Drop men's basketball, add hockey

[RankinApp]

The hockey club team website site no longer appears to be there, but this picture is from the ASU website.

[ggasu]

When Bobby Cremins was at App, we pretty much filled Varsity Gymn on several occations. One Davidson game, the only seats available were way up high and diagonal to the back of the North endzone.
So, it can be done; we just need the AD to push basketball as much as he has been given credit for giving football.

Looking in the Book of records, it seems that all but 2 of the largest crowds were all in Varsity Gym. Not sure if it was because of the better teams or because Varsity was right on campus....
HCC is a great facility, but the crowds don’t lie.

i can answer that question.....better basketball against better competition![/quote]

The largest crowds I remember at Varsity Gym were against ETSU. They would bring around 1500 fans and they were ranked in the top 15 in 1991 when we played them. They got as high as #10 that year, but I don't think they were top 10 when we played them at home.

We had a great team in the early 90's, but ETSU was just too good to get past for a ncaa berth.

I don't think that the distance has anything to do with it with the HCC. If we were anywhere near as good as we were in the early 90's we would have 5000 at every game.

[JCline0429]

Looking in the Book of records, it seems that all but 2 of the largest crowds were all in Varsity Gym. Not sure if it was because of the better teams or because Varsity was right on campus....
HCC is a great facility, but the crowds don’t lie.

The Holmes Dome is 100 yards from Varsity gym. I don't see how that could ever be a reason or how it's not "right on campus."

Well, it's a littler farther than that but you point is valid. It is APPsolutely ridiculous that the location of the HCC is used as an excuse for poor student attendance. WALK A LITTLE DADGUM FARTHER. I guess students who live on the East side of campus never go to the Quinn or whatever the other student rec center is that are both on the West side of campus.

And they certainly walk to the Klondike and the other bars in close proximity.

[JCline0429]

When Bobby Cremins was at App, we pretty much filled Varsity Gymn on several occations. One Davidson game, the only seats available were way up high and diagonal to the back of the North endzone.
So, it can be done; we just need the AD to push basketball as much as he has been given credit for giving football.

Looking in the Book of records, it seems that all but 2 of the largest crowds were all in Varsity Gym. Not sure if it was because of the better teams or because Varsity was right on campus....
HCC is a great facility, but the crowds don’t lie.

i
The Davidson games appeared much larger and zillions louder.

[proudofyosef]

What in the hell is trolling? I was just making what I thought was a legit suggestion. NOBODY CARES about basketball in Boone. If this was a business, the program would have declared bankruptcy long ago. Do something out of the box that students could get excited about and would be a revenue generator. Give it up, man. You old farts continue to relive that glorious NCAA tourney team of Darryl Robinson, Mel Hubbard and Walt Anderson of more than 30 years ago. Get over it. Bobby Cremins ain't walking through that door. Buzz Peterson ain't walking (back) through that door.

First, as I stated, which you apparently ignored, basketball generates more money than hockey would. If that wasn't the case, you would have more teams playing hockey. Try again.

Second, I am 31 years old and graduated in 2003. I may be growing older, but I am far from an old fart.

Anything else?

We're averaging 1,000 fans a game and you insist that basketball would generate more money than hockey would. I'm talking about ASU, not UNC. One size doesn't fit all.

[proudofyosef]

I can tell this is a losing battle, but there IS another NCAA Division I hockey team in the South, Alabama-Huntsville.

[fjblair]

Winning programs will put people in the seats. Consistent winning that is, not a year or two now and then. I'm embarrassed by the administration of our BB program over the last 8-10 years.

[asumike83]

I can tell this is a losing battle, but there IS another NCAA Division I hockey team in the South, Alabama-Huntsville.

True, I did miss that one. Still, that is one team in Division I that we could get to on a bus. Most of the others would be in the Northeast and Midwest. There would have to be a decent amount of revenue generated to pay for sending the team to Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, North Dakota, etc. every week.

Even that is only looking at half of the equation. I don't think that most people on here would have a problem with us fielding a hockey team. I'm skeptical that we could afford it but if it had the support and proper funding, I know I'd be all for it.

The problem is dropping basketball. That is just not a feasible suggestion. We could not be an all-sports member of the SoCon, CAA, Conference USA, Sun Belt or anywhere else that we'd have any desire to be. Without a basketball program, all of our other sports would pretty much be on their own to find a conference.

[Watauga72]

That Davidson game was embarrassingly pathetic. I'm convinced that making basketball work at App is fruitless these days. We have a school of 17,000 students and can't draw 2,000 to a conference game?!? The Sports Information Office and athletic department pays about the same amount of attention to men's hoops as they do wrestling. Nobody gives a crap about basketball at App and it's not going to change, especially with the school refusing to spend for a decent coach. We actually hired a guy to be our head coach who had only been an assistant at ANY LEVEL for one stinking year--just because he played at Carolina! Who does that?!I think the students would get behind a Division I hockey team and it would provide a niche around these parts that could really be leveraged. I'm not even a big hockey fan, but anything is better in the winter than watching players, students and administrators who just don't care.

When Bobby Cremins was at App, we pretty much filled Varsity Gymn on several occations. One Davidson game, the only seats available were way up high and diagonal to the back of the North endzone.
So, it can be done; we just need the AD to push basketball as much as he has been given credit for giving football.

You're so right...when Cremins was here Varsity was rocking. He had the Bronx connection going. We just need an aggressive coach with recruiting connections who wants to keep moving up.....we'll never keep a successful b-ball coach very long, but we sure can enjoy the ride.

[JCline0429]

I can tell this is a losing battle, but there IS another NCAA Division I hockey team in the South, Alabama-Huntsville.

Cool. We could play them 20 times a season.

[JCline0429]

That Davidson game was embarrassingly pathetic. I'm convinced that making basketball work at App is fruitless these days. We have a school of 17,000 students and can't draw 2,000 to a conference game?!? The Sports Information Office and athletic department pays about the same amount of attention to men's hoops as they do wrestling. Nobody gives a crap about basketball at App and it's not going to change, especially with the school refusing to spend for a decent coach. We actually hired a guy to be our head coach who had only been an assistant at ANY LEVEL for one stinking year--just because he played at Carolina! Who does that?!I think the students would get behind a Division I hockey team and it would provide a niche around these parts that could really be leveraged. I'm not even a big hockey fan, but anything is better in the winter than watching players, students and administrators who just don't care.

When Bobby Cremins was at App, we pretty much filled Varsity Gymn on several occations. One Davidson game, the only seats available were way up high and diagonal to the back of the North endzone.
So, it can be done; we just need the AD to push basketball as much as he has been given credit for giving football.

You're so right...when Cremins was here Varsity was rocking. He had the Bronx connection going. We just need an aggressive coach with recruiting connections who wants to keep moving up.....we'll never keep a successful b-ball coach very long, but we sure can enjoy the ride.

Rep point W72

[Dmanuhone]

This might be the stupid post yet.

[JCline0429]

This might be the stupid post yet.

If you're going to call someone's post "stupid" you should at least get the right term. It's "stupidest," not "stupid."
To which post are you referring? You didn't use a Quote feature.

[hapapp]

I think he is referring to "Rep point" post. I guess he is saying just give the "rep" point and don't post that you did give him one.

[kiddbrewer]

I think he is referring to "Rep point" post. I guess he is saying just give the "rep" point and don't post that you did give him one.

I thought he was talking about the one that started this entire thread.

[wncapp78]

UNCA is well on its way to 3 straight NCAAs. We have 2 in 41 years. They never attracted crowds but are now doing so because they win. Just win. They will come. And before belittling UNCA check our record (and SoCon RPI) against Big South.

[MountainMan]

Hockey?

We'd have no one to play, no where to play, and no one to watch. Bad idea any way you slice it.

[cbarrier90]

Hockey?

We'd have no one to play, no where to play, and no one to watch. Bad idea any way you slice it.

No one to play? Recruit.

No where to play? Remove the lower bowl and an ice rink in the Holmes Dome would be freakin' awesome.

No one to watch? How many college hockey programs exist in the South? Not to mention those in the area who love the Canes.

Nebraska-Omaha actually dropped football, D-II at the time, to pour more money into their hockey program. I would love college hockey here, but it's just not feasible unless you get rid of football, and that ain't happening.

Basketball takes all of 10 or so scholarships to fill, plus staff salaries for three or four coaches. Low risk, high reward.

By the way, we have a winning record in Conference and this thread exists. I love this fanbase.

[Dmanuhone]

My bad. Should have said the most stupid topic.

[1ASU78]

Looking in the Book of records, it seems that all but 2 of the largest crowds were all in Varsity Gym. Not sure if it was because of the better teams or because Varsity was right on campus....
HCC is a great facility, but the crowds don’t lie.

The Holmes Dome is 100 yards from Varsity gym. I don't see how that could ever be a reason or how it's not "right on campus."

Food was why Varsity had great crowds. Right by the cafeteria and those local Ladies who worked in there could cook. Grab some supper head to the game. If you hit the BI before a game you wouldn't see the end of it.

seriousness. Yeah we had a big time trip to the NCAA but Crimmins put a good product on the floor and butts in the seats.