Horns247 Board

Sad, but true statement.

For whatever reason we have never developed a culture of attending basketball games for any sustainable duration. I remember back in the early 80's when Texas put together something like a 15-0 start on the team that had Lasalle Thompson before the wheels fell off that year, the student body came out in huge numbers but only because winning was such a novelty then and once the team tanked you could not give those tickets away. With some of the really strong teams and great players we have had in recent years we should see an amazing draw from our students.

How does one change the culture? Look no farther than the fan sites where we have amazing football interest even in the farthest reaches of the off season, yet during basketball season you see very few posts from what are certainly some of the most dedicated of fans like those of us on this forum.

Not sure what can be done to change this fact. I have heard the way our arena is laid out with student section being pushed too far away is a major contributing reason. Not sure I buy that.

Don't tickets to a Longhorn game in any sport cost more than most other schools?

It's atmosphere or profitability. Can't have both. Texas has chosen profitability. Profitability markets to an older crowd with $$$. They take up the best seats and buy for the season. They also don't come to all (most) of the games and/or give them away to clients who are not emotionally attached to the Longhorns and are there as casual observers. They prefer the dignified golf clap when things are going well or to grumble amongst themselves about cutting off funding unless the coach is fired when things go poorly. Makes for a lowsy game atmosphere, but there is no arguing that we have a very profitable, very high profile basketball program.

That is our reality whether we want to acknowledge it or not.

You guys have mentioned some ways to Improve things here:

1. Lower prices on student tickets to more of a supply-demand model
2. increase visibility and marketing by the coaches and team on campus to the student body
3. Adjust the seating chart
4. Commit more resources to marketing the sport on campus?
5. Other

Agree. DeLoss is about money

Did you have too much to drink last night?

if you compared how big the student body is and how well a basketball program has done over the last decade and then compare that to the size of the stuent section, ours is probably the worst in the conference.

I've obviously never been there but i've read that the layout of the erwin center isn't ideal and that instead of putting the students close to the floor they put the old alumni there. is this true?

The Drum sucks. The space itself makes it so that if you moved the Cameron Crazies into the Drum they'd basically be rendered mute. The students don't come because there's no electricity and they can't have an impact on the game, the arena could suck the soul out of a James Brown/ Aretha Franklin concert. I assume Deloss would love to have a new basketball only arena but it isn't going to happen because the only arena in town large enough for big events is the Drum. In a perfect world, years ago instead of renovating Gregory, heresy I know, they'd have taken out Gregory along with the ROTC building and the adjacent parking lot and put in a 10-12k seat arena dead smack in the middle of campus. Instead, we've got a place that no one can get to, with the shittiest parking on the planet.

Try this one. Schedule two games a year in Gregory Gym. Pack the house with free student tickets. Give away food and prizes. Have pregame festivities with door prizes.

Agree - the Drum is not a good Basketball venue, never has.

They need to change locations to a smaller, louder stadium.

Somewhere by the baseball field?