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Rupp Arena Atmosphere
Posted on 12/10/13 at 9:38 pm
Posted on 12/10/13 at 9:38 pm
I brought this up on Rant, but does anyone else agree that the atmosphere has really gone down over the past 10 years? It seems as if it isn't a huge game, the crowd is quiet as can be. Are we just that spoiled from the early Cal years? What's the deal?
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Posted on 12/10/13 at 10:19 pm to Bho
I think a lot of it has to do with the set up of Rupp too. You have a lot of people who sit on their hands all game when it isn't a big game that surround the court.
It is also most likely finals week there. It is here at Alabama.
Places like Cameron get a ton of credit for being crazy, but that is because the students are right there on the court basically.
It is also most likely finals week there. It is here at Alabama.
Places like Cameron get a ton of credit for being crazy, but that is because the students are right there on the court basically.
Posted on 12/10/13 at 10:56 pm to RTR America
quote:
Places like Cameron get a ton of credit for being crazy, but that is because the students are right there on the court basically.
They're having attendance issues at Duke, too. Students are just not showing up like they did in years past.
I think UK's atmosphere at Rupp is suffering from too many blue hairs and too few students. Blue hairs have always been a problem but it seems there are so very many more of them now. I hope this issue will be considered when Rupp is reconfigured.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 7:53 am to Kentucker
Also consider this. For students to get tickets they have to attend the lottery at memorial coliseum. Its usually on a Tuesday night when most students have any number of things going on. When I was there it was always a pain in the arse to sit there for a couple of hours and maybe not even get tickets. More often than not though we did get tickets although it was no guarantee for the big games.
I guess it just blows my mind that they haven't created an online lottery. Get online during the week and submit your name to a website. Then a computer could draw the winning students and seats at random and distribute them to student I.D. cards automatically and charge the $5 to their account. Simple. Easy. Maybe more butts in seats.
I guess it just blows my mind that they haven't created an online lottery. Get online during the week and submit your name to a website. Then a computer could draw the winning students and seats at random and distribute them to student I.D. cards automatically and charge the $5 to their account. Simple. Easy. Maybe more butts in seats.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 9:30 am to DisplacedKentuckian
quote:
I brought this up on Rant, but does anyone else agree that the atmosphere has really gone down over the past 10 years?
I lay most of the blame on 3 issues
#1 K Fund means only corporations and older folks can afford tickets
#2 Scheduling
#3 Cell phones that play games, text, and have internet access
quote:
Places like Cameron get a ton of credit for being crazy, but that is because the students are right there on the court basically.
Actually attended Duke games in Cameron and the place is a joke. Here are some points between what you see on TV and what you see live.
#1 Cameron is full of yankee assholes who just want to be on TV
#2 Idiots on TV does not mean they actually follow and understand basketball
#3 Games not on TV have less "colorful" folks and they are not as full
#4 If only 1 section is full you can bet ESPN will keep shooting it to make it appear the whole place is full.
#5 Duke has almost no traveling fans - without Butler that Final Four in Indy would have crashed. The 4 teams that will greatly influence the cost of entry to a basketball game are : Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, and Kansas (and probably in that order)
quote:
I think a lot of it has to do with the set up of Rupp too.
Rupp is actually one of the best venues for college basketball
#1 No corporate suites
#2 Size
#3 Sight lines
#4 Seating (explained below)
Rupp is not only full of seats but the venue is steep. With todays ADA compliant restrictions the venue would be much less steep and and folks would be farther from the court. When Rupp had the hockey teams both the home and visiting teams often noted how close the fans were to the ice. I really hope they leave Rupp alone if it means less seating to put in corporate boxes.
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You have a lot of people who sit on their hands all game when it isn't a big game that surround the court.
This goes back to scheduling more than anything. Playing all the crappy games at home then playing the good games at venues outside the state of KY really limits the crowd effect. When Tubby was at UK they payed Michigan State in Rupp ant the place was really intense. This year they played Michigan State in Chicago and the place was pretty quiet. The game in Barclays vs Maryland and Providence would have been much louder in Rupp. Again, this is about scheduling better games at home.
quote:
Blue hairs have always been a problem but it seems there are so very many more of them now. I hope this issue will be considered when Rupp is reconfigured.
It will get worse not better. Replacing seats with boxes will mean fewer seats and corporate folks will replace the Blue Hairs. Nobody can hear folks cheering behind the glass of the boxes and they are usually drinking and making deals more than actually watching the games. Colleges are now more interested in generating money than creating things for the fans who actually yell and cheer.
quote:
For students to get tickets they have to attend the lottery at memorial coliseum. Its usually on a Tuesday night when most students have any number of things going on.
I guess it just blows my mind that they haven't created an online lottery. Get online during the week and submit your name to a website.
Easily said, not as easily accomplished. I have heard complaints from the students before but that is off set with making it easier which means more chance the kids sell them for beer money. Having live people means the UK staff can spot the scalpers in training where doing it online they have no visual to go with the purchase.
I think a better way would be to use the student ID's with a simple program to track attendance of other Uk sports - sports not including football and M basketball. Every sport a student attends racks up points for lottery standing for football and M basketball.
#1 It would grow attendance for the other sports
#2 It would reward the bluest of the blue in the BBN
Posted on 12/11/13 at 9:45 am to Cheese Grits
quote:
I think a better way would be to use the student ID's with a simple program to track attendance of other Uk sports - sports not including football and M basketball. Every sport a student attends racks up points for lottery standing for football and M basketball.
#1 It would grow attendance for the other sports
#2 It would reward the bluest of the blue in the BBN
^ I think this would only reduce students attending games.
quote:
Having live people means the UK staff can spot the scalpers in training where doing it online they have no visual to go with the purchase.
^ No one is going to be looking for "scalpers in training". Thats just silly.
You wont be able to stop some students from selling their tickets no matter how hard you try. I would even sell some of my big game tickets if I had to go out of town. There is every reason the IDs would work. Everyone has access to the internet on campus... Everyone. The IDs are already connected to a campus wide network. They basically act as prepaid debit cards for local area businesses.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 10:05 am to DisplacedKentuckian
quote:
I think this would only reduce students attending games.
Not sure I see this?
If students have to spend 2 hours in line waiting for a ticket vs spending 2 hours at a volleyball game, which would you do? You are still out the 2 hours but doing something is better than standing in line and UK volleyball has some attractive ladies on the team.
quote:
You wont be able to stop some students from selling their tickets no matter how hard you try.
While I tend to agree making folks show up make at least getting folks who are more motivated than the ones who just click a website from their home computer. The bigger issue is how to engage the fans because for the best atmosphere you need the loudest fans. Generally they will not be the kids cocooned in their rooms with no live social skills.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 10:08 am to Cheese Grits
quote:
If students have to spend 2 hours in line waiting for a ticket vs spending 2 hours at a volleyball game, which would you do? You are still out the 2 hours but doing something is better than standing in line and UK volleyball has some attractive ladies on the team.
Its not about motivation or fandom! Its simply availability of time. People have things to do and making it easier to get what they need to attend games should be front and center. Not gimmicks.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 6:21 pm to DisplacedKentuckian
I understand attendance is down everywhere. I'm sure that most of the venues is seeing a declining atmosphere. It's a shame. I saw some pretty amazing games at Rupp and I just don't feel it like I used to when I go now.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 7:56 pm to Bho
quote:
DisplacedKentuckian
Its not about motivation or fandom! Its simply availability of time. People have things to do and making it easier to get what they need to attend games should be front and center.
See this is where you and I have the disconnect as you view these things as connected when they are probably disconnected.
People have things to do - like play on the Xbox for 8 hours a day? Seriously, part of the benefit of attending a live game is being surrounded by the use of your 5 senses while interacting with your fellow humans. When kids text instead of talking to the folks around them this is a very differentiated experience from sitting at home and watching it on TV. Life is about meeting new people and being involved in new experiences. College may the one place where you meet more diverse people in one place than any time in your life.
making it easier to get what they need - At the risk of sounding like the oldest person in the room in the modern age of instant gratification, sometimes when something is harder to obtain you actually appreciate it more. I have always been a fan of having some skin in the game to really appreciate what you have. Sometimes it is your own money, sometimes it is your personal time, and sometimes it is a combination. If I am getting a 150-300 dollar ticket for 5 bucks as a student, then the discount should be my time.
quote:
Bho
I understand attendance is down everywhere. I'm sure that most of the venues is seeing a declining atmosphere. It's a shame. I saw some pretty amazing games at Rupp and I just don't feel it like I used to when I go now.
Interesting choice of words. Atmosphere > Attendance in my book, and if folks would turn off their cell phones at games the atmosphere would pick up. If you are at a live game then active participation is required. My observation is cell phones are killing the live venues because in the ADD age of folks under 40, they are like little children who are distracted at the drop of a hat.
Think about it, before the advent of excessive electronics - My personal feeling is the person who invented the ribbon board should be shot - the only thing to watch at the game was the game itself. Live noise has been replaced by jumbotrons flashing advertising and muzak drowning out the live sights that used to hold our attention.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 9:48 pm to Cheese Grits
You make a good point about electronics. When I was in college we didn't have the smart phones and various ways to see any game you want. You also have a good point about the "things to do" crap. I had things to do back then as well. But my thing to do was walk my happy arse to Memorial for the lottery. I think ticket and concession prices also are hurting the atmosphere for live sporting events. Why spend so much money to eat, park, drink and buy tickets when I can watch the game on HD from my house. Not to mention I don't have to fight traffic. But then on the other hand I still really enjoy football and baseball games. Maybe because of the tailgating experience. I can't get that watching tv. Just crazy that I see places like Rupp and Cameron Indoor below capacity. It's a shame.
Posted on 12/12/13 at 4:38 pm to DisplacedKentuckian
quote:
Simple. Easy. Maybe more butts in seats.
The way tickets are distributed at Kentucky isn't the issue IMO. You can take a look around at other schools in their major sports (i.e. football, basketball, and baseball) and attendance is down. Even schools who distribute tickets online and/or sell at a ticket window.
quote:
^ I think this would only reduce students attending games.
FWIW, UofL uses a points value system. It's promoted their Olympic sports quite a bit and the students enjoy it/prefer it. I want to say Auburn does something similar. I'd love to see UK implement that kind of system because it goes a long way to promoting Olympic sports and it's great socially when you're in school.
There's no good reason a traditional college student shouldn't have the time do things like that. If you have better things to do then maybe you don't want those seats bad enough? I know I would and wouldn't have any problem spending time at a Kentucky sporting event cheering the school on while earning points for better football and basketball tickets.
Posted on 12/12/13 at 5:22 pm to Bho
The biggest issues I see with Rupp right now:
1) Too many blue hairs around the court. I realize they pay quite a bit of money for those seats but it's made for a shitty environment. Because of the size of Rupp itself, even with a rowdy student section (the eRupption Zone is usually pretty live), it gets lost upon the majority of blue hairs around the court. Rupp desperately needs a change in seating configuration and I really hope the addition of suites will get some of those "sitting on their hands" folks out of that area.
2) As far as non-students, non-big money ticket holders are concerned, general prices can be an issue. Between concessions, parking, travel to the game if you're not in Lexington, etc it can be a good chunk of change for a family to attend a game.
3) Scheduling. People just aren't going to consistently pay that kind of money to see Kentucky play UNC-Asheville. The neutral court scheduling helps the team, but hurts the home atmosphere at Rupp.
Of course you also have to add in the things that are plaguing all major sports right now, larger media availability that allows for a quality viewing of a sporting event in your own home.
ETA: I'd still take Rupp over most other venues for the experience. It's unique. But it could definitely improve.
1) Too many blue hairs around the court. I realize they pay quite a bit of money for those seats but it's made for a shitty environment. Because of the size of Rupp itself, even with a rowdy student section (the eRupption Zone is usually pretty live), it gets lost upon the majority of blue hairs around the court. Rupp desperately needs a change in seating configuration and I really hope the addition of suites will get some of those "sitting on their hands" folks out of that area.
2) As far as non-students, non-big money ticket holders are concerned, general prices can be an issue. Between concessions, parking, travel to the game if you're not in Lexington, etc it can be a good chunk of change for a family to attend a game.
3) Scheduling. People just aren't going to consistently pay that kind of money to see Kentucky play UNC-Asheville. The neutral court scheduling helps the team, but hurts the home atmosphere at Rupp.
Of course you also have to add in the things that are plaguing all major sports right now, larger media availability that allows for a quality viewing of a sporting event in your own home.
ETA: I'd still take Rupp over most other venues for the experience. It's unique. But it could definitely improve.
This post was edited on 12/12/13 at 5:23 pm
Posted on 12/12/13 at 6:58 pm to BluegrassBelle
quote:
1) Too many blue hairs around the court.
The students can't even fill up the eRupption zone right now. Why should they get more seating around the court?
Posted on 12/12/13 at 7:12 pm to Bho
quote:
The students can't even fill up the eRupption zone right now. Why should they get more seating around the court?
Better options tend to produce more demand? I'd rather see students in those seats than people who sit there like they don't have a pulse.
Posted on 12/13/13 at 1:18 pm to BluegrassBelle
Interestingly enough UK women are fast closing in on a sellout of Rupp for the Duke game. Since it will not be filled with blue hairs or corporate types that means lots of screaming fans.
ps, Duck Fuke!
ps, Duck Fuke!
Posted on 12/13/13 at 3:43 pm to Kentucker
quote:
They're having attendance issues at Duke, too. Students are just not showing up like they did in years past.
LSU cant fill up their student or general public seats anymore. Johnnie Jones is revitalizing the program but the LSU-UK game used to generate the ultimate fan hype at LSU and now they are lucky for 2/3 capacity.
The other thing that LSU is suffering now is FB attendence. The sideline seats are the golden tickets passed down from generation to generation and are the most expensive. So what we have is the rich folks holding the tickets and they dont care if they go to the game or not now because they are all on TV. And to complicate matters they dont sell their tickets or give them away. So what we wind up with on a rent-a-win game is a capacity crowd that is 30% empty in the premier sections... The "blue collar" seats however are always full.
LSU has a dedicated FB and Baseball following and BB has taken a backseat over the last 10-15 yrs...
This post was edited on 12/13/13 at 3:54 pm
Posted on 12/13/13 at 5:35 pm to BluegrassBelle
quote:
Better options tend to produce more demand? I'd rather see students in those seats than people who sit there like they don't have a pulse.
I'm saying I don't think they could fill those with students even if they wanted to do that. I'm just not sure that the student body cares as much as they did in the past.
Posted on 12/13/13 at 5:37 pm to GetmorewithLes
quote:
The other thing that LSU is suffering now is FB attendence.
Commonwealth is downsizing during the renovation and I think that is a smart move.
Posted on 12/17/13 at 8:14 am to BluegrassBelle
quote:
Better options tend to produce more demand? I'd rather see students in those seats than people who sit there like they don't have a pulse.
UF makes students go to the BS home games before they get their tickets for big games like Kansas and y'all.
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