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Post by Bornthrilla on Nov 11, 2023 10:50:19 GMT -5
We have to realize that it is convenient for about 10,000 fans to come to A&T games. What would make the games more convenient for people?
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jbrob
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Post by jbrob on Nov 11, 2023 13:05:00 GMT -5
We have to realize that it is convenient for about 10,000 fans to come to A&T games. What would make the games more convenient for people? I have no idea. But it is clear that we have a certain number of fans that want to watch the Aggies play in person. It could be work schedule, the commute to the game, the expense, or they are not that interested in football. It would be interesting to see how many A&T fans actually come to the NC Central and Winston Salem State games.
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Post by aggierattler on Nov 11, 2023 14:28:27 GMT -5
I have been preaching this for DECADES now. We've got to concentrate on getting Aggie fans to come out to see the Aggies play and quit worrying about how many fans the other teams aren't bringing. I wouldn't want to have any tickets available to sell the opposing teams' fans.
Like I've said in the Attendance thread, we should have at least two games a season just like GHOE...our season opener, our home HBCU opponent and then Homecoming. A&T fans come to the games. We have to realize that it is convenient for about 10,000 fans to come to A&T games. The rest come on special occasions. And so we should just be happy and settle for that?? What sports organization does that?? That's absolutely CRAZY thinking!!
We've got to set up enticements to draw the so-called casual fans to games.
I've worked tons of Monday-thru-Thursday night NBA games where we came up with strategies to get fans to come out, and sold the building out over 350 straight times with dog teams. It takes a plan and effort.
We are better than that!
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jbrob
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Post by jbrob on Nov 11, 2023 18:04:00 GMT -5
A&T fans come to the games. We have to realize that it is convenient for about 10,000 fans to come to A&T games. The rest come on special occasions. And so we should just be happy and settle for that?? What sports organization does that?? That's absolutely CRAZY thinking!!
We've got to set up enticements to draw the so-called casual fans to games.
I've worked tons of Monday-thru-Thursday night NBA games where we came up with strategies to get fans to come out, and sold the building out over 350 straight times with dog teams. It takes a plan and effort.
We are better than that! You don't have to entice fans. But I get your point.
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Post by The Professor on Nov 11, 2023 18:15:39 GMT -5
A&T fans come to the games. We have to realize that it is convenient for about 10,000 fans to come to A&T games. The rest come on special occasions. And so we should just be happy and settle for that?? What sports organization does that?? That's absolutely CRAZY thinking!!
We've got to set up enticements to draw the so-called casual fans to games.
I've worked tons of Monday-thru-Thursday night NBA games where we came up with strategies to get fans to come out, and sold the building out over 350 straight times with dog teams. It takes a plan and effort.
We are better than that! But that speaks directly to the point. We need gimmicks for people to come. They aren't true fans of football
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saabman
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Post by saabman on Nov 11, 2023 18:52:41 GMT -5
And so we should just be happy and settle for that?? What sports organization does that?? That's absolutely CRAZY thinking!!
We've got to set up enticements to draw the so-called casual fans to games.
I've worked tons of Monday-thru-Thursday night NBA games where we came up with strategies to get fans to come out, and sold the building out over 350 straight times with dog teams. It takes a plan and effort.
We are better than that! But that speaks directly to the point. We need gimmicks for people to come. They aren't true fans of football Outside of the SWAC what HBCU's are . Even with in the SWAC there are only a few programs-teams that carry the conference in fan participation. You want fans ,you have to have the community outside of the campus . A&T lost that when they built Aiggie Stadium and stopped welcoming the community in. You get the community back you will get the fans. The game's on was a good start but that is not enough. You must connect with the community. Most people that I have talked to when I am in Greensboro especially those with larger families will tell you they can't afford to attend the games as a family unit because of the pricing and also there's no marketing Within the Greensboro Community to push the games other than the usual we're playing so and so. A&T needs to reconnect with the community and I know a lot of you don't want to hear that but it's the truth if you want to attract a fan base. An example would be each week feature the high school and give the students and their parents a small reduction in the price on a ticket. I'm not in marketing but there is a way. Also HBCU football culture has never been built around the play or the teams on the field, because the show is in the stands and with the actions of the band. Unlike the PWI culture where the game is the show and entertainment.
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Post by The Professor on Nov 11, 2023 18:57:26 GMT -5
But that speaks directly to the point. We need gimmicks for people to come. They aren't true fans of football Outside of the SWAC what HBCU's are . Even with in the SWAC there are only a few programs-teams that carry the conference in fan participation. You want fans ,you have to have the community outside of the campus . A&T lost that when they built Aiggie Stadium and stopped welcoming the community in. You get the community back you will get the fans. The game's on was a good start but that is not enough. You must connect with the community. Most people that I have talked to when I am in Greensboro especially those with larger families will tell you they can't afford to attend the games as a family unit because of the pricing and also there's no marketing Within the Greensboro Community to push the games other than the usual we're playing so and so. Auntie needs to reconnect with the community and I know a lot of you don't want to hear that but it's the truth if you want to act a fan base. An example would be each week feature the high school and give the students and their parents a small reduction in the price on a ticket. I'm not in marketing but there is a way. Also HBCU football culture has never been built around the play or the teams on the field, because the show is in the stands and with the actions of the band. You can't come at me with that jive when i'm a booster club president at a local high school in Greensboro and parents $8 to see their child play. Meanwhile you got on 200 tennis shoes , a 50 sweater and a 200 bag. Black people pay for what they wanna pay for
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saabman
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Post by saabman on Nov 11, 2023 19:37:44 GMT -5
Outside of the SWAC what HBCU's are . Even with in the SWAC there are only a few programs-teams that carry the conference in fan participation. You want fans ,you have to have the community outside of the campus . A&T lost that when they built Aiggie Stadium and stopped welcoming the community in. You get the community back you will get the fans. The game's on was a good start but that is not enough. You must connect with the community. Most people that I have talked to when I am in Greensboro especially those with larger families will tell you they can't afford to attend the games as a family unit because of the pricing and also there's no marketing Within the Greensboro Community to push the games other than the usual we're playing so and so. Auntie needs to reconnect with the community and I know a lot of you don't want to hear that but it's the truth if you want to act a fan base. An example would be each week feature the high school and give the students and their parents a small reduction in the price on a ticket. I'm not in marketing but there is a way. Also HBCU football culture has never been built around the play or the teams on the field, because the show is in the stands and with the actions of the band. You can't come at me with that jive when i'm a booster club president at a local high school in Greensboro and parents $8 to see their child play. Meanwhile you got on 200 tennis shoes , a 50 sweater and a 200 bag. Black people pay for what they wanna pay for You made my point thank you . Make it something that they want to pay for . Thank you .
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Post by aggierattler on Nov 11, 2023 23:39:54 GMT -5
And so we should just be happy and settle for that?? What sports organization does that?? That's absolutely CRAZY thinking!!
We've got to set up enticements to draw the so-called casual fans to games.
I've worked tons of Monday-thru-Thursday night NBA games where we came up with strategies to get fans to come out, and sold the building out over 350 straight times with dog teams. It takes a plan and effort.
We are better than that! But that speaks directly to the point. We need gimmicks for people to come. They aren't true fans of football Is a Football Family Pak ticket (4 Gen. Adm. tickets and 4 coupon vouchers for popcorn for $60) for one (1) game a season a gimmick or a marketing strategy for a game would most likely need an attendance boost??
Or a Basketball Family Pak ticket (4 GA tickets and 4 coupon vouchers for a can drink for $25) for three (3) Saturday games sprinkled in during the men's season?
There are dozens of easily workable ticketing strategies available that could increase our paid attendance numbers as well as greater accessibility to games in the East Greensboro community and Guilford County as a whole.
But we can't just sit pat and do nothing.
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Post by DOOMS on Nov 12, 2023 7:26:27 GMT -5
We have for years. 🤷🏾♂️
Y’all honestly should invite homey back to talk about his homecoming experience. And have him compare it to homecoming at his actual alma mater.
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Post by 82hawk on Nov 12, 2023 7:39:02 GMT -5
I hope i'm not out of bounds but i'd like to comment on what i'm reading here. As a UNCW grad and huge fan of athletics this is incredibly interesting to me. Why? Because the overarching theme is that HBCU's are different than PWI's and that the challenges/opportunities are therefore different as well. Can I just tell you emphatically that you are literally having the exact same discussions we are having and have had at UNCW. I have a perspective as not only a fan and alumni but as someone who had the opportunity to be involved around the administrative level. IMO this thread is indicitive of the entire reason there is a divide in America based on skin color. We THINK we are different and we just aren't. It's a lie that's told for reasons that we could all debate elsewhere. But I can tell you without a doubt UNCW has struggled with attendance, budgets, travel, rivalries, donations, facilities, etc. William and Mary fans are also having these exact same discussions as fans and administrators right now. The only difference I can see in the discussion here vs. the same discussions everywhere else is the idea that as an HBCU NC A&T is facing problems that are unique to HBCU's. And that PWI's are different and therefore not dealing with these problems. It's just not true.
Here are just a few examples of the discussions i've had on multiple levels at UNCW
1. We have to get more involved in the Wilmington community and make people feel like they are a part of UNCW and welcome on the campus even if they never attended - That is in our current 10 year plan 2. We have to make it more affordable for fans to attened games - Just this year our AD lowered prices on everything in our concession stands dramatically. 3. We have to make it so our attendance and support for our programs isn't solely based on our win/loss records. The fan experience has to be worth the price of admission even if we lose. 4. HOWEVER. Winning matters a lot and it solves almost all the problems we have both financially and culture wise.
Finally, public universities in NC have a very real hurdle when it comes to finances. There is literally one employee in our athletic departments that is funded by the state of North Carolina and that's the AD. Every other dollar spent on arenas, coaches, travel, scholarships, etc. is funded by student fees, ticket sales, donations, advertising, etc. It all is generated by the athletic department or booster clubs. SO, marketing matters tremendously. Game day experience matters tremendously. I agree 100% that every means necessary should be used to fill the stands every game with promotions. An athletic event is like a rental home. Vacancies cost you money and you can never get back the rent you didn't get once the day has passed so do every thing you can to squeeze every nickel out of each event.
The bottom line? We aren't any different on multiple levels. But for the sake of this conversation, NC A&T is facing the exact same problems as a midmajor university that every other midmajor faces regardless of HBCU/PWI status and history.
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Post by A&T AGGIE 96 on Nov 12, 2023 12:40:33 GMT -5
I hope i'm not out of bounds but i'd like to comment on what i'm reading here. As a UNCW grad and huge fan of athletics this is incredibly interesting to me. Why? Because the overarching theme is that HBCU's are different than PWI's and that the challenges/opportunities are therefore different as well. Can I just tell you emphatically that you are literally having the exact same discussions we are having and have had at UNCW. I have a perspective as not only a fan and alumni but as someone who had the opportunity to be involved around the administrative level. IMO this thread is indicitive of the entire reason there is a divide in America based on skin color. We THINK we are different and we just aren't. It's a lie that's told for reasons that we could all debate elsewhere. But I can tell you without a doubt UNCW has struggled with attendance, budgets, travel, rivalries, donations, facilities, etc. William and Mary fans are also having these exact same discussions as fans and administrators right now. The only difference I can see in the discussion here vs. the same discussions everywhere else is the idea that as an HBCU NC A&T is facing problems that are unique to HBCU's. And that PWI's are different and therefore not dealing with these problems. It's just not true. Here are just a few examples of the discussions i've had on multiple levels at UNCW 1. We have to get more involved in the Wilmington community and make people feel like they are a part of UNCW and welcome on the campus even if they never attended - That is in our current 10 year plan 2. We have to make it more affordable for fans to attened games - Just this year our AD lowered prices on everything in our concession stands dramatically. 3. We have to make it so our attendance and support for our programs isn't solely based on our win/loss records. The fan experience has to be worth the price of admission even if we lose. 4. HOWEVER. Winning matters a lot and it solves almost all the problems we have both financially and culture wise. Finally, public universities in NC have a very real hurdle when it comes to finances. There is literally one employee in our athletic departments that is funded by the state of North Carolina and that's the AD. Every other dollar spent on arenas, coaches, travel, scholarships, etc. is funded by student fees, ticket sales, donations, advertising, etc. It all is generated by the athletic department or booster clubs. SO, marketing matters tremendously. Game day experience matters tremendously. I agree 100% that every means necessary should be used to fill the stands every game with promotions. An athletic event is like a rental home. Vacancies cost you money and you can never get back the rent you didn't get once the day has passed so do every thing you can to squeeze every nickel out of each event. university that every other midmajor faces regardless of HBCU/PWI status and history. You're not out of bounds with your post at all 82Hawk. We appreciate different opinions and perspectives. As a NCAT grad and Wilmington native I can relate to a lot of your post as it relates to UNCW and the many problems mid majors face. Race impacts many aspects of our society and education is no different. HBCUs (and public HBCUs in particular) were founded because Black people didn't have access to higher education so we are very sensitive about the topic. HBCUs have been historically underfunded by state governments because of who the student base was...so again, we are very sensitive about it. Once all state supported schools were rolled into the UNC System there was a real fear that NC HBCUs would be closed or merged and that the schools, culture around them, and access to education they provide would be lost. Constant rumors of a merger of NCAT and UNCG, politicians with no ties to the school proposing Fayetteville State change it's name to UNCF, or ESCU becoming a satellite campus of ECU are a real and constant threats that history tells Black people not to take lightly. So with all that said you can only imagine the shockwaves sent through the HBCU community when the nations largest and most prestigious HBCUs decided to join... for the first time a sports conference not created by, or made up of mostly HBCUs. The move made all the sense in the world from a sports perspective...but like most things race complicates the issue. It's about fear for the most part...How will NCAT maintain it's HBCU culture? How will a school that has traditionally been underfunded compete with better facilities, bigger budgets, etc? You should just stay in your lane...remain in an environment where you are most comfortable. It's just not like it "used" be...we don't feel the same connection.... I believe...(and so do many others) that we should move on and that pushing to become a top mid major program and being an HBCU is not mutually exclusive. others no matter the facts will be opposed to the move. Aggies had similar arguments with each other over fifty years ago when we left D2 (CIAA) with the intent of starting a D1 HBCU league (MEAC)...Now our growth has allowed NCAT to join a better D1 conference...this is a normal and natural progression. Years form now we will look back on this time and wonder what all the concerns were all about. Just like before things will be fine. New rivalries will be formed, our plans for greater funding, new and enhanced facilities will be realize, and we will be fine. When we were in a HBCU conference we had one in state rival (NCCU). Now we have Elon within a 30 minute drive...Campbell a short drive down the highway...UNCW a short bus trip on I-40....Hampton, and old HBCU foe from the CIAA and MEAC is now a conference rival in the CAA...and NCCU our historical rival is still on our schedule in every sport. Since leaving the MEAC we have kept D1 FCS HBCUs on our schedule like SCSU and NSU...this is a win in the long term...the scoreboard just has to catch up to our positon. I'm glad to see UNCW is attempting to do a better job of reaching out in the the community and being Wilmington's home town school. Growing up as a kid in Wilmington I knew the school was there, but never felt any type of connection to it. I lived in Wilmington for 18 years and never stepped foot on campus for anything accept when friends and family graduated from high school. That changed during my college years. I took summer school classed at UNCW because credits between UNC System schools could be easily transferred. UNCW athletics could really before a force in SE North Carolina. There's nothing out there...if you guys could get the city and region to rally around the program...maybe even get a football team you could really be a mid major force. You got the location and the academics...if Costal Carolina can step their game up, no reason UNCW can't put together a plan. Good Luck !
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Post by 82hawk on Nov 12, 2023 13:44:08 GMT -5
Thanks so much for the perspective. I never heard the discussions about mergers or the threats to the HBCU schools in north carolina being shut down or diminished. In fact, i've heard the exact opposite. But if that has in fact been discussed, or even if rumors around that have circulated, it's completely logical and understandable to be skeptical and concerned. Something I expressed almost 20 years ago and stated over and over was that the drive for "diversity" at the PWI's was going to have a huge negative impact on HBCU's. That seemed obvious to me and I couldn't understand how it wasn't obvious to others. But when you have faculty and other university "leaders" who are more interested in the appearance of "inclusivity", they become oblivious and unconcerned about the unintended consequences. I was completely ignored when I expressed these concerns. I'm pretty connected to what's happening in the state legislature and I can tell you that finances are the driving factor in almost all situations. Any discussions I heard of mergers were based on finances. But it seems like the NC Promise program turned out to be a great move to address finances as well as keep universities open. If you take a close look at Western Carolina you'll find that A&T is very similar. Student population drives student fees and athletic budgets, and WCU and A&T are almost identical in both areas. One thing I would like to see is for the state legislature to raise the allowance for out of state students. I really think that would be a huge plus for a university like A&T that has national name recognition and national appeal for students. UNCW was hanging around the 11,000 student mark like A&T for quite a while and that really limited our athletic budget. Our last Chancellor identified a goal of closer to 20,000 to reach critical mass where budgets all around the campus improved dramatically and we are now close to 18,000. 11,000 is large enough to keep you off the bottom but too small to compete in a better midmajor conference.
The one common denominator I see between UNCW and A&T is a perception problem. Our last Chancellor saw potential in UNCW that we(alumni and supporters) didn't see in ourselves, so we never aimed as high as we should have. He pushed through our concerns and fears and just did it. Next thing we knew we became a doctoral school that moved to R2 status in less than an 8 year period. Just reading the comments on this site i'd say A&T is in the same position. I see A&T as a sleeping giant that simply needs to embrace how high the school could go. It's always bumpy when you reach for that next goal and it was at UNCW. A lot of the faculty revolted and fought our last Chancellor every step of the way becasue of the bumpy ride that came with growth. Many wanted him fired. Yet here we are in a place most of us could have never imagined for UNCW. I lived in Greensboro in the early 80's so I know the area well. Good luck as you chart your own path and lead the way. Not sure how long you'll remain in the CAA but it's nice having another quality NC school in the conference.
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jbrob
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Post by jbrob on Nov 12, 2023 16:34:14 GMT -5
Attendance in the CAA is not a big deal. Other than Delaware, most teams have less than 5,000 people in attendance at games.
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Post by A&T AGGIE 96 on Nov 12, 2023 16:48:27 GMT -5
Thanks so much for the perspective. I never heard the discussions about mergers or the threats to the HBCU schools in north carolina being shut down or diminished. In fact, i've heard the exact opposite. But if that has in fact been discussed, or even if rumors around that have circulated, it's completely logical and understandable to be skeptical and concerned. Something I expressed almost 20 years ago and stated over and over was that the drive for "diversity" at the PWI's was going to have a huge negative impact on HBCU's. That seemed obvious to me and I couldn't understand how it wasn't obvious to others. But when you have faculty and other university "leaders" who are more interested in the appearance of "inclusivity", they become oblivious and unconcerned about the unintended consequences. I was completely ignored when I expressed these concerns. I'm pretty connected to what's happening in the state legislature and I can tell you that finances are the driving factor in almost all situations. Any discussions I heard of mergers were based on finances. But it seems like the NC Promise program turned out to be a great move to address finances as well as keep universities open. If you take a close look at Western Carolina you'll find that A&T is very similar. Student population drives student fees and athletic budgets, and WCU and A&T are almost identical in both areas. One thing I would like to see is for the state legislature to raise the allowance for out of state students. I really think that would be a huge plus for a university like A&T that has national name recognition and national appeal for students. UNCW was hanging around the 11,000 student mark like A&T for quite a while and that really limited our athletic budget. Our last Chancellor identified a goal of closer to 20,000 to reach critical mass where budgets all around the campus improved dramatically and we are now close to 18,000. 11,000 is large enough to keep you off the bottom but too small to compete in a better midmajor conference. The one common denominator I see between UNCW and A&T is a perception problem. Our last Chancellor saw potential in UNCW that we(alumni and supporters) didn't see in ourselves, so we never aimed as high as we should have. He pushed through our concerns and fears and just did it. Next thing we knew we became a doctoral school that moved to R2 status in less than an 8 year period. Just reading the comments on this site i'd say A&T is in the same position. I see A&T as a sleeping giant that simply needs to embrace how high the school could go. It's always bumpy when you reach for that next goal and it was at UNCW. A lot of the faculty revolted and fought our last Chancellor every step of the way becasue of the bumpy ride that came with growth. Many wanted him fired. Yet here we are in a place most of us could have never imagined for UNCW. I lived in Greensboro in the early 80's so I know the area well. Good luck as you chart your own path and lead the way. Not sure how long you'll remain in the CAA but it's nice having another quality NC school in the conference. Wow! Surprised, but not shocked you haven't heard about some of those discussions. HBCU grads watch politicians like hawks due to their history as it relates to undermining and underfunding schools. Aggies know our history well and have watched for years. NC A&M for the colored race (NC A&T) was founded shortly after NC A&M (NCSU). We were underfunded from the start. The first few minutes of this video gives a great history lesson most people in our state know very little about. People are still mad about that Vet School debacle. Vet School Debate, 1974-1975 Those chickens are starting to come home to roost. Google "nc a&t underfunded" to see the most recent new articles and reports Fayetteville State New bill would prohibit Fayetteville State University name changeSame can be said of other public HBCUs in the state. Google some of that stuff when you get a free moment, you would be surprised...and better understand why so many are always on alert and fear stepping outside our comfort zone. NC Promise has been a good program for those evolved...and having a larger out of student cap would be great for NC A&T. NC A&T was recently fined for $2 million crossing that line last year. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University fined $2 millionChange is hard...our current chancellor who is schedule to retire is a visionary and had pushed the university forward in many areas. The brand at NC A&T is strong...so is the brands at Hampton and Howard. The CAA was very strategic in offering invites to each of those school....of course NCAT and Hampton accepted. Every time I see this commercial on TV I smile from ear to ear. 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander TV Spot, 'HBCU Tour'
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