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Bradley MVC Schedule Announced

Replys:

Searby:

We are working on just such a solution. We share your concerns and will make every effort to make it as easy as possible for students to get back and have a place to be close to the action and impact these games.

Thanks,

John Searby
Asst. AD
Bradley Athletics


Parker:


Andy,

I am sure you will also receive a reply from John Searby. Believe me, we were not at all happy to receive this schedule and fought hard to have it changed. Unfortunately, the MVC office is faced with many challenges in putting together the league schedule and there are so many factors that affect everyone's schedule that it is often difficult to make changes. We have already discussed some ideas to try and ensure a stong student presence at those games, especially the ISU game. I am sure John will welcome any suggestions you may have and his staff will work diligently to give our students the chance they deserve to experience the I-74 Rivalry, as well as the games against marquee Valley rivals Creighton and Southern Illinois.

Welcome back to campus and good luck this semester, BP


Bobby Parker

Associate AD for Communications

Bradley University

[email protected]




I'm very happy with the response time these guys have and the willingness there are showing to work with us. But I want action, so lets think of some ideas to make this happen...
 
Stryker said:
Maybe trying something new to promote and make things good for the students for the break period???
Click to expand...

Stryker as a witness to that whole episode last year at I believe the Evansville game--I was disappointed in the behavior of several of the students.

Yes, I understand the frustrations felt, and I agree that it's not necessarily right that the students get that treatment. But that is the result of years of students simply not going to the games during break.

The benefits to BU selling those tickets financially is almost necessary in order to continue to bring in opponents like UAB, GW, UNLV, Michigan State, etc. as we have over the last 10 years.

And for many people that use those seats during the break, it is likely their first experience at a Bradley game, and usually there are kids present. This is where I was greatly disappointed in what happened at that game. . .

The behavior as far as making no attempt to avoid standing in front of the children (one of whom left crying). After being directed to stand in the corner (which should have been an acceptable compromise), a few decided they didn't like it and deliberately went back to obstructing the view of the kids. The language, despite being angry, is not what Bradley is about. And one of the families in that section that was there was a family with a HS kid who was seriously considering going to BU and after witnessing the behavior of BU students didn't want to associate themselves with the University. And as an alum, I was utterly embarrassed by the behavior of a few.

The enthusiasm is great, but the fact is until there is an organized effort to get the hundreds of kids down to the Civic Center for games during break that the administration gets the message it's not going to happen very likely.

I'm not saying it can't be done, I think we have a President that understands your points and may be willing to make a change. Write her and let her know your feelings. You may be surprised how receptive she is.

But those are families who may not necessarily have a connection to BU. But they obviously were potential fans. Those are now people that will never consider sending their kids to Bradley. Those are community people who will likely never support Bradley in its projects or activities. And those are people who will likely never become Bradley fans if they were at the very least casual.
 
I talked on here a bit about creation of a club or students, friends, and alumni to man the student section during breaks last season. To that effect, I sent something off to BU, but received no response. I reforwarded it to them again tonight after reading this thread... It's copied below.

Gentlemen,

I sent this just after the close of last season's CBI tournament. I'm sure it was a busy time, but aside from an out of office from Ken Kavanagh I received no reply. Working under the assumption that it was missed in the post-season shuffle, I wanted to re-raise the inquiry now. With the recently MVC conference schedule putting some of our biggest rivalries during student breaks, I felt like it was a good time to bring it back to your attention.

Regards,
John Dwyer



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: my e-mail
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Students, Friends, and Alumni Section Club Proposal.
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 22:01:02 -0500

Gentlemen,

I'm a Bradley alum and men's basketball season ticket holder. I'd like the university to evaluate the possibility of creating a "Students, Friends, and Alumni Section" club. The purpose of this club would be to maintain the atmosphere and advantage that the regular student section provides when many of the students aren't able to make the game during student holidays.

I recently attended the first round CBI game against Cincinnati and saw that the Red Sea student section was largely empty because the students were on Spring Break. Seeing an opportunity to relive my own "Red Zone" days, a couple of my friends and I headed down there to cheer on the team with those students who had been able to attend the game. I understand that the Cincinnati game was a set of special circumstances (Spring Break and very little time to organize ticket sales to the general public) that resulted in the low attendance which allowed us the opportunity to sit there. We had a great time cheering the team from the student section and interacting with some current Bradley students.

Games when the students are gone always have a sort of surreal atmosphere because instead of the band being flanked by a raucous student section, the band is surrounded by what appear to be very casual and very quiet fans. I'm not sure how those seats are marketed, but I'd imagine they're mostly "walk-up" sales since those seats usually are not normally available to the public. The proposed "Students, Friends, and Alumni Section" club, in its simplest form, is to provide an active "student section" to cheer the team on and keep students who do come to these games close to the court while still being revenue-neutral for Bradley.

Club members and students who can make the games would be in the regular student section areas on either side of the band. Membership dues for each non-student member of the club would cover the cost of the seats for the games as well as subsidizing the seating for the student members. If I understand things correctly, students are allowed to purchase $1 tickets during breaks, but that these $1 tickets are for upper bowl seating. The only reasonable cause for this I can determine is that it's a revenue related concept, with the more expensive lower bowl seating being offered to the general public. The subsidy I refer to would allow for membership dues to cover this revenue gap and provide for student seating in the regular student section during breaks.

Such a club would provide a much better atmosphere for the game than the current sale of traditional student section seating to the general public when the students are on break. I'm interested to see if the Athletic Department has an appetite for exploring this idea. I look forward to hearing back from you. I thought Bradley played the better game both Monday and Friday in Tulsa. Go Braves!

Regards,
John Dwyer
 
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thefish7 said:
I talked on here a bit about creation of a club or students, friends, and alumni to man the student section during breaks last season. To that effect, I sent something off to BU, but received no response. I reforwarded it to them again tonight after reading this thread... It's copied below.
Click to expand...

thefish7, I think that your idea is great. Thanks for your work there.

Squirrel, while I wasn't there, I would be interested in knowing what college the HS kid decided on attending. I hope that said student is not attending the likes of the University of Illinois, Duke, ISU(imo they are more inappropriate that we are) OR almost any other D1 basketball or football school. Regardless, I wish him or her the best of luck.
As for the standing issue, I would agree that courting kids and families is a good thing, but the students who paid for their tickets and pay substantial amounts of money to attend BU are important to. I imagine that many of the boosters who are vital to the success of our basketball program and many of those who donate to BU in general once stood in student sections. Lets not sweep these kind of people under the rug.

IMHO rabid student sections are one of if not the main thing that makes college basketball so special. I don't know if it is possible to have an intimidating student section that does not at some times cross the line. No that it is ok, just that it is the nature of the beast.
 
This is a travesty. You don't put all 3 of those games over break. 1 of them over break is fine. Even 2 is a little understandable. But to put all 3 of those in that spot.....that is bush league. I wanna hear some rioting.


On the other hand, we better come out sharp. If we lose 2 of those home games, it'll be devastating. Our season could be make-or-break right around this area.
 
TheAsianSensation said:
This is a travesty. You don't put all 3 of those games over break. 1 of them over break is fine. Even 2 is a little understandable. But to put all 3 of those in that spot.....that is bush league. I wanna hear some rioting.


On the other hand, we better come out sharp. If we lose 2 of those home games, it'll be devastating. Our season could be make-or-break right around this area.
Click to expand...

IMO, if the MVC wants to give us a schedule like this, then we should explore changing conferences! TAS, I was going to write this last night, but you are right. This schedule is a travesty! There is no way that a high profile game such as the ISU game should be scheduled during the break period.
 
I think the past two years the ISU game was RIGHT after the students got back on campus, and it was great because everyone wanted to go to kick off the semester. heck, two years ago there was two lines with about 500 students to get into the arena an hour before the gates opened for that game. It's huge.

Squirrel- I don't remember that stuff that went on at the Evansville game, but it you speak the truth then that was a bad representation for the University.

I do disagree with you about NEEDING to sell the student tickets over break at a higher price. If they can sell them for over 20 games for $1 a piece they really don't need the extra $11 for a couple of games.

Also, was that HS kid there at the game? It seems unlikely that coaching staff would want any real interpretation of what games are like at a game over break with evansville...
 
While you would like students there, those three games over break will still have high attendance. Unfortunately, there will also be more ISU and SIU fans in the stands.

There have been two changes in the Valley schedule that has pushed up the start of the Valley schedule. The Bracketbuster game takes up a Saturday night in February and there is no final Monday night game leading up to the Valley tournament.

I'm dissappointed not to have New Year's Eve game at home (BU is at WSU). I wonder how many fans will actually show up to that game in the Roundhouse.
 
Beninator said:
IMO, if the MVC wants to give us a schedule like this, then we should explore changing conferences! TAS, I was going to write this last night, but you are right. This schedule is a travesty! There is no way that a high profile game such as the ISU game should be scheduled during the break period.
Click to expand...

Travesty and a Disgrace. First the non-conf home games schedule and now we have 3 home games with the meat of the conf with no students and band. I feel for the students, the team and BU. Its been a fight and struggle to get the students to the games to get involved in supporting THEIR team. Just in the last couple years has things improved and now this. Then you add the selling of the student tickets during break. Theres things wrong and not right here! Whats next, filling the student section with ISU fans and students.?:evil::evil::evil:
Is changing or altering BUs break a option?
 
thefish7 said:
I talked on here a bit about creation of a club or students, friends, and alumni to man the student section during breaks last season. To that effect, I sent something off to BU, but received no response. I reforwarded it to them again tonight after reading this thread... It's copied below.

Gentlemen,

I sent this just after the close of last season's CBI tournament. I'm sure it was a busy time, but aside from an out of office from Ken Kavanagh I received no reply. Working under the assumption that it was missed in the post-season shuffle, I wanted to re-raise the inquiry now. With the recently MVC conference schedule putting some of our biggest rivalries during student breaks, I felt like it was a good time to bring it back to your attention.

Regards,
John Dwyer



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: my e-mail
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Students, Friends, and Alumni Section Club Proposal.
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2008 22:01:02 -0500

Gentlemen,

I'm a Bradley alum and men's basketball season ticket holder. I'd like the university to evaluate the possibility of creating a "Students, Friends, and Alumni Section" club. The purpose of this club would be to maintain the atmosphere and advantage that the regular student section provides when many of the students aren't able to make the game during student holidays.

I recently attended the first round CBI game against Cincinnati and saw that the Red Sea student section was largely empty because the students were on Spring Break. Seeing an opportunity to relive my own "Red Zone" days, a couple of my friends and I headed down there to cheer on the team with those students who had been able to attend the game. I understand that the Cincinnati game was a set of special circumstances (Spring Break and very little time to organize ticket sales to the general public) that resulted in the low attendance which allowed us the opportunity to sit there. We had a great time cheering the team from the student section and interacting with some current Bradley students.

Games when the students are gone always have a sort of surreal atmosphere because instead of the band being flanked by a raucous student section, the band is surrounded by what appear to be very casual and very quiet fans. I'm not sure how those seats are marketed, but I'd imagine they're mostly "walk-up" sales since those seats usually are not normally available to the public. The proposed "Students, Friends, and Alumni Section" club, in its simplest form, is to provide an active "student section" to cheer the team on and keep students who do come to these games close to the court while still being revenue-neutral for Bradley.

Club members and students who can make the games would be in the regular student section areas on either side of the band. Membership dues for each non-student member of the club would cover the cost of the seats for the games as well as subsidizing the seating for the student members. If I understand things correctly, students are allowed to purchase $1 tickets during breaks, but that these $1 tickets are for upper bowl seating. The only reasonable cause for this I can determine is that it's a revenue related concept, with the more expensive lower bowl seating being offered to the general public. The subsidy I refer to would allow for membership dues to cover this revenue gap and provide for student seating in the regular student section during breaks.

Such a club would provide a much better atmosphere for the game than the current sale of traditional student section seating to the general public when the students are on break. I'm interested to see if the Athletic Department has an appetite for exploring this idea. I look forward to hearing back from you. I thought Bradley played the better game both Monday and Friday in Tulsa. Go Braves!

Regards,
John Dwyer
Click to expand...

Hey Fish, I remember throwing these ideas around, and this year's conf. schedule is a prime example of why something like this club idea is needed. The bandwagon bunch that fills those seats during break just don't get it done Plus, with the club idea, at least in my opinion, the actual students who do show up, would still get first priority in front of the club, and the club members would then fill in around them. Thanks for resending the info. Let's hope BU does something to help out the students and the team with regards to the games during break.
 
Also, from Dave's article--

Kavanagh declined to comment on the early home/road imbalance, but expressed dismay about the placement of the Illinois State home game.
'We're disappointed for our students that the Illinois State game isn't where it usually falls when they come back from break,' he said. 'That's obviously a tremendous rivalry game that our students look forward to. It's the first time in 21 years we'll be playing that rivalry game at home when our students aren't here.'

Hard to believe it's been 21 years since Bradley last played ISU during a student break. It would appear that usually the people at BU must work to avoid that happening.
 
They now have a mini-mester during January that runs until just before classes start (this year it's Jan. 21), and appears to be 6 weeks as the fall term ends Dec. 17.
 
tornado said:
I can undertand, but there is a silver lining....

Both SIU and ISU are dealing with some of their important players having serious injuries and those guys might just still be coming back in December (Bobby Hill & Brandon Sampay of ISU and Bryan Mullins & Anthony Booker of SIU). Plus both teams will be using a lot of their new & inexperienced players because they have lost a lot of minutes from their graduating seniors.
SO-- just maybe it is to Bradley's advantage to be catching those two teams early in the conference schedule, and possibly be able to get a win on them early on before they get back to full strength.
Click to expand...

I understand what your saying here T but I don't think that will stop the bleeding of the students or replace the excitement lost by no student body and band at the ISU game anyway. Also my concern is any fall-out of support by the students and any effects it would have on the team!! Because the student body support means a lot to the players and has a effect on their play. Besides with all the injuries you have mentioned I would think we would win those games anyway being the better team and playing at home. I to want to look for positives and not just look at the nagitives. There's a solution to everything and maybe one can be found here, I hope. One maybe to give every student a Free ticket, pizza and bus ride to ISU for the game there. All this paid by the MVC scheduling committee! ;-)
As for the MVC schedule we have to play everyone twice, so playing three big ones at HOME doesn't concern me that much. I also like the 4 out of 5 home games at the end.
For all the students, there will be a lot to cheer about this year. As we will Win the MVC and there will be a NCAA Bid.:D:D
 
How many students sit in the student section at a typical home game while school is in session?

If the liklihood is that there are enough BU students in the Peoria-area over the break to fill in the the vacant seats, then I believe that the university should make every effort to re-allocate those seats to other BU students who can attend the game. Which would mean building a simple web-tool to (1) allow student season ticket holders to notify the university that their seats are available for re-allocation and (2) to allow other students to request tickets. Could be a Fall project for one of the Computer Science classes.
 
Dallas Brave said:
How many students sit in the student section at a typical home game while school is in session?

If the liklihood is that there are enough BU students in the Peoria-area over the break to fill in the the vacant seats, then I believe that the university should make every effort to re-allocate those seats to other BU students who can attend the game. Which would mean building a simple web-tool to (1) allow student season ticket holders to notify the university that their seats are available for re-allocation and (2) to allow other students to request tickets. Could be a Fall project for one of the Computer Science classes.
Click to expand...

This is a great idea Dallas.
 
Yeah, this is a stinky sked.

However, I think the league may need to look at pushing the conference schedule to early December. That might allow fewer of these problems and would also allow a staggered start where each team can play their first conference game on the road.
Edit--I mean at HOME.

But coaches hate to have key conference games just a few weeks into the season.
 
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