Time to start selling the student tickets

[Aargh]

If my faulty memory serves me correctly, the student commitment for tickets/tuition for CKA was a 20-year deal.

I sat in GA for 2 years before I got season tickets. Circumstancew beyond my control made me give up my season tickets about 5 years ago. GA tickets were pretty much not available to the public. They were all claimed for most games. IIf there are unclaimed GA tickets for games, the public is not used to getting walk up tickets. It might take some education to get the word out if there are a couple hundred tickets available.

When the $5 tickets were announced for the D2 game, I already had corporate tickets that employees didn't want..

[molly jabali]

And you may be right and this isn't a future issue. However your earlier comment said that this isn't an issue to you. I think that it probably an issue to Gregg and the team and while 3 Mill. is a great thing to make sure that Gregg is happy, I have a feeling that fan/student passion as much of a tug on Gregg to be happy at Wichita State as the 3Mill.+.

Nothing changed...it ISN'T an issue with me...But I DO think that the seats WILL be more filled as people sense how good these guys can be...I just don't find it all that critical....And while Gregg LOVES the atmosphere, I'm sure, I think he also understands the context...

[SHOCKvalue]

Surprised there's not more mention of Shocker Sound in reference to game atmosphere issues. They're down in numbers and quality big time; night and day difference from years past when they've kicked it. I know the responsibility and funding for that went from a more independent structure under SGA, to the AD now this year, so like most everything else that's the likely culprit.

I know if I was Marshall I'd use some of that goodwill equity I've built up over the last decade and make some heads roll when it comes to in-game atmosphere and marketing efforts. We are so small time in that regard. Crazy to think that just a few years ago WSU won a national-level award in such a category, and today we're where we're at.

Ultimately, the AD is a pseudo-bureaucracy with more demand for their primary product than they have supply. To say one might expect to be underwhelmed in light of such might be an understatement.

[ShockerFan87]

I've been to four of the six home games this season. Much easier to get tickets this year without killing my bank account.

I would love to stand cheer all game. But I'm 6'4" and have to be respectful of the people sitting behind me. As my parents say, I make a much better door than window. I wonder how many other people are in the same situation. I spent money to watch the game, but so did the people behind me. I would hate to be the reason they couldn't enjoy the game. So outside of big plays, I take my cues from the people around me on when to sit and when to stand. I still cheer like crazy from my seat. But the energy and volume doesn't feel the same as when I'm on my feet.

I also miss hearing the pep band play Hey cheer when the opposing coach calls a timeout. I want to hear those drums start as soon as that whistle blows. Instead we get the Ashley Furniture shootout or the Grasshopper Dance Cam. Instead of up on my feet yelling and cheering and dancing to the band, I'm sitting in my seat, glaring at the lack of in game awareness the marketing department has.

[pie n eye]

Agree that the problem isn't the people at the game it's the empty seats. I mean I know it's not my job so I probably don't fully understand but how difficult can it be to fill the ******* student section? Bribe the students, sell them to the public (with more than 48 hours notice), use Groupon, give them to charitable organizations..just do something to fill that section. It's been a problem for a few years now and it's gotten worse not better which leads me to believe that the athletic department, ticket office, whoever is responsible either don't see it as a problem or are too lazy or not creative enough to solve the problem.

[Windiwu]

We weren't able to go to the game last night due to illness in the family but it still sounded loud on the tv. It did seem like some of the energy was less at the last game but I have no fear it will ramp back up when we get going against the valley opponents. The student attendance will probably get even lesser until after the first of the year but maybe other people in the community will be looking for tickets during that time. Before I had a season ticket I knew I could at least get in GA then.

[wayreth21]

I stopped being interested in going a couple of years ago. The parking situation is terrible unless you are an uber donor. Plus the availability of games on TV has been great. I watch the games from the comfort of my couch. That being said, non conference schedule this year was terrible, we play in the Valley ie no real rivals, blowouts are not fun.

[WstateU]

Agree that the problem isn't the people at the game it's the empty seats. I mean I know it's not my job so I probably don't fully understand but how difficult can it be to fill the ******* student section? Bribe the students, sell them to the public (with more than 48 hours notice), use Groupon, give them to charitable organizations..just do something to fill that section. It's been a problem for a few years now and it's gotten worse not better which leads me to believe that the athletic department, ticket office, whoever is responsible either don't see it as a problem or are too lazy or not creative enough to solve the problem.

I wish they'd give the empty student seats to the Boys and Girls Club or other organizations; there has to be 200 young people in the community that would love to see the Shockers.

[Heinro]

Delete

[WstateU]

A young man sitting next to me last night said he forgot his cell phone… the look on his face was priceless…



Our entourage entered at the ‘west’ entrance and they didn’t scan our tickets? They had us open our coats and checked to see if we had a ticket and then let us through the line. Seemed unusual… maybe someone didn’t show up for work?

Random thoughts…

Dancin’ Don Hall – Please encourage the crowd to ‘sing’ the national anthem; it was a little better last night with more people joining in, however it could be special if 10,000 people sang the anthem in unison.

I wish fans would at least put their cell phones away during play and only look at them during time-outs; I can’t tell you how many people I noticed on their cell phones while we were pitching the shut-out.

Please give us some half-time entertainment. I suggest some ‘live monkey’ entertainment. Bring some orangutans from the Zoo and have them entertain us. Bring back the squirrel monkeys and dogs. Let a chimp ride a bicycle or a bulldog ride a skate board… just do something to entertain us.






I don’t want to turn this into a political post, but could half of the students still be ‘down’ about the election outcome? Just a thought...

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

You can lead a horse to water...you know the adage. For whatever reason, the students aren't utilizing their free tickets. The reasons are irrelevant and beyond the control of the AD. What we can do is recognize that there is a product the students obviously do not want, but the general public does.

Assuming that due to the SGA agreement, the athletic department's hands are tied in regards to limiting the number of student tickets, the reasonable course of action at this point is to increase the time frame between the game and when GA seats are offered to the public. It's currently 48 hours, which isn't much time to sell nearly an entire section of the arena. Increase it to a week, then the AD has time to do advertising blitzes--radio and TV ads included.

Sell the seats. The students don't want them--they have made that loud and clear. I don't know why we are trying to give people something they don't want.

[ShockdaWorld]

Would it work if we convinced them that the top half of the student section was a "safe cry space"?

[pinstripers]

it's time

[Shocker85]

I would like to see the marketing department figure out ways to get the students to come to the games. Some sort of incentive or entertainment or something. Spending a few hundred bucks a game isn't outrageous.

Once attempts have been made and failed, sell the tickets. Instead of two days, make it a week for any available seats to go on sale as GA.

The non-con schedule is admittedly bad this season. That shouldn't matter. This team has a chance to be something special over the next two seasons. Shame on everyone who doesn't take advantage of watching these young athletes perform.

--'85.

[newshock1234]

I felt embarrassed by that student section attendance. Its not hard folks, these tickets are FREE. Either some students sadly dont know this or they just arent connected to the team. I just dont get it.