i would have thought the Sweet 16 club would have brought them back. no substitute for a winner.

If any locals are still harboring a nearly 20-year-old grudge, I think it's safe to say they're a lost cause.

Locals are not the attendance problem.

This is a good question. Right after Larry was canned, there was a noticeable dip in attendance, especially for the weeknight games. I've sometimes joked that Larry's 2,000 closest relatives stopped coming. Though that's hyperbole, there was a kernel of truth in the remark. I would think that Jeff Boals, being one of Larry's former players, who obviously respects Larry in a very emotional and deep way, might soften the hearts of some of these wayward Bobcat fans. I know that's fairly vague, but I do sense this is a positive step for some of those former Larry Loyalists. Just my two cents worth.

Slow down, it has only been 18 years since Larry was controversially canned.

I am assuming you're local, though I don't know for certain. I feel like "locals" or people within a 30-40 minute drive of Athens are fewer in numbers in the seats at The Convo as compared to the mid 90's. I started at Ohio in fall of 1995, so that's my point of reference, but I feel like there are fewer locals, and of course obviously fewer students.

As one of those who drive from Columbus, I agree that sometimes the ESPN3/+ makes it easier to sometimes just stay at home. I will also say that this is where the 3-pronged combination of enjoyable to watch basketball, gameday atmosphere and experience, and the general vibe of how I feel treated comes into play. From 2011-12 to 2015-16, I probably made the 86-88 mile drive for 10-12 home games a year, plus a road game a year. The last couple years changed that. Each of those things became a little less in my mind than it was from maybe 2009 to 2015 or 2016. On court performance, GA tickets, barricades, and excessive security started to make it easier to stay at home and watch. And, it afforded me the chance to have more than two beers after work that day, and not drive 180 miles round-trip. I'd like to think that if I lived 40 minutes away, I'd probably go to every game, and some of the other things wouldn't make the decision easy to stay home for ESPN3/+. But that's just speculation because I don't live that close, and probably won't anytime soon.

Another factor that affects my attendance is the change of game days to accommodate the TV cartel. I try to invite people to join us, and plan in advance. Most times, when the day of the game gets changed for TV, it's harder to come down because people have had plans made for the new date/time of the game.

Probably a rambling aside of thread drift, but I wonder how much my listed factors translate to folks from Jackson, Marietta, McArthur, even Lancaster, Logan or Nelsonville?

I like the thread, because I've been wondering the same thing about what affect this will have on older fans from the 90's that walked away for whatever reason.

Some of you talk like Athens is in the deep Appalachian countryside of Western West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky and are still pi$$ed over Uncle Devil Anse Hatfield's pig.

I'm from this area. Born and raised. Don't make the mistake of thinking "Athens" is "Athens County." You do not have to travel far from Athens to be FAR removed from Athens.

Athens County is very unlike the regions that I mentioned. Again, locals are NOT the attendance problem, the ticket office and the Athletic Department can tell you where every ticket is purchased from. The local fan base is not the issue. Lack of students and fewer people traveling over 50 miles is the issue.

Possibly, that's true. Just wanted to point out the ramifications if things turned sour.

I agree that the game has changed, but does everyone think the expectations have? Larry improved each of his first 5 years and made it to the NCAA in year 5. If Saul had done this, he would have been easily extended. After the NCAA year, Larry was competitive in the MAC, having a winning MAC record every single year except one. This, and his loyalty for Ohio, are what made his tenure 12 years. I think if Saul had mirrored those results, he would have been extended the same way. What ultimately hurt Larry were a few early exits in the MAC tournament, and not making it to the NCAA again.