Improve Mason home game experience discussion

[jkh1978]

Transient area may also mean that people have loyalties to top teams/conferences, and don't know how good the ball here is. I am glad the team is being marketed this year as NoVa's team.

 

[GMUgemini]

Transient area may also mean that people have loyalties to top teams/conferences, and don't know how good the ball here is. I am glad the team is being marketed this year as NoVa's team.

Not only does Mason need to more aggressively market, but the A10 needs to more aggressively market the league in their footprint.

If affordability is an issue, I was watching the Bona vs Canisius game and they were marketing a two ticket deal for $35 which included two sodas and two hotdogs for all weekday games. I can try to watch the replay and take a screen grab of it because it was flashed on the screen in the second half. I’m assuming Sodexo would not let us do the food portion, but I’m sure we could come up with something.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Wild how many ideas for improving the experience and fan engagement are centered around concessions and it’s a total non-starter because of Sodexo. They can’t gtfo fast enough.

 

[jkh1978]

Someone mentioned $5 sodas... I think they are $7/$8. Food is a big part of game day experience. I wish I could get some better beer outside of the gold/green rooms. For me, if they can hopefully fix that some year, and someone gets the kids into it, everything else will fall into place. I think the program is trying to make improvements.

 

[MasonFanatic]

That is surprising, at least for me, considering the diversity of the student population.

Mason students come here and stay here because of the opportunities that the DC region offers.

 

[MasonFanatic]

If affordability is an issue, I was watching the Bona vs Canisius game and they were marketing a two ticket deal for $35 which included two sodas and two hotdogs for all weekday games. I can try to watch the replay and take a screen grab of it because it was flashed on the screen in the second half. I’m assuming Sodexo would not let us do the food portion, but I’m sure we could come up with something.

My understanding is we can do promos like this, but Mason has to pay Sodexo the full menu price for the food.

 

[GMU79]

Mason students come here and stay here because of the opportunities that the DC region offers.

Yes, I can certainly see that too.

 

[Patriot69]

I appreciate all the comments, but I’ve heard the same comments since when I had my 4 season tickets starting in the 1985-86 season through the 2004-05 season. The first event at The Patriot Center was a NBA pre-season game between the Washington Bullets and the New York Knicks. It was Patrick Ewing’s first game as a pro. The GMU home opener was against Maryland with Lefty Dreisell and Len Bias. That was the game where we had a makable 5 foot shot at the buzzer to win. We have history. Let’s highlight it.

 

[GunstonsGhost]

That is surprising, at least for me, considering the diversity of the student population.

I thought so as well. And while I can't find a direct source to cite, here's a general stat posted by GMU.

"...85% of graduates staying in Virginia and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region to work for leading employers."

George Mason University is #1 among Virginia and DMV region public universities for upward mobility, and a top 5 school for best value in Virginia, according to U.S. News

George Mason University stands out as Virginia’s No. 1 public university for upward mobility in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2026, as Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck” in the commonwealth, and as a top 50 public university nationally according to Forbes magazine.

www.gmu.edu

 

[GMU79]

I thought so as well. And while I can't find a direct source to cite, here's a general stat posted by GMU.

"...85% of graduates staying in Virginia and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region to work for leading employers."

George Mason University is #1 among Virginia and DMV region public universities for upward mobility, and a top 5 school for best value in Virginia, according to U.S. News

George Mason University stands out as Virginia’s No. 1 public university for upward mobility in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2026, as Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck” in the commonwealth, and as a top 50 public university nationally according to Forbes magazine.

www.gmu.edu

Interesting. Money talks.
But I wonder why
that money thing didn't work out for me!? Oh yeah, my diploma was a petroglyph.

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

Interesting. Money talks.
But I wonder why
that money thing didn't work out for me!? Oh yeah, my diploma was a petroglyph.

vcu fans

 

[GSII]

"If we win, people will come"

We won the A10 regular season last year, there should be more people at the games.

If you live within 1 hour of EBA, please come to the games! Watch Kory Mincy go off!

You mis-quoted what I said. You left out a key word. "Alot" Win alot! I

 

[Portlandian]

The idea of a pre-season NBA game before a Mason game is a cool idea. I don't know if the calendars would align though. If there was an NBA development team in the area it would be cool to have them play a game before the GMU game and then a discounted ticket would allow you access to both events.

Or a combo a-10 game with a local team. Get to see GW play someone at the Patriot Center and then see GMU play another a-10 team at the Patriot Center for a slightly higher ticket price than normal.

Or have the Mystics play a game before or after a GMU game and again, see 2 games for the price of 1 with an elevated ticket price.

 

[Pablo]

If there was an NBA development team in the area it would be cool to have them play a game before the GMU game and then a discounted ticket would allow you access to both events.

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[Portlandian]

I am down with anything that encourages go-go dancing.