I've seen these guys play on more than one occasion and Harlan's dad hosts the Friday night open mike at Baker and his mom sings with the Local Girls.  There are some truly blessed musicians in Athens and the surrounding area the best of which is this guy and his venue:

http://furpeaceranch.com/

Different guy Joe, here's a link to his dad's website. 

http://www.brucedalzell.com/

Two of his songs that you'd love are The Parade and the best version of Rocky Top I've ever heard.  Find me on Saturday at the game and i'll have them on my iPhone (if I can figure out how to load them).

Thanks for the info and musical tip. I'll check it out.

Really? The Greek community? Might as well try and get Hocking College students to come. Heck, they would probably stay the whole time.

Interesting thoughts, certainly. I'm not opposed to promotions/gimmicks, but I don't think we need to do one every game. Granted, I'd be there anyway, so I'm certainly not the intended audience for these sorts of things.

Regardless, we're very fortunate to get the crowds that we do for basketball. No other MAC team even comes close!

No condescension intended.  Until you have one of those jobs it's tough to comprehend the challenges that those folks face.

A couple points on this...

1. Our Athletic Department does an outstanding job of getting students to the game.  We have by far the best student attendance in the MAC!  Think about football a couple of years ago compared to this past season.  It is night and day.

2. The "Get yourself a sales job and you'll understand promotions" is dead on, just not when it comes to college kids at a mid-major.  This is a whole different beast!  And our athletic department does an outstanding job as I said.  There does not need to be a plethora of entertainment options to keep kids from going to a game.  All it takes is one  and at OHIO, they have alcohol and Court Street.  You can be one hell of a salesman and not last two and be eating a serious humble pie within minutes of taking on college students at a mid-major.

3. JSF is dead on with the Greek Community.  Do you really think that OHIO University Athletics and the Marketing department have not tried tirelessly to engage them.  The fact of the matter is, they don't want to be engaged.

4. The Athletic Department does an outstanding job of utilizing the resources they have, especially Kahler's Kids.  That department wouldn't run without all the GA's they have and the Green Fever and Bobcat Blackout are major success stories from that partnership.

5. Alan, you are asking for a gimmick for Saturday's game.  While it would be great to have something for a TV game, the fact that it is a TV game will enhance the student section on its own.  It might not have it overflowing , but it will make it better.  Also, you can only have so many gimmicks each season before it is no longer a gimmick and the students stop paying attention.  You are better off picking 5 or 6 premier games that you want to really fill up and hit those hard.  I think the Athletic Department has done an outstanding job of that and the MAC East games are clearly the priority.  Earlier this season they did the Ohio jersey give away, then they did the scarves, then Gary Trent Day.  Upcoming they have the Sports Ad Green Fever game and the Bobcat Blackout game for the Bracket buster.  They have picked their games and gimmicks and are executing them perfectly. 

THis probably deserves a seperate thread ...maybe in the Ozone section .....maybe in it s own thread here.

I remember Rhodes talking about spending time with the Ozone and talking about his historical experience over the years, and I agree each blockof students becomes "their own student voice" and eschews the generation before them but I wonder if the BA Ozone place or on campus get togethers and pregames with old Ozoners and passing on of traditional chants and OHIO born and bred traditions would not create a more full experience and a tighter more forceful Ozone that absolutely destroys the Visitors. We have long been the pride of the MAC but there seems to be a minor lack of general direction over there. I am always amazed by the 110 and their continuity and wonder why a smilar situation with the Ozone is not possible.

I also remember the athletes under Rhodes getting out to the dining halls and handing out tix and signing posters before big games. Not saying that is desirable but it is a marketing move that gives the athletes an appeciation of the Athens community and student body I did not realize fully till I read Tommy's last blog.

I love the Ozone but it is hard to deny that there has been a change in the general perception and direction say from the George Mason game on ESPN to now.

Funny you mention Hocking.  Whenever we can't attend a game, we give our season tickets to Hocking students.  They are always looking for something to do (Nelsonville just isn't Athens), and we have no problems giving them away.  I've wondered if there could be a select number of games where OU would honor Hocking Student ID's.

Agreed. In the outreach to SEO that is a fabulous Idea. 

FOr the record I ahave always been an Athletic Supporter and pro athletic support.

The greeks will be in their OSU pajamas at 11:00AM Saturday..... 

There's a greek community in Athens? Do you mean that in the same way that someone would say "there a cuban community in Miami (FL)"? Or are you referring to the professional groups with greek names (like the pre-law frat, engineering frat, etc)?

One of the things I loved about athens was the complete lack of greek life. At some schools you gotta pay hundreds of dollars a quarter for your friends. In Athens, you just walk down the street at say hi.