Thoughts on Ways to Engage Students and Fanbase?

[The YO Show]

So I was wondering if you guys have any thoughts to ideas that the university might be able to employ encourage students (and the greater fanbase) to attend athletic events? I know, the proverbial show better results on field, but I am honestly asking for ideas beyond that?

[penguinpower]

Text a hype video to their phones for a week including the start time of the game and send two links: a link to a GPS based map system that has the stadium address preloaded or a link to Uber Black on how to get there.  Tailgating will be out if the question as they would text each other to communicate anyway.

[ysufan0505]

$1 Beers with a valid student ID

[Penguin Nation]

Need creativity...not necessarily $.  A few ideas, fireworks, concert at tailgate lot, bonfire, prizes for being there, prizes for games, free food...promote it well with hype vids and posters.

[ysufan0505]

Find an actual marketing department?

[Wick250]

Be careful 0505.   In some quarters, criticism of athletic department personnel, even if obviously incompetent, brands you as a traitor.

Seriously, athletic marketing would be very easy to improve.  The example lies in what Tressel is doing on the academic side.  Confronted with an under-performing admissions office, he outsourced student recruitment to a private organization for a set fee.  We will know in about a month how that has worked, but preliminary data is encouraging.  Just remove all the ticket sales/marketing positions and contract with a professional management group.  Pay them a set fee and a percentage of every ticket sold.  Injecting capitalism into the enterprise, you would see experts marketing aggressively.  The university would also save a bundle on salaries, pension contributions, and expensive benefits to people who now receive lucrative compensation to preside over an empty gym and a partially filled stadium.

[The YO Show]

From what i hear, they are trying to get students involved in the motivation of other students with an organization similar to a fan club. Saw tweets about it.

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

Free autograph session and bobble head giveaway to the first 20,630 fans with Bo Pelini and Nebraska A.D. Shawn Eichorst to be held each home game at halftime 

[JP21]

I think the biggest thing that needs to happen is getting more students to the games.  This can be done by changing the view of what YSU is.  YSU has always been known as a commuter school.  Increase attendance at the games by increasing the amount of students living on campus, which is what YSU is doing hence more apartments next to Charlie Staples.  Most of the student base drives to school daily and leaves and goes home.  This needs to change in my opinion and I believe slowly but surely it is happening.  YSU will always be a commuter school but they can increase student involvement by changing the perception of the school.

[ELPENGUIN]

Two disloyal members to the YSU cause are YSU 0505 and Wick 250. It is amazing the rhetoric that comes out of these two.

[Wick250]

Yes Elpenguin, you nailed it.  I am disloyal to Youngstown State University.  Plenty of evidence to support that.  After all, I have only attended every home football game since 1974.  I attend more YSU athletic events, revenue and Olympic, men and women, than ANY OTHER fan.  But I am disloyal because I do not kneel down and pay homage to a mediocre athletic director and the incompetent shills that adorn the athletic offices.  I am disloyal because I hate the empty gym and the half-filled football stadium.  I am disloyal because I insist that YSU fans deserve better....much better.  Yes, I am disloyal, and by their absence at our sporting events, apparently the majority of people in the Mahoning Valley share my heresy.

[Penguin Nation]

I am disappointed that I did not make El Penguin's disloyal list.

I also take issue with Wick's branding of our AD as "mediocre."  Mediocre would be a legendary football school have 3-4 playoff appearances in 15 years...not one.  Mediocre would be realizing the catastrophe that is MBB and not renewing the HC's contract and forcing the program to languish another season.  Mediocre would not be a winless season for WBB under Martin or Hill...not only winless....but most games were curb stompings.

The french fries at Wendy's are mediocre.....our AD's ineptitude is epic and legendary. 

[IAA Fan]

Being accused of being disloyal is not something to joke about, it is the perception that other posters have of all of you. When you say lots of good things (including those that are constructive) then people will pay more attention to the items that you dislike about the program. For example Wick ...make your comment without the rhetorical preamble; your privatization comment is great. That exact thing was a big part of the old SW Conference & caused a lot of trouble ...and exposed a lot of issues. Yet no one even cares because of your additional commentary. I used to work in the butchers shop at Value King. Here is how my boss used to say it. It is like having a great side of beef. Until I (he, the butcher) get it; it is not a great cut of beef. Somebody has to cut through all the fat before the customer gets it.

Look at JP21, he makes a great comment about needing to be the students out. Let's talk about that as well.

[ysufan0505]

LOL disloyal??? I've been to almost every single home football, mens and women's basketball games in the last 5 years since I finished school, so no that's the last thing I am. But what I am, is a proud alumni and fan and will continue to criticize the marketing department because they are incompetent at what they do and do not help promote MY school at all. Hence why this thread was created because if the marketing department was doing their job correctly, we would not be discussing this. So call me disloyal, that's your personal opinion. GO GUINS!!!

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

In all seriousness I wish I had more answers on how to get more people to Stambaugh stadium. It's one of the nicest F.C.S. facilities in the nation with a tremendous in game day experience. Y.S.U. Fans should take great pride in what they have there.