You Know What Will Hurt Us...

[NCMeanGreen]

How many NT alumni live in the DFW metroplex? We played an old rival in NMSU on Saturday...and had less than 4000 in attendance??? We should be embarassed!

I live in Raleigh, NC (NC State/Davidson drew 12,000), so cannot attend many NT games...but I always do attend when I am in town either on business or personal. So, how many NT grads live in the DFW area that can attend games???

I was looking at some of the other box scores...and our attendance was nothing to be proud of. Are the students back in school, or still on break?

I went to the UNC-Charlotte game a couple of years ago (REALLY enjoyed that game, btw)...and they had @ 7000 people watching that game.

[CMJ]

How many NT alumni live in the DFW metroplex? We played an old rival in NMSU on Saturday...and had less than 4000 in attendance??? We should be embarassed!

I live in Raleigh, NC (NC State/Davidson drew 12,000), so cannot attend many NT games...but I always do attend when I am in town either on business or personal. So, how many NT grads live in the DFW area that can attend games???

I was looking at some of the other box scores...and our attendance was nothing to be proud of. Are the students back in school, or still on break?

I went to the UNC-Charlotte game a couple of years ago (REALLY enjoyed that game, btw)...and they had @ 7000 people watching that game.

Baby steps, baby steps. I was pleased with attendance considering it was going up against the Big XII title game. I also couldn't go seeing as how I'm on the other coast, but every year out attendance seems to get better. We're averaging almost 3K a game right now, and our best attended games are usually Sunbelt games. We very well could beat last years attendance figures and we don't even have a OSU on the schedule.

That is progress.

[drex]

Ok, everyone repeat after me.." At North Texas, the athletic department considers basketball an afterthought...not really worth spending a lot of time and energy on." Have you ever gotten a nice brochure about basketball like the one we get for football? Nope.

[calvin]

Like CMJ said, BABY STEPS.

If you have a media guide, look at it and see how this has been a horrible basketball program. Those schools you are talking about have big basketball traditions and probably dont have DFW right next to them and plus we had the BIG 12 title game and the HS football playoffs with Denton Guyer still in it. The attendence has slowly gone up the last few years, the atmosphere has slowly gotten better the last couple of years. Winning will do that and if we can continue to win it will only get better. The one thing that kills us is our home games over Christmas break b/c all the students are gone. The MTSU will be a huge game that would have a big crowd if it were after Christmas but we probably only have about 2500 on New Years Eve.

IF we can win the games we are supposed to and not lose at Denver and at FIU and those games then I think our attendence could average 4K for Sun Belt games this year. B/c if we take care of business and win those games we can win 22-24 games this year. Which would be our 3rd straight 20 win season. And do people realize that we are starting 4 sophomores? The future is bright.

[UNTflyer]

I said last year, a small investment in an eye catching banner for the North Texas Blvd overpass, announcing "Mean Green Basketball Tonight", would help boost attendance.

But, our attendance is on pace for a good year. Our average is 2,700 which includes an 1800-attendance game with Cameron. I expect our next 3 games will drag that down as the students go on Christmas break at the end of next week.

[MDH]

I really wish we could become more of a "basketball school". Everyone knows it takes a lot more to become a "football school". We're halfway there...nice arena (could use some minor updating if we wanted to make it more attractive), good coach, GREAT home record. Seeing as SMU and TCU are abysmal, I would like to think we could recruit the top guns eventually from DFW.

I would like to see AD do more to promote basketball. The free t-shirt night was a great success I thought and it's a shame that game wasn't a little more exciting (besides the last 2 minutes) for some of the first time attendee students that were there.

[CMJ]

it's a shame that game wasn't a little more exciting (besides the last 2 minutes) for some of the first time attendee students that were there.

It wasn't? I thought it was and I only listened on the radio.

[MDH]

It wasn't? I thought it was and I only listened on the radio.

A lot of students were getting frustrated with the scroing doughts, turnovers, and horrible free throw shooting.

[CMJ]

We had no exrtremely long scoring drought. You don't score 85 points in a college game with a long period of non-scoring. And we shot 77% from the line.

So those are lame reasons.

Edited December 7, 2008 by CMJ

[meangreenacct]

A lot of students were getting frustrated with the scroing doughts, turnovers, and horrible free throw shooting.

We shot 76.7% from the line and had 13 total turnovers, both of which are pretty good. Not sure what else they would want.

Craig

[e-bone ver2.awesome]

Yes, it can be very frustrating. We have fans, even some of the supposed "die hards" on this board, who plan all week and spend all day tailgating for football games but never come to any Saturday basketball games. So while the AD can be doing much, much more to promote basketball, when the fans who are aware still don't come to games then we can't really expect much.

[oldguystudent]

Postseason success is what brings people to basketball games later on. I don't think average attendance at Gonzaga was all that much more than the rest of the WCC before they started dancing over bigger schools in the tourney each and every year. 20+ wins and not even an NIT bid just ain't gonna' cut it. Look at the market. I'm hearing people out there pissing and moaning about the Cowboys being 8-4 and what a miserable team they are. Today's sports fans want to follow champions...of major events. Sunbelt championships alone ain't gonna' bring in this dude.

Until we start at least reaching the sweet sixteen, and more than once, I think we're looking at the crowds of 4,000 people that we have.

[CMJ]

There's no doubt our Sunbelt Championship 2 years has improved our attendance a bunch. That's why I think the fact that we may draw comperable this year - when we didn't win the Belt last year(or have a high profile Big XII school on the schedule this season) would be really great for us. As I said - baby steps guys.

[GrandGreen]

How many NT alumni live in the DFW metroplex? We played an old rival in NMSU on Saturday...and had less than 4000 in attendance??? We should be embarassed!

I live in Raleigh, NC (NC State/Davidson drew 12,000), so cannot attend many NT games...but I always do attend when I am in town either on business or personal. So, how many NT grads live in the DFW area that can attend games???

I was looking at some of the other box scores...and our attendance was nothing to be proud of. Are the students back in school, or still on break?

I went to the UNC-Charlotte game a couple of years ago (REALLY enjoyed that game, btw)...and they had @ 7000 people watching that game.

Geez, why not compare NT football attendance with OU or UT. I find all these attendance woe threads a little tedious. Blame Denton, Alums, Staff and Faculty or the students; take your pick. In my mind, it is difficult to blame someone for not attending something that they obviously don't care enough about to attend. Believe it or not, the majority of people are not big sports fans. Second, the largest number that are sports fans are sheep that go for the most visible and successful teams to follow. The Pro teams and the pro-like college teams such as UT that have almost unlimited resources are what most sports fans chose to follow. The problem is that they can follow those teams via tv with a lot less cost and effort than it takes to actually go to a game.

NT has not done a good job during its history of building that fan base and certainly need to improve. NT basketball, both teams, are offering a good product and deserve better attendance, but that is only going to be achieved by consistently winning and better promotion of the games. Support for basketball is building although at a snail's pace and that is at least promising.

[chrisfisher]

I really wish we could become more of a "basketball school". Everyone knows it takes a lot more to become a "football school". We're halfway there...nice arena (could use some minor updating if we wanted to make it more attractive), good coach, GREAT home record. Seeing as SMU and TCU are abysmal, I would like to think we could recruit the top guns eventually from DFW.

I would like to see AD do more to promote basketball. The free t-shirt night was a great success I thought and it's a shame that game wasn't a little more exciting (besides the last 2 minutes) for some of the first time attendee students that were there.

I watched the rerun of the game and found it be a very exciting game. There were a ton of fouls, but NCAA officials have realy tightened up on their calls this season. That is the only I thing I can see that may have slowed it down. What I think hurts the excitement for newcomers more than anything is the empty seats for ticket holders.

[oldguystudent]

That is the only I thing I can see that may have slowed it down. What I think hurts the excitement for newcomers more than anything is the empty seats for ticket holders.

Although I think the super pit is a great place, and considering the time it was built, I think it was as state of the art as it got back then, I wonder what the planners were thinking making a 10,000 seat arena for UNT basketball. 5-6,000 average attendance for a team of our level would be fantastic if the venue were that size. But even with a crowd like that, the super pit sits half empty.

Were there additional intentions for the building back in the early 70s? Concerts perhaps? Did they aspire to grow the basketball program to a point where they would attract 10,000 people to a game? Who's the old timer here that knows about this?

[CMJ]

Although I think the super pit is a great place, and considering the time it was built, I think it was as state of the art as it got back then, I wonder what the planners were thinking making a 10,000 seat arena for UNT basketball. 5-6,000 average attendance for a team of our level would be fantastic if the venue were that size. But even with a crowd like that, the super pit sits half empty.

Were there additional intentions for the building back in the early 70s? Concerts perhaps? Did they aspire to grow the basketball program to a point where they would attract 10,000 people to a game? Who's the old timer here that knows about this?

We were in the MVC when it weas built which was the best conference in America top to bottom. So they probably figured we could average nearly 10K a game back then.

We also had the premiere arena in the state when it was first built, and even held some early rounds of the NCAA twice - which I'm also sure was a reason it was built as is.

[bstnsportsfan3]

what they need to do is take out about 1-2k seats and make the current seats wider...they are not fat man friendly!....though i stand anyways so its not such a big deal for me!

[MDH]

We shot 76.7% from the line and had 13 total turnovers, both of which are pretty good. Not sure what else they would want.

Craig

I'm talking about the Sam Houston game (in reference to the free t-shirt night). Sorry for the confusion

[MDH]

We had no exrtremely long scoring drought. You don't score 85 points in a college game with a long period of non-scoring. And we shot 77% from the line.

So those are lame reasons.

SHSU game

[calvin]

I can remember the days when I was hoping to just get 2 thousand into the Pit. So I am pretty fired up that we have been averaging over 3K the last couple of years. ANd it will keep going up.

[Green Dozer]

Although I think the super pit is a great place, and considering the time it was built, I think it was as state of the art as it got back then, I wonder what the planners were thinking making a 10,000 seat arena for UNT basketball. 5-6,000 average attendance for a team of our level would be fantastic if the venue were that size. But even with a crowd like that, the super pit sits half empty.

Were there additional intentions for the building back in the early 70s? Concerts perhaps? Did they aspire to grow the basketball program to a point where they would attract 10,000 people to a game? Who's the old timer here that knows about this?

It was built not only for basketball, but for commencements, concerts, etc. My mom and dad saw Bob Hope there in the 70's. I have seen it filled to capacity in a game against SMU. Furthermore, it was built as a multi-use facility, so state funds paid for it. There were actually no athletic dollars used, such a MGC donations.

[oldguystudent]

It was built not only for basketball, but for commencements, concerts, etc. My mom and dad saw Bob Hope there in the 70's. I have seen it filled to capacity in a game against SMU. Furthermore, it was built as a multi-use facility, so state funds paid for it. There were actually no athletic dollars used, such a MGC donations.

Purely conjecture here, but this is Irvine's joint that seats 5,000 (pardon our plastic seats please). With our current attendance getting up towards 4,000, can you imagine how noisy and intimidating a place like that would be? Maybe we should pull the ole' Oakland Coliseum trick and tarp over the upper deck.

I guess my point is that I'd like to see the 3-4000 people in the super pit more densely seated. Saturday was supposedly 3,000 people in attendance, but when I looked around, it sure didn't look like 1 in 3 seats had a butt in it. Everybody was way too spread out to get any real noise going. Those two sections next to the pit crew are always completely empty. I'm of the opinion that the student section needs to be shifted over two sections, but apparently those empty seats are bring revenue from season ticket holders.

[emmitt01]

Yes, it can be very frustrating. We have fans, even some of the supposed "die hards" on this board, who plan all week and spend all day tailgating for football games but never come to any Saturday basketball games. So while the AD can be doing much, much more to promote basketball, when the fans who are aware still don't come to games then we can't really expect much.

I'm always amused at how you continue to point out this glaring fact...and people continue to be silent in response because they just don't have a decent excuse. With that said I saw quite a few students at the game last Wednesday (including Rodge) that had NT shirts on with the slogan "I support ALL North Texas sports" on the back. Pretty classy if you ask me.

[chrisfisher]

Purely conjecture here, but this is Irvine's joint that seats 5,000 (pardon our plastic seats please). With our current attendance getting up towards 4,000, can you imagine how noisy and intimidating a place like that would be? Maybe we should pull the ole' Oakland Coliseum trick and tarp over the upper deck.

I guess my point is that I'd like to see the 3-4000 people in the super pit more densely seated. Saturday was supposedly 3,000 people in attendance, but when I looked around, it sure didn't look like 1 in 3 seats had a butt in it. Everybody was way too spread out to get any real noise going. Those two sections next to the pit crew are always completely empty. I'm of the opinion that the student section needs to be shifted over two sections, but apparently those empty seats are bring revenue from season ticket holders.

I thought the same thing a game or two ago that the pit crew should be shifted over a couple of rows so that they would be connected with the crowd. I've noticed too when watching games on TV with major schools, they often have 1 area of prime time real estate for students. UNT Athletics should try to condense season ticket holders (its not like there are not enough seats and someone in row 2 on one side could get row 2 on the other side) and push the Pit Crew over a few rows.... I think this would give a more intimate feel and even bring out more students due to better seats instead of being shoved in the corner.

Edited December 8, 2008 by chrisfisher