Purdue and Nebraska

Many places with the only show in town do not sell out and they have been nothing but mediocre.

I don't disagree at all; winning/competent marketing are important anywhere. But those standards are definitely raised when alternatives are present. Minnesota is such a unique B1G school in that regard. The only school that really comes close is Maryland with DC. Pretty much every other school is synonymous with its town. You hear West Lafayette, Ann Arbor, Madison, East Lansing, etc. and the mind instantly goes to Purdue, Michigan, Wisconsin, MSU. That doesn't happen with Minneapolis (and never will).

Apart from winning, or just making tickets dirt cheap, I don't think there's much that can be done to put butts in seats for the long term. We saw the hype and corresponding attendance to start the season two years ago. Student tickets sold out for the first time in a long time. We sadly know how the rest of that season went down. On the price side, we see success with the opener at every football game (free student tickets), and one of the basketball games last year (I believe it was Utah).

I'm kind of going on a tangent, I know the point of this thread wasn't to directly compare Purdue and Nebraska to the Gophers. I just think it's an interesting conversation to have.
 

I don't disagree at all; winning/competent marketing are important anywhere. But those standards are definitely raised when alternatives are present. Minnesota is such a unique B1G school in that regard. The only school that really comes close is Maryland with DC. Pretty much every other school is synonymous with its town. You hear West Lafayette, Ann Arbor, Madison, East Lansing, etc. and the mind instantly goes to Purdue, Michigan, Wisconsin, MSU. That doesn't happen with Minneapolis (and never will).

Apart from winning, or just making tickets dirt cheap, I don't think there's much that can be done to put butts in seats for the long term. We saw the hype and corresponding attendance to start the season two years ago. Student tickets sold out for the first time in a long time. We sadly know how the rest of that season went down. On the price side, we see success with the opener at every football game (free student tickets), and one of the basketball games last year (I believe it was Utah).

I'm kind of going on a tangent, I know the point of this thread wasn't to directly compare Purdue and Nebraska to the Gophers. I just think it's an interesting conversation to have.

Agree. I think the only way to fill seats here and at hundreds of other places is to win. People recognize excellence and are drawn to it. That is why hiring a great coach is by far the most important part. Programs that hire great coaches win big, sell seats and increase donations. The hardest part is finding a great coach.
 

Built, there is a problem with your assumption that hiring Fred has excited the fanbase into selling out the arena.

Nebraska has been playing in front of a sold-out arena since they built the new arena.

Nebraska BB avg game attendance (from NCAA):

2019-15,341
2018-15,492
2017-15,427
2016-15,429
2015-15,569
2014-15,419
Arena has a official capacity of 15,500.

Old arena:
2013-10,352
2012-10,019



————————

Purdue

2019-14,467
2018-14,343
2017-13,819
2016-13,662
2015-11,523
2014-12,738

Arena has a official capacity of 14,846

Minnesota
2019-10,675
2018-11,850
2017-10,308
2016-10,706
2015-12,188
2014-11,255
2013-12,580 Pitino
2012-11,794 New seat donations
2011-13,241
2010-13,453
2009-13,400
2008-12,452
2007-10,974 Tubby


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Built, there is a problem with your assumption that hiring Fred has excited the fanbase into selling out the arena.

Nebraska has been playing in front of a sold-out arena since they built the new arena.

Nebraska BB avg game attendance (from NCAA):

2019-15,341
2018-15,492
2017-15,427
2016-15,429
2015-15,569
2014-15,419
Arena has a official capacity of 15,500.

Old arena:
2013-10,352
2012-10,019



————————

Purdue

2019-14,467
2018-14,343
2017-13,819
2016-13,662
2015-11,523
2014-12,738

Arena has a official capacity of 14,846

Minnesota
2019-10,675
2018-11,850
2017-10,308
2016-10,706
2015-12,188
2014-11,255
2013-12,580 Pitino
2012-11,794 New seat donations
2011-13,241
2010-13,453
2009-13,400
2008-12,452
2007-10,974 Tubby


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Great info on Nebraska. Do know the big donors are up with Fred, they were tired of Miles mediocre record. I did not say they did not sell out before or that they did not support the team. Hiring Fred allowed them to sell it out faster in a very fast downswing. I was at a outing at Sand Hills and those guys liked Miles as a great guy but a losing coach. As for Purdue, they will beat last year after a championship season and out draw us in a big way . Our attendance is embarrassing and Coyle knows it. 10,675 in a huge metro population. Sure lots of choices but by % of population that is terrible.
 

How do we not have better things to talk about then how many fans will be going to Purdue and Nebraska games
 
Last edited:


Agree. I think the only way to fill seats here and at hundreds of other places is to win. People recognize excellence and are drawn to it. That is why hiring a great coach is by far the most important part. Programs that hire great coaches win big, sell seats and increase donations. The hardest part is finding a great coach.

UNC.
 

Our attendance is embarrassing and Coyle knows it. 10,675 in a huge metro population. Sure lots of choices but by % of population that is terrible.

College attendance in huge metro populations struggle most everywhere (Major Market Power 6 schools attendance from 2018-19):

Arizona State: 10,305
Boston College: 5,243
Butler: 8,419
California: 5,627
DePaul: 3,806
Georgia Tech: 5,945
Georgetown: 7,212
Marquette: 15,611
Miami: 6,645
Minnesota: 10,675
Northwestern: 6,754
Pittsburgh: 6,749
Stanford: 3,894
St. John's: 9,798
UCLA: 8,269
USC: 3,590
Vanderbilt: 9,610
Villanova: 9,053
Washington: 7,846
Xavier: 10,034

Basically, Gophers are best of that group (trailing only Marquette, which had averaged 12,323 in 2018).
 

Great info on Nebraska. Do know the big donors are up with Fred, they were tired of Miles mediocre record. I did not say they did not sell out before or that they did not support the team. Hiring Fred allowed them to sell it out faster in a very fast downswing. I was at a outing at Sand Hills and those guys liked Miles as a great guy but a losing coach. As for Purdue, they will beat last year after a championship season and out draw us in a big way . Our attendance is embarrassing and Coyle knows it. 10,675 in a huge metro population. Sure lots of choices but by % of population that is terrible.

I am sure that hiring Fred was a big deal for Nebraska Basketball. I just think there is a bit of a sleaze factor to Fred, kind of like a Cal wannabe.

The seat donations took a big hit to the season ticket holders in all of the major sports at the U. It looks like it took a couple thousand away from BB.

We have had a long slump at the U and fan attitudes tend to be a little negative since the Clem. I think that the U has to lure fans back with some ticket promotions and more years of NCAA appearances.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

I have lived in Lincoln since the early 80's and have long realized that Nebraska fans are very unique. They are college sports fans to the core. Obviously that has been the case with the football team for a half of a century. I truly believe the college World Series would not survive anywhere else. Husker baseball has averaged almost 6000 a game for a entire season and always leads the B1G in baseball attendance. Even the USHL team has a huge following. Basketball hasn't always been that way. For 20 years at the Devaney Center, I went to about 6-8 games a year and never paid for a ticket. Always free tickets available and sit where you want for most games. They built the new arena in the "cool" part of downtown and they have been having big crowds ever since.
 



I am sure that hiring Fred was a big deal for Nebraska Basketball. I just think there is a bit of a sleaze factor to Fred, kind of like a Cal wannabe.

The seat donations took a big hit to the season ticket holders in all of the major sports at the U. It looks like it took a couple thousand away from BB.

We have had a long slump at the U and fan attitudes tend to be a little negative since the Clem. I think that the U has to lure fans back with some ticket promotions and more years of NCAA appearances.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Built is not interested in details. Built would not post positive things about a program with a coach or program that cheats in any way.
 

College attendance in huge metro populations struggle most everywhere (Major Market Power 6 schools attendance from 2018-19):

Arizona State: 10,305
Boston College: 5,243
Butler: 8,419
California: 5,627
DePaul: 3,806
Georgia Tech: 5,945
Georgetown: 7,212
Marquette: 15,611
Miami: 6,645
Minnesota: 10,675
Northwestern: 6,754
Pittsburgh: 6,749
Stanford: 3,894
St. John's: 9,798
UCLA: 8,269
USC: 3,590
Vanderbilt: 9,610
Villanova: 9,053
Washington: 7,846
Xavier: 10,034

Basically, Gophers are best of that group (trailing only Marquette, which had averaged 12,323 in 2018).

Everything has a context. How many of those have only one D1 program, hell only one in the state ! Many of the powers that be at the U are very concerned about attendance. You listed programs that are losers or have small on campus arenas. Villanova rocks 19,000 when they play downtown. Check out capacity at Xavier and then realize they divide the city with another successful winner in a state full of D1 programs. Winning is the answer.
 

Built is not interested in details. Built would not post positive things about a program with a coach or program that cheats in any way.

Speaking for me. I can not stand programs that cheat and do not support them financially or as a vested fan. UNC should have been given the death penalty. I just do not own homer glasses. I see no point in pretending that we have done special things or that we are sitting on some legendary coach. Praise him when i see something well done but in a bottom line business the failure to win anything that counts is why we are short of fans. I had seats for years with friends nearby. They have dropped out as we have lost over and over again. None of them dropped because of rising costs. I kept mine. People can see excellence right away , when someone special comes along, instills a culture and wins big. Seats fill, donations rise. Hell even facilities get built without debt financing. Winning attracts everyone.
 

Winning dirty works well for many programs. And those programs, and coaches, are put on a pedestal. UNC. Roy.
 



Winning dirty works well for many programs. And those programs, and coaches, are put on a pedestal. UNC. Roy.

Bums me out that it is not a level field but others have overcome it and taken care of how they conducted themselves. UVA and Villanova won clean, not even a whisper. How we conduct ourselves is the most important thing we do and it does not stop you from winning. You can not stop society from putting UNC and Roy on a pedestal. I despise what they did and will never respect what they have done. Each person can decide for themselves what they look up to. A fan does not have to put UNC on a pedestal just because ESPN does. Duke and UNC butter the bread at UNC, i simply do not watch ESPN in regards to their commentary. The way to get more admiration is to win, win big. You do not have to cheat to win .
 

Bums me out that it is not a level field but others have overcome it and taken care of how they conducted themselves. UVA and Villanova won clean, not even a whisper. How we conduct ourselves is the most important thing we do and it does not stop you from winning. You can not stop society from putting UNC and Roy on a pedestal. I despise what they did and will never respect what they have done. Each person can decide for themselves what they look up to. A fan does not have to put UNC on a pedestal just because ESPN does. Duke and UNC butter the bread at UNC, i simply do not watch ESPN in regards to their commentary. The way to get more admiration is to win, win big. You do not have to cheat to win .

Agreed.

How many NCAA National Champions in Mens BB did not break a rule, say, since 1990? Nearly 3 decades.
 

Agreed.

How many NCAA National Champions in Mens BB did not break a rule, say, since 1990? Nearly 3 decades.

Great question. We can never know but i am thinking half those teams did not cheat.
 


50%. Pathetic.

I would say less than 50% given the facts that continue to come out.

Think we agree that less than 100 % is pathetic when it comes to cheating. Neither one of us is concerned over secondary violations like a kid getting money to go home for a cousins funeral and by mistake compliance missing it. That is a mistake. Cheating is the gross way UNC handled their academic situation designed to win, cheating is what Sean Miller and Will Wade have done. Cheating is getting Courtney James into school when he had the shabbiest high school transcript outside of D. ROSE, then having the guts to fake that he was a student here. Proud the U handled it the way they did. Cheating is what Rick Pitino oversaw at Louisville. None of it means we should cheat to win.
 

Everything has a context. You listed programs that are losers or have small on campus arenas.

No, I listed all Power 6 programs that reside in major metro markets. As you mentioned, everything has context. You seem to only care about that when it suits your agenda. I simply posted facts. When you take out the small on-campus arenas or the losers (as you say), the Gophers actually rank more favorably in comparison.
 




Top Bottom