It was an aticle documenting Florida’s struggle to get people to their games even coming off back-to-back Elite 8 seasons. Florida’s basketball attendance issues isn’t something new and it isn’t something unknown. In 2012/2013 (the year that article was written) they averaged 10,677 tickets sold. Last year, they averaged 10,570 tickets sold. I’m sure this season will have similar numbers despite your anecdotal “packed gym” reference.
The thing is, I agree with the original point of the thread. That doesn’t mean that you can support the original point with faulty information like citing Florida and Oregon as schools with good attendance situations.
And there has been nothing hostile about my responses to you. Stop being so salty about me providing facts.
Yes, because clearly nothing about “Read the links I posted and stop citing anecdotes. Thanks.” is hostile.
I’ve already conceded Oregon. Funny that you still bring them up.
Michigan’s attendance numbers haven’t been updated on ESPN for Maryland, but against Minnesota it said that it was about 11,500. Having gone to the game, I’d be shocked if there were more than about 8,000 people there. The problem isn’t selling the tickets, it’s getting fans to show up. Florida apparently isn’t doing either very well (Although as I said, I saw them against LSU and it sure as hell looked 95% full to me.) Now here’s where your hostilities comes in again. If I was wrong, whoops. Too bad. I guess correct me then. However there’s no reason at all for you to “get salty”, as you would say, about me questioning a source from 4 seasons ago. That hardly seems illogical. I am very open to you just saying: “Actually Oregon and Florida…” and not “Why on EARTH would you cite…” THAT is being hostile, I’m sorry to tell you.
I’m glad you have finally conceded that Oregon and Florida don’t have admirable attendance situations as implied and supported earlier. If you had done so after my first post (or looked up the numbers before hand), we could have avoided this back and forth.
Now back to the original point, yes Crisler attendance needs a real kick in the rear.
Let’s be honest, the majority of Michigan fans are some of the most passive in the country when they attend games. We have to have 100,000 people in our football stadium to even come close to getting as loud as some of the SEC schools. I am not questioning anybody’s loyalty or fanhood, I am just saying that our fans are notoriously quiet. My parents said it was like that when they were at Michigan and it was that way for me from 2010-2014. While our fans can get up for games like the Notre Dame night games, MSU games, and OSU games, they struggle in all other games and even in parts of those big games.
The same goes for basketball. I had season tickets all four years and was there for the rejuvenation of our program. The students have been pretty incredible for the last 5+ years given that many are relegated to the rafters but it’s the adults who are the problem just like in football. I have never seen a “full” Crisler Center; there are always open seats even for the huge games against MSU, Arizona, Kansas, OSU, Wisconsin etc. The majority of those fans that do show up are quiet and sit on their hands until the very end of the game when they finally manage to stand up. I don’t know how we could fix this problem other than pushing all of the adults to the upper sections like they do at the Breslin Center. When was the last time someone said Crisler was an intimidating place to play? Never. It’s because we have all the rich, quiet alumni sitting courtside politely clapping like they are at a tennis match. These people need to be moved up and away from the court but it will never happen because our athletic program values the money they spend on tickets too much.
We could have the greatest recruiting classes known to man, we could start more crazy rewards programs to get people to show up to games, we could have the number 1 team in the country again but it won’t matter. Michigan fans are intellectuals who have so much going on in their lives that basketball takes a back seat. I’m sure all of those fans love our team but they suck at creating a basketball atmosphere when they come to the games. Be louder adults, you are embarrassing us.
The student section attendance has always been decent. It’s the alumni/adults who struggle to show up. There are open seats even for the biggest games. Those that do show up sit on their hands and politely clap until the final 2 minutes of close games. If the game isn’t close, welp, no cheering from them.
Even for big games, our fans still suck. We got out-cheered by the Arizona and Xavier fans! Fans from a school 2000 miles away were louder than our entire stadium.
It would be interesting to see a chart showing the % full each season for the last 35 years.
Or even in the last 15 years. Does anyone know, are we actually doing better at filling seats than we were 10-15 years ago?
I don’t have stats to back it up, but as a season ticket holder through the Ellerbe/Amaker years…yes, we are doing better.
Side note - I am THAT GUY who got rid of his season tickets after Belein’s first year…and have regretted it ever since.
I won’t speak for the fan base as a whole, but I consider myself a die-hard UMHoops fan…yet I am admittedly quiet at the games. I hadn’t considered “why” until this thread, but I think I tend to watch the games from a coaching/analyst standpoint and have just never been a vocal fan. These days, as someone mentioned above, I am less inclined to head to Crisler as I enjoy watching from my home after a long workday, and getting to a 7pm tip or getting home after midnight for the 9pm games just isn’t worth it to me. Wish I had a better attitude towards it, because I would throw punches if someone questioned my actual fandom
For some insight into our student fanbase, while I was in line for the game today (about 30 people there), these two guys by me didn’t know who Jalen Rose is.
That makes me so sad. Especially as 30 year old who was largely too young to remember the fab five when they actually played. They were ICONIC and he still is very relevant and boisterous about his Michigan allegiance.
Reegs, completely out of curiosity… what is your view on the degree to which the current students should have that education? I watched a lot of Fab Five in high school, and have the same reaction that nswan had, but I’m not sure what is reasonable at this stage as I had no idea who Campy/Cazzie were when I was in college in the 90s until the first Maize Rage group made some of this history a priority as this was what Duke did as well as others.
I’m a die hard fan/historian this as anyone, but really just was wondering how the younger base of fans, who have really only known the F4 team as program success, best get that information in a way they appreciate.
I feel like the Fab Five is way different than not knowing Campy or Cazzie (particularly since people have access to so much information now). They were a big deal in the history of sports in general, not just Michigan Basketball. Webber and Rose are also both prominent media analysts that you will have watched on TV if you actually care about basketball.
I think its a matter of perspective. I was just trying to not hold anyone to a standard that I didn’t/couldn’t meet myself – that being knowing only what you’ve been able to see directly which is all I initially did. While anyone my age from AA could have seen Jalen play in the early 90s, I agree that his contributions have been heavily covered (to fatigue at some points), and that anyone over the age of 10 has seen enough of him to have a view.
From my view though which started in around 1986, and not having seen players from the 60s/70s, I think there is a point where you can expect those who consider themselves fans of the current teams to be both curious and force fed information on past teams. Lets say that everyone has to know how Jalen is now simply b/c they couldn’t avoid hearing about him. Glen Rice actually hung the title banner. I’d be curious how well his story is known, and that he still holds the record for most points scored in a tournament (184). Less covered, but more relevant in the context of being a fan. In the 99 Maize Rage meetings, “184” was an iconic number frozen into everyone’s heads, and this was just 10y after it was set.
I didn’t write the prior post as a hypothetical. I’m honestly very interested in how past players/program legacy (Jalen fatigue notwithstanding) are relevant to the current students and if you think that has any role to play in deepening fan support (not making them louder, but maybe more invested). Your posts on the topic have been thoughtful and I think a valuable contrast to those of us who have been around for a while.
(note I’m still damn loud when I get the opportunity to go)
I hope I don’t offend anyone, but I think that the Maize Rage can do something about this. I see things like what Maryland does at the :30 second mark of the clip below and then I compare it to what we’re doing. Now, don’t get me wrong, the maize rage IS the loudest fan group in the building. They do a great job. But I think that they (and the rest of the crowd) can do more. I’ve attended a game at cameron indoor. I’ve attended a game at rupp. I’ve also see games in high school gyms that have more energy and vibe. I don’t think anyone on the board disagrees that if the team is good the crowd is better/more hype. But I think if there were more fun crowd interaction it could become a better environment and therefore drive more people to want to go there. Like a Jimmy Buffet concert. Even if you don’t like his music, it’s one heck of a show.
How do we make this happen? I think it would be great to have a brainstorming session to see what kind of ideas we can come up with. A raucous student section showing on TV and when there are recruits there would be phenomenal for the program.
Some of my thoughts:
Put the “white collar” seats on the camera side.
Fill the lower bowl opposite the camera with students first and let 'em rip.
Come up with different shirt/giveaway ideas that play to themes. I’m sure the Maize Rage can find some alumni support to fund some of these things. Maybe have a UMHoops (or other blog) night with specialty shirts at the game.
Think through some chant/crowd activities that can be inclusive. Not that it has to be as elaborate as what the terpdurkins are doing in the vid but something fun.
Like:
When a player just nails a fantastic dunk or a three and there is an opportunity to do this chant their name. Imagine last night when Duncan hit one of his threes that the whole student section starts to loudly chant “DUN-CAN” “DUN-CAN” “DUN-CAN”, etc. Or “DAWK-INS”…etc, etc, etc. Something that just reverberates through the stadium and is easy enough that the kids and other adults can join in immediately. Think if Mo just slips a screen and gets to the rim for a nice dunk, what chanting “VAG-NER” over and over for a few seconds would do to pump him, the team and the crowd up. Plus, wouldn’t it be great if Dan Dakich had to really speak up to get his point across because of the noise?
Music related. I know that there are a number of these that we utilize at times but what about something a little more current and fun that “the kids” might enjoy. Not exactly Jump Around at the beginning of Q4 for wisky but jumping and crazy to a beat that everyone can join in with. People love to dance - even people like me that can’t.
Again, I think the MR does a great job with what they’ve got and I know that they really want the most crowd noise that they can get as well. So I’m hoping that there can be some ideas thrown around somewhere that would allow them to come up with some fantastic crowd participation things that would make the games more fun for students, tv, etc. Things that would hype the crowd and make more people want to attend. If Maryland can do it, I’m sure we can!
Lot of good ideas here; appreciate the thoughtul contribution. Agree that it has to be a project, with a lot of elements contributing to improvement. I always feel that crowd participation could be miles more clever and effective–Stanford fans are a great example, as are UM hockey fans.
Just wanted to say that the Maize Rage and the rest of the fans really looked fantastic on the broadcast Saturday. Excellent job. The Chadtough shirts really unified the crowd and it looked like people were having a great time. I know the team felt the love!
I agree it was better. The non-students did a much better job than Usual of showing up. On the broadcast I noticed the top half of the upper deck student seats were empty. I can’t even blame them, not only are they terrible seats, but they don’t get that student section type experience either since they sit down the whole game and don’t really do the cheers.
That is their choice to not do the cheers and to sit down. I might make a suggestion for the Maize Rage core to send someone up there, but it might not be worth it since everyone in Section 130 don’t always stand up.
