For those that don't think Mike is on the hot seat - lowest attendance in BWA

[OutlawHawg]

Saw the following stat:

Mount St. Mary's and Southern Illinois are the second- and third-smallest actual crowds in Bud Walton Arena history, according to HogStats.com. The only game with a smaller crowd was on Jan. 28, 2010, when 4,113 braved snow and ice to watch the Razorbacks beat Mississippi State.

Anderson will have to win this year to keep his job. No amount of nostalgia, hand shake agreements, or personal relationships will save him if the Hogs miss the tourney and we keep drawing Sun Belt crowds.

For the record I think we win 24 games and go to the second round of the tourney and he survives but if we don't get ready for a coaching search.

[Letsroll1200]

If we take care of business this week I believe BWA will have a great crowd against Houston next Tuesday.

[Knot2brite]

To be fair...both of those games were Monday night games against nobodies...hard to get the big crowds on a Monday night against the sisters of the poor

[Arazorbackguy1]

To be fair...both of those games were Monday night games against nobodies...hard to get the big crowds on a Monday night against the sisters of the poor

Agreed.  How many Monday night games have the Hogs played in their history?

[Mr. Porkleone]

About the same size crowd at Mike'd up at Sassy's as BWA

[rude1]

Still a lot of season tickets being sold even if they aren't showing up to the games. CMA needs to focus on winning, something he directly controls, if he wins, goes out on the road and wins, it will give people more confidence that maybe this team is going some place, and slowly IMO you will see the crowd return. But if the team continues to go out on the road and lay eggs, fans are going to always feel this is more of the same movie I have seen before, play well at home, lose on road, go no where at seasons end.

[poloprince]

MNF

[VirginiaHog]

How many tickets were sold. That is all that matters as far as keeping jobs.

[Danny J]

Still a lot of season tickets being sold even if they aren't showing up to the games. CMA needs to focus on winning, something he directly controls, if he wins, goes out on the road and wins, it will give people more confidence that maybe this team is going some place, and slowly IMO you will see the crowd return. But if the team continues to go out on the road and lay eggs, fans are going to always feel this is more of the same movie I have seen before, play well at home, lose on road, go no where at seasons end.

Yep...going to have to stop going on the road early in seasons and getting rocked.

[ricepig]

How many tickets were sold. That is all that matters as far as keeping jobs.

Over 13,000.

[poloprince]

How many tickets were sold. That is all that matters as far as keeping jobs.

13,321

Noone is getting off at 5 pm and scramble to make a 7pm bball game on a Monday night against MSM. Some of you fans expect too much of some of the other fans. It's quite funny. There will one team in the SEC with a higher paid attendance than Ark.

[MountieDawg]

13,321

Noone is getting off at 5 pm and scramble to make a 7pm bball game on a Monday night against MSM. Some of you fans expect too much of some of the other fans. It's quite funny. There will one team in the SEC with a higher paid attendance than Ark.

Players and recruits don't give a darn about paid attendance, they look for fans in the seats.  Just heard Jay Bilas say when his legs teammates get together they talk abut up the big games and could care less about the games against directional schools.

[poloprince]

Players and recruits don't give a darn about paid attendance, they look for fans in the seats.  Just heard Jay Bilas say when his legs teammates get together they talk abut up the big games and could care less about the games against directional schools.

Ok get off your tailbone then

[hogsanity]

13,321

Noone is getting off at 5 pm and scramble to make a 7pm bball game on a Monday night against MSM. Some of you fans expect too much of some of the other fans. It's quite funny. There will one team in the SEC with a higher paid attendance than Ark.

People used to do that all the time when the Hogs were good, when they played good basketball. I can't count how many times I got off at 5 and took off for Fay to get there for a 7pm against nobody from 93-2000.

But you are right, they won't do it now because the product is terrible. I am not just talking about the Hogs either. Outside of a few top teams college basketball is terrible.

[3kgthog]

People keep forgetting a few things when they complain about attendance.

1. It's a different lifestyle now. It seems people had more time in the glory days. Now people are working more hours and other life responsibilities take eons.

2. Ticket prices ain't what they used to be. Think a family of four is going to plunk down $100 for tickets and another $30 for concessions twice a week? Good luck. Some folks that used to support multiple sports have also had to choose one sport because of donation and ticket increases.

3. No household names on the roster. We used to have guys that every Hog fan knew before they got here. The McDonald's AAs that we had already seen on tv. Guys like Corliss, Darnell, Kareem Reid, and Derek Hood. I bet the average Hog fan had never heard of our JUCO guys. Who follows JUCO ball unless you're a basketball junkie or Hogville lifer?

4. We had hope back in the day. Most of the hope got sucked out of the program in the years after Nolan left. You just can't create enthusiasm for bad basketball. Nolan hit the jackpot in the Hogs having a bad football team most of the 90s while having one heck of a basketball program. Which would you have thrown your money and time behind?

[FineAsSwine]

People keep forgetting a few things when they complain about attendance.

1. It's a different lifestyle now. It seems people had more time in the glory days. Now people are working more hours and other life responsibilities take eons.

2. Ticket prices ain't what they used to be. Think a family of four is going to plunk down $100 for tickets and another $30 for concessions twice a week? Good luck. Some folks that used to support multiple sports have also had to choose one sport because of donation and ticket increases.

3. No household names on the roster. We used to have guys that every Hog fan knew before they got here. The McDonald's AAs that we had already seen on tv. Guys like Corliss, Darnell, Kareem Reid, and Derek Hood. I bet the average Hog fan had never heard of our JUCO guys. Who follows JUCO ball unless you're a basketball junkie or Hogville lifer?

4. We had hope back in the day. Most of the hope got sucked out of the program in the years after Nolan left. You just can't create enthusiasm for bad basketball. Nolan hit the jackpot in the Hogs having a bad football team most of the 90s while having one heck of a basketball program. Which would you have thrown your money and time behind?

You make some good points.

[jjdlc]

People used to do that all the time when the Hogs were good, when they played good basketball. I can't count how many times I got off at 5 and took off for Fay to get there for a 7pm against nobody from 93-2000.

But you are right, they won't do it now because the product is terrible. I am not just talking about the Hogs either. Outside of a few top teams college basketball is terrible.

It was more common yes, but even in the 90's those early non-con nobody's rarely played before a packed house.  IF we get back to winning consistently, the crowds will come back, but your never going to have a packed house on a Monday night against that level of competition.  I'm interested to see what kind of crowd we have tomorrow.

[hogsanity]

It was more common yes, but even in the 90's those early non-con nobody's rarely played before a packed house.  IF we get back to winning consistently, the crowds will come back, but your never going to have a packed house on a Monday night against that level of competition.  I'm interested to see what kind of crowd we have tomorrow.

Packed no, but actual crowds of 10K + even for weeknight cupcakes was common. Heck even for those type games when Heath and Pel were there there were thousands more than what we have gotten this year so far.

And let me be clear, I do not put all the attendance problems on Mike Anderson, it is just his teams do not give people reasons to look past all the other things.

[code red]

I blame SEC network.

[S.A.D.C]

People keep forgetting a few things when they complain about attendance.

1. It's a different lifestyle now. It seems people had more time in the glory days. Now people are working more hours and other life responsibilities take eons.

2. Ticket prices ain't what they used to be. Think a family of four is going to plunk down $100 for tickets and another $30 for concessions twice a week? Good luck. Some folks that used to support multiple sports have also had to choose one sport because of donation and ticket increases.

3. No household names on the roster. We used to have guys that every Hog fan knew before they got here. The McDonald's AAs that we had already seen on tv. Guys like Corliss, Darnell, Kareem Reid, and Derek Hood. I bet the average Hog fan had never heard of our JUCO guys. Who follows JUCO ball unless you're a basketball junkie or Hogville lifer?

4. We had hope back in the day. Most of the hope got sucked out of the program in the years after Nolan left. You just can't create enthusiasm for bad basketball. Nolan hit the jackpot in the Hogs having a bad football team most of the 90s while having one heck of a basketball program. Which would you have thrown your money and time behind?

#1 is really the story here.  More games on TV, you can even DVR said games and watch when convenient.  Last night I was at a school program, set the DVR, started the game at 8:00 PM- was live for the finish. Oh, and when I watch that game it is on a large screen tv in HiDef.  That wasn't possible in 1995 for most people.  Now it is for practically everyone. 

I know Arkansas was amazing back in the day.  But look around at sports:  attendance is an issue everywhere.  This isn't just an Arkansas thing. 

[dsgreen]

I won free tickets to that snow and ice game.  Nice to inadvertently be a part of history.

[OutlawHawg]

#1 is really the story here.  More games on TV, you can even DVR said games and watch when convenient.  Last night I was at a school program, set the DVR, started the game at 8:00 PM- was live for the finish. Oh, and when I watch that game it is on a large screen tv in HiDef.  That wasn't possible in 1995 for most people.  Now it is for practically everyone. 

I know Arkansas was amazing back in the day.  But look around at sports:  attendance is an issue everywhere.  This isn't just an Arkansas thing.

I'm out of state so not sure how much it would impact me if I was local but I've watched every game this year online. Doesn't match the excitement of going to a game but sure is nice just grabbing a beer and watching it from my couch without spending any money or time.

[jjdlc]

Packed no, but actual crowds of 10K + even for weeknight cupcakes was common. Heck even for those type games when Heath and Pel were there there were thousands more than what we have gotten this year so far.

And let me be clear, I do not put all the attendance problems on Mike Anderson, it is just his teams do not give people reasons to look past all the other things.

What we have now is the result of the decay since 2000.  Heath started out with good crowds that were leftover from Nolan's days, they declined as his tenure went on.  Pelphry started out with moderately better crowds, but his quickly went down hill.  The season where we started out the non-cons well, beating I believe Texas and Oklahoma, then went on to only win something like 2 conference games the rest of the way took a serious toll on the crowds.  2 years ago when we had a NCAAT team the crowds were starting to come back, then last year flushed it.  It's going to take time again to get back, if we make the NCAAT this year, with the excitement about what we have coming in next season, the crowds for the non-cons should be much better next year.  After that, it's a matter of maintaining that success for several years.  Anderson has finally had some recruiting success, now it's time for him to sustain some success on the court.

[hogsanity]

What we have now is the result of the decay since 2000.  Heath started out with good crowds that were leftover from Nolan's days, they declined as his tenure went on.  Pelphry started out with moderately better crowds, but his quickly went down hill.  The season where we started out the non-cons well, beating I believe Texas and Oklahoma, then went on to only win something like 2 conference games the rest of the way took a serious toll on the crowds.  2 years ago when we had a NCAAT team the crowds were starting to come back, then last year flushed it.  It's going to take time again to get back, if we make the NCAAT this year, with the excitement about what we have coming in next season, the crowds for the non-cons should be much better next year.  After that, it's a matter of maintaining that success for several years.  Anderson has finally had some recruiting success, now it's time for him to sustain some success on the court.

Here is how I see it. I was 24 when they won it all in 1994. I was newly married, we both had good jobs, no kids, no mortgage, just rent on a duplex ( not even car payments as we were both driving cars we had had since we were 16). Our whole lives the basketball program had been pretty good.  It was easy for us to decide, even at the last minute, to drive to Fay, find 2 tickets, and see the game.

Then in 95 we bought a house, then a new car, then the 1st child came in 98 and another in 2003, that meant a new van too. By then the program was a shell of what it had been less than a decade prior, and it was no longer a priority or even a luxury to look forward to. Then more and more games were on tv, the record was worse, the kids seemed to always have a school event, something was always going on. Last night, HS band concert for my oldest. And, while we grew up in a time when the Hogs were good, and to see them more often than not you had to be there, now you can see every game either via the web or on tv, and people today ages 25 or younger have never known it when the Hogs were good. Even the 25 year olds were only 3 when the Hogs won it all.

It is going to take a lot more than 1 or 2 good years to bring back half the crowds we used to have for all but the biggest games.

[azhog10]

People used to do that all the time when the Hogs were good, when they played good basketball. I can't count how many times I got off at 5 and took off for Fay to get there for a 7pm against nobody from 93-2000.

Is that because you didn't?

[jjdlc]

Here is how I see it. I was 24 when they won it all in 1994. I was newly married, we both had good jobs, no kids, no mortgage, just rent on a duplex ( not even car payments as we were both driving cars we had had since we were 16). Our whole lives the basketball program had been pretty good.  It was easy for us to decide, even at the last minute, to drive to Fay, find 2 tickets, and see the game.

Then in 95 we bought a house, then a new car, then the 1st child came in 98 and another in 2003, that meant a new van too. By then the program was a shell of what it had been less than a decade prior, and it was no longer a priority or even a luxury to look forward to. Then more and more games were on tv, the record was worse, the kids seemed to always have a school event, something was always going on. Last night, HS band concert for my oldest. And, while we grew up in a time when the Hogs were good, and to see them more often than not you had to be there, now you can see every game either via the web or on tv, and people today ages 25 or younger have never known it when the Hogs were good. Even the 25 year olds were only 3 when the Hogs won it all.

It is going to take a lot more than 1 or 2 good years to bring back half the crowds we used to have for all but the biggest games.

Life happens, there is always a generation of young single types with disposable income.  The economy hasn't help anything either.  Gas was ~$.95 a gallon for most of the 90s, that makes a huge difference.  Cost of food in general, not at games, is outrageous compared to even the early 2000s.  No one really has the level of disposable income they used to.  I've been a season ticket holder for football since I graduated in 98, but I never bought season tickets to basketball because I knew I wouldn't be able to make enough games to make it worth it.  With the price of stuff these days, I even sell most of my football tickets because I just can't afford to make the trip more than once or twice a year.

We'll never see them report attendance of 20k+ like we did at times during the 90s, but given consistent performance I could see our biggest games draw 15k+, and even early season non-cons draw 8k+.

[hogsanity]

Life happens, there is always a generation of young single types with disposable income.  The economy hasn't help anything either.  Gas was ~$.95 a gallon for most of the 90s, that makes a huge difference.  Cost of food in general, not at games, is outrageous compared to even the early 2000s.  No one really has the level of disposable income they used to.  I've been a season ticket holder for football since I graduated in 98, but I never bought season tickets to basketball because I knew I wouldn't be able to make enough games to make it worth it.  With the price of stuff these days, I even sell most of my football tickets because I just can't afford to make the trip more than once or twice a year.

We'll never see them report attendance of 20k+ like we did at times during the 90s, but given consistent performance I could see our biggest games draw 15k+, and even early season non-cons draw 8k+.

But single types with disposable income do not go to college bball games, at least not around here.