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Post by yoteforever on Aug 9, 2012 7:23:03 GMT -6
What is it going to take to get our fan base excited and motivated? I realize that I am song to the choir because those USD fans that come to this board and participate are genuine fans for the most part. But the reality of our situation as you look at it from different perspectives is that as a whole, no one seems to give a crap about our athletic program.
We have an announcement this week of Sanford's $20M + gift, and yet my guess is we are still light years away from having the funds secured and locked up to move forward with the project, or even a portion of the project. For months our fan base was preached to about the importance of selling tickets to the NDSU game to keep it from becoming a "home game" for the Bison, but did it happen? Not even close. Many of you wanted a change in coaching last fall in football, and AD Sayler made that change and hired a top notch guy that is truly COYOTE RED in every facet, yet season ticket sales barely move above last year.
One piece of slightly good news is that Howling Pack membership is up and so are the dollars. But when you get to the end of the day, are we really making any progress whatsoever? As a loyal and die hard fan, it makes me sick. I'm frustrated for the program, I'm frustrated for the administration, and mostly frustrated for our coaches and athletes. When you look back our teams have performed damned good considering the level of support they have received.
Which leads me to the new arena. I want the darn thing so bad I can taste it, but really how smart is it to build it IF we are going to average 1000 fans or less to a game, other thn when we play SDSU? There is a theory that says "if you build it, they'll come". I am not so sure. I know we have to have it if we are going to contend or even hope to compete. That's why I say our coaches have really done an awesome job considering what they get back. But when it's built, and we play NO ONE STATE, will we have the fan support to fill it? At this rate, I am guessing NO.
I intend to support and pledge to the arena, and to the prgrams annually as long as I am capable of it, but I have to admit the level of frustration is building. I love USD, and I KNOW for a fact there wasn't a better choice out there for when I came to school, and I still feel that way. I bleed COYOTE RED, but I think that myself and those of you that feel like I do are in the minority. Generally speaking, no one seems to give a sh$t. When you can't sell tickets to a football game in SF with free busing (great idea by the way) because it's opening day of Pheasant season, you have got to be shitting me.
Again I ask......what needs to change in order to make this a happening place to be on GAMEDAY Saturday, and throughout the winter in other sports? And how do you motivate people to give (freely) without someone begging for money?
Chime in, and maybe I am way out of bounds, and if so, let me have it. But I want things to change. Do you?
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Post by Yote 53 on Aug 9, 2012 7:45:35 GMT -6
Honestly, I don't have an answer for you. I actually think it is going to take consistently deep playoff runs and a national championship or two to make USD football a hot ticket. I'm serious. There is no sense of urgency for USD fans to get tickets because they are so used to showing up and getting into the game. There is no reason to prebuy tickets.
For basketball the answer is obvious, consistently win the Summit, go to the Big Dance, and maybe even win a first round game.
I know, those are high bars to set but I feel after last year's football season, and the disappointing losses, and the way we lost some of those games, the sting is still there and not gone away yet. The only way to get some people off their butts is to put a winner on the field, and not just a winner, a contender.
As for the Sanford announcement, it's kind of old news. Most people anywhere near Vermillion or who pay attention to Coyote athletics have known this was in the works for months. Truthfully, the whole NDSU thing, while I understand the reasoning, has turned quite a few people off as well.
EDIT: I've moved this to a more closely related folder. Hope you don't mind.
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Post by sd4life on Aug 9, 2012 8:55:39 GMT -6
I think part of the problem in Vermillion is that people feel like USD always thinks they are entitled to things just because they are USD. 'We are building a wellness center so the city and the schools should help pay.' 'The school needs to be an equal partner in the dome since they use it 4 times a year.' To many people USD wants, wants, wants. The little battle with the school over the dome use got a lot of people upset. Many people wanted the schools to spend more money and build their own versus giving into USD.
I honestly think that USD has a lot of PR work to do with the people in Vermillion and moving a home game to SF did not help.
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Post by yoteforever on Aug 9, 2012 9:51:37 GMT -6
I think part of the problem in Vermillion is that people feel like USD always thinks they are entitled to things just because they are USD. 'We are building a wellness center so the city and the schools should help pay.' 'The school needs to be an equal partner in the dome since they use it 4 times a year.' To many people USD wants, wants, wants. The little battle with the school over the dome use got a lot of people upset. Many people wanted the schools to spend more money and build their own versus giving into USD. I honestly think that USD has a lot of PR work to do with the people in Vermillion and moving a home game to SF did not help. I have heard that before, so I guess there is some validity to it. And maybe it's totally correct. But I also know that President Abbott has at times committed the resources of the University help out and/or benefit the town of Vermillion as well as other nearby communities. If indeed it is an issue, then maybe there needs to be some sort of committee formed of "community lay people" and "university people" and just plain talk out the issues. Regarding the moving of a game to SF, I don't know what to say. I understand that in order to secure a large donation that was a string attached, and we elected to accept that. On the other hand, dollars are tough to come by, and I can't fault administration for making that decision. That really is a "DAMED IF YOU YOU DO, AND DAMNED IF YOU DON'T" decision to make. What is does is allow naysayers to line up and be vocal regardless. Although I don't like the SF game personally, I don't walk in AD Saylers shoes, and I have no doubts in my mind he is a Coyote guy, so I won't find fault or criticize. It's a business decision he made, so we live with it. But all this being said, it still comes down to one word....APATHY. How the hell do you recruit kids to build championship teams if they feel they are going to play in an empty setting? So if we have to win first, that presents a problem. Then once they do win, what I am hearing, is that ou better keep contending each and every year, or I won't come. After typing this topic out this morning, I have thought about it a lot. One thing I thought of is trying to convert the mindset of it just being a game into that of a social event. Football Saturday has turned into that in Vermillion, the problem is still there isn't enough people that believe it. I can't wait till game day. I wake up, go into town and buy my supplies for the "party", drive 2 hours to Verm, set up shop, see a lot of friends, make some new ones, disperse about 50 Bloody Mary's, and listen or watch games around the country. Then when that is over, it's time for kickoff in the Dome. What a great fricking day. Substitute soda for Bloody Mary's if that's your choice. Play bean bag games. Listen to music cranked up. Toss the ball. How much more fun and simple can it be? Let's get ramped up and outwardly excited as a group on this board, and maybe we can ignite a small fire. If you live in Vermillion and agree that there is an issue between the University and the town, do me a favor and try and find away to navigate beyond it. The reality of it all is that the University is the town. Until recently, there wasnt a lot of commerce. There is some now, but still isn't a big piece of the pie. The town and the university should act as one. GAMEDAY, there should be flags hanging on main streets and arteries welcoming everyone to both Vermillion and USD. Maybe I am totally unrealistic, but I am a dreamer, and believe in converting dreams to reality. Let's work together.
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Post by azsod73 on Aug 9, 2012 11:01:27 GMT -6
Call me crazy, but I absolutely believe now is the most positive time for Coyote athletics since I enrolled at the U in 1970. IMHO, over the years we have had University presidents who flat out did not like athletics, or were inattentive at best. We also sufferred from some really dismal ADs who (again, in my opinion) did more harm than good. In spite of that we had the Salem and Triplett eras in FB, a T & F program that consistently performs beyond all reasonable expectations (given funding, facilities etc.), and very good MBB and WBB programs in recent history.
The arena will be built, guaranteed. All you have to do is walk the nearly totally rebuilt campus and recognize that Abbott made all that possible. This next major capital campaign (maybe $250M in total) will be announced soon with the athletic facilities being a significant beneficiary. It will most likely be the final chapter in the Abbott legacy but it will get done and it will get done right.
True, we do not have enough rabid fans espousing optimism in the blogs, buying season tickets, joining the Howling Pack etc. but IT WILL COME!
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Post by Yote 53 on Aug 9, 2012 11:16:21 GMT -6
I wasn't talking about myself. I'll be there gameday no matter what the record. I was talking about those fringe fans and how to build a huge fan base. Sellouts happen one of two ways. One the program has a steeped tradition, one is born into the rabid fanbase. A down season or two, or even decade will not erode it. Two, you win, and win big, and win a lot and become the hottest ticket around. Enough years of that and you become steeped in tradition and things go on automatic.
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Post by sd4life on Aug 12, 2012 6:47:51 GMT -6
The money that Sanford is really nice and is going to help build the new arena. But know that with money comes consequences and I believe one of those consequences is that there will be more Bison fans at the game than Coyote fans.
I may be wrong, but I assume most of the die hard Coyote fans live in the Vermillion area. To get this money, the Coyotes had to move the game an hour away from where their main fan base is. Yes, some will make the trip, but many won't. Hopefully, there will be enough casual observers in SF that will attend the game.
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Post by newtousd33 on Aug 12, 2012 7:46:41 GMT -6
I agree...the most recent BOR report states that there are barely 6,000 on campus students on campus. Move one of the more marquee game off campus is really missing an oportunity to showcase the campus. We are faced with declining on campus enrollment which I think is very dangerous to the long range atmosphere and excitement for coyote athletics.
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Post by Yote 53 on Aug 13, 2012 8:27:27 GMT -6
Not sure about the declining enrollment comments. For the last several years we've had record size freshman classes and our student retention rate has been increasing. We've also been taking in quite a few transfer students, alot from SDSU, probably kids who transfer due to course offerings, not meant to be a shot at the Bunnies.
The U has had to build additional dorms and there are more planned. From all indications the campus seems to be growing.
Still, I agree home games should be played on campus. From early conversations I've had USD supporters better start buying tickets or we'll be outnumbered 70/30. I'm looking at you Sioux Falls Coyote fans. You wanted the game, you got it, now start buying tickets.
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Post by Cousin Eddie on Aug 13, 2012 12:41:10 GMT -6
I will back up Yote 53. First-time/full-time student enrollment has been a new record each of the last 3 years running.
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Post by dakotadump on Aug 13, 2012 15:26:38 GMT -6
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Post by newtousd33 on Aug 13, 2012 20:28:48 GMT -6
This is the report that I am referring to...many of our full time "record" enrollment seem to never set foot on campus.
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Post by summitfan on Aug 13, 2012 20:36:18 GMT -6
If you look at the report posted above it shows that enrollment "on campus" has declined since 2007. First-time/Full-time enrollment can be up but those student are at University Center or online students not in Vermillion. They are not as likely to go to a football game or basketball game and some of them will graduate having never been on the USD campus.
Edit: I took a phone call while typing that reply and didn't see newtousd33's post 12 minutes before me while I was on the phone
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Post by GoYotes on Aug 19, 2012 11:07:10 GMT -6
I posted somewhat similar comments in the "football time" thread a few days ago, but after reading today's Argus Leader, I need to vent some more.
The Sunday sports section had a feature story on Augie athletics and their success in the new D2. Front page also had a story about Seth Daughters, a football player at SDSU. The sports section also had a story about USF's transition to D2.
But no where in the sports section was there any mention of USD. This just 3 days after media days. I guess not like anything new going on at USD. First year of full eligibility at the D1 level, first year competing in the MVFC, new turf going down in the dome, new volleyball court setup in the dome, football game scheduled against defending national champion, NDSU, in Sioux Falls, etc. The Yankton Press & Dakotan does an excellent job of covering the Yotes and the Sioux City Journal also does a decent job. Yet, the daily newspaper in the largest city in SD, the home to more USD grads than any other city, the city where we have scheduled a football game in an attempt to booster our fan base, cannot see fit to give USD the coverage the program deserves. I believe one of the reasons that SDSU has generated higher attendance is the excellent coverage the Argus provides SDSU in the person of Terry Vandrovec. Between regular articles and his blog, there is hardly a day without some coverage of the Jacks. If USD were to receive comparable coverage, the fan interest will grow. I encourage all paid subscribers of the Argus to drop their subscription until the Argus improves their coverage of the Yotes.
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Post by flashtaco on Aug 19, 2012 12:11:31 GMT -6
I'm surprised Mick even attended media day. He just goes through the motions when it comes to covering USD and doesn't try to do anything over the bare requirements. I don't think it is all on the sports editor. Mick doesn't care and it shows. His sportschat online is perfect example. He never has any insight and you ask him some basic questions and he has no answers. The next week the same basic question is asked and he never follows through. Sorry Mick, good guy or not, the above is the truth.
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