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I Get Surveys ...
Tequilla
Member Posts: 19,825
Looks like UW Athletic Department is catching on that there are problems and are continuing to send out surveys ...
I give them credit for at least recognizing that there are problems ...
I question whether they understand what the problems are (some of the questions are misguided and I'm not 100% sure address the root causes of their problems) ...
I applaud that they only included things like internet, etc. in far less questions than last time ...
They did point to on field performance as an issue ...
They seem to be getting the impression that people aren't going to renew and in part that the cost of the tickets isn't matching the value ...
One of the solutions that was thrown out was interest in things like meet and greets with coaches, players, broadcasters, and the AD.
In general, good on them for recognizing the problem. As with most things with the UW though, there's a legit risk that they can't and won't be able to get to the root causes of the problems. Outside of winning, what the UW doesn't seem to understand at this point is that they aren't looking around and understanding what it is that people generally like to do when it comes to games and whatnot. They see The Zone as a money grab (which I don't blame them for) but it is a half ass money grab that takes away from their product because they don't want to be seen as a University that embraces drinking. It's just misguided and trying to appease everybody while not satisfying anyone ... which is really at the root of all their problems at the moment.
I give them credit for at least recognizing that there are problems ...
I question whether they understand what the problems are (some of the questions are misguided and I'm not 100% sure address the root causes of their problems) ...
I applaud that they only included things like internet, etc. in far less questions than last time ...
They did point to on field performance as an issue ...
They seem to be getting the impression that people aren't going to renew and in part that the cost of the tickets isn't matching the value ...
One of the solutions that was thrown out was interest in things like meet and greets with coaches, players, broadcasters, and the AD.
In general, good on them for recognizing the problem. As with most things with the UW though, there's a legit risk that they can't and won't be able to get to the root causes of the problems. Outside of winning, what the UW doesn't seem to understand at this point is that they aren't looking around and understanding what it is that people generally like to do when it comes to games and whatnot. They see The Zone as a money grab (which I don't blame them for) but it is a half ass money grab that takes away from their product because they don't want to be seen as a University that embraces drinking. It's just misguided and trying to appease everybody while not satisfying anyone ... which is really at the root of all their problems at the moment.
Comments
Here's one of many examples I could throw out there:
Last weekend, if you looked over at the student section, it was MAYBE 1/3 full. It was an absolute joke. I get the weather wasn't great. I get that we were 4-4 going into the year. But from an Athletic Department standpoint, the current students are your future season ticket holders. You should be doing everything in your power to engage the student population to prioritize football games and get them to buy in as part of the team.
While I get that that's easier when the program is winning, it's more than that.
From a bigger picture standpoint, I think one of the things that the UW also needs to look at in more detail is it being a "commuter school." Is it interested at all in building community and forming long-standing relationships between its students, the community, and the University? Or is it simply interested in being an assembly line moving students in and out?
The team has not been good for 15 fucking years = you've lost a shit ton of legacy fans
The uniforms are a fucking dreck fest = you say purple and gold and then give us black and white. Taking care of your brand is not rocket science...it builds emotional connections to the program.
Shitty marketing like Larry = embarrassing...nobody wants to associate with that idiot.
Poor in game experience from shitty music, pathetic band, seizure-inducing advertising lights, inappropriately timed sound effects...
I could go on and on, but it's like death from a thousand retarded paper cuts. Just fix EVERYTHING and things'll be cool. Kapiche?
It was packed, even in bad weather back in my day and a couple of years after I graduated, and I think I'm pretty close to Tequila's age if alcoholic memory holds.
All the other faggy shit will mostly be forgiven and forgotten if they return to some sort of glory.
1. Get rid of the troll singing the national anthem. Marching band only
2. Allow some local kids who aren't Asian, nor 4.2 GPA students, to enroll in the school. Then make the student section straight G.A. again. Let the fraternities save seats like the old days and force those fuckers to get there early.
3. Allow 3 parking lot rapes per season. But only allow them post game. If you leave at halftime, you miss out.
4. ????
5. Profit.
There, fixed.
Called out student section, lowering value of season tickets by consistently having them for sale at 50% of the cost on a per game basis, crappy stadium program, P12 scheduling killing off desire to sit in the rain until midnight, shitty concessions, shitty game day experience in general, the zone causing 1/2 the stadium (hot ticket!) to miss half the 2nd quarter and most of the 3rd. and on and on.
with a shitty 2.7 like I had. Going to classes was only part of the college experience.
Football game attendance was just expected. Now the students are all brainiacs and
could care less about football. Shit the school could probably raise more money by charging students to go to the library rather than the stadium. Good decision to put them in the end zone. Empty seats on the 50 after halftime would look ridiculous.
I didn't say too much about the concessions ... I don't really eat at the games so I don't know if they are a problem or not. Concessions in general should be simple and to the point. IF you embrace tailgating, then buying food at the stadium shouldn't be a priority.
The Zone is a paramount problem that is another critical trying to get the best of both worlds (profit grab + not acting like you are embracing drinking). I get that they think that enabling drinking in the stadium could cause problems, but it's not a huge problem. No more than the fact that people today binge drink before the game or the effect of games starting at 7:30 or 8 allowing people to get completely sauced up before the game starts compared to morning tailgating leading to 12:30 starts.
When you go elsewhere in the country, notably some of the more recent trips that I've taken that have included KState and TAMU, while I understand that they are in smaller towns and community, the fact of the matter is that on the day of the game, the only thing that matters in the community is THAT game. That's how it used to be at UW. It's not how it is treated now.