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Topic: Help with raising attendence at games

Topic: Help with raising attendence at games

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BobcatDreamTeam
General User

Member Since: 7/8/2012
Post Count: 2

Status: Offline

Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/8/2012 1:53:49 PM

Hi all,

I am giving a speech on how to persuade an audience why they should attend more OU games. I have a base of what I am going to talk about, but if anybody has any fun facts or compelling arguments I could use I would love to hear about it.

Let me know some of your thoughts.

Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
Post Count: 6,155

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/8/2012 1:59:13 PM

Inexpensive, quality entertainment. Stuff for all ages to do. You get to see Division I football but from a better seat location than in the Big Ten. You have a better chance to get to know the team, coaches, staff, etc., than you would at a Big Ten program. Program is investing in improvement and it's paying off on the field. It's worth supporting. It's a way to bring different parts of the community together around a common cause. Pregame tailgating is very fun and family friendly. Plus, you get to make a lot of new friends, especially if you also get involved at bobcatattack.com.

bobcat72
General User

Member Since: 7/2/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 540

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/8/2012 2:57:54 PM

Firmly believe it's the best and most affordable family entertainment around. More and more starting to realize this, and I hope the trend continues.

The day when we're attracting lots of families from McArthur, Pomeroy, Logan, etc. is the way we can pack Peden Stadium (and the Convo). Hope to keep seeing more and more of this!

KyleWvr13
General User

Member Since: 11/9/2010
Location: Pottstown, PA
Post Count: 501

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/8/2012 4:06:21 PM

The Marching 110 does a post game show.

Bobcat110alum
General User

Member Since: 7/7/2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 470

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/8/2012 6:34:17 PM

KyleWvr13 wrote:

The Marching 110 does a post game show.

This, x1,000,000. Not enough people know about this! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

B.S. Journalism, 2012.

Pataskala
General User

Member Since: 7/8/2010
Location: At least six feet away from anybody else
Post Count: 9,365

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/8/2012 8:01:28 PM

All this plus you don't have to park two or three miles away and no matter where you sit you have one of the greatest views in all of football -- the Ohio campus to the north and the hills to the south. Nothing like it, especially in October.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

Sony7
General User

Member Since: 6/25/2005
Location: Greenfield, WI
Post Count: 299

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/8/2012 8:21:51 PM

When I lived in Athens, I would hear all the time that there was nothing to do but drink and party. Not true! Some of my best days at OHIO were going to sporting events. Nothing more beautiful than Athens in the fall. Plus, students get in for free - can't beat the price. We have an outstanding team that has been a long time in the making. The band is THE BEST I have ever seen - and I've seen many. Be sure to stay after the game for the 110 post game show. If you are new to OHIO - this is one of the best ways to become a part of the community. Yes, there will be heartache as well as extreme exuberance - but sharing this with your classmates and other Bobcat fans is how you become part of the fabric of the city - not just looking in from the outside. Do not let these four years go by without getting the full Ohio experience. Don't run back to your home town every weekend because you are afraid of what you don't know. Stay, experience all you can, and you will become a bobcat for life.

Last Edited: 7/8/2012 8:22:21 PM by Sony7

Go Bobcats!

SONY7

OhioCatFan
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 14,781

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/11/2012 1:12:05 PM

Sony7 wrote:

What he said.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

oldkatz
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Member Since: 12/22/2004
Post Count: 1,440

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/11/2012 5:36:46 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

Sony7 wrote:

What he said.

What he said he said.

"All my inside sources tell me I have no inside sources." Salvatore "money bucks" Mafiosiano.

Marshall2004
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Member Since: 7/4/2011
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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/12/2012 2:04:08 PM

Over here checking in on a rival for the first time in 2012 and saw this thread. I was in Athens last year for our game and saw many positives and a few (albeit likely expensive to fix) negatives with the experience (not talking about the outcome obviously). The positives far far outweigh any negatives. I loved what Athens and the atmosphere had to offer. You all have easy access for visiting fans. The setting on the river is wonderful. You have a lot of parking and wide open green spaces for tailgating and the like. You have a good team playing an exciting brand of football. The setting of the area surrounding stadium is something to envy.

It is quite honestly beyond my comprehension why a fan, especially a student, would not come out to a game in Athens. Especially at the prices I saw for tickets (and I assume students get in free). I cannot believe any fan needs to be sold on the band to get them in the door. It just boggles the mind. I would consider coming to Athens for a game to see Ohio play against someone other than us when Marshall had an open date.

I can only imagine that you all need to keep winning and work your way into the polls. The only negative I see that may affect attendance is the need for facility upgrade. I am not criticizing or throwing stones. We don't exactly play in Cowboys Stadium. I understand the economic realities of the facilities arms race. However, I think Peden needs an upgrade, though some of the limitations of the place are not really fixable short of rebuilding. You can take half measures though and be even more successful in that stadium.

Sony7
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Member Since: 6/25/2005
Location: Greenfield, WI
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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/12/2012 2:35:17 PM

Marshall 2004, I agree with what you said, but you have to understand OHIO's football history. Our program was down for many years. We have had recent success and momentum has been building for the past ten years. But, when I was in school, we nearly were kicked out of the league for our attendance numbers. Winning fixed that. Peden Stadium is the oldest stadium in the MAC. It was built for $185,000 and was completed in 1929. The first game played in at Peden featured a 14-0 Bobcats victory over archrival Miami University in front of a sellout crowd.12,000 fans. It was then known as Ohio Stadium, the name was changed to Peden Stadium after the retirement of legendary Ohio football coach Don Peden in 1946. The stadium now seats19,000 with the addition of two new grandstands in the north endzone. I agree, the end zone seats are not aesthetically pleasing, but the additional seats were needed. Ohio also added Peden Tower which was added to to the stadium's west side. This was a well needed state-of-the-art facility. More improvements are coming - tune in. Oh yea, I should also say that Peden Stadium has been dedicated as an official Ohio Historical Site. We could use some concession stand and bathroom improvements. Progress continues: OHIO is building a Multi-Purpose facility - see http://www.ohiobobcats.com/MultiPurposeCenter/ and http://www.ohiobobcats.com/MultiPurposeCenter/ . It's an exciting time to be a Bobcat on the rise.

Last Edited: 7/12/2012 2:38:31 PM by Sony7

Go Bobcats!

SONY7

The Optimist
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Member Since: 3/16/2007
Location: CLE
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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/12/2012 2:40:14 PM

BobcatDreamTeam wrote:

Hi all,

I am giving a speech on how to persuade an audience why they should attend more OU games. I have a base of what I am going to talk about, but if anybody has any fun facts or compelling arguments I could use I would love to hear about it.

Let me know some of your thoughts.

We're not Miami.

I've seen crazier things happen.

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 14,781

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/13/2012 12:33:39 AM

I thought the capacity was now 24,000, not 19,000. I believe that the Pitt game had some 24000+ and some other games in recent years have been close to that number.

I think the 19,000 figure was the number when they did the first additions to the stadium years ago. I think when they built the current end zone seats and lower the field and added the Phillips Sections as well as the Tower Club area that capacity was increased to 24,000. This is from memory, and I stand to be corrected if in error.

Last Edited: 7/13/2012 12:36:32 AM by OhioCatFan

anorris
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Member Since: 7/6/2010
Location: Bristol, CT
Post Count: 2,262

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/13/2012 12:36:47 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

You are quite correct. http://www.ohiobobcats.com/facilities/peden-stadium-main....

Sony7
General User

Member Since: 6/25/2005
Location: Greenfield, WI
Post Count: 299

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/13/2012 10:18:31 PM

I stand corrected on the number of fans Peden holds. We also have to count this hill and extra seats that were added. I haven't been back home for, well, let's just say - way to long! Sorry Cats.

Last Edited: 7/13/2012 10:20:06 PM by Sony7

Go Bobcats!

SONY7

Deciduous Forest Cat
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Ohio
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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/16/2012 12:32:04 PM

Marshall2004 is right about the stadium and I've said before that their stadium is something to be envied at our "level" of football. It's not overly huge, but provides much better seating, look and feel than Peden could ever offer. A better stadium is a draw by itself. Look at what the convo does for us!

We have the setting, but we do not have the stadium. Those endzone sections were a catastrophic error. Yes, we had some need for additional seats, but why not add them in a way that actually improves the stadium? or at least doesn't look like a big friggin' mole that covers half of an otherwise fairly attractive face? uh... don't get me started.

TWT
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Post Count: 5,208

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/16/2012 8:02:23 PM

Deciduous Forest Cat wrote:

I hear ya. There is no easy solution to the corner seats. If you try to complete the horseshoe it butts up too close to south green drive. If you take the seats out all together it cuts down capacity too much. The only workable solution I think is to put some seats in the middle and dress up the the section with brick and iron. It would make sense to get the capacity up to at least the upper 20s.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086

Jughead
General User

Member Since: 7/6/2010
Location: Chillicothe, OH
Post Count: 478

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/16/2012 9:33:51 PM

One thing I noticed at our near capacity games that also had cheap tickets (UCONN and Marshall come to mind) that bugged me was the ridiculous line at will call. Maybe a remodel of the ticket booths are in order.

Rooting for Akron is like cheering on the Taliban.

perimeterpost
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Member Since: 7/6/2010
Post Count: 3,165

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/16/2012 10:08:36 PM

hypothetically, if we ever created a situation where we serioulsy cosidered rebuilding Peden, what should the target capacity be? Seems like anything more than 40K might be wishful thinking. By comparison Infocision is 27K, Nippert is 35K, and the Joan is 38K.

I like the open end near the river but as others have mentioned something needs to be done with the north endzone and thos rediculous ad ons. It looks like we borrowed them.

Last Edited: 7/16/2012 10:13:06 PM by perimeterpost

MY STATE. MY TEAM.

catfan28
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Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/16/2012 11:12:20 PM

perimeterpost wrote:

Seems like anything more than 40K might be wishful thinking. By comparison Infocision is 27K, Nippert is 35K, and the Joan is 38K.

And two of those stadiums can only reach capacity if the moon, stars and sun all align.

We DO NOT need to expand Peden. Renovations...sure. But expansion is completely unnecessary. After we achieve 5 straight sell-out seasons, then we'll talk.

C Money
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Member Since: 8/28/2010
Post Count: 3,420

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/17/2012 7:17:24 AM

catfan28 wrote:

perimeterpost wrote:

Seems like anything more than 40K might be wishful thinking. By comparison Infocision is 27K, Nippert is 35K, and the Joan is 38K.

I think I agree with this, with the caveat that if there are any conversations behind the scenes about us moving to a new conference, we at least need an expansion plan on paper.

OU_Country
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Member Since: 12/6/2005
Location: On the road between Athens and Madison County
Post Count: 8,370

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/17/2012 2:43:20 PM

I would say any capacity number above 28k to 30k is WAY too high. Personally, I could see a reason to somehow connect the corner sections to the sideline sections. Also, I remember an image at one time back about a decade ago when there was talk of adding a second deck to the student section side of the stadium.

As for the original topic, about raising attendance: I could be off, but living in Columbus, it doesn't seem like there is nearly enough awareness being promoted of the quality of the program, and how affordable it is to make the day trip to Athens for a home game. Yes I know it's Buckeyeville, but there are also a huge number of people who are NOT OS-Who fans, and twenty-some-thousand alumni in Columbus and surrounding areas.

Casper71
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Member Since: 12/1/2006
Post Count: 3,090

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/17/2012 3:15:34 PM

I agree with those who think those end zone seats are stupid and unattractive. Tear 'em down and sell 'em as scrap. Then add a second level on one side or the other. Oh, anybody got $15 (or whatever) mil to do that?

BobcatDreamTeam
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Member Since: 7/8/2012
Post Count: 2

Status: Offline

RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/18/2012 3:15:19 PM

Big thanks to everyone that posted. I was able to EASILY right a persuasive speech thanks to the help of you guys. It is awesome to have the help of fellow bobcats at hand when needed, which really speaks to the culture of the school. Thanks again friends

TWT
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Post Count: 5,208

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RE: Help with raising attendence at games

Posted: 7/18/2012 6:47:07 PM

Casper71 wrote:

There is no point to spending anymore than what is necessary to address seating and restrooms. If you go as far as building a deck that requires the infrastrucure in place (plumbing, chilled water, egress) but I guess now that I'm think about it tap into the water main from the student side better than maybe if it was tried in the endzone. There is not one easy answer because when the school made mistakes in stadium design they always built around them rather than a rebuild. The sightlines were poor on the stands so they built corner sections instead of fixing what they had. If you tear down the student side and make it taller that won't look right either because it won't match with the home side. That is what you call a Fiami design. The safest possible move would be a new section between the corners and tying it off nicely with iron and brick around the existing seats. That way the endzone looks halfway sensible. Do a nice job on it and it could look pretty solid and retain the classic one level Peden feel.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086

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