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Baseball Interest
Posted on 2/15/13 at 11:04 pm
Posted on 2/15/13 at 11:04 pm
Not sure how many follow baseball, but thought I'd see what kind of ideas those that do have for increasing interest and awareness of the program.
First, I think they need to get the radio broadcasts on the radios in St. Louis and Kansas City. I'm not a communications person so not sure what that would take, but I surfed all the A.M. stations and couldn't find it in my car. The 2 highest populated cities in the state and they have to get the games on there, even if it's a lesser station.
Second, stream the games online and don't charge people for it. If people have the option of watching the Cardinals for free or paying to watch Mizzou online, they'll watch free Cardinals games and won't give the Mizzou games a second thought unless they are an alum.
Third, cross sell it more. Need more mentions during football and basketball games. We have 2 powerhouses coming to Columbia in USC and LSU and I don't think I've heard one mention of it in St. Louis. Try to get some of the recognizable names to help promote the program/brand.
Fourth, and maybe more unlikely, but schedule one series in St. Louis (conference games, not the Illinois game) and one in Kansas City. If promoted, I bet the series with LSU or USC could draw 10,000 to 15,000 in St. Louis. I think the Illinois game only draws a couple/few thousand. Not playing in Columbia isn't as big of a deal in baseball at this point as it is in football or basketball as I see it.
Other thoughts?
First, I think they need to get the radio broadcasts on the radios in St. Louis and Kansas City. I'm not a communications person so not sure what that would take, but I surfed all the A.M. stations and couldn't find it in my car. The 2 highest populated cities in the state and they have to get the games on there, even if it's a lesser station.
Second, stream the games online and don't charge people for it. If people have the option of watching the Cardinals for free or paying to watch Mizzou online, they'll watch free Cardinals games and won't give the Mizzou games a second thought unless they are an alum.
Third, cross sell it more. Need more mentions during football and basketball games. We have 2 powerhouses coming to Columbia in USC and LSU and I don't think I've heard one mention of it in St. Louis. Try to get some of the recognizable names to help promote the program/brand.
Fourth, and maybe more unlikely, but schedule one series in St. Louis (conference games, not the Illinois game) and one in Kansas City. If promoted, I bet the series with LSU or USC could draw 10,000 to 15,000 in St. Louis. I think the Illinois game only draws a couple/few thousand. Not playing in Columbia isn't as big of a deal in baseball at this point as it is in football or basketball as I see it.
Other thoughts?
3
Posted on 2/15/13 at 11:28 pm to reedus23
I was kinda thinkin about this today.. I was thinking that maybe MU baseball interest gets a boost bc of the SEC, but I'm not sure it will. It will probably take some national attention via a few years of super regional runs or CWS appearances to get people more interested.
I can't see people coming in from STL or KC to watch Mizzou baseball..
But I can see it picking up interest on campus with the students.
MU baseball should be available free online, a shame it isn't.
I really like your idea for a series in STL and KC.
And yes, it should be promoted more through the other two major sports.
Hell, I had no idea until today that our baseball coach is the longest tenured coach at MU, has a bunch of MU ties and seems like a highly respected coach.
I can't see people coming in from STL or KC to watch Mizzou baseball..
But I can see it picking up interest on campus with the students.
MU baseball should be available free online, a shame it isn't.
I really like your idea for a series in STL and KC.
And yes, it should be promoted more through the other two major sports.
Hell, I had no idea until today that our baseball coach is the longest tenured coach at MU, has a bunch of MU ties and seems like a highly respected coach.
Posted on 2/15/13 at 11:52 pm to reedus23
Making games available by radio throughout the state should be first priority.
A lot of stations carry football and basketball.
KTGR is the only station I know of that carries baseball.
Games need to be broadcast in KC and STL on the radio on at least one station to start with.
We don't even have that and it is sad.
A lot of stations carry football and basketball.
KTGR is the only station I know of that carries baseball.
Games need to be broadcast in KC and STL on the radio on at least one station to start with.
We don't even have that and it is sad.
Posted on 2/16/13 at 11:14 am to mograyback
quote:
I was kinda thinkin about this today.. I was thinking that maybe MU baseball interest gets a boost bc of the SEC, but I'm not sure it will. It will probably take some national attention via a few years of super regional runs or CWS appearances to get people more interested.
I don't know if the state of the program is even to that point yet, though I agree, that would help tremendously. Just trying to get interest/attendance to somewhere where it's over 500/game and people can name at least one player on the team, much less the coaches name. I think most of us here can do that, but I'm talking about people in general.
I don't know if people will travel from STL or KC just to watch a game. Some might and some is better than none. What you might be able to capture though are people from KC or STL that are going to be in COMO for other reasons that might fit a game into their schedule when they otherwise wouldn't have even thought about it.
Another thought was to treat it like many minor league parks. Cater to the youth. I would partner up with some of the groups that throw youth tournaments in COMO and offer packages for the teams/families to attend. Set a price and give out a free hot dog, soda and a hat or some Mizzou gear of some sort to each player. If a tournament has 8 teams in it in one age group and 1/2 of those teams do it and each team that goes sends 50 people (player, 2 parents, 1 sibling on average), that's an additional 200 people from that age group. Now if the tourney has 5 age groups, that's 1000 fans for a game or weekend series. More importantly, it's hooking future consumers and who knows, maybe a future recruit.
I don't know if there's NCAA restrictions on that and my numbers may be optimistic, but I could see packages like that as a selling point for the tourney to get more teams and the team to get more fans in the seats. Win/win for everyone.
Posted on 2/16/13 at 2:17 pm to reedus23
We need a Mizzou network. Like LHN has. That might bring more interest in Mizzou baseball.
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