Heard Mike Irwin today say fans need to show up at BWA

[Mr. Porkleone]

Tonight's crowd was HORRIBLE! PATHEDIC!!

Players want to see big crowds and our crowd has to be disheartening to players, coaches and Admin. Heck, I want to see big crowds.  Fact is teams like Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Kansas and the list goes on with other teams that would have packed the house.

Fact is, We have fallen way farther than most think. I wonder now if Barnhill should have stayed. Anyway......I'll keep showing up.

[Marshfieldhog]

None of those schools would have packed the house with the last 15 years we have had, we have fallen off the map with only glimpses of getting back. I don't see it happening anytime soon.

[sickboy]

The problem is most fans think Akron is a bad team. They weren't going to show up to watch Akron -- but a lot of programs would be the same.

[nwahogfan1]

I think the Sports Dept  is doing a poor job of promoting the BB team this year.  Also Mike Anderson is going to have to be more of a cheer leader and make more public appearances or what ever it takes to get the students fired up and going to the games again.  How many students were there?   Do the Students have to pay to get in to these little watched non conference games?

I watched the first half on SEC+ and I am sure glad I did not pay $20 or $25 to watch this game.  UGLY.  WE shot like 25% from the field.  Did not watch the 2nd half. 


I hope Anton  will have his A game ready when he hits the floor in mid December.  WE need a PG who can penetrate with TOs. 

[Danny J]

They have been doing a poor job of promoting it for a while. You hear hardly a mention on sports radio. You see no advertisements. They have a lot of tickets sold but I think it really stems from being mediocre for so long and add that to what the expectations are for this years team and you get what you saw tonight. It will continue until we are consistently ranked and making deep NCAA tournament runs. Also remember that BWA is huge. It wouldn't look nearly as empty if it were only a 13k seat arena.

Need desperately for some good things to happen. Seems we take one step forward and three steps back.

[Hogsfan1981]

I think you need to start preparing yourself for the fact that this year will be terrible. Maybe just maybe a miracle happens and this team makes some noise but I don't think anyone would put money on that.

This has been one of the worst off seasons I have ever seen and even people I know that don't care about the basketball program know that we blew it with the biggest instate basketball talent most will ever see.

People were hard to convince last year that this team was trending in the right direction but with the talent of Portis and Qualls along with a solid group around them people did get excited and bought in. All those years of terrible with 1-2 year of good and then.. boom most the talent leaves and the off season sucked and now Monk goes and plays for the enemy.

Here is to a miracle happening but it will take just that to excite the fans again. They maybe what you call fair weather fans but those are the majority of fans that fill those seats.

I don't blame anyone for this. But it is just about the worst run of luck in a off season I could have ever imagined.

[3kgthog]

What's there to promote? We've only got one freshman that gives anyone hope. Our PG is suspended. Our returning players have more bad streaks than a poorly washed window. The lack of effort on the business side tells me the UA knows it, too.

This is one of those seasons you've just got to watch with one eye open while the other is waiting on baseball season.

[CallThemHawgs!]

I dont think anyone in their right mind is suggesting this will be a good season, in fact, it might be one of the worst teams Arkansas has fielded in my lifetime.

The issue to me is whether or not we are able to keep the talent we have committed. Monk giving us the cold shoulder was a huge blow, but the sort of season we are about to have could be far more damaging to this program in the long run.

[sasnakrafan]

$20/25 a ticket is unreasonable for a bad to mediocre product.  They need to restructure the pricing strategy.

Non-con no names needs to be 15 for upper deck and 20+ for lower.  Then the conference games and top 25 teams can vary between 20/35 depending on location and opponent.  To think that the Kentucky game and Southwestern northern blue state is the same price or close is ridiculous.

I'll pay 50-75 to see Kentucky but Akron 20 is my ceiling unless I'm on the floor or behind the benches. 

Supply and Demand Jeff Long!  You may say the variable pricing affects the equity/integrity of the product. . Let the market decide and I guarantee that a full house making only $10 million in revenue looks better than a 1/2 filled stadium with the same $10 million.

[Beaverfever]

We allowed the proud Arkansas basketball program to completely die.  I don't think people fully get this.  10k+ is a solid crowd for a third rate program. 

[latrops]

The problem is most fans think Akron is a bad team. They weren't going to show up to watch Akron -- but a lot of programs would be the same.

The problem is that most fans think that Arkansas is a bad team, at least this year.  Home attendance isn't going to be good this year.  Complaining about it isn't going to change anything. 

[The_Iceman]

Why would any normal person want to go to this game with the product Mike assembled this 2015 offseason? I am a crazy loyal fan and go to games to matter what because I love Razorback basketball, but a normal fan?

Why would Malik want to come here after what he watched the last two nights.

[Albert Einswine]

I've said for years that the Bud was way overbuilt in a perfect storm situation. Football, the primary driver at Arkansas, was at its nadir at the exact same time basketball was approaching its zenith. We have a Barnhill sized core basketball fan base.

[riccoar]

Teams like Kentucky, Duke, UNC, and Kansas have a football team worth a squirt of piss about once every 20 years too.  Those schools bread and butter is basketball, not football.  Getting back to the tradition of winning like Sutton and Richardson will bring crowds back, even for powder puffs.

[westside_player]

$20/25 a ticket is unreasonable for a bad to mediocre product.  They need to restructure the pricing strategy.

Non-con no names needs to be 15 for upper deck and 20+ for lower.  Then the conference games and top 25 teams can vary between 20/35 depending on location and opponent.  To think that the Kentucky game and Southwestern northern blue state is the same price or close is ridiculous.

I'll pay 50-75 to see Kentucky but Akron 20 is my ceiling unless I'm on the floor or behind the benches. 

Supply and Demand Jeff Long!  You may say the variable pricing affects the equity/integrity of the product. . Let the market decide and I guarantee that a full house making only $10 million in revenue looks better than a 1/2 filled stadium with the same $10 million.

I wouldn't even pay that and I'm pretty well off. It's a $5 to $10 product.   

[Breems]

Next year, when the team is clearly better, the crowds will still not show up for Akron.

Unless it's a big name or conference game, fans aren't paying.

If we ever become a perennial top 15 team (lol), fans *may* start showing up for Akron, but even that is debatable.

[pccmizuno24]

season ticket holder and been to both games! This team is bad! MA really has to hope hes not on the hot seat this year! terrible year recruiting! we may not win 15 games this year! some of these players have no business playing in the SEC!

[westside_player]

We've got Evansville and North Florida coming up on Tuesday nights in December. By then we might have a good losing streak going. I wonder if actual attendance will dip below 1000.

[mhuff]

Teams like Kentucky, Duke, UNC, and Kansas have a football team worth a squirt of piss about once every 20 years too.  Those schools bread and butter is basketball, not football.  Getting back to the tradition of winning like Sutton and Richardson will bring crowds back, even for powder puffs.

You have to establish a program first.

[Randy Johnson]

he has to say that

if they want the fans to show up they better turn it up a notch...where was the effort?
there was no craziness... rag tag... or players flying into the crowd
they out hustled us/we are the better team

[hogsanity]

I went ot my 1st game since 2003 last Friday night. It actually made me sad. I was 23 years old, in 93-94 and I went to a ton of games the 1st year in BWA, and that place was always loud. We would draw 10k for Tn St. Last Friday, my son and I were the only people in sec 222.  But, as I thought about it the falloff is understandable, and has as much to do with thing OTHER than team performance as it does with wins and losses. Most games on tv, somewhere, weird start times, mid week games, $25 face value on the tickets, and a host of others.

BUt, the main thing, outside of a few programs, I just do not think people care about college basketball until at least conf season starts, but more so, until March madness rolls around.

[WhiteHairedDevil]

Thank you Frank Broyles for this mess.

[Inhogswetrust]

I've said for years that the Bud was way overbuilt in a perfect storm situation. Football, the primary driver at Arkansas, was at its nadir at the exact same time basketball was approaching its zenith. We have a Barnhill sized core basketball fan base.

Remember because of Bud's donation it was also built for the Wal-Mart meeting every year. When we were good it was full most of the time.

[jry04]

Tonight's crowd was HORRIBLE! PATHEDIC!!

Players want to see big crowds and our crowd has to be disheartening to players, coaches and Admin. Heck, I want to see big crowds.  Fact is teams like Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Kansas and the list goes on with other teams that would have packed the house.

Fact is, We have fallen way farther than most think. I wonder now if Barnhill should have stayed. Anyway......I'll keep showing up.

Why do our fans always point to how the blue bloods pack their arena?

Yeah, they also make the NCAAT every year, and get 5* prospects consistently. Everyone knows this is going to be a tough year. People don't want to go out to a 7pm Wednesday night non-conference game. I went, but I am not surprised not many others went. It sucks, but it is the reality of it. It sounds like YOU were the one with unrealistic expectations if you think UK, Duke, Kansas, and UNC are realistic comparisons.

[Albert Einswine]

Remember because of Bud's donation it was also built for the Wal-Mart meeting every year. When we were good it was full most of the time.

It was full most of the time at the same time a much smaller Razorback stadium had plenty of empty seats and WMS likewise had plenty of empty seats for SEC games.

[Inhogswetrust]

It was full most of the time at the same time a much smaller Razorback stadium had plenty of empty seats and WMS likewise had plenty of empty seats for SEC games.

Yep. Wins are the number one factor. But those that think that all the bigger BB powers over the years always fill for every game now would be wrong. They might be sold out but not full.

[PorkRinds]

I dont think anyone in their right mind is suggesting this will be a good season, in fact, it might be one of the worst teams Arkansas has fielded in my lifetime.

The issue to me is whether or not we are able to keep the talent we have committed. Monk giving us the cold shoulder was a huge blow, but the sort of season we are about to have could be far more damaging to this program in the long run.

Well, the guys for next year have already signed so...

[dhizzle]

It was over built, but I will say if the hogs where rolling for a few years it would be 19,000 in every sec game. Its like anything else if its a bad product you don't buy it. For the guy that is worried about the recruits we have committed, they have signed so I'm pretty sure they cant go anywhere.

[rzrbackramsfan]

I live 3 hours away and I'm probably not showing up for the big games like I usually do at this pace.  I know better days are ahead and if we end up being good, great, I'll come out but this team is pretty blah.

I was impressed with how many points we scored though.   

[Porkette]

Our program isn't in the same hemisphere as the basketball powerhouse programs these days (and it's not a brief drop-off, but a long, long decline). Plus the schedules are weird; remember all the mid-week 8pm starts last year? That doesn't work for families. Why always compare us to a few elite powerhouses around the country? When we were a great and relevant program like the ones mentioned, fans did pack the place for every game. That's just how it works.  To a sports team, fans are your customers.

[Been10Hog]

Athletic dept needs to do a better job of marketing to NWA fans especially during weeknights. Decrease ticket prices and make some sort of "family pack" where families get tickets and food to feed kids at reasonable price. Weeknight games are not going to attract families from across state. But, people gotta do something in NWA after work. Make it affordable to take wife and kids to games and get some crowds in there!

[hogsanity]

Why do our fans always point to how the blue bloods pack their arena?

Yeah, they also make the NCAAT every year, and get 5* prospects consistently. Everyone knows this is going to be a tough year. People don't want to go out to a 7pm Wednesday night non-conference game. I went, but I am not surprised not many others went. It sucks, but it is the reality of it. It sounds like YOU were the one with unrealistic expectations if you think UK, Duke, Kansas, and UNC are realistic comparisons.

And, even with that, there is a reason a place like Duke has not built a 20K seat arena, that they could easily fill at least half the time, it is because the other half of the time they would have empty seats, yes even mighty Duke would have trouble selling out weeknight rent a wins. Maybe not in the 1st or 2nd year, but over time, attendance would decrease for those games.

[Dominicanhog]

I'd like to see a modernization of the concourses, food and bathrooms, eliminate 3,000-5000 seats and let the students in for $5 per game.  Rebuild demand, addition thru subtraction... would our 6900 last night not have filled Cameron indoor.. we are playing in astadium that is to large for 99% of all teams.

[HogsBalls]

I'll admit that I was watching the game last night and thinking, "This isn't even a home game". The crowd was not big or loud. I know i'm complaining about it while i sit at home and watch the game, but the ticket prices are crazy for me to afford. Also, Akron was just nuts shooting the ball last night. I'd bet they don't have another night shooting like that one.

[Hog Solo]

It's not just Arkansas it's the state of the game overall. The 1 and dones have killed the collegiate atmosphere of the sport and between that and the way games get called now is that it's an awful product. I tried watching the game last night and at the starts of the 2nd half in the first 4 minutes there were 11 fouls between the two teams. Just awful

[RME]

I'd like to see a modernization of the concourses, food and bathrooms, eliminate 3,000-5000 seats and let the students in for $5 per game.  Rebuild demand, addition thru subtraction... would our 6900 last night not have filled Cameron indoor.. we are playing in astadium that is to large for 99% of all teams.

Students get in free if they have an Access Pass

[hogsanity]

I'll admit that I was watching the game last night and thinking, "This isn't even a home game". The crowd was not big or loud. I know i'm complaining about it while i sit at home and watch the game, but the ticket prices are crazy for me to afford. Also, Akron was just nuts shooting the ball last night. I'd bet they don't have another night shooting like that one.

You can get tickets for almost nothing if you just want to go to a game. Stub hub and other similar sites had tickets for the last 2 games for $3, instant download. While we were walking to the game Friday night I saw at least 4 tickets people had just left on a couple of light posts for anyone that wanted them.

[The_Iceman]

You can get tickets for almost nothing if you just want to go to a game. Stub hub and other similar sites had tickets for the last 2 games for $3, instant download. While we were walking to the game Friday night I saw at least 4 tickets people had just left on a couple of light posts for anyone that wanted them.

I gave one away to a make that needed one for his child and didn't know that when he bought his tickets. Was happy to help. But yeah, people are giving them away right now.

UA Basketball has a big supply and demand issue. A huge supply (19,000 seats), but little demand due to Mike not utilizing his success last year to reload the roster in the 2015 offseason.

[hogsanity]

I gave one away to a make that needed one for his child and didn't know that when he bought his tickets. Was happy to help. But yeah, people are giving them away right now.

UA Basketball has a big supply and demand issue. A huge supply (19,000 seats), but little demand due to Mike not utilizing his success last year to reload the roster in the 2015 offseason.

I am critical of Mike for lots of things, BUT the attendance is not on him. Attendance dropping has just been a product of 20 years of not being what they used to be, games at weird times, season tickets costing more, tickets being plentiful so their is not the " If I want to see a game this year I better grab these now", almost all games on tv, and a dozen other reasons.  People did not fill the place to half full last year for a team like Akron, and we had the secpoty and the most exciting player ( Qualls ) in the sec.

[Albert Einswine]

College basketball as a whole isn't what it used to be. It has been diluted by players mimicking what passes for basketball in the NBA. The overall product is lacking in quality across the board.

[ke2743]

I went ot my 1st game since 2003 last Friday night. It actually made me sad. I was 23 years old, in 93-94 and I went to a ton of games the 1st year in BWA, and that place was always loud. We would draw 10k for Tn St. Last Friday, my son and I were the only people in sec 222.  But, as I thought about it the falloff is understandable, and has as much to do with thing OTHER than team performance as it does with wins and losses. Most games on tv, somewhere, weird start times, mid week games, $25 face value on the tickets, and a host of others.

BUt, the main thing, outside of a few programs, I just do not think people care about college basketball until at least conf season starts, but more so, until March madness rolls around.

I actually get excited when 24 hours of hoops starts.  Problem is, they normally broadcast only good quality matches.  I wondered last year why we never play during that 24 hours and get some random exposure.  After watching last nights game, I now understand.  This year is going to be a dark one for our program. 

[Hog Solo]

College basketball as a whole isn't what it used to be. It has been diluted by players mimicking what passes for basketball in the NBA. The overall product is lacking in quality across the board.

Right, the problem isn't the fans on message boards that love the hogs, but the average basketball fan that has to take resources away from his daily life, both time and money, to see a subpar product.  Refereeing and the way the calls are made now a days takes the flow away from the games.  It's uninteresting to watch somebody shoot 100 free throws per game. They've gone the wrong direction imo

[HouSwine]

Right, the problem isn't the fans on message boards that love the hogs, but the average basketball fan that has to take resources away from his daily life, both time and money, to see a subpar product.  Refereeing and the way the calls are made now a days takes the flow away from the games.  It's uninteresting to watch somebody shoot 100 free throws per game. They've gone the wrong direction imo

Pro basketball is much more interesting now. More baskets. Less penalties. NCAA needs to change how the game is called.

[Biggus Piggus]

I dont think anyone in their right mind is suggesting this will be a good season, in fact, it might be one of the worst teams Arkansas has fielded in my lifetime.

The issue to me is whether or not we are able to keep the talent we have committed. Monk giving us the cold shoulder was a huge blow, but the sort of season we are about to have could be far more damaging to this program in the long run.

Arkansas has signed everyone it had committed. What are you talking about?

[Biggus Piggus]

This still looks like a .500 season just like it did yesterday. Akron is a good, experienced team, and it is November when those teams outperform. Everyone should have known that Arkansas would need a lot of time to put something together out of what's left. This team wasn't built on the assumption that Portis, Qualls and Kapita wouldn't be here. Poor inside scoring will be a problem against a lot of matchups.

The Hogs also are still trying to put together a defense that will work. One great way to learn what not to do is to play a game against the chairman of the rules committee. LOL! Pretty funny -- he's the chair of the rules committee, and his team got more fouls than Arkansas.

[bhogs05]

Many reasons for low attendance but I'd say the biggest reasons are the price and the product..$25 is way too high, especially for midweek games. Plus now almost every game is on tv or computer so people would rather watch it at home after they get off work instead of rushing to go eat, park, and walk to arena just in time for tipoff to see a mediocre team against usually a no name opponent.   If we were a top program we wouldn't be saying this, but we aren't and haven't been for a long time. 

[PonderinHog]

Paid attendance - 14,000+

Actual attendance - 5,902

[The_Iceman]

This team wasn't built on the assumption that Portis, Qualls and Kapita wouldn't be here.

Who built this team that will end up finishing around .500 and miss the postseason?

Answer: Mike Anderson.

Its year 5 for Mike Anderson. He is supposed to build programs like Bielema by building depth around developing high-character, hard-working players instead of the hot prospects. The problem is he didn't do either. He has a depleted roster, couldn't keep Babb on the roster to develop him into the talent we needed last night, he lost a senior starting forward to legal trouble, lost his starting PG half the season to legal issues, lost a Top 50 recruit to grades that should have been foreseen. He had no solid backup plans to any of these issues, on top of seeming ill-prepared for the highly possible fact that Portis (and Qualls) were going to go pro.

[ArkansasI]

Who built this team that will end up finishing around .500 and miss the postseason?

Answer: Mike Anderson.

Its year 5 for Mike Anderson. He is supposed to build programs like Bielema by building depth around developing high-character, hard-working players instead of the hot prospects. The problem is he didn't do either. He has a depleted roster, couldn't keep Babb on the roster to develop him into the talent we needed last night, he lost a senior starting forward to legal trouble, lost his starting PG half the season to legal issues, lost a Top 50 recruit to grades that should have been foreseen. He had no solid backup plans to any of these issues, on top of seeming ill-prepared for the highly possible fact that Portis (and Qualls) were going to go pro.

Ice,

I know BP needs no defense...  I think he was just stating a fact.  Most of us agree 100% with your sentiments.

Keep the faith brother.  We need all the Hog fans we can keep!

[bhogs05]

Agree with Iceman 100%. It was like Mike had no plan this offseason and now he's trying to put a band aid on it by getting a bunch of JUCO guys..which I hope works, but in most cases JUCO guys don't come in and light it up..maybe these guys will. He better hope they do or it will be another bad year next year.