.  Let me know if the reason for the outdoor court shots is more apparent then.

I was hesitant to post because the experience is so much better watching on the big boards with the music cranked up.  You'll see what I mean tonight!

How is this for an exclusive "sneak peak?"  Happy Basketball season!

2011 Valpo Men's Basketball

Throw a little beer in with the pizza - that'll do it! (JK) Seriously, i think it'll be key for the guys to know they have everyones support from day one. New Coach, and a new day.
Let's not forget to show the lady crusaders some support this season too. I think they've made some nice additions to their squad, and had a good run in China. The players they picked up should be able to come in and help out immediatley.

This dodgeball event includes the Women's team and will allow both teams to really interact and engage with the student body.

I think it might be time to try something other than free pizza to bring the students in...regardless, lets get this season started!

The pizza is a very minor part of this event.  Regardless, it works about as well as anything when trying to attract students.

Somehow I figured you'd be the first to comment...  Not what we were looking for but thanks for your input.  It seems that you and Merriam-Webster have different definitions of the term.

We are working on a project for the men's basketball team and could use the help of those of you on this board who have been longtime supporters of the program and know Valpo Basketball well.  I am looking for you to suggest words, emotions, and/or adjectives that come to mind when you think of Valpo Basketball.  Feel free to create a list and post.  Any and all help is much appreciated!

While Hoops Mania/Midnight Madness programs can be fun and entertaining, for many coaches, they want to do away with the glorified light shows and dunk contests of the first practice, and just get to practicing. A lot of coaches have said that one of the problems they have with the public practice to open the season is that it is just basically setup as a street ball session to excite potential fans or season ticket holders, instead of letting this kind of event happen a few days after the season has started. It proves ineffective for some coaches to have to open up their season with a stage show/circus for fans and season ticket holders, instead of just getting the practice unis and shoes on and getting down to the nitty-gritty.

well said valporun.  We open the season pretty quickly and with all the new faces on the roster wasting one practice on a dunk contest seems nonproductive.  Granted, it may help with student interest and season ticket sales but a quality win will go as far or maybe farther.

We're not talking about a losing program that needs to give people a reason to show up.  We had 23 wins last year, we were 12-6 in conference, we were vieing for the conference championship right up until the last week of the season, we had exciting all-conference players, and yet we had dreadful student turnouts at several home games - what clearly seemed to be the worst since before the Bryce Drew era.  There were games when school was in session where there were not more than 25-50 students in the student section, depending on the opponent.  I don't know what the answer is, but I have a hard time understanding how eliminating the Hoops Mania event fits this scenario.  It would seem that logic would dictate that you eliminate it when you no longer need it to generate enthusiasm, not when you do. 

WH-

You pretty much hit the nail on the head with your critique of the decision.  What I failed to mention before is that the traditional Hoops Mania event is being replaced with a different event geared directly towards our student body, with the goal of engaging them on a new level and getting them excited about the upcoming year.  We are also planning a separate replacement event that caters to our season ticket holders, recognizing they are another key group who has traditionally attended the Hoops Mania event and would likely appreciate a season ticket holder only version of it.  We may not always get things right, but you can be sure there is a ton of thought and hard work being put in to marketing our teams.  I hope this clarifies things.  More information will be available shortly.

hopefully this is not too off-topic but does anyone know if there will be another hoopsmania night this year and if so when it will be?

I went last year and it was fun to see the personality of the players before things get too serious.

There will not be a Hoops Mania this year. It was a unanimous decision made by the administration and coaching staff after recognizing the event has lost steam year after year and was pretty disappointing last year. 

You are correct, valpotx. Mark Labarbera tweeted about the sound system and said....

"Sound system upgrade tested today. Amazing! Between video & sound a whole new experience in ARC. Check it out @ volleyball this weekend."

I was at the volley ball game this morning.  Here are my reviews:

video board - Good looking videos.  SCORE OF GAME NOT SHOWN.    McDonald's ad on bottom (which can only be read from one side) is unattractive.  Return their money & paint it black.

Sound system - a waste of money.  It is still difficult to hear the announcer.  Certainly not AMAZING!  When the ARC is full of cheering people, I think it will be more than difficult to hear any spoken words.

The score will be a part of the new video board eventually, as will instant replay.  Please understand that the video board and scoreboard installation was completed this morning at 2am and there are several elements that are not fully up and running.  We'll get there as we become more experienced operating the system.  As for the McDonald's sign, it won't be going anywhere soon and there is a reason it is placed where it is.  It's not meant to be read by those in the chairbacks.

Looks like the new video boards just arrived and per ML's comment on twitter earlier today they should be installed this week.  


@ValpoADMark LaBarbera

"Just watched the new video boards arrive. Installation will be done by end of week."

Photos of the delivery and initial installation steps have been posted on the Crusader's Facebook page.  Check them out here: Video Board Delivery

That's the spirit WH!  I love hearing this response and wish everyone else will get on board!  The opportunity to host the sub-regional is great for our team and the University and the group of teams is certainly better than what we saw the last two years when we were on the road:

2009-10 :
@ Georgia Southern (RPI 288)
vs. Troy (RPI 109)
vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith (RPI N/A-Non-DI)

2008-09 Paradise Jam:
vs. San Diego (RPI 193)
vs. Iona (RPI 213)
vs. La Salle (RPI 112) 

I find it interesting that when those previous schedules came out I'm sure you were saying that the tournaments were a "jewel" on those schedules. Now you pretty much say that they were "of poor quality."

I'm not sure what you're trying to imply, but I didn't work for Valpo either of the two years I referenced.  All I did was present some facts backing up my argument that I believe this year's home schedule is one of the best we've put together in recent memory.  Do you disagree?  If you do, I'd be happy to listen to your reasoning and try to understand your point of view.

If this home schedule is true, my opinion is that the non-conference home schedule is pretty mediocre.  Only one really interesting game (Oakland), and that is certainly not a marquee opponent.  I realize last year was an outstanding schedule and that the switch from home to away for the bracketbuster is very impacting, but it would be much better to see another strong mid-major in November or December.

The other unfortunate thing is that two of the nine conference games are during the week between Christmas and New Years.  So when you break it down, the number of good games while school is in session is seven (since the Oakland game is Dec. 17th) and the first good game is Jan. 12th.  Far more difficult to build excitement on campus with this home schedule.

I will respectfully disagree with your assessment of the schedule as a "mediocre" one.  I would hope your opinion changes once you see the 3 opponents coming in as part of the 2K Sports Classic.  That field includes two teams that played in the postseason last year (one NCAA team and one CBI team, both with RPIs in the top 125).  I believe that this schedule, comprised of 17 home games, is one of the best we've had in the last 5 or 6 years.  For one, the home games are a big boost to the team and take an investment on the part of the University to pull off.  Second, although it lacks a "big name" school, there are two NCAA teams from last year on the non-con schedule and only one non-DI regular season game.  As a whole, I think this schedule stacks up well with any we've put together since 2003-04 when USF, Cincy, Indiana St., Milwaukee, and Loyola visited the ARC and is similar to any you'll see from other schools in our conference this year.

With all that said, I look forward to seeing many of you at the games this fall/winter and am looking forward to another exciting year of Valpo Basketball! 

This is exactly the type of schedule many of us have been saying we want for a long time now - competitive games - both home and away - against good mid-majors as opposed to slaughters on the road to Top 10 Majors mixed in with meaningless home games against non - D-1 teams.  Personally I am very happy.  3 consecutive days of basketball against good MM opponents at the ARC - what could be better?  Add Bowling Green and Oakland to the mix, and I am one happy season ticket holder!

That's the spirit WH!  I love hearing this response and wish everyone else will get on board!  The opportunity to host the sub-regional is great for our team and the University and the group of teams is certainly better than what we saw the last two years when we were on the road:

2009-10 :
@ Georgia Southern (RPI 288)
vs. Troy (RPI 109)
vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith (RPI N/A-Non-DI)

2008-09 Paradise Jam:
vs. San Diego (RPI 193)
vs. Iona (RPI 213)
vs. La Salle (RPI 112) 

If this home schedule is true, my opinion is that the non-conference home schedule is pretty mediocre.  Only one really interesting game (Oakland), and that is certainly not a marquee opponent.  I realize last year was an outstanding schedule and that the switch from home to away for the bracketbuster is very impacting, but it would be much better to see another strong mid-major in November or December.

The other unfortunate thing is that two of the nine conference games are during the week between Christmas and New Years.  So when you break it down, the number of good games while school is in session is seven (since the Oakland game is Dec. 17th) and the first good game is Jan. 12th.  Far more difficult to build excitement on campus with this home schedule.

I will respectfully disagree with your assessment of the schedule as a "mediocre" one.  I would hope your opinion changes once you see the 3 opponents coming in as part of the 2K Sports Classic.  That field includes two teams that played in the postseason last year (one NCAA team and one CBI team, both with RPIs in the top 125).  I believe that this schedule, comprised of 17 home games, is one of the best we've had in the last 5 or 6 years.  For one, the home games are a big boost to the team and take an investment on the part of the University to pull off.  Second, although it lacks a "big name" school, there are two NCAA teams from last year on the non-con schedule and only one non-DI regular season game.  As a whole, I think this schedule stacks up well with any we've put together since 2003-04 when USF, Cincy, Indiana St., Milwaukee, and Loyola visited the ARC and is similar to any you'll see from other schools in our conference this year.

With all that said, I look forward to seeing many of you at the games this fall/winter and am looking forward to another exciting year of Valpo Basketball! 

Just saw this on the website as well, pretty sweet!  I think that this is well worth a major announcement, as that just brings our athletics program closer to the others out there in amenities.  Is this a video board where it displays where people's points/foul totals are as well?

Point/Foul totals will be displayed in some capacity on the board.  We will have to figure out exactly how and when certain information will be displayed.

Video Boards to Be Installed In Athletics-Recreation Center


The Athletics-Recreation Center will be getting an upgrade this summer, as a YESCO four-sided ceiling hung display sign, featuring video boards on all four sides, will be installed above center court in the arena, home of Valparaiso's men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams.

"We are excited about the opportunity to enhance our fans' experience at basketball and volleyball games by adding video boards in the ARC," said Valparaiso director of athletics Mark LaBarbera.  "It also marks another step forward in our commitment to continued improvements to all of our athletic facilities."

The fixture will feature four 10MM full color video boards, with each board's active area measuring 13' wide by 7'7" tall (fans can right-click on the image to the right and select 'View Image' to see the board's full dimensions).  In addition, the corners will contain four back-lit display panels for advertising, while there will also be an additional illuminated sign panel on the underside of the display with McDonald's messaging.  Also as part of the project, modifications will be made to improve the sound system in the arena.

About YESCO: YESCO is a family-owned provider of a full spectrum of sign and lighting products and services. YESCO Electronics manufacturers versatile, color LED signs and is a leading supplier of digital billboards in North America. YESCO Outdoor Media has approximately 1,700 billboards strategically located on major thoroughfares across 10 western states. The company has been in business since 1920.  For more information visit www.yesco.com.

I like the new website a lot. It has a nice organization and I love that YouTube videos play right on the homepage. I would like to see a different banner besides the Victory Bell once in a while though.
My only question so far: will there be a mobile site or an app created for athletics? Butler's mobile website is a decent example of what I'm talking about.

Thanks for the feedback.  There is a mobile version coming.  It is still being developed and we don't have an expected release date yet.  Also, the photo at the top of the page will change every once in a while.

Thanks for the feedback so far guys!  Also, welcome to the Valpo family and the message board Mr. Bogan!

You should clear your cache in the browser you are using.

I know some of you didn't care for the way we publicized the launch of the new website.  However, now that it is up and running, I'd like to encourage you to explore it and offer any feedback you may have.  There has been a lot of time and energy invested in this project by several members of the department staff and we hope it improves the online experiences of our fans, student-athletes, coaches, and potential recruits.  Please post any questions or comments you may have and I'll be sure to consider and/or act on your feedback.

www.valpoathletics.com

With the new turf and scoreboard, I think you can forget about a new football field, although new bleachers, restrooms at the field and a new pressbox would be nice.....I have a feeling it's bigger than that.....

We are trying to create some buzz (which apparently has worked well so far with minimal effort).  However, I want to temper your expectations a bit. I trust that the announcement will enhance your experience as a Valpo fan, but it is not as large as a new facility or new sport program for the department. As always, thanks for your tremendous support of Valpo Athletics!