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Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:29 am
by eagletx
If you could implement one or more things to encourage an immediate boost in any given single game attendance based on all you actually know about the circumstances as they are, what would that be?

Open Brighton/Newton Campuses to free "first come" parking?

Allow Brighton/Newton tailgating?

General/permanent reduction in ticket prices?

Free matching tickets offers within 24 hours of game time for present ticket holders?

Give-aways and promotions for game attendees?

What?

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:53 am
by DavidGordonsFoot
Contact all the loyal BC fans Gene screwed over when he implemented DBS and say "We screwed up, here are your seats back plus a couple years of Shea Field parking on us." I think this would result in an immediate and long term boost in attendance, even if it only 5% or so.

The only other thing I can think of is a radio advertising campaign giving away the remaining tickets to the Northwestern game to MA residents. Force the people to pick up the tix in person the day of the game and present a valid state ID. Give them access to the Alumni Association/Gridiron Club tailgate thing in the Plex. Opening Day is usually one of, if not the best game atmospheres of the season. It's a great opportunity to sell people on the BC football experience. We are told the economy is still bad and energy prices are higher than they were last summer, so if f people can't afford to go away Labor Day weekend, they will probably be grateful for some free entertainment. Then market future games to them via mail. If you turn 10% of the people who show up into repeat customers, I think it is a win in the long run.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:08 am
by shockdoct
Opening up tailgating on brighton campus is likely never going to happen. I just don't see what they have to lose by offering single day $20 parking on the brighton campus with the understanding there is no tailgating allowed.

Probably too late to institute for this year (since you will likely piss off the people who dropped $500 for the year to park), but you could be creative (e.g. allow the $500 donors closer/better parking).

Also do they still allow parking on newton campus? I know in 2003 they did as people parked right outside our window in duchesne.

I honestly wonder how much it costs to rent the 50 or so school buses to shuttle people to some parking lot in needham?

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:37 am
by BCMurt09
- Treat people who are tailgating like the customers they are. BC football and the gameday experience is a product. We are spending our money on that product only to be patrolled by a gestapo like fun police. Many of the action of the police on gameday would not fly if we were, say, at a bar or a restaurant, so why should it fly on Shea Field?

- Open up Newton Campus to parking

- Charge $XX to park on Brighton campus on a first come/ first serve basis

- Instead of parking out in Needham, could BC make arrangements with Newton North and Newton South High School for the same use? I have no idea about the capacities of each, but Newton is a hell of a lot closer than Needham

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:44 am
by SignalDeafeningNoise
Step #1: Stop trying to get asses in the seats for kickoff by encouraging our brothers and sisters in law enforcement to treat loyal alumns like criminals.

Instead, here's a novel idea:

Step #1A: let's make the product on the field exciting enough that fans WANT to see every play. The defense is already there. Perhaps (and this is just pure speculation on my part) balancing our passing and running games and mixing up play-calling will make the offense watchable again.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:52 am
by SignalDeafeningNoise
BCMurt09 {l Wrote}:- Treat people who are tailgating like the customers they are. BC football and the gameday experience is a product. We are spending our money on that product only to be patrolled by a gestapo like fun police. Many of the action of the police on gameday would not fly if we were, say, at a bar or a restaurant, so why should it fly on Shea Field?

- Open up Newton Campus to parking

- Charge $XX to park on Brighton campus on a first come/ first serve basis

- Instead of parking out in Needham, could BC make arrangements with Newton North and Newton South High School for the same use? I have no idea about the capacities of each, but Newton is a hell of a lot closer than Needham

Amen to all of the above. Additionally, the Edison School's parking lot is directly behind St Johns and easily walkable. Why doesn't the City of Boston charge $30-$40 per car, hire a detail, and give the remaining cash to the school, (which, by the way, has one janitor who covers about 5 other schools, as well)?

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:54 am
by DavidGordonsFoot
shockdoct {l Wrote}:Also do they still allow parking on newton campus? I know in 2003 they did as people parked right outside our window in duchesne.


The Flynn Fund Parking page on bceagles.com does not list a donation level for Newton Campus. Now that may not necessarily mean they don't allow parking there, but it may be by invitation only.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:58 am
by hansen
free tacos

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:04 pm
by pick6pedro
Is there some kind of incentive that can be offered to locals to allow cheap, day of parking in their driveways/lawns? BC wouldn't offer that incentive because it would essentially kill their tailgating money grab because people would go for the cheap and easy alternative. But what if we offered free styrofoam peanut recycling to those who allowed parking and drinking and use of their toilets for $50 a day?

With this you would eliminate a lot of problems. Of course BC would likely fire back by not allowing entrance after the game has started or somesuch BS policy to discourage parking at private homes. Or call in anonymous complaints to the police about anyone who was brazen enough to host people on their own property.

sigh.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:36 pm
by NDubEagle
DavidGordonsFoot {l Wrote}:
shockdoct {l Wrote}:Also do they still allow parking on newton campus? I know in 2003 they did as people parked right outside our window in duchesne.


The Flynn Fund Parking page on bceagles.com does not list a donation level for Newton Campus. Now that may not necessarily mean they don't allow parking there, but it may be by invitation only.


It's free, but it's first come first serve when you get the season tix. Also a pain in the ass to get back to.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:41 pm
by Eagles97
Put some of the marketing efforts out to non profits (w/ huge discounts $5 or $10 per ticket)... Pop Warner, Boy / Girl Scouts and Boys and Girls Clubs. Find a reasonable place where they can be bused to / from (drop off / pick up near St Mary's?) and provide extra incentives (discounted hot dog and coke, t-shirt, etc).

This would fill up more seats this year and possible create longer term fans.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:48 pm
by DavidGordonsFoot
Eagles97 {l Wrote}:Put some of the marketing efforts out to non profits (w/ huge discounts $5 or $10 per ticket)... Pop Warner, Boy / Girl Scouts and Boys and Girls Clubs. Find a reasonable place where they can be bused to / from (drop off / pick up near St Mary's?) and provide extra incentives (discounted hot dog and coke, t-shirt, etc).

This would fill up more seats this year and possible create longer term fans.


This has been practiced for a while now. There are probably just as many kids from non-profits scattered around the country whom have attended BC bowl games as there are local BC season ticket holders who attended those games.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:50 pm
by Dirtywater
Subject to a lot of details that would need to be thought through:

1. Put cars everywhere and charge $30 (Brighton, Newton). Use the funds in part to employ sufficient numbers of BC students to help with the parking organization and on game day. As previously suggested, find third party space that could be used and let them keep the money. If you have ever been to Wrigley Field - you would see how its done.

2. Restrict tailgating but establish areas in vicinity of stadium as free to all restaurants and food vendors (such as caterers) to set up a promotional food stand to serve food and non alcoholic beverages before game up to 4 hours through end of half time - much like any quality food fair you have been to in the city offering a range from gourmet items to pizza and deserts (no fast food chains). Close down all BC run food operations except inside stadium. All moneys retained by vendor except insurance requirement and a modest fee to defray post game litter clean up costs. Each vendor required to set up certain amount of portable seating. Would be open to everybody regardless of whether they are attending the game. A temporary ticket kiosk with an electric sign in the vicinity of the stadium would announce any remaining ticket availability and sell out remaining game day tickets at a discounted price. If we can't compete with our tailgating experience - let's try to deliver something else that makes the experience unique and fun.

3. Establish a program to allot a certain number of discounted seats for residents of Brighton and Newton who are neither BC students nor employees. Also allot a certain number of free seats for police, fire department and teachers of Newton and for those police, fire and teachers of Boston with a Brighton address and two family members. The mayors and their direct staff get admitted free along with a family member. I know this sounds ridiculous - but the reality is that we need to ingratiate ourselves with the locals and try to turn them over time into fans. Designate a section of the stadium as Newton Corner and another as Brighton Corner for these seats. In the end - it will be money well spent.

4. Set up a one man ticket kiosk under an electric sign announcing ticket availability that people can pull up to in their cars off Beacon or Comm Ave.

5. Never schedule anybody who doesn't pass the laugh test (e.g., Stony Brook, Rhode Island, Weber St, Buffalo.). That doesn't mean we have to play Penn State every week but it means at least a team from a respectable conference (even if its at the bottom of the conference).

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 2:03 pm
by shockdoct
Dirtywater {l Wrote}:1. Put cars everywhere and charge $30 (Brighton, Newton). Use the funds in part to employ sufficient numbers of BC students to help with the parking organization and on game day. As previously suggested, find third party space that could be used and let them keep the money. If you have ever been to Wrigley Field - you would see how its done.


Honestly there are a ton of groups on campus who would probably coordinate the logistics and staff it for free if you gave them a cut of the money. And hell they honestly couldn't do it worse than BC athletics.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:56 pm
by h2o
BCMurt09 {l Wrote}:- Instead of parking out in Needham, could BC make arrangements with Newton North and Newton South High School for the same use? I have no idea about the capacities of each, but Newton is a hell of a lot closer than Needham


A lot of people forget there is parking in Brighton in the Guest St. parking garage with busing to Alumni. A much better option than parking in Needham even if you live outside of 128. We park in Brighton and "tailgate" in the Plex (actually outside behind the Plex next to the Mods) with a gridiron club membership.

In the past ~8 years or so my group went from parking on campus with tickets on the 40 behind the BC bench to doing the above and sitting in the endzone upper deck. I am fine with this setup because we are not alums and refuse to "donate" money to BC to park on campus and keep the prime seats. We love going to BC games so, although not happy about it, we're willing to put up with it. We actually like the seats we have now better.

As for boosting attendance:
Offer a family type deal of something like four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for ~50.00. So you can park in Brighton, get bused to BC, have something to eat, and the kids can go to the fan fest thing in the Plex prior to the game all for 50 bucks.

Make the Fenway marketing group earn their money (and BC needs to spend some) with TV comercials at a time other than 6am on Sunday the last week of August; ads on the Globe, Herald, Boston.com and other web sites, billboard ads, etc. They should be doing this now. BC does a terrible job marketing their teams.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:21 pm
by Endless Mike
I think a promise that tailgaters won't be roughed up and treated like criminals will go a long way.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:40 pm
by SignalDeafeningNoise
Anyone mention the Edison? Boston Public School, right behind St John's? 40+ spaces? Boston? Sticking it to BC? Maybe make a little money? Anyone?

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:32 pm
by BCFAN94
First come first served parking.

Beer.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:18 am
by UK Eagle
a) Schedule a big name program late in the season, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon etc and put single tickets on sale at half time of a cupcake game in Week 1 or Week 2.

b) Win games and/or at least to play with an aggressive offensive game plan

c) Have a staff in place that create a buzz about the program in the local media - the past 3 months their should have been a mass media campaign for the BC Eagles while the NFL was in lock out

d) Improve the gameday experience, although I've never attended a game I hear how poor it curretnly is. Bring back past players for halftime interviews, have fan challenges like kick a 40 yard field goal or try to down a punt in the 5yard line

e) On a different note, I became a father in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Baby Brooke Elizabeth was born at 1.12am weighing 7pounds 13 ounces :D

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 9:10 am
by SJeagle09
UK Eagle {l Wrote}:a) Schedule a big name program late in the season, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon etc and put single tickets on sale at half time of a cupcake game in Week 1 or Week 2.

b) Win games and/or at least to play with an aggressive offensive game plan

c) Have a staff in place that create a buzz about the program in the local media - the past 3 months their should have been a mass media campaign for the BC Eagles while the NFL was in lock out

d) Improve the gameday experience, although I've never attended a game I hear how poor it curretnly is. Bring back past players for halftime interviews, have fan challenges like kick a 40 yard field goal or try to down a punt in the 5yard line

e) On a different note, I became a father in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Baby Brooke Elizabeth was born at 1.12am weighing 7pounds 13 ounces :D


Congrats! :cheer

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 11:20 am
by h2o
Gene must have read my post, I see an ad on boston.com today and there was a TV commercial last night.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 3:17 pm
by Dirtywater
UK Eagle {l Wrote}:a) Schedule a big name program late in the season, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon etc and put single tickets on sale at half time of a cupcake game in Week 1 or Week 2.

b) Win games and/or at least to play with an aggressive offensive game plan

c) Have a staff in place that create a buzz about the program in the local media - the past 3 months their should have been a mass media campaign for the BC Eagles while the NFL was in lock out

d) Improve the gameday experience, although I've never attended a game I hear how poor it curretnly is. Bring back past players for halftime interviews, have fan challenges like kick a 40 yard field goal or try to down a punt in the 5yard line

e) On a different note, I became a father in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Baby Brooke Elizabeth was born at 1.12am weighing 7pounds 13 ounces :D


Congratulations! Nothing is sweeter than a little girl. But get ready for a new world - a world with two women - you don't have a chance and don't even try to fight back! Your sole purpose in life now is to serve them, bring home the bacon, pay the bills and keep them happy! If you are lucky - they will cook for you occasionally and leave you in peace to watch your BC games.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:29 pm
by DomingoOrtiz
BCMurt09 {l Wrote}:- Treat people who are tailgating like the customers they are. BC football and the gameday experience is a product.



Lot of good ideas here but this is where it must start, but not just with tailgaters but all BC fans and potential BC fans. The fact that the AD is just getting around to updating the roster from last fall is a great example of how the fans are treated. After that:

1) get rid of the 30min rule;
b) find someway to have pay per game tailgating spots within walking distance; and
iii) open up another walking entrance onto Shea and allow people to bring booze.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:37 pm
by commavegarage
DomingoOrtiz {l Wrote}:
BCMurt09 {l Wrote}:- Treat people who are tailgating like the customers they are. BC football and the gameday experience is a product.



Lot of good ideas here but this is where it must start, but not just with tailgaters but all BC fans and potential BC fans. The fact that the AD is just getting around to updating the roster from last fall is a great example of how the fans are treated. After that:

1) get rid of the 30min rule;
b) find someway to have pay per game tailgating spots within walking distance; and
iii) open up another walking entrance onto Shea and allow people to bring booze.


I get why you need db parking - especially the expensive ones to foot the bill, I just want a study done by the mongos in the athletic department (because, lets be serious, what else do they have to do) how many more cars theyd have to get to break even if they charged on a per game basis of 25/car over the what, 500?, that you have to pay to park on brighton.

Say 6 games at 25 = 150. So youd need roughly 3x more cars. I bet youd get that.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:23 pm
by DomingoOrtiz

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:03 pm
by TobaccoRoadEagle
DomingoOrtiz {l Wrote}:http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/2014/06/24/could-beer-wine-sales-catch-college-games/hVS1W8XJlAJAIJJ0yHdE8N/story.html

iwnh

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:29 pm
by Onyx Blackman
TobaccoRoadEagle {l Wrote}:
DomingoOrtiz {l Wrote}:http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/2014/06/24/could-beer-wine-sales-catch-college-games/hVS1W8XJlAJAIJJ0yHdE8N/story.html

iwnh

I Was NathanHale?

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:39 pm
by DavidGordonsFoot
Onyx Blackman {l Wrote}:
TobaccoRoadEagle {l Wrote}:
DomingoOrtiz {l Wrote}:http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/2014/06/24/could-beer-wine-sales-catch-college-games/hVS1W8XJlAJAIJJ0yHdE8N/story.html

iwnh

I Was NathanHale?

it will never happen
also, unless beers are $2, people who aren't going to BC games now aren't going to start just because there is a new place to drink.

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:39 pm
by commavegarage
commavegarage {l Wrote}:
DomingoOrtiz {l Wrote}:
BCMurt09 {l Wrote}:- Treat people who are tailgating like the customers they are. BC football and the gameday experience is a product.



Lot of good ideas here but this is where it must start, but not just with tailgaters but all BC fans and potential BC fans. The fact that the AD is just getting around to updating the roster from last fall is a great example of how the fans are treated. After that:

1) get rid of the 30min rule;
b) find someway to have pay per game tailgating spots within walking distance; and
iii) open up another walking entrance onto Shea and allow people to bring booze.


I get why you need db parking - especially the expensive ones to foot the bill, I just want a study done by the mongos in the athletic department (because, lets be serious, what else do they have to do) how many more cars theyd have to get to break even if they charged on a per game basis of 25/car over the what, 500?, that you have to pay to park on brighton.

Say 6 games at 25 = 150. So youd need roughly 3x more cars. I bet youd get that.


Feel like I should be patting myself on the back for this one

Re: Simple Ideas to boost attendance???

PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:44 pm
by TobaccoRoadEagle
DavidGordonsFoot {l Wrote}:
Onyx Blackman {l Wrote}:
TobaccoRoadEagle {l Wrote}:
DomingoOrtiz {l Wrote}:http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/2014/06/24/could-beer-wine-sales-catch-college-games/hVS1W8XJlAJAIJJ0yHdE8N/story.html

iwnh

I Was NathanHale?

it will never happen
also, unless beers are $2, people who aren't going to BC games now aren't going to start just because there is a new place to drink.

especially if it's limited to 3 low alcohol beers per game