Spring Game 2019

[76-1]

I think we've covered everyones thoughts about the 2018 Spring Game rather thoroughly so..., with that in mind let's move on to next years Spring Game...

There are several ways to run it and my first thought is (and I'm being serious [not sarcastic this time]): Have Fred just turn the majority of the planning over to the Football Staffs "On Campus Recruiting" guy(s) and let them run it as an "By Invitation Only" event...

Basically, they'd be inviting Recruits and their extended families, the extended families of the players and coaches, Football support staff and their families, along with whichever select few they chose based on whatever criteria meets their whim. {No..., I'm Not expecting an invitation )

The above approach would solve having to deal with all that pesky "promotion" stuff (that IS intended as sarcasm), while targeting the key group that you really "Want" to be there, and cutting out the riff-riff (me & 3,000 like me, you know, the people who've supported the program by putting their butts in the seats and staying as positive as possible thru thick and thin...for 50 plus years; [hey..., "somebody will end up disappointed"..., guess that's going to be me..., at least I'll know well in advance and not make any plans to take my grandson there]...

That's "approach A" and I think it's a good one. This way the staff can put more focus on talking to that key recruit and his family rather than having to glad hand some guy they've never seen before, while having to come up with pleasantries, all while thinking: "I hope I can get some more face time with that Recruit..."

There's a couple of other ways to approach it but real life is calling so I'll have to post more later...

I am serious in believing that this one, "approach A" may well be the best way to go in the future...

 

[IUXC68]

So when are you going to send this to Fred?

 

[76-1]

So when are you going to send this to Fred?

I'll have someone post it on "twitter"

 

[Upset Alert]

Whatever happened to the "early" starting time? I remember many years ago the theme used to be "Pancakes and Pigskin" or vice-versa. It just needs a tentative early starting time to leave more wiggle room to start later if weather becomes a possible issue. Problem solved. Thunderstorms rarely last all day. So, let's say if the game can't be started at 10 or 11am there'd be a bigger window to wait the weather out and say delay it a bit to 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Easy peasy.

 

[76-1]

Here's my "Approach B":

At the tail end of our first Recruit Signing Day affair (in December) make a mention of (both verbally and in print): "Looking forward to our Bowl Game and "The" Spring Game" (with details of all the projected activities associated with it mentioned briefly and added in smaller print... (way too early you say, no I say..., we have planted a seed from which a Mighty Oak will grow ).

///Unrelated but needs to be mentioned: I would also start selling a 2019 season ticket voucher (in October)to be given as Christmas gifts (made up in the form of a Recruits style "look forward to having you as part of the Team" package with maybe an INDIANA FOOTBALL T-shirt and hat thrown in...///

Back to "The Spring Game" (Approach B):

During the lead up to the Bowl game, during it and immediately after, take every opportunity to mention the newly signed recruits along with how much we "are looking forward to "The" Spring Game"...

Every coaches interview, every time Winter Conditioning is mentioned there should be an addition of we can't wait for "The" Spring Game!!!; or We're "Really" looking forward to "The" Spring Game!!! Heck, I'd even have Archie mentioning how the only thing he's looking forward to as much as potential Final Four is "The" Spring Football Game" !

Then, when the February Recruit Signing Day comes up we reprise what we did at the tail end of the first one: we are "Really" looking forward to "The" Spring Game!!! Gonna be a great time!!! (And perhaps most importantly) We have multiple contingency plans to assure that everyone who comes down has a great time no matter what the weather...! Then we lay out in detail all the associated events also with the date and time of "The" Spring Game. //This is in February//

From that point on (the 2nd Signing Day) we continually ramp up the promotion of "The" Spring Game... Fred can have his minions "Russian Bot" Facebook and Twitter and whatever is currently the latest craze in social media...

We send out "The" Spring Game oversized postcards in early March that explain the game day activities and times associated with them (so fans can discuss going over Easter dinner)...

We throw up billboards in the cities in Indiana that hold our largest concentrations of fans that say: See you at "The Spring Game"!

We send out packets in late March that have an IU sticker that says: See you at The Spring Game with an insert detailing how much the Team appreciates the fans, etc... and a Mini-Poster enclosed with "The" Spring Game activities times and venues listed on it...

We buy radio spots, banners on sites like this and have TV Sports Reporters down (to talk with or now famous Strength and Conditioning Staff) and we're certain to mention "The" Spring Game multiple times...

Every time a coach or a player (or Fred) is interviewed the company line/mantra should be: can't wait for "the" Spring Game...

Basically, we promote it like it Matters..., because if we ever really want to reach "the Big Time", it does...

 

[76-1]

What if they actually put forth the effort to promote the Spring Game like this:

https://iuday.iu.edu/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIztjFvPTE2gIVxGABCh1RXAIBEAEYASAAEgI-L_D_BwE

If they had any sense this would be done as part of the lead up to the Spring Game with "The" Spring Game being the culmination of the celebration...

 

[Chriselli]

Here is the number one issue with the Spring Game: Fans don't care. Fred Glass could call every season ticket holder every day, offer a free Rolling Stones concert, and give away a car at halftime....and we would draw 3,000. Did they mail it in this year? Absolutely. But promoting our Spring Game is probably as demoralizing as promoting our Olympic programs.

At least when we close it to the public, recruits won't see how poor our attendance can be.

 

[DANC]

Here is the number one issue with the Spring Game: Fans don't care. Fred Glass could call every season ticket holder every day, offer a free Rolling Stones concert, and give away a car at halftime....and we would draw 3,000. Did they mail it in this year? Absolutely. But promoting our Spring Game is probably as demoralizing as promoting our Olympic programs.

At least when we close it to the public, recruits won't see how poor our attendance can be.

Free Rolling Stone concert? Yeah, I think a few more than 3,000 would be there.

There's been way more than 3,000 at the Spring games for some time. Maybe if you haven't been there, you buy that crap. But I've been and I can tell you it's more in the neighborhood of 5,000 - 8,000. And it's a great time.

 

[Crimson Crush]

Here is the number one issue with the Spring Game: Fans don't care. Fred Glass could call every season ticket holder every day, offer a free Rolling Stones concert, and give away a car at halftime....and we would draw 3,000. Did they mail it in this year? Absolutely. But promoting our Spring Game is probably as demoralizing as promoting our Olympic programs.

At least when we close it to the public, recruits won't see how poor our attendance can be.

If you watch many of the spring games in this conference where the stadium seats under, say, 70,000, you see many of the same crowd sizes.

I don’t know why fans think this is a unique thing to IU?

It’s probably the same people that think that Hoosier Hysteria (formerly Midnight Madness) is something that is trademarked by IU basketball? Everyone does it and draw the same amount of interest and go on to , unlike IU, have meaningful post season tournaments.

IU is probably no better or worse than the vast number of universities putting on these events and the state of Indiana is notorious for unpredictable weather.

The SEC, the “king” conference of football fan interest, had many lightly attended games this spring.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sb...ollege-football-spring-games-canceled-weather

I was looking forward to the game but nobody can control the weather. IU was like OSU and it “monitored” the weather. Other schools just pulled the trigger early.

I work with a guy who is big Michigan fan and he said that UM’s decision to cancel early was, in his mind, way overboard and disrespectful to the fans.

See? You cannot have it both ways with Mother Nature.

People will get upset regardless.

 

[Crimson Crush]

If you think about this stuff, it’s kind of humorous. Look at this tweet from Auburn’s spring game and look at the crowd. Auburn is football crazy. This is not an IU-only issue:

 

[76-1]

If you watch many of the spring games in this conference where the stadium seats under, say, 70,000, you see many of the same crowd sizes.

I don’t know why fans think this is a unique thing to IU?

It’s probably the same people that think that Hoosier Hysteria (formerly Midnight Madness) is something that is trademarked by IU basketball? Everyone does it and draw the same amount of interest and go on to , unlike IU, have meaningful post season tournaments.

IU is probably no better or worse than the vast number of universities putting on these events and the state of Indiana is notorious for unpredictable weather.

The SEC, the “king” conference of football fan interest, had many lightly attended games this spring.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sb...ollege-football-spring-games-canceled-weather

I was looking forward to the game but nobody can control the weather. IU was like OSU and it “monitored” the weather. Other schools just pulled the trigger early.

I work with a guy who is big Michigan fan and he said that UM’s decision to cancel early was, in his mind, way overboard and disrespectful to the fans.

See? You cannot have it both ways with Mother Nature.

People will get upset regardless.

#^%#'/~%^*#~\*!!!! ***~%#!!!!!

I "Expect" Fred to CONTROL Mother Nature!!!!! #%^^#*

I can just visualize Fred on the 18th hole ala the Priest in "Caddy Shack" getting a lightening bolt for his troubles when he tries to "control" the weather... Now I'm a little frustrated with the guy but I don't want to see him get electrocuted...

Without rehashing the entire fiasco, "weather control" by Fred wasn't the issue for most of us... Lack of promoting and planning the game (i.e. Zero poor weather contingency plan) and poor communication was the issue for many of us..., but we've covered what we felt went wrong let's look ahead to how to help them get next years game done right...

 

[RBB89]

If you think about this stuff, it’s kind of humorous. Look at this tweet from Auburn’s spring game and look at the crowd. Auburn is football crazy. This is not an IU-only issue:

View embedded media

I can’t believe this board is still talking about it, to be honest.

 

[76-1]

The thread title is: Spring Game 2019...

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

If you think about this stuff, it’s kind of humorous. Look at this tweet from Auburn’s spring game and look at the crowd. Auburn is football crazy. This is not an IU-only issue:

View embedded media

The moral of the story is it's nothing to get excited about and it can be cancelled on a whim, so don't make plans. Got it.

 

[Crimson Crush]

The moral of the story is it's nothing to get excited about and it can be cancelled on a whim, so don't make plans. Got it.

The moral is: IU is not some kind of unique, misfit school that is the only school in the universe to have events go awry. The coordination could have been better. Absolutely. But, if this is the worst thing Fred does....well...just be glad he isn’t Mark Hollis. There’s a lot worse shit that ADs are/were controlling out there.

 

[76-1]

The moral of the story is it's nothing to get excited about and it can be cancelled on a whim, so don't make plans. Got it.

Which brings us back to "Approach A": just let the Football Recruiting staff run it and make it an Invitation Only affair with the understanding that most "regular" fans are Not going to get in.

Just keep it simple and focused on the teams extended families , the staff and their extended families, and the Recruits and their extended families, along with a few other select invitees...

If the Athletic Department would rather not deal with promoting and running it and the bulk of our fans don't support it then you may as well go that route...

Feels a lot like being lazy and giving up to me but maybe it's just reality...

 

[Indianaftw]

"The" Spring Game... Fred can have his minions "Russian Bot" Facebook and Twitter and whatever is currently the latest craze in social media...

Russian Bot LMAO...I can see the headlines now. PUTIN shows up to IU spring game. Glass suspected of collusion

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

The moral is: IU is not some kind of unique, misfit school that is the only school in the universe to have events go awry. The coordination could have been better. Absolutely. But, if this is the worst thing Fred does....well...just be glad he isn’t Mark Hollis. There’s a lot worse shit that ADs are/were controlling out there.

Another takeaway I guess is IU should not be trying harder to build a fan base than Auburn or UM. It is not viewed as important enough to deal with weather contingencies.

 

[i'vegotwinners]

Another takeaway I guess is IU should not be trying harder to build a fan base than Auburn or UM. It is not viewed as important enough to deal with weather contingencies.

the focus is to maximize revenues from the core base. not increase the size of the base.

IU's strategy to increase the base has always been limited to, "hope for a miracle".

Fred's strategy for increasing attendance, is to take a 37,000 crowd and announce it as a 45,000 crowd.

btw, i notice single game tickets are now $70. WTF, i think that says it all?

 

[RBB89]

The moral of the story is it's nothing to get excited about and it can be cancelled on a whim, so don't make plans. Got it.

Well, yeah. It’s a scrimmage.

 

[RBB89]

Another takeaway I guess is IU should not be trying harder to build a fan base than Auburn or UM. It is not viewed as important enough to deal with weather contingencies.

We are not going to lose thousands of fans because we moved the spring game inside one time because of weather issues. We build a fan base by winning games. This is ludicrous.

Again, does anyone seriously think that anyone involved in the athletic department preferred to have the team play in one direction for two hours on Saturday, with recruits and guests crammed behind the end zone not being able to see half of the field? Do you really think they wouldn’t prefer to have them in the stands showing off the new addition to the stadium? Even if they weren’t expecting a huge crowd, they were preparing to have food. You have to buy that stuff ahead of time. They spent money on this. They did not want to move this inside.

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

Well, yeah. It’s a scrimmage.

Noted.

 

[Flooded Timber]

Well, yeah. It’s a scrimmage.

It is the only chance many true IU football diehards get to see live action between the months of November and August. Just a scrimmage? I hope it is viewed by the administration as more than just a scrimmage. I am not going down this road again, but to fans who are looking to keep the IU football flame burning during the long off season, there is importance in the spring game. If the administration sees no importance to the fan base, then just do away with the public nature of the thing.