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Post by demourse on Jul 23, 2015 14:47:15 GMT -5
For the gofundme website or alumni students raising the cash to be viable solutions, you need to continually raise that money each year, and that isn't going to happen.
Keep in mind, the same people you are asking to raise $50k each year are the same ones that complain when ticket prices go up a few dollars or the concession stand starts serving half-sized wieners for the full wiener price.
The apathy and dwindling student support over the years has allowed this to happen. If the student body showed up in force for every game and packed the lower bowl, this wouldn't be possible. Their lack of overall support exposed empty real estate and that is being sold to the highest bidder.
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Post by tastylicks on Jul 23, 2015 14:51:56 GMT -5
The apathy and dwindling student support over the years has allowed this to happen. If the student body showed up in force for every game and packed the lower bowl, this wouldn't be possible. Their lack of overall support exposed empty real estate and that is being sold to the highest bidder. thats simply not true. we were told anyway that this is happening BECAUSE students are packing the floor and getting too close. If they weren't showing up and their area was completely empty there would be no concern with safety, am I right? or is Mr. Kenney lying to us?
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Post by pete on Jul 23, 2015 15:07:43 GMT -5
I am disappointed in the whole saga. Seems like the administration heard us loud and clear and determined they know better.
I know I am waxing nostalgic here, but how many hoops traditions have been eliminated or watered down over the last generation. We struggle enough to get a high % of students to attend games and this, if not changed, will only make it more difficult.
I am now embracing middle age so I graduated a bunch of years ago. The majority of my classmates I still communicate with revolve around hoops and the times of our life rockin the RC like no one else could... and how the heck we got back from The Hickey on most weekends
Drip, drip .......
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Post by demourse on Jul 23, 2015 15:13:49 GMT -5
The size of the student section is nothing compared to what it has been in the past, so it appears student attendance is huge but in reality it isn't. This board has had numerous students accounts of their classmates now knowing it was a game day, or that they would rather stay in their dorm. The students that read this board are the more passionate students and my comments aren't a slight at them as they try their best.
Safety is always a concern and I'm surprised a move like this didn't happen sooner. How many court stormings have taken place at the RC over the past few years? Almost all of them unwarranted. I'm sure that had some influence in this decision as well.
The students that do attend the games are very passionate, but the student body has too many casual fans that only show up for the big games instead of all of them. That is part of the problem.
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Post by B02 on Jul 23, 2015 15:23:33 GMT -5
If students were overflow crowd every game perhaps this change isn't a discussion. The people who are buying seats are fully aware who is sitting behind them. I may be in the minority but this move makes sense if it was essentially a decision pushed by a10. It also provides consistent revenue year in and year out. Which we all know is needed. It was just communicated poorly.
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Post by deuce on Jul 23, 2015 15:43:53 GMT -5
Demourse - your comment about the students was spot on. Student support is a far cry from what it once was. There have been countless posts in recent years bemoaning the current state of student support. But that fact seems to have been forgotten in the cry for the restoration of floor seating for the student. I'm not suggesting that the student support "thing" is justification for the floor seating change but it will provide added revenue and its not going to significantly alter the RC atmosphere.
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Post by gdub2009 on Jul 23, 2015 16:05:46 GMT -5
Yes student attendance is down, but if you guys haven't noticed this is the case all around the country. Our student attendance is still around tops in the A10, despite the fact we are the smallest or 2nd smallest school in the conference.
The reason why I love college sports is because of the students. Going to a college football or basketball game where students are involved is a way better atmosphere than the professional ranks, in my opinion.
This move could very well piss off the student population.
The communication was horrible in my opinion. If this was a safety issue then say it's a safety issue. Don't beat around the bush.
The RC is like a morgue when the students are on break. Hopefully it isn't like that now when students are actually on campus.
I have no problems with raising revenue for the program, but Tim better repair his relationship with the students. If he doesn't we might as well say goodbye to our homecourt advantage.
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Post by wadeinthewater on Jul 23, 2015 16:11:08 GMT -5
To everyone that continuously brings up the fact that fewer students attend games today than in the past, I will use the same "the culture across the nation has changed" argument that some have used to defend this decision.
You can't place the blame on any one person or group, and especially not the students. It's not the students fault that some have no idea how much basketball used to mean to Bonas. I bet there's a good group of students that don't even know we're D1 or what D1 even means.
When the school has to accept almost any one that is willing to enroll and dish over the cash, you're not always going to get the same student you got 20 years ago. Many different factors have led to decreased "student support".
With that said, I'd still be willing to bet that we still get one of the highest levels of student showings on game day in the nation (per capita of course). I read the article about Duke's issues with student attendance with an average of 650 showing up a couple years ago. That's for one of the best teams in the country. Last year, the Wolf Pack was pushing for 750. Pretty impressive given that we are not a powerhouse by any means, and that our enrollment is south of 2,000 while Duke is north of 14,000.
Nothing angered me more than when fellow classmates told me they weren't going to a game. I would have done anything to get the whole blue bowl filled, but at the end of the day, there's nothing you can do.
Anyone have any pics/vids of the old student section? Would love to see it.
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Post by pete on Jul 23, 2015 16:24:34 GMT -5
* Watch a St. Bonaventure basketball game at the Reilly Center on the school's Olean campus. Whether the team on the floor struggles or dominates, the atmosphere in the building is still without comparison in the region.
Above is from the Buffalo News on their series of top 50 things to do in Western NY. unless there is a mandate from above, this is friggin stupid over a hypothetical $50K
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Post by sneakers on Jul 23, 2015 16:25:50 GMT -5
We all need to realize that Tim was hired specifically to raise the level of revenues available to the athletic program. Raising new sources of revenue isn't a "want", it is a "need", plain and simple. SBU has the lowest athletic budget in the A10 (by a large margin), and yet a higher percentage of the University's overall budget goes to athletics than any other school in the A-10 (by a very large margin!). That is simply not sustainable.
Significant changes must be made, even though they may be painful. Those changes include a focus on increasing student enrollment, but they also include material revenue enhancements as well as taking a careful look at cost cutting opportunities. That is simply where we are right now as a University. This additional seating is likely just the beginning of changes that need to be made. This particular initiative will bring in only $50,000 a year, but there there will be other initiatives that when added together will be more substantial. For those who are angry if the need for revenue is driving this solution, kindly take your heads out of the sand or there will be no D-1 Bonnies to root for in the future (talk about a major watering down of our traditions!)
Change can very difficult to see happen. However, change and adaptation is a better alternative than extinction and none of us want to go the way of the dinosaur (or God forbid Sweet Briar College!).
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Post by B02 on Jul 23, 2015 16:39:20 GMT -5
I think the gofundme initiative is great, in the end it helps athletics and the students. We all need to donate to baf. There is a lot of talkers on here, but do not back it up with real money. I have been doing the baf for years it's really easy. Just think if each board member gave $15 or so a month to baf. We could have a pretty high raise in donors and money.
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Post by pete on Jul 23, 2015 16:44:01 GMT -5
I think the gofundme initiative is great, in the end it helps athletics and the students. We all need to donate to baf. There is a lot of talkers on here, but do not back it up with real money. I have been doing the baf for years it's really easy. Just think if each board member gave $15 or so a month to baf. We could have a pretty high raise in donors and money. At this point, I would rather send my annual contribution to the gofundme site than BAF
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Post by zcbonnies on Jul 23, 2015 18:28:56 GMT -5
I just a heads up I will be closing the GoFundMe page on Monday in order to allow time for the funds to withdraw in time for a ticket order 7/31.
Without a significant increase in donations we aren't hitting the 10-15 seat goal. But maybe we can get 4 (would need to double what's currently raised)..
TK said other donors and alums have expressed interest in buying seats for students. If we can get 4, I can work with SBU to make sure those 4 are used in conjunction with the others in the student section.
But we need a lot more money. I encourage anyone who was disappointed with today's online chat to donate to the fund and help us make a statement and show out alumni support for our students. Please spread the word.
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Post by Bonas08 on Jul 23, 2015 18:59:39 GMT -5
by chance did anyone bring up questions about the streaming feeds? (I dont know if all the questions got posted here or not)
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Post by deuce on Jul 23, 2015 19:42:26 GMT -5
Student attendance is down in many many major college basketball venues because fewer and fewer seats are allocated to students - not because of disinterest on the part of students.
Season ticket holders who pay a fixed annual fee for each ticket purchased as well as a fee for the cost of the tickets are given top priority - in the process, student seating has been squeezed. It's all about the $.
The situation at SBU is a bit different. Like elsewhere, student attendance is down but the means to that end (a higher % of students no longer live and breathe Bonnie basketball as was the case in years past) is different than it is at a lot of other colleges.
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