Getting students to the games is a struggle with many programs and UMass is no different. Like to see what other teams have tried and are trying. Will post what UMass is doing by creating their on App to earn points and rewards.

One of the things that I love about this Athletic Department is not only do they listen, but act on input.

Quote:“Student attendance is the number one thing I’m asked about,” Pandiani said. “Without a doubt what I hear most about is, or was, an indoor practice facility, and students. I give a lot of credit to UMass fans because they understand the building process. I’m grateful for the people who have stuck with us, and what we’re optimistic about that this is a year that things start to pay off for people.”

Students absolutely love being where they are in Lot 11. UMass students love to be congregated in groups more than any other school I’ve ever seen.

While students may enjoy the Lot 11 experience, there were issues last season with ending their tailgate sometimes 30 to 40 minutes before the ensuing football game kicked off. According to Pandiani the school has taken strides to ensure that experience is smoother this year, stating that the administration has worked closely with their campus partners in order to make sure that the student tailgate will go right up until kickoff in the fall. Additionally the department will be employing a DJ this year who will be situated on top of the field hockey press box at Gladchuk Field who will be in charge of the music for the tailgate as it’s taking place. Pandiani said that the department likes the idea to both eliminate the wall of sound that developed last year when kids were able to bring in their own amplification devices for their music, and to allow them to have a way to grab everyone’s attention easily if they want to make an announcement or perhaps have a special guest address the crowd.

The announcement of the new Militia Student Rewards app was a welcome one for many UMass fans as it was a step towards increasing student participation and attendance. The app is designed to award points to students who check in at certain times during all sporting events and then put those points towards prizes that are available throughout the year. According to Pandiani, UMass is already over 25% of the way to their initial goal on app downloads.

Now a link to the prizes and will list most of the major prizes. Will see if it helps.
https://twitter.com/UniteTheMilitia

Lunch with the Athletic Director Ryan Bamford, a semester internship with the Athletic Department, travel to a UMass away game with the Football, BB, or Hockey program, $350 Southwest Airline gift card, Apple Series 3 smart watch, 48" Vizio smart TV, Roku Premiere, various apparel, and a $25 Visa Gift card.

Student attendance has been problematic across college football and all but the most elite programs have been touched by this blight. I don't think it bodes well for the future of the sport and many programs. If you can't get them to show up when the tickets are free how are you going to get them to buy tickets and donate as alumni? There's a point on the horizon where I think the collegiate game is going to be in serious turmoil.

(08-04-2018 09:26 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Student attendance has been problematic across college football and all but the most elite programs have been touched by this blight. I don't think it bodes well for the future of the sport and many programs. If you can't get them to show up when the tickets are free how are you going to get them to buy tickets and donate as alumni? There's a point on the horizon where I think the collegiate game is going to be in serious turmoil.

Alabama and Georgia have the same problem.

When UMass is performing well, the students definitely show up. Stay to the end, less so. The Hockey program started it's turn around last year and in the 3 game series with Vermont attendance was 15.5k and at least 30% were students.

I think a big part of it is that many universities neglect the student experience at football games in favor of the alumni and their $$$ which is sacrificing the future for the present. They tuck them up in a corner of the end zone or limit it to just a few thousand seats so only the truly dedicated can make it.

I appreciate that A&M still gives both a lot of and good quality seats (basically almost the entire east side of the stadium) to the students so they have the kind of experience that keeps them coming back as Alums

The students are losing interest because they are tired of the games running so long. The extra long timeouts, the now 20 minute half times, and the way too many commercials are hurting the game. The are baseballing the sport to death.

Most if not all of the G5 programs that can put 25,000+ in the house regularly have the same formula.

1) Distance from the A5. These programs are 2, 3, 4 hours typically from the A5 so the locals are more inclined to get on board.

2) Night games. Students in particular like night games since its ample time to get down to the stadium. Its also not as hot at night and don't have to worry about getting a sun burn.

3) Number colleges in the region is also a factor. There are a lot of private schools in the Northeast.

Part of the problem for UMass is its not the top college in its own town. Amherst is. Amherst the town caters toward New England intellectualism.

Ohio doesn't have deep football tradition but it has all 3 factors. It is not only the best college in town but its the only college for a 45 minute radius. It is in former coal mining country like WVU and VT which adds in some blue collar toughness. Downtown Athens isn't art stores. Its sports bars and Under Armor. A book store on the main corner with the FB coach's face plastered on it. Its a sports school atmosphere where a small college town punches above its market size in athletics. FB stadium and BB arena are disproportionately large relative to the size of the college town.

UMass was in FCS for a great many years for a reason as its tough to create a serious sports atmosphere there. But they don't have a choice but to move up to FBS because otherwise they risked being left behind in D1 athletics.

(08-05-2018 11:25 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  .

UMass was in FCS for a great many years for a reason as its tough to create a serious sports atmosphere there. But they don't have a choice but to move up to FBS because otherwise they risked being left behind in D1 athletics.

Kittonhead, you are talking out of ignorance. UMass students flocked to games in the 70's and we had coach McPherson. You might of heard of him. Students go when we are winning and it was the administrations decision for deciding on 1AA instead of 1A in in 1977. We were fresh off the Boardwalk win and still a very good team and historically good. We went 1AA because of the 1973-75 recession was very severe as we have a lot of defense contractors in MA as Raytheon and wind down from Vietnam. Corrupt Boston Politics hosed UMass as the graft in the construction at the time was obcene and those things factor in. BUT the most important thing at the time is that the other universities in the Yankee Conference opted for 1AA and the A10 formed with no football even tho some of the founding members included West Virginia, Penn State, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh.

(08-05-2018 01:02 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(08-05-2018 11:25 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  .

UMass was in FCS for a great many years for a reason as its tough to create a serious sports atmosphere there. But they don't have a choice but to move up to FBS because otherwise they risked being left behind in D1 athletics.

Kittonhead, you are talking out of ignorance. UMass students flocked to games in the 70's and we had coach McPherson. You might of heard of him. Students go when we are winning and it was the administrations decision for deciding on 1AA instead of 1A in in 1977. We were fresh off the Boardwalk win and still a very good team and historically good. We went 1AA because of the 1973-75 recession was very severe as we have a lot of defense contractors in MA as Raytheon and wind down from Vietnam. Corrupt Boston Politics hosed UMass as the graft in the construction at the time was obcene and those things factor in. BUT the most important thing at the time is that the other universities in the Yankee Conference opted for 1AA and the A10 formed with no football even tho some of the founding members included West Virginia, Penn State, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh.

But don't you think the immense amount of schools within a 45 minute radius of UMass is a factor? The fact that Amherst is intellectual/artsy college town and not a blue collar sports town?

That's why good programs at places like Ohio and Marshall have popped up. Immense distance from other D1 schools and angry locals who can get relied up for a football game. Its an environment that engenders some passion.

I've been to games at both UMass and UConn and UConn had some of those angry locals I was talking about at the games. In the Northern part of Connecticut they are a pretty big deal to the economy.

UMass for some of these reasons seems more like Eastern Michigan than what it does a high level G5 program which you contend it has potential to do.

Service Academies don’t have this issue as students are required to attend home FB games.

(08-05-2018 11:03 AM)Big Frog II Wrote:  The students are losing interest because they are tired of the games running so long. The extra long timeouts, the now 20 minute half times, and the way too many commercials are hurting the game. The are baseballing the sport to death.

Very true. It’s making it more difficult for old timers like me to keep interest as well.

This chart represents NFL broadcasts but I’m sure the proportions are similar for prime time NCAA football too.

(08-05-2018 08:20 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  When UMass is performing well, the students definitely show up. Stay to the end, less so. The Hockey program started it's turn around last year and in the 3 game series with Vermont attendance was 15.5k and at least 30% were students.

good lol cause i went to a uconn VS umass hockey game a few years ago and the Mullen center was empty (maybe 2k not counting students) and the student section was about 2 thirds full. Nice to see the attendance starting to go up

(08-05-2018 09:53 PM)madizoned-level2004 Wrote:  

(08-05-2018 11:03 AM)Big Frog II Wrote:  The students are losing interest because they are tired of the games running so long. The extra long timeouts, the now 20 minute half times, and the way too many commercials are hurting the game. The are baseballing the sport to death.

Very true. It’s making it more difficult for old timers like me to keep interest as well.

This chart represents NFL broadcasts but I’m sure the proportions are similar for prime time NCAA football too.

Misleading. From snap to whistle, plays may only last 4 seconds or so - but the players "stand around" waiting for the play call and then the signal for up to 30 seconds or more... even so, I question only 11 minutes per game.

I've proposed an idea in which Miami gives away free tuition for a semester to one in-state and one out-of-state student who scans in before and after each home game (or Saturday games only if you don't wanna be mean) via raffle between all qualified entries. Not sure if that'd actually fly or not, but it's an interesting way to play into rising tuition costs.

Students not only have easy to use quality entertainment devices at their fingertips these days (everybody is on their phone, not watching the game)
but the one major factor that hugely affects student attendance (that few are taking about) is the big change in student body composition at many schools in recent years.

At many schools, admissions have become far more competitive, and as a result, today's student body is much more studious (and diverse) than it used to be. There is also exacerbated by costs going up (gotta justify the bigger tuition check/loans) and many student bodies are more academically-oriented now and just less interested in team sports/rah-rah stuff. Competitive colleges are far more interested in recruiting star students, more diversity recruiting and getting more mavericks than recruiting the "joiners." These academic initiatives may make colleges better places to learn and grow, but what gets hurt is the new emphasis is creating less traditional student bodies, and that hurts spectator sports.

For example, at many schools, the Greek systems used to be the dominant social organizers for attending college athletic events through peer pressure. Many greek systems are now being reduced in social power at many schools, due to diversity initiatives, meToo stuff and liability/hazing concerns. Instead of entire fraternity houses bringing their buddies and women to the games, you often only get the die hards now, bringing numbers down.

(08-05-2018 01:43 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(08-05-2018 01:02 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(08-05-2018 11:25 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  .

UMass was in FCS for a great many years for a reason as its tough to create a serious sports atmosphere there. But they don't have a choice but to move up to FBS because otherwise they risked being left behind in D1 athletics.

Kittonhead, you are talking out of ignorance. UMass students flocked to games in the 70's and we had coach McPherson. You might of heard of him. Students go when we are winning and it was the administrations decision for deciding on 1AA instead of 1A in in 1977. We were fresh off the Boardwalk win and still a very good team and historically good. We went 1AA because of the 1973-75 recession was very severe as we have a lot of defense contractors in MA as Raytheon and wind down from Vietnam. Corrupt Boston Politics hosed UMass as the graft in the construction at the time was obcene and those things factor in. BUT the most important thing at the time is that the other universities in the Yankee Conference opted for 1AA and the A10 formed with no football even tho some of the founding members included West Virginia, Penn State, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh.

But don't you think the immense amount of schools within a 45 minute radius of UMass is a factor? The fact that Amherst is intellectual/artsy college town and not a blue collar sports town?

That's why good programs at places like Ohio and Marshall have popped up. Immense distance from other D1 schools and angry locals who can get relied up for a football game. Its an environment that engenders some passion.

I've been to games at both UMass and UConn and UConn had some of those angry locals I was talking about at the games. In the Northern part of Connecticut they are a pretty big deal to the economy.

UMass for some of these reasons seems more like Eastern Michigan than what it does a high level G5 program which you contend it has potential to do.

Yeah but Amherst College has like 45 people. It's like a big rich kid high school

(08-05-2018 01:43 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(08-05-2018 01:02 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(08-05-2018 11:25 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  .

UMass was in FCS for a great many years for a reason as its tough to create a serious sports atmosphere there. But they don't have a choice but to move up to FBS because otherwise they risked being left behind in D1 athletics.

Kittonhead, you are talking out of ignorance. UMass students flocked to games in the 70's and we had coach McPherson. You might of heard of him. Students go when we are winning and it was the administrations decision for deciding on 1AA instead of 1A in in 1977. We were fresh off the Boardwalk win and still a very good team and historically good. We went 1AA because of the 1973-75 recession was very severe as we have a lot of defense contractors in MA as Raytheon and wind down from Vietnam. Corrupt Boston Politics hosed UMass as the graft in the construction at the time was obcene and those things factor in. BUT the most important thing at the time is that the other universities in the Yankee Conference opted for 1AA and the A10 formed with no football even tho some of the founding members included West Virginia, Penn State, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh.

But don't you think the immense amount of schools within a 45 minute radius of UMass is a factor? The fact that Amherst is intellectual/artsy college town and not a blue collar sports town?

That's why good programs at places like Ohio and Marshall have popped up. Immense distance from other D1 schools and angry locals who can get relied up for a football game. Its an environment that engenders some passion.

I've been to games at both UMass and UConn and UConn had some of those angry locals I was talking about at the games. In the Northern part of Connecticut they are a pretty big deal to the economy.

UMass for some of these reasons seems more like Eastern Michigan than what it does a high level G5 program which you contend it has potential to do.

Wait the people who hate football were at the game??

App has tremendous student support, usually around 6-8,000 per game. They line up at the gates 2 hrs before KO and run to get the best seats. App has always made students a priority and their seats are in the lower level right behind the home bench, so they get some of the best seats in the stadium. They also have sections on the East side as well. Not all of them are as passionate as there is a segment of students, mostly the Greeks, who show up for tailgating and leave at halftime. We also lose bodies when the weather turns cold.

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(08-07-2018 09:33 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  App has tremendous student support, usually around 6-8,000 per game. They line up at the gates 2 hrs before KO and run to get the best seats. App has always made students a priority and their seats are in the lower level right behind the home bench, so they get some of the best seats in the stadium. They also have sections on the East side as well. Not all of them are as passionate as there is a segment of students, mostly the Greeks, who show up for tailgating and leave at halftime. We also lose bodies when the weather turns cold.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using CSNbbs mobile app

Now, there's a beautiful on-campus stadium! If I remember the campus layout correctly, a lot of students can fall out of bed and be only a few steps from the stadium. Boone and App State are well kept secrets. Great atmosphere.