Just can't understand why we don't have better attendance at Carver.
- Thread starter BrewHawk
- Start date
I’d say the last time Carver was classic Carver was during early Alford era. After the first year, excitement was jacked, can still remember the scrimmage before the football game with heavy standing room only.
It still gets that way, but you’ve got to be a wrestling fan to experience it.
It still gets that way, but you’ve got to be a wrestling fan to experience it.
Maybe, but the first time I really recall Carver looking exceptionally empty was during Lickliter's first season during one of the non-con games early on. Not just a little sparse, but the upper seats - just no one there at all. Maybe my memory fails me, but I remember being shocked at seeing that.
I was there at the Black and Gold blowout in 2001. It was insane. Of course, that team was Top 10-12 in the pre-season.
No,.. Attendance is lacking mostly because people have numerous other entertainment options these days, and of the folks that are interested, many would prefer to simply watch the game on TV..
And yet, other programs seem to be able to get fans to attend their games.
The Iowa women had a pretty good crowd last night.
Nebraska fans sold out the game last night due to convenience. It was an early game during the holiday week (when fewer people are working) versus a rival team, with Nebraska playing better this year. When Iowa played in Lincoln late last season, there were plenty of empty seats.
The fair-weather aspect of Iowa basketball fans has been built up over many years and several generations (including all current students). Carver was rocking from when it opened in 1983 (when I was a student), and throughout the rest of the decade, even with the arena location, and some late games. Fans attending Iowa basketball during that era had memories of recent success (80 Final Four, 79 share of Big Ten title), with two other Sweet 16s and one painful Elite 8 during that decade.
Iowa basketball had an extremely high level of fan engagement in the 1980s. That is gone now. Failure to capitalize on the past two years with Garza and Keegan Murray has further deflated fan interest. Convenience will be the key factor in fan attendance until they break through with a memorable run in the NCAA tourney (which is not on the horizon with Fran).
There's a lot of truth to this IMO.
Carver location, tip times at something other than 7pm, televised games, bad winter weather were all true 30 years ago as well. Yet Carver was still full, or nearly so, for pretty much every game.
If you ask me, the passion is no longer there from most of the fan base. It's been decades since an Iowa team has made any noise in the NCAA Tournament.
I'm not sure why Nebraska can get fans to their games with virtually zero tradition, but I guess the Lincoln area also has nearly 4x as many people, and Omaha is only about an hour's drive. Suppose that helps.
You could go and watch Pat watch the rest of his teammates play defense and rebound.
Iowa hosted a rival Wisconsin on a weekend afternoon, coming off a pounding of rival Iowa State.
. . . and we didn't sniff a sell-out. Not even close.
I don't know how to make this happen but during my college tenure the student section was usually full. Horner/Brunner/Haluska years. Getting the students back would change everything. But like I said, no clue how to make that happen.
Women seem to consistently be a good draw. Wonder how many extra ticket sales Caitlin Clark is worth.
Did you see Penn State's crowd last night? Yeah, New Years Day game, other things to do. But it looked like they had a thousand fans. Pretty poor for a ten win team.
Maybe they're all at the Rose Bowl.
Maybe they're all at the Rose Bowl.
Funny to see people stretching for an excuse. Eastern Iowa fans, Alford, Lickliter blah blah blah. Current head coach is always to blame for the state of any program, regardless of sport or institution. 3 years of a bad coach does far less to kill a fan base enthusiasm than 12 years of mediocrity. Yawn, is what Iowa basketball has been during Fran’s entire tenure. But yeah, blame Davenport, lol.
There is no excitement over Iowa men's basketball. The "product" has become stale and fans just don't care. And I think Fran Fatigue is real.
It does not help that the University's athletic marketing department is probably the worst in the country. They make very little effort to find ways to get fans to the games. They just don't seem to care.
It does not help that the University's athletic marketing department is probably the worst in the country. They make very little effort to find ways to get fans to the games. They just don't seem to care.
Why does nobody say anything when only 8k wrestling fans show up for the first two meets of the season? It's like wrestling fans act like every home meet is ISU or Penn St when that is not the case at all. Let's charge wrestling prices for basketball and see how that changes things.
Nevermind, somebody has to bring some money in besides football
Big ten basketball is down this year too. After Thursday, Iowa has no home games against ranked teams. That will probably change, but OSU, Michigan, and Michigan State aren’t looking like the teams a lot of people thought they were preseason.
I agree with Bee93. The fault lies with the head coach, period. The bottom line is recruiting, whether it be HS players or the lack of transfers. Whatever the case, Fran is the problem. The solution? A lot of layers here. Too many to discuss.
ISU got "lucky" a few years back when McDermott moved on to Creighton. It saved Pollard from having to fire him. ISU got lucky again with Fred. Lucky because he had zero coaching experience, but did really well. Prohm comes along, and the time finally came when Pollard had to make a difficult choice. Totally different situation with Prohm + McCaffery, but the one parallel I see is the attitude of the fan base. You know you are in trouble when APATHY sets in. That's where a lot of ISU fans (myself) included where at the end of the 2-22 season. Beyond that, there was no hope that things were going to improve. I see (and read) the same thing from Iowa fans. Barta (and Pollard) make these decisions based upon a lot of factors, with $$$ being at the top of the list. When people stop showing up to games, then the dominoes start falling. I'm guessing there are BIG donors who have influence as well.
Anyway, like I said in an earlier thread, this may be a tipping point year for Fran + Iowa bball. Does Barta pull the trigger? It's probably better to move on 1 year too soon vs. 1 year too late.
ISU got "lucky" a few years back when McDermott moved on to Creighton. It saved Pollard from having to fire him. ISU got lucky again with Fred. Lucky because he had zero coaching experience, but did really well. Prohm comes along, and the time finally came when Pollard had to make a difficult choice. Totally different situation with Prohm + McCaffery, but the one parallel I see is the attitude of the fan base. You know you are in trouble when APATHY sets in. That's where a lot of ISU fans (myself) included where at the end of the 2-22 season. Beyond that, there was no hope that things were going to improve. I see (and read) the same thing from Iowa fans. Barta (and Pollard) make these decisions based upon a lot of factors, with $$$ being at the top of the list. When people stop showing up to games, then the dominoes start falling. I'm guessing there are BIG donors who have influence as well.
Anyway, like I said in an earlier thread, this may be a tipping point year for Fran + Iowa bball. Does Barta pull the trigger? It's probably better to move on 1 year too soon vs. 1 year too late.
Next year, barring significant (like three or four portal guys) help Iowa will be a below .500 big ten team. Losing our three best players off this team will not be a good recipe for success.
