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Post by sneakers on Sept 4, 2009 8:07:19 GMT -5
What year are you people living in? This is an excellent schedule. The days of having 15 or 16 home games is over unless you want to play Scranton,Alfred U, and Buff State. Look at the old schedules that is how we got so many home games playing non d-1 programs (Anybody else remember the Walsh College game) We have to schedule like this. The BTI classic has three good games against programs that we want to be comparable with. Only 1 home game when the students aren't there is great. Playing a game in Rochester very smart. Exposure to prospective students anyone ? We did this in the late 70's with Notre Dame (if Waterman isn't hurt we win that game) and Marquette (seeing a young Doc Rivers play was fun). The only thing I would start is a home and home with UB. I was a snob at first and didn't want to play them, but they are a decent MAC program and would be worthwhile to play now. Start it at UB this year and then when we alternate with Canisius we will be guaranteed one game in Buffalo a year and play one in Rochester EVERY YEAR. Watson and Schmidt are doing a great job. Olean is often plagued by small time thinking and that is what much of this criticism is. I couldn't agree more. The cream puff home games just dilute the value of tickets and don't put butts in the seats anyway. Let's play a good Division 1 schedule even if it has more away games than is ideal. This can change as the program improves. Most importantly, donate to BAF if you want to see improvements!! It is very simple. Here is the link. netcommunity.sbu.edu/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=184&srcid=242 Copy it into your browser address line. Under "designation" choose "other" and in the comment box note the designation to "BAF". Together we can make a real difference.
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Post by longislandbonnie on Sept 4, 2009 8:20:48 GMT -5
Hadn't heard about the increases this year - with only 11 home games, that's probably not a good idea. Found this on the gobonnies site - the 2009 2010 season ticket information: Season tickets for the three center sections on each side in the upper level of the arena require a minimum donation level to the Bonaventure Athletic Fund in addition to the $180 per seat season cost. All new sales require these minimum donation levels:
Section 7 & 8 Rows A-L: Donors at the $500 and above level are assigned seats in this area.
Section 7 & 8 Rows M-Q: A minimum donation to the BAF of $50 per seat is required.
Sections 5,6,9,10 Rows A-L : A minimum donation of $50 per seat is required in these sections on the side farthest from center court. Seats on the side of the section closest to center court require donations in the $100-$499 level or a minimum donation of $75 per seat, depending on the seat holder, seat location and availability.
Sections A-F Blue Chair backs: The blue chair backs behind the benches on the floor level are available with corporate sponsorships and are sold as season tickets at $500 per seat, per year. This cost does not include any of the benefits associated with BAF donations. There is currently a waiting list for these seats; call (716) 375-2500 to be added to the list.
That's pretty expensive if you ask me. Sounds like if I want to buy a pair of season tickets for me and the wife, and we want to sit in one of the center-sourt sections of the Reds (7 & 8), i'd have to pay: $180 $180 $500$860 Total WOW ! That's over $39 per game per seat ! And if you ONLY donate the minimum $500, all you get is a bookstore discount, your name in the program and a Bona window decal ? (BAF broshure - grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/stbo/genrel/auto_pdf/BAFbrochure.pdf)You have to donate the whole $750 to get passes for the Fastbreak Club, and a parking pass; which brings the total to $1,110, or $50.45 per seat, per game ! I know Bona is at the bottom of the totem pole in the A-10 when it comes to finances, but in these troubling economic times, is now the time to ask for such a large increase ? Guess we'll just buy a pair of seats in the bleachers and pay the $360 for 2 tickets; or maybe just pick some individual games to go to. (Link to season tix info) - www.gobonnies.com/tickets/stbo-m-baskbl-tickets.html
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Post by Roger Dorn on Sept 4, 2009 8:43:25 GMT -5
The good thing about Bona's is that it gives plenty of options. If you don't want to donate, you don't have to. I personally think rewarding the people who do donate is a great way to bring some extra money into the athletic fund.
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Post by OceanStateBonnie on Sept 4, 2009 8:50:09 GMT -5
What year are you people living in? This is an excellent schedule. The days of having 15 or 16 home games is over unless you want to play Scranton,Alfred U, and Buff State. Look at the old schedules that is how we got so many home games playing non d-1 programs (Anybody else remember the Walsh College game) We have to schedule like this. The BTI classic has three good games against programs that we want to be comparable with. Only 1 home game when the students aren't there is great. Playing a game in Rochester very smart. Exposure to prospective students anyone ? We did this in the late 70's with Notre Dame (if Waterman isn't hurt we win that game) and Marquette (seeing a young Doc Rivers play was fun). The only thing I would start is a home and home with UB. I was a snob at first and didn't want to play them, but they are a decent MAC program and would be worthwhile to play now. Start it at UB this year and then when we alternate with Canisius we will be guaranteed one game in Buffalo a year and play one in Rochester EVERY YEAR. Watson and Schmidt are doing a great job. Olean is often plagued by small time thinking and that is what much of this criticism is. AMEN
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Post by sneakers on Sept 4, 2009 10:17:07 GMT -5
If you don't want to donate, you don't have to. True. It is certainly understandable that many fans simply aren't currently in the position to do donate much. However, by not donating at all you are not part of the solution. Perhaps if enough small donors ($100 and under) participate it will make a material difference. Obviously the program needs some big and medium sized donors as well. My point is that complaining about ticket prices or BAF donation requirements is counterproductive to the success of the program. I'd we willing to wager that we have among the lowest ticket prices and athletic fund donation requirements in our league and among the mid-majors. I understand that Olean is not thriving economically, but many alums don't live in Olean, and the folks who do live in Olean have the most to gain from a strong program. The B-Ball program has made some great strides over the last few years. We can show the athletic department and the coach that we appreciate that with a donation to BAF. Let's try to get out of the last place position in our spending on hoops.
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Post by bigdobber on Sept 4, 2009 11:04:24 GMT -5
The geography hurts the ability to schedule. You have the 8 league games that should prove to be competitive for the first time in many years. The constant complaining on this board about the inability to schedule Top 50 programs to come to Olean just never lets up. The ability to play Top 50 programs away is the reality of where the school is located. I think taking the team on the road is the only way to upgrade the competition and strengthen our schedule. This worked very well for Temple and can work for the Bonnies. Keep bringing on the bigger schools and we could end up on some national TV games, particularly if Andrew develops into the dominant player I think he can be. Remember how Schmidt compared him to David West last year. He could be showcased by the networks as a dominant big man in college basketball. The locals need to look at the bigger picture. Quite frankly, I would love to see some away games against Big East programs like Rutgers, St. Johns, Villanova, BC and Providence rather than Syracuse. Alumns who live around NYC might be able to see some games rather than rely on Gary Nease over the internet.
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mh05
Sophomore Member
Posts: 102
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Post by mh05 on Sept 4, 2009 11:27:58 GMT -5
1. Don't play "home" games at neutral sites. We play them at the RC or we don't play them at all. 2. If money is the issue than I am willing to pay more for quality games at the RC. I am willing to spend more money for Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, DePaul, etc. than for Belmont Abby's of the world. Honestly, you and anyone else who believe we can get big time teams to come into the RC with any regularity are living in a dream world. It does not happen anymore. In turn, you really think its beneficial for the program to turn down the opportunity to have a series with a big-time opponent because they only will play their "road game" at a neutral site? How is turning down these offers getting SBU back into the college basketball landscape. Unfortunately, the world of college hoops today limits teams from outside the "big 6" to playing high profile teams on the road and getting return games, if you're lucky, at neutral sights.
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Post by homersbu on Sept 4, 2009 11:45:34 GMT -5
Didn't anyone else notice this deep in the release?
"Currently, there are two weeks until St. Bonaventure’s next game. The non-conference schedule will be completely done and announced in the upcoming weeks."
There are clearly games still to be scheduled, but there must have been pressure to announce even an incomplete one since most other A-10 schools had done so.
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Post by bigdobber on Sept 4, 2009 12:21:37 GMT -5
Friar-This western NY point of view really needs to be addressed. You have 8 conference and a few out of conference games to enjoy. You also have the chance to have an A10 tourney game played at home with the new format. If you are such a big fan, hit the road and follow the Bonnies to their away games. What is a few snowflakes in December to a rabid fan from Olean. Fire up the 4 wheeler and hit the road and stop bellyaching about this schedule. Coach Sol went the other route. Put as many cupcakes on the schedule as possible so you can recruit from a position of weakness and be a constant doormat in the A10 and the country. Wasn't our RPI in the bottom 10 during his last year? His "Marching Forward" mantra was all talk with no results. We had people on this board who were demanding we move to the MAAC so we could be competitive. I was told by a Trustee that we are looking to become a Top 50 program like we were decades ago. This is the route that can make that happen. If Watson and Schmidt are able to pull this off, the scheduling will become easier to do and possibly home and home series can happen. Look at the schedules of Syracuse and Xavier who are always Top 50. Almost all home games. When you are good you have some leverage. When you stink like we did, you get leveraged. Whether we ever fulfill our goals is an unknown. The fact that we have set a high standard as a goal will serve us well in both recruiting and competing in the A10. I think this year will be a continuation of the success Schmidt had last year. Upgrading the schedule and having to go on the road can pay off once league play starts. Playing on the road in big markets like NYC, Philly, DC, Boston and Chicago can help the university recruit basketball and other students as well. I think their is an underlying benefit to spreading out.
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Post by triple302 on Sept 4, 2009 13:37:38 GMT -5
Unfortunately right now we don't have the luxury of being hard asses and saying that we won't play you because you won't come to our back yard. Our path back has to come from being competetive and winning no matter where we are. We also need to get on TV. Even if the TV is a local broadcast in some other place, hundreds of miles from Olean. Of course we want to play teams like USC or Miss St at home like we have in the past, but if we can get them on the sched, we have to go wherever they want. Teams like Gonzaga still have to travel all over to play big name teams.
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Post by ncbonnie15 on Sept 4, 2009 13:43:38 GMT -5
We got a game in Charlotte! Can't wait, there will be at least 300 bonnie fans there on a Saturday night.
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Post by Jimmy Chitwood on Sept 4, 2009 13:56:19 GMT -5
All this whining and the RC wasn't even full for the Mississippi State game. Give me a break. This program needs support on the BAF level and with fans buying tickets for games. Things appear to be going in the right direction. Can you, or are you willing to help? The program needs funds in order to compete. If you can't or won't help, then so be it. What is the point of bashing a program that is trying to turn the corner?
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Post by bigdobber on Sept 4, 2009 17:38:24 GMT -5
Thank you Jimmy. I am so tired of the whining on this board, particularly by the local fan base. Now it's ticket prices. The facts speak for themselves. If you can't afford the better package, go sit in the bleachers. If this school was located within 100 miles of NYC, they would be putting up a 12,000 seat arena like X to accomodate the fans. I see a program like Fordham with all that alumni money still playing in that dump called Rose Hill Gym because nobody has the passion. Schmidt and Watson are turning this around in spite of support by the local fan base because they are focused on getting it done. Andrew Nicholson has the ability to be to this era what Lanier was to the 60's and what Tom Stith was to the 60's. In the 60's we were ranked #2 twice. Schmidt has compared him to David West, who was POY. We need to get back to MSG to showcase the next All American from Olean.
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Post by thebonafan08 on Sept 5, 2009 5:57:29 GMT -5
I agree that our fan base needs to stop complaining, the way I see it our schedule is great and under Schmidt is far better than anything in recent years past. Who cares if our home games are not the best opponents, we need to win against legitimate teams and if that means sacrificing home games I am fine with it. Anyone want to bet that we have a better attendance total this year with 11 true home games than the last few Solomon games with 14-15 home games?
Looking at this years schedule, how can anyone complain about opening up with 2 beatable tournament teams and a BE team at home (granted SJ is in rochester)? No better way to get a team going and place a sense of urgency during those october/november practices.
Combine that with playing another Big East and SEC team on the road to really challenge the team.
We likely are not in any position to get an at large bid to NCAA this year. I feel our schedule is a perfect combination of tough games and win-able games to build team confidence going into A-10 play.
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Post by Chuck on Sept 5, 2009 8:59:41 GMT -5
Bigdobber reading your post reminds me of a poster I saw in a store. It was a small cat looking in a mirror and the reflection he sees is a ferocious lion. It is not realistic to expect the Bonnies to be a "top 50" program, when their basketball budget is a third of these programs. We can talk about increasing ticket prices and increasing BAF donations, but the reality is Bonas will never be able to generate the revenue to compete with big time programs.
It is wrong to attack the fans for "whining" about ticket prices. This is the same fan base that has kept the Reilly Center filled for the last 40 years. The reason for last year's disappointing attendance can be attributed to significant increases in costs to attend Bona games for the last couple years. Actually the cheap bleacher seats Bigdobber speaks of do not exist anymore. The bleacher seats are the same price as lower red seats. I hear from a fan sitting in the bleacher's that he will now have to make a contribution to the BAF fund on top of the recent increases in the price of his ticket.
Marketing 101 at Bonas would teach, during a difficult economic cycle it is not practical to increase prices, reduce number of games and expect attendance to remain the same.
The Bonnies are a small market team that is currently competitive in a conference that is a step below the BCS. For a small school like Bonas with classes in the hundreds, this is a significant accomplishment and should be appreciated. Like everyone else, I will cherish future Kentucky games, but expecting the Bonnies to belong among the "top 50" programs is not realistic.
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