2014-15 Schedule

rjsuperfly66 · Unread post by **rjsuperfly66** » 9 years ago

As a Friar fan I've seen this for much of the last decade. Overall attendances around 7,500. Why? Thanks UCONN, Syracuse, Louisville, etc. Big names come to town, people were showing up despite the fact that from I believe 09-12, PC had 12 conference wins in 3 seasons. Even as a team improves, it still matters. PC was a bubble team basically all last season. Despite that, still drew poor a few times (Maine, Vermont, Yale). Yale was less than 4K, the other 2 just above 5k. Drew very well in conference against decent comp, despite a 2k 9PM snow game.

My impressions of PC and URI are relatively the same, PC is just a year or two ahead. Both were down for a long time. Both struggled to draw. Both lacked student support. Don't see why URI would be much different in terms of having casual fans who weren't drawn to "brand name" teams and would prefer watching on TV. In fact, I think the TV aspect is more harmful to games against bad programs than good ones. People want the atmosphere of a "big" game. But if you could stay home and watch games against Pace or Yale or Maine that should be an auto win, what is the appeal of going?

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

Attendance issues are everywhere from the pros to colleges. As an example:

The University of Michigan is resorting to a gimmick whereby if you buy two coke products (for as low as $1.50 ea), you get two tickets to their Big-10 football game against Minnesota.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2207 ... e-products

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Face value of the tickets for that Mochigan promotion is up to $150. Michigan is having major, major interest issues, primarily among their students. It should be noted that this promotion was done on campus in the student union to try to increase student attendance.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 9 years ago

At Michigan it is only about their record. Once they win or even replace this coach that stadium will be filled again. At URI the problems run much deeper, and it is going to take winning, better home schedules, better arena experience and more to get the RC full on a consistent basis.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

BAR, there is some truth to what you're saying and there are obvious differences between Michigan football and URI basketball. The common thread, as you pointed out, is that the students aren't going to come out in force unless they have something to be excited about. We've made this point before here: it used to be that students went to the games more or less regardless, because it was the thing to do on campus. It just isn't that way anymore. Athletics has to fight for these kids' attention, and if the team isn't good nobody is going to care. When the team is winning, going to the games will be the 'thing' again.

rhodylaw · Unread post by **rhodylaw** » 9 years ago

TP - I used to think that all it would take is winning to bring back student interest. I am not so sure anymore. Winning will help for sure but it will take something more to make it the thing for students to do. It needs to be a fun atmosphere.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

The atmosphere has to be fun, but I think the injection of a couple thousand students will go a long way towards that. I think a lot of attempts to engineer fun fall flat and tend to have the opposite effect. I'd be very wary about trying to artificially create a fun atmosphere. The way you get fun is to get students in the building and then let them make it fun (i.e., let them do whatever they want).

Having said that, every effort made to make the Ryan a first class facility is appreciated and certainly doesn't hurt. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking more about gimmicky stuff.

RoadyJay · Unread post by **RoadyJay** » 9 years ago

I would go just to stare at the new ribbon wrap and scoreboard. Incredible! Mesmerizing!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Maybe we can use that to hypnotize people into coming back for more games during timeouts?

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

RoadyJay wrote:I would go just to stare at the new ribbon wrap and scoreboard. Incredible! Mesmerizing!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think the video board upgrade/wrap will have a significant effect on keeping students' heads UP, rather than down at their OWN screens. It's going to make a big difference in the cool-factor which is so necessary to lure the students.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Lots of great ideas here about updating the area around campus. We should keep that conversation going, so I created a thread for it (link below) so we can save this one for scheduling talk.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3795

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

Getting back to the schedule, my theory is that the opening game against Pace was originally set-up as an exhibition game and when the Athletics staff came up empty on getting any further Ryan games, they turned the game into a regular season game. What else explains the fact that last year we had a exhibition match against Southern CT State which is in the same conference - the Northeast-10 - as Pace, and eventually won the conference championship whereas Pace has been a bottom feeder in that same league for years.

And since the NCAA Selection Committee does not count games against D2 opponents, URI plays a 28 game schedule and a quasi exhibition game against Pace. The Pace game plus the UMass-Lowell game will provide scant preparation for the Nebraska game and the only silver lining is that the game against the Cornhuskers (don't you love that name) is at Ryan.

Apart from three missing games against D1 opponents, the OOC schedule is not too bad, saved as it is by Orlando, the PC, Nebraska, and Southern Miss games.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

BTW, Pace has just added the URI game to their schedule on the Pace Athletics website. Before today it was not listed.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Their name is the Pace Setters. Haha get it?

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

Too cute. I hope they play like dogs.

URI96 · Unread post by **URI96** » 9 years ago

I would have gone with the "Makers"

theblueram · Unread post by **theblueram** » 9 years ago

I like the "Errs"

RoadyJay · Unread post by **RoadyJay** » 9 years ago

URI96 wrote:I would have gone with the "Makers"

Yes! Thank you for the sign idea

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

Last year we opened a highly anticipated season against an old Yankee Conference foe, Maine, and drew 5,410. This year in another highly anticipated season we will open the schedule versus a D2 school, Pace, and the size of the opening night crowd will be interesting.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

Obadiah wrote:Last year we opened a highly anticipated season against an old Yankee Conference foe, Maine, and drew 5,410. This year in another highly anticipated season we will open the schedule versus a D2 school, Pace, and the size of the opening night crowd will be interesting.

My guess is that attendance will be much lower than last year. I don't think a Friday night game against a D2 school will draw well. The fact that there are two other games in the following 8 days including a home match-up with Nebraska the next Saturday may also hurt. People may decide to make one of those games their first visit to the Ryan Center for the season.

The best hope for attendance for the Pace game is to get thousands of students to go, especially the freshmen that make up a significant % of the on campus resident population.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

I don't think it will matter. Most ticket holders will see "Game 1" on their tickets and show up to watch a game that matters, as opposed to a game that is marketed as an exhibition.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

And many students will not be on campus on Friday night.

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 9 years ago

Last year they got 1365 students on the Friday night of Veterans Day weekend. Whatever they did for Maine, do it again for Pace!

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

RhowdyRam02 wrote:Last year they got 1365 students on the Friday night of Veterans Day weekend. Whatever they did for Maine, do it again for Pace!

There must have been free food involved.

gorhody89 · Unread post by **gorhody89** » 9 years ago

See I hope they don't do it for Pace...I don't want the freshmen to have their first impression of uri ball games to be a boring blowout

RoadyJay · Unread post by **RoadyJay** » 9 years ago

Blowouts that we win are never boring

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

gorhody89 · Unread post by **gorhody89** » 9 years ago

To you and I yes that is true. But to an 18 year old who has maybe never been to a college basketball game before and his first experience is a preseason type game i would say that could be boring to a few of them.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

Students don't care. It will be regular season in every respect with regard to in-game fan experience. New huge video boards, ribbon, audio system. ALL the things that get students' attention...and oh yeah, the team will be lighting it up with scoring and dunks and exciting plays. Are you serious?!!?

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 9 years ago

+1 ATP

some folks over thinking things here, students like wins. and dunks, block shots, etc. i would expect this to be the most exciting Ram team in quite some time, with wins the students will show up.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 9 years ago

ATPTourFan wrote:Students don't care. It will be regular season in every respect with regard to in-game fan experience. New huge video boards, ribbon, audio system. ALL the things that get students' attention...and oh yeah, the team will be lighting it up with scoring and dunks and exciting plays. Are you serious?!!?

RI Red has been saying this for many years - win the the fans will show up - including students.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 9 years ago

University of Nebraska Game Saturday November 22 at 7pm.
Pray that all goes well for this Assistant Coach's 7 year old son.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... transplant

bressler3south · Unread post by **bressler3south** » 9 years ago

ATPTourFan wrote:Students don't care. It will be regular season in every respect with regard to in-game fan experience. New huge video boards, ribbon, audio system. ALL the things that get students' attention...and oh yeah, the team will be lighting it up with scoring and dunks and exciting plays. Are you serious?!!?

Okay, O-K-A-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1) Just give them free food.

2) Give them a free t-shirt.

3) Have a Wet T-shirt Contest for males and females with free t-shirts.

4) Maybe Free Sex for any and all persuasions!

5) What else can be done for them???? OH, YEAH -- FREE POT, UPPERS, DOWNERS, LSD, ECSTASY!!!!!!

Guess what….THEY'D STILL BE BORED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Youth is wasted on the young.

Stop pandering. ENOUGH!!!!

P.S. Anyone up for 1-5?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 9 years ago

ramster wrote:
ATPTourFan wrote:Students don't care. It will be regular season in every respect with regard to in-game fan experience. New huge video boards, ribbon, audio system. ALL the things that get students' attention...and oh yeah, the team will be lighting it up with scoring and dunks and exciting plays. Are you serious?!!?
RI Red has been saying this for many years - win the the fans will show up - including students.

Pretty much every study I've seen on attendance suggests that the only way to consistently draw people in is by winning - The last one I can remember is in Soccernomics from 2009, I believe. Obviously, if you win for a long time (Duke), you build up more good will than teams that surprise (Florida Gulf Coast). Crowds also tend to be savvy when it comes to purchasing tickets - URI had 20-win seasons during the Baron years, and while there was an uptick in ticket sales, there wasn't much of a year to year carryover effect because they ultimately didn't make NCAA tournaments.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 9 years ago

our coach looking awkward with pop star Iggy Azalea -- haha

http://instagram.com/p/tgia9nzbnb/?modal=true

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

I want some of what Bressler is having.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 9 years ago

twisted3829 · Unread post by **twisted3829** » 9 years ago

this explains the no exhibition, I believe you are allowed 2 games to no count against your record (these can be either exhibitions vs non d1 schools or closed doors scrimmages against d1 schools)

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

Are these open to the public?

twisted3829 · Unread post by **twisted3829** » 9 years ago

no, not open to the public or media

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

We scrimmaged Manhattan last year or the year before.
PC is also scrimmaging Harvard.
One is a wild, running team, the other is a disciplined Ivy League team.
Hurley should be able to get a good handle on where players are at
before the Pace game.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

We learned last year that while they are closed DURING the scrimmage to fans or media, coaches ARE allowed to discuss them with media following the event.

Ram Stampede!!! · Unread post by **Ram Stampede!!!** » 9 years ago

and now we wait for the date/time releases

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 9 years ago

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 9 years ago

Very interesting. I hope everyone keeps these quotes in mind when bitching about scheduling all the time.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

I would have rather played a real game vs Harvard or Manhattan and an exhibition vs Pace.

sf2010 · Unread post by **sf2010** » 9 years ago

RF1 wrote:I would have rather played a real game vs Harvard or Manhattan and an exhibition vs Pace.

I'm sure Hurley would have too.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 9 years ago

RF1 wrote:I would have rather played a real game vs Harvard or Manhattan and an exhibition vs Pace.

Why didnt they think of that! Genius idea!!!

Congrats on being the first person to completely ignore what he said about scheduling just so you could have something to complain about.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 9 years ago

Harvard is ranked #43 on the top 144 list. Manhattan not in the top 144. But two very good games for us nonetheless.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 9 years ago

Harvard is consistently being named in pre-season Top 25s.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

I'm glad Dan said what he said, but you didn't need to hear it from him. All you had to do was look at the schedule to know it is a difficult exercise for us right now. This isn't Xbox where you get to just make your own schedule exactly how you want it.