Regular Season Home Attendance

[Mason2005]

I feel like I am going to get bashed for my answer. But I went to two games.

Yes ticket prices are expensive, but frankly I also like watching the games at home better. However, I do want to go and show support.

Omggggg only 2 games!!!!!!!

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[gmubrian]

Its all about the students. Current students are future season ticket holders.
go after student groups for biggest return on investment.

You have this 100% right, but, I think this is only 1 of 2 key parts of the equation. The second part, and I think it is more important, is retention of existing customers. There are plenty of studies that show it is much cheaper to keep existing customers than to acquire new customers. After you have spent the money to acquire your new customers, you should put in the effort to keep them so you don't waste that investment.

Someone (it might have been 99) questioned the timing and purpose of my posts regarding my recent experiences with the AD. The posts on this thread are exactly what it was about. The timing is that the team has a great coach that is going to have the team winning more and more, now is the time the AD needs to do the things to support the coach and team (monetarily and with fans in the seats). The purpose of my posts was to highlight the issues I believe exist in the AD. Pablo has hinted that he has been dissed or ignored in some way and others have posted their bad experiences as well. I have heard from many people outside of these boards as well about bad experiences. Somethings seems to be wrong.

The AD needs to start by just doing the basic things to retain existing customers. A good start would be to merely have a first class customer relations focus that does not allow things to repeatedly fall through the cracks with customers that are trying to give you money.

I could go on and on, but, I'll stop before my post becomes another novel...

 

[MasonFanatic]

I live in Fairfax City and work in Tysons and recently figured out (after trying a variety of routes) to take back roads that take me through Fairfax Circle - I can confirm you are correct. Saves 10 minutes each way (better in the evening than the morning).

Hmm. My big issue is getting past the Beltway and Gallows and Prosperity. Straight through on 50 doesn't work, and cutting up to 29 and coming back down doesn't work either. It's 20 minutes to go less than 2 miles. Once I get to Fairfax Circle, I'm good. I can take Picket down to 236 and then either cut down to Braddock or go into campus via Roberts to avoid downtown Fairfax. I think that's about the same as your route (which I've also tried).

 

[Washingtonian]

I'm working on doing this. I go to every game but most of my friends can't.

Hmm. My big issue is getting past the Beltway and Gallow and Properity. Straight trhough on 50 doesn't work, and cutting up to 29 and coming back down doesn't work either. It's 20 minutes to go less than 2 miles. Once I get to Fairfax Circle, I'm good. I can take Picket down to 236 and then either cut down to Braddock or go into campus via Roberts to avoid downtown Fairfax. I think that's about the same as your route (which I've also tried).

It seems more employers are flexible with hours, whether it is work from home a day or two a week or coming in earlier. I base this on seeing 395 South backed up at 3 PM on any given weekday.


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[MasonFanatic]

I also think the hospitality rooms should be marketed by giving out passes to 1) graduating seniors and 2) season ticket holders (perhaps repeat season ticket holders who have not taken the next step in donations). Give out a pair of passes for free, that are valid for any weekday game (too crowded on weekends sometimes), to give people a taste of what is behind the curtain. Absolutely zero cost to give them out and would almost certainly lead to increased donations. Also maybe make a mid season offer for current season ticket holders to make a reduced donation to get passes for rest of the year.

They used to have a night late in the season that graduating seniors and grad students could get into the Gold Room for free. I would hope they still do it.

 

[gmubrian]

I would agree with a slightly later start time in theory, but for TV purposes I think the 7pm start time is locked in so they can have a 9pm game after. Though we seemed to have a lot less TV games this year. Maybe those time windows will become more flexible as streaming becomes more popular.

With start times much later than 7, I am assuming you are going to start to cannibalize your family based crowd. With games starting at 7, they are ending at ~9, not getting home until 9:30, so your kids probably aren't in bed until almost 10. That is getting late for kids that are coming as part of a family group. Most of our newly minted recent student fans are, hopefully, going to be around long enough to go through a family phase and beyond. Don't give them an easy excuse to lose the connection at that point.

 

[Falco]

Omggggg only 2 games!!!!!!!

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Silly Mom, honesty isn't the best policy.

I guess I should have lied. If this forum had as many donors as we claim the practice facility would have been built years ago.

 

[Vurbel]

It takes me 40-45 minutes to get to Mason from my office for a weeknight game (9 miles)

It takes me 30 minutes to get to Mason from my house for a Saturday game (25 miles)

To me, that is the core problem with our weeknight attendance. I'd like to see a study on starting weeknight games at 7:30 pm instead of 7 pm. Would we gain more people than we lose?

Or would we lose more than we keep? Some of us have to get up early.

 

[GMUgemini]

Silly Mom, honesty isn't the best policy.

I guess I should have lied. If this forum had as many donors as we claim the practice facility would have been built years ago.

I think that was sarcasm. Also, there aren't a to of us regulars on the board.


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[MasonFanatic]

Or would we lose more than we keep? Some of us have to get up early.

Right, I don't know the answer.

 

[Vurbel]

Right, I don't know the answer.

I just know if games go around 2 hours and if I'm at the EBA until 9:30, then by the time I get out of there and get home I'm pushing 10:30. If we went to 7:30 games I'd be joining a fair number of people in leaving at halftime. If I was 40 years younger it wouldn't matter. But I'm old.

 

[GSII]

Doubt the time changes. Tv dictates that most of the time.

 

[Washingtonian]

With start times much later than 7, I am assuming you are going to start to cannibalize your family based crowd. With games starting at 7, they are ending at ~9, not getting home until 9:30, so your kids probably aren't in bed until almost 10. That is getting late for kids that are coming as part of a family group. Most of our newly minted recent student fans are, hopefully, going to be around long enough to go through a family phase and beyond. Don't give them an easy excuse to lose the connection at that point.

I could be wrong about this, but doesn't MASN use mostly filler programs during the day and live sports at night? If FS1 can get Big East games at 6:30 PM during the week, why can't the A-10? Granted, that makes it tougher to get home, get the kids and drive to Fairfax, but maybe one game as an "experiment" couldn't hurt.

It could be worse, remember the weeknight games that were at 9 PM because of TV? At least that didn't happen this season!

 

[Vurbel]

I could be wrong about this, but doesn't MASN use mostly filler programs during the day and live sports at night? If FS1 can get Big East games at 6:30 PM during the week, why can't the A-10? Granted, that makes it tougher to get home, get the kids and drive to Fairfax, but maybe one game as an "experiment" couldn't hurt.

It could be worse, remember the weeknight games that were at 9 PM because of TV? At least that didn't happen this season!

I personally would like 6:30!

 

[GMUSig03]

I guess we should just play the games twice - once from 5:30-7:30 and once from 7:30-9:30 - then everyone is happy!

 

[Pablo]

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/03/02/Colleges/College-basketball.aspx:

"Attendance gains typically can be traced to three factors — the building, the coach and the schedule."

 

[The Great PATSby]

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/03/02/Colleges/College-basketball.aspx:

"Attendance gains typically can be traced to three factors — the building, the coach and the schedule."

damn, so I guess my idea of topless models throwing out T-Shirts and money won't work.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I would suggest avoiding Sunday afternoon games, too. Those always seem to be poorly attended and we have like a .150 winning percentage on Sundays over the last 10 years. But again, that's also a TV decision most of the time.

 

[patriotchild]

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/02/gra...tball-best-student-section-havocs-dan-majerle

This is amazing. I want to go here. We forget that the games really should be heard toward the students so they can support their peers.

As a student, and even now as a graduate with a family, I hate that Masons goal has always been to make the basketball environment "family friendly." I'm actually surprised that the green Machine is aloud to play so loudly at games.

GCU proves that it can be done. if BA and AC want to go big time they need to talk to and hire people who made this happen.

 

[GMUgemini]

This is amazing. I want to go here. We forget that the games really should be heard toward the students so they can support their peers.

As a student, and even now as a graduate with a family, I hate that Masons goal has always been to make the basketball environment "family friendly." I'm actually surprised that the green Machine is aloud to play so loudly at games.

GCU proves that it can be done. if BA and AC want to go big time they need to talk to and hire people who made this happen.

Trust me when I tell you walking onto the GCU campus is like walking onto the set of 1984 (of the security guards manning the gates even let you on campus that is).


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