Through 10 home MBB games JMU is averaging over 4,900 per game. Obviously, the 2023-24 numbers are not back to the highs of Lefty’s best seasons, but this year is a solid improvement over the dregs of past years. Students are turning out too. Already, this season boasts one game with over 8k (Radford), and the last game with over 6k. I like the direction this stat is heading! Perhaps soon attending a home game will once again be the place to be rooting!

The AUBC makes watching games a pleasure, and Coach By has given JMU faithful a talented team that competes hard.

Go Dukes!

The issue is the weeknight games. We need more out of town alumni to come down for Thursday night games or we will always struggle to fill the stadium.

Come down, stay through Saturday and get in 2 basketball games. Probably pay similar or less in hotel cost for 1 night over for a football weekend for 2 nights for a basketball trip.

(01-21-2024 08:55 PM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  The issue is the weeknight games. We need more out of town alumni to come down for Thursday night games or we will always struggle to fill the stadium.

Come down, stay through Saturday and get in 2 basketball games. Probably pay similar or less in hotel cost for 1 night over for a football weekend for 2 nights for a basketball trip.

Taking off from work and coordinating same for children with school and activities will always be a hindrance for many.

And we're through the Christmas break, so hopefully students being back will only increase the average.

What do we have to do to get the students to stand up and get into the game in the visiting baseline seats? install bleachers? That side's been flat, and Saturday night it was a nice place to sit and hang out on your phone. The Home side baseline came out and had some fun at least!

I think short term goal should be to fill lower bowl on weeknights, then pack it out on Saturdays.

There's several factors we're facing and we'll have to live with them. You'd think a double header would be a good thing, but facing reality, an overwhelming majority come out to see MBB. When that game doesn't tip off until 8:00, that's a huge deterrent. At the very best, I couldn't get home until midnight, and more likely than not, closer to 1:00am.

Unlike football with six home games, JMU cannot consider out of town fans to be anything more than gravy. With basketball, the meat and potatoes must come from within the Harrisonburg metro area. You'll get season ticket sales from the out of town folk, but those tickets will come with a price, a lot of empty seats.

Average basketball attendance in 1992/1993 was 6,086

It was even higher in the previous years

What has changed?

(01-22-2024 08:41 AM)Dukeman Wrote:  Average basketball attendance in 1992/1993 was 6,086

It was even higher in the previous years

What has changed?

Is this a serious question?

(01-22-2024 08:26 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  There's several factors we're facing and we'll have to live with them. You'd think a double header would be a good thing, but facing reality, an overwhelming majority come out to see MBB. When that game doesn't tip off until 8:00, that's a huge deterrent. At the very best, I couldn't get home until midnight, and more likely than not, closer to 1:00am.

Unlike football with six home games, JMU cannot consider out of town fans to be anything more than gravy. With basketball, the meat and potatoes must come from within the Harrisonburg metro area. You'll get season ticket sales from the out of town folk, but those tickets will come with a price, a lot of empty seats.

Very good points, the reasons I let my MBB tickets lapse.

Th reality is that the team needs to have sustained success to the point where the city of Harrisonburg really comes out to support the team. Need to make Thursday nights an event in town that people want to attend and really need to have a good bit of season ticket sales to locals to make this work. I think it is possible but it will take a few more years of success and a few NCAA tourneys would not hurt.

Things are trending in the right direction. Have to keep winning and the attendance/environment will continue to improve.

(01-22-2024 08:59 AM)jmuwyhamhgawd Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 08:41 AM)Dukeman Wrote:  Average basketball attendance in 1992/1993 was 6,086

It was even higher in the previous years

What has changed?

Is this a serious question?

Someone's not familiar with Dukeman's antics.

(01-22-2024 09:28 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  Th reality is that the team needs to have sustained success to the point where the city of Harrisonburg really comes out to support the team. Need to make Thursday nights an event in town that people want to attend and really need to have a good bit of season ticket sales to locals to make this work. I think it is possible but it will take a few more years of success and a few NCAA tourneys would not hurt.

One thing I keep bringing up, but maybe out of town alumni don't notice, is that you need to build general JMU support in town more. For a lot of non-JMU alumni townies, JMU is not viewed in the greatest light. I am the exception, not the rule, and that is only because we don't have traditional minor league sports in town.

This is why I suggested a 50/50 raffle to support local non-profits and other gestures of goodwill to help build community support.

You also have to remember that Harrisonburg is a working class city with a lot of our population working in factories where even $10 a ticket for a game is expensive.

(01-22-2024 10:03 AM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 09:28 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  Th reality is that the team needs to have sustained success to the point where the city of Harrisonburg really comes out to support the team. Need to make Thursday nights an event in town that people want to attend and really need to have a good bit of season ticket sales to locals to make this work. I think it is possible but it will take a few more years of success and a few NCAA tourneys would not hurt.

One thing I keep bringing up, but maybe out of town alumni don't notice, is that you need to build general JMU support in town more. For a lot of non-JMU alumni townies, JMU is not viewed in the greatest light. I am the exception, not the rule, and that is only because we don't have traditional minor league sports in town.

This is why I suggested a 50/50 raffle to support local non-profits and other gestures of goodwill to help build community support.

You also have to remember that Harrisonburg is a working class city with a lot of our population working in factories where even $10 a ticket for a game is expensive.

I understand the feelings of the town in many respects, but in reality most in town are much better off having JMU there than if it did not exist. It was my understanding that overall relationship between town and JMU had gotten better over the last number of years, but maybe I am wrong. It is always a fine line, but many larger college towns across the country have come to love the fact that they have a school there. In fact it actually attracts people to the area having a college with all the things that come with it: sports, concerts, other events. Not quite there yet, but everywhere we are looking at for retirement is in or near a large college town as we want to have certain things that these areas afford as far as entertainment, etc.

(01-22-2024 10:14 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 10:03 AM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 09:28 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  Th reality is that the team needs to have sustained success to the point where the city of Harrisonburg really comes out to support the team. Need to make Thursday nights an event in town that people want to attend and really need to have a good bit of season ticket sales to locals to make this work. I think it is possible but it will take a few more years of success and a few NCAA tourneys would not hurt.

One thing I keep bringing up, but maybe out of town alumni don't notice, is that you need to build general JMU support in town more. For a lot of non-JMU alumni townies, JMU is not viewed in the greatest light. I am the exception, not the rule, and that is only because we don't have traditional minor league sports in town.

This is why I suggested a 50/50 raffle to support local non-profits and other gestures of goodwill to help build community support.

You also have to remember that Harrisonburg is a working class city with a lot of our population working in factories where even $10 a ticket for a game is expensive.

I understand the feelings of the town in many respects, but in reality most in town are much better off having JMU there than if it did not exist. It was my understanding that overall relationship between town and JMU had gotten better over the last number of years, but maybe I am wrong. It is always a fine line, but many larger college towns across the country have come to love the fact that they have a school there. In fact it actually attracts people to the area having a college with all the things that come with it: sports, concerts, other events. Not quite there yet, but everywhere we are looking at for retirement is in or near a large college town as we want to have certain things that these areas afford as far as entertainment, etc.

Yes, it provides nice amenities. If you can afford them...

And that is where I think the crux is. A lot of long term residents are being gentrified out of their neighborhoods and the main culprit is JMU (but not the only). Something I not sure JMU has publicly admitted its role in and working with the city to fix.

Most of my friends (college educated jobs) are being forced to move out of the city to buy houses because the neighborhoods that are owner occupied (not rentals) are financially out of reach. So just think what this feels like for a family working at Pilgrims or Georgie's.

(01-22-2024 10:40 AM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 10:14 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 10:03 AM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 09:28 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  Th reality is that the team needs to have sustained success to the point where the city of Harrisonburg really comes out to support the team. Need to make Thursday nights an event in town that people want to attend and really need to have a good bit of season ticket sales to locals to make this work. I think it is possible but it will take a few more years of success and a few NCAA tourneys would not hurt.

One thing I keep bringing up, but maybe out of town alumni don't notice, is that you need to build general JMU support in town more. For a lot of non-JMU alumni townies, JMU is not viewed in the greatest light. I am the exception, not the rule, and that is only because we don't have traditional minor league sports in town.

This is why I suggested a 50/50 raffle to support local non-profits and other gestures of goodwill to help build community support.

You also have to remember that Harrisonburg is a working class city with a lot of our population working in factories where even $10 a ticket for a game is expensive.

I understand the feelings of the town in many respects, but in reality most in town are much better off having JMU there than if it did not exist. It was my understanding that overall relationship between town and JMU had gotten better over the last number of years, but maybe I am wrong. It is always a fine line, but many larger college towns across the country have come to love the fact that they have a school there. In fact it actually attracts people to the area having a college with all the things that come with it: sports, concerts, other events. Not quite there yet, but everywhere we are looking at for retirement is in or near a large college town as we want to have certain things that these areas afford as far as entertainment, etc.

Yes, it provides nice amenities. If you can afford them...

And that is where I think the crux is. A lot of long term residents are being gentrified out of their neighborhoods and the main culprit is JMU (but not the only). Something I not sure JMU has publicly admitted its role in and working with the city to fix.

Most of my friends (college educated jobs) are being forced to move out of the city to buy houses because the neighborhoods that are owner occupied (not rentals) are financially out of reach. So just think what this feels like for a family working at Pilgrims or Georgie's.

Well it is a bit of a conundrum and I think it really depends on where you are in the lifecycle. If you have owned a house in the Burg for a while it could be a boon as your property is worth much more, but if you are a first time homebuyer I could see the frustration and while some of that is JMU it is going on everywhere as prices have escalated at a ridiculous level. My question is who is pushing up those prices as JMU has grown, but not astronomically over the last 5-10 years so what is causing the rise and is it all JMU. What other businesses have moved into town?

(01-22-2024 10:40 AM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 10:14 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 10:03 AM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 09:28 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  Th reality is that the team needs to have sustained success to the point where the city of Harrisonburg really comes out to support the team. Need to make Thursday nights an event in town that people want to attend and really need to have a good bit of season ticket sales to locals to make this work. I think it is possible but it will take a few more years of success and a few NCAA tourneys would not hurt.

One thing I keep bringing up, but maybe out of town alumni don't notice, is that you need to build general JMU support in town more. For a lot of non-JMU alumni townies, JMU is not viewed in the greatest light. I am the exception, not the rule, and that is only because we don't have traditional minor league sports in town.

This is why I suggested a 50/50 raffle to support local non-profits and other gestures of goodwill to help build community support.

You also have to remember that Harrisonburg is a working class city with a lot of our population working in factories where even $10 a ticket for a game is expensive.

I understand the feelings of the town in many respects, but in reality most in town are much better off having JMU there than if it did not exist. It was my understanding that overall relationship between town and JMU had gotten better over the last number of years, but maybe I am wrong. It is always a fine line, but many larger college towns across the country have come to love the fact that they have a school there. In fact it actually attracts people to the area having a college with all the things that come with it: sports, concerts, other events. Not quite there yet, but everywhere we are looking at for retirement is in or near a large college town as we want to have certain things that these areas afford as far as entertainment, etc.

Yes, it provides nice amenities. If you can afford them...

And that is where I think the crux is. A lot of long term residents are being gentrified out of their neighborhoods and the main culprit is JMU (but not the only). Something I not sure JMU has publicly admitted its role in and working with the city to fix.

Most of my friends (college educated jobs) are being forced to move out of the city to buy houses because the neighborhoods that are owner occupied (not rentals) are financially out of reach. So just think what this feels like for a family working at Pilgrims or Georgie's.

That problem is not specific to JMU and Harrisonburg. Any thriving college/university in growth mode will need more space, more employees, more housing, etc.. Unfortunately, you have to take the good with the bad.

It happens with non-university towns as well. Any great place to live will have to deal with the fact that you can't stay hidden forever.

(01-22-2024 09:35 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  Things are trending in the right direction. Have to keep winning and the attendance/environment will continue to improve.

as much as the sunbelt was the right move, and people hate on the CAA - who really cares to see us play Ga State, TX state, So Miss, So Alabama? Sure - Marshall, App and ODU have some draw, - but it is not like the old caa days

Richmond, VCu, Old Dominion, George Mason - even W&M - Navy - with the Admiral? - it was easy to get up for those games. CAA round 2 - hofstra, drexel, NEastern - had more appeal

We need better out of conference games and we need to develop some rivalries within the SBC.

(01-21-2024 04:59 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  Through 10 home MBB games JMU is averaging over 4,900 per game. Obviously, the 2023-24 numbers are not back to the highs of Lefty’s best seasons, but this year is a solid improvement over the dregs of past years. Students are turning out too. Already, this season boasts one game with over 8k (Radford), and the last game with over 6k. I like the direction this stat is heading! Perhaps soon attending a home game will once again be the place to be rooting!

The AUBC makes watching games a pleasure, and Coach By has given JMU faithful a talented team that competes hard.

Go Dukes!

remember when Hart thought we should build a 5k arena? thats why arm chair architects need to leave it to the professionals.