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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: The Convo
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OU_Country
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Posted: 1/19/2017 3:04 PM
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GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
1.85 mil budget, which of course means 2+ mil reality. Damn.
Get Pepsi Co's name all over it and pay for some of it. Maybe now is the time to get beer in the building and get bidders on who will sponsor it beyond just Pepsi.
Depending on the size of the advertising space, you could easily get multiple sponsors on there to pay for that thing. And that doesn't even include the video ads you can run pregame, during timeouts, halftime and post game. This stuff usually almost pays for itself.

When I was interning at Xavier, they even had a phone number that fans could text and at halftime the texts would show up on the video board. That was pretty cool. For a while it was my job to pick which texts went up there. There were some rather interesting ones that didn't get picked haha.
My hope is that it gets used to its full advantage once it's there. This is a great example, and one that engages the younger fans, alumni, and current students. Sending a group around to several other arenas would be invaluable experience for the team that's going to run it.

Using it just as a scoreboard/replay board, while nice, would be misusing it for the expense that it was, and an opportunity(ies) missed.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 1/19/2017 5:01 PM
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GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
1.85 mil budget, which of course means 2+ mil reality. Damn.
Get Pepsi Co's name all over it and pay for some of it. Maybe now is the time to get beer in the building and get bidders on who will sponsor it beyond just Pepsi.
Depending on the size of the advertising space, you could easily get multiple sponsors on there to pay for that thing. And that doesn't even include the video ads you can run pregame, during timeouts, halftime and post game. This stuff usually almost pays for itself.

When I was interning at Xavier, they even had a phone number that fans could text and at halftime the texts would show up on the video board. That was pretty cool. For a while it was my job to pick which texts went up there. There were some rather interesting ones that didn't get picked haha.
Naming rights to the building sure to follow.
Athens
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Posted: 1/19/2017 10:21 PM
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Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
1.85 mil budget, which of course means 2+ mil reality. Damn.
2 mil and its 2 times what most of the MAC schools have been spending. Hope it comes with ribbon boards at that price. Make the Convo great again.
bornacatfan
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Posted: 1/20/2017 7:38 AM
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http://www.thestarpress.com/story/sports/college/ball-sta... /

1.2 Mil at Balls was quoted price compared to 1.85. Industrial building with Metal Trusses to hang from and an existing board structure for the one being replaced. NOt sure how much has to be engineered for the structural elements.
rpbobcat
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Posted: 1/20/2017 8:45 AM
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I was reading an article about "wallpaper" T.V.'s

Don't know how long before they'll ready for this type of installation but when they are, pretty much anyplace should be able to have a hanging scoreboard.

Not only does the screen itself weigh practically nothing (actually saw a picture of one mounted with magnets) but the support structure would also be much less "substantial" based on reduced weight.
giacomo
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Posted: 1/20/2017 5:08 PM
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We should watch how much money we're spending. We are in a bubble in higher ed and athletics. Just saw Robert Morris is tearing down their 2500 seat Sewell Center to build a new arena that seats 4000. Their game the other night drew 900. D2 Cal PA built a new 6500 seat palace while Bill Brown was there. The last game I attended was Bill's last game as coach. There were barely 300 people in the stands.
OU_Country
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Posted: 1/20/2017 7:17 PM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
We should watch how much money we're spending. We are in a bubble in higher ed and athletics. Just saw Robert Morris is tearing down their 2500 seat Sewell Center to build a new arena that seats 4000. Their game the other night drew 900. D2 Cal PA built a new 6500 seat palace while Bill Brown was there. The last game I attended was Bill's last game as coach. There were barely 300 people in the stands.
I hear your concern but I don't think this is quite the same. Plus, utilized correctly, it could make more money than it costs.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 1/21/2017 1:05 AM
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OU_Country wrote:expand_more
We should watch how much money we're spending. We are in a bubble in higher ed and athletics. Just saw Robert Morris is tearing down their 2500 seat Sewell Center to build a new arena that seats 4000. Their game the other night drew 900. D2 Cal PA built a new 6500 seat palace while Bill Brown was there. The last game I attended was Bill's last game as coach. There were barely 300 people in the stands.
I hear your concern but I don't think this is quite the same. Plus, utilized correctly, it could make more money than it costs.
How exactly?
RSBobcat
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Posted: 1/21/2017 3:04 AM
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The new scoreboard on trustees agenda this week......

http://www.athensnews.com/news/campus/ou-seeks-ok-for-new...

"The university, according to the January Board of Trustees agenda, is also in the planning process to install a new “video board” in the Convocation Center, which the university estimates will cost $1.85 million.

The agenda includes a status update on facilities work at OU, listing a project to “install (a) center-hung video board” in the Convocation Center that is in the planning stage. The update lists the $1.85 million estimated price tag for the project, and notes the money will come from both a “gift/grant” source and from the university’s internal bank/reserves."

Does not specifically say "hanging" - but I would assume for that price tag it would be.
Last Edited: 1/21/2017 3:05:47 AM by RSBobcat
giacomo
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Posted: 1/21/2017 6:18 PM
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Anyone who thinks TV money will save college athletics, look around. I peeked at the sports on television listings in today's paper. There were 38 games on various networks. The market is sliced and diced down to nothing and these guys ponying up the bucks will figure that out soon.
RSBobcat
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Posted: 1/21/2017 6:43 PM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
Anyone who thinks TV money will save college athletics, look around. I peeked at the sports on television listings in today's paper. There were 38 games on various networks. The market is sliced and diced down to nothing and these guys ponying up the bucks will figure that out soon.
You can see the video board ads on TV also. The ad/sponsor packages include more than just the ads you see on the video boards.

Slicing and dicing is how it's done......AKA "selling"......sponsorships And products
giacomo
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Posted: 1/21/2017 6:56 PM
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If I'm selling a product I'm not sure sponsoring MAC basketball will get me where I need to be. What was today's attendance in DeKalb?
RSBobcat
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Posted: 1/21/2017 7:59 PM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
If I'm selling a product I'm not sure sponsoring MAC basketball will get me where I need to be. What was today's attendance in DeKalb?
Likely pretty good if the sponsor entertained a handful of major buying clients.....
oldkatz
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Posted: 1/22/2017 10:36 AM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
If I'm selling a product I'm not sure sponsoring MAC basketball will get me where I need to be. What was today's attendance in DeKalb?
Reported attendance in Dekalb was 2167, and that is for a team on a winning streak playing a contender--us. To compare, our women's team had a reported attendance of 1926 against a conference winless Eastern Michigan.
Just sayin' (and save me the controversy about actual versus reported...just making a comparison with like metrics.)
giacomo
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Posted: 1/23/2017 12:06 PM
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We would draw more than that in December during the quarter system and the kids were not on campus. Every time I watch a game on TV or see photos in the paper I see sparse crowds. I've attended Robert Morris, Duquesne, YSU,Cleveland State and Milwaukee games in recent years. All crowds were paltry. Yet coaching salaries, budgets and facilities keep going up. Something has got to give. Dale Bandy made about 30k in the late 70's as coach. If you inflate that by 3.5% annually the number is around 118k. Do the same thing with tuition and you see the problem.
bigtillyoopsupsideurhead
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Posted: 1/23/2017 12:17 PM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
If I'm selling a product I'm not sure sponsoring MAC basketball will get me where I need to be. What was today's attendance in DeKalb?
Luckily for us, we only have to worry about our home attendance when we sell sponsorships, not the attendance in DeKalb.
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 1/23/2017 12:56 PM
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I don't disagree with giacomo. All of our gnashing of teeth about our students is a nationwide problem. College athletics attendance is dropping, and sports TV revenue is a bubble about to burst when we get away from cable providers that get all kinds of revenue from non-sports fans. In an a la carte TV world, sports loses big time.
Alan Swank
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Posted: 1/23/2017 8:43 PM
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Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
I don't disagree with giacomo. All of our gnashing of teeth about our students is a nationwide problem. College athletics attendance is dropping, and sports TV revenue is a bubble about to burst when we get away from cable providers that get all kinds of revenue from non-sports fans. In an a la carte TV world, sports loses big time.
And to add to that, many of those who come are constantly looking down at their phones. They just aren't into the games. You see the same thing in restaurants. I want to go over to a table and ask a couple "are you out on a date? As much as you are looking at your phones you could never tell." Friend of mine's group of four couples solved that problem by placing their phones in a pile in the middle of the table one night. Whoever picked one up paid the bill.
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Posted: 1/24/2017 7:15 AM
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Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
And to add to that, many of those who come are constantly looking down at their phones. They just aren't into the games.
I see the same thing at Giants games.
People spend more time following their fantasy teams or making bets on their phones then watching the game.

Young kids,that get "dragged" to the game spend most of their time eating or on the phone too.

Maybe there is something to not having great wifi at Peden
Recovering Journalist
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Posted: 1/24/2017 8:15 AM
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Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
And to add to that, many of those who come are constantly looking down at their phones. They just aren't into the games. You see the same thing in restaurants. I want to go over to a table and ask a couple "are you out on a date? As much as you are looking at your phones you could never tell." Friend of mine's group of four couples solved that problem by placing their phones in a pile in the middle of the table one night. Whoever picked one up paid the bill.
People also used to wear suits and hats to the ballgame. Things change. Look at how most people under 40 watch television. Chances are, they have the TV on with something streaming, a laptop with something else on in front of them and a phone at their side with possibly a third thing going on. I'm not saying that's better, but it's reality. From the pros on down, leagues are figuring out that half the fans aren't watching more than half the time. I don't know what that means long-term, but their money is all green and that's how it is now. We just have to hope the Convo is a place people want to go to. As long as they have fun, we should stop worrying about what they do once they get there.
OU_Country
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Posted: 1/25/2017 11:05 AM
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Recovering Journalist wrote:expand_more
And to add to that, many of those who come are constantly looking down at their phones. They just aren't into the games. You see the same thing in restaurants. I want to go over to a table and ask a couple "are you out on a date? As much as you are looking at your phones you could never tell." Friend of mine's group of four couples solved that problem by placing their phones in a pile in the middle of the table one night. Whoever picked one up paid the bill.
People also used to wear suits and hats to the ballgame. Things change. Look at how most people under 40 watch television. Chances are, they have the TV on with something streaming, a laptop with something else on in front of them and a phone at their side with possibly a third thing going on. I'm not saying that's better, but it's reality. From the pros on down, leagues are figuring out that half the fans aren't watching more than half the time. I don't know what that means long-term, but their money is all green and that's how it is now. We just have to hope the Convo is a place people want to go to. As long as they have fun, we should stop worrying about what they do once they get there.
Your last two sentences are really good points, which is why I think making it more of a place students, and younger alumni want to spend time in is crucial. Scoreboards, social media interaction, and other visually appealing things are part of the future that Ohio Athletics will hopefully start focusing on more frequently.
OU_Country
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Posted: 1/25/2017 11:08 AM
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Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
We should watch how much money we're spending. We are in a bubble in higher ed and athletics. Just saw Robert Morris is tearing down their 2500 seat Sewell Center to build a new arena that seats 4000. Their game the other night drew 900. D2 Cal PA built a new 6500 seat palace while Bill Brown was there. The last game I attended was Bill's last game as coach. There were barely 300 people in the stands.
I hear your concern but I don't think this is quite the same. Plus, utilized correctly, it could make more money than it costs.
How exactly?

I might be naive, but the amount of money that could be made over time by utilizing video boards for selling ads and sponsorships should be able to cover the cost of the boards. I'm talking ten plus years. At the very least, it should increase revenue in that area for Ohio Athletics.
rpbobcat
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Posted: 1/25/2017 11:18 AM
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OU_Country wrote:expand_more
And to add to that, many of those who come are constantly looking down at their phones. They just aren't into the games. You see the same thing in restaurants. I want to go over to a table and ask a couple "are you out on a date? As much as you are looking at your phones you could never tell." Friend of mine's group of four couples solved that problem by placing their phones in a pile in the middle of the table one night. Whoever picked one up paid the bill.
People also used to wear suits and hats to the ballgame. Things change. Look at how most people under 40 watch television. Chances are, they have the TV on with something streaming, a laptop with something else on in front of them and a phone at their side with possibly a third thing going on. I'm not saying that's better, but it's reality. From the pros on down, leagues are figuring out that half the fans aren't watching more than half the time. I don't know what that means long-term, but their money is all green and that's how it is now. We just have to hope the Convo is a place people want to go to. As long as they have fun, we should stop worrying about what they do once they get there.
Your last two sentences are really good points, which is why I think making it more of a place students, and younger alumni want to spend time in is crucial. Scoreboards, social media interaction, and other visually appealing things are part of the future that Ohio Athletics will hopefully start focusing on more frequently.
As a Giants Season Ticket holder I get email surveys all the time,including after every game I attend, asking how my experience was and what they can do to improve it.
OU_Country
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Posted: 1/27/2017 1:20 PM
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rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
And to add to that, many of those who come are constantly looking down at their phones. They just aren't into the games. You see the same thing in restaurants. I want to go over to a table and ask a couple "are you out on a date? As much as you are looking at your phones you could never tell." Friend of mine's group of four couples solved that problem by placing their phones in a pile in the middle of the table one night. Whoever picked one up paid the bill.
People also used to wear suits and hats to the ballgame. Things change. Look at how most people under 40 watch television. Chances are, they have the TV on with something streaming, a laptop with something else on in front of them and a phone at their side with possibly a third thing going on. I'm not saying that's better, but it's reality. From the pros on down, leagues are figuring out that half the fans aren't watching more than half the time. I don't know what that means long-term, but their money is all green and that's how it is now. We just have to hope the Convo is a place people want to go to. As long as they have fun, we should stop worrying about what they do once they get there.
Your last two sentences are really good points, which is why I think making it more of a place students, and younger alumni want to spend time in is crucial. Scoreboards, social media interaction, and other visually appealing things are part of the future that Ohio Athletics will hopefully start focusing on more frequently.
As a Giants Season Ticket holder I get email surveys all the time,including after every game I attend, asking how my experience was and what they can do to improve it.
I got one in my email from the University of Michigan yesterday asking about our experience in our visit to their campus, and the Crisler Center. And I only bought 4 tickets at twenty-five bucks each.
Diamond Cat
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Posted: 1/27/2017 8:19 PM
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Went to the Xavier/GT Game last Sunday. Not only is their student section better, the band was decent too. I didn't say that 3-5 years ago. Bummer.

(And Yes, I know Xavier is a BB School and this, that and the other)

Marketing and student involvement need to get better ASAP.
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