Loyola @ Valpo (2/21) Game Thread

[okinawatyphoon]

I am pretty sure that athletics events USED to be featured on the upcoming events on the website, so I don't know what happened.

[StlVUFan]

#2 on the rolling stories on the front page is about VU hoping to clinch the 1 seed tomorrow.

Not sure what you mean.

[okinawatyphoon]

#2 on the rolling stories on the front page is about VU hoping to clinch the 1 seed tomorrow.

Not sure what you mean.

We are talking about the university homepage, not the athletics homepage. That's why valpopal posted the link above.

[historyman]

(hat tip to the incomparable Jim Squires for trying to sort through that)

Congratulations StlVuFan for the mention in the Lazerus blog.

Sure wish Mark knew your actual last name. 

[justducky]

Biggest game of the year so far and no media coverage at all!  I was expecting something in the paper or online.  Something from the University promoting the game before the day of the game.  Nada...

The media coverage for Vu basketball has really dropped.  It is not covered nearly as much as they were in the Mid-Con days.  Valpotx brought up some good points on why lack of attendance but I think media coverage has something to do with it also.  The recent online article about chartered flights for Butler and Valpo not having it was worthless.  Makes no sense for Vu to do that and why it warranted an article makes no sense.

Hopefully there is a good crowd Tuesday.  The team deserves a good showing by the fans.

No way Bryce has these guys coming out flat tomorrow.

I recall that last year we discussed at some length the issue of promotions, gifts, free admissions and whatever it would take to introduce new people to VU basketball. I can see little evidence that anything we may have tried has shown any great success and if we ever hope to be northwest Indiana's team then we first must get northwest Indiana into the darn building. This year we are going to win the conference championship with an attendence level that is close to embarrassing. We can not blame the press. We have been given both the product (team) and platform ( horizon league) that we needed to greatly increase our fan base for years to come,but can we parlay the team success for this year and next into a growing stream of gate receipts? So far I am not optimistic.
  Now contrary to rumor I have never, I repeat never advocated rounding people up and herding them into the ARC at gunpoint, but anything short of that which puts people into the seats needs to be considered. We will have all summer to dream up stuff for next season, but we still have a lot of Loyola and Butler and postseason tickets to sell this year. So, which one of you guys wants to wrestle a bear at half time? I'm pretty sure we can sell more tickets if we can leave his muzzle off. thoughts?

[StlVUFan]

#2 on the rolling stories on the front page is about VU hoping to clinch the 1 seed tomorrow.

Not sure what you mean.

We are talking about the university homepage, not the athletics homepage. That's why valpopal posted the link above.

I stand corrected, sorry for the misread.

I did just visit and see the Butler game listed, but obviously the Loyola game is not, which was valpopal's point.  Well done.

[StlVUFan]

(hat tip to the incomparable Jim Squires for trying to sort through that)

Congratulations StlVuFan for the mention in the Lazerus blog.

Sure wish Mark knew your actual last name. 

Don't think I won't look for a chance to tweak him about that on Friday

It's actually not the first time, but I think it's the first time by name.

[KL31NY]

I'm surprised at the lack of interest being generated as well, especially for the students. We've got the typical gameday feature stories from the Post-Trib and NWI Times, but where else is anyone generating anything?

For the UIC game last Tuesday, IMC put together a nice little video to try to draw students in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bdunihyU8o#ws
Now we have a game that can guarantee a conference title, the first in nearly a decade, and hosting rights in the HL tournament.... and how many students even know? If most of us were disappointed w/ last week's student turnout (I was pleasantly surprised), then I would expect more of the same tonight. I hope I'm wrong. A game like this deserves a better atmosphere!

[wh]

Biggest game of the year so far and no media coverage at all!  I was expecting something in the paper or online.  Something from the University promoting the game before the day of the game.  Nada...

The media coverage for Vu basketball has really dropped.  It is not covered nearly as much as they were in the Mid-Con days.  Valpotx brought up some good points on why lack of attendance but I think media coverage has something to do with it also.  The recent online article about chartered flights for Butler and Valpo not having it was worthless.  Makes no sense for Vu to do that and why it warranted an article makes no sense.

Hopefully there is a good crowd Tuesday.  The team deserves a good showing by the fans.

No way Bryce has these guys coming out flat tomorrow.

I recall that last year we discussed at some length the issue of promotions, gifts, free admissions and whatever it would take to introduce new people to VU basketball. I can see little evidence that anything we may have tried has shown any great success and if we ever hope to be northwest Indiana's team then we first must get northwest Indiana into the darn building. This year we are going to win the conference championship with an attendence level that is close to embarrassing. We can not blame the press. We have been given both the product (team) and platform ( horizon league) that we needed to greatly increase our fan base for years to come,but can we parlay the team success for this year and next into a growing stream of gate receipts? So far I am not optimistic.
  Now contrary to rumor I have never, I repeat never advocated rounding people up and herding them into the ARC at gunpoint, but anything short of that which puts people into the seats needs to be considered. We will have all summer to dream up stuff for next season, but we still have a lot of Loyola and Butler and postseason tickets to sell this year. So, which one of you guys wants to wrestle a bear at half time? I'm pretty sure we can sell more tickets if we can leave his muzzle off. thoughts?

Up until just a few days ago Butler tickets have been bundled with other games.  Now that they're no longer bundled, they're charging $20/ticket min., double the normal cost.  Forcing people to buy tickets to games they aren't interested in so they can get into the one game that has piqued their interest only works if people are dying to get in the door - which they aren't.  Charging $20 a ticket for the Butler game isn't going to attract new fans either or generate any good will toward the very people you're trying to attract.  How do you market that?   "Bring your family of 4 to the ARC on Friday for a $100 evening as the Crusaders take on the former 2-time national runner-up!"  Or, "Come on up to Valpo, Butler fans so we can gouge you on ticket prices for a game with probably not much on the line vs staying home and watching it on TV for free." A s Confucius say, "Do not charge double for plywood till hurricane imminent."   

[vu72]

I don't think the Butler fans will back away from our prices.  Check out their prices for a UIC game!   

http://www.butlersports.com/information/tickets/mbb_tickets

[covufan]

I think we'll be ready to clinch our first HL Men's Basketball championship. 

Valpo  -  75
Loyola -  61

[Flip Flop]

Let's face it......we have a bunch of lame students....I will call them "nerds" and they have no school spirit....thank God we do have a few that
show up and support the team.  Tonight we should have 3500 to 4000, bet it is closer to 2800.  I hope I am wrong.
The local newspaper should have had it as their headline...VALPO TO PLAY FOR TITLE.....FRONT PAGE SPORTS....I am sure that is not the case.
BD will be gone in a heartbeat if the right job opens up.....maybe Northwestern....he deserves better support here.
Frustrated Fan

[vuweathernerd]

Let's face it......we have a bunch of lame students....I will call them "nerds" and they have no school spirit....thank God we do have a few that
show up and support the team.  Tonight we should have 3500 to 4000, bet it is closer to 2800.  I hope I am wrong.
The local newspaper should have had it as their headline...VALPO TO PLAY FOR TITLE.....FRONT PAGE SPORTS....I am sure that is not the case.
BD will be gone in a heartbeat if the right job opens up.....maybe Northwestern....he deserves better support here.
Frustrated Fan

i resemble that remark! but in all seriousness, students have gotten more apathetic over the last few years. i had a core group (there were about 7 or 8 of us normally) that went to as many home games as our schedules allowed. unfortunately, we've all now graduated and can't nag other groups of friends into showing up.

[milanmiracle]

Biggest game of the year so far and no media coverage at all!  I was expecting something in the paper or online.  Something from the University promoting the game before the day of the game.  Nada...

The media coverage for Vu basketball has really dropped.  It is not covered nearly as much as they were in the Mid-Con days.  Valpotx brought up some good points on why lack of attendance but I think media coverage has something to do with it also.  The recent online article about chartered flights for Butler and Valpo not having it was worthless.  Makes no sense for Vu to do that and why it warranted an article makes no sense.

Hopefully there is a good crowd Tuesday.  The team deserves a good showing by the fans.

No way Bryce has these guys coming out flat tomorrow.

Good point. Valpo places ads in the local newspapers declaring the Crusaders as "Northwest Indiana's Home Team"; however, you wouldn't know it by the relative silence in the media so far about this week's games with Loyola and Butler, as well as the historic significance a win will have for VU.

After the BracketBuster game Friday that was reported on Saturday, there ought to have been various news stories in the papers or on the radio Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with different angles that put into perspective the importance a win would mean to this program. I'm not sure whether to fault the newspapers or the publicity folks at the university, but there should have been a lot greater build up in the days before these big games. This is another example where VU doesn't take full advantage of the rare moments of note it is given.

I think the issue is what defines "big game"? Is it a big game to those who closely follow Valpo basketball or the Horizon League? Of course! Is it a big game for the causal fan who's interest in college basketball is what's on SportsCenter? Probably not. I know I've brought this up before, but making the NCAA tournament is the only thing that matters to most people. If Valpo were to host the tourney, and make the finals, check out the difference in press coverage. I bet it will be significant.

While the Horizon League is a step up in competition (dispite this year), making the tourney and knowing you were likley going to the tourney matterred. How will people view this season if Valpo doesn't go dancing? It will be interesting to be sure.

[milanmiracle]

Let's face it......we have a bunch of lame students....I will call them "nerds" and they have no school spirit....thank God we do have a few that
show up and support the team.  Tonight we should have 3500 to 4000, bet it is closer to 2800.  I hope I am wrong.
The local newspaper should have had it as their headline...VALPO TO PLAY FOR TITLE.....FRONT PAGE SPORTS....I am sure that is not the case.
BD will be gone in a heartbeat if the right job opens up.....maybe Northwestern....he deserves better support here.
Frustrated Fan

Again, I point out in this day and age of SportCenter and the Bracketology, the NCAA's are all that matter. Most people don't care who wins the Big East, yet alone the Horizon League. Go to the NCAA's for a few years in a row and you'll watch the students and fans return.

[valpopal]

In a last minute push for student attendance this evening, ML sent an e-mail to Valpo students this afternoon:

Come out and support the Crusaders tonight!

Mark LaBarbera Director of Athletics

Tonight, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. in the ARC, our men's basketball team plays Loyola University. Our team currently sits atop the Horizon League. A win tonight secures Valpo's first Horizon League basketball championship, the right to host the nationally televised league tournament in the ARC, and a postseason appearance.    Let's show our players the support they deserve. If you don't have class this evening, make some noise at the ARC.    GO CRUSADERS!

[valpopal]

I have been told that recruit Clay Yeo ought to be at the game tonight. I hope he gets to witness an exciting atmosphere and victory celebration.

[covufan]

(hat tip to the incomparable Jim Squires for trying to sort through that)

Congratulations StlVuFan for the mention in the Lazerus blog.

Sure wish Mark knew your actual last name. 

Don't think I won't look for a chance to tweak him about that on Friday

It's actually not the first time, but I think it's the first time by name.

Maybe he thought there were two of you doing the 'incomparable work'??

[vu72]

Amazing the excitment on the Loyola Board!  The post says "Valpo tonight"  The responses?  Nada.   And we aren't crazy about our fans! 

[swiftmutiny]

Ugh, stuck in class tonight... 

[valpotx]

Bryce will not leave for a Northwestern, are you kidding me??  That is such an absurd comment.  If he ever left, he would leave for a team that is well supported on the basketball front.

Personally, I don't see him leaving anytime in the next decade, if he leaves at all.  He has more ties to the university than Scott had, job security, the chance to have a 20 win season each year, and a campus that has undergone some major improvements. 

[valporun]

Bryce will not leave for a Northwestern, are you kidding me??

I have to agree with this. I believe that if the Northwestern job opened up, it will go to someone that doesn't have as much promise for a bright future in coaching. It could go to the next big, successful IVY League head coach, and a career coaching record of more than one year. No offense to Bryce, but when it comes to the values and expectations of graduating students at Northwestern, he would be coming in with a very low graduation rate of 0, in terms of 0 scholarship athletes, as our only graduating seniors are walk-ons.

[StlVUFan]

Bryce will not leave for a Northwestern, are you kidding me??  That is such an absurd comment.  If he ever left, he would leave for a team that is well supported on the basketball front.

Personally, I don't see him leaving anytime in the next decade, if he leaves at all.  He has more ties to the university than Scott had, job security, the chance to have a 20 win season each year, and a campus that has undergone some major improvements. 

It is also not inconceivable that Scott felt: (1) "called" to spearhead the Baylor reclimation project, and (2) secure that he left Valpo in good hands with his Dad who stepped back in.  If both of these things were not true, there's a chance he'd still be here.  Maybe not a great chance (I don't want to minimize the "ambition" component that was undoubtedly there), but a chance.

[crusadermoe]

Serious question:   Should Valpo continue to have a basketball team if it generates very little local interest or student interest?    Theoretically, you fund a Division I program because it generates excitement for the school and possibly impacts enrollment and donations,    If it is generating no buzz ANYWHERE even locally,......why spend a healthy sum each year to put a team on the court?      Just roll out a D-3 program and call it a day.   
I would HATE to  see it.  But I'm baffled by the apathy of the students and the community.  The tickets are a bargain and students get in free.   Joining the Horizon League ought to have boosted regular season crowds.   But I truly think we had better crowds come out to see UMKC or Southern Utah at the ARC than we see at the ARC on the webcasts now.     

[zvillehaze]

Up until just a few days ago Butler tickets have been bundled with other games.  Now that they're no longer bundled, they're charging $20/ticket min., double the normal cost.  Forcing people to buy tickets to games they aren't interested in so they can get into the one game that has piqued their interest only works if people are dying to get in the door - which they aren't.  Charging $20 a ticket for the Butler game isn't going to attract new fans either or generate any good will toward the very people you're trying to attract.  How do you market that?   "Bring your family of 4 to the ARC on Friday for a $100 evening as the Crusaders take on the former 2-time national runner-up!"  Or, "Come on up to Valpo, Butler fans so we can gouge you on ticket prices for a game with probably not much on the line vs staying home and watching it on TV for free." A s Confucius say, "Do not charge double for plywood till hurricane imminent."   

Not saying I like it as a consumer, but the job of any program is to maximize the revenue generated by ticket sales, and this is done by gauging the demand and adjusting the price accordingly.  What Valpo did this year is something that Butler (and any other program where season ticket demand < available seats) has done for years.  It may seem sinister, but has much more to do with keeping tickets from opposing fans than it does with gouging anyone.

1.  Season ticket holders are largely unaffected by any of this.  If anything, the process may encourage fans wanting tickets to a few choice games to just buy the season tickets so they don't have to wait for specific games to come available.  That is good for the program.

2.  Once season ticket sales close, "packages" of 2 to 6 games go on sale.  That tends to keep opponents from cherry picking good seats for a single game, knowing they'll be paying for additional tickets they can't use.  Conversely, local fans may buy a package that includes the game they want, decide to attend the other games in the package and become a fan.  (I have friends, an IU and Purdue grad, who bought Butler season tickets in the early '90's just to get on the priority list for NCAA tournament games hosted in Indianapolis; they began attending games, enjoyed them and had 4 season tickets for more than 15 years).

3.  When single game tickets go on sale, the intent is indeed to maximize revenue by adjusting price to demand.  You may call it "gouging", but if Valpo sells out a game against Butler @ $20 a ticket, but has 2.000 unsold $10 tickets for a game against YSU, it's hard to argue against where the price is set.  FWIW, locals can avoid this "gouging" by either buying season tickets or package deals.  If anything, this strategy is set up to "gouge" the Butler fans who wait until single game tickets go on sale.

Butler's gone even further and offered a tiered pricing on single game tickets based upon the "attractiveness" of the game.  All this, along with increases in season ticket prices, has drawn some criticism from fans.  But these are also the same fans who want to retain a coach by paying him $1 million+ per year and want upgraded facilities.  Despite all the complaining about the cost, 7,000+ come to Hinkle (10,000 for Saturday's BracketBuster game) and lay down their cash.

If Valpo has the success all of you predict, you may be facing similar challenges in retaining a young, successful coach.  It doesn't appear your university is thrilled about supporting athletic programs through the use of general funds, so if you want to keep your basketball program moving forward, you'll need the funding to come from somewhere.