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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: OU still leads the MAC in attendance in 22-23
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Cellis033
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Posted: 2/13/2023 12:42 PM
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While Friday nights doesn't really affect us too much in the O-Zone, can see how massive it can affect the hometown crowd with conflicts going to K-12 sports. Just kind of sucks overall it happens once or twice within a season, but is what it is.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 2/13/2023 12:48 PM
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BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
A wise man once said "winning cures all ills." Put a good team on the floor and people will come watch it. This isn't new.


That’s really not true in our case. We have a solid team coached by a former player who was on a great team back in the day. We only get 5k against Akron, coached by a former coach. Lots of drama and a very good team. The students and people of Athens county don’t really give a you know what.


With the nature of our fan base, Friday night games aren't optimal. This woukd have been 6500-7000 on Saturday.


Agreed Jeff. Athens is small. There’s often lot of k-12 stuff going on on Friday nights and that impacts attendance. That was true this Friday. I know of 10 empty seats due to middle/high school events Friday. All would have been filled Saturday. And you are gonna lose OU students on Friday night as well.

Anyway. Boals had the team looking good. Way fun night.

And, don't forget the 5,000 members of Larry Hunter's extended family who have never came back after he was fired!
Don't have to be an ass all the time.
Please tell us more about that new 45,000-seat football stadium!
That joke don't play off a dead person, who's family was rightfully hurt that their relative who was an alum, won 19 games, had everyone returning and got fired. I'm sure if your son got canned from his job, you'd run right out and support his employer.
I'm sorry if my sarcastic humor offends you. That might be a first! Though I engaged in a bit of hyperbole for emphasis, the basic point I was making is accurate. I've met and I'm sure you have folks who have not graced the inside of the Convo since Larry was fired. The hurt is real and has impacted our attendance.
giacomo
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Posted: 2/13/2023 12:50 PM
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I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 2/13/2023 1:10 PM
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OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
A wise man once said "winning cures all ills." Put a good team on the floor and people will come watch it. This isn't new.


That’s really not true in our case. We have a solid team coached by a former player who was on a great team back in the day. We only get 5k against Akron, coached by a former coach. Lots of drama and a very good team. The students and people of Athens county don’t really give a you know what.


With the nature of our fan base, Friday night games aren't optimal. This woukd have been 6500-7000 on Saturday.


Agreed Jeff. Athens is small. There’s often lot of k-12 stuff going on on Friday nights and that impacts attendance. That was true this Friday. I know of 10 empty seats due to middle/high school events Friday. All would have been filled Saturday. And you are gonna lose OU students on Friday night as well.

Anyway. Boals had the team looking good. Way fun night.

And, don't forget the 5,000 members of Larry Hunter's extended family who have never came back after he was fired!
Don't have to be an ass all the time.
Please tell us more about that new 45,000-seat football stadium!
That joke don't play off a dead person, who's family was rightfully hurt that their relative who was an alum, won 19 games, had everyone returning and got fired. I'm sure if your son got canned from his job, you'd run right out and support his employer.
I'm sorry if my sarcastic humor offends you. That might be a first! Though I engaged in a bit of hyperbole for emphasis, the basic point I was making is accurate. I've met and I'm sure you have folks who have not graced the inside of the Convo since Larry was fired. The hurt is real and has impacted our attendance.
sarcasm at the expense of dead alumni and their family. OCF, keeping sarcasm classy since 2004.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 2/13/2023 1:14 PM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
Not on Friday and Tuesday nights in Athens County and all of SE Ohio. Fans are forced between the high school and college games, and many of those games involve family,.
RSBobcat
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Posted: 2/13/2023 2:46 PM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
OHIO draws attendance from several counties plus travelling alums/supporters from even further away. Therefore several dozen HS's - and therefore certainly not the only game in "town".....
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 2/13/2023 5:57 PM
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RSBobcat wrote:expand_more
I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
OHIO draws attendance from several counties plus travelling alums/supporters from even further away. Therefore several dozen HS's - and therefore certainly not the only game in "town".....
In Athens and the immediate surrounding counties there are 14 high schools, high school players and their families are definitely part of the crowd that would come to games not in conflict, as would several of the fans of those schools.
giacomo
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Posted: 2/14/2023 10:49 AM
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My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
OU_Country
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Posted: 2/15/2023 11:02 AM
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RSBobcat wrote:expand_more
I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
OHIO draws attendance from several counties plus travelling alums/supporters from even further away. Therefore several dozen HS's - and therefore certainly not the only game in "town".....
As a person who drives 90 miles for games, I can assure you that the Friday games make it harder. And that the high school sports makes it harder to get people to come along for the ride.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 2/15/2023 11:52 AM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Movie attendance is crashing, there is NO shopping in Athens, and the concert world changed and passed OHIO University right on by. We do draw well for resturants though.
Cellis033
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Posted: 2/15/2023 12:08 PM
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BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Movie attendance is crashing, there is NO shopping in Athens, and the concert world changed and passed OHIO University right on by. We do draw well for resturants though.
Numbers Fest used to draw quite a bit in the early 00's and even the Convo drew artists like Led Zep back in the day - but with the decline and ultimate cancellation of NF and Convo schedule being pretty backed up at times - kind of screws us as a concert location for mid / large bands / artists
Recovering Journalist
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Posted: 2/15/2023 3:51 PM
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If you look at attendance trends, NCAA Division I has steadily declined for decades now. You can parse the numbers however you want, but 2022 average was 4,202. 2012 average was 4,994. 2002 average was 5,053. 1993 average was 5,382.

Some of that is from more DI teams, but a lot of it is just a downward trend across the board.

https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2013/11/27/ncaa-men-s-basketb...
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 2/15/2023 5:10 PM
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Cellis033 wrote:expand_more
My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Movie attendance is crashing, there is NO shopping in Athens, and the concert world changed and passed OHIO University right on by. We do draw well for resturants though.
Numbers Fest used to draw quite a bit in the early 00's and even the Convo drew artists like Led Zep back in the day - but with the decline and ultimate cancellation of NF and Convo schedule being pretty backed up at times - kind of screws us as a concert location for mid / large bands / artists
numbers fest was a student party for the most part, not a destination of the locals from surronding counties. Look up the folks who used to play the Convo.
TWT
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Posted: 2/15/2023 8:29 PM
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giacomo wrote:expand_more
My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Your premise is that Athens County is the totality of where the fans are from. Other towns are out there within 45 minutes and Columbus is a huge market to draw potential fans from. If you are thinking Athens County as a limitation for sponsorships and donations I can see that point but there is enough population around to fill up a major D1 arena.

Unlike football where OU is asking for fans to show up at a high level FCS stadium, a 13,000 seat arena is like having 65,000 seats in football. The expectation for many is the NFL 60,000+ seat experience is what football is about. Thats something the town doesn't have the infrastructure to support and competing against programs in the region that are 60,000+.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 2/16/2023 1:40 PM
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Campus Flow wrote:expand_more
My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Your premise is that Athens County is the totality of where the fans are from. Other towns are out there within 45 minutes and Columbus is a huge market to draw potential fans from. If you are thinking Athens County as a limitation for sponsorships and donations I can see that point but there is enough population around to fill up a major D1 arena.

Unlike football where OU is asking for fans to show up at a high level FCS stadium, a 13,000 seat arena is like having 65,000 seats in football. The expectation for many is the NFL 60,000+ seat experience is what football is about. Thats something the town doesn't have the infrastructure to support and competing against programs in the region that are 60,000+.
You really should probably spend some time in these surrounding counties.
bornacatfan
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Posted: 2/18/2023 4:27 PM
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RSBobcat wrote:expand_more
I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
OHIO draws attendance from several counties plus travelling alums/supporters from even further away. Therefore several dozen HS's - and therefore certainly not the only game in "town".....




BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Your premise is that Athens County is the totality of where the fans are from. Other towns are out there within 45 minutes and Columbus is a huge market to draw potential fans from. If you are thinking Athens County as a limitation for sponsorships and donations I can see that point but there is enough population around to fill up a major D1 arena.

Unlike football where OU is asking for fans to show up at a high level FCS stadium, a 13,000 seat arena is like having 65,000 seats in football. The expectation for many is the NFL 60,000+ seat experience is what football is about. Thats something the town doesn't have the infrastructure to support and competing against programs in the region that are 60,000+.
You really should probably spend some time in these surrounding counties.
The original post is accurate to the point that there is still an immense amount of pride in the local communities. It is NOT because there is "nothing to do" as much as it is that basketball and friday night lights are still "The thing to do". Barr Reeve and other southern IN schools regualrly fill the gyms while perennial champions in leagues around Indy, Ft Wayne and Gary are 5K plus student bodies with NBA bound talent that has hundreds of game day tickets and choice of great seats all over the gym as no one goes to the games. Same as I saw when I lived in Chicago. No one really has much pride or support in schools around the metro areas...more in the burbs than in the city but still not hard to get a ticket. Downstate in IL OH or IN those tix are hard to come by and old rivalries are still bringing conflict and drama. Ball st, IN State, even IU on a friday night see attendance down a bit going against HS ball.
Last Edited: 2/18/2023 4:29:07 PM by bornacatfan
TWT
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Posted: 2/18/2023 5:40 PM
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bornacatfan wrote:expand_more
I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
OHIO draws attendance from several counties plus travelling alums/supporters from even further away. Therefore several dozen HS's - and therefore certainly not the only game in "town".....

My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Your premise is that Athens County is the totality of where the fans are from. Other towns are out there within 45 minutes and Columbus is a huge market to draw potential fans from. If you are thinking Athens County as a limitation for sponsorships and donations I can see that point but there is enough population around to fill up a major D1 arena.

Unlike football where OU is asking for fans to show up at a high level FCS stadium, a 13,000 seat arena is like having 65,000 seats in football. The expectation for many is the NFL 60,000+ seat experience is what football is about. Thats something the town doesn't have the infrastructure to support and competing against programs in the region that are 60,000+.
You really should probably spend some time in these surrounding counties.
The original post is accurate to the point that there is still an immense amount of pride in the local communities. It is NOT because there is "nothing to do" as much as it is that basketball and friday night lights are still "The thing to do". Barr Reeve and other southern IN schools regualrly fill the gyms while perennial champions in leagues around Indy, Ft Wayne and Gary are 5K plus student bodies with NBA bound talent that has hundreds of game day tickets and choice of great seats all over the gym as no one goes to the games. Same as I saw when I lived in Chicago. No one really has much pride or support in schools around the metro areas...more in the burbs than in the city but still not hard to get a ticket. Downstate in IL OH or IN those tix are hard to come by and old rivalries are still bringing conflict and drama. Ball st, IN State, even IU on a friday night see attendance down a bit going against HS ball.
The Tues/Fri thing for TV is hurting for sure. The program would have better time windows if it was a regular tournament type program. There is enough people in the region and students on campus to put 13,000 in The Convo on weekend games if the team was good an average 10,000 (tickets sold) overall. That is plenty enough fans to be taken seriously in D1.
Last Edited: 2/18/2023 5:44:46 PM by TWT
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 2/18/2023 11:15 PM
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bornacatfan wrote:expand_more
I've read about some of the little towns in Indiana that have 6-10k gyms and pack them in, because it's really the only thing in town to do. Maybe I'm incorrect on this, but I see Athens county like that, the only game in town would be Bobcat football and basketball, thus we should always draw better crowds.
OHIO draws attendance from several counties plus travelling alums/supporters from even further away. Therefore several dozen HS's - and therefore certainly not the only game in "town".....




My thinking is that the university and Athens would be a magnet for the surrounding area in all things: sports, concerts, theater, movies, shopping and restaurants. Unless Chauncey and Coolville have become hot spots. So, if we don't draw well the level of interest must not be that great. I certainly see the HS sports conflict sometimes.
Your premise is that Athens County is the totality of where the fans are from. Other towns are out there within 45 minutes and Columbus is a huge market to draw potential fans from. If you are thinking Athens County as a limitation for sponsorships and donations I can see that point but there is enough population around to fill up a major D1 arena.

Unlike football where OU is asking for fans to show up at a high level FCS stadium, a 13,000 seat arena is like having 65,000 seats in football. The expectation for many is the NFL 60,000+ seat experience is what football is about. Thats something the town doesn't have the infrastructure to support and competing against programs in the region that are 60,000+.
You really should probably spend some time in these surrounding counties.
The original post is accurate to the point that there is still an immense amount of pride in the local communities. It is NOT because there is "nothing to do" as much as it is that basketball and friday night lights are still "The thing to do". Barr Reeve and other southern IN schools regualrly fill the gyms while perennial champions in leagues around Indy, Ft Wayne and Gary are 5K plus student bodies with NBA bound talent that has hundreds of game day tickets and choice of great seats all over the gym as no one goes to the games. Same as I saw when I lived in Chicago. No one really has much pride or support in schools around the metro areas...more in the burbs than in the city but still not hard to get a ticket. Downstate in IL OH or IN those tix are hard to come by and old rivalries are still bringing conflict and drama. Ball st, IN State, even IU on a friday night see attendance down a bit going against HS ball.
These are very true observations. And, I had a friend tell me last week that he still goes to as many OHIO games as he can, but that the switch to Tuesday from Wednesday for MAC games has been a problem for him.
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