Supporting the Team in Detroit/Joe Louis Arena

[SanityLost17]

How many are they allowing in each school's student section?  Is the University planning anything to get a decent number of students there?  I realize it is spring break, but they should spend a little money to get kids there.  (extreme discounted hotel, travel, food, etc.)  It would take a hell of a lot of organization, but as a college student I would have enjoyed a neutral court tournament.  Couple nights in a hotel in a city with some decent bars. 

[agibson]

Looks like 150 behind the baskets, for games involving your team. But, probably an unlimited number can get discounted, $10, tickets which are good for general admission when your team isn't playing (or if those 150 fill up when your team is playing).

I've not heard anything about an organized effort for Valpo students, in general. I'm not sure how they're communicating this year - the ValparaiZone facebook page seems dormant, and twitter almost so. http://valpo.socialfanrewards.com/ might still be going this fall - I'm not sure.

The pep band will be there.

[bbtds]

Then maybe Chicago will play host.

Shades of the '93-94 Mid-Con tournament at the Rosemont Arena...

Funny---the name of that arena in Rosemont back then was the Rosemont Horizon. Now it's All-State Arena currently the home of DePaul and the Chicago Wolves (the Blues minor league team). DePaul is moving to the new Arena at McCormick Place in the future.

[bbtds]

Will there be a fanfest?

Stoyka: "We will be having fan activities on the day of the championship at the Marriott Wintergarden, with a send-off/pep rally for the competing teams."

There will be a pep rally as we had in the days of the Mid-Con tourney.

[agibson]

Is the University planning anything to get a decent number of students there?

A little slow to get started - you might have hoped they'd get the word out before folks left campus.  But, it's something:

[tweet]704725415823331328[/tweet]

[HailVU2014]

We seem to be doing an ok job selling our section for the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals. It looks like we only have 3 more rows in our section 122 not sold on the Motor City Madness Website. (Although I bet some lower rows/seats in our section are still available through the Valpo Alumni block...) Given that section 122 holds just under 300 seats, plus the student section, pep band, team, coaches, etc., it looks like the Valpo supporters number about 450-500 at the moment for Monday night... (compared to 4500+ at the ARC...)

Meanwhile...it looks like Oakland has 1 row and a few random seats remaining for their section in 121, but I'm sure their numbers will increase with time, although I am surprised that Oakland's section has not sold out yet. Looking through all of the other team allotments, it seems like everyone else is in the "wait and see" mode for the semis, with many of the other teams still having seats as low as rows 2 and 3 of their sections available on the HL website. It is painful for all parties to see how good/bad attendance will be for this event, as it will not be 100% known until next Monday at 9pm or so, but so far it is looking pretty bleak.

Also, recently announced and promoted in some news articles, there will be a fan fest/pep rally of sorts in the late afternoon before the championship on Tuesday. (http://motorcitymadness.horizonleague.org/visitor-info/wintergarden) Not sure how this will turn out...

[SanityLost17]

Is the University planning anything to get a decent number of students there?

A little slow to get started - you might have hoped they'd get the word out before folks left campus.  But, it's something:

[tweet]704725415823331328[/tweet]

Seems like it is a little late to start incentiveising (is that a proper use of the word?) students to go to Detroit as part of their spring break plans.  How many students do you think we will have in attendance?  It does not sound like we will have very many and it doesn't sound like the University is really pushing the importance of them being there either. Kinda sad if you ask me. 

What about Tevonn/Skara?  Any updates on health? 

[vusupporter]

That tweet was not the first push towards students to get tickets.

[mb230611]

We seem to be doing an ok job selling our section for the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals. It looks like we only have 3 more rows in our section 122 not sold on the Motor City Madness Website. (Although I bet some lower rows/seats in our section are still available through the Valpo Alumni block...) Given that section 122 holds just under 300 seats, plus the student section, pep band, team, coaches, etc., it looks like the Valpo supporters number about 450-500 at the moment for Monday night... (compared to 4500+ at the ARC...) Meanwhile...it looks like Oakland has 1 row and a few random seats remaining for their section in 121, but I'm sure their numbers will increase with time, although I am surprised that Oakland's section has not sold out yet. Looking through all of the other team allotments, it seems like everyone else is in the "wait and see" mode for the semis, with many of the other teams still having seats as low as rows 2 and 3 of their sections available on the HL website. It is painful for all parties to see how good/bad attendance will be for this event, as it will not be 100% known until next Monday at 9pm or so, but so far it is looking pretty bleak. Also, recently announced and promoted in some news articles, there will be a fan fest/pep rally of sorts in the late afternoon before the championship on Tuesday. (http://motorcitymadness.horizonleague.org/visitor-info/wintergarden) Not sure how this will turn out...

Oakland will have a bunch of fans in other parts of the arena as well...there have been a ton of discount codes through Ticketmaster, and I know of several fans who have bought tickets that way to save money. I hope the official Oakland section fills up, of course, along with the official Valpo section and sections for the other two semifinalists, but I'm sure there will be plenty of fans who opted for the cheaper general admission seats and will be scattered elsewhere. I'm afraid the 9:30 start Monday for the Oakland game could keep away a lot of casual fans from the general public and/or fans who live farther away (like 45+ minutes from Detroit). Too close to want to spend the money for a hotel, but too far to just head down there and then head back after the game. The random basketball fans are the X factor in my opinion, and I just don't know how many are going to stay there until 11:30 or midnight on a Monday night...especially when they can watch on TV. Hopefully the Valpo game will get a good crowd with the 7:00 start, and Olympia and the Horizon League have to be hoping Detroit makes it to the semis to get a good number of people at the 9:30 game (which should also mean a decent crowd for the finals if either Oakland or Detroit is playing).

The fan fest/pep rally thing is a really cool idea, but I think it'll actually be better attended by fans of any team(s) other than Oakland or Detroit playing in the finals. If you're in the finals and have made the trip, staying in a hotel Monday night with time to kill Tuesday, it's perfect for you. But if Oakland or Detroit makes the finals, I imagine most of their fans will be working Tuesday and will just head down there after work, likely after that 4:00-5:30 time slot. So I wouldn't expect it to have really high attendance, but it should be a pretty cool event. GM is headquartered in that building, and there are other businesses as well, so maybe some random people will stop by on their way out of work or whatever. They had some stuff going on in that location the week before Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL, and I was down there for something else and stopped by for a few minutes just to check it out (I think it was the media center). Obviously this is on a much smaller scale, but hopefully there will be some random stragglers not affiliated with any of the HL schools.

[vu72]

The Valpo fan gathering really sounds great and much better(and much more expensive) than other teams.  A very nice dinner and club level seating.  $55 but that includes the ticket to the game or you can stay in the club and watch the game from there!  Sure wish I could be there!!

[HC]

Saw on one board a couple people trying to band their student sections together and cheer against us...I think that's cute.  I think Valpo wins both games by no less than 12 points.

[a3uge]

Saw on one board a couple people trying to band their student sections together and cheer against us...I think that's cute.  I think Valpo wins both games by no less than 12 points.

Horizon League: 15 seed or bust!

[bbtds]

Saw on one board a couple people trying to band their student sections together and cheer against us...I think that's cute.  I think Valpo wins both games by no less than 12 points.

Horizon League: 15 seed or bust!

It's an individual school thing. Better a 15 seed than no seed at all.

[agibson]

there have been a ton of discount codes through Ticketmaster, and I know of several fans who have bought tickets that way to save money.

The best I google trivially is Ticketmaster code TMN241 good for 2-for-1 seats for the upper-level, general admission. So, $15 for two seasons, for any one of the four days.

But, with Ticketmaster fees it looks like $12.50 a ticket, $25 for the two.

I think I'll be happy with my $20, no fee, ticket through VU alumni. But, they risk a certain "workers in the vineyard" problem. But, I'm sure they'd rather fill up the stadium, and perhaps deal with a few disgruntled fans.

The head of Olympia Entertainment had a video on the Free Press web page, recent video one assumes, saying that they were hoping for 30-40k fans over the four days.  We'll see about that...

[mb230611]

there have been a ton of discount codes through Ticketmaster, and I know of several fans who have bought tickets that way to save money.

The best I google trivially is Ticketmaster code TMN241 good for 2-for-1 seats for the upper-level, general admission. So, $15 for two seasons, for any one of the four days. But, with Ticketmaster fees it looks like $12.50 a ticket, $25 for the two. I think I'll be happy with my $20, no fee, ticket through VU alumni. But, they risk a certain "workers in the vineyard" problem. But, I'm sure they'd rather fill up the stadium, and perhaps deal with a few disgruntled fans. The head of Olympia Entertainment had a video on the Free Press web page, recent video one assumes, saying that they were hoping for 30-40k fans over the four days.  We'll see about that...

Maybe saying "a ton" was a bit generous haha, but I've seen a few different codes over the past few weeks. I also got my tickets in advance through my school, with no Ticketmaster fees. So I didn't pay too much attention to those codes or check to see how unique the deals behind the different codes were...maybe the codes I saw all led to the same deal. There was also a groupon for a $17 upper bowl ticket plus t-shirt ($40 value). I did see that the flex tickets (10 general admission coupons good for any day of the tournament) can be upgraded to lower bowl reserved for $5 per session/day. Hopefully that will help fill in some of the unused lower bowl seats. I'm also curious how strict the ushers will be. For example, if UIC loses Saturday, will random people be able to move into those seats from the upper bowl on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday? I imagined unsold seats in the fan blocks will be opened up for sale to the general public once fan block ticket sales conclude tomorrow night. Hopefully they'll be dynamic with that stuff to maximize the number of people in the lower bowl without imposing on people who purchased specific seats in advance.

Safe travels to all of the Valpo fans making the trip up here!

[vu72]

there have been a ton of discount codes through Ticketmaster, and I know of several fans who have bought tickets that way to save money.

The best I google trivially is Ticketmaster code TMN241 good for 2-for-1 seats for the upper-level, general admission. So, $15 for two seasons, for any one of the four days. But, with Ticketmaster fees it looks like $12.50 a ticket, $25 for the two. I think I'll be happy with my $20, no fee, ticket through VU alumni. But, they risk a certain "workers in the vineyard" problem. But, I'm sure they'd rather fill up the stadium, and perhaps deal with a few disgruntled fans. The head of Olympia Entertainment had a video on the Free Press web page, recent video one assumes, saying that they were hoping for 30-40k fans over the four days.  We'll see about that...

Maybe saying "a ton" was a bit generous haha, but I've seen a few different codes over the past few weeks. I also got my tickets in advance through my school, with no Ticketmaster fees. So I didn't pay too much attention to those codes or check to see how unique the deals behind the different codes were...maybe the codes I saw all led to the same deal. There was also a groupon for a $17 upper bowl ticket plus t-shirt ($40 value). I did see that the flex tickets (10 general admission coupons good for any day of the tournament) can be upgraded to lower bowl reserved for $5 per session/day. Hopefully that will help fill in some of the unused lower bowl seats. I'm also curious how strict the ushers will be. For example, if UIC loses Saturday, will random people be able to move into those seats from the upper bowl on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday? I imagined unsold seats in the fan blocks will be opened up for sale to the general public once fan block ticket sales conclude tomorrow night. Hopefully they'll be dynamic with that stuff to maximize the number of people in the lower bowl without imposing on people who purchased specific seats in advance.

Safe travels to all of the Valpo fans making the trip up here!

Thanks for posting.  Can you give us a feel for how this tourney is being received by the general population of Detroit?  Do you expect thousands of fans from your school?  How about Oakland?  thanks!

[agibson]

I did see that the flex tickets (10 general admission coupons good for any day of the tournament) can be upgraded to lower bowl reserved for $5 per session/day.

Yeah, this one looked like a pretty good arrangement, in the early going.

[mb230611]

Thanks for posting.  Can you give us a feel for how this tourney is being received by the general population of Detroit?  Do you expect thousands of fans from your school?  How about Oakland?  thanks!

No problem. I'm an Oakland fan (not a UDM fan), so I can speak from an Oakland perspective. I hope there will be a good Oakland crowd Monday night...however, I think it will be tempered somewhat by the late start. I know some people with kids will have issues getting babysitters, some who have kids with activities on weeknights, and others who have to work Tuesday and don't want to operate on 4 or 5 hours of sleep with the potential of going back down there again Tuesday night. I imagine there are some who don't want to spend the money for two games plus parking (parking fees could be a factor for some of the locals), and will just wait and go Tuesday if Oakland wins Monday. I took vacation days so I have no issues with the late start, but I know a lot of people don't have that luxury.

I'm really not sure what to expect on Monday...it could be 2,000 or it could be 4,000. The opponent will be a factor, with more people deciding to go last minute if it's another game against UDM. I'm sure the Oakland contingent would be bigger regardless of opponent if Oakland played on a Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday. I do think if Oakland wins Monday, there will be a lot more fans there Tuesday due to the added interest of a final plus a more manageable weeknight start time of 7:00. Also, keep in mind that our record attendance at home is 4,114 (set last Friday against UDM), so even bringing our record crowd is still just around 20% of JLA's capacity. The school has been pushing it pretty heavily to students, season ticket holders, and other fans who have come to the O'rena, as well on social media. The athletics department purchased something like 400 all-session passes for students, so hopefully they'll actually get down there and use them.

As far as UDM goes, I'm speculating that they'll have a decent crowd Saturday as it's a 7:30 tip, and I imagine they'll have a lot of fans down there Sunday, too, if they win Saturday. Their Sunday game would be at 3:30 and should give their fans plenty of time to go to church, do family stuff, etc., then head to the game and still get out in time for dinner and a couple of hours of relaxation Sunday evening. And if they make it to the semis, Monday should draw a lot of people. I know a lot of Oakland fans live 20-50 miles north of Detroit in the outer group of suburbs, with travel times to JLA of maybe 30-60 minutes. I'm not sure about UDM fans though...if they live closer to the actual city, it should be easier for them to get down there on multiple days.

There has been a good amount of advertising on the local TV and radio stations, and I've heard radio ads on a variety of formats (not just sports stations). I just don't know how much the casual basketball fan in metro Detroit cares though, especially for the Monday and Tuesday games. This is B1G country for hoops as well as football, and unfortunately I think the Horizon League is an afterthought to all but the most diehard college hoops fans who don't have a tie to an HL school. But if there's an Oakland vs UDM matchup on Monday, it could draw some casual fans, as well as on Tuesday if one of those schools makes the finals. There have definitely been advertising efforts, and I'd love to see this be a success...but I think the Saturday-Tuesday format, including having a game on Monday at 9:30, is tough for a neutral site (even with two local schools). I have no idea what to expect from the general population of Detroit, but I do think they'll be a big factor one way or the other. I think there are a lot of unknowns, but I know Olympia Entertainment is very committed to this, and I'm sure they'll work to continuously improve the tournament. They have a lot of experience with the Red Wings and concerts, but they also have senior-level leaders who worked for the Pistons/Palace Sports and Entertainment for a long time including the stretch from about 2003-2008 when the Pistons made the Eastern Conference finals several seasons in a row and had a long sellout streak.

[HailVU2014]

The Horizon League Tournament Court is all put together at Joe Louis Arena and it seems that things are almost ready for Saturday. Here are some photos and a time lapse all retweeted or sent out from the Horizon League Twitter Account.
[tweet]705350758972182528[/tweet]
[tweet]705394868118491137[/tweet]
[tweet]705453676656087040[/tweet]
[tweet]705541970324824064[/tweet]
[tweet]705508979913396224[/tweet]
[tweet]705503011892805632[/tweet]

Anyone else notice the Oakland Black and Detroit Red color scheme for the court? Is that just a coincidence?

The Valpo Section is the section behind the Geico Banner in the first photo and the Oakland section is to the left of Valpo's section and is behind the Discover Banner... Glad I will be on the other aisle... way too close to the bear's cage there. 

The student sections (and band?) seating on the floor doesn't look all that great for both watching the game and distracting the competition.

I think that the court and venue look very nice although it isn't the cozy ARC. And I will say that I am growing excited for the event. I remain optimistic that it will be a final validation stamp for our team and I am hopeful that it is a good atmosphere for all who attend. I have the hotel, tickets, etc. all set and I will be giving this tourney a fair chance.

[oklahomamick]

I heard Oakland is so excited about Motor city, they are spending their $20k on a real live grizzly and caging it at Joe Louis.

Correct me if I'm wrong but when they were in the Mid-con the tourney was being held at Tulsa and Sioux Falls.  Then once in the HL it was 4 hours away in Valpo.  Of course they are overly excited.

[wh]

I heard Oakland is so excited about Motor city, they are spending their $20k on a real live grizzly and caging it at Joe Louis.

Correct me if I'm wrong but when they were in the Mid-con the tourney was mbeing held at Tulsa and Sioux Falls.  Then once in the HL it was 4 hours away in Valpo.  Of course they are overly excited.

Why wouldn't Oakland be "overly excited?"  They have received the Horizon League's equivalent of God's grace, otherwise known as unmerited favor.

[valpospartan]

How many are they allowing in each school's student section?  Is the University planning anything to get a decent number of students there?  I realize it is spring break, but they should spend a little money to get kids there.  (extreme discounted hotel, travel, food, etc.)  It would take a hell of a lot of organization, but as a college student I would have enjoyed a neutral court tournament.  Couple nights in a hotel in a city with some decent bars. 

VU students don't support the team, very well, at home games, so why do you think they will attend this tourney?

[vusupporter]

I would guarantee that, by percentage of students, Valpo easily has the best student support of any of the 10 Horizon League schools on average.

[HC]

^^^ truth^^^ 

[VULB#62]

FWIW - Horizon League colors on the HL website are gray and a medium orange. DETROIT Is very prominent across the end lines instead of "Horizon League" (which is less prominent in the FT lanes and less so in the center court logo).  Otherwise looks nice and "neutral. "

The Horizon League Tournament Court is all put together at Joe Louis Arena and it seems that things are almost ready for Saturday. Here are some photos and a time lapse all retweeted or sent out from the Horizon League Twitter Account.
[tweet]705350758972182528[/tweet]
[tweet]705394868118491137[/tweet]
[tweet]705453676656087040[/tweet]
[tweet]705541970324824064[/tweet]
[tweet]705508979913396224[/tweet]
[tweet]705503011892805632[/tweet]

Anyone else notice the Oakland Black and Detroit Red color scheme for the court? Is that just a coincidence?

The Valpo Section is the section behind the Geico Banner in the first photo and the Oakland section is to the left of Valpo's section and is behind the Discover Banner... Glad I will be on the other aisle... way too close to the bear's cage there. 

The student sections (and band?) seating on the floor doesn't look all that great for both watching the game and distracting the competition.

I think that the court and venue look very nice although it isn't the cozy ARC. And I will say that I am growing excited for the event. I remain optimistic that it will be a final validation stamp for our team and I am hopeful that it is a good atmosphere for all who attend. I have the hotel, tickets, etc. all set and I will be giving this tourney a fair chance.