Attendance at UB Games Suffering

Attendance at UB sporting events is at an all-time low - down to an average of 9,000 from 14,000 just five years ago when the teams jumped to Division I-A. While it is easy to blame the lackluster support on the troubled reputations of the teams, there are other problems that also must be dealt with in order to recreate school spirit.

Elsewhere in the Mid-American Conference, schools with poorer records than UB regularly fill stadiums, averaging thousands more spectators at both football and basketball games. Even lowly Ohio - source of the UB football team's only victory - fills up its stadium more than the Bulls.

Now that it is basketball season, where the games are played inside and the team is near .500, it would make sense that more fans would come - but still only a quarter of Alumni Arena is filled. The team suffers from a mix of too much competition, a lack of tradition and a conflict between promotion of a family environment and one more suited to college students.

Improving the teams is obviously the most important factor in increasing attendance, but that is a long-term process that will give the whole program a better reputation. People primarily come out to see competitive games on the field or court. If the team is better now, an increase in attendance may not be seen for a few years because of the inherent lag between an increase in reputation and an increase in fan base.

Once the team has a reputation for being competitive, it will be able to draw fans. In contrast to the other schools of the MAC, UB is in a populous city with all sorts of other events to draw people away from games. If there is more to do, people are not focused on school-related athletic activities.

The outreach program for students must become more efficient. Advertisements in various newspapers only go so far. Perhaps if each student received a ticket to a game in his or her mailbox, the student would be more inclined to attend, and if buses were organized in the winter months to take students from various places to the games, it would make it easier for students to attend.

At the games, there is a clear division between the students and the families. Both have different interests and there is no way to cater to both groups. While students would prefer sale of beer at the game, it is not allowed. The halftime entertainment and various giveaways are also tailored against the needs of students. For the university to claim that it wants students to attend while not accommodating their needs is slightly hypocritical.

Perhaps it is possible for both environments to exist, as there is already very little interaction. The second floor of Alumni Arena could be turned into an environment more suited for the demands of students. Students also enjoy free things, especially food. Thirty pizzas go a lot farther than one CD burner.

Ultimately, a more student-friendly atmosphere along with improved quality of play would bring more students to the games, which in turn would foster more school spirit, which would benefit us all.