Big XII Prospectus

[swok34]

Ah..........it pays to visit that site every once and awhile.
I haven't looked closely enough to see if there is any schedule information available.
http://www2.big12sports.com/new/wbball/news/?id=2167

[schooner2]

Unfortunately, it states that the composite schedule and individual team schedules will be released at a later date. But, we are getting close enough to the season that checking the official big 12 web site every day is probably a smart thing if we want immediate information.

[YCN]

The prospectus notes had this to say:

The “Million Fan March” campaign was established prior to the 2000-01 season with the goal of the Big 12 becoming the first conference in the NCAA to draw 1,000,000 during the season. The Big 12 fell short of the mark in 2000-01, its first major promotional attempt, but continued the project in 2001-02 as “Million Fan March 2”.

Oh really? I don't recall the conference office ever even mentioning a "Million Fan March 2". Heck, as I recall, it was someone from this board that let the Big 12 office know that we had been following the attendance, and believed that the mark had been reached!

Anyone have any information to the contrary? They may have mentioned such in the prospectus, but they never had any kind of running total going during the season, and sure didn't promote it, unlike the year before.

I don't like it when bureacrats claim something that isn't true, so somebody make sure I am corrected if I'm wrong.

[swok34]

I know they didn't promote it or keep up very well.....but they did say at the end of the 2001 season that they would forge ahead in the next year with a Million March 2.

[YCN]

swok, remember this thread?

Allright, lets just do it ourselves (http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001464.html)

[This message has been edited by YCN (edited 08-22-2002).]

[swok34]

I know they didn't promote it or keep up very well

Do you remember the logo for the original Big XII Million Fan March?.....I have a button with the logo on it, and at the end of the 2001 season, they revised the logo to show a "red 2"....and mentioned they we would forge ahead falling short in the first year of the promotion......I can't prove that, since they changed their website last season and no old archives are available......I liked the old website much, much better......

though, and I repeat my original statement, They didn't promote it or keep up very well.

[mred]

Originally posted by YCN:
swok, remember this thread?

Allright, lets just do it ourselves (http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001464.html)

[This message has been edited by YCN (edited 08-22-2002).]

Did you look at our projections? Here they are:


So, to sum up, below is the pie in the sky, chamber of commerce numbers:

TEAM ACTUAL PROJECTED
KSU 51,899 95,000
TTU 106760 173500
BU 47421 81000
UT 49745 80000
ISU 100855 143000
TAMU 13654 22800
KU 7894 13000
OU 38589 78000
NU 24359 44000
CU 23349 33400
MU 17351 28000
OSU 17443 27500
499,319 819,200
Big XII 35000
NCAA
OU 23000
TTU 27000
BU 20000
KSU 26000
UT 14000
CU 20000
ISU 26000
ISU 26000
Grand Total 1,036,200


Take away the fact that ISU didn't play in the regional, and we have a projection of 1,010,200. Actual total was 1,002,251. We were less than 8,000 off, despite making the projections halfway through the conference season.

[This message has been edited by mred (edited 08-22-2002).]

[YCN]

That pretty much proves it, mred.

If they have any questions they want answered, they should come to us. If we don't know the answer, we can put our heads together and ultimately arrive and the absolute dead solid truth.

If there is any information that they don't know about, we are here to ask. If we don't know anything either, we can work together to find out what we're missing.

That's right, Big XII, are you listening?

The league shouldn't worry, though. We'll be glad to tell them what they really need to know, even if they don't ask. (Yes, that was US that told THEM that we made the 1,000,000 fan goal!)

[KSUron]

You guys got me started and I went back through the attendance threads we had during the year. We were definately on top of the issue and the final thread was "Million Fan Update again". I could not resist adding a post to the bottom of it to bing it back to the current board. Good job all!

I was, and I remain a little surprised at the slow & low key response from the Big Twelve. My recollection is that even after I just could not wait any more, and contacted KSU sports info and Joni James of the Big 12, it was not the next day but a couple more before that release came out. And when it did come out I thought it was a bit understated. I think the bottom line is us FANatics do care a great deal about WBB and want to know that others care too.

GO BIG XII Let's get another million!

[This message has been edited by KSUron (edited 08-22-2002).]

[YCN]

Ron, I think we go 1.1 this year. Making the benchmark is wonderful, but since we are now the heavyweight champs, only outdoing ourselves will be enough to be satisfying.

---------------
And I've been watching Stacey Dales-Schuman tonight for the Mystics, and she is truly going to be a special player for them. The Mystics have the ball and a 3 point lead over the Liberty, winners of 4 of 5 Eastern Conference championships, with one minute to play.

They win that one and the unthinkable appears on the brink. The opportunity to be the first Eastern Conference WNBA champion is one win away.


[This message has been edited by YCN (edited 08-22-2002).]

[schooner2]

I would like to think the Big 12 would yet again surpass the 1 million mark.....but, if we do this season, I'll be very impressed. First of all, the conference overall should be "down" relative to last year with a couple of notable exceptions such as KSU and TTU. But most importantly is the state of the economy and things like charitable giving. Once people get hit hard in the pocket book the first things to go are charitable giving and things like purchasing season tickets to Big 12 sporting events. I've seen many articles about charitable giving being way down regardless of the charity. At the church where I attend, giving is way, way down. And state budgets have been hit hard. Luckily OU didn't have to lay people off this year, but every department had to cut costs. That was a mandatory ruling handed down by President Boren which was handed down to him by State Lawmakers.

Given all that, I would have to think that attendance could definitely be down this season.

[YCN]

schooner, I think that anything the conference loses in women's attendance, it will more than gain from those who pay for much more costly men's basketball tickets, who are downsizing for economic reasons.

Just my thoughts, but since I'm frequently wrong, nobody should rely upon them.

[ChipperF1]

Attendance Projections.

Projected Big Gainers (10% or more increase)
---------------------------
Kansas State (They probably make the biggest jump)
Texas (They are gonna be strong again, and that bring fans back in numbers)

Projected Gainers (at least 3% up to 9%)
---------------------------
Texas Tech (a national attendance leader, they'll make a another jump if the team does what I think they will)
Iowa State (As long as the team keeps doing well, the Ames Hilton will fill)
Baylor (Even with a new team there is excitement)
Colorado (Fans are excited and will have a good team)
Oklahoma (Won't gain as much, but will gain steady)

Projected Holds (no more than a 2% gain, no less than 2% loss)
---------------------------
Kansas (Could be a solid gainer if the newcomers do well. They can't do any worse)
Missouri (They should hold ground and maybe gain some attendance)
Texas A&M
Oklahoma State

Projected Losers
--------------------------
Nebraska (Attendance will drop about 5-10%. More if the men's team plays above .500)



[This message has been edited by ChipperF1 (edited 08-22-2002).]

[dem]

Originally posted by ChipperF1:
Attendance Projections.

Projected Losers
--------------------------
Nebraska (Attendance will drop about 5-10%. More if the men's team plays above .500)




Wouldn't a new coach and one proven star player produce enough interest and excitement to at least prevent a significant decline in attendance?

[ChipperF1]

"Wouldn't a new coach and one proven star player produce enough interest and excitement to at least prevent a significant decline in attendance?

It might, but smart money will see a drop in attendance. Some fans will go away because of who isn't there. The team lost three in-state players that people know, and Nebraskans are provincial people. We like cheering for home-grown kids and there aren't that many on this years ballclub.
Also the team is a loser this season and the fans know it. You will see a lot of losing this year. Even Connie Yori knows what she bought into. She will not have a winning season with this team. She won't have one next year, either. And many of the games against marquee teams will not be very competitive.
Quite a few fans are going to say, "There's not many teams we have a shot of playing competitively". Can you blame people for not wanting to show up to see Colorado beat us by 30, or the yearly Iowa State firebombing or seeing Texas Tech destroy the team?
When the mens team lost 19 a few years back, attendance dropped about 11%, and they were about as bad as the women are right now.
Speaking of the mens team, they've generated a lot of excitement. The team is retooled, people are excited from the effort they gave last year and with some new players (like Keasha Cannon's fiance, who is one serious ballplayer), people are seeing a winning season in the making and future success to come so the bandwagon is filling up. If the fellas do well, people will vote with their feet and with their dollars.
Fans in Lincoln have some options. At the start of the season, womens basketball goes up against postseason play for Volleyball and Soccer. Most fans pick seeing a winner over seeing a loser. During the winter. Mens basketball is competition and both have to compete with the Lincoln Stars hockey team across the path at the State Fairgrounds. The Stars are competitive most years and they draw.
I see a 5% drop in attendance if the team does what I project them to do. That drop will be greater if the mens team come out of the gate does well and pulls off some big game upsets.
There is a silver lining. Nebraska will still outdraw and outcheer Creighton.

[TXSNOS]

Summary of Big 12 newcomers: http://web.utk.edu/%7Esmarshal/b12sign3.htm

TXSNOS