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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: Ohio Announces Update and Refesh of Student Group The O-Zone
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Ted Thompson
3/2/2018 12:19 PM

March 02, 2018

ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio athletic department announced Thursday an update and refresh of its student group the O-Zone.

The new O-Zone membership will be $20 annually per member and will include admission to all Ohio athletic events. Members will get an exclusive adidas t-shirt, a member benefit card with discounts to local restaurants and retailers, premium seating at all Ohio athletic events, priority registration to select away game trips, team question and answer sessions and meet and greets and priority access to Ohio's annual spring equipment sale.

In conjunction with this refresh, Ohio is announcing a t-shirt design contest for the new O-Zone. Ohio athletics is asking students to submit designs until March 31 for the 2018-19 official O-Zone shirt.

Designs should be no larger than 12" by 12" and should be a front of the shirt design on white or Ohio green and can be a maximum of three colors.

Designs will be voted on by students and prizes include a $100 adidas gift card, free O-Zone membership and the excitement of seeing your t-shirt design around campus and at games.

Submissions must be from current Ohio students, the design must adhere to Ohio licensing guidelines, be in good taste and align with Ohio University's values. It must also not infringe upon the intellectual property of another entity.

Submissions can be sent immediately to Ohio Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Sales Meagan Hogan via email (mccarthm@ohio.edu).

#BleedGreen

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ts1227
3/2/2018 12:23 PM
The optimist in me says it’s good to see this.

The cynic says actually advertising for once what is 90% the same as it’s always been, doesn’t count as a refresh, and that it’s been a mess ever since they fell under the arm of Athletics.

I guess we will see what it looks like next November.
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GoCats105
3/2/2018 12:36 PM
It's a start. How engaged those students will be once they are there is a different question.

Sure wish I had those restaurant discounts when I was in school.
Last Edited: 3/2/2018 12:36:49 PM by GoCats105
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Andrew Ruck
3/2/2018 12:48 PM
There will probably be 1 design entered and it will win the vote 1-0.
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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
3/2/2018 1:02 PM
Points for trying, I guess?

Wouldn't it be more compelling a buy for students if they just got a classic-looking adidas OU shirt?

Nobody the age of 19 years old cares about access to a Q and A session or road trips to Kalamazoo. (I would've and was at that age, but I was and am a weirdo.)
Last Edited: 3/2/2018 1:03:40 PM by Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
3/2/2018 1:04 PM
Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
There will probably be 1 design entered and it will win the vote 1-0.
A screen shot of the old OZone shirt.
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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
3/2/2018 1:05 PM
Also, I hate the word "refresh" almost as much as "disruption" in today's marketingspeak.

I'm done whining now. I'll now shut up and give credit for trying something new.
Last Edited: 3/2/2018 1:06:09 PM by Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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Alan Swank
3/2/2018 1:44 PM
The timing is an unbelievable slap in the face to the handful of kids who tried to hold the whole thing together. This new marketing crew is "interesting" to say the least.
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BillyTheCat
3/2/2018 1:50 PM
For $20 they get free admission, hmmmm....that’s like advertising ice to an Eskimo for $20
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shabamon
3/2/2018 3:06 PM
The O Zone won't return to the glory days until the following three things happen:

1) A small group of students command the leadership duties, embrace it, lead in-game participation by example, and work to encourage and include the casual student fan.

2) The athletic department gets out of those students' way. The AD should facilitate the good ideas coming from student leadership. They need to stay behind the scenes, route funding and logistics, but let the students be front and center.

3) Police access to the student sections. This is damn near impossible at Peden, but can and has worked in the Convo. The #1 perk to paying to join the O Zone, IMO ought to be the best seats in the house. Put event staff at the entrances to the sections and only let those in that are wearing the shirt or carrying this new card. Then open the section to everyone to fill in the gaps around tipoff.
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Alan Swank
3/2/2018 3:08 PM
http://courtstreetstories.com/changes-in-the-o-zone-for-o... /
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Alan Swank
3/2/2018 3:46 PM
shabamon wrote:expand_more
The O Zone won't return to the glory days until the following three things happen:

1) A small group of students command the leadership duties, embrace it, lead in-game participation by example, and work to encourage and include the casual student fan.

2) The athletic department gets out of those students' way. The AD should facilitate the good ideas coming from student leadership. They need to stay behind the scenes, route funding and logistics, but let the students be front and center.

3) Police access to the student sections. This is damn near impossible at Peden, but can and has worked in the Convo. The #1 perk to paying to join the O Zone, IMO ought to be the best seats in the house. Put event staff at the entrances to the sections and only let those in that are wearing the shirt or carrying this new card. Then open the section to everyone to fill in the gaps around tipoff.
4) Get rid of the sideline black seats or at least those in front of the middle two sections. The advertising can be moved to the new hanging scoreboard.
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OhioStunter
3/2/2018 6:00 PM
Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
There will probably be 1 design entered and it will win the vote 1-0.
I've already submitted a design of Jesus holding up a beer mug while riding a giant bobcat with a redhawk hanging out of its mouth.
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OhioCatFan
3/3/2018 12:07 AM
OhioStunter wrote:expand_more
There will probably be 1 design entered and it will win the vote 1-0.
I've already submitted a design of Jesus holding up a beer mug while riding a giant bobcat with a redhawk hanging out of its mouth.
Jesus was, like Alan, more into wine than beer! ;-)
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oldkatz
3/3/2018 11:12 AM
The offerings are the same as those already in place for the past few years. So, what will change? And BTC is right.......students already get in for free.
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catfan28
3/3/2018 12:03 PM
oldkatz wrote:expand_more
The offerings are the same as those already in place for the past few years. So, what will change? And BTC is right.......students already get in for free.
+1. Literally, there is nothing new/different. Adding "team Q and A" ought to be good for about 3 more memberships.

Honestly, before I'd worry too much about revamping the Ozone, I'd just worry about getting students back to the games. Basketball student attendance tanked this year like I've never seen. The last few years, it's been more of an issue of students not making noise/standing. Now, there are just no students there.

And it's not just the record. This 14/15 season was a worse record/team and we had a great student crowd for games like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltdC2c0vHzM
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ts1227
3/3/2018 12:22 PM
oldkatz wrote:expand_more
The offerings are the same as those already in place for the past few years. So, what will change? And BTC is right.......students already get in for free.
But incoming freshmen don’t know that, so this way you get them to blindly blow $20 before they realize the O Zone currently sucks.
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That one crazy fan
3/3/2018 12:33 PM
So they want to double the cost of membership and see if that works? Genius!
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shabamon
3/3/2018 8:16 PM
shabamon wrote:expand_more
The O Zone won't return to the glory days until the following three things happen:

1) A small group of students command the leadership duties, embrace it, lead in-game participation by example, and work to encourage and include the casual student fan.

2) The athletic department gets out of those students' way. The AD should facilitate the good ideas coming from student leadership. They need to stay behind the scenes, route funding and logistics, but let the students be front and center.

3) Police access to the student sections. This is damn near impossible at Peden, but can and has worked in the Convo. The #1 perk to paying to join the O Zone, IMO ought to be the best seats in the house. Put event staff at the entrances to the sections and only let those in that are wearing the shirt or carrying this new card. Then open the section to everyone to fill in the gaps around tipoff.
I pretty much posted what I wrote here on the athletic department's facebook page and one of the senior staff reached out to me to move the conversation offline. Again, it's great that they recognize that student participation needs a shot in the arm, but it's not going anywhere unless that core group of passionate students emerges.
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FearLeon
3/3/2018 8:36 PM
shabamon wrote:expand_more
The O Zone won't return to the glory days until the following three things happen:

1) A small group of students command the leadership duties, embrace it, lead in-game participation by example, and work to encourage and include the casual student fan.

2) The athletic department gets out of those students' way. The AD should facilitate the good ideas coming from student leadership. They need to stay behind the scenes, route funding and logistics, but let the students be front and center.

3) Police access to the student sections. This is damn near impossible at Peden, but can and has worked in the Convo. The #1 perk to paying to join the O Zone, IMO ought to be the best seats in the house. Put event staff at the entrances to the sections and only let those in that are wearing the shirt or carrying this new card. Then open the section to everyone to fill in the gaps around tipoff.
I pretty much posted what I wrote here on the athletic department's facebook page and one of the senior staff reached out to me to move the conversation offline. Again, it's great that they recognize that student participation needs a shot in the arm, but it's not going anywhere unless that core group of passionate students emerges.
Agree^^^^ Student participation and student passion for OHIO hoops is at an all-time low. Going to take something special to return to glory days of O-Zone.
Last Edited: 3/3/2018 8:58:31 PM by FearLeon
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bornacatfan
3/3/2018 9:06 PM
FearLeon wrote:expand_more
Agree^^^^ Student participation and passion for OHIO hoops is at an all-time low. Going to take something special to return to glory days of O-Zone.
The shame of it is that this is one of the most cohesive and likable group of guys I can recall at Ohio. Not seen a group that enjoys each others company in many colleges ever. Good guys. Good teamies.
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RSBobcat
3/3/2018 11:10 PM
Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
The O Zone won't return to the glory days until the following three things happen:

1) A small group of students command the leadership duties, embrace it, lead in-game participation by example, and work to encourage and include the casual student fan.

2) The athletic department gets out of those students' way. The AD should facilitate the good ideas coming from student leadership. They need to stay behind the scenes, route funding and logistics, but let the students be front and center.

3) Police access to the student sections. This is damn near impossible at Peden, but can and has worked in the Convo. The #1 perk to paying to join the O Zone, IMO ought to be the best seats in the house. Put event staff at the entrances to the sections and only let those in that are wearing the shirt or carrying this new card. Then open the section to everyone to fill in the gaps around tipoff.
4) Get rid of the sideline black seats or at least those in front of the middle two sections. The advertising can be moved to the new hanging scoreboard.
Agree
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GraffZ06
3/4/2018 3:45 PM
I was actually really excited when I saw this email in my inbox. Then I read it...

Interesting to come on here and see the same sentiments expressed that I had rattling around in my head as I read it.

So it's "updated" and "refreshed" because.....we're going to get a new student-designed logo? Or because we're doing athlete Q&A sessions? Because aside from that it's literally identical to the failed attempts at what we've already BEEN doing. It's "updated" and "refreshed" in marketing lingo only.

I had hoped to see some/many/any of the suggestions bantered about on here over the last few years. I thought maybe the administration had heard it from enough people/places (maybe even from students - though probably not) and had actually done some research to provide "updates" and "refreshed" ideas.

Sadly, no...no not at all.

This is a joke.
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Buckeye to Bobcat
3/4/2018 4:37 PM
To be honest I had actually expected a rebrand to get it away from the O-Zone name period. Apparently not......
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OhioCatFan
3/4/2018 4:42 PM
Buckeye to Bobcat wrote:expand_more
To be honest I had actually expected a rebrand to get it away from the O-Zone name period. Apparently not......
Yes, I thought they might go back to the CrazyCats, or something like that. But, that's OK. The O-Zone name is just fine. Does anyone remember when the O-Zone name was chosen? I kind of think I remember that there was some dead time between the end of the CrazyCats and the beginning of the O-zone, but I'm not at all sure of the timeline here.
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