If State fans are willing to go watch soccer, we have

[cheewgumm]

A potential FINAL 4 team brewing in basketball.

Should be packing the Hump.

[Pancho]

checkout the empty seats yesterday

[GeoDawg]

I don't think this is an apples to apples comparison. I think they are several logistical differences in this comparison.

First, the largest crowd for a soccer match this year was how many? 3000? Made up of mostly locals. Secondly, tickets were free, parking was easier, and traffic concerns a lot less.

Now for basketball, tickets actually cost something (if you can get them), need a parking pass unless you're willing to walk a great distance, and traffic is a problem.

I'm just pointing out the obvious, not trying to start an argument. I'm sure if the MBB team keeps winning then the stadium will begin to fill up regardless of logistical differences.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Yeah. Agree with all of this. Basketball is unfortunate because old people hold the best seats. I have said every year, I would pay a shit ton of money to have three seats courtside. They literally will not sell them to me, and they are empty every single game, for the most part.

[Pancho]

this is why we simply watch it on the big screen at home most of the time

[KOdawg1]

The Hump is the most intimidating on-campus environment to watch a sporting event that we've got. We have to figure out a way to get unused tickets in the hands of people who will use them. The crowd was good yesterday but it needs to be better for a top 15 team with the potential to have the best season in decades.

Kentucky needs to be slammed to the friggin rafters.

[GeoDawg]

Given what I posted above and to further this discussion, I will offer the following as to why I don't attend athletic events at MSU anymore.

Note: I live within 30 miles of Starkville and have attended many sporting events of all kind in the past including football, baseball, basketball, softball, and soccer.

First, the MSU customer model is not designed to attract a customer like me. That's not a complaint, just a fact. The MSU customer model is designed to maximize revenue, not butts in seats.

Secondly, I don't claim to represent anyone other than myself. If I do, it would probably be those that live within 45 minute to an hour of Starkville. So, I will leave to others to express their reasons.

I can't afford to buy season tickets, which means I would be a game to game purchaser. Also, I very rarely know if I can go to a game until the day of the game. So, I wouldn't be buying tickets in advance. Secondly, I've gotten older and my knees are bad. So, walking a long distance is out of the question and so is standing in line a long time to go through a metal detector. Further, consider that most SEC basketball games are played in January and February. Too hard on these older bones. Having said that, I wouldn't fit in the category of being handicapped either.

So if MSU wants to attract me as a customer, events have to be fun, affordable, and convenient. That means I stay home and watch on the television.

P.S. I don't have a credit card. So, I am a cash purchaser.

[Brobi-wan]

It should fill up more as we move further from the holidays. The students aren’t even back on campus in force. I ,unfortunately, live too far away to attend week night games in any capacity. I do plan to be at a couple weekend games.

[Tater]

Given what I posted above and to further this discussion, I will offer the following as to why I don't attend athletic events at MSU anymore.

Note: I live within 30 miles of Starkville and have attended many sporting events of all kind in the past including football, baseball, basketball, softball, and soccer.

First, the MSU customer model is not designed to attract a customer like me. That's not a complaint, just a fact. The MSU customer model is designed to maximize revenue, not butts in seats.

Secondly, I don't claim to represent anyone other than myself. If I do, it would probably be those that live within 45 minute to an hour of Starkville. So, I will leave to others to express their reasons.

I can't afford to buy season tickets, which means I would be a game to game purchaser. Also, I very rarely know if I can go to a game until the day of the game. So, I wouldn't be buying tickets in advance. Secondly, I've gotten older and my knees are bad. So, walking a long distance is out of the question and so is standing in line a long time to go through a metal detector. Further, consider that most SEC basketball games are played in January and February. Too hard on these older bones. Having said that, I wouldn't fit in the category of being handicapped either.

So if MSU wants to attract me as a customer, events have to be fun, affordable, and convenient. That means I stay home and watch on the television.

P.S. I don't have a credit card. So, I am a cash purchaser.

Ignoring the credit card thing, you're probably past the age for it to matter.

What would your solution be to solve your problem?

Short of making all seats GA and first come first serve - one flat price. Spending money on more and more part time service workers to do more metal detector lines. Making parking on game days free to anyone with MSU insignia on their car.

Anything else that would be a reasonable solution?

[Tater]

It should fill up more as we move further from the holidays. The students aren’t even back on campus in force. I ,unfortunately, live too far away to attend week night games in any capacity. I do plan to be at a couple weekend games.

If the Kentucky game isn't completely packed then major overhaul to our seating / prices needs to happen.

[GeoDawg]

Ignoring the credit card thing, you're probably past the age for it to matter.

What would your solution be to solve your problem?

Short of making all seats GA and first come first serve - one flat price. Spending money on more and more part time service workers to do more metal detector lines. Making parking on game days free to anyone with MSU insignia on their car.

Anything else that would be a reasonable solution?

I'm not that old (LOL), only 62. The suggestions you make are reasonable and would definitely make a difference, but I have to say the credit card thing is a stickler for me.

And, I'm not asking MSU to change the policy. I understand why they do what they do.

It would probably make a bigger difference for me for baseball games. For example, I use to work only 15 minutes from the stadium and it was very easy for me for a midweek game to leave work and head over to catch a game. I could park close and within 5 minutes be in a seat. Now that's impossble. Thanks for asking though.

[R2Dawg]

The Hump is the most intimidating on-campus environment to watch a sporting event that we've got. We have to figure out a way to get unused tickets in the hands of people who will use them. The crowd was good yesterday but it needs to be better for a top 15 team with the potential to have the best season in decades.

Kentucky needs to be slammed to the friggin rafters.

This and we got students that can't get in due to tickets sold out but empty seats. We must fix this.

[R2Dawg]

It should fill up more as we move further from the holidays. The students aren’t even back on campus in force. I ,unfortunately, live too far away to attend week night games in any capacity. I do plan to be at a couple weekend games.

Same here. If I was an hour away, I'd be at every game.

[SPMT]

The Hump is the most intimidating on-campus environment to watch a sporting event that we've got. We have to figure out a way to get unused tickets in the hands of people who will use them. The crowd was good yesterday but it needs to be better for a top 15 team with the potential to have the best season in decades.

Kentucky needs to be slammed to the friggin rafters.


We support so many well, there has to be something to the unused ticket thing.

If people could sit low we not packed the place would be insane

[parabrave]

PS if you want to beat the ticketmaster monster buy your tickets at the window. Plus at some venues good seats open up at the last moment and you might get lucky.

[Pancho]

call first or just walk up?

[schddog72]

Given what I posted above and to further this discussion, I will offer the following as to why I don't attend athletic events at MSU anymore.

Note: I live within 30 miles of Starkville and have attended many sporting events of all kind in the past including football, baseball, basketball, softball, and soccer.

First, the MSU customer model is not designed to attract a customer like me. That's not a complaint, just a fact. The MSU customer model is designed to maximize revenue, not butts in seats.

Secondly, I don't claim to represent anyone other than myself. If I do, it would probably be those that live within 45 minute to an hour of Starkville. So, I will leave to others to express their reasons.

I can't afford to buy season tickets, which means I would be a game to game purchaser. Also, I very rarely know if I can go to a game until the day of the game. So, I wouldn't be buying tickets in advance. Secondly, I've gotten older and my knees are bad. So, walking a long distance is out of the question and so is standing in line a long time to go through a metal detector. Further, consider that most SEC basketball games are played in January and February. Too hard on these older bones. Having said that, I wouldn't fit in the category of being handicapped either.

So if MSU wants to attract me as a customer, events have to be fun, affordable, and convenient. That means I stay home and watch on the television.

P.S. I don't have a credit card. So, I am a cash purchaser.

THIS, except (1) I do have a credit card, and (2) I live about 7 hours and one time zone away. Tough for me to even get to the central time zone much less 'Vegas.

[Pancho]

only solution is a modern venue with luxury suites so all these old blue hairs can have an unobstructed view and the fanatics can all stand and be normal and enjoy life

[GeoDawg]

All this discussion of empty seats is not a new phenomenon.

After the first remodel of Dudy Nobel and back when my knees were good (think late 80's early 90's), I sat in Box 13 right behind the home dugout all the time. These were not my seats. The name plate on the back of the seat read Dowdle Gas, but no one ever showed up.

I would buy a ticket outside the gate or someone would give me a free one and I would make my way straight to them. I did this so long I think people began to think they were my seats (LOL). This is where I met Rex Buckner's dad. Great guy and country as they come (2 peas in a pod). I also met Brad Jones' parents there.

Sitting right behind me was Mr. Tribble. I think he was a big farmer from the Delta. For some reason Mr. Tribble took a liking to me. Not sure why. Either he liked the way I would get fired up and give it to the umpire and opposing players or he thought I was related to a player because I was hanging out with Rex Buckner"s dad. Anyway, he started giving me free tickets. I had it made.

One other tidbit. Sitting in the box right next to me would be the bus driver when he wasn't out in the left field lounge.

Sadly those days are gone. :-(

[Ranchdawg]

To me this a critical need that needs to be straightened out NOW! As others have said we have a very talented team and a really good coach. The Hump needs to be packed and rowdy like it used to be. It is inexcusable to have empty seats anywhere in the lower bowl of the Hump. Ok I understand that persons that are big donors get to have lower bowl seats but I know several of the people that have lower bowl seats and have bragged to me that they purchase as many as possible (4-6) and they only attend two games a year usually something like ole miss/bama or Ky/ole mis etc. They never try to make sure their seats are filled. They feel that those are their seats and be damned if anyone gets to use what they have purchased. I have watched them in their seats and the game to them is just an excuse to see others and be seen. They truly don’t get excited by the actual game. And rarely stand up and cheer or yell. Like it’s beneath them to actually yell or stand and cheer. We need these type of people to understand the importance of making a home court advantage.

[Pancho]

If the Kentucky game isn't completely packed then major overhaul to our seating / prices needs to happen.

don't worry. kentucky fans been attending away games since before dan issel

[StarkVegasSteve]

If we win tomorrow then Kentucky will walk into a hornet's nest Saturday night. It will make that women's game against South Carolina a few years back look like a church gathering. I've said it many times on this board before, when we are good at basketball, men's specifically, there's no place like Humphrey Coliseum. To this day, Kentucky 02 is the loudest I've ever heard that building. You couldn't hear yourself think when Mario Austin hit that 3. I've fought people for years now on this, Vic had good crowds. But he didn't have the intensity and sustained noise of the crowds like we had from 02-04. The Hump was rowdy from 2 hours before tip til the clock hit zero. If we take care of business, Kentucky will be walking into something they've never experienced.

[cheewgumm]

If we win tomorrow then Kentucky will walk into a hornet's nest Saturday night. It will make that women's game against South Carolina a few years back look like a church gathering. I've said it many times on this board before, when we are good at basketball, men's specifically, there's no place like Humphrey Coliseum. To this day, Kentucky 02 is the loudest I've ever heard that building. You couldn't hear yourself think when Mario Austin hit that 3. I've fought people for years now on this, Vic had good crowds. But he didn't have the intensity and sustained noise of the crowds like we had from 02-04. The Hump was rowdy from 2 hours before tip til the clock hit zero. If we take care of business, Kentucky will be walking into something they've never experienced.



Yes!

Our fans need to RE-REMEMBER how to be crazy.


Insert meme of old lady saying its been 80 years ( or whatever).

[StarkVegasSteve]

Yes!

Our fans need to RE-REMEMBER how to be crazy.


Insert meme of old lady saying its been 80 years ( or whatever).

I also harp on this too. The closest I've ever seen to The Hump returning was 2017 against UK. We were 2-0 at the time and had just beaten A&M on CBS to get there and were playing that loaded UK team with Monk, Fox, and Bam. We got down in the game like 16 or 17. We stormed all the way back and cut it to 4. The Hump was rocking and it felt like it was on the verge of being back......then they put the Kiss Cam up and killed the momentum and the crowd. So if anyone on the marketing team is on this board, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT DO THE KISS CAM ANYMORE.

[GeoDawg]

First, do we all agree that the university's customer model is to maximize revenue? If we do, I just don't see a good solution to get more butts in seats.

In my opinion if your goal is to maximize butts in seats, then you have to build the model around locals and students. Unfortunately, the median annual income for the counties within 40 miles of the university is only about $40000. Yes, there are some large donors in that area. Just not enough of them.

Having said that, I expect the Hump to be rocking for Kentucky.

[cheewgumm]

First, do we all agree that the university's customer model is to maximize revenue? If we do, I just don't see a good solution to get more butts in seats.

In my opinion if your goal is to maximize butts in seats, then you have to build the model around locals and students. Unfortunately, the median annual income for the counties within 40 miles of the university is only about $40000. Yes, there are some large donors in that area. Just not enough of them.

Having said that, I expect the Hump to be rocking for Kentucky.



I think you are right, but the college should sacrifica a few bucks for a hostile atmosphere as it pays off in the long run.

Also, is basketball revenue even that significant? I tihnk you gibe up a small amount of $, for a large impact to the envirnment at the game.


Basketball needs to be wild, where you are worried going to the game on what might happen.

[GeoDawg]

I think you are right, but the college should sacrifica a few bucks for a hostile atmosphere as it pays off in the long run.

Also, is basketball revenue even that significant? I tihnk you gibe up a small amount of $, for a large impact to the envirnment at the game.

Basketball needs to be wild, where you are worried going to the game on what might happen.

Yeah, the model works when enthusiasm is high and you are competing for a championship. Not so much when enthusiasm is average or you are playing an inferior opponent.

[Pancho]

wonder how many blue shirts will be in attendance?

[StarkVegasSteve]

wonder how many blue shirts will be in attendance?

300-500 probably. They travel really well and this is some of their fanbase only chance to see them play this year.

[GeoDawg]

wonder how many blue shirts will be in attendance?

Guess it depends on how many season ticket holder don't show up due to weather and who gobbles up those tickets.

[Pancho]

I'm betting all these so called old folks can't make it due to freezing cold temps and just leave the seats empty in true blue haired fashion.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I'm betting all these so called old folks can't make it due to freezing cold temps and just leave the seats empty in true blue haired fashion.

I'm afraid that is EXACTLY what will happen tbh.

[Rawdawg]

If we win tomorrow then Kentucky will walk into a hornet's nest Saturday night. It will make that women's game against South Carolina a few years back look like a church gathering. I've said it many times on this board before, when we are good at basketball, men's specifically, there's no place like Humphrey Coliseum. To this day, Kentucky 02 is the loudest I've ever heard that building. You couldn't hear yourself think when Mario Austin hit that 3. I've fought people for years now on this, Vic had good crowds. But he didn't have the intensity and sustained noise of the crowds like we had from 02-04. The Hump was rowdy from 2 hours before tip til the clock hit zero. If we take care of business, Kentucky will be walking into something they've never experienced.

Not to mention it’s a late night game and we now sell alcohol.

[GeoDawg]

I'm betting all these so called old folks can't make it due to freezing cold temps and just leave the seats empty in true blue haired fashion.

Probably, but that's the way the model is set up.

[msu15]

I've long given up on the Hump ever being back.

[Pancho]

late night conflicts with early bedtime reminders on their phones.........

[StarkVegasSteve]

late night conflicts with early bedtime reminders on their phones.........

Well if the news is still the same as it was when I lived in MS, which I'm 99.9% confident it still is, any snow is treated like the Ice Age is returning so it scares people from driving. Add in a late night tip, the news talking about black ice, it being miserably cold, and you have the usual excuses covered for our fan base not showing up. Whether any of that is true or not outside of the tip time.

[Pancho]

is snow expected as far south as starkville? We look like we are getting some accumulation up here both thursday nite and friday.

[Leeshouldveflanked]

There are more than enough MSU Students, Employees,Alumni, Fans within an hour of Starkville to fill the Hump 5 times over.

[Pancho]

even is school isn't in session? water is wet.

[SPMT]

A potential FINAL 4 team brewing in basketball.



Let?s not go sucking each other off just yet. Win two in the tournament and I hear ya.

Fact though is the Saturday game should be completely full.

[CaptainObvious]

Weather may have an effect of the crowd. Hopefully the Kentucky fans decided to sit this one out. 😳