FreeGunston12
All-American
Take the chairs out of the student section. Direct students to the upper section if they want to sit. Start doing little things to make sitting and being disengaged in cheering less comfortable.As a student-fan, I would not have sat in upper-level seats. That would have been an insult. The whole point of being at the game was cheering on my Patriots close to the action. We didn't come to games to SIT anywhere.
Drawing the bleachers back for a couple of games per season during winter break is fine. Student participation is minimal during this time—not much lost. It cannot, however, become a regular thing if one is attempting to nurture students into becoming better fans of the game. Yes, progress is slow on that front, but cutting off the bleachers to students permanently??? That would kill off student participation faster than anything.
The first game with students back would be a great time to have the Stand Up 2 Cancer (or enter other cause here). If the student section could go 40 minutes of game action without sitting, I’d pledge money.