When does the bandwagon unload?

[jimdahl]

This is clearly premature after just one .500 season, but I was pondering how long it would take for the Sioux hockey bandwagon to unload?

I remember going to games in the early 90s when they could barely fill half the 6000-seat Old Engelstad.  The new Engelstad is a sellout because of both the recent success of the team and the novelty of the new arena.  How long will the REA continue to sellout, and moreso, require large donations to the Fighting Sioux Club to get good season tickets?

It strikes me that a county of 66,000 people can't support selling out a 11,500 seat arena in perpituity.  Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing some of the fair weather fans shakeout so it becomes possible to pickup tickets to a weekend series when I visit G.F.  However, it could be genuinely depressing if in two years the attendance at Sioux games is 3,500 people in the new Ralph.

Of course, when the Sioux put together a winning season next year, this is all moot.

[dagies]

I have had the same thoughts.  And frankly, being from Mpls I would like a bit better availability of tickets so I could get up there without dealing with purchasing from someone else on the internet.  Risky and a big hassle.

I think we've got a few years.  From what I hear there is quite a waiting list for tickets.  I would guess that if we had 2-3 seasons like this last one that waiting list would pare down rather quickly.  However, if the team comes back to prominence next year it could be some time.

If I remember, even after the team started getting good in the mid 90's there was trouble filling the old REA.  So it does make you wonder.  Of course, I think in Gino's later years the team effort was not really inspiring to the fan base, at least from what I saw of them.  So maybe that was a contributor.

I dread the day there are consistently only 4000 fans in the new building, though.  Hopefully that will never happen.

[ScottM]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some empty seats due to the team's performance last season, the "newness" of REA fading away and the fact we don't play Minnesota at home.  I agree that certain "fans" will find other things to do this season.  

If the WCHA really wanted to make money they would have figured a way to schedule Minnesota, Wisconsin and UND to play each other twice, not the current "rival" schedule, especially given the size of the venues.  Idiots.  If the team is doing okay--.500-.600--it's going to be more difficult to bring fans in to a game where the opponent is somebody nobody really cares about, e.g., anybody but Wisco and the gophers.  Setting up a "round robin" during the season for those three teams is good for the fans, the conference and the sport as this "trifecta" has a history and a strong rivalry built in, not some "phony" rivalry like they're trying to build withUND and SCCC.  

Having lingered through Gino's last days, I think a reason for the complete lack of fan support, even when Minnesota and Wisco came to town and good seats were empty, was the fact that there little hope on the horizion.  Gino didn't change his game plan or the team to meet the competition, and I don't think he had the overall goodwill Blais has built up, even though he had more overall success during his tenure.  I vaguely remember some talk of recruits or LOIs, etc., but there was really no "buzz" over new guys like we have now.  Naturally, there were some exceptions, e.g., Landon Wilson, Greg Johnson, etc., but not much else.   The lack of enthusiam was the result of more than a W-L record IMO.

[dagies]

I agree with your last paragraph.  Also, for me the internet has really helped me to stay in tune, and boards like these (THANKS JIM!).  I feel like I am kind of right in the thick of things.

Back in the early 90's Gino's teams just weren't inspiring and without these types of forums, it was easy to forget about the team.

I predicted fans would fall off this year due to last year's performance but have heard that the waiting list is still healthy.  I guess we'll see come october.

[Kuhninca]

The program has built upon its success in the past to the point where we are getting the best recruits and, as Blais says in "Fight on Sioux,"

[DLW4GOPHERS]

With Blais running your program, no way do you have to worry about empty seats.  If you think about the underclassmen you lost for last season and all the freshman you played, it really wasn't a bad season.  You lost alot of close games and next year you will be in the hunt for one of those top three spots in the WCHA tourney.

[sprig]

Sorry, tired of seeing anything with "Gophers" in the last post of the thread column. No offense, DLW4.