Hosting "The U"

[NewApp]

One reason that ODU is selling nearly 3x the season tickets that we are, in my opinion, is because their fans aren't so obsessed with being "realistic". On their message board, they're convinced that they're P5 bound and will tell you so with a straight face. Here, we have fans who go out of their way to put down fellow fans for being "arrogant" and having high expectations for our program. Our fan base has a long way to go, but if we can really capitalize on our alumni and get them engaged in the future, LOOK OUT.

You are 100% correct and many of us lament this fact repeatedly. People love Boone but even among many of our alumni our sports take a back seat to the team they "grew up pulling for" after they graduate. There are a lot on this board who defend this and say, oh it's about who I watched with my dad when I was kid. Bunk! You are either a Mountaineer or not don't try to justify.

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There is a way to change the perception all around, win these folks over such that their "childhood" team comes second to App. The way we do that is have a consistent winning basketball program that is in the NCAA Tournament annually and worst case in the NIT every several years.

NC is a basketball state, and until we show we can compete on the court like we do on the gridiron, we'll always play second fiddle in the minds of many. We have the football down pat and are arguably in the discussion for best program in the state. I myself have friends who are alumn and say, "we are diehard App Football fans. But when it comes to basketball, it'll always be the tarheels." I have asked in years past, who they would pull for if app played unc and they have responded the baby blue. They don't view it as such a win would do wonders for App, but rather how devistating it would be to the 'hill.

This is a deep and tough mindset to change... It will take time. But we need consistency. Gillin made a comment in the Scout interview about our football program that I hope will one day apply to basketball and if so, it will do wonders to change mindsets. He said, "we have got our RPI up, such that now we are considered a good win and more importantly not a bad loss."

I think putting a better product on the basketball court, will cure many of these historic issues at App, i.e. Dual fandom and yosef contributions.

I do think Gillin and Fox are the right people for the jobs and have full confidence they will get the program where we want it to be. We are just early in year #2 of Fox. At this point in SS's tenure, we were scratching our heads.... And look at us now! Gillin, he is still observing basketball, I can't wait to see what he sets in motion once he starts implementing plans.

I have asked in years past, who they would pull for if app played unc and they have responded the baby blue.

Then they went to the wrong college. I have other schools that I pull for, but NONE that I would favor over App in any game, match, etc. no matter the situation.

[NewApp]

That would be more difficult from a schedulers perspective so I doubt it.

We will drop one 2015 home opponent known (Ark St.) and one away opponent (likely USA or ULM). They will be replaced by NMSU and Texas St.

Most Likely:
SBC Home - GA St., ULM, Idaho, Texas St.
SBC Away - GS, ULL, Troy, NMSU

Still think the dates will impact season ticket sales more than conference opponents.

Those might not be the best teams in the Sun Belt, but they sure beat what we would have faced in FCS.

Good point, but why haven't we sold 30,000 tickets (including student tickets) for a home game yet since we moved up? I know, Thursday games, ESPN3, not winning (that's bunk because we are 8-2 now) etc, but I still think we are running out of excuses.

[appbio91]

That would be more difficult from a schedulers perspective so I doubt it.

We will drop one 2015 home opponent known (Ark St.) and one away opponent (likely USA or ULM). They will be replaced by NMSU and Texas St.

Most Likely:
SBC Home - GA St., ULM, Idaho, Texas St.
SBC Away - GS, ULL, Troy, NMSU

Still think the dates will impact season ticket sales more than conference opponents.

Those might not be the best teams in the Sun Belt, but they sure beat what we would have faced in FCS.

Good point, but why haven't we sold 30,000 tickets (including student tickets) for a home game yet since we moved up? I know, Thursday games, ESPN3, not winning (that's bunk because we are 8-2 now) etc, but I still think we are running out of excuses.

Be patient, next year when Miami rolls in you'll get your 30k. It will feel like the good ole days of playing Wofford except it will be an ACC team

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[NewApp]

That would be more difficult from a schedulers perspective so I doubt it.

We will drop one 2015 home opponent known (Ark St.) and one away opponent (likely USA or ULM). They will be replaced by NMSU and Texas St.

Most Likely:
SBC Home - GA St., ULM, Idaho, Texas St.
SBC Away - GS, ULL, Troy, NMSU

Still think the dates will impact season ticket sales more than conference opponents.

Those might not be the best teams in the Sun Belt, but they sure beat what we would have faced in FCS.

Good point, but why haven't we sold 30,000 tickets (including student tickets) for a home game yet since we moved up? I know, Thursday games, ESPN3, not winning (that's bunk because we are 8-2 now) etc, but I still think we are running out of excuses.

Be patient, next year when Miami rolls in you'll get your 30k. It will feel like the good ole days of playing Wofford except it will be an ACC team

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

So now we have to have an ACC team to pack the rock?

[Rick0714]

I have to say that since the "Great Recession" a lot of folks have been unable to come to many games. We have had to limit ourselves to a game or two a season. I have two other alumni friends that can't come unless they are given tickets, and even then its a struggle.

[NewApp]

I have to say that since the "Great Recession" a lot of folks have been unable to come to many games. We have had to limit ourselves to a game or two a season. I have two other alumni friends that can't come unless they are given tickets, and even then its a struggle.

According to BHO we have been out of the recession for quite a while now. Now inflation...that is another story.

[AppSt91]

That would be more difficult from a schedulers perspective so I doubt it.

We will drop one 2015 home opponent known (Ark St.) and one away opponent (likely USA or ULM). They will be replaced by NMSU and Texas St.

Most Likely:
SBC Home - GA St., ULM, Idaho, Texas St.
SBC Away - GS, ULL, Troy, NMSU

Still think the dates will impact season ticket sales more than conference opponents.

Those might not be the best teams in the Sun Belt, but they sure beat what we would have faced in FCS.

Good point, but why haven't we sold 30,000 tickets (including student tickets) for a home game yet since we moved up? I know, Thursday games, ESPN3, not winning (that's bunk because we are 8-2 now) etc, but I still think we are running out of excuses.

Be patient, next year when Miami rolls in you'll get your 30k. It will feel like the good ole days of playing Wofford except it will be an ACC team

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So now we have to have an ACC team to pack the rock?

You got it, the small private versions of ACC schools. I thought the move up was to get away from the privates.

[Yosef10]

Stop trolling cline. It's been mentioned plenty of times why attendance hasn't been hitting the marks of the past, both tangible and emotional reasons. FWIW I think if we played Georgia Southern on a Saturday it would have had the potential to hit 30k or close. I'm interested to see the attendance number for Miami, I'm pretty sure it will top 30k easily. I don't know how many people KBS can really hold but if it could hold 35k I wouldn't be shocked to see that number hit. Hopefully we would put on a good product and use that game as a spring board to get more consistent visits out of those fans going forward.

[NewApp]

Stop trolling cline. It's been mentioned plenty of times why attendance hasn't been hitting the marks of the past, both tangible and emotional reasons. FWIW I think if we played Georgia Southern on a Saturday it would have had the potential to hit 30k or close. I'm interested to see the attendance number for Miami, I'm pretty sure it will top 30k easily. I don't know how many people KBS can really hold but if it could hold 35k I wouldn't be shocked to see that number hit. Hopefully we would put on a good product and use that game as a spring board to get more consistent visits out of those fans going forward.

Not trolling, silly. I'm just tired of waiting to see the joint packed again. It's been what, more than three years. No excuses. If we can't have it standing room only for Miami and then later Wake, we are in a heap of trouble. We are 8-2, now in FBS, and still in the running for at least a tie for first place. Tomorrow should be packed. Again, no excuses.

[Appersrule]

Tomorrow should be packed. Again, no excuses.

Tomorrow will be lucky to break 20,000 in actual attendance. Will be alot of aluminum. Would be interesting (not that you could ever get a actual number) to see how many App Students/Alumni will be in attendance at State vs UNC or Clemson vs USC. Bet that number might be shockingly higher than some App fans would want to admit.

[Yosef10]

Stop trolling cline. It's been mentioned plenty of times why attendance hasn't been hitting the marks of the past, both tangible and emotional reasons. FWIW I think if we played Georgia Southern on a Saturday it would have had the potential to hit 30k or close. I'm interested to see the attendance number for Miami, I'm pretty sure it will top 30k easily. I don't know how many people KBS can really hold but if it could hold 35k I wouldn't be shocked to see that number hit. Hopefully we would put on a good product and use that game as a spring board to get more consistent visits out of those fans going forward.

Not trolling, silly. I'm just tired of waiting to see the joint packed again. It's been what, more than three years. No excuses. If we can't have it standing room only for Miami and then later Wake, we are in a heap of trouble. We are 8-2, now in FBS, and still in the running for at least a tie for first place. Tomorrow should be packed. Again, no excuses.

Sorry to bust your bubble but tomorrow it's not going to be packed and you already knew that. And I would hope that you're packing up the car to head up to Boone right now to be at the game tomorrow, "no excuses" Cline.

[AppDawg]

]

There is a way to change the perception all around, win these folks over such that their "childhood" team comes second to App. The way we do that is have a consistent winning basketball program that is in the NCAA Tournament annually and worst case in the NIT every several years.

NC is a basketball state, and until we show we can compete on the court like we do on the gridiron, we'll always play second fiddle in the minds of many. We have the football down pat and are arguably in the discussion for best program in the state. I myself have friends who are alumn and say, "we are diehard App Football fans. But when it comes to basketball, it'll always be the tarheels." I have asked in years past, who they would pull for if app played unc and they have responded the baby blue. They don't view it as such a win would do wonders for App, but rather how devistating it would be to the 'hill.

This is a deep and tough mindset to change... It will take time. But we need consistency. Gillin made a comment in the Scout interview about our football program that I hope will one day apply to basketball and if so, it will do wonders to change mindsets. He said, "we have got our RPI up, such that now we are considered a good win and more importantly not a bad loss."

I think putting a better product on the basketball court, will cure many of these historic issues at App, i.e. Dual fandom and yosef contributions.

I do think Gillin and Fox are the right people for the jobs and have full confidence they will get the program where we want it to be. We are just early in year #2 of Fox. At this point in SS's tenure, we were scratching our heads.... And look at us now! Gillin, he is still observing basketball, I can't wait to see what he sets in motion once he starts implementing plans.

I have asked in years past, who they would pull for if app played unc and they have responded the baby blue.

Then they went to the wrong college. I have other schools that I pull for, but NONE that I would favor over App in any game, match, etc. no matter the situation.

I want to clarify, the pulling for the 'holes is in basketball only. Not football. While I get the premise of your response, it is short sighted and does nothing but perpetuate the issue that has been around for years. We need to embrace these individuals and seek their full support. We need solutions and rather than saying 'it just is what it is,' we need to put a long range plan in place.

My solution is put a better basketball product on the court, once we get that - we need to get baseball back on track. We need University-wide support, not just football support. I think we are there with football. Once we tap into the basketball-side of things, I see us blowing the lid off the place. In my 15 years of following App athletics very closely, basketball and baseball have been neglected.

You may ask, why do I think basketball and baseball are the key? I think this because I saw a glimpse of what could be during the one and done 'his name shall not be mentioned' season. The SoCon tourney that year in Charlotte where we made it to the championship game, folks were coming out of the woodwork. Individuals I saw there were driving from Greenville, SC, Raleigh and Greensboro on a weeknight. Several of these folks who are among the unc basketball fandom. I also saw this with our run in Pollards last year coaching the Diamond Apps. A consistent winning/competitive product brings the support. Football has given our fanbase a reason to forget about the 'childhood' team, but due to our historically inconsistent basketball product, our athletic department loses touch with the fans. They slip away and back into their other world for the other 8 months of the year. We need to make App Athletics a full time event, not part time /just football season.

[NewApp]

Tomorrow should be packed. Again, no excuses.

Tomorrow will be lucky to break 20,000 in actual attendance. Will be alot of aluminum. Would be interesting (not that you could ever get a actual number) to see how many App Students/Alumni will be in attendance at State vs UNC or Clemson vs USC. Bet that number might be shockingly higher than some App fans would want to admit.

Watch out you'll be accused of trolling.

[Yosef84]

That would be more difficult from a schedulers perspective so I doubt it.

We will drop one 2015 home opponent known (Ark St.) and one away opponent (likely USA or ULM). They will be replaced by NMSU and Texas St.

Most Likely:
SBC Home - GA St., ULM, Idaho, Texas St.
SBC Away - GS, ULL, Troy, NMSU

Still think the dates will impact season ticket sales more than conference opponents.

Those might not be the best teams in the Sun Belt, but they sure beat what we would have faced in FCS.

Good point, but why haven't we sold 30,000 tickets (including student tickets) for a home game yet since we moved up? I know, Thursday games, ESPN3, not winning (that's bunk because we are 8-2 now) etc, but I still think we are running out of excuses.

I think the ONLY reason we haven't hit 30K for a couple of games this year is scheduling. It's not an excuse. It's a demonstrated fact that NOBODY in the G5 draws the numbers on Thursday that they would draw on Saturday. There is no doubt in my mind that we would have hit 30K for the Georgia Southern game if it had been on a Saturday afternoon. The SBC did us NO FAVORS at all in scheduling two home Thursday night games, with both games included as book ends of a three game home stand. If Ark State had been separated and on Saturday, I think we hit 30K for that one also. On top of that, we had a game during a hurricane warning (Wyoming) that killed any walk up sales and now we have a game on Thanksgiving weekend while students are off campus.

With the teams we've had in Boone this year, attendance SHOULD have been much better. It just seems we've been fighting the PTB of the SBC for attendance.

All that being said, I do feel the excitement is building! I'm as tired as everyone else saying "next year will be the year" but a strong finish should payoff in 2016. Regardless, I'll buy my season tickets and I'll be in them unless something MAJOR happens. Only home game I missed in recent years was last year against ULM when I was in Georgia for my grandmother's funeral. Even then, my niece and her husband were in my seats.

[NewApp]

]

There is a way to change the perception all around, win these folks over such that their "childhood" team comes second to App. The way we do that is have a consistent winning basketball program that is in the NCAA Tournament annually and worst case in the NIT every several years.

NC is a basketball state, and until we show we can compete on the court like we do on the gridiron, we'll always play second fiddle in the minds of many. We have the football down pat and are arguably in the discussion for best program in the state. I myself have friends who are alumn and say, "we are diehard App Football fans. But when it comes to basketball, it'll always be the tarheels." I have asked in years past, who they would pull for if app played unc and they have responded the baby blue. They don't view it as such a win would do wonders for App, but rather how devistating it would be to the 'hill.

This is a deep and tough mindset to change... It will take time. But we need consistency. Gillin made a comment in the Scout interview about our football program that I hope will one day apply to basketball and if so, it will do wonders to change mindsets. He said, "we have got our RPI up, such that now we are considered a good win and more importantly not a bad loss."

I think putting a better product on the basketball court, will cure many of these historic issues at App, i.e. Dual fandom and yosef contributions.

I do think Gillin and Fox are the right people for the jobs and have full confidence they will get the program where we want it to be. We are just early in year #2 of Fox. At this point in SS's tenure, we were scratching our heads.... And look at us now! Gillin, he is still observing basketball, I can't wait to see what he sets in motion once he starts implementing plans.

I have asked in years past, who they would pull for if app played unc and they have responded the baby blue.

Then they went to the wrong college. I have other schools that I pull for, but NONE that I would favor over App in any game, match, etc. no matter the situation.

I want to clarify, the pulling for the 'holes is in basketball only. Not football. While I get the premise of your response, it is short sighted and does nothing but perpetuate the issue that has been around for years. We need to embrace these individuals and seek their full support. We need solutions and rather than saying 'it just is what it is,' we need to put a long range plan in place.

My solution is put a better basketball product on the court, once we get that - we need to get baseball back on track. We need University-wide support, not just football support. I think we are there with football. Once we tap into the basketball-side of things, I see us blowing the lid off the place. In my 15 years of following App athletics very closely, basketball and baseball have been neglected.

You may ask, why do I think basketball and baseball are the key? I think this because I saw a glimpse of what could be during the one and done 'his name shall not be mentioned' season. The SoCon tourney that year in Charlotte where we made it to the championship game, folks were coming out of the woodwork. Individuals I saw there were driving from Greenville, SC, Raleigh and Greensboro on a weeknight. Several of these folks who are among the unc basketball fandom. I also saw this with our run in Pollards last year coaching the Diamond Apps. A consistent winning/competitive product brings the support. Football has given our fanbase a reason to forget about the 'childhood' team, but due to our historically inconsistent basketball product, our athletic department loses touch with the fans. They slip away and back into their other world for the other 8 months of the year. We need to make App Athletics a full time event, not part time /just football season.

Shortsighted maybe, but I bet you if the Heels and Apps were in bowll games at the same time on TV the App/Hole fans would spend more time viewing the Hole game than the App game.
You and I don't disagree as much as you might. think. I caught hell on here several times for actually supporting to an extent the so called Wal-Mart and bandwagon fans. We need all the butts in the seats, App gear buyers, and Neilson ratings we can get.

[Appersrule]

Tomorrow should be packed. Again, no excuses.

Tomorrow will be lucky to break 20,000 in actual attendance. Will be alot of aluminum. Would be interesting (not that you could ever get a actual number) to see how many App Students/Alumni will be in attendance at State vs UNC or Clemson vs USC. Bet that number might be shockingly higher than some App fans would want to admit.

Watch out you'll be accused of trolling.

I know. However I am sure Doug and his staff are very in tune with the issue I just presented. Failure to recognize and address it would be a huge mistake IMO. Plenty of good seats available tomorrow in Boone. Yet two "basketball schools" will have 65,000 in attendance on the same Saturday after thanksgiving. It's time for the excuse of why KBS is not full to stop.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

App is offering $5 tickets to anyone with a college ID for the game Saturday. They sent an email to students or Student Yosef club members. There might be a few other things as well.

[Yosef10]

Tomorrow should be packed. Again, no excuses.

Tomorrow will be lucky to break 20,000 in actual attendance. Will be alot of aluminum. Would be interesting (not that you could ever get a actual number) to see how many App Students/Alumni will be in attendance at State vs UNC or Clemson vs USC. Bet that number might be shockingly higher than some App fans would want to admit.

Watch out you'll be accused of trolling.

I know. However I am sure Doug and his staff are very in tune with the issue I just presented. Failure to recognize and address it would be a huge mistake IMO. Plenty of good seats available tomorrow in Boone. Yet two "basketball schools" will have 65,000 in attendance on the same Saturday after thanksgiving. It's time for the excuse of why KBS is not full to stop.

No, you get accused of trolling when you're clearly trolling as you were Cline, "takes ACC team to pack the rock....we've been out of the recession for a while now". Like I already said we know the reasons why KBS hasn't been as full as it was from 06-10, those reasons have been listed here multiple times. You don't get called out for trolling when realistically assessing that there will probably only be 20k tomorrow if we're lucky. Filling out close to 83% of the stadium on thanksgiving weekend wouldn't be the worst either, pretty close to what I saw out of the last few playoff games at home.

Oh, and Cline, no excuses buddy. I want to see a picture taken from your seat in KBS tomorrow

[NewApp]

Tomorrow will be lucky to break 20,000 in actual attendance. Will be alot of aluminum. Would be interesting (not that you could ever get a actual number) to see how many App Students/Alumni will be in attendance at State vs UNC or Clemson vs USC. Bet that number might be shockingly higher than some App fans would want to admit.

Watch out you'll be accused of trolling.

I know. However I am sure Doug and his staff are very in tune with the issue I just presented. Failure to recognize and address it would be a huge mistake IMO. Plenty of good seats available tomorrow in Boone. Yet two "basketball schools" will have 65,000 in attendance on the same Saturday after thanksgiving. It's time for the excuse of why KBS is not full to stop.

No, you get accused of trolling when you're clearly trolling as you were Cline, "takes ACC team to pack the rock....we've been out of the recession for a while now". Like I already said we know the reasons why KBS hasn't been as full as it was from 06-10, those reasons have been listed here multiple times. You don't get called out for trolling when realistically assessing that there will probably only be 20k tomorrow if we're lucky. Filling out close to 83% of the stadium on thanksgiving weekend wouldn't be the worst either, pretty close to what I saw out of the last few playoff games at home.

Oh, and Cline, no excuses buddy. I want to see a picture taken from your seat in KBS tomorrow

You suk at mind reading. I was not being sarcastic nor trolling. If you think that I was trolling then you are full of crap. I said virtually the same thing as the other poster did and you know it. Having a week's notice for a home play-off game playing an FCS team vs virtually a year's notice playing an FBS team is clearly apples and oranges.

I don't care if we have to give every Boy Scout and 4-H'er in the state free tickets and a post Thanksgiving turkey, there's no reason for there to be only 20K there and YES I will be there if it's at all possible. We're FBS now and 8-2. We've run out of excuses.

[NewApp]

Stop trolling cline. It's been mentioned plenty of times why attendance hasn't been hitting the marks of the past, both tangible and emotional reasons. FWIW I think if we played Georgia Southern on a Saturday it would have had the potential to hit 30k or close. I'm interested to see the attendance number for Miami, I'm pretty sure it will top 30k easily. I don't know how many people KBS can really hold but if it could hold 35k I wouldn't be shocked to see that number hit. Hopefully we would put on a good product and use that game as a spring board to get more consistent visits out of those fans going forward.

Not trolling, silly. I'm just tired of waiting to see the joint packed again. It's been what, more than three years. No excuses. If we can't have it standing room only for Miami and then later Wake, we are in a heap of trouble. We are 8-2, now in FBS, and still in the running for at least a tie for first place. Tomorrow should be packed. Again, no excuses.

Sorry to bust your bubble but tomorrow it's not going to be packed and you already knew that. And I would hope that you're packing up the car to head up to Boone right now to be at the game tomorrow, "no excuses" Cline.

Now this is what I'm talking about:
• $15 tickets for all Appalachian State season-ticket holders to share with family and friends as a Thanksgiving gift;

• $5 tickets for Appalachian State student guests. Dorms will be open for App State students wishing to return to campus for the pivotal Black Saturday game;

• $5 tickets for all college students (with valid ID). Appalachian State is excited to showcase Gameday at The Rock for non-Appalachian college students that are in the High Country for the holiday weekend;

This should bring in at least an additional couple thou.