Basketball Attendance

[bincitysioux]

[url=http://fightingsioux.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=1176512]UND men

[darell1976]

Could the attendance problems at NDSU be because their arena is absolutly horrible. GF Central's gym is better than the BSA. I went to a game NDSU vs UMKC a couple yrs ago, and that arena either needs a "home makeover" or tear it down and build a new one. Its hiddious!! My wife who was pregnant with our second child couldn't sit on those seats without her back hurting. So if they got a new building i think attendance would go up. I have yet to attend a game at the Betty but i think i will this year to check it out. Of course i miss the Hyslop.

[bincitysioux]

Could the attendance problems at NDSU be because their arena is absolutly horrible. GF Central's gym is better than the BSA. I went to a game NDSU vs UMKC a couple yrs ago, and that arena either needs a "home makeover" or tear it down and build a new one. Its hiddious!! My wife who was pregnant with our second child couldn't sit on those seats without her back hurting. So if they got a new building i think attendance would go up. I have yet to attend a game at the Betty but i think i will this year to check it out. Of course i miss the Hyslop.

NDSU's arena is horrible and that is part of their somewhat low attendance, although I think they did draw better than UND this year. The main reason for any attendance woes for any transitioning school, is the teams they're playing against. There has only been a handful of exciting games in Fargo since their move up. I'd expect interest to get better for them starting this season when they have a full slate of conference foes for their fans to familiarize themselves with.

UND will undergo these same problems over the next few years until we get in a conference. It could be worse even, if coach Jone's doesn't turn our team around and start winning this year (which I expect he will).

NDSU has supposedly been raising money to remodel the BSA, and the Mayor of Fargo is trying to build them a brand new arena connected to the Fargodome. Either would give a boost to attendance of course, as is normally the case when a new and modern venue opens up.

You should make a trip up the the Betty for a basketball game. It is a great place to watch a game with an awesome atmosphere.

[darell1976]

NDSU's arena is horrible and that is part of their somewhat low attendance, although I think they did draw better than UND this year. The main reason for any attendance woes for any transitioning school, is the teams they're playing against. There has only been a handful of exciting games in Fargo since their move up. I'd expect interest to get better for them starting this season when they have a full slate of conference foes for their fans to familiarize themselves with.

UND will undergo these same problems over the next few years until we get in a conference. It could be worse even, if coach Jone's doesn't turn our team around and start winning this year (which I expect he will).

NDSU has supposedly been raising money to remodel the BSA, and the Mayor of Fargo is trying to build them a brand new arena connected to the Fargodome. Either would give a boost to attendance of course, as is normally the case when a new and modern venue opens up.

You should make a trip up the the Betty for a basketball game. It is a great place to watch a game with an awesome atmosphere.

You are right on attendance and what teams NDSU plays, I am sure everyone thought DI means we will see Minnesota, Montana, big name schools not Valley City. Why move up if you still play Valley City they could stay in D2 and have done that. I hope UND doesn't follow suit and actually get big time schools up here and if they need a D2 team to play pick a former NCC team not any school from ND except NDSU.

[Stromer]

You are right on attendance and what teams NDSU plays, I am sure everyone thought DI means we will see Minnesota, Montana, big name schools not Valley City. Why move up if you still play Valley City they could stay in D2 and have done that. I hope UND doesn't follow suit and actually get big time schools up here and if they need a D2 team to play pick a former NCC team not any school from ND except NDSU.

Do you really think that UND can just wave a magic wand and all off a sudden big name schools will flock to lttle old ND? The reality is most fans knew we would still be playing schools like Valley City, at least in the transition period. NDSU has already got K-State to come up and I expect to see a better schedule after a conference is found. Face it, as an independent, life is tough going.

[bincitysioux]

You are right on attendance and what teams NDSU plays, I am sure everyone thought DI means we will see Minnesota, Montana, big name schools not Valley City. Why move up if you still play Valley City they could stay in D2 and have done that. I hope UND doesn't follow suit and actually get big time schools up here and if they need a D2 team to play pick a former NCC team not any school from ND except NDSU.

Like I said it will take time. Yes, UND will have DII's and NAIA's still playing in GF for the next few years. Mayville State will certainly be on the schedule in the future whether or not it will be an exhibition, I don't know. As far as getting former NCC teams, that might be a trick because they're now going to be playing 20-some conference games, and probably many won't be willing to use up one of their OOC games to travel to a DI school whose decision to leave the NCC caused their old conference to fold. From the "new" NSIC, perhaps Crookston will still play due to proximity and the need for money, and I hope that Mary will continue to come to GF. I'd look for at least 2 DAC schools to remain on the schedule for the next several years, probably more the first year or two (one of which will probably always be Mayville).

I doubt you'll see any "big name" schools in GF next season. I'm thinking/hoping that this year's game with Iowa St. is the first installment of probably a 2-for-1 agreement, and we'll see them in GF by the 2009-10 season. The Montana schools are not out of the realm of possibilities, the UND women are hosting MSU this season in the first part of a home-and-home agreement. The biggest possible names I can foresee coming to GF in the next 4 years are Iowa St. and Northern Iowa. Reasonable travel for both schools to get to North Dakota, and coaches with UND ties leading both programs. But who knows what other ties Coach Jones has from his DI experience. I think that is a big reason he was hired.

[darell1976]

Do you really think that UND can just wave a magic wand and all off a sudden big name schools will flock to lttle old ND? The reality is most fans knew we would still be playing schools like Valley City, at least in the transition period. NDSU has already got K-State to come up and I expect to see a better schedule after a conference is found. Face it, as an independent, life is tough going.

What is wrong with playing Omaha, or St. Cloud why Valley City or Jamestown or Mary. There are other D2 schools in this country that are better than those crappy ND schools i mentioned.

[bincitysioux]

What is wrong with playing Omaha, or St. Cloud why Valley City or Jamestown or Mary. There are other D2 schools in this country that are better than those crappy ND schools i mentioned.

Money talks. Travel expenses from Valley City are alot less than Omaha.

I doubt that St. Cloud will ever play us in anything ever again (except hockey). Now they can officially join in lockstep with UMTC and adopt their nickname policy.

[Stromer]

What is wrong with playing Omaha, or St. Cloud why Valley City or Jamestown or Mary. There are other D2 schools in this country that are better than those crappy ND schools i mentioned.

Personally I don't see a difference between D2 basketball and NAIA. Unless it is D1, it aint good.

Note: This does not apply to football, in which D2 football is still good, although it is losing its luster as time goes on.

[gabe01]

Hmmmmm... So Sioux hockey averages more fans per game than basketball at all three of these schools combined, and yet those delusional Bison fans still insist that basketball is more popular than hockey in our neck of the woods?

No. NDSU fans have been saying that baskeball has 100X the potential as hockey. The MidCon has an auto bid to the Final Four, which of course generates BIG TIME publicity and money if you can win a game or 2. Your talking the lead story if NDSU wins 1 or 2 games in the tournement. Hell, when NDSU beat Wisconsin it was lead story on ESPN. College hockey is just not a lead story type of sport. And that's not being disrespectful.

[The Sicatoka]

From: 2007 NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE TEAM LEADERS

Teams playing NCAA Division I mens basketball: 325.

Teams averaging 10,000 fans per home game: 47.

Teams averaging 12,000 fans per home game: 31.

North Dakota Mens Ice Hockey (2005-2006, sorry best number I have): 10,621*.

* In 2007, that would rank #38 in MBB, or almost top 10 percent.

[Smoggy]

The MidCon has an auto bid to the Final Four, which of course generates BIG TIME publicity and money if you can win a game or 2.

I would hope that winning a game or two at the Final Four would generate BIG TIME publicity. You would've just won the national title!

I find it odd that the Mid-Con is the only conference that gets this bid. What makes them so much better than the Big East, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, and on and on...