Seating available [Marc-Grégor Campredon]

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The Question:

The absence of team partisans has been a problem for awhile, and this year especially. What should be done?

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The Responses:

Ace: The Lower Bowl rarely fills even for big games these days, despite renovations and a decade-long tenure under a great coach whose program plays a fun brand of basketball. I’ve been screaming about expanding the Maize Rage’s courtside section for ages now. They show up earlier and more reliably than townies; they’re louder and more fun; they’ll buy more tickets if they know they have a chance at courtside seats. (Having practically zero shot was a huge deterrent when I was in school.)

There are more issues, but that’s the number one thing for me. When you see the Maize Rage on TV compared to other student sections, it’s a little embarrassing, and that’s not on the Maize Ragers.

It gets extremely frustrating to see them fill several upper bowl sections for big games while townies skip out on lower bowl seats.

They’re also best-equipped to work through the constant excuses I hear for why people don’t show up: bad weather, games too close to dinner, games too late, games too perfectly timed in the evening, etc.

Brian: While I agree that the maize rage should be expanded that takes a huge philosophical leap for the department where something other than the bottom line matters. I thought things would get better with Warde Manuel in charge, and I guess they have. Nobody's trying to put a giant noodle in Michigan stadium or momentarily banning seat cushions.

But I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed that Manuel is just a guy. His tenure at Michigan is a complete blank so far. He has not taken any steps to un-do the damage Brandon wrought, and has continued to maximize ticket revenue at all costs. Without taking a step back there it will remain as it is for all time.

Because it will cost money to make Crisler a better environment.

Ace: I really want someone to show him this:

The staid atmosphere hurts the team. Michigan is 12th in the conference in home-court advantage by KenPom’s rankings.

[How can we incentivize you to hit THE JUMP?]

The kids are alright. [Marc-Grégor Campredon]

Brian: It feels like it wouldn't matter or something would have already happened.

Ace: Why do you say that? I thought the reason it hasn’t happened was money.

Brian: I don't think it takes a glance at Kenpom to know that Michigan's home court is not exactly the Hall of Calls.

These kids and their waving of the hands in the air like they are careless [MG Campredon]

Ace: Fair.

Brian: Anyone observing an MSU-M game at Crisler versus Breslin should immediately understand the issue. I just don't think Warde is the kind of guy who's going to make sweeping changes in an effort to amp up the crowd. He seems like a placeholder who will just keep things going in the same direction perpetually.

I mean, they play canned music at Yost now. I don't even know.

Ace: It just kills me that with all the money being put into facilities there’s this glaring issue with a revenue sport that could help the team put up an extra banner or two.

Seth: I don't think we can fix the problem this year because it's a problem of selling out season tickets. This year's home slate was terrible. Ohio State, Purdue, and UCLA. No Michigan State, just one game of note before January. Blech. Huge swaths of the mid-range seats were not sold on a season basis this year because it's too expensive for way too many bad games.

Agreed on the maize rage and it should be the other side of the court. It has been great for me personally because my cousin's brother in law is one of Brandon's big ballers and the people who sit in front of them never show up. Just to the left of me are all the regents, and Schlissel, and whoever is using the seats of the big ballers.

We are watching this basketball game, politely, as befitting our status [MG Campredon]

None of these people really need to be there except for money. Students need to be there and then they can create some sort of pretty seats for the pretty people somewhere else in the building. The kid who sits near there has four shirts and gets a free pizza every game because nobody in that section is going to make a fool of themselves in public. If you want to create a good home atmosphere the last people you want there are the people sitting there.

Ace: Let’s be clear: this problem has gone on much longer than this year, though I agree this season’s schedule has also been an issue.

Brian: I have a *Great Attendance Scheme* if anyone wants to hear it.

The Mathlete: Let’s hear about your GAS.

Brian: Don't mind if I do. It's a multi-step plan based on the fact that Michigan now has scan times for all their tickets.

Ace: KILL THE LATE ONES

…too extreme?

Or not enough steps?

Brian:

1. Assign an attendance score and notify people about it. 5 points for 15 minutes early, 3 points for on time, 1 point for late but scanned. Send people their percentile rank in this stat after each season, like DTE does when they notify you how energy efficient your home is.

2. Start offering rewards for hitting certain benchmarks. These would mostly be Victors club points but there would also be a swathe of NCAA tournament tickets reserved for high attendance people.

3. Enter the stick. In stage three you lose victors club points if you don't hit certain benchmarks. Selling on stubhub is fine. If you don't want to bother with that you can return the tickets to the AD for a no harm no foul freebie. AD then has a poole of Rush tickets they resell for ten bucks, allowing upper bowl people to switch to lower bowl seats or get some high schoolers in the lower bowl.

I think that does something positive without necessarily enraging the donor base since they're not affected unless they don't turn tickets they don't want to use or sell back to the department.

Ace: NO-SHOWS ARE THROWN IN THE HELLPITS

Brian: Your passion is remarkable buuuut

Ace: Are hellpits expensive?

Brian: It's just transportation to east lansing so not really, but fate worse than death etc.

Ace: I reflexively went for a Juggalo joke and then remembered they’re so, so much better than MSU now.

Seth: Ow.

Brian: I have repeatedly apologized to Juggalos for once comparing them to MSU fans.

Seth: Speaking for the non-townie portion of the fanbase it's hard getting to Crisler from metro-Detroit. Football games are an entire day, basketball games are an evening event. The school can't do anything about distance or weather but they could refuse a few more 9pm tips on weekdays.

Ace: I just don’t buy that one. It’s not a 110,000-seat stadium. It’s a 13,000-seat arena. It should not be that hard to fill up when the team is this consistently good. I mean I get that it’s more difficult for you personally, I just still expect that seat to be filled by someone who can get there. That’s not exactly a Michigan-specific problem.

Seth: I mean the marketing is all out here.

Ace: Well, yeah, they’re going to promote in the large metropolitan area 45 minutes away. Not everyone has a 9-5 and kids.

Which I think is a big thing here: hoops would do well to try promoting to younger adults. Maybe get a recent grad ticket price level in there. It’s a thing you can do on a whim if the financial incentive is there.

the freak is on. just invite the freaks. [MG Campredon]

Seth: I like that idea a lot especially if you can buy them in group packages for really cheap. Groups of friends are roudier, create their own traditions, add to the weirdness. The other side of being so close to a major metropolitan area is you are competing with the NBA, the NHL, minor league soccer, and a new bar where you can throw axes. The worst thing you can be in that market is the worst pro team experience.

(The same new bar has a board game collection a la Leopold Bros. and a gaming sommelier.)

Ace: I liked what Michigan was going for with 90s night but you need to have the 90s kids in there first. Also maybe don’t do it on a Monday game against Northwestern.

That’s actually one of the weird things here: I think they’ve catered the in-arena experience to the target market we’re talking about, and done it quite well. It’s just the wrong people (not) in the seats.

I enjoy the music selection in Crisler a thousand times more than at football games, for example.

Many of the people in the lower bowl do not.

Seth: They are quite good at naming the songs that the players can never name.

Ace: Those always cut straight to my core.

Also: those are fun! In-arena videos have featured players singing a capella multiple times! It distracts the players in the huddle on occasion!

I think this is why I’m so frustrated. They’re close to getting it right but so, so far off with the crowd. They should be going for 1990s Yost, But Basketball. Most of the people capable of providing that atmosphere are priced out or stuck in the upper bowl.

Seth: You'll never recreate 1990s Yost. For one Beilein would have to become a tempo coach.

Brian: Yeah, 1990s Yost was also a dark, mean, roiling thing.

Ace: Sure, it’s not going to touch 7K maniacs, but you get what I’m going for. Crisler is tame and it doesn’t have to be. There were times in the 2013 and 2014 seasons when it became a beast through pure power of the team. There’s potential there.

You know what really terrifies visiting opponents? Bees. [MG Campredon]

Brian: The main problem is that when Brandon reseated he did it on money alone and not attendance so now people who don't care about the team that much but care about the money even less take up the best seats.

Like, people who spend winters in Florida have a lot of lower bowl Michigan basketball seats.

Ace: Yeah, that’s a problem.

Brian: But if you knock them back they will be furious.

Ace: I hate that you can’t tell rich people to get over themselves.

Brian: I don't think you can do anything about it without making some people furious, but part of buying a season ticket is making sure those seats are full for games not against the SWAC. I mean, you can, but then you don't get as much of their money. Which Michigan doesn't want to do.

Ace: I really hate that when Al Glick sits next to Beilein for every big game. Like… they’re good there.

Brian: Lol. And Glick shows up!

Ace: We might have more Glick photos in our library than Trey Burke photos.

That is not a joke.

Seth: Nobody down there is going anyway—if it came down to it I'm not sure they'd mind that much. But they all give massive bucks for their football seats and whatever so the department doesn't want to risk it.

Brian: Until the department looks at a season ticket as a two-way street instead of a product they sell you this won't change.

Ace: Please pass this along to Warde, Big Jon.