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So I went to the game last night

Congrats. But let me tell ya a true story.

When I attended Iowa--and graduated in 4 years--I went to every football and basketball game all four years. I never missed a class, even though my first one every year was at 7:30 in the morning. Most students spend 3-4 hours a day in class, max. Minus 8 hours to sleep, that leaves about 12 hours a day for other stuff. Despite attending all the games, I studied. Of course, it's also true that I didn't hang out in bars, so I was a little weird.

But anybody who says students can attend sporting events because they don't have time is simply lying . . . or naive. Your call. I've been there and done that. I have no issue with students at any school who don't like sports and/or don't want to attend games. I'm not much of an opera or ballet or Olympics fans, so I don't watch or attend those events. But I'm willing to place a small wager that those students find plenty of ways to waste time. They might tell mom and dad that they're studying, but you might want to remain a tad skeptical.
I don't think anyone is arguing they don't have the time. It's about how they want to spend their time. It's more fun, efficient and easier to go downtown than travel to and from Carver on a cold winter school night, which is a huge time consuming pain in the ass.
 
I don't think anyone is arguing they don't have the time. It's about how they want to spend their time. It's more fun, efficient and easier to go downtown than travel to and from Carver on a cold winter school night, which is a huge time consuming pain in the ass.
Couldn't the school pay for 4 big ass charter busses to bus students after the game back to each dorm? Or better yet, a game day Cambus line of 4 that runs a dorm route. This would take 50-60 kids a piece back to their dorms. Line those sumbitches up right outside the arena, and you have yourself a ticket home.
 
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How can Carver be so loud for wrestling? Perhaps the product on the court?
Doesn't the wrestling team compete for/win championships pretty much every year? When was the last championship of any kind for the basketball program?
 
I remember going to a game at the old Fieldhouse, too. But times have changed and if you can't think of one year in the last 20 where students have shown up then that should tell you the problem is more than just the team's success or the product on the court. There have been some very good and entertaining teams during that time period.
Oh I think during Alfords early years we had very good student support. The pierce Issue hurt that. Lick took it further downhill. Iowa basketball has just not been anything but average or below for a long time. I cant remember a home Iowa b-ball game that really mattered ( BIG race) for many years. I lost my desire to go or to watch several years ago , I’m sure the students feel the same.
 
I don't think anyone is arguing they don't have the time. It's about how they want to spend their time. It's more fun, efficient and easier to go downtown than travel to and from Carver on a cold winter school night, which is a huge time consuming pain in the ass.
Well, we did have a parent--in the post I quoted--who did, in fact, argue that point. His daughter, he said, is too busy studying to attend basketball games. So there's that.

But I also attended Iowa so long ago that . . . wait for it . . . there were NO CAMBUSES! That's right, my friend, I walked to classes from Hillcrest and Rienow, across the frozen Iowa River, at 7 a.m. in mid-January. And then I walked back around 11 or 12. Got plenty of steps in back in those days.

Of course, the Field House was the basketball venue then, so getting to a game was pretty damn easy for me, unlike those poor souls, mostly women, who lived on the other side of the river.

And recently, as an old alumnus, I have ridden the fans' Cambus from Hancher to Carver in miserable weather. Rain, snow, sleet . . . and I've stood outside in the rain waiting for the bus to return me to my car. I realize battling the elements to attend a sports event is no longer considered civilized or intelligent behavior, but still, you can go downtown and get drunk . . . or whatever it is that kids do in downtown Iowa City that's so damn fun and entertaining . . . or you can attend a dozen or so basketball games a year. But having said all that, as Rhett put it so long ago, frankly, my friend, I just don't give a damn.
 
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Oh I think during Alfords early years we had very good student support. The pierce Issue hurt that. Lick took it further downhill. Iowa basketball has just not been anything but average or below for a long time. I cant remember a home Iowa b-ball game that really mattered ( BIG race) for many years. I lost my desire to go or to watch several years ago , I’m sure the students feel the same.
I do think the PP debacle did much long term harm. And Lick was a complete disaster. But I don't know how you could say last year when we were in the top 10, went 22-9 and finished 3rd in the Big (2 games back) with the NPOY wasn't a consequential team? Extremely fun team to watch (the NCAA finish was irrelevant to attendance). Kids still didn't come. That was a great product and Garza was the most exciting player I've seen play for Iowa since Andre Woolridge.
 
How can Carver be so loud for wrestling? Perhaps the product on the court?
Yes along with cheap tix and it always being on a weekend for wrestling. But other than Penn St Iowa wrestling there's really not much difference. I watch the home duals like senior day vs Wisconsin and it was sparse up at the top with plenty of times where it's super quiet too. It seems like quite a few people get those $85 season tix just for Penn St.

It was quite loud last night the few spots where the team got rolling but they just don't play well enough, especially on defense, to sustain it. And we are talking two unranked teams... Does anyone not think if Iowa bball was #1 or 2 in the country these last 3 years like wrestling that the environment would be quite different in Carver? That was a better crowd than the coach and team deserve, honestly. The fact that lots of the fans think Fran is an embarrassing ass doesn't help either
 
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Someone on this forum creatively and accurately referred to our arena as "Carver Hawk Aisle Arena" if I recall correctly. Way too many aisles in the lower section nearest the court; some of the rows only have 5-6 seats. Not sure what it would cost (probably far more than I could imagine), but taking out those seats and aisles and replacing them with more seats and less aisles nearest the court would be one improvement. And reserve them for students as others have recommended.
Fire codes come into play in this scenario from what I understand.
 
Couldn't the school pay for 4 big ass charter busses to bus students after the game back to each dorm? Or better yet, a game day Cambus line of 4 that runs a dorm route. This would take 50-60 kids a piece back to their dorms. Line those sumbitches up right outside the arena, and you have yourself a ticket home.
This HAS to happen. it would make all the difference in the world.
 
This HAS to happen. it would make all the difference in the world.

How do the students get all the way to Kinnick for football games? Is Carver that much farther than Kinnick? Or is it interest in the product they get to see?
 
Was in attendance last night. I'm not going to waste time bitching about the reasons for poor crowds.

What I will say is that it was the worst Carver crowd for men's basketball that I've ever experienced in my life. That is an absolute fact. Watched the broadcast today and the announcers several times referenced the lifeless crowd.

I'm not sure it is correctable. I think it's mostly a problem with the people that are attending. But it is important that the powers that be recognize just how bad it has gotten. It's not a product problem, or even simply an attendance problem. There were many half empty arenas during the Lickliter era that had a far more energetic crowd
 
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Iowa is 10th in attendance in the B1G with about the same number as blue blood Michigan.

Iowa’s athletic department doesn’t care about the students. That much is clear.

They’ve never been to another venue apparently because they don’t understand entertainment beyond the game. If they understood simple supply and demand there’d be 52 ice cream cone stands, instead people miss the game waiting in long lines to eat an f’ing cone.

I’ve gone to three games (Purdue, Illinois, Indiana) this year that’s plenty for me. I watch the rest on TV. I love the Hawks, but you have to compete for the entertainment dollar and more importantly peoples time. I’m not optimistic.
 
It may just be opinion, but as a high school teacher observing students, basketball seems to be a dying sport. I rarely hear them talk about the NBA and never hear them talk about college basketball. I teach and coach at one of the largest 4A schools in the state. It’s just not on their minds. Football gets talked about some. Basketball, not so much. The upcoming generations just don’t seem as attached to sports as we did. I’m sure it’s different at traditional basketball schools, but we are now far removed from being a traditionally strong basketball school. I’d be interested to know how full the rec center is for pick up games Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. I attended Iowa 99-03 and you had to wait for court time because so many came to play. Players came from other schools to play on Iowa City on weekends. The popularity of the sport seems to be dwindling in this region.
 
I think most kids are just wired differently. It is what it is. It's not going to change imo. They could give limo rides to the games and it probably won't change.

I am thankful that I went to Iowa (2000-2004) when the atmosphere was outstanding for football and basketball. Hawks Nest, trips to Chicago for games against Duke and TT, etc. were great.
 
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Sounds like not much has changed since I was a student there a little over 20 years ago.
I was saying the same type of things then.
Should have more foresight about how to make the experience better. It doesn't take that much thought and time checking out what other places do.
They need to start planning ahead for what type of facility will eventually replace Carver and where it will be located. Because that will take a lot of money and time and I don't want to hear the excuse in 30 years that they haven't thought at all about it or it takes a lot of time. Start now with a long range plan and let's go.
 
Couldn't the school pay for 4 big ass charter busses to bus students after the game back to each dorm? Or better yet, a game day Cambus line of 4 that runs a dorm route. This would take 50-60 kids a piece back to their dorms. Line those sumbitches up right outside the arena, and you have yourself a ticket home.

The transit system at NC State takes the students from campus to the football stadium and basketball games on game day, so it can be done.
 
I do think the PP debacle did much long term harm. And Lick was a complete disaster. But I don't know how you could say last year when we were in the top 10, went 22-9 and finished 3rd in the Big (2 games back) with the NPOY wasn't a consequential team? Extremely fun team to watch (the NCAA finish was irrelevant to attendance). Kids still didn't come. That was a great product and Garza was the most exciting player I've seen play for Iowa since Andre Woolridge.
Ummm, it’s true the students didn’t come last year..... because no one was allowed to go to the games....?
 
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Ummm, it’s true the students didn’t come last year..... because no one was allowed to go to the games....?
Lol. Ok, that makes sense. Ha! But my point stands. We’ve had other very good years and very good products that didn’t increase student attendance.
 
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