Great Article in Ark Trav on lack of UA student support....

[Mardi Hog Gras]

http://www.uatrav.com/2010/02/03/ua-student-basketball-%E2%80%98fans%E2%80%99-drop-ball/comment-page-1/#comment-1968

[Bacons Rebellion]

http://www.uatrav.com/2010/02/03/ua-student-basketball-%E2%80%98fans%E2%80%99-drop-ball/comment-page-1/#comment-1968

Good article. When you charge the students more than a token admission price AND give poor seats, you give them good reasons not to attend, if there isn't a good product on the floor. When they are out of the habit of attending, it's hard to mold the habit again.

[Silver Hog]

long gone are the days of waiting in line for tickets!  We had it sorted out that you got the best seats if you were asking for 3 at a time.

[1highhog]

bring back the era when we had the mad hatters, to bad they disbanded them.

[brwillis11]

The Basketball students have been pretty good all year. besides the christmas break games.

[Lard]

UA students = Fail

[DeltaBoy]

If the shoe fits wear it UA Studnet body.

[snortyann]

Something is wrong. If the students don't go to the games there must be reasons. The problems should be identified and fixed such as those mentioned in the thread so far. Scolding doesn't accomplish anything here. Enthusiasm for the team should be a natural. Students don't owe it to anyone to attend a game.

[lavacaraider]

Winning will take care of that, regardless of where the seats are at.

[Killean]

Part of it is that if you're actually trying to get an education, attending basketball games is a huge pain in the ass.


Football is easy, it's one saturday, 5 times (f u Little Rock).  Basketball is a lot more often and during the week as well, so flat out you have to study.  I feel like if you're not gonna make the games you shouldn't get the season tickets, so I didn't.

Of course, there's no reason for the frat kids not to go

[DeltaBoy]

I made nearly all the Home games when I was at UALR and I went to college part time and worked full time.  It is a matter of what to.  Plus Mike Newell had the Trojans rocken back in the mid 1980's.

[Porkys Revenge]

Our student section is a failure. They can't even call the hogs right.

[Hawg Balling]

When I was up there (graduated in 2007), student tickets for football were $1, but student tickets to basketball games were ridiculously expensive and you could only purchase a certain "set" of season tickets. 

[Veritas Arkansas]

Make tickets available on a game-by-game basis and you'll have more folks that want to go.

The "sets" are ridiculously and prohibitively expensive for most folks.

[pigsooiec5]

Make tickets available on a game-by-game basis and you'll have more folks that want to go.

The "sets" are ridiculously and prohibitively expensive for most folks.

They've done that this year.

[Hogbody]

Pretty dumb article IMO

if the UA would have promoted the tickets, via email or razalert, then there probably would have been a lot more students then there were

most people didn't even know about it

[Veritas Arkansas]

They've done that this year.

Shows what happens when I grow up.

How much are they per game, and where do you get tickets?

[Porkys Revenge]

Ticket price has nothing to do with it. The problem is most of the students are only there to pimp their new polo that mommy bought them, then they're gone by halftime.

[Hogbody]

6 a piece...and price has a lot to do with it

[Ash]

I've had the opportunity to go to a few basketball games for free this year. I haven't because we stink so bad it isn't worth the drive from LR.

As far as students. They aren't the only group of fans not going to games. That shovel full of darn can be spread far and wide over the fanbase.

[phadedhawg]

If I were in school I'd be at those games....

However I think we need to put some more effort into creating a better game atmosphere and that would involve giving the students better seating.

[Ballew]

Well I'll be attending UofA next year, and I can assure you my friends and I will be at every game (regardless of sport) possible.

Honestly, the sporting events are the main thing drawing me to the university.

I do agree with getting the student section better placed in BWA.

[kingofdequeen]

Ticket price has nothing to do with it. The problem is most of the students are only there to pimp their new polo that mommy bought them, then they're gone by halftime.

my god man...slit your wrists and get it over with, emo.

[Cassperr]

A big reason I dont goto a lot of the BBall games is studying and the expensive tickets

[pigsooiec5]

anyone saying they can't afford student tix is a liar

[ua_hogs]

Some of y'all need to get a job.  As a student who has bought season bball tickets for five years now, I think the price is very affordable.  Can't do much for $6 bucks, but I can go to a Razorback basketball game. 

Also, don't use the study excuse, because that is pure BS.

[SRFL]

A big reason I dont goto a lot of the BBall games is studying and the expensive tickets

Not judging, believe me.  But each ticket is the cost of a #4 at McDonalds. 

Skip a couple of Combos and you're golden.

[akahogfan]

I think that a big problem is the fact that there are very few students that know you can buy individual game tickets. People that would be perfectly fine with spending $6 on a single game are going to be a bit more tentative when they think that they have to dish out $108. Also, when I was walking to the 'Bama game, I overheard a group of about 6 other students who were complaining that the ticket office was not able to sell them tickets for some reason. I mean, seriously? Listed attendance was 13000, which we all know is inflated, and there were not enough tickets to sell to students that wanted them. Seriously?

I think that the UA could get a lot more students to the game by giving us more of an incentive to buy the season package. As it is now, the season package costs $5.40 per game. $108 / 20 = $5.40. I know that there are other students like me who cannot attend a few of the Christmas break games. In the end, the season ticket package become just as, or even more expensive than individual ones. Make the season package $60 and you will get a lot more buyers because it is worth it to buy the whole thing. Then, once you have more people with tickets, they will be more likely to use them so that they don't get wasted.

[Verge]

You don't have to ask very many people to hear all the rumors about the squad on the court.... Apparently students do not like supporting people of that caliber.




We also suck, hardcore.

[kingofdequeen]

We also suck, hardcore.

you got a mouse in your pocket?

[Hog on the Hill]

Some of y'all need to get a job.  As a student who has bought season bball tickets for five years now, I think the price is very affordable.  Can't do much for $6 bucks, but I can go to a Razorback basketball game. 

Also, don't use the study excuse, because that is pure BS.

I'm a physics student.  Trust me, the "study excuse" is not BS.  There's no way I could hold a job and maintain my GPA.

I do have free time and I do have some extra money to spend (about $30 a month on non-essentials) but I have higher priorities than basketball games.  The little time and money I have to spare goes elsewhere.

[hogmary]

Great article, but I must disagree with one point.  The people who don't show up because we are losing are not fans.  Fairweather fans might be an overstatement.  These are the same people who won't go to a football game because "we aren't playing anybody" and then gripe if we lose to an Alabama, Texas or Florida.  If you cannot support your team, win or lose, and look for reasons to justify not going to games, stay home.  The Hogs are better off with real fans who go to game to support them in good times and bad.  As far as the "rumors" about players' behavior...is that the way you select the people you hang around with or is that just the way you justify not supporting the team?

[kingofdequeen]

more sorority attendance would fill the seats up.  give them free tickets.

[akahogfan]

Oh, one other thing. The trough is pretty much always pretty rowdy (-winter break). The rest of the student section is often filled with a lot of non-students. Not exactly sure how they all get there, but they are always the biggest bunch of debbie downers on the face of the planet. If they put half as much effort into cheering the Hogs as they do asking students to sit down, BWA would be a deafening every game.

Finally, even when there are a lot of students in the non-trough student section, there is a huge disconnect between the two groups. If there were a more continuous section that would fit all of the students, the whole section would be much more intimidating.

[SRFL]

You don't have to ask very many people to hear all the rumors about the squad on the court.... Apparently students do not like supporting people of that caliber.

We also suck, hardcore.

Then they should go to support Rotnei and the others who are not of that "reputation" you speak of. 

Full disclosure that I watched every game that The Barn doors were open and Miller, Day, May, Truck et al made it an easy decision to do so.  But as a student I was taught no matter what, I had to go.  Had to go.  Students, please see this as an obligation and a privilege as "we" did.  You own The Bud regardless of the loss column tally.

[kingofdequeen]

nm

[98hogs]

Its hard to find basketball tickets these days

[woo.pig.sooie]

dont gripe about the students. gripe about the other 10,000 fans who dont show up to the games.

[Scaife]

Can you really blame the students? They have to pay an Athletic Fee that is pretty danged high, pay for the tickets and then get horrible seats. I know when I was going to school there we quit using the student football tickets...  They were cheap but they would sometimes double sell the student section and we'd wind up arguing with another fan over who's seat it was. Not fun.

[taintlint]

The UA students today do not go for two reasons:

1) The team has sucked for so long that most students were 5 and 6 years old when we were nationally relevant.

2) The students feel entitled to tickets for 25 cents, someone to pick them up at their front door, and tuck them in bed after the game.

I don't give a frick what a student gets on here and says. They'll buy a #5 at Arby's and not think twice, or a 12 pack, but cry a river of tears at the thought of spending the same money on a ticket.

If they don't want to go, fine. But save the "it's so expensive" line of BS. That same line is used by students with 700 iTunes downloads and $200 jeans. It's just a matter of choice. Bottom line.

Students had to study in the 80's and 90's as well. Like I said, it's simply that they choose not to attend, and that's ok.

[Scaife]

Nevermind what I said about athletic fees... they've gone down. Only $45 a semester, WOW! I was paying about 165 a semester, best I remember.

[woo.pig.sooie]

if parents would start using their season tickets instead of giving them away to their kids before every game you might be suprised how much more full the student section would become. why would you pay for bad seats when you can make a couple of calls and sit behind the arkansas bench for free?

[StadiumDrive]

didn't read the article.

But I'm a student who has gone to every basketball game I could make it to this season.  And I agree with what a lot of people have said so far, like tickets being more expensive and football being cheaper and less frequent and on weekends.  And yes, winning has more to do with it than anything else.  Tickets could be twice as much as they are now, but students will pay to see good basketball.  If we were a national caliber team, students would be there. HOWEVER, the students are no different than the regular fans.  Attendance at BWA has been way down this year, thats no secret, and naturally that has trickled down to the students.  20 year olds don't want to see bad basketball any more than 45 year olds do.  So when people bash the student section, I don't take personal offense to it, but its pretty reflective of our fans as a whole.  This includes football as well.

[kingofdequeen]

i've made several crack-back posts in here, but i'm serious about most of them.

the school could do a lot more to bolster student support.

support greeks/panhellics w/ contests similar to football games - i know there's a lot of anti-greek sentiment, but getting them on board would bolster student attendance.

modernize the routines a little bit - the old "who's she" antic was played out when i was there (10 years ago). 

have the ushers pipe down the seatwarmers who spend most the game telling students to sit down...and spend less time on trying to play UofA CSI trying to find some student w/ booze.

promotions geared to REWARD student involvement...and not just musical chairs at half.



if it was a priority of the athletic department to get students in seats, it could be done w/ little to no expense.

[Hogbody]

Some of y'all need to get a job.  As a student who has bought season bball tickets for five years now, I think the price is very affordable.  Can't do much for $6 bucks, but I can go to a Razorback basketball game. 

Also, don't use the study excuse, because that is pure BS.

you think I can fit in a job while taking 18 hours plus a 12 hour a week internship?   I think not

[HogDom]

There seemed to be quite a few interesting responses. One, by a guy named Andrew really caught my eye. Over and over again he bashed the team, coach, the university and the writer(former floor mate of mine). This was my response.

"Andrew Anonymous,
Let me take it upon myself to enlighten YOU as to the fallacies of your argument.

1. You claim the basketball team sucks. Now, granted all the suspensions earlier in the year really hurt us and our record suffered greatly. However, with the return of Courtney Fortson and the rest of our suspended players we have looked like a completely different team. And oh ya, we are now ranked #1 in the SEC West and have won back to back SEC road games for the first time in over 4 years. But I guess that qualifies as suck.
2. You also argue that students cannot park anywhere near BW. Well, I don't know about you, but taking a short 5-8 minute walk from my dorm room doesn't seem very daunting, and I made that same walk many times last year when I lived in the dorms. Maybe that treck is too far for you, but it sure as heck didn't bother me and my friends.
3.The weather was too tough for you for the Texas game too? My,my, my, maybe you should stick to ping pong and World of Warcraft in the safety of your own room. The average wind speed of 1.61 MPH, 35-40 degree temperature and 0% precipitation didn't seem to be too detrimental from what I remember. But hey, maybe it was for you.
4. You again, ignorantly, claim that our basketball team "sucks". See Point 1.
5. Bud Walton HATES students? What have you been smoking? Never, at any game, have I been scolded, told to move, or to sit down. But then again, maybe standing for the entire game, on the front row, with ESPN camera crews filming my friends and I cheering has made me immune to the alleged "hate"you have found in our stadium.
6. In regards to your conclusion, I will simply say that you must live one of the saddest, most depressing excuses for the life of a college student that I have ever heard of. A) If you really feel that your life was in any extreme danger by attempting to walk to Bud Walton during the start of snow fall, then I must assume that you were one of those kids that grew up fearing scraped knees and stubbed toes. Grow up. B) Who is this terrible coach you speak of? Surely you weren't referencing John Pelphrey. The same man inducted into UK hall of fame, the same coach that helped lead the University of Florida to a record 4 straight NCAAT appearances as well as the national title game. You couldn't be talking about the same man that lead USA to a sunbelt conference championship and the schools first ever NCAAT appearance. And I KNOW you weren't calling the man that lead Arkansas to two back to back upsets over #4 Oklahoma and #7 Texas and has taken this amazingly young and thin team to a first place standing in their division, a "bad" coach. And then you applaud a lack of support by taking a jab at the writer?

No. No. No. It is you, and your flawed, ignorant, and illogical self that may need to be looking for that bridge to jump off of.

-Go Hogs."

Don't bash my school nor my Razorbacks. WPS!

[HawgLife]

The new single game ticket deal is nice but they only sell 250 of them for each game and they sell out over an hour before the game. Don't complain about student attendance and turn us away at the door.

[healthyhog]

Cracks me up reading some of you guys saying BS like...well, back in my day....

OF COURSE you went to every game back then, there was something to watch on the court!!  UA basketball was a powerhouse for a loooong time, and the students were the loudest voice in the building.  We stood in lines for tickets for a week and showed up 3 hours early to get seats near the court.  Hell, I sat on the stairs in the aisle during the UK game one year because they oversold the student section.

These kids on the Hill now haven't had a basketball team worth waking up for in a long time.  I can't blame them for not being as passionate about the Hoop Hogs as we were in the 90's.

And those of you saying, "wull, if i was a stoodent, Id be at evra game by god"....GET OFF YOUR REAR AND GO.

Last time I looked at the numbers, they were short 400 students, but about 14 THOUSAND paying fans for some games this season.  What group is letting down the team again?

[rwspear]

Stop blaming the students. Maybe some of you have forgotten what it's like to be in school. I remember choosing between ramen or the McDonald's dollar menu and going with ramen bc of the price. Students can't afford $100+ for the season package, and the UofA forces them to buy packages of 6 for $36. This wouldn't be that bad if they got to choose the games, but instead your stuck paying for Appalachian St., two Christmas break games that you can't go to, Georgia, Auburn, and maybe a Tennessee. $36 for one good game is expensive. We have the most expensive tickets in the SEC for crappy seats. Give me a break.

[ua_hogs]

you think I can fit in a job while taking 18 hours plus a 12 hour a week internship?   I think not

Notice I said some, and since you have an internship, I would qualify that as a job.  Sucks for you that you don't get paid.  However, you could work 10 hours a week at the call center on campus. That would bring you up to 40 hours a week, welcome to the real world.