Student turnout

Halldan

All-American
Staff member
Jan 1, 2003
183,611
5,407
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That's good, but they also have to show up.

All the Walsh games were sold out in the lower tier but hundreds of students in all three games no showed despite having tickets.
 

Halldan

All-American
Staff member
Jan 1, 2003
183,611
5,407
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Agreed. But they also have to travel to the game instead of just crossing campus to Walsh.

The last few years the students have let the team down. That has to change.
 

IronKaz1

Junior
Mar 21, 2004
537
293
63
probably cause they were so bad and un-enjoyable last season the sting is still their hopefully now they start to see the upswing
 
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The SHUttle

Sophomore
May 20, 2002
56
106
33
I knew of a freshman last year who was incredibly excited to go to the games who didn't bother to go by the middle of the year. Do you all forget how bad they were last year? It's going to take a pretty substantial season that's actually fun to attend to begin brining student anticipation of games back.

You'll get a one off bump here, but let's see whether there's any sustaining it to a mundane game not named UConn, St. John's or Villanova.
 
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Jun 3, 2001
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I knew of a freshman last year who was incredibly excited to go to the games who didn't bother to go by the middle of the year. Do you all forget how bad they were last year? It's going to take a pretty substantial season that's actually fun to attend to begin brining student anticipation of games back.

You'll get a one off bump here, but let's see whether there's any sustaining it to a mundane game not named UConn, St. John's or Villanova.
I get it but you’re in college…rooting for your sports teams is part of the experience.

You go to hang with your friends, to have some fun, and if you’re fortunate may be a cold one or two.

And yes, you want the team to be good but it’s not like it’s your protein, and you run, cold and hot; you should go just to have fun, and last year is now LAST YEAR! This year is nothing like last year so far, so get with the program students and show up.
 

TheHall87

Senior
Jun 3, 2001
439
628
93
My nephew, who is 28, was telling me that younger people are less interested in basketball than previous generations.

He said many of his friends don't really watch. He is a basketball fan but gave up playing as a teenager to focus on soccer.

FWIW, he attended a school that has a very successful basketball history but has dropped off a bit in the past decade.

My experience, on the other hand, was 10 Big East wins in four years and I know there are others here who have seen worse.
 
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Halldan

All-American
Staff member
Jan 1, 2003
183,611
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How many power conference schools would have issues having 500 students fill the lower tier of their gym on campus?
 
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PirateFan95

Freshman
Nov 2, 2016
56
85
18
I was a freshman the year Whitehead and co came to the Hall so there was a natural buzz around the team. Apparently now you have to pre register for a bus to the pru so you cant really go last minute (I find that hard to believe). Theres really no excuse not to fill 500 seats we dont exactly attend school in Miami here theres not that much to do
 

HALL85

Heisman
Jul 5, 2001
29,812
10,942
113
How many power conference schools would have issues having 500 students fill the lower tier of their gym on campus?
Once again, I think you need to ask the students. It could be a numbers game as most of those P5 schools have much bigger student bodies. It could also be that kids that like the big university/sports P5 experience go to that school because of the fan experience. There are kids that opt for the small school experience and aren't as interested in crowd mentality stuff. Finally, it could be a COVID hangover for some kids...just more comfortable in non-social environments. I don't know and not judging if its right or wrong, but as someone stated earlier, it is a trend at the school and a little market research may yield the reasons.
 

Halldan

All-American
Staff member
Jan 1, 2003
183,611
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I understand the need to delve deep, even to rationalize why the students are not supporting the team. But again, we are talking about 500 seats, probably less as the band and family members sit in the lower tier. And yet a school with 6,145 students as of last Fall can't fill Walsh given that they get free tickets. Tickets that they gobble up and then don't show when others probably want to attend.

I know that the school is dealing with the students to attend these games. But it's not working as it should, even though to date this team is a top 40 squad in the country.
 
Feb 9, 2005
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I was a freshman the year Whitehead and co came to the Hall so there was a natural buzz around the team. Apparently now you have to pre register for a bus to the pru so you cant really go last minute (I find that hard to believe). Theres really no excuse not to fill 500 seats we dont exactly attend school in Miami here theres not that much to do
What would it cost for 4 people to split an Uber straight down South Orange Ave.? Just wondering out loud.
 
May 12, 2009
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I understand the need to delve deep, even to rationalize why the students are not supporting the team. But again, we are talking about 500 seats, probably less as the band and family members sit in the lower tier. And yet a school with 6,145 students as of last Fall can't fill Walsh given that they get free tickets. Tickets that they gobble up and then don't show when others probably want to attend.

I know that the school is dealing with the students to attend these games. But it's not working as it should, even though to date this team is a top 40 squad in the country.
Saturday will be the test for students showing up if they do and we win it should ignite the students to future games . Go PIRATES !!!!!!
 
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sobo1

Senior
Oct 15, 2023
246
660
93
There has certainly been a culture shift for whatever reason. I have my own theories, but it's up to the school to find out why students don't go to the games. The student section was fantastic under Willard - I cannot emphasize that enough. For whatever reason when Sha came on board student engagement dropped off a cliff, and I don't buy "the team was bad last year excuse." In 2024 we were 13-7 playing what was universally believed to be a "win and in" game and still students didn't show up. We finished 4th in the conference and still couldn't get students to the game. Does everyone remember the Seton Hall social media post in 2024 - "roses are red violets are blue seton hall students where are you?" (posted a picture of a 90% empty student section)
 

HALL85

Heisman
Jul 5, 2001
29,812
10,942
113
There has certainly been a culture shift for whatever reason. I have my own theories, but it's up to the school to find out why students don't go to the games. The student section was fantastic under Willard - I cannot emphasize that enough. For whatever reason when Sha came on board student engagement dropped off a cliff, and I don't buy "the team was bad last year excuse." In 2024 we were 13-7 playing what was universally believed to be a "win and in" game and still students didn't show up. We finished 4th in the conference and still couldn't get students to the game. Does everyone remember the Seton Hall social media post in 2024 - "roses are red violets are blue seton hall students where are you?" (posted a picture of a 90% empty student section)
Exactly. There are reasons why they are not showing up. A bunch of old guys on a message board can rationalize all we want, but whatever the school is trying, has not been working.

and the snarky side of me can use this board as example where the school (and the coach) could give two s- - ts about what we think.

Yes, winning should solve all the problems, but it doesn’t always. People are being paid to figure it out.
 

sobo1

Senior
Oct 15, 2023
246
660
93
Exactly. There are reasons why they are not showing up. A bunch of old guys on a message board can rationalize all we want, but whatever the school is trying, has not been working.

and the snarky side of me can use this board as example where the school (and the coach) could give two s- - ts about what we think.

Yes, winning should solve all the problems, but it doesn’t always. People are being paid to figure it out.
It's clearly not a winning issue. It's a culture issue.

People that can't see that are at best naive or at worst willfully ignorant.
 
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Seton75

All-Conference
Jun 3, 2001
36,365
2,500
113
it is hard to imagine there are not enough hoops fans to fill the student section. and it is hard for me to come up with reasons this hoops fan would boycott our games. but i am 72 so who cares lol
 
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sobo1

Senior
Oct 15, 2023
246
660
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Coincidentally, Carino touches on this culture shift in his article today....

"A week out from the 2025 contest, many Seton Hall student-tickets remained unclaimed. That’s a stark departure from as recently as 2021, when a whopping 2,600 students – more than a third of the university’s entire undergraduate enrollment – turned out for the Rutgers game. But student attendance has declined noticeably since that season. Even in 2023-24, as the Pirates made an NCAA Tournament push on their way to a fourth-place Big East finish, the student section was a shell of what it had been just a few years earlier."
 
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Feb 9, 2005
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Coincidentally, Carino touches on this culture shift in his article today....

"A week out from the 2025 contest, many Seton Hall student-tickets remained unclaimed. That’s a stark departure from as recently as 2021, when a whopping 2,600 students – more than a third of the university’s entire undergraduate enrollment – turned out for the Rutgers game. But student attendance has declined noticeably since that season. Even in 2023-24, as the Pirates made an NCAA Tournament push on their way to a fourth-place Big East finish, the student section was a shell of what it had been just a few years earlier."
From that, it would appear that any COVID "hangover" in 2025-26 is not a legitimate cause.
 
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DIMEDISHA13

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2012
24
37
13
We’re always going to have a rough time getting students to games because this is not a “college football” experience.

What I mean by this is that a majority of the college experience is revolves around liquor.
Do Rutgers fans actually enjoy watching their crappy team? Most likely not. The tailgating experience is what drives a ton of the college experience with athletic teams.

Should we encourage this at a Catholic institution? Probably not. But let’s not be naive about why students enjoy most college athletic experiences.
 

HALL85

Heisman
Jul 5, 2001
29,812
10,942
113
We’re always going to have a rough time getting students to games because this is not a “college football” experience.

What I mean by this is that a majority of the college experience is revolves around liquor.
Do Rutgers fans actually enjoy watching their crappy team? Most likely not. The tailgating experience is what drives a ton of the college experience with athletic teams.

Should we encourage this at a Catholic institution? Probably not. But let’s not be naive about why students enjoy most college athletic experiences.
In all seriousness, how does having a future drinks and being a Catholic University matter. Do you think these public universities encourage students to get hammered?

I do think there may be a carryover that the tailgate experience for football creates a culture that carries into the basketball season (and other sports). They may not do it on the same scale, but still find a way to party.
 
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STLPirate12

Junior
Mar 16, 2017
220
216
43
Exactly. There are reasons why they are not showing up. A bunch of old guys on a message board can rationalize all we want, but whatever the school is trying, has not been working.

and the snarky side of me can use this board as example where the school (and the coach) could give two s- - ts about what we think.

Yes, winning should solve all the problems, but it doesn’t always. People are being paid to figure it out.
I think your last line here identifies a big part of the problem. Nobody's really being paid to figure it out because there's a prevailing attitude that simply winning will solve everything.
 

King of S

All-Conference
Sep 20, 2017
3,392
2,740
113
I understand the need to delve deep, even to rationalize why the students are not supporting the team. But again, we are talking about 500 seats, probably less as the band and family members sit in the lower tier. And yet a school with 6,145 students as of last Fall can't fill Walsh given that they get free tickets. Tickets that they gobble up and then don't show when others probably want to attend.

I know that the school is dealing with the students to attend these games. But it's not working as it should, even though to date this team is a top 40 squad in the country.
It’s more like 1,500 tickets.
 

Piratz

All-Conference
Mar 24, 2004
1,311
2,567
113
The university employs people to figure this stuff out in the Athletic Department. Perhaps the focus on it and pushing on campus this week is the type of drive needed to rectify whatever the situation may be over there.