Game 11: GMU (9-1) vs ODU (3-7) on Saturday, December 13, at 12:30 PM.

[Patriot Blue]

I have wanted that too. Others have said no due to him leaving and/or, what if Tony excells him. Fair enough. But I still say name it.
If Tony excells him we can always have a Tony Dome.

If Tony wins, he will be here 2 more years tops.

 

[GMU79]

If Tony wins, he will be here 2 more years tops.

Perhaps.

 

[tblack33]

Attendance today was a hair above 4400.

 

[Patriot Blue]

Attendance today was a hair above 4400.

Pathetic.

 

[FlPatriot]

Pathetic.

At some point this lack of attendance has to be laid at the feet of the AD. Folks always talk about all of the competing activities…I don’t buy it. There are over 6.4 million people in the DC MSA. A marketing department unable to capture 7500 of these folks on a regular basis is severely lacking in talent, funding or both.

 

[GMUMiked]

Attendance today was a hair above 4400.

I would have thought that the number would be higher. I think this shows that you don't need 10k people to make the place feel not empty and have a decent atmosphere.

 

[tblack33]

I would have thought that the number would be higher. I think this shows that you don't need 10k people to make the place feel not empty and have a decent atmosphere.

Don’t disagree with this at all.

Also, I think if 4400 is what we get when Larranega and the final 4 team come back, what you are seeing is the realistic ceiling for our attendance outside of homecoming and games that bring in lots of away team fans. Curious what long term planning is happening around EBA, and if a new, smaller arena is in anyone’s head for a long term (5-10 years out) strategic vision for the university.

 

[FlPatriot]

Don’t disagree with this at all.

Also, I think if 4400 is what we get when Larranega and the final 4 team come back, what you are seeing is the realistic ceiling for our attendance outside of homecoming and games that bring in lots of away team fans. Curious what long term planning is happening around EBA, and if a new, smaller arena is in anyone’s head for a long term (5-10 years out) strategic vision for the university.

Don’t agree it’s a realistic ceiling and think the idea of shelling out 50mm for a new, smaller arena vs simply investing one tenth of that in marketing is not the way to go.

I sincerely wonder if anyone has invested in a simple cost/benefit/sensitivity analysis on ticket price/attendance/concession revenue (assuming appropriately staffed concessions) and general marketing. Seems to me they’ve got more than enough brainpower across the university to answer these questions.

If this has already been done please point it out to me. I’d like to see it.

 

[Mason2005]

Here is an idea, close out the upper bowl to reduce the arena to 6-7K for games. Anything above 5K and EBA is rocking.

 

[MASONscott]

From my unofficial polling…this game, tribute and all around nostalgia mix garnered far more attention than the attendance at the game. The number of social media posts, Mason friends reaching out, and the old school regulars that actually came to game was amazing.

One small sample size was my wife and I left at halftime to go to my son’s HS game. No less than ten friends asked about the Mason game.

Mason basketball and Coach L’s legacy is far bigger than the attendance of an early afternoon game.

 

[FlPatriot]

Think this is called conversion in the marketing world…casual observer => participant.

 

[GMUMiked]

Here is an idea, close out the upper bowl to reduce the arena to 6-7K for games. Anything above 5K and EBA is rocking.

They had the corner sections above the portals covered for a few seasons, it didn't look much better than empty seats. If we could get 5k to a game the atmosphere would be great as is.

 

[GMUMiked]

From my unofficial polling…this game, tribute and all around nostalgia mix garnered far more attention than the attendance at the game. The number of social media posts, Mason friends reaching out, and the old school regulars that actually came to game was amazing.

One small sample size was my wife and I left at halftime to go to my son’s HS game. No less than ten friends asked about the Mason game.

Mason basketball and Coach L’s legacy is far bigger than the attendance of an early afternoon game.

This is absolutely true. My dad heard about it on WTOP and texted me, I listened to Tony and Coach L on the Junkies and had a bunch of buddies who know I follow Mason text me about it. I saw a ton of social media surrounding it as well, props to the marketing team, for this week anyway.

 

[tblack33]

From my unofficial polling…this game, tribute and all around nostalgia mix garnered far more attention than the attendance at the game. The number of social media posts, Mason friends reaching out, and the old school regulars that actually came to game was amazing.

One small sample size was my wife and I left at halftime to go to my son’s HS game. No less than ten friends asked about the Mason game.

Mason basketball and Coach L’s legacy is far bigger than the attendance of an early afternoon game.

If it doesn’t translate to butts in seats or donations in the bank, what’s it matter though?

 

[FlPatriot]

If it doesn’t translate to butts in seats or donations in the bank, what’s it matter though?

Must be done consistently. One and done in marketing never works.

 

[mkaufman1]

Don’t agree it’s a realistic ceiling and think the idea of shelling out 50mm for a new, smaller arena vs simply investing one tenth of that in marketing is not the way to go.

I sincerely wonder if anyone has invested in a simple cost/benefit/sensitivity analysis on ticket price/attendance/concession revenue (assuming appropriately staffed concessions) and general marketing. Seems to me they’ve got more than enough brainpower across the university to answer these questions.

If this has already been done please point it out to me. I’d like to see it.

athletics recently conducted research and surveys on this type of thing. The results are probably not going to be shared though.

(And no I don’t know what the results say but I do recall someone saying they do this type of work)

 

[jessej]

Attendance today was a hair above 4400.

Thru the turnstiles
or
season tix plus online and walkup sales?

The first is accurate and the second is overstated - IMO

 

[MASONscott]

If it doesn’t translate to butts in seats or donations in the bank, what’s it matter though?

Valid point.

It was perhaps a brief strong tailwind for the program. Between the Junkies, social media, and the televised game I think present interest in this season’s basketball team increased despite ticket sales.