Student Section Name Suggestions

[psax889906]

Originally Posted by vielhaber

The student section is pretty atrocious right now, which is why we are trying everything in our power to revamp it. It's one of the things that disappoints me most about UC is the lack of student support, especially at basketball games. A new student section name is just one step in a much larger plan to not only make our student section not only more unified and on the same page as everyone else, but also an exciting thing that students want to be a part of. My goal, and the goal of the rest of the committee that I'm on, is that next year our student sections will be almost unrecognizable from past years.

It's great that your committee is taking action. Please make us proud of our student section- not embarrassed by it. There is no reason the students can't be 1,000 strong (ball park- not really sure how big the student section actually is) at every home game if there is strong student leadership, good communication and what we now have: winning basketball.

[Kingsley Court]

I'll be honest here since not many people are. A simple student section name will not generate more numbers or more pride. I'm sorry, but that won't do it. It will take better teams coming into UC and playing UC, in basketball or football. And, even though you can generate more money, don't go to Paul Brown, that eliminates the student section completely. That takes away home field advantage right away. Sorry, but it does. You can not get a great atmosphere at an NFL stadium.

I'll give it to you straight. It's not about student section names, it's not about give aways, it's about success on the court and on the field. Once you do that, you will get students to the games. And don't tell me about the success you had this past season, because beating garbage teams in the occ season will not create student spirit. True your team had good success this past year, they won an NCAA tourney game, but then students look at the schedule and there is nothing to get excited about until Big East play? That won't cut it. Sorry, but a name change will not help students get more spirit, it's all about who you play and how you perform.

[psax889906]

Originally Posted by Kingsley Court

I'll be honest here since not many people are. A simple student section name will not generate more numbers or more pride. I'm sorry, but that won't do it. It will take better teams coming into UC and playing UC, in basketball or football. And, even though you can generate more money, don't go to Paul Brown, that eliminates the student section completely. That takes away home field advantage right away. Sorry, but it does. You can not get a great atmosphere at an NFL stadium.

I'll give it to you straight. It's not about student section names, it's not about give aways, it's about success on the court and on the field. Once you do that, you will get students to the games. And don't tell me about the success you had this past season, because beating garbage teams in the occ season will not create student spirit. True your team had good success this past year, they won an NCAA tourney game, but then students look at the schedule and there is nothing to get excited about until Big East play? That won't cut it. Sorry, but a name change will not help students get more spirit, it's all about who you play and how you perform.

1) You're probably being intentionally naive to garner a response by saying that "a simple student section name will not generate more numbers or more pride."

Consider that attempt a success: That's idiotic and no one, anywhere, at any point in this thread even remotely hinted at that.

2) The student section at PBS for the Oklahoma game was absolutely epic and I'm not sure I've seen a better one at Nippert. Considering your background I'm inclined to ask if you were at that contest- or even saw it on television. PBS is all about context- given the right situations it can be an EXCEPTIONAL environment for Bearcat football games, imo. Given the fact that this year the contract they worked out with the Bengals is much more lucrative for the University I am all for the two games at PBS.

3) Beating garbage teams in the OOC? You know you're walking straight into this one right?

Lets start from the beginning:

Clearly the rebuilding process is still going on. The on the court portion is over. Unfortunately UC does not have the luxury of an IU, for example (similar but not identical situation), which is basically the only ticket in town there and has undying support from it's fan base both from an attendance and financial donation standpoint. There is no denying things got much better during the stretch run last year. The last few crowds at home games were wonderful and echo's of the 90's. Give it a little more time and the crowds will continue to grow, the money will come back and all will be well.

Now without getting into the entire dissertation on WHY UC HAS to schedule so many of these "garbage" games right now I will get down to the main point on this topic. Please if you will examine the schedules of the overwhelming majority of Big East teams. You will see that it is common practice to have a plethora of cupcakes at the beginning of the year- because of the impending onslaught that always occurs starting around January 1. You might take a step back and look at the team a few miles down the road- year after year they face a FIERCE OOC schedule. Why? Because they must while they play in a conference that WISHES it was the old C-USA with UofL, Cincinnati, Marquette, Memphis, etc. I make that comparison because I see in the current A-10 a blurry image of the old C-USA alignment. A poor man's modern day version of that league which struggled at times with it's identity, Power Conference or Mid Major?

I'm sure everyone is just enthralled to be playing Duquesne in late Feb with the A-10 title on the line...




The 'Cats took back the city last year and I'm sorry to tell you but this is only the beginning. Mick Cronin and Co. are doing things the RIGHT way on and off the court... http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/m-b...051711aaa.html and it's time for little brother to go sit in the corner.

This is ours, you won't be needing it any time soon:

[UCalum08]

Originally Posted by Kingsley Court

I'll be honest here since not many people are. A simple student section name will not generate more numbers or more pride. I'm sorry, but that won't do it. It will take better teams coming into UC and playing UC, in basketball or football. And, even though you can generate more money, don't go to Paul Brown, that eliminates the student section completely. That takes away home field advantage right away. Sorry, but it does. You can not get a great atmosphere at an NFL stadium.

I'll give it to you straight. It's not about student section names, it's not about give aways, it's about success on the court and on the field. Once you do that, you will get students to the games. And don't tell me about the success you had this past season, because beating garbage teams in the occ season will not create student spirit. True your team had good success this past year, they won an NCAA tourney game, but then students look at the schedule and there is nothing to get excited about until Big East play? That won't cut it. Sorry, but a name change will not help students get more spirit, it's all about who you play and how you perform.

Psax said everything I was thinking in his comment above, and to put simply, you are trying to open a totally different topic than what this thread is about. It is about the student section....lack there of. It is not about who we play, it is the face that we have thousands of students on campus every night and majority of the games we have maybe a few hundred. It is sad the school has not made this more of a priority to advertise and market to the kids to come to the game. Even when I went to school starting in '03 those first two years it was the biggest social event a student could go to besides a house party.

There is no reason why the students don't fill those sections up, pre-game before, get drunk with each other, or if they don't drink hang out, act crazy, do funny inappropriate cheers and cheer on your school. It didn't matter who we played back then, it was just a fun time to let loose for awhile. The student crowd for the football games have been awesome the past few years and that only happens once a week not even weekly, while you have basketball games happening a couple times a week for months. Students can multiply their fun by just attending the bball games, everyone needs/wants an excuse for a party right? lol. The person who started this thread needs to really try and work with upper management and marketing on getting through to these students that bball games are a fun social event. I won't go on with the marketing ideas bc in my mind there are dozens of ways to do that.

[psax889906]

I agree Alum with what you're saying. I think marketing and better communication with the students will do wonders. Having never actually been a student there it seems to me from what I've heard that many students don't even realize when the games are going on. You need good student leadership and it appears as though this committee may be one step in the right direction. There needs to be a certain level of continuity in how the student section is organized, ran, etc... how to accomplish all that is the real question. But it's certainly good to see students are taking it upon themselves to better the group as a whole.

[Kingsley Court]

You guys are right, I didn't see the student section in person at Paul Brown, so I could have been wrong on that. Still, it's not a simple student section name to turn around and be a big social event that you are talking about. That happens with success, and success only. It also happens with teams you play. I know they don't have the funds or whatever to play good OOC games at home, but you just won't get a good student section playing the teams you did last year. No one cares about those games.

By the way, I love the whole "we won last year, it's our city now, we will dominate the series now" attitude. That's for a different thread, but I'm happy winning 10 of the last 15 years, I think that, more than this past year, shows who is the dominant team.

[psax889906]

Originally Posted by Kingsley Court

You guys are right, I didn't see the student section in person at Paul Brown, so I could have been wrong on that. Still, it's not a simple student section name to turn around and be a big social event that you are talking about. That happens with success, and success only. It also happens with teams you play. I know they don't have the funds or whatever to play good OOC games at home, but you just won't get a good student section playing the teams you did last year. No one cares about those games.

By the way, I love the whole "we won last year, it's our city now, we will dominate the series now" attitude. That's for a different thread, but I'm happy winning 10 of the last 15 years, I think that, more than this past year, shows who is the dominant team.

The 'Cats didn't just win this year's shootout- they made little Igor Frease run home to his mommy and daddy... that punk came out throwing air jabs to the student section... I believe he left with a towel over his head.

[bearcat jeff]

More student promotions, winning basketball, and the continued march of top 25 teams thru 5/3rd Arena will cure the ills we're speaking of. I do agree to some extent that 1-2 solid OOC home games would help energize the fans as well. This city loves a winner and has little patience for anything else (with the exception of the Bengals and that has more to do with the popularity of pro football). Keep winning and going to the NCAA and doing things to energize the student base and it will all take care of itself.

[david aka the TYZ]

I will say this -- most people are sheep and will follow what's popular. Gimmicks can work in your favor to a certain degree. Yes we have to be competitive, but seeing how we're on the ESPN networks for all conference games, getting them to mention our student section (like they do the Oakland Zoo or the Cameron Crazies) by name will entice 18 and 19 year olds to think they can get on TV. So yeah I think it could help. Not only that it builds unity and gives students an identity. Will it double attendance -- no. Will it help fire the students up a little more -- won't hurt. The student support for football has been fantastic the past few years. Most of that can be attributed to winning, but more so it was the attitude and swagger we carried and that the players identified through the students. The same can happen for basketball.

[psax889906]

Originally Posted by david aka the TYZ

I will say this -- most people are sheep and will follow what's popular. Gimmicks can work in your favor to a certain degree. Yes we have to be competitive, but seeing how we're on the ESPN networks for all conference games, getting them to mention our student section (like they do the Oakland Zoo or the Cameron Crazies) by name will entice 18 and 19 year olds to think they can get on TV. So yeah I think it could help. Not only that it builds unity and gives students an identity. Will it double attendance -- no. Will it help fire the students up a little more -- won't hurt. The student support for football has been fantastic the past few years. Most of that can be attributed to winning, but more so it was the attitude and swagger we carried and that the players identified through the students. The same can happen for basketball.

David... how would you compare the student section at the Oklahoma game to other UC student sections throughout the past few years? Not being an actual student at UC makes it a little more difficult for me to exactly gauge such a thing, though I was there.