|
Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 3, 2024 12:22:23 GMT -6
Great discussion today everyone! At the risk of sounding like an AI generated sirsid, let's keep the great ideas coming!
|
|
|
Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 3, 2024 12:42:17 GMT -6
Back in my college days, the first two years of which was at UW-Platteville, I earned credits one semester for a ski "class." All the student had to do is show up six nights. If that was possible at Platteville, your idea should be possible at Milwaukee. Show me one accredited institution (I don't care whether DI, DII, or DIII) where you earn college credits for attending men's basketball games. Great point. I don't think I can. Do we want to follow what others do or take the lead toward radical change? Anyway, let's get back to milwsport's last post. His ideas are more practical and comes with much less controversy.
|
|
|
Post by reginaldkdwight on Mar 3, 2024 13:11:12 GMT -6
Create a class and call it Student Engagement or Basketball 101 or School Spirit or whatever. Make it free. Students earn 3 credits for going to 80% of the home games. There is no class, going to games is the class. At this point, why not try something like this? Lol what? This has to be the goofiest take ive seen on this board. This is a good university can't be giving out credits for nothing. The issue is the team has been crappy for a decade and just now is doing well. YOU NEED TO MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT. This league is very very bad and we should be bossing it every year to where we are the big dogs. We have the best local high school talent of any school in the league, easily in the best city in the league and likely one of the best schools in the league. No reason to be 6th ever in this conference. If you made the tournament people would start going to games. Also need to do more to add value to those who go to the games.
BRING BACK THE FULL COURT PUTT! Starry came and did it once this season and it got a major pop. So simple yet so good. Instead we got deans pulling tissues out of the boxes. They shoulda sent some over to me cause I almost cried at how stupid that promo was.
|
|
|
Post by Duct_Tape_Pounce on Mar 3, 2024 13:11:18 GMT -6
Getting the higher ups at the university, the coach, and players directly involved with getting students interested in going to basketball games is a big yes from me.
Tarnishing the university’s reputation with a BS “class” that just requires attendance at games is an idea that would be correctly criticized and laughed out of any room that isn’t full of Milwaukee Panther fanatics (and frankly would be criticized and laughed out of the room by most of us too).. UWM is a university with an athletic program, not the other way around. If the university so much as tried to pull off something like that, it would diminish the value of every diploma coming out of the university. I’m still not sure if it was just a joke, and I hope it was.
|
|
|
Post by mcdadenets50 on Mar 3, 2024 14:37:13 GMT -6
Create a class and call it Student Engagement or Basketball 101 or School Spirit or whatever. Make it free. Students earn 3 credits for going to 80% of the home games. There is no class, going to games is the class. At this point, why not try something like this? Paying student athletes millions of dollars to play college ball was ridiculous ten years ago. I wish it was as simple as "win and they will come." It's not.
|
|
|
Post by Duct_Tape_Pounce on Mar 3, 2024 14:41:33 GMT -6
Create a class and call it Student Engagement or Basketball 101 or School Spirit or whatever. Make it free. Students earn 3 credits for going to 80% of the home games. There is no class, going to games is the class. At this point, why not try something like this? Paying student athletes millions of dollars to play college ball was ridiculous ten years ago. I wish it was as simple as "win and they will come." It's not. If the only two options are the status quo and tarnishing the university’s reputation like this, give me the status quo 7 days of the week and twice on Sunday. I worked too hard to get my degrees from the university for them to be made worthless in an attempt to get a few lazy college students to go to a free basketball game.
|
|
|
Post by reginaldkdwight on Mar 3, 2024 16:29:10 GMT -6
Create a class and call it Student Engagement or Basketball 101 or School Spirit or whatever. Make it free. Students earn 3 credits for going to 80% of the home games. There is no class, going to games is the class. At this point, why not try something like this? Paying student athletes millions of dollars to play college ball was ridiculous ten years ago. I wish it was as simple as "win and they will come." It's not. No it wasn't it was just not legal. Students already get campus jobs, being a student athlete is just a high paying version of that. I actually can't believe you doubled down on it. Sometimes I think people from this board could run the AD better then I see some takes like this and go, well nevermind.
|
|
|
Post by mcdadenets50 on Mar 3, 2024 22:42:40 GMT -6
Pin all of these "Where are the students?" threads at the top for the next 100 years.
Nothing is going to change.
|
|
|
Post by reginaldkdwight on Mar 4, 2024 1:28:35 GMT -6
Pin all of these "Where are the students?" threads at the top for the next 100 years. Nothing is going to change. the teams been dogsh*t since most of the jeter years no one wants to go watch sh*tty hoops. Team needs to make the dance or it’s not a successful season. When you’re in a bottom 5 league that’s the reality. The league was for the taking and we lost too many winnable games this year. Literally one tournament bid would do wonders. Maybe scoop a few more local kids too. Imagine thinking a d1 university should offer credits for nothing to get kids to go the a hoops game 😂. Clueless comment. No one goes cause jeter nuked the program into oblivion and burned most of the local bridges. I’ve had nba scouts tell me this about ol robbie when I asked why we miss guys from Milwaukee who would play for us. They lost trust in the program cause of jeter. That’s a fact. No one wanted to go watch that boring ass brand of hoops or go play for him.
|
|
|
Post by davedome on Mar 4, 2024 9:58:07 GMT -6
I think we have to do what other schools have done on different levels and make it a club.
1. Make it fun, give the student section a name. 2. T-Shirts and /or giveaways at each game. 3. Get a sponsor on board to represent/support or name this group (Pi In The Sky Coffee wouldn't mind). 4. Schedule pre and post-game pep rallies, tailgates or functions. 5. Make it a competition between halls and create a monthly prize. 6. Tap into some of the talent at Milwaukee and have the students perform or showcase at each home game. 7. Yes, move them to the side. My nephew is a current student there and complains that they can't see. I have seen the crowds up close for years and we can afford to give them at least one section. We don't pack it in that good anyway. 8. Create a group, if there isn't one, of student-athletes, students, and alumni to discuss these possibilities on a monthly basis. 9. Is there a Greek Night for frats and sororities?
Just my opinion but I can understand if none of these ideas are plausible or wanted.
|
|
|
Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 4, 2024 13:09:55 GMT -6
Pin all of these "Where are the students?" threads at the top for the next 100 years. Nothing is going to change. If that is the prevailing attitude within the administration, you are absolutely correct. Nothing will change if the problem is not identified or there is no genuine desire to change. I think the problem has been identified by the administration. The lack of student interest is obvious. Joetix coming on here stating many students scatter throughout the arena and don't sit in the student section is just the latest example of problem identification. It is the genuine desire to change that has kept the program from moving forward. Administrators come and go. They collect their paychecks, set goals that are measured in self-serving favorable ways, make friends and acquaintances within the industry, and then go their merry way. They may work hard to fulfill their job requirements, but then only hope for consistent winning to help drive what becomes a short-lived blip on the radar of program relevance. On the other hand, many of us powerless long time fans dream of long-term program relevance and are frustrated to see this sleeping giant remain in it's perpetual slumber. Having stated that, I am going to continue with diplomatically providing ideas for program enhancement, and solicit same from other posters. Again, key personnel within the administration know what we discuss on here. I am sure they see most of it as nothing more than unsubstantiated noise from fanatics, and rightfully so. However, I would like to think that posts based in fact, experience and genuine desire for the good of the program gives them something to think about, and perhaps one day act upon. Preferably, sometime within the next 100 years.
|
|
|
Post by reginaldkdwight on Mar 4, 2024 16:36:30 GMT -6
Winning is the answer, people are bandwagon fans, maybe some of you forget the days of getting 10 dollar tickets to the bucks in the 2000s but I don't. Winning cures all.
|
|
|
Post by Duct_Tape_Pounce on Mar 4, 2024 18:22:59 GMT -6
Winning is the answer, people are bandwagon fans, maybe some of you forget the days of getting 10 dollar tickets to the bucks in the 2000s but I don't. Winning cures all. Winning is first and foremost. Win, and going to Panther games will be the trendy thing to do. We haven’t made the tournament in 10 years and we haven’t made the tournament and not have it followed up by an APR ban for nearly 20. Make the tournament at the level WSU and NKU do and we will see attendance (student and otherwise) go up. I like some of the other ideas mentioned to help in the meantime, but they are only bandaids without consistent winning.
|
|
|
Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 4, 2024 18:57:36 GMT -6
Of course winning is the ideal solution. It is a no brainer. I doubt there is anyone reading this message board who thinks otherwise. That's called jumping on the bandwagon.
Let's look beyond that. Afterall, has anyone seen a college basketball game in which both teams won, or all teams in a conference finish in first place? How do we grow the type of passion we have here on the message board, where we stick with the Panthers through thick and thin, into something much larger? How do we make the game experience better, whether we are coming off of an NCAA appearance and riding a 10 game winning streak, or coming off of a disappointing season and fighting through injuries?
When 200+ students attend a game, does winning cause them all to sit together in a raucous, fun-filled student section? When 200+ students attend a game, does losing cause many of them to scatter throughout the arena looking like their dog just died? It should not come down to that. How do we improve upon it?
The Bucks were horrible for decades. I had a closeup look for several seasons in the 90's when I worked down on the floor. Yet there was always a reasonable degree of relevance. 10,000+ showed up every game and local media covered them. Obviously we are not in the NBA, but Reggie answered his own question. "$10 tickets." That's not the same as winning, but it is a promotional effort to fill the seats. Remember Squad 6? The Bucks were lousy when it formed, yet were successful with having the equivalent of a noisy student section.
Come on, don't take the easy way out. Let's look beyond giving up for the next 100 years or sitting back waiting for wins. The game experience can be made much better, win or lose.
|
|
|
Post by joetix on Mar 5, 2024 8:45:16 GMT -6
Pin all of these "Where are the students?" threads at the top for the next 100 years. Nothing is going to change. If that is the prevailing attitude within the administration, you are absolutely correct. Nothing will change if the problem is not identified or there is no genuine desire to change. I think the problem has been identified by the administration. The lack of student interest is obvious. Joetix coming on here stating many students scatter throughout the arena and don't sit in the student section is just the latest example of problem identification. It is the genuine desire to change that has kept the program from moving forward. Administrators come and go. They collect their paychecks, set goals that are measured in self-serving favorable ways, make friends and acquaintances within the industry, and then go their merry way. They may work hard to fulfill their job requirements, but then only hope for consistent winning to help drive what becomes a short-lived blip on the radar of program relevance. On the other hand, many of us powerless long time fans dream of long-term program relevance and are frustrated to see this sleeping giant remain in it's perpetual slumber. Having stated that, I am going to continue with diplomatically providing ideas for program enhancement, and solicit same from other posters. Again, key personnel within the administration know what we discuss on here. I am sure they see most of it as nothing more than unsubstantiated noise from fanatics, and rightfully so. However, I would like to think that posts based in fact, experience and genuine desire for the good of the program gives them something to think about, and perhaps one day act upon. Preferably, sometime within the next 100 years. I don't view it as unsubstantiated noise! Some of the ideas that have been thrown out I agree with, others I don't feel will have the desired effect. We've talked with students as well as partners across campus to get an idea of what they're experiencing, and student engagement overall is harder to come by. It'll be a hot topic for us in the offseason, and I'm also happy to talk about it privately with anyone who comes to games on a semi-regular basis.
|
|