Student Section

I was at the OSU game when we clawed back the final four minutes and then.... Naz hit the dagger. I'm sure they heard it from lot C.
We felt it in Fisher...daughter had a performance same time as the game...It started shaking when Naz made his shot. People started pulling out their phones to see what happened!
 
The loudest I ever heard Hilton was the Okie State game when they had Big Country. I swear the floor was moving.
Same for the OU game, down by 21, come back to win. Don't ask what year.
Think Monte hit a big one from our sideline towards the end.
Think Brett Musburger was calling it. He came close to an orgasm
 
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I’m not old enough to remember the Orr era, but that was a lot louder than the Hoiberg coaching tenure. I’ve heard KU fans complain that the atmosphere in Phog has diminished. The invention of smart phones was probably the worst thing to happen to society and it also has had a negative effect with crowd involvement too.
BINGO, re: phones!
 
I wish we could come up with something like:

Students need to verify 1 or 2 hrs before game if theyre going to make it.
If they dont a text gets sent out to Boys and Girls Club/Ames High/Gilbert kids to claim a seat for free. Cyride could have a dedicated bus shuttle them from Ames High to the game.

These seats would be higher in the second deck.
In this day and age, with electronic tickets, they could easily track ticket scans etc. Then prioritize those that use their tickets vs those that dont, when they sell tickets.

So you are prioritized when you purchase tickets, by how many games attended in the previous year. Then Freshman and first year ticket holders have lottery for a select number. So there is a huge incentive to show up to as many games as possible, or make sure you give/sell your ticket to someone else that wants to use it.

If you get tickets and only use them for 50% of the games your priority goes behind someone that uses them more.

Overselling has not worked to actually fill the student section many games, like it is designed to. So we need to make actual attendance more important.

They could also give section priority to those that actually use their tickets more often as a perk, too. So the more you use them, you move up from being able to get lower level, the less you use them your priority puts you in the upper level.

That being said, opening some seats up for some others like you said, clubs, kids teams, etc would be a decent idea too.
 
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BINGO, re: phones!
Unless something very recently has changed, phones are pretty much useless during the games. Hilton is a deadzone, both because of the design, and because of network capacity. Although some networks may be better than others.
 
This is this fan base’s “SNL way better in my day” talking point. “The student section was awesome 10 years ago!”

*complained about it at the time*
I went to school during Mcdermott, we had both ends of the balcony and couldn’t fill either side on the lower level.
 
I’m not old enough to remember the Orr era, but that was a lot louder than the Hoiberg coaching tenure. I’ve heard KU fans complain that the atmosphere in Phog has diminished. The invention of smart phones was probably the worst thing to happen to society and it also has had a negative effect with crowd involvement too.
I was there in the Orr era. You couldn't hear the person next to you if they were trying to talk to you. It was insanely loud!
 
This is this fan base’s “SNL way better in my day” talking point. “The student section was awesome 10 years ago!”

*complained about it at the time*
It wasn’t great then most of the time. I went to Iowa State 2010-2014, and the student section couldn’t completely fill up for any game minus Iowa and KU. Baylor was the only other team that was good that the students seemed to fill.
 
Unless something very recently has changed, phones are pretty much useless during the games. Hilton is a deadzone, both because of the design, and because of network capacity. Although some networks may be better than others.
I always see phones out at games. It’s fine, but people are completely addicted to looking at their phone every 2 minutes.
 
I’m sorry.

The students and crowds of the mid-80s to mid-90s blow away most crowds and student sections today.

I’ve seen maybe 20 atmospheres (almost all Kansas/Baylor in their heyday, and a few top-10 teams) that were like EVERY conference game from 1984 to 1994.

The crowds KNEW they had to be part of the win. They ABSOLUTELY knew it from the start and acted accordingly. Johnny recognized the crowd EVERY TIME HE WALKED ON THE COURT with that fist pump. He always acknowledged the crowd directly, personally, and physically.

Once he was gone, there was still some magic, but we honestly didn’t ABSOLUTELY NEED it to win. We had better teams, we cared about defense, and it wasn’t the same level of excitement. We actually began to expect to win games, sometimes even away from home.

Anyone thinking they invented, or even came close to, the Magic that Hilton had with Johnny is kidding themselves. The Magic was the crowd willing the “lesser team” to a win when they weren’t supposed to beat the top of the Big 8. The magic now is no longer transforming the lesser team into that night’s victor. It’s simply getting excited and cheering for our better or evenly matched team beating the other team.

Kansas does not claim there is magic in the Phog. The only magic in the Phog vs. out of the Phog is the mesmerized officials. It is an intimidating, loud, great atmosphere, but it isn’t magical. They are supposed to win every game, and they act like it.

We have come so far from the lovable loser that needed a magic venue, to being an intimidating team with a consistently dedicated, better-than-average atmosphere.

We will be on fire next weekend, all weekend. I’m sure of it. When it happens, look around and repeat after me: “THIS is what Hilton Magic was like all the time in those days.”

With all this said, the students need to show up and not ever not show up again. That is completely unacceptable. They need to appreciate what they have, or have it taken away. Give it to people who will show up. I believe, and other old folks can correct me if I’m wrong, that there were three years in a row with lotteries for student tickets, with one of those years being a lottery to get into the lottery. On our floor, we would make sure someone used our ticket if we weren’t going, because you would catch hell if the seat went unfilled. Not everyone was like that, but I bet a large majority were.

It’s just different now. The students who bought the tickets in the 80s and early 90s went for the love of it. We had no organization, but we were vicious. Cyclone Alley wasn’t a thing, and at least for conference season the entire place was packed. It’s just not the same anymore, but people have many more options. We had cable and ISU basketball to get us through the winters. No cell phones to selfie it all either.

Now, I tip my hat to the student section in football. They are killing it there (most of the time) compared to those days. We brought Boones and drank on every first down in Section O in the front rows most games. THAT has changed considerably.
 
There was empty seats in regular sections too but no one is ******** about that
I don't like that any better than the students. But, the students don't have as many good excuses not to show up.

We should have ways to fill EVERY seat in the lower bowl / center of the court and move people "up" when they are dedicated or want better seats and backfill every empty seat with lower priced seat options leading up to the game.

There are creative ways to figure out how to make sure there are no empty seats in the lower bowl and even more creative ways to make sure there are no empty seats in the Coliseum.

With today's technology we should be able to pack the place, reward those that pay for the seats they want to create an opportunity for those willing to upgrade that experience from 201 15th row to 111 row 1.

Kick Ticketmaster the hell out and develop your own AI optimized system to do it. AND KEEP ALL THE MONEY.

Where there is a will there is a way. Make it happen ISU.
 
Same for the OU game, down by 21, come back to win. Don't ask what year.
Think Monte hit a big one from our sideline towards the end.
Think Brett Musburger was calling it. He came close to an orgasm
The Okie State game the Clones were down big and came back to win it.
 
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The Okie State game the Clones were down big and came back to win it.
 
I don't know if it's generational or what, but Cyclone Alley is a shadow of itself. We're 21-2 and have been in the top 10 for most of the year. I know it's not Kansas, but it shouldn't matter. It's a conference game on a Saturday. I see student sections in Lawrence and Provo that show up every game and are engaged and loud. Moving the seats back has had a negative effect, but it has to be more than that. Sometimes I feel like our fans don't get excited unless we're the underdog.
Every off season I go back and watch highlights from games from the Hoiberg era/early Prohm era and the students were just way louder. I feel like even when we have a full student section, not all of them are fully engaged and getting hyped.

I don't know what Iowa State athletics or anyone can do. It's just the group of students we have don't care as much which sucks.
 
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Not a good look for a fanbase that likes to think Hilton is the best home court college. The crowd energy was also lacking, IMHO. Maybe it just doesn't come across well on tv anymore. It used to.

Turned over and watched a few minutes of the Kansas/Utah game. Crowd energy seemed way higher. Watched a few minutes of the Duke/UNC game before the women's game. Crowd was way hotter. And UNC crowds are notorious for being hand-sitters.
Not defending our fans at all because they were very quiet today but the UNC game cannot really be an apples to apples comparison....Duke is their arch rival and that game no matter if it's in Chapel Hill or Durham is always bonkers
 
Is it the competition? It seems like we've been sleepwalking through the conference home games ao far and haven't really been challenged.

I thought the crowd today was pretty bad, at least on TV. I think it will ramp up once we start playing some better teams and there's plenty the next month.
I'm of the opinion that at least the student section should be there in full force and be loud....for crying out loud, we're #7 in the country.

With that being said, our conference home slate to this point has been abysmal. We haven't played anyone with a number by their name and that creates apathy amongst the students and many of the other fans.

I am always one of the first people to stand up and try and get the crowd pumped up in my section but I quite literally am the only one doing it. I notice a lot of people literally scrolling on their phones while the game is happening.....why even go to the game if all you're going to do is scroll on your phone?
 
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