|
|
Post by kcSBU03 on Aug 21, 2014 15:26:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by sony on Aug 21, 2014 16:16:56 GMT -5
I think this is a great review, and fairly accurate! Almost sounds like an alumni!
|
|
|
|
Post by tastylicks on Aug 21, 2014 17:23:22 GMT -5
That was cool. Thanks for sharing! You'd have to think we'd be a little higher if he came to a game with the students there but still a very nice review! UB comes in ranked 330th  he nailed their atmosphere description: "Alumni Arena has a capacity of over six thousand, and when there's a small crowd with a smaller student base, "cavernous" could be the term used to describe the venue. A school that has over 20,000 students can barely muster a couple hundred dispassionate fans to the arena, and with a local rival (Niagara) in the building that night the place was not even a third full." |
|
|
|
Post by thesenator on Aug 23, 2014 10:39:41 GMT -5
thanks for posting this, kcsbu03...i think having the 3rd best rating of the a-10 schools was very good considering how dayton and vcu have had more successful programs and the rating took place while the students were not on campus due to xmas break... |
|
|
|
Post by tomgleason on Aug 23, 2014 10:51:15 GMT -5
Charlotte at 22? They must've been there a couple of years ago when the Bonnies fans were lighting that place up...can't imagine how high they would be if THEIR fans made any noise...gotta admit though, nice arena, food, and nieghborhood
|
|
|
|
Post by runningrj1 on Aug 25, 2014 16:48:58 GMT -5
Great write up on the RC. I was at that game in charlotte in 2012. Nothing better than chanting "you cant win here" in their own building. The charlotte fans were quite but we were up the whole way and there were not many students there at all. If we were ranked higher than dayton I would be surprised. That was a great atmosphere when I was there my senior year. The dayton townies really bring the noise.
|
|
|
|
Post by ubbulls on Aug 25, 2014 23:37:22 GMT -5
That was cool. Thanks for sharing! You'd have to think we'd be a little higher if he came to a game with the students there but still a very nice review! UB comes in ranked 330th he nailed their atmosphere description: "Alumni Arena has a capacity of over six thousand, and when there's a small crowd with a smaller student base, "cavernous" could be the term used to describe the venue. A school that has over 20,000 students can barely muster a couple hundred dispassionate fans to the arena, and with a local rival (Niagara) in the building that night the place was not even a third full." Keep in mind the AA review occurred in 2010. Since then renovations including the HD video board, courtside ribbon boards, all new lighting, sound system, new court, and a team store, were completed. Many fans were beginning to tire of Reggie's system and not reaching the NCAA's, but the jump in attendance after the renovations showed the atmosphere and entertainment level were greatly improved: 2009-2010: Ave. Attendance 1,977 Largest crowd, Canisius 3,392 2010-2011: 2,039 Largest crowd, BYU 5,803 *Alumni renovations completed in January 2012 2011-2012: 3,073 Largest crowd, WMU 4,561 2012-2013: 3,093 Largest crowd, Princeton 4,450 2013-2014: 3,486 UB drew over 5,000 twice, and over 4,000 in three games. |
|
|
|
Post by kcSBU03 on Aug 26, 2014 7:33:29 GMT -5
I have only been to UB for the last 2 Bonas games, both on Saturday afternoons and the crowds were pathetic. The Bona fans were louder than UB. Given that UB is a large school in highly populated area, you would think UB would draw better than 3500 per game. No student turnouts at all. The actual arena is pretty nice as well as the amenities but the atmosphere is awful. That review was in 2010 and its still the same in 2014. Not something I would be proud of. I hope they get things turned around because I think UB and Bona being successful is good for western NY and for the schools.
|
|
|
|
Post by jjjacks17 on Aug 26, 2014 9:00:50 GMT -5
I much prefer going to watch Bonas play at Canisius or NU over UB. Even though NU and CC have those tiny high-school sized gyms when they are sold out with have Bona fans you can't beat the atmosphere. UB's arena has no intimacy. Its trying too hard to be something its not. Bringing only MAC quality opponents won't excite anyone either. At least in the MAAC basketball is king because there is no football.
|
|
|
|
Post by ubbulls on Aug 26, 2014 12:03:26 GMT -5
Agreed that UB should average more as we once averaged over 4,000 between '04-'06. That should be the norm. Being a big school isn't always going to bring massive interest in basketball vs FBS football or hockey. Over 350 D-1 teams last season and only 103 averaged over 5,000. And 17 of the 103 were non-Football schools. There are many BCS schools who average just 5k-7K, even with massive enrollments and top 25 teams coming into their place.
Most MAC schools choose to invest in football so only the East Division has strong basketball annually. Realignment showed football rules, and when the MAC had a BCS buster in NIU and two recent top 5 NFL draft picks, football is the sound choice. UMass wanted to have it both ways, keep A-10 and lean on the MAC for FBS, but the MAC wisely ended that. We'll have to see how long UMass goes with independence or if the Sun Belt saves them.
My point was the atmosphere is much better with those investments, though there are high's and lows. Just like with Bona and the A-10 rivals, UB students get up for MAC East vs other teams. And there really isn't a sense of rivalry with Bona due to the long layoff between contests. Canisius is the Little 3 member which UB fans really dislike. To most UB students, Bona isn't very different than when we hosted Siena or Cornell. The students do come out for a rival like BGSU as the video shows:
|
|
|
|
Post by class70 on Aug 26, 2014 12:13:34 GMT -5
Your point is well taken, ubbulls. You've got the coach, the arena, and a good market and recruiting area to move ahead. Last year's 100 ranking in Pomeroy points the way to a bright future. UB is a good competitor for the Bonnies, and both schools are likely to benefit from the rivalry.
|
|
|
|
Post by tastylicks on Aug 26, 2014 17:07:54 GMT -5
Your point is well taken, ubbulls. You've got the coach, the arena, and a good market and recruiting area to move ahead. Last year's 100 ranking in Pomeroy points the way to a bright future. UB is a good competitor for the Bonnies, and both schools are likely to benefit from the rivalry. They got all that from tax payers $$. Now they just need a fan base and some student support. Too bad they couldn't pay for that |
|
|
|
Post by class70 on Aug 26, 2014 20:46:04 GMT -5
It's not the way I like to see governments spend money, tasty, but that doesn't mean it won't work. The data provided by ubbulls indicate attendance is rising.
|
|
he nailed their atmosphere description:
