The Shadow wrote:On another thread, there was a mention of HU should change conferences because the CAAT is going to South Carolina instead of Baltimore. With those attendance totals, what other conference would welcome HU? Do any of you think the A10 would even consider HU? You really cannot make a logical reason for acceptance. These poor numbers are with a team tied for FIRST PLACE at the half point of the CAA season. The numbers speak volumes in the lack of marketing, student interest, and community support. Remember not doing enough is a choice that is made by the administration of the college. The athletic department acts under those guidelines. I hope the next four games show a remarkable change, but I really do not think it will happen. The famous Bill Parcells' quote sums this up: "You are what your record says you are."
You could argue to the A-10 that if Hofstra were playing higher profile teams from a higher profile conference, they might draw more. The Mack has been far different when that has happened, even for games against CAA teams, as well as others (i.e. when Mason visited as the 25th-ranked team in the nation; when ODU visited with a trip to MSG in the NIT on the line; or when Nebraska visited for the NIT). And of course it was packed and loud for the two America East title games.
But there is something else that is definitely going on this year, for whatever reason, which is holding attendance down way more than the level it should be at.
THIS should never happen this year, and this is exactly what the marketing department needs to dive into to figure out why it's happening, or at least look at this and and look in the mirror as to why this happens:
Drexel: 9th place, 3-18 overall, 1-9 in the CAA, plays in basically slightly a spruced-up, small high school gym
Hofstra: tied for 1st; 16-6 overall, 8-2 in the CAA, plays in a pretty nice, 5,000-seat basketball arena
1/14, Drexel at Hofstra; attendance: 1,102
1/30, Hofstra at Drexel; attendance: 1,510
Given where those two teams are this year, and the two different arenas they play in, even switching those two attendance numbers around would be embarrassing from a Hofstra standpoint. But for Drexel to outdraw Hofstra in the two games against each other THIS year? I don't even know what to say about that.
If this year's Drexel team is drawing 1,510 for Hofstra, this year's Hofstra should be drawing TWICE that against Drexel and exceeding that, up to 3,500 or 4,000, for much bigger games. Yet based on what we've seen this season, something tells me that even a first-place showdown with UNCW on Thursday night will have a hard time beating out what Drexel drew against Hofstra this weekend. And that would really suck, because 4,000+ in a loud, electric environment is what Hofstra, UNCW, their fans and the CAA all deserve on Thursday night. And it would and should be a special night. But the track record sadly doesn't suggest that will happen.