Lack of support from students

[Debit One]

Forgive me for the "you young whippersnappers are spoiled" nature of what is to follow.

When I was attending the U of I ('80 - '83) the basketball games, first at the Fieldhouse and later at Carver, were can't miss events. Same story with football games. There would never, ever have been an empty seat in the student section for either football or basketball.

As a freshman we could not even get basketball tickets, as the student seats were filled by sophomores, juniors and seniors. My roommates and I used to get in as freshmen in exchange for working in the parking lots before the games. Then, when we did get in, we wouldn't have seats and had to find somewhere to squeeze in at the Fieldhouse. Those were good times.

I'm saddened to see that student (and it isn't only students, I know) support has waned. Carver is a mausoleum. There are always empty seats in the student section at Kinnick.

What gives? Students can go to these games for next to nothing, yet seemingly cannot be bothered to do so. What has caused this change?

[nolookpass]

when you were young and your heart was an open book
you used to say "Live and let Lute"

[Debit One]

when you were young and your heart was an open book
you used to say "Live and let Lute"

I don't buy that it's solely related to success of the programs, or style of play. However, it is true that a final four appearance in 1980 certainly did a lot to drive enthusiasm for the basketball program.

[Gushawk]

More "entertainment" options (both when they get to college and in their formative years) + Lack of accessible t.v. coverage for all Iowa games = Lackluster student support.

[Match34]

Question - Is the basketball student section really called "The Hawkamaniacs" now? Who are the ad wizards who came up with that one?

[Hawk24]

My hypothesis.....basketball games lack the whole "party scene" that accompanies the FB games. I think a lot of student go to the FB games to get wasted and hang out with their friends - it's the hip thing to do - and an ever shrinking number of them actually give a shit about the game (as evidenced by all of the empty seats toward the end of the season when the weather got cold).

When you take away the tailgating scene.....the students don't even bother.

[nolookpass]

I think the over exposure of college hoops on tv is directly related to dwindling attendance.

[Gushawk]

I think the over exposure of college hoops on tv is directly related to dwindling attendance.

Perhaps generally, but not for students. And Iowa Basketball games are alot less "exposed on t.v." than they were when I was a kid and we had bunny ears and 4 channels (ABC, CBS, NBC and IPTV).

[atemp]

My hypothesis.....basketball games lack the whole "party scene" that accompanies the FB games. I think a lot of student go to the FB games to get wasted and hang out with their friends - it's the hip thing to do - and an ever shrinking number of them actually give a shit about the game (as evidenced by all of the empty seats toward the end of the season when the weather got cold).

When you take away the tailgating scene.....the students don't even bother.

This is wrong. I was a student a little later than Debit, and the the students filled up 3 to 4 sections from bottom to top. It was an event, the tailgating was far worse than it is now in my opinion.

Kids are just punks now, and it starts with their douche bag parents.

[MikeyJoe]

Lack of accessible t.v. coverage for all Iowa games = Lackluster student support.
This is not true for students, whom I believe get the BTN and ESPNU in their dorm rooms.

[roseboundhawk]

There are about as many students sitting outside the student section as inside -- including me. I honestly think it would be twice as big if all the students were there. I have sat at midcourt every game except for one so far. As soon as you old farts fill up those seats we will go back to the student section.

[Hawk24]

My hypothesis.....basketball games lack the whole "party scene" that accompanies the FB games. I think a lot of student go to the FB games to get wasted and hang out with their friends - it's the hip thing to do - and an ever shrinking number of them actually give a shit about the game (as evidenced by all of the empty seats toward the end of the season when the weather got cold).

When you take away the tailgating scene.....the students don't even bother.

This is wrong. I was a student a little later than Debit, and the the students filled up 3 to 4 sections from bottom to top. It was an event, the tailgating was far worse than it is now in my opinion.

Kids are just punks now, and it starts with their douche bag parents.

I'm talking about a change in attitude, not pure numbers. IMHO, the tailgating surrounding the event has become much bigger than the actual game for many and that attitude carries over to BB. I.E...."If I can't get hammered, I ain't going."

[TH1974]

8 years of Alford happened. Or at least the last 4-5.

[lbchawkeye]

I blame the internet.

[HawkLax6]

I was there for 2000-20004. I had season tickets for all four years (went to all the games unless I had class, which I sometimes skipped, or I had a lacrosse game out of town on the weekend). 2001-02 was the year the Hawks Nest had up to 2,000 people in it and it was always filled.

The numbers went down slightly in 2003-04, but I don't have a full grasp on why students don't show up.

2000-01 was a fun year where everyone in the student section wanted to be there. 2001-02, when it doubled in size, had that "it was the trendy thing to do" vibe.

2002-03 was sort of normal crowd again and 2003-04, there was this new vibe of "basketball is boring and who cares". This was also during the middle of the Pierre Pirece stuff, so it was "cool" to not like the basketball team at the time. Throw in a "Alford sucks" component and Iowa Basketball started its downslide.

But Alford is now gone, so is PP and the students just seem lazy. I think the only way to get them back, as well as the normal fans, is winning/making the NCAA Tourney and winning a game or two.

[ace]

I think bringing back neal and alford would be a good start. They had Iowa going in the right direction and got run off. Lickliter doesn't know who to win, just how to loose.

[Verbal]

I think bringing back neal and alford would be a good start. They had Iowa going in the right direction and got run off. Lickliter doesn't know who to win, just how to loose.

:rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf:

[Match34]

I think bringing back neal and alford would be a good start. They had Iowa going in the right direction and got run off. Lickliter doesn't know who to win, just how to loose.

This might be the greatest first post in history, right next with "what?"

[sobrien51]

I was there for 2000-20004.

WOW. That's gotta be some sort of record. I mean 18,004 years is a long time. Please tell me you have a post-graduate degree.

[HawkLax6]

I was there for 2000-20004.

WOW. That's gotta be some sort of record. I mean 18,004 years is a long time. Please tell me you have a post-graduate degree.

Those Communications Studies classes are tough.

[lbchawkeye]

I was there for 2000-20004.

WOW. That's gotta be some sort of record. I mean 18,004 years is a long time. Please tell me you have a post-graduate degree.
Jess Settles still has him beat by 3 years... and 2 pump fakes.

[L. Wade Childress]

going to a hoops game would require getting off of facebook

[imissjoeyrange]

Where are all of the old people?

[nolookpass]

heres the reality boyz.....iowas done a shitty job of promoting the BB program for years.

i got torched on HR when I suggested Iowa should play a game or two in DSM to try and generate state wide interest. too many iowa people have assummed that this would always be a hawkeye state and no work was required.

[The Game]

1st of all, they need to give student tickets away for free until they become a decent program again.

(They should do this with both football/basketball. -- Include it in their tuition if you have to, and call it first come, first serve.)

[newsbreaker]

heres the reality boyz.....iowas done a shitty job of promoting the BB program for years.

i got torched on HR when I suggested Iowa should play a game or two in DSM to try and generate state wide interest. too many iowa people have assummed that this would always be a hawkeye state and no work was required.

I don't think that's a bad idea at all, actually.

[Soda Popinski]

they need to run the student section down the length of the court and move the blue hairs that sit on there hands the whole game. That would make the atmosphere a lot better and would be a good start to attracting more people. And lower ticket prices.

[newsbreaker]

they need to run the student section down the length of the court and move the blue hairs that sit on there hands the whole game. That would make the atmosphere a lot better and would be a good start to attracting more people. And lower ticket prices.

I think Maryland does that, perhaps Duke as well. The first "x" number of rows all around the court are the student section. Iowa needs to do somethign serious to reinvent that building.

[MikeyJoe]

Did we not have an ISU game thread today? What happened to the support from our message board posters?

[newsbreaker]

Did we not have an ISU game thread today? What happened to the support from our message board posters?

The game wasn't competitive long enough to warrant a thread.

[roseboundhawk]

christ, no more blaming the students, assholes.

[newsbreaker]

christ, no more blaming the students, assholes.

I blame the students for this thread.

[MickerHawk]

I think bringing back neal and alford would be a good start. They had Iowa going in the right direction and got run off. Lickliter doesn't know who to win, just how to loose.

This absolutely has to be a spoof. Not even Sam would be this dumb.

[Jimmie Dimmick]

I think bringing back neal and alford would be a good start. They had Iowa going in the right direction and got run off. Lickliter doesn't know who to win, just how to loose.

This absolutely has to be a spoof. Not even Sam would be this dumb.

It's too perfectly stupid to be anything else.

[nikolausp]

they need to run the student section down the length of the court and move the blue hairs that sit on there hands the whole game. That would make the atmosphere a lot better and would be a good start to attracting more people. And lower ticket prices.

I think Maryland does that, perhaps Duke as well. The first "x" number of rows all around the court are the student section. Iowa needs to do somethign serious to reinvent that building.


Michigan St. does this as well. I went to an Iowa game @ MSU there a few years ago, and the atmosphere with the students was outstanding.