Any comments or excuses on attendance?

[DAHILL]

Actualy you can't put it away. You ca't compare the last 10 years of it being in B'ham to the first year in Bossier City. I think if stu's folks wasn't out supporting the high school that's in it's backyard at the state championship there would have een plenty more of them there yesterday. I think they(Bossier City) are learning this first hand and will adjust for it next year. Remember the dates for the tourny moves up a week and that in itself may help it since you can now have the Championship Game on sunday and people can make a better weekend of it from Fri-Sun. But let ya'll (Bama's) tell it, the tourny was better there. Just look at the stadium it was played in, that was a upgrade all by itself.

Fiyah attendance in the SWAC isnt going UP over the years... it does the exact opposite... the first year is when the excitment starts... after that everything goes down.... We have seen it with the SWAC Championship game.... even the first year the SWAC basketball tournament was in Bham (maybe it was the second)... when AAMU and Bama State played in the Championship it was a packed house in Fair Park....

 

[Fiyah]

they could have easily did a battle of the bands for an added attraction. Duer Sharp doesn't think.

This is basketball and not football....you can't have a battle of the bands and expect folks to come to a basketball arena to see that stuff..... :retard:

Make the tournament about the basketball. Let the regular season champ hold the tourney in their gym. Well, one might argue, people don't have a chance to plan so they can attend.

That's what's up.

The problem with that is you need to plan for hotels for all the teams and you can't do that on a few days notice.

If they want they could just use alternate sites from East to West with East teams hosting somewhere 1 year and then the West hosting somewhere the next.

 

[East Tex Tiger]

It is unfortunate, however at this point our tournament can not go head up with the various high school state playoffs. Our product is simply not appealing. I would love to see some of the players Yates, Lancaster, Peabody magnet playing in the SWAC.

Shreveport was much better than Birmingham.

 

[mhurd97]

I know, right? I know it is like a sin to compare what the SWAC does to what other conferences do. But it was hard as hell to find the special event section or entertainment portion for the Big Ten, Pac-10, ACC or SEC tournament on their web sites. I didn't see promotions for battle of the bands, concerts or comedy shows or Steve Harvey. The Big Ten had a job fair, 5K walk and a pep rallies. I couldn't find anything else on the other conferences except for that UK alums threw a pep rally before the first game of the SEC Tournament.

When we complain about the ticket prices, venue, the city or entertainment options surrounding the SWAC Tournament that is just a reflection on two things.

1. The basketball product. Obviously it is not attractive enough for fans and alums to want to attend the games.

2. It is a reflection on us. We expect the SWAC to jump through hoops to provide a carnival-like atmosphere with three-ring circus for us to attend. If a band is not playing or there or a step show and fireworks or a well known musical act we get apathetic.

Finally, this all goes back to the product on the court. Since this is not football, and people won't drive 200 miles to see action on the gridiron, schools have to be hell bent on marketing the players and coaches the same as it does the football squad. And it is up to schools to hire the best coaches to recruit the best players so that the program can produce solid competitive basketball.

Once those two issues are fixed in terms of marketing the sport (not the tournament) and getting to a high level of play, then we will see better attended tournament games.

I like this post and agree with you. Honestly, fans of the other conferences are there to support their schools and watch some great basketball no matter where it is held. After the games they will find a nice restaurant and enjoy whatever nightlife the city has to offer.

We, on the other hand must have all of this other entertainment to spend our money on but already complain about ticket prices to the games. really, I don't get it. Again, my reason for attending the conference was to support my school and because of the location would have considered making it to the finals had my school not been involved.

I think Shreveport is a good choice and hope that they will present an attractive package during the bidding process. I think the SWAC is right that you take several proposals and this is how you get the best deal for the conference. Shreveport has already stated that they want us back. I'm not sure how much the SWAC's expenses were to rent the arena but this was a huge economic boom for the city.

I think Shreveport welcomed the SWAC Tournament, local stations, and local newspaper did a really good job on covering the games. In fact, our local newspaper had decent coverage in the paper and local station because of the job they did. 8 of the 10 schools are within 4.5 hours of Shreveport and I think that is a doable roadtrip. I have never been to the tournament in B'Ham so I can't compare but thought the semifinal and final was well attended. The CenturyTel Center seats 14,000, but had the upper level closed so I would guess the lower tier holds 7-8K. Therefore, I estimate that upwards of 3500 attended the finals. I think that is decent for our size and first year there and should grow.

Congrats to UAPB fans for showing up in droves. You guys have had strong numbers all season at your home games so that's the way to support.

 

[usa today]

This is basketball and not football....you can't have a battle of the bands and expect folks to come to a basketball arena to see that stuff..... :retard:

Yes it could, the CIAA does it and i know SWAC bands can draw better than them, the basketball tournament itself isn't going to attract no one until the majority of the teams are better.

 

[e_bulldog]

1. Seminars
2. Banquets to celebrate the best players in the SWAC (first
3. Scholarship galas and oter type of fundraising events
4. Concerts/comedy shows (for the young and old... probably the last couple of days)
5. Stepshow
6. Battle of the bands

Stuff black folks like lol


pretty much a 3 day event... just like a classic... it would be nice if people paid attention to the athletic side, but you have to get people to these events and the tourney first ...

How about some good quality basketball? Stuff basketball fans like.

Maybe the SWAC should allow each game to be played at the school with the highest seeded team. (i.e. If number 1 allows number 8 to win, then the number 2 seed gets the advantage...)

 

[In_The_662]

Yes it could, the CIAA does it and i know SWAC bands can draw better than them, the basketball tournament itself isn't going to attract no one until the majority of the teams are better.

True... if you try to make the SWAC tourney an event like the CIAA, people will complain that its more about the event than the actual basketball (people also say the same thing about SWAC football)

If you move it on the campuses of the schools, people will complain because they wont have enough time to get hotels and stuff...

The SWAC brand of basketball at this point isnt gonna draw big crowds... hell we cant even get the alums of our own schools to attend when Shreveport was announced as the locale for the tourney months in advance so imagine trying to get the average joe to come and see them play...

Its either sell your brand of basketball and hope people come or try to build the event up and HOPE the basketball improves as the event grows...

 

[In_The_662]

How about some good quality basketball? Stuff basketball fans like.

Maybe the SWAC should allow each game to be played at the school with the highest seeded team. (i.e. If number 1 allows number 8 to win, then the number 2 seed gets the advantage...)

I say the same thing about football and look at what that gets... lol...

At this point, its gonna be hard to sell the SWAC as a quality b-ball brand... I would love to see the SWAC brand stand alone on its own and watch good basketball... but at this point, you cant say that...

And we agree on letting the schools host the games... that seems to be the thing most of the smaller conferences are doing anyway... our fans/alums arent going to the tourney being held in neutral locales, so it seems logical to move it on campus...

 

[Jafus (Thinker)]

The MEAC Tournament Needs A Perfect Storm to Grow

http://onnidan1.com/forum/index.php/topic,37397.0.html