To get butts back in the seats in Rosemont? Somebody asked me the other day what my biggest concern about DePaul was right now. Coaching? Nope.(I like OP) Recruiting? I'm worried, but still not my biggest concern. My biggest concern far and away was the lack of Fan support. It's at an all time low. My question is this. Will a NIT run get people back out? Would making the big dance? Or are we at a point were we may have to go on a three, four year run to get attendance back up? I want good feedback. I don't want any rants about the arena, JLP, etc. Stick to basketball. Go DePaul!!

Don't think it will happen again in Rosemont Bubba...I think the only way to increase attendance is the lure of a brand, spanking new arena (hope that doesn't come across as a rant)...this b-ball team needs a shot in the arm and the same/old, same/old in Rosemont aint gonna do it.

Winning will get me to Allstate. I planned on attending a few games this season with all the talk of an improved team. Won't go until I see it.

BlueDave, Far from a rant lol. But not really answering the question the way I presented it. Because just building a arena isn't gonna get people in there to stay. My point of this thread was to ask how much "winning" did we have to do to get people back in the seats. A 9 game winning streak? NIT? Sweet 16? Or as I stated are we looking at a 3 year run. I would really like to keep any talk of a arena out of this thread.

bubba 2 things: 1) a 2 or 3 year run of success.  i dont think 7 games this year will do it  2) bringing (and beating) name teams.  there needs to be games that people desire to come to.  needs to be games vs teams people know so:

1)2 -3 years of winning
2)bringing in (and beating) name teams

just my opinion

I need to see improvement and a win out of the non-conference schedule to get me in a seat for the Big East opener Jan.2nd.

I think it would take three seasons of proven success on the court. At least 2 NCAA tournament appearances. I also think that we must move out of All-State in order to refresh the perception of DePaul basketball. We have built up a very bad image of DePaul basketball, and it will take a lot to fix it. I don't think there are as many people that will flock back if we have one good season as some people may think. I can't imagine talking about bandwagon DePaul fans either.

Something needs to happen to make the average person who got feed up with losing to take notice. If you were able to start with 6 or 7 big east wins and get ranked, I bet youd see a few thousand quick returning people in the seats. I'm sure we have a lot of season ticket holders who are wasting tickets by not using them right now.

If your talking about averaging 15k a game at rosemont then you either need a 3 or 4 year NCAA run or one very deep run with a roster that makes the next season look great.

2) bringing (and beating) name teams. there needs to be games that people desire to come to.
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As a season ticket holder it's pi$$ing me off that we can't schedule someone decent.  Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Florida and UCLA are all dying to come and play in Chicago. We simple refuse to play them, affraid of A$$ kicking.

Mush, Are you sure those teams are willing to take a road trip here as one of there non conf games? Also remember bringing in a top rated team will result in at the very least and 1 and 1 type deal or maybe a 2 and 1 in there favor. I did really enjoy that Kansas game a few years back and now that the BE is taking a huge hit I do agree mush it might be time to bring in a "big name" during the non conf. Fair enough.

Sorry Bubba, couldn't resist....but to stay on your point, the only way that attendance increases this year would be by the end of the year and it would be incumbent on winning, winning, winning...hang with me a second...suppose, SUPPOSE we win the next 7 games and go into conference play at 10-3 (as alot of people surmised in their predictions)...the early BE games will still be sparsely attended, IMO...the first 5 games in conference are presentable and if we can win at least 3 of them, we'd be 13-5 at that point..this is what it would take for people to start getting interested again, it won't be a flood of interest but if the momentum is kept, can start to gain some traction by y/e....alot of IF's in this scenario...otherwise, I agree it will take ~2-3 years...unfortunately.

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--- bluedemondave wrote:

Sorry Bubba, couldn't resist....but to stay on your point, the only way that attendance increases this year would be by the end of the year and it would be incumbent on winning, winning, winning...hang with me a second...suppose, SUPPOSE we win the next 7 games and go into conference play at 10-3 (as alot of people surmised in their predictions)...the early BE games will still be sparsely attended, IMO...the first 5 games in conference are presentable and if we can win at least 3 of them, we'd be 13-5 at that point..this is what it would take for people to start getting interested again, it won't be a flood of interest but if the momentum is kept, can start to gain some traction by y/e....alot of IF's in this scenario...otherwise, I agree it will take ~2-3 years...unfortunately.

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Well said.......I too think if we could put together a string of victories this season attendance will jump. Not a bunch, but would prolly bring back a lot of the more recent season ticket holders. But I do think it's gonna take a few years of post season bids to drive up ticket sales. Now last year if we surprised some people and went to the NIT and maybe landed a top 20 class I think there would be some bigger crowds now. But I think a NIT bid this year will get some people talking, it won't drive up attendance just yet.

Bubba, these teams are dying to play in Chicago...Kentucky wanted to play here badly to appease Derrick Rose but DPU said no thank you. Duke would love to play here, for our local recruits same goes for other schools.  Its DPU that wants no part of this.

My first time back on wearedepaul since wsu game. I have been a season ticket holder last 3years and have been going to games ever year for the last 12 years since graduating in 04. I'm sad to say that I've really become disinterested on depaul ball. It has become frustrating beyond words and I don't see a light att he end of tunnel... I truly thought we would be heading in the right direction this year but IMO we have regressed. Last year we were in games and had heartt... No heart this year so far. I see a team like illini and Minnesota (who we almost beat last year) make huge strides to this year with same players while we have regressed w same players. I was at every home game last 2years but really this team has me really down and to stressful to even attend games . Gwebb will be my last game this year unless the demons can give me areason to come back out.

I feel your pain, DemonDog.  We simply can't afford the type of regression that we've seen so far this year.  It has all but undone any sense of optimism coming out of last year.

I agree that it will take two to three years of sustained success, including at least one NCAA tournament appearance.  An NIT bid wouldn't create the kind of buzz we need.

We have to be able to compete with big name teams before we think about scheduling them.  It would be nice to get somebody like Kentucky in here, but, if they beat us by 45 points, it would do more harm than good.  In the end, it would just help their recruiting in Chicago.

i agree with Mush as a season ticket holder, the home non onfernece schedule is terrible.  is gardner webb the best team that comes in?  try to bring in 1 team a year, it doesnthave to be a top dog, make it a middle tier BCS team

Also i dont think an NIT bid is going to bring back fans.  it is going to take a coupl eyears of sustain success and BUZZ to get people back.  and that is true for WHERE EVER games are played

Winning, plain and simple. If they were undefeated after Cancun, I know for sure that I would have gone with a group of at least 3 others to the Fairfield game. They crapped the bed, so I decided spending time with my son was more important.

I have very few "passes" to get out of the house with a new baby and I'll be damned if I am going to use them on watching a terrible team.

It seems they recurring theme here is winning. IF we WIN people will come out. But the only way to win is if by improving the ball club and it seems several people here feel that talent is at worse regressing and at best stagnating, or we need better talent coming in to compete. The first, that's on coaching and the latter, well, let's see, that's on recruiting. So until we we improve on players developing withing this coach's system and getting better basketball players in the school we will suffer from lack of what everybody wants, to win. And thus, 1000 people (or less) attending games.

Yea I would state that winning is the key ingredient.  However, I do not think it would have to be 3 years + of winning in order for attendance to increase. IF DePaul could land a top 5 recruiting class with at least one big name recruit (I.E. Jabari Parker esque type).  If we could land a recruiting class of that magnitude with any luck, some local Chicago kids included in that recruiting class, then I could forsee attendance increasing big time right away. 

DemonDog12 wrote: My first time back on wearedepaul since wsu game. I have been a season ticket holder last 3years and have been going to games ever year for the last 12 years since graduating in 04. I'm sad to say that I've really become disinterested on depaul ball. It has become frustrating beyond words and I don't see a light att he end of tunnel... I truly thought we would be heading in the right direction this year but IMO we have regressed. Last year we were in games and had heartt... No heart this year so far. I see a team like illini and Minnesota (who we almost beat last year) make huge strides to this year with same players while we have regressed w same players. I was at every home game last 2years but really this team has me really down and to stressful to even attend games . Gwebb will be my last game this year unless the demons can give me areason to come back out.

I've been absent as well, for similar reasons. It was probably a good thing I was in Cancun without Internet access because it did effectively prevent me from spewing an ungodly number of profanity-laden posts about DePaul basketball. But also for similar reasons, I plan to remain absent if I can break the addiction.

For years I've painfully endured some of the worst basketball I've ever seen. I've sat on cold and empty buses on game day. Drank overpriced beer. Felt my stomach turn in the echos of an empty arena. Year after year. Embarrassment after embarrassment. And finally, enough is enough.

The year began with high optimism. Even though I'm naturally skeptical, I too thought this was going to be a breakout year. Even slight progress would have gone a long way. But, we've regressed. And we've struck out on the recruiting trail. And we're having the same damn conversations we had when Voldemordt was coach. It is borderline insane. No, it is insane, and I feel sorry for anyone who thinks it is healthy to keep supporting the biggest train wreck in college sports.

What would bring me back? Hell, if we are going to lose, can we at least lose to good teams? The cupcake non-conference schedule has backfired on us once again. Now it is one of my biggest turnoffs about this program. I won't buy season tickets to see some of the worst programs in college basketball beat us in either of the echo chambers. I'd rather lose 2-100 to Kansas than watch us beat up on Fairfield and pretend its progress. So if DePaul wants another penny from me they can start by ditching the cupcake schedules.

You know what else would bring me back? A brand. What does DePaul basketball stand for right now? Tell me what their identity is. There isn't one. It doesn't stand for anything and it doesn't mean anything. It's still a wonderbread brand sucking dollars out of the pockets of the poor saps that think they belong to something important. There is no gameday experience, no brand, and no identity. I thought we were going to be "Chicago's team" again and represent "the Chicago way", but we've already turned our backs on that one. And you obviously don't need me to tell you about the arena again.

The truth is, boys, the whole thing is a sham. And I'm honestly not ranting against DePaul. I'm lamenting the loss of something I always hoped would be great. I'm regretfully walking away from something I've poured a lot of time and money in to. I'm done being the fool that believes there is a light at the end of this tunnel. It's not even about winning and losing anymore. I could endure the losing when we stood for something. I could put my neck on the line and sign those booster checks when DePaul basketball had a soul. But you've got to see the truth now brothers. The soul of DePaul basketball echoes so faintly, so pathetically, just as the voices of foolish men echo in the empty arena on Mannheim.