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2016 Conference USA Baseball Tournament Thread

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I don't have the numbers in front of me right now but I remember seeing that the attendance of our football games understandably jumped with the new stadium, though not to sellout status because look how our team has been playing.

But it does imply that baseball attendance would increase with a new stadium, albeit likely by hundreds and not thousands.

It's a slower burn, it's regional and baseball in general is its own beast. I don't think it's as easy to introduce and make fans out of new people to the game as it is for basketball and football) just based upon my own experience). Sports fandom is weirdly as much about the social experience as it is about the team/intricacies of the sport for most people. And it's even harder to generate interest from outsiders if they don't even know the team is doing as well as it is.
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Mark, the Saturday morning completion innings had about 60 on berm and 20 in stands. Building a new stadium will not be a money making venture. It will surely lose money. The football team has game money , conference money and tv money available. I totally understand. As a baseball fan, I just wonder how other schools have done it. Their attendance isn't any better (I'm not talking about the big baseball schools). I don't think a new stadium will bring more fans. I don't think a new stadium will matter to most people. It's just embarrassing when the current stadium doesn't meet minimum standards to host a tourney. We have had this problem for 20 years and we will have it for another 10. FAU has made a commitment to football and we are in too deep to not keep it up.
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A new stadium should bring in a slightly larger crowd, as well as more talent. It would make us more attractive to host a conference tourney, and possible regional site. But to help bring in more people, is marketing. I think the only time i seen marketing of both softball and baseball is on facebook and twitter. has anyone seen ads on the highway, or paper talking about the games or season? i never seen anything like that. for basketball and football they always seem to market the games. Tit for tat, but until the athletic center and practice facility are built baseball and softball will take a back seat unless someone donates 20 million specifically for those sports, we'll be waiting.
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WE are in a retirement (sort of - not as much as before) community, Gotta get more older people into college baseball like the minors. Also, more family interest would be great, gotta get more people out somehow ) - 2 for 1 tickets, real CHEAP tickets, etc…. top build  attendance.

We are a top 20 team and drwaw so little, SAD!
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fauowl said

The baseball stadium issues are not new. We have had the same issues for 20 years.

I went to the game Thursday to see our Top 20 team play and there were about 100 people there and half of those were WKU fans.

Sometimes there are more issues than "just build it and they will come" or "just win and they will come." Neither concept has proven to build our fan base that I have seen. Unfortunately, the only concept that may work is time.
Posted On: May 22nd 2016, 1:12 PM #356289

time and WINNING!  

When we get the football program on track and generating some revenue or least not using too much I do agree the baseball stadium should be next in line.  Although basketball is a much bigger sport in S FL the current gym, I meant arena, is sufficient for now.

GO OWLS!
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@Dusky…I too believe that the financial success of our football program will benefit the other programs. Winning is the answer. Local media can not ignore a winning program. I would love for us to get to 20,000 at every game.Then move up from there. Money fixes so many problems. FAU has a lot invested in the football program. Now we need a run of some winning seasons.
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USMCOWL said

What is the word on Labsan?
Posted On: May 21st 2016, 11:31 PM #356285

He is available and will be used as needed is the latest  status  provided.

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Job 1 of helping the fan base (for all sports):

Get students involved. I spoke to the new SG prez, Michael Cairo and asked what some of his targeted goals are while he is in office. He said he wanted to get students involved in athletics. That has been missing for several years so I like the answer. Got to execute it.

We have to target students who want to support athletics. That sounds simple but so many times we think having some contest that gets student butts in seats helps. It does not. How many times have we seen a lot of students at an event because they were giving something big away and the second it is given away, there is a mass exodus out the door.

Having 1000 students at an event who do not give a crap about that event does not do anything for growing the program.

Track the students (using Owl card info) who are attending sporting events and interview them. Find out why they are going. Find the ones who actually care about FAU pride and athletics, and use that data to get more that are similar. Do some homework. Facebook and Twitter are great unless that is all you have going.

If your only marketing plan is a free widget then you do not have a marketing plan...you just have a free widget.

Owls Up!
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fauowl said

Job 1 of helping the fan base (for all sports):

Get students involved. I spoke to the new SG prez, Michael Cairo and asked what some of his targeted goals are while he is in office. He said he wanted to get students involved in athletics. That has been missing for several years so I like the answer. Got to execute it.

We have to target students who want to support athletics. That sounds simple but so many times we think having some contest that gets student butts in seats helps. It does not. How many times have we seen a lot of students at an event because they were giving something big away and the second it is given away, there is a mass exodus out the door.

Having 1000 students at an event who do not give a crap about that event does not do anything for growing the program.

Track the students (using Owl card info) who are attending sporting events and interview them. Find out why they are going. Find the ones who actually care about FAU pride and athletics, and use that data to get more that are similar. Do some homework. Facebook and Twitter are great unless that is all you have going.

If your only marketing plan is a free widget then you do not have a marketing plan...you just have a free widget.

Owls Up!
Posted On: May 22nd 2016, 7:47 PM #356298

That is a good plan by the SG President, but they have to also convince the students to stay longer than a half. A lot of students leave at half time. But I like the idea of interviewing of students who attend the sporting events. Ground game and such work well as well. Maybe have the MBA Sports management students work with athletics to devlop a marketing plan to reach the students.
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My daughter and her friends do not attend any sports events. For the first year or so, they did. Now , almost never. They don't like sports or drinking. They always are doing things together. They just don't care about sports.
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