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How to Improve the Game Day Experience

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Jeeperaf

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Fellow Fans,

Year after year, we see snarky talking heads bash the attendance at UM games. While not huge numbers, they aren't terrible considering the South Florida environment (LA area programs have similar issues).

So, the question is...


How to improve the game day experience to draw larger paying audiences?


A few things up front:

- Reject the notion "if only the OB were still around"...it was half filled when UM was beating teams 100-0 and economically unsustainable from an infrastructure perspective
- Reject the notion that Joe Robbie..errr...Sun Life is the problem...its a top 5 NFL venue...no college team plays in a "better stadium"...especially after the Euro soccer inspired upgrades being installed now
- Reject an on campus stadium...no room, it will cost an unobtainium amount of $$$, no infrastructure, and Coral Gables will NEVER allow it...
- Accept Beckham's facility might be an option in the future
- Accept that South Florida and LA will never have student bodies that compete in attendance with Bama, UT, Oklahoma, etc...massive public schools in well..Alabama and Oklahoma (except Austin)...South Florida and LA are paradise (to most) and there are to many competing priorities for limited amounts of personal time and funds


Whew...


Ok...with the above in mind, what can UM do to make the game day experience at such a high level that people feel compelled to attend?

- Winning (though not a cure all...much smaller component over time actually)
- Pregame concerts with local bands (like Jerry World?)
- Pregame outdoor movies?
- Better mass transit?
- Better wifi/cell signal (already being installed)?
- Lower prices (unlikely)?


Considering UM is in a hyper-competitive (for disposable income) market, what can really be done to draw more fans?

I don't pretend to have all the answers, but my head right now is thinking rock concert or rock festival kinda of feel...somewhat family friendly but edgy enough to draw the edgy crowd as well...
 
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Let's try not to kick out alumni for wearing a back pack. Let's let alumni and celebrities on the sidelines. Let's not tailgate until the 2nd quarter and get there early enough to watch the players warm up to "in the air tonight"
 
I think transportation is a big problem in miami. Might be the crappiest out of all major cities in the US
 
I think better and cheaper mass transit would help immensely. But that in of itself is an expensive proposition, although it would benefit the city in numerous ways beyond stadium attendance.

I do not know the financial details well, but perhaps adding additional commercial advertisement opportunities and making tickets cheaper could offset each other.
 
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1) One of the end zones should be general admission - first come first serve ----- including the seats in the lower bowl - and make the seats cheap

2) All food & drinks are 25% off prior to kick off

Alcohol is going to be consumed no matter what - does the stadium want to earn the money or the 7-11 down the street
 
the reality is that at the height of our last run, attendance was excellent. We had as many as 48K season tickets in 2003 I believe. If we get back to the top 10 consistently you'll average 60K in Sunlife. I do think they need to start the long run plan for a 50-55K seat stadium and a run of excellence will make that happen. In 2002, we averaged 70k in the OB.
 
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Cheaper parking and a better local fan base. Nationally we have a great loyal fan base. Locally, we have a terrible fan base besides the small loyals. Even on this board, we see every excuse for not going to games.
 
3FW said:
the reality is that at the height of our last run, attendance was excellent. We had as many as 48K season tickets in 2003 I believe. If we get back to the top 10 consistently you'll average 60K in Sunlife. I do think they need to start the long run plan for a 50-55K seat stadium and a run of excellence will make that happen. In 2002, we averaged 70k in the OB.
Click to expand...

The new SLS seats 65K and only 55K for us with the screen things in the upper deck.
 
Have skill games for high school kids. Blocking sleds on the back of large pick up trucks. Turn it into a competition. What local OL pushes it the farthest the fastest. Jugs machines for skill players. Hotties in white T's in the dunking machine. Track the results week to week, year over year. The kids will love that ****, so will most of the the board. Also, try and tie in the diverse culture that Miami offers. Food, music etc etc...I like the the idea behind this post. Nice work OP.

Go Canes!
 
cane305 said:
Let's try not to kick out alumni for wearing a back pack. Let's let alumni and celebrities on the sidelines. Let's not tailgate until the 2nd quarter and get there early enough to watch the players warm up to "in the air tonight"
Click to expand...
Respect
 
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Samson Doyo said:
Have skill games for high school kids. Blocking sleds on the back of large pick up trucks. Turn it into a competition. What local OL pushes it the farthest the fastest. Jugs machines for skill players. Hotties in white T's in the dunking machine. Track the results week to week, year over year. The kids will love that ****, so will most of the the board. Also, try and tie in the diverse culture that Miami offers. Food, music etc etc...I like the the idea behind this post. Nice work OP.

Go Canes!
Click to expand...

I think you are on to something...

Create some type of sought after "must go to atmosphere"...

What about setting aside some portion of parking to a 7-7 flag football tourney for EACH home game. I think the AAU circuit would go for it...maybe even AAU basketball as well...mix it up...

Certainly hotties in thin white tshirts...in dunking booths...fuqn brilliant...like implement TOMORROW brilliant.
 
Notsince1985 said:
3FW said:
the reality is that at the height of our last run, attendance was excellent. We had as many as 48K season tickets in 2003 I believe. If we get back to the top 10 consistently you'll average 60K in Sunlife. I do think they need to start the long run plan for a 50-55K seat stadium and a run of excellence will make that happen. In 2002, we averaged 70k in the OB.
Click to expand...

The new SLS seats 65K and only 55K for us with the screen things in the upper deck.
Click to expand...


Right sizing the stadium to the reality of attendance is a big step in the right direction. The sun roof/shield is another SIGNIFICANT step. If they can average 40k-50k IN SEATS at games, that will help quiet the biased jackholes on TV that take every and any shot at the program.

One upgrade lacking though is mass transit. Dade and Broward need to conjure a solution to connect TriRail/MetroRail directly to the stadium.

Also, the 2008 great recession did not help disposable income purchases (and these are disposable in SoFla / LA markets; in rural areas they are must purchase)...now that the economy is recovering to some degree, that should help somewhat.
 
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