The difference is UNCG has a student body of 20,000 and many more alumni than Furman.gman wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:01 amA Furman fan can feel this guys pain. https://www.greensboro.com/opinion/lett ... 498d6.html
We can do better, for sure.My theory is most students care more about big time basketball than FCS football.Jasper wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:54 amIt appears to me as if Wofford selectively "incentivizes" student participation at certain athletic events and the SoCon tourney is certainly one of those. During the broadcast, the announcers said that they supplied 8 buses to bring the students to the championship game. On TV, it looked as if 1/2 the Wofford student body was there. What was the incentive other than a free ride to the game? A few years ago, we played Wofford in the 2nd round of the football playoffs at Wofford and most of the student body was on the field to greet the team and stayed in the stands for the first half at least. Yet, last year when we played them here in Greenville in a regular season game about a dozen Wofford students made the long, grueling trip from Spartanburg. No busses. No incentives? Why the sudden drop in school spirit? Clearly WC is doing something to get their students to these athletic events, particularly those that are on TV and help to promote the school brand. Anybody know what that is? I am not saying they are wrong by the way.
Mercer has done the same thing in the past. I think they took 6 bus loads of students to Raleigh when the Bears beat Duke in 2014. I also believe they brought 2 or 3 bus loads of students up to the @ FU Football game in 2017. If they are having a "big game" in EITHER of these 'revenue-sports,' I suspect they will do the same in the future.Jasper wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:54 amIt appears to me as if Wofford selectively "incentivizes" student participation at certain athletic events and the SoCon tourney is certainly one of those. During the broadcast, the announcers said that they supplied 8 buses to bring the students to the championship game. On TV, it looked as if 1/2 the Wofford student body was there. What was the incentive other than a free ride to the game? A few years ago, we played Wofford in the 2nd round of the football playoffs at Wofford and most of the student body was on the field to greet the team and stayed in the stands for the first half at least. Yet, last year when we played them here in Greenville in a regular season game about a dozen Wofford students made the long, grueling trip from Spartanburg. No busses. No incentives? Why the sudden drop in school spirit? Clearly WC is doing something to get their students to these athletic events, particularly those that are on TV and help to promote the school brand. Anybody know what that is? I am not saying they are wrong by the way.
I couldn't agree more. If schools like Wofford and Mercer can generate a lot more school spirit and support from their student bodies with these incentive programs, then Furman must do the same. It certainly does not help that Furman is always on a break when the SoCon tournament is played. I don't know the reason for that. It appears that we had a core group of 200-300 Furman students at home games this year. Providing subsidized transportation to the SoCon would certainly have attracted at least that group to the games. Would that have made a difference in a hard fought game against UNCG? BB crowds are much more intimate to the players than football because of the nearness. A bunch of screaming, face painted fellow students going nuts made a difference to me in my time. I think it would now as well even though the beach baskets have been replaced.FUBeAR wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:50 amMercer has done the same thing in the past. I think they took 6 bus loads of students to Raleigh when the Bears beat Duke in 2014. I also believe they brought 2 or 3 bus loads of students up to the @ FU Football game in 2017. If they are having a "big game" in EITHER of these 'revenue-sports,' I suspect they will do the same in the future.Jasper wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:54 amIt appears to me as if Wofford selectively "incentivizes" student participation at certain athletic events and the SoCon tourney is certainly one of those. During the broadcast, the announcers said that they supplied 8 buses to bring the students to the championship game. On TV, it looked as if 1/2 the Wofford student body was there. What was the incentive other than a free ride to the game? A few years ago, we played Wofford in the 2nd round of the football playoffs at Wofford and most of the student body was on the field to greet the team and stayed in the stands for the first half at least. Yet, last year when we played them here in Greenville in a regular season game about a dozen Wofford students made the long, grueling trip from Spartanburg. No busses. No incentives? Why the sudden drop in school spirit? Clearly WC is doing something to get their students to these athletic events, particularly those that are on TV and help to promote the school brand. Anybody know what that is? I am not saying they are wrong by the way.
It really makes sense. They don't do it for free. They provide the transportation, some meals, and game tickets...and charge some very-heavily subsidized amount. Nothing builds student esprit de corps like sharing 12 hours on a bus together. When those students graduate, they wouldn't remember the 2 or 3 classes they might have missed, but I guarantee they will remember those bus trips together...and talk about them often...and want to come to Homecoming to talk about them...and may even feel the desire to open up their checkbooks so that other students can enjoy what they did.
If Wofford and Mercer can do it, I'm sure Furman can as well. Just need to decide to do it...and have the right people LEAD the way!
Also & BTW - UNCG is a state school...which means a much higher % of their students and alumni are likely to be from the state of NC (92.7%...to be exact) and much more likely to remain in the state of NC after graduation, unlike the students (only 28% from SC) & alumni of Furman. So, when a hoops tournament is held in the state of NC (albeit the far western corner of NC), then it is FAR worse of an indictment for an in-state state-school with 20,000 Students to have a poor attendance showing than it is for a school such as FU.
Criticizing senior citizens fans of Furman for not acting like 19 year olds at the games last week, as was actually done on these boards, was certainly not a coherent answer. Credit Wofford and Mercer for their solutions to what I am sure is also a problem for them. Jasper wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 12:09 pmI couldn't agree more. If schools like Wofford and Mercer can generate a lot more school spirit and support from their student bodies with these incentive programs, then Furman must do the same. It certainly does not help that Furman is always on a break when the SoCon tournament is played. I don't know the reason for that. It appears that we had a core group of 200-300 Furman students at home games this year. Providing subsidized transportation to the SoCon would certainly have attracted at least that group to the games. Would that have made a difference in a hard fought game against UNCG? BB crowds are much more intimate to the players than football because of the nearness. A bunch of screaming, face painted fellow students going nuts made a difference to me in my time. I think it would now as well even though the beach baskets have been replaced.FUBeAR wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:50 amMercer has done the same thing in the past. I think they took 6 bus loads of students to Raleigh when the Bears beat Duke in 2014. I also believe they brought 2 or 3 bus loads of students up to the @ FU Football game in 2017. If they are having a "big game" in EITHER of these 'revenue-sports,' I suspect they will do the same in the future.Jasper wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:54 amIt appears to me as if Wofford selectively "incentivizes" student participation at certain athletic events and the SoCon tourney is certainly one of those. During the broadcast, the announcers said that they supplied 8 buses to bring the students to the championship game. On TV, it looked as if 1/2 the Wofford student body was there. What was the incentive other than a free ride to the game? A few years ago, we played Wofford in the 2nd round of the football playoffs at Wofford and most of the student body was on the field to greet the team and stayed in the stands for the first half at least. Yet, last year when we played them here in Greenville in a regular season game about a dozen Wofford students made the long, grueling trip from Spartanburg. No busses. No incentives? Why the sudden drop in school spirit? Clearly WC is doing something to get their students to these athletic events, particularly those that are on TV and help to promote the school brand. Anybody know what that is? I am not saying they are wrong by the way.
It really makes sense. They don't do it for free. They provide the transportation, some meals, and game tickets...and charge some very-heavily subsidized amount. Nothing builds student esprit de corps like sharing 12 hours on a bus together. When those students graduate, they wouldn't remember the 2 or 3 classes they might have missed, but I guarantee they will remember those bus trips together...and talk about them often...and want to come to Homecoming to talk about them...and may even feel the desire to open up their checkbooks so that other students can enjoy what they did.
If Wofford and Mercer can do it, I'm sure Furman can as well. Just need to decide to do it...and have the right people LEAD the way!
Also & BTW - UNCG is a state school...which means a much higher % of their students and alumni are likely to be from the state of NC (92.7%...to be exact) and much more likely to remain in the state of NC after graduation, unlike the students (only 28% from SC) & alumni of Furman. So, when a hoops tournament is held in the state of NC (albeit the far western corner of NC), then it is FAR worse of an indictment for an in-state state-school with 20,000 Students to have a poor attendance showing than it is for a school such as FU.
UNCG is a different situation. I think that people who attend the large number of state schools in North Carolina grow up as fans of UNC-Chapel Hill and stay that way for life.
So is Greenwood. If we were asking people to go to Greenwood, then I might understand. (No offense intended to G'wood. Dixie Drive-In is +++++)DungeonRealm wrote: ↑Thu Mar 14, 2019 12:38 pmAsheville is 1 hour away from Furman, that's nothing, no excuses!
