BWA needs an overhaul

[hogs25]

The games for the past 10 year's have been painfully boring to watch and quiet boring for the 12,000 fans that show up.  Hopefully Jeff Long will incorporate how Pitt does it into BWA excitement.  Pitt whose ranked 20 (12-2) only seats half of BWA but it's one of the hardest and loudest places to play.  Too many people with season tickets not ever showing up so we need to pull the students out of the corner and put them down courtside like most schools.  Look how loud Florida's cracker box stadium is.  Even AU was loud the other day compared to today's BWA crowd.  We all know how Duke is.  I know it was fun during early 90's (sorry, Barnhill was louder) but this could take it to another level. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petersen_Events_Center

[youtube=425,350]VJZTpqlj-C8[/youtube]

[HoginHouston]

I agree that the students should be moved to where they surround the court, but watching on tv, the crowd seemed pretty loud. I think the old days are back again!

[40MINSOFHELL]

crowd was 19,000 something, GET IT TO 21,000

[Hogtropolis™]

Let me preface this by saying I am not a student at the U of A and I only took 6 hours of classes there to get my coaching endorsement added to my teaching license.

But, I think that BWA would have a much better atmosphere and a student section that is 2 to 3 times as big as it is now if they would sell student basketball tickets for $1 like to do student football game tickets.  I would even be willing to pay $2 more per ticket if it meant that much better of an atmosphere.

[porkenstein]

Let me preface this by saying I am not a student at the U of A and I only took 6 hours of classes there to get my coaching endorsement added to my teaching license.

But, I think that BWA would have a much better atmosphere and a student section that is 2 to 3 times as big as it is now if they would sell student basketball tickets for $1 like to do student football game tickets.  I would even be willing to pay $2 more per ticket if it meant that much better of an atmosphere.

supply and demand.

it was pretty loud today in stretches.

[coach, my back hurts]

Whose job is to change things like that?  I would agree with getting the students out of the corner.  I'd also like to get some loud music playin on timeouts or before the game during warmups.  Or have the band learn a little more than 2 or 3 songs.  The atmosphere needs some adjusting for sure. 

The old, rich folk up in NWA aint gonna do much more than clap when something exciting happens.  They're too vain.  How loud would the arena be today if we had 19,100 John Pelphrey's in the stands?

[40MINSOFHELL]

Whose job is to change things like that?  I would agree with getting the students out of the corner.  I'd also like to get some loud music playin on timeouts or before the game during warmups.  Or have the band learn a little more than 2 or 3 songs.  The atmosphere needs some adjusting for sure. 

The old, rich folk up in NWA aint gonna do much more than clap when something exciting happens.  They're too vain.  How loud would the arena be today if we had 19,100 John Pelphrey's in the stands?

if we had 19,100 John Pelphrey's in the stands, my tv would explode

[RedSatinHog]

I have a fix for the problem--move back to Barnhill Arena.  Opposing teams hated playing there, and it was fun to be watching on TV and not have to listen to the likes of Billy Packer call the game because the crowd was drowning him out.

[hawgsav1]

something needs to be done.  Whether it's the crowd, arena, or something, but come on, we're playing some decent ball, and no one is coming to the games...this is ridiculous.  It makes me so mad I could puke...

[40MINSOFHELL]

something needs to be done.  Whether it's the crowd, arena, or something, but come on, we're playing some decent ball, and no one is coming to the games...this is ridiculous.  It makes me so mad I could puke...

you are correct, whats up with the fans not going?? its a sunday, i know people dont have anything better to do, btw if u watch the cowboys game over the hogs, then thats just stupid, i told you the cowboys were due for a lost and u see what happened

[Torqued pork]

better teams = better fans and atmosphere

[booogaga]

the hell with the students sitting on the floor. i am not a student and i want to sit there.

[40MINSOFHELL]

hell let me be the band director, ill make bwa the best place in college basketball once AGAIN

[HoginHouston]

Well, you have to admit that today we had people show up. Capacity is 19,200, and we had 19,153 there. Hope it tops 20k for the rest of the SEC games...

[HoginHouston]

Yeah, maybe so. You can never trust Sunshine on these matters.

[hogs25]

crowd was 19,000 something, GET IT TO 21,000

Well I guess they were all in line for cotton candy but if there were 19k there in the 2nd half I must have been seeing things.  What I did see was a lot of empty seats especially behind the goals and several sporadically around the stadium.  All I know as a kid watching the Hogs during the 80's on the tube was 2+ hours of intense excitement.  The students I believe in Barnhill, were somewhere in the middle rows that went all the way to the top row?  There is no excuse for BWA to not have been sold out (butts in the seats) in playing our first home conference game today against Bama.  I don't know what it is other than the Heath era hangover, Wal-Mart transplants or both. 

There is no doubt in my mind as a former student in the 90's (and we used to talk about then) that if you put the students rapped all the way around the first 10 rows of BWA (until it filled up) or just even down low on one side that it would be impossible to get a ticket again due to this new excitement level.  It'd make the team play harder and we'd also get more recruits interested again but for whatever it takes BWA seating needs to be altered.  Why do people modify their brand new Corvette's?  To make it better, faster and louder.  Where's Jim Robkin?

[porkenstein]

it was pretty full except for the maybe the last 10 rows in the top of the building.

[Marshfieldhog]

The students should have half of the floor seating, right now they only get 15-20% of the floor seating at best since the band takes up some of the space( I know they are students too but you know what I mean). They need a new band leader which would solve some of the problems...bring back the generic noise meter. Get better lighting in the stadium, watching it on TV our arena only looks like it holds 10,000 or less because it is so dark past the first few rows.

[Ouachihog]

I definitely don't mean this as a flame to the students, and I realize that winning = more fans, but every time I have been to BWA the tiny student section that we have now hasn't been more than half full.  There are a good group that attend every game, but I rarely see the student section packed out. 

I don't see how adding MORE seats to the student section would help anything.  Maybe a new design would excite the students more and get more to come out.  If that would happen, then get to it. 

It just seems like the discussion on here is that we have a jam-packed student section every game and they are held back by a poor seating design.  A new design could help, but more students in the seats would help more. 

[blacksuit]

I definitely don't mean this as a flame to the students, and I realize that winning = more fans, but every time I have been to BWA the tiny student section that we have now hasn't been more than half full.  There are a good group that attend every game, but I rarely see the student section packed out. 

I don't see how adding MORE seats to the student section would help anything.  Maybe a new design would excite the students more and get more to come out.  If that would happen, then get to it. 

It just seems like the discussion on here is that we have a jam-packed student section every game and they are held back by a poor seating design.  A new design could help, but more students in the seats would help more. 

Student tickets are $8-10 a game (or were). Plus the team hasn't been good over the last few years. I went to games, but I graduated in the spring.

And I agree with the blue-hair bashing, but a lot of the students are more interested in text messaging and looking pretty than watching the game, IMO.

[HOG1947]

Where's Jim Robkin?

AMEN!

[Lard]

Tickets are $20/game.  That's $40/game if me and the wife want to go.  That's a little steep to me right now.  If they were $10 per then I would go more often.

[antonio65]

  What game this year has the student section been full?  Missouri game was close but other than that there have been tons of empty student seats.

[hogfan446]

Something has to be done.  It is time to make changes when the only time your fans stand up and cheer is if your team gets on a run!  If you stood up and cheered when they needed it most, it might help just a tad.  NOBODY was even standing in overtime.  Just ridiculous.

[hogfan446]

Tickets are $20/game.  That's $40/game if me and the wife want to go.  That's a little steep to me right now.  If they were $10 per then I would go more often.

You probably won't ever go again if that is the case.  If I am not mistaken, I think this is cheap according to SEC standards.  I could be wrong. I don't think $20 is to bad, but if you are on a tight budget, I could understand how it would be tough.

[taintlint]

There were NOT 19k there today. Granted, I only watched on TV but I know what 19k looks like in BWA. The Rick Schaeffers of this world may tell you 19 but we know better. If there are 7 there, they say 10 or 11. If there are 14 there, they say 17. On and on and on.

The students will NEVER line the court because 85 year old lifetime donors and the rest of the Golden Corral Corp. will NEVER be told that they have been bumped for some punk ass 19 year old kid. Right or wrong, won't happen.

[hogfan446]

I was there.... There were maybe 17,000 or 18,000 but that is it.  They probably announced the number of tickets sold, but there were enough empty seats that I was able to move from the very top row in section 212 to right behind one of the goals about 15 rows from the floor with no problem.  There were numerous holes like that all over the arena today.

[Lard]

I'll go to some games but just not a lot.  I said $20 per is too high right now for the product that is out there.  However, if we get back to being a top 10 program then I would pay more than $20.  And yes, my family is on a tight budget.  My wife decided to give up her career to stay home with our child.  There are a few sacrifices that I am willing to make with regard to Razorback athletics and this is one of them.

[razorzapp]

you can blame the non-student fans all you want but to me it starts with the students and the pep band.  they do the same lame cheers and routines.  how many more years of 'what's that smell, who cares, he's cute, nice hair' signs are we going to have to endure?  the pep band plays the same songs at the same timeout periods every game.  there was no band at the ulm game and you didn't notice any difference.  i miss robken.

[HoginHouston]

Fire the band director and bring back a Robkin-like person. The band is essential...

[ConwayHog]

I have a fix for the problem--move back to Barnhill Arena.  Opposing teams hated playing there, and it was fun to be watching on TV and not have to listen to the likes of Billy Packer call the game because the crowd was drowning him out.

Opposing teams hating playing in the Bud the first few years it opened as well.

[ImapigUrapig]

My first year on the hill (76-77} was when Barnhill still had sawdust on the side of the court.You cuold watch the first couple of games spread out with plenty of room.Even snuck a couple of adult beverages in.When Eddie got his team rated in the top 20 (the # of teams then) #19 actually- Hog fever hit.It was awesome.The students were like a pack of rabid hogs.We need something to incite the students like Eddie did with the triplets.

[hogs25]

There were NOT 19k there today. Granted, I only watched on TV but I know what 19k looks like in BWA. The Rick Schaeffers of this world may tell you 19 but we know better. If there are 7 there, they say 10 or 11. If there are 14 there, they say 17. On and on and on.

The students will NEVER line the court because 85 year old lifetime donors and the rest of the Golden Corral Corp. will NEVER be told that they have been bumped for some punk ass 19 year old kid. Right or wrong, won't happen.

That's what the new AD's for to take care of the gobn.  After looking up Pitt today it got me to thinking that you just know that Jeff Long after attending a game in BWA that he's saying wow, Pitt had half the number of seats and is 5 times louder.  Well I guess I'll have to fix this problem too.  How could he not think it, its human nature?   Why do you only see students on the first 10 rows at Duke?  It cost a ton more to go there than here so apparently they made arrangements for the blue hairs.  The way you solve this is negotiation.  Give them lifetime free parking for BB or FB.  Give the ones that move out of the first few rows an extra seat or two in another section of BWA.  We'll also be getting a new Chancellor too so that's a good thing.

Here's a perfect example of Duke.

Notice the boring not so Cameron Crazies

[youtube=425,350]O9YMjVo92ZE[/youtube]

Cameron Crazies
[youtube=425,350]YHP8JYy0XmU[/youtube]
Your telling me that this wouldn't be awesome in BWA?  It'd be an overnight hit that would have fans breaking the door down to get in.  If Duke could get it done and they are "superior" to us (unlike Pitt) then we could do it too.  Make it happen Jeff!  FWIW, Cameron Indoor Stadium is the toughest place to play for visiting teams that only seats 9,324 in that gym.


"Originally the largest indoor arena in the South, Cameron is today one of the smallest in the nation. Nevertheless, its stature grows from year-to-year. Sellout crowds, top 25 rankings and championships of every variety have become the norm. The "creative harassment" of student spectators has given Duke the honor of being known as "one of the toughest road games in the USA," according to USA Today and any visiting team that has ever played in Cameron. In its June 7, 1999, issue, Sports Illustrated rated Cameron Indoor Stadium fourth on a list of the top 20 sporting venues in the world in the 20th Century, ranking ahead of such notables as Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Pebble Beach Golf Club."
http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=218099


Pleeze...If they can do it, then we can do it.  BTW, I hate Duke.

[jschulte]

Something has to be done.  It is time to make changes when the only time your fans stand up and cheer is if your team gets on a run!  If you stood up and cheered when they needed it most, it might help just a tad.  NOBODY was even standing in overtime.  Just ridiculous.

Well the final few minutes of both were pretty intense.. and everybody was cheering for them down the stretch (when they had the ball).  Of course, we went on a a like 6 or 7 minute drought which was painful... of course my hearing was skewed because i was in the student section which is loud during the tougher parts of the game (not loud enough mind you)

[3kgthog]

No way 19,100 were there today. There were only 4 people in my entire row. Everywhere around me there were empty seats. Looking in the lower bowl you could see empty chairbacks sprinkled all over the place.

Someone needs to give our marketing department a clue on how to create a gameday atmosphere. I don't have time to go into all the areas that need improvement. Most of you have been there. You know exactly what I'm talking about. We've been doing the exact same game presentations since the day BWA opened.

[East Clintwood]

.  .  .  Where's Jim Robkin?

It's never been the same up there since he was fired.

I don't know why they can't bring in a good band director.  Hell, they could have used Hootie in the last few years and it would've  been an improvement over what they have now.

[IMAballHawg]

I'll go to some games but just not a lot.  I said $20 per is too high right now for the product that is out there.  However, if we get back to being a top 10 program then I would pay more than $20.  And yes, my family is on a tight budget.  My wife decided to give up her career to stay home with our child.  There are a few sacrifices that I am willing to make with regard to Razorback athletics and this is one of them.

Thats a sad quote right there.

[PeytonManningSUCKS]

you are correct, whats up with the fans not going?? its a sunday, i know people dont have anything better to do, btw if u watch the cowboys game over the hogs, then thats just stupid, i told you the cowboys were due for a lost and u see what happened

Due for a loss? They lost three of their last four games.  You should say, didn't I tell you the Cowboys were not as good as they started and that all you cowboy fans who only like them cause they were good in the 90's and have no ties to Dallas should go ahead and hop on a new bandwagon...

hahaha, cubs fans suck too.

[porkenstein]

well, the twirlers at half time certainly didn't help. that was awful.

[ke2743]

It's simple.  Students don't come because the tickets are too pricey.  Lower ticket prices, and more students will come.  The split packages are stupid too.  Sell all the tickets for at least half of the cost they are now.  100+ bucks for all the games is alot to a broke college student. 

[Hogtropolis™]

I am fairly young, and I don't really remember, but how was the student section from 93-97 compared to the student section from 04-08?  And I mean numbers wise?  Were there a lot more students that used to come to games, or were they just a rowdier bunch back in those days?

[PeytonManningSUCKS]

Broke students? They don't seem to have a problem buying all the DVD's and CD's that they want.

They don't buy CD's and DVD's anymore, they steal that sort of media.

[HogBaptist]

you are correct, whats up with the fans not going?? its a sunday, i know people dont have anything better to do, btw if u watch the cowboys game over the hogs, then thats just stupid, i told you the cowboys were due for a lost and u see what happened

1st of all...the student section was filled.  2nd of all...i would say 19,100 is hardly "no one coming".....

[Ross U (HDHF)]

1st of all...the student section was filled.  2nd of all...i would say 19,100 is hardly "no one coming".....

Did you actually look around? There's no way there were even 18,000 there.  You realize 19,100 is only 100 below capacity right?  I saw at least a thousand empty seats, but probably closer to 2-3,000 empty.  My father and I moved down into the lower bowl and we could've sat anywhere we wanted.

[Mick Hogger]

We were mid lower level and there was an entire row next to me that was empty. Sickening.

And there was no one behind me so I stood whenever I wanted. I wonder if we've lost the fanbase intuition that we used to be so famous for. That was a loud crowd, but we've still got a way to go to get to Nolan-era levels again.

[jnhogs]

the students weren't that loud yesterday, it was pretty dull until the overtime.. we need SOMETHING to shake things up..

[40MINSOFHELL]

Due for a loss? They lost three of their last four games.  You should say, didn't I tell you the Cowboys were not as good as they started and that all you cowboy fans who only like them cause they were good in the 90's and have no ties to Dallas should go ahead and hop on a new bandwagon...

hahaha, cubs fans suck too.

haha good thing im a cards fan

[taintlint]

1st of all...the student section was filled.  2nd of all...i would say 19,100 is hardly "no one coming".....

There is a major difference between the announced crowd and actual attendance. The biggest difference being one is a lie and the other is reality.

If every seat, nook, cranny, suite, vendor, and closet was full BWA holds somewhere around 20,000 (19,200 is capacity) and that is being generous. While I was not personally at the game on Sunday I can tell you from experience that the amount of empty seats on TV indicated a 70 to 80% capacity crowd. That is a rough estimate but after 12 or 13 years of attending games it's not hard to have a feel for the place.

BWA has slipped into a coma. It was once a strong follow up to Barnhill. Now it is much like RRS. It sells out only when the biggest of the big teams come to town. Winning cures many things but I'm afraid it has been so long that todays students and/or fans may not fully realize how much participation and hell raising was once EXPECTED of BWA fans.

[taintlint]

   
1993-94   20,134
1994-95    20,081    
1995-96   19,261    
1996-97   18,308    
1997-98   19,406    
1998-99   18,294    
1999-00   17,807    
2000-01   16,225    
2001-02   15,065    
2002-03   14,790    
2003-04   14,792    
2004-05   15,788    
2005-06   14,958

[PeytonManningSUCKS]

haha good thing im a cards fan

haha, can't you tell I am too?  Even in a basketball forum taking a shot at a football team/fans I can't pass up an opportunity to take a shot at cubs fans!